R221 When You Witness

Welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring a Bible-based freezing of Dr. Don Wilton that's open God's word together to John chapter 1C in just a moment John chapter 1 verse 19 Dr. Don Wilton show the message when you witness a lower studying. Remember, available online as well@gwonline.org now Dr. Don Wilton John's gospel in chapter 1 we began our study in the Gospel of John, and we, what is commonly known as the prologue, the beginning of the introduction to this incredible gospel.

We discovered some modest truths about the Lord Jesus Christ.

We discovered in those first 18 verses that Jesus Christ is God contrary to public opinion. We also discovered that Jesus Christ is the creator of everything in this universe. We also discovered that Jesus Christ is the one who has been rejected by many, many people, but he is also the one that we discovered has been accepted by many in the Bible tells us that his manias came to him as many as received him, to them gave me the power to become the sons of God, even to those that believe on his name and then we discovered that this same Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and full of truth and you will recall that that John in his introduction was laying the groundwork for that which was to follow will beginning in verse 19 we have the great announcement that takes place. The arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ among men not been tracking down message this morning when you witness when you witness that's read a few verses beginning of verse 19. Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to Austin who he was, just by the way I want you to notice who these people were also want you to notice that in verse 19 that led to loss is not just simply a friendly inquiry into his will be that where they carries with it a direct connotation in the Lord.

It means to cross-examine these people claim to John and they began to interrogate him and anytime you find that word interrogation. It means my friends. The that they are actually they are angry about something that there is a hidden agenda behind the question which is being lost. Verse 20. John did not fail to confess, but he confessed freely. I am not the Christ by Austin then who are you are you Elijah he said I'm not. Are you the prophet Jan said no.

Finally they said who are you, then give us an Anza to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself. John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, I am the voice of one calling in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.

Now some Pharisees who had been sent Christian. Why then do you baptize if you are not Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet listen to what he says I baptize with wilted.

John replied, but among you stands someone you do not know that incredible isn't it incredible to think that these were clergyman coming to question John about whether or not he was the Christ, and John's reply amongst many other things is a screening indictment of their own lostness. John turns around and says even if he was yeah you wouldn't know who he is because despite your clerical glob in dispatch of seminary training, and despite through theological understanding you've never met the Lord Jesus Christ when he goes on, and he says in verse 27 he is the one who comes off to me with songs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie how this all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan with John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and he said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the wound. This is the one I meant when I said a man who comes off to me has surpassed me because he was before me. Remember the first verse. Look back at John chapter 1 verse one in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God and the Word was God. With God in the beginning, look what he says in verse 31 in verse 30 a man who comes off to me who has surpassed me because he was before me.

Then in verse 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be rude to you to Israel. Then John gave this testimony. I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain upon him. I would not have known him, except that the one who saved me to baptize with water told me the man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain as he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and here it is. I have seen and I testify that this is the son of God by the Lord righties word upon our hearts this morning when you witness the many things that I witnessed many things that you have witnessed. I witnessed something rather incredible to say the least. I took my little girl Sammy to one of these places where you get hamburgers and I have a place where children can play in love. I have little plastic bowls and Nixon and I have tunnels going up this wind down that when things you can drop out of them parachuted from and I mean just all kinds of stuff and I bought myself a few French fries and went and sat outside of my goal to climb through the tunnel and guarding these bowls. The next minute they were a number of children playing and there they were having the time of their lives. I mean this was the ultimate experience.

As far as they were concerned little while later, one of the mothers finally stood up and she said in the in the sweetest motherly voice I've ever heard. She said honey, it's time to go and I want to tell you something sweetie pie obviously didn't hear her, and sweetie pie just she didn't turn her head. She just ignored it.

Well about three seconds later.

Mommy looked over again and said sweetie pie. I think it's time to go now, and deacons did not so much as back knowledge. I mean, she didn't say Bovard kiss my foot. I mean nothing, she just ignored mom. I mean it was a total shot out.

I thought all that we go. If I could have a video not win $10,000 on America's funniest home videos I knew what was coming. I least I thought I did.

The next minute. Mom took a few steps up toward the main because they were people all over the scene. She walked up and she said I say sweetie pie. It is time to go. The little girl kind of looked up and said I'm playing mommy.

She said when it's time to go now and little one dive back into the bowls again disappeared some mommy went right up to the meat and she said sweetie pie comes and I could see her face changing folks, one of pleasant disposition to one of definite hookworm treatment. I mean there was there was a moral look of disdain from us upon her face and she she crept up and she looked straight at her daughter and she said you will come here right now and the little girl got up and walked up to the minute and put her hands in the net and she must've been tremendous.

You gonna make a great ballplayer because she's got anticipation mom came from about their to give her a smack through the mid to tell her it was time to go.

The little girl anticipated and backing these bowls and disappeared again and mother, the processing had enough market to see if she started to take her shoes off course taking this you will and the shewolf she had most usual you not she was going to do, don't you. Then she went to that little tunnel. She walked around the she began to get through the whole she got through the tunnel to God's being' a great church.

