R359 Rallying the Troops Pt.3

Welcome to the Friday edition of The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton and rallying the troops today.

We round up is rallying the troops message series. It's been so insightful as we spent some time in the writings of Paul to the church at Ephesus. Ephesians chapter 4 is again where will head today and just along with Dr. Don Wilton and as we do so now that we're here for you. Many are connecting on our website right now ITW online.org to hear his entire series is meant that you can hear and see so much of the resources of Dr. Wilton teaching right there on our website TE W online.org also the place to sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don that's right there on our website@tewonline.org now the conclusion of rallying the troops. Today's message from Dr. Don Wilton tells everyone about this morning that we very special in God's sight and in his presence so into the picture comes God's grace.

Verse seven, but each one of us grace is being given. According to Christ Jesus. Apportionment according to the hand and according to the apportionment that God has for us in Christ Jesus, and friend.

I'm going to say to you that before we can understand the nature and the purpose of the gifts that God gives to his church. We gotta understand what God means by grace, not all of us have a basic understanding of that. But let me share a few thoughts with you this morning. Number one my submit to you that the nature of grace is giving that's the first thing that we go to understand in the New Testament about grace. The nature of grace itself is giving you can go right throughout Scripture and you going to discover my friends that the emphasis is far more in the New Testament upon giving then it is upon getting what is the Bible say Bible says it's more blessed to give than it is to receive his congregation is filled with people like that who have come to know that this is absolutely true. God's nature is to give his very character is in the embodiment of a giving God that found its close humiliation in the fact that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not die but should have eternal everlasting life. You see friends, the very nature of grace is giving he is the God of giving why because he gives free trees church. Why do we have gifts in the church because God wants to give them to us. That's why, but there's a second truth that we must note about grace number two God is gracious and gives us grace because of who he is and not because of who we are.

God is gracious and he gives us grace because of who he is. The emphasis is completely upon God. Why because we undeservedly wanted Paul Sipe already grappled with that and he ended up saying I am what I am by the grace of God.

How many of you this morning, upstairs and downstairs would be prepared this morning unashamedly decide I am what I am by the grace of God raise up your hands. I'm putting on the spot.

Thank you. Please put your hands down. I am what I am by the grace of God.

That's what makes coming into God's house so special doesn't that we are sinners saved by the grace of God, that's exactly what it is. Paul said, I am what I am by the grace of God. He put it like this. Elsewhere he said there but by the grace of God go all of us born conceived in sin. Sinners by nature and sin is by choice. All of us deserving separation from God. None of us deserving to have any fellowship with a holy and a righteous God by his grace. Not because of who we are, but because of who he is. We have been reconciled to the father through the shed blood of the Lamb number one. The nature of grace is given number two God is gracious and gives us his grace. Because of who he is, but I want you to notice third thoughts about the grace that we read about in verse seven, the greatest gift of grace. According to the Scripture is self. The greatest gift of grace is so grace is therefore God's self donation to man.

Just think about it from a the greatest gift of grace is the giving of oneself. Grace is therefore God's act of self donation. What does God give of himself. While the Bible is full of it. He gives his salvation. He gives his power he gives his peace. He gives his inheritance he gives his kingdom. He gives his throne. He gives his spirit he gives his wisdom he gives his love, he gives his glory, and he gives every other spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. According to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1 and verse three is beginning to tie our wall and stand back into asset where we are seated in Christ takes the one and he drives home the point into the seat and the foundation of our very existence, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and he says listen. He says grace is ultimately giving of oneself, the Lord Jesus Christ gave of himself to a sinful world. According to the Scriptures. He gave of himself to his disciples, he gave of himself to those that he healed from sickness. He gave of himself to those that he raised from the dead.

He gave of himself to those who had been released from the power and control of demons he gave of himself to those that he forgave of their sin. Listen carefully, folks.

What is this Christ look at verse seven.

Again, but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportionment that we gotta make another little subtle shifting gears yet because from verse eight through verse 10 God explains to us how the giving of grace and the giving of gifts is the right and the authority of God.

What right does God have, to give us gifts. Now you and I say well because he's God, you're exactly right. But walk right by what authority does the Lord Jesus Christ act upon this now from verse 813 we going to discover how Christ Jesus won the right to do what he does for us in verse 11 we going to begin to discover that based upon his grace that God gives to us all these gifts. What right does he got to give us these gifts well. The apostle Paul before mentioning these specific gifts which are bestowed upon the church uses Psalm 68 and verse 18 as a comparative passage in order to show us how the Lord Jesus Christ won the right to bestow gifts upon his people that we don't have time to go back and look at the whole of Psalm 68.

