R358 Rallying The Troops Pt.1

Welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based freezing of Dr. Don Wilton began a message called rallying the troops in this two-part series will gain understanding about how we as the troops of God can. Not only encourage each other see greater victories at work together know that we're here for you 24 seven and tewonline.org RG like a copy of God's word morning turn with me to Ephesians chapter full false manner of Paul's the church at Ephesus, fourth chapter Ephesians chapter 4, rallying the troops.

You know, I think that we would all agree this morning that there are so many times that in our lives. We are called upon to rally the troops together. It's happened in America so many times when one thinks back over the various wars many years ago I had the privilege with my family of being in Hawaii and of course we visited Pearl Harbor and it was a remarkable experience when one stands there at Pearl Harbor and you think of all the lives that were lost in one dramatic moment and yet you think at the same time on how this nation rallying together just remarkable one thinks of the Korean War, when thinks of Vietnam with all of the complexities all the heroes and heroines that returned even more so. Those who never return America rally together. Think of operation Desert Storm. We think about troops are even deployed. Right now, and in places like Bosnia and Somalia and on and on it goes. Family sometimes after rally together circumstances entering into our lives of varying kinds of things begin to happen. There is a death in the family or there is a very serious turtle as someone something is happening the finances of collapsed or someone's been arrested and put in jail.

There's all kinds of calamities that come upon us as families and yet we rally together and we come together that wonderful unity that we have provides us with a remarkable strength here in Ephesians chapter full we find from verses one through 16.

God rallies the troops together and God gives to us a groundwork, a fundamental basis of platform from which to operate. God gives us something to stand upon that is firm and is solid.

I want to read to you the first 16 verses of invite you to follow along in God's word with me as a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received be completely humble and gentle. The patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort Garrett is to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you will call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says when he ascended on high, he led captives in his training.

Dave gifts to men.

What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly region. He who descended is the very one who asked ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and some to be teachers to prepare God's people for the works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and that we become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the words and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work by the Lord, right his word upon our hearts.

It seems to me this morning that if we really begin to understand Ephesians chapter 4 we begin to see that God is in rallying his troops together and perhaps what Paul had a glimpse of by the inspiration of the spirit was the magnitude of the toss that was set before the church in Ephesus. The difficulties the player ahead of the struggles that they were encountering in the practicality of their daily lives and pull goes back to fundamental roots and I want to share with you in the first place this morning. God laying the groundwork you see in verses four through six we going to discover something here that is absolutely remarkable and is almost too wonderful to try and express with human expression. God lays out for us 71 is now, but… Salmon becomes increasingly significant as far as God's scheme of things is concerned.

When I believe that it is no accident that Karen Paul's letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4 that the apostle Paul, trying to focus our attention on God, our heavenly father lays down across a groundwork, a fabric of operation. A mode of operation that is laid upon a solid foundation which points in essence disabling things. Number 11 body Paul here reminds us in verse four he says there is one body, not remembering verse three.

The apostle Paul has just made a staggering statement.

He ascended the do what ever it takes to maintain and keep and engender unity among he says I want to do something that is practically impossible. You just think of the United States of America house it possible for the United States of America and about people ever to think and to be of one mind, one can think of any kind of group of people we are all diverse people. We've all got different characters and personalities.

We all like different things and we all behave in different ways, and the apostle Paul Goering verse four, he's going to lay the groundwork is laid for us in Christ Jesus. Through God, our heavenly father and he says listen, the only means by which you going to be able to rally the troops is if you understand that God is our commander-in-chief, and he is laid up groundwork for us that boggles the mind and he points to the first level, and he says there is one body.

What is he mean by that is, men and women we look around our world today and we see an awesome amount of division. The infected's many very sad in many different ways all over the place.

This division there are Catholics there are Protestants there Orthodox state churches, nonconformist churches, there is the parachurch business splintering of churches into denominations intersects into factions on the left. We got the liberals on the right.

We got the fundamentalists in the middle to the right. We got the conservatives and of course, don't forget the charismatics we've got churches that are divided on doctrine we got churches that are divided on church government.

We've got churches that are divided on issues even related to matters pertaining to morality. All of this confusion that we have in America today is aggravated by the fact that there are many heresies and cults, many of whom are claiming to be Christian church. But the thing that horrified me more than anything else. My friends were members of the church masquerading as people whom you understand and love the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm going to say to you that this only adds to the confusion and the aggravation here in the United States of America as to who is the true church.

Paul here is going to take us back to a fundamental premise. He's going to take us back to a foundation and see friends. There is however only one church. The Bible tells us that where is man sees disunity. God sees unity what God tells us he needs word. My friend is that he sees a church filled with men and women and with Boys and Girls Club washed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. All of them all one in Christ. There are some on earth. There are many even more so, who are already in heaven and old slave members are members of the one body of Christ.