I wasn't about to go and give her a portion you know where I'll be a man of integrity. All away she she get stuck. That's a problem when finally she managed to plop himself out on me.

She was pulling Marcus and she kind of went alcohol like that. She went flying out the one in headfirst into the bowls and disappeared on me. She was underneath those goals.

I mean, she came up looking Marcus and her daughter wasn't there, but I knew when she was she went out that tunnel over the top down the other side. Now she was standing outside and she said mommy don't you think it's time to go now I will tell you what happened there when she finally got out think his mother now had to try and get back out of this thing. Despite the sign that said children under three. Only you see I stood there and I watched this and I experienced carrying John chapter 1 and verse 19 we begin the dynamic of the experience of knowing the Lamb of God is what we going to find repeatedly throughout God's word is that when you have not become impacted by the gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to God's word is seemed possible to witness firsthand the dramatic account of knowing that you know that you know that you know that your sins are forgiven vectorborne again that you washed it would be by the blood of the lamb and get to go on as if nothing had ever happened. That's what it means when you witness. I believe that what is happening here is that the criteria in the safe. The foundation is laid, the dynamics are placed in place.

The prerogative is set. The mandate is given, the commission is ordered, that he will not stand and that we proclaim to the world. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that I believe that the more we begin to study this passage, the more we begin to understand the biblical dynamic of what happens when we do witness. There are five reminders that I believe the apostle would make Karen these particular verses number one when we do witness.

Always remember that opposition can, from the most unlikely sources. Let me run that by again if we really understand verse 19 and then verse 22 and then consistently throughout the New Testament, we must remember always remember my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ that when we do witness that opposition can and most likely will come from the most unlikely sources here it came from clergyman. Can you believe that that's what the Bible says in verse 19. Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to come and interrogate him concerning his goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ friends. When I began to read this.

It really began to strike home in my own Hawkins' great church. It really began to speak to me as a former professor of preaching and evangelism in a seminary. It really began to drive home the point to me in my personal and public ministry. As I began to examine my heart and say to myself. Is there anything in my life that would hinder an abstract and become opposition to the witness of the cross of Christ Jesus you would say to me today Dr. Wilton what is that mean that means my friends that as a witness. Always remember that there are going to be people who are not going to like it one bit that you have coming to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and many times those people are people that you would least expect it from that's right. I weaned gun speak to a man not a member of this church. Someone wants me to go and visit with him as I spoke to him just for a brief moment, he began to tell me he said to me, preacher. I am a Christian. I don't go to church very often I find it so difficult because my home environment is a total contradiction to everything that God is this man almost with tears in his eyes said to me pasta. The greatest opposition I have for my witness comes from my own wife that I love with Omaha hybrid website that the greatest opposition to the gospel comes from my own husband comes from my son.

It comes from my daughter.

It comes from my friend.

It comes from my denomination. It comes from my church comes from my community, I want to say to your friends that if John reminds us of anything that we are not God. We must always remember in the second place that we are not God. Look with me at verse 20. It's remarkable here that these people came to interrogate John. Yet we have this incredible announcement look back at verse 50. But it may look just to look at verse 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying this was he of whom I said, he who comes off to me. Hess' from because he was before me from the fullness of his grace. Just think about what happens when we accept this Jesus, the Lamb of God, the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.

For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through the Lord Jesus Christ.

These people didn't like us one bit. And so they began to go to him and question him and interrogate him. In fact, if you going to verse 22. The Bible says.

Finally they said who are you give us.

We do more of that is an intent to us. We bond an explanation from you to take back to these who have sent us. Isn't it amazing that sometimes in the antagonism of the non-Christian world, people begin to blame everybody else when the water hits the wheel. Please tell us because we want to go back to those who sin is what is it that you say about yourself, and then in verse 20 he did not fail to confess the Bible teaches us, my friends, that John did not stop telling people about Jesus, but he did something that was very important.

He never forgot that he was not Jesus Christ. Please forgive the eruption Dr. Don Wilton be right back with the conclusion of today's message when you witness just a moment Dr. Don Wilton remind you there are giants in the lands and you know when we know the story of the giants that David kind of had to go face-to-face. There may be some situations that you and I face right now that are allowing us to discover the David us so that we can conquer those signs together in the power of God in the series is called walking with God's giants. It's available on our website. Right now it tewonline.org you will give us more information the minute but know that in addition to that, one of the joys of our ministry is to pray with you against those trends.

Let's see those giants fall here as we launch 2021 together.

Feel free to call us anytime at 8668 that is 866899673. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. You see friends. There is a point beyond which none of us can go man has a limited capacity in that he can only look upon the awkward appearance but God looks upon the half here is to reduce I can do a lot of things for you this morning.

I can tell you that you must be born again. I can tell you my friend that I want you to know that what Jesus Christ has done for me. He'll do exactly the same for you upstairs and downstairs by way of television during quiet God would do something for you that nobody else can do I can invite you to get up publicly and give your life to Christ I can lead you right up to the water, but I cannot make you drink.