So let me just summarize it for you. You see in Psalm 68 Psalm 68 by the ways it is a victory him it's a victory him that celebrates God's triumph over a Jebusite village what happened. He was he. He went through a triumphant descendents up Mount Zion.

He brought home the spoils of victory and he began to display the recaptured captors now has what happens, you got it right there in Ephesians chapter 4 is what happens. Back in David's time I man or a king or ruler or what ever a battalion command would go off and they would fight a war when a come on the one a victory back in David's time. They were allowed to do certain things. It was part and parcel of the day and age in which they live. They would literally go back to their home city will their home state. Most of the time it was the home city that was surrounded by some kind of wall, a fortress they would go back down main street of Bay City and the commander-in-chief would usually lead his army up Main Street if you praise God talk to the New York Yankees about if I had a ticket type or write that that's basically what I was ticket type parades go all the way back to David's time. All right, I meant how many ticket types. I had but I had one and I just had an incredible time of celebration. But there was something very significant about because right behind the Concord River, the one who had won the victory. The first line of people behind him were re-captured captors. They were man and woman, boys and girls sometimes people that once belonged to were under the authority of the one who had not conquered them. They were captured by the enemy and this man had now gone and recaptured them back. He had set them free from the bondage they were recaptured because they belonged to the conqueror to begin with. Secondly, they were captives because they now were subordinate and in servitude to the new conqueror who was the boss to begin. They would recaptured captors so they would march them down main street in the ticket type parades and running concurrently with that procession, the conqueror or the commanding general had the right by virtue of these victory to do gifts to those that he had rescued. And then when they receive those gifts they were beholden to display themselves before the people as trophies of the grace of the conqueror.

They were walking, living examples of the greatness of the man who had relieved them, retrieve them, had set them free.

Now listen to what the Bible says what Paul is trying to show us here in a planning team is that in crucifixion and resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ conquered Satan and he led captive a host of captured people, all men, women, boys and those who would ever been held captive because of the birth into this world. When Jesus Christ came down upon this earth, and he died upon the cross, and he set the captive free and what happens when he sets the captive free.

The Bible says my friends that Jesus Christ by virtue of his obedience to God the father has one the right not only to set the captives free, but to bestow upon the recaptured news is trophies is gifts so they become displays so they become public trophies of the work of the grace of God please forgive the eruption will be back with more of Dr. Don Wilton's message in just a moment, but I will remind you that this three part series which is been so well received call rallying the troops are hearing the final episode today is available on our website is in effect all the resources are available. You could hear or watch the teachings of Dr. Don Wilton) T EW online.org is also a great place to share with friends. Your sharing the word about what God is doing to The Encouraging Word has been the way many people have come to Christ the word-of-mouth that we share is a lot more powerful than we sent your word of testimony about the teaching of Dr. Don Wilton and the power of God's word. That's the key is a really powerful to consider to share this and share the website with your friends were also on all the social media's Facebook or twitter Instagram consider those links on our website as well to share with your friends. T EW online.org. We would love to connect with you and connect each other.

The power of God's The Encouraging Word.

Now back to the days teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. That's exactly what happened. If I try to rewrite verse eight not to try and rewrite it, but I wrote it in in English in a way in which that we might be able to understand it in our own terminology. This is what I said as a result of these victory over day and his ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ has won the right to do two things. Number one. He has won the right to lead the captives in their freedom. March has what happens because Jesus died upon the cross and because of his grace.

When you give your life to him my friend. You have received the conqueror into your life. He has defeated he has defeated bondage and Jesus Christ has won the right to prorating, even in front of Satan and his foes at the site to site. Many supposedly my trophy of gray look at my trophy of grace. But there's a second thing that God Jesus Christ is one the right to do these one the right to give us gift just like a triumphant conqueror Jesus Christ distributes the trophies. He has one by virtue of his right in the battlefield by virtue of the fact that he went to the cross. Now how is this distribution carried out folks, this is difficult stuff to understand, but we got to understand, we've got to understand how is this made possible. How is it possible for the trophies of God's grace to be endowed with gifts.

Where do these gifts come from. They come from the person and work of the Holy Spirit. That's where they come from where did the Holy Spirit and when the Holy Spirit come the Holy Spirit only came often Jesus Christ had ascended to be seated at the right hand of the father when Jesus left this earth. He's ascension based upon his deed.

Ascension made it possible for the Holy Spirit of God to come and pull out his gift upon the trophies of his grace, and so it is here that the spirit of God brings back Psalm 68 in verse 18.