They share one life and that is the life of Christ. That is what Paul is saying fullness taking us back to the cross of Christ. He's taking us back to the person and to the work of Christ, and he is saying listen you will never accomplish what you have to accomplish if you don't understand the groundwork which is being laid by our commander-in-chief. There is one body, old and young, rich and poor boys and girls, men and women in Latin people who are confused, the victorious, the defeated whatever happens and what ever matters Paul says there is one body. There is one body, but he takes it even further than that.

He moves on from one body, and in the next breath he says there's not any one body. These ones you see that's what makes coming to church so special does not see Paul is saying to us, my friends, it doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter where you been where you think you going if you have repented of your sin and by faith.

Given your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. You are welcome into the body of Christ, and that is made possible because he begins to move through a progressive revelation here that is made possible by the second piece in this groundwork, and that is one spirit what he tell us in Romans eight verse nine he said if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his and Paul here is saying if there is to be one of us. It means that we've got to pinpoint the distinguishing mark that distinguishes a believer from everybody else and that is the indwelling presence of the spirit of the living God. Some people have tried to suggest that this has to do with with Spirit baptism and all other kinds of things friends. I'm going to say to you that what Paul is talking about your is the Holy Spirit of the living God, and in fact Paul goes a step further. He is saying if there is one spirit, usually to make absolutely certain that the groundwork upon which you stand is based upon the spirit of God. Why because there is an endeavor today for spirit to infiltrate the church of God turn with me to one John that's just before the book of Revelation strand one John chapter 4, everybody turned one John chapter 4 verse one.

Listen to what the apostle says I love to hear all those pages. Russ everybody turned one John just before the book of Revelation. Listen to what the apostle says verse one. He says dear friends, do not believe every spirit, you see that do not believe every spirit.

Now folks just look up for second in America today on our television sets. Everywhere you look there are people claiming to operate under the spirit of God. It's all over America to some of it is very popular because it's all flashy. It's got a lot of glitz and glamour to it.

It looks good. Sometimes it even sounds good. Listen to me listen to me. I will guarantee you that probably within the next several weeks, someone is going to come and knock at your door. You not they going to say to you they going to say to you that we, in the name of the spirit of God. That's what they going to tell you. Well, listen to what the Bible says, dear friends, do not believe every spirit why Paul in Ephesians says there is only one spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This is how you can recognize the spirit of God. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God that Garrett is this is the spirit of the spirit of the antichrist. He says this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming that Garrett is very staggering and even now is already operating in this world.

God's Word warns us. Paul writing to the church at Ephesus.

He says be very careful. Some of you might say to me today will pasta.

How do I know if somebody who comes to my door is occult or if they truly do love the Lord Jesus Christ test the spirits. Some of you say to me pasta. What do I say to someone who comes to my door. You ready for this rating talk to them about Jesus.

Let's say together, talk to them about Jesus come on you can do better than that you shot it at a football game yesterday. Talk to them about focus on Jesus.

That's what the Bible says the word of God says my friend test the spirits. How do you test the spirit you test the spirit because the Bible says there is one body, and there is one spirit and that spirit is the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. There many false spirits out there. What is the spirit of God do for us. He convicts us of our sin, he enlightens us he saves us he indwells us he fills us DC use us. He guides us into all truth.

He gives us the desire to read God's word to come to church to love one another to be unified in Christ to love others to serve him. That's what the spirit of the living God does for us. Listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher on The Encouraging Word and will be back in just a moment with more of this rallying the troops message from Dr. Don, but many are asking about the resources we have available both on her website@twonline.org just by calling and asking at 866-899-WORD continue to have a number of people asking about the book Dr. Wilton released just a month or so ago called Saturdays with Billy. Yes, it's available you can see more on our website@tewonline.org hope you'll check it out now back today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Can you see God rallying his troops laying the groundwork pieces. First of all days, one body, the life of Christ.

Number two. There is one spirit, the spirit of the living God with any takes it one step further. He says there is one hope of your calling liquid that there writing Ephesians. He says there is one hope of your calling, one incredible statement to Mike what in the world could he mean by that what I've read people saying all kinds of things and I guess were entitled to do that, but I'm convinced that what Paul is saying here is that the hope of our calling is the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again. He's talking about the hope that we have in Jesus coming again. Now, folks. In verse three we got understand this.

He's making a call for spiritual unity, then he is going to the oneness of the body.

The oneness of the spirit and now the oneness of the hope of our calling.

Why is he emphasizing these things because there is so much disunity among people today with regard to these things.

Take the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much divergence thought with regard to what is going to happen at the end of the age what's going to give you some of it.