The Bible says that all people who are outside of Jesus Christ are depicted as being desperately thirsty. Jesus said whoever comes and thinks of me will take a drink of the living water, and as a result, I will never thirst again why because Jesus Christ is the fountain of life in John chapter 1 in the verse 19 versus what is he he is the light of the world and he comes into darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. But to as many as received him, to the day he power the right to become the sons of God, even to those that believe on his name you say to me today pasta what is witnessing.

Witnessing is sharing Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God because salvation is the sovereign work of the sovereign God. There is nothing that I can do for your salvation. I can only tell you how to be so, so, what must we remember when we witness we must remember that opposition sometimes will come from the most unlikely sources, but we must also remember that that will not God but in the third place. We must remember who we are representing.

When we witness we must remember in the third place. We are represented I want to look at me versus 29 through 34 Montana read them on again but it's apparently obvious and abundantly clear that when we witness we are representing to different people. Did you know that when you witness when you take a stand for Jesus Christ. You and I are representing two people.

Number one, we are representing one another. We representing fellow believers have spoken about blue board chair before then he tell you friend. There is a sense in which every born-again believer is a blue board for every other born-again believer.

The tragedies of the 80s with the full of some of the men of God in the 80s was not just a personal tragedy for them and for their families. It was a personal tragedy for all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and I'll ask you something. Who watched you this week who watched you wanted people see you see what John is saying here.

My friend is that when we witness we must always remember the people we representing, we not only represent one another, but we represent in the second place, the Lord Jesus Christ will put it like this in second Corinthians chapter 6 and verse one. He said we are his ambassadors. That's right, we stand there in the place of God for God. We are representing him. We speak with his authority. We speak with his dignity. We carry his availability. We speak with his accuracy. We are representatives of God is friends when we go about the business of witnessing. We must not only forget we must never forget that opposition will come from the most unlikely sources we must always remember that we are not God. We must always remember who we are representing. But in the fourth place.

We must always remember when we witness where we came from. We must always remember where we came from. In verse 23 John says I am the voice of one calling in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.

You see friends. The Bible teaches us that the only difference between the best of us in here and the worst of them out there is the grace of God. That's the only difference and I want to say to you that the mandate in John's gospel is that when we witness we must never forget where we came from. We must never forget that the Bible teaches that in Adam all die, all of us in forming a wilderness experience all of us on the voice of one crying in the heat in the gossip dying of thirst.

Why, because the Bible says that we are born dead in our trespasses and in our sins. We are indeed the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord when we witness never forget where we came from, but I want you to notice in the first place. When we witness.

Always remember to focus everything on the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 29 we read the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said look, the Lamb of God, it takes away the sin of the world.

Verse 34. Look at it with me.

I have seen and I testify that this is the son of God.

When we do witness my friends. Let's always focus our attention on Jesus Christ.

You see, sometimes we beat around the bush so much. We forget what Bush we beating around the country.

Sometimes we can get involved in talking about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees. We can talk about everything under the noonday sun accepting the Lord Jesus Christ. We can talk about Jonah. We can talk about Genesis, we can talk about the books of the Bible, we can talk about tithing and stewardship. We can talk about church membership, we can talk about baptism, my friend, but we've got a focus on Jesus Christ. That is the focus of our teaching times going doctoral to all the powerful week of teaching its bid.

If you miss some of today's message or other throughout the week can find all the ways to listen and watch on our website@tewonline.org that's TEW on.org but as we wrap up this series of five messages together wrap up this week of teaching. I pray that you and I would not allow ourselves to come out of the teaching of God's word and be content to stay the same.

Is there something that you need to do a course correction, and adjustment that you need to make. If so, I pray that you would open your heart to letting the Lord speak to you about what that is.

And for some it's the first step to a brand-new life before we close your closing thoughts from our pastor and chief encourager Dr. Don Wilton God has spoken to you hesitantly and you ready to give your heart to Jesus.

I'd love to help you right now. Would you pray this prayer with me and accept Jesus into your heart and life. Dear God, I know that on the center. I know that Jesus loves me of God right now I repent of my sins and I confess my sins, Jesus Christ coming to save give me for my sin. Jesus name a. If you pray that prayer we love to get alongside celebrate singing some literature help you as you begin to grow and I want you to know that I love very much if you just gave your life to Jesus Christ. Welcome to the family of God may be rededicate your life back. You need to let somebody know and let us know. Let us rejoice and put some resources in your hands to help you grow. The phone number is 866899 word 866899673 inducted on his resources specifically for you free for you to have given your life to Christ, 866-899-9673 and if you have more questions, want to have more interaction you could do it on our website as well@tewonline.org that's TW online.org, where you discover great resources like this, God's purpose for us her chains are not nurse their Jesus Christ, the word of God is relevant all times in which we lead. There are countless testimonies of people in the cloud of witnesses to encourage ice on the Christian journey learning for man, you can hide giant with your get $20 or more and support Encouraging Word first doctor dynamic two-part series. Walking with God giant series line walking with God's giant linefeed DVD includes more messages on the lives of Abraham, Moses, 6992 request series my walking guide giant you for your continued partnership: Jesus Christ where times come from David Wood connecting online@twonline.org. Spend some time worshiping the Lord with us this weekend.

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