I'm going to outline something very quick there all the post millennialist Yahoo although they the ones who believe that when the gospel has sufficiently permeated society and made the world moderately ends virtually ready for he's coming. That's when Jesus is going to come again second group are the millennialist. Some people say that they millennialist. Who are these people. These people believe that the church is a spiritual Israel and that all the millennial promises of the Old Testament are being spiritually fulfilled in the church, even as we speak. There is no literal millennial age and that the second coming will usher in the eternal age of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There's 1/3 group of people.

I remember Paul is just say there's one hope of our calling. What's all this that I'm talking about whether third group of the premillennialists they take the Old Testament millennial prophecies absolutely literally, they believe it 100%.

They refused to explain prophecy away. They believe that Christ will rescue the church that he will set up a thousand year reign upon this earth.

You say will wait a minute pasta they premillennialists in all millennialist and post millennialist. I even know what a millennialist is I had one of them things, but the wheels fell off this all different kinds of I can break it up even further. Listen to this there all the post tribulation lists.

These are people who believe that before Jesus can come back. The church has got to go through the tribulation. There all the men. Tribulation lists these are people who believe that the church will be snatched away in the middle of the tribulation the church will suffer for a while, then they will be taken away and rescued from the awful things that come upon us there all the pre-tribulation us the these are group of people who believe that the church will escape altogether.

While God judges Israel and the nations that are left behind there all the partial rapture theorists the partial rapture theorists. This is a group school of thought that believes only those who are expected who are actually looking for Jesus to come. At the time of these coming are going to be taken to be with him and will escape the rapture. They will escape the tribulation.

Some people said they are not partial rapture theorists. They are partial rapture theorists because they believe that the church will be ruptured and that some of the church will be taken and others will be left behind lot of confusion. Yes. Lotta conflict. This Lotta division. What is Paul talking about or he doesn't say this but maybe he's talking about the plan millennialist and the will of the plan millennialist.

They believe it's all going to pan out in the end, you know, I'm not trying to make light of that, but in a sense I think Paul is trying to say to us. Listen, why don't you take seriously what Jesus said in John 14 verses one through three your reader that you know it wanted to take it seriously. What did Jesus say Jesus said let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me.

In my father's house there are many mansions and if it were not so I would've told you and I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you. I'm going to come back again, there's the second coming. I'm going to receive you unto myself that where I am, there you will be also. Paul is saying wait a minute now, folks hear the call. The clarion call in verse three is to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

How is this possible. It's only possible because God is the commander-in-chief. What is the commander-in-chief new delays a solid groundwork, there is one body.

There is one spirit there is one hope of your calling. Then he goes on the fourth one. He says there is one Lord, there is just one more here. He focuses our attention on the common confession of faith. He takes us back to John 14 six. He said Jesus is the way because he is the one and only Lord Jesus is the truth because he is the one and only Lord Jesus is life itself.

Why because he is the one and only Lord Byron. Not a whole lot of roads that lead to heaven. You cannot get to heaven by any means, whether it's your sincerity or your works or your denomination. The only way you can do that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to Roman 10 verse nine. If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and will believe in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be say Paul is saying that this is the ultimate evidence of salvation. Paul is saying that we must turn our lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ because he is the one Lord, Paul is saying that this is our heart's response to the one who must become the center of our universe.

The sum of all our endeavors. The circumference of all our expressions in our travels and our joy is in our sorrows in this confession the mouth speaks. According to Matthew chapter 12 in verse 34 out of the abundance of the heart, look at it. Look at verse four. There is one body.

There is one spirit there is one hope the kind of hope that you have when you will call, there is one Lord, and then Paul even takes that one step further, he says there's not any one Lordy sympathies. One place, one fight. Martin Luther discovered this to be true in 1517, when he discovered that the Bible teaches that the just shall live by faith. Paul is saying this is our way of saying to God I am absolutely sure of who I am in Christ because of my faith because of our faith with an ultimate culmination of today's teaching from Dr. Don you've heard of in the pulpit now as he steps in the studio sure is heart I pray you'd open your heart, what God can do next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me today. I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my file in Jesus night, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news and by the way, don't go away because I'll be right back. Just a minute. Welcome the family of God.

I'm confident some of you prayed along with Dr. Don to give your life to Christ. We dedicate your life to Jesus. It's time to let someone know we love to be at the other end of 866-899-WORD celebrating with you, jot down, give us a call. Dr. Don has free resources. He wants you to have if you call us at 866-899-9673. We would love to hear from you. As a matter fact before we get away a closing thought about that very thing.

Dr. Don Wilton I'm so glad that we been able to share together by means of radio today you just mean so much to me and thankful we are for the word of God to get you can call right now and connect with me at 866-899-9673 you get that 866-899-WORD 9673 call and connect with me right now.

Our times gone today but will be back with more of rallying the truth Dr. Don Wilton tomorrow on The Encouraging Word. This program is sponsored by the word and your generous prayer and financial support.

Thank you so