How do we do what we mean. He asked Sam if we can only understand the meaning of his ass ancient, which means we can accept the fact that the Holy Spirit dispenses these gifts on the basis of the fact that we understand his D same ship but when Christ the same to the Bible says a bright day that he descended to the lower, earthly regions wide to the earth why the lower earth. Perhaps we could understand this, like this, the captain of our salvation. Beloved friends was first abased, then he was exalted. We must understand the ficus divestiture have to take place before investiture. Carnation have to precede glorification. Why did he have to go to the lower parts and why does Poole talk about as the lower parts of the earth. The lower regions of the earth because beloved friends. It represents the RP's dissent and when we understand the depth of God's dissent in Christ Jesus. We are going to be able to understand God's passing in Christ Jesus. You see when Jesus Christ came down to this earth, and he died for rotten scoundrels like you and me any descendent to be seated among sinners taking upon himself the road took himself and became nothing in order that we can become everything the same and down to the lowest in order that he could ascend to the highest and when he ascended to the highest people about his grace upon us the grace of God is the grace of God that is being given to each one of us and it makes giftedness such a very special pouring of God upon our do we really understand the extent to which God has given us his grace. The grace of God. Why would God do something like that for you and me. Maybe it helps us to understand why Paul said there but by the grace of God go I.

What about grace the nature of grace is giving think of Jesus giving not getting God is gracious because of who he is seeking say three things about their God's grace is self motivated God's grace is self generated God's grace is sovereign. It's borne out and carried out in the heart of God. The nature of grace is giving the act of God's graciousness is because of he is the greatest gift of grace is self. That's why grace is God's self donation to mankind. But there's 1/4 point that we got to make. We understand grace a little bit better we understand where it come from, we understand the heart and the depth of what Jesus Christ went through in order to bring the right to be able to give to us his grace and to distribute these gifts upon his people become a full grace in which we stand at Paul even talks about in Romans five in verse two is not only salvation, grace, but it is in a bring grace. The grace of God not only saves, but the grace of God in Abel's us. Just think about, but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. You know what the Bible tells us not into the Bible says that God's going to give you enough grace when you needed for that month.

I've had people say to me from time to time when facing perplexing situations pasta how my going to be able to fight the Bible says God will give you grace sufficient for your needs. That's what he tells us why is this an enabling grace.

You see, this grace is an enabling power, my friends, and this is the grace that makes the gifts function poles going from verse 11. Next week we got to start talking about gifts, how to gifts function through God's enabling grace not within ourselves. This enabling grace, my friend, is necessary for the operation of these gifts and I'm going to say to you, my friends, that God's grace enables us to face the future, he enables us to face the future and despondency. Sometimes we get all the despondent. Don't worry.

Perhaps there's someone here this morning who is despondent you down in the dumps. God's word says that he's grace will help you in your despondency, but he will also help you in your determination to keep on keeping on. How do you keep on. How do you stay true to the course that God is set before you. He is enabling grace will help you in your direction. Some of you are wondering where you going to go to college next year. That's God's enabling grace, some you wondering about your marriage that's God's enabling grace.

Some of you are interviewing for a new job and you don't know whether to accepted or rejected. That's God's enabling grace.

Some of you are wondering about the children that's God's enabling grace some of your saying men are being hurt and I modify surgery and I'm might never be able to play ball again like I once played a let me tell you something that's God's enabling grace, God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

That's the enabling grace of God, he will help you in your despondency in your determination in your direction. He will help you in your development as you grow from a baby to adult hood.

He will help you in your spiritual and annual maturational and annual physical growth D is enabling grace will even help in your deterioration. All of us are dying. I hope you went to the mall yesterday. Grace Guyton bought yourself something to get rid of all those wrinkles but I'm going to tell you that we all die, all of us we deteriorating.

Even though we don't want to face up God's enabling grace in that incredible. The apostle is saying you are somebody this year somebody you special. God is given his grace to you and he's going to give you all the grace that you need. Are you willing to take him.

What a powerful challenge from the word of God and from Dr. Don Wilton and I believe perhaps from the Lord himself to you today. Are you willing to take God at his word.

God's promise that if we confess our sins he is faithful and he is just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You find yourself in that of cleansing. A fresh start a new beginning perhaps today is the day that you say yes to Jesus Christ or perhaps today's the day you recommit yourself to Jesus Christ because you know you've drifted the good news is, no matter how far we've drifted or even run from God.

God is using this very broadcast these opportunities to teach and learn God's word is an opportunity to pursue you because he loves you and is a great plan for your life before you get away. Would you open your heart to what Dr. Don Wilton share. Are you ready to give you half of life, Christ. I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, I love love very very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came God on the cross so that I might be forgiven of motion today. I repainted my sin. I confess my sins and I invite you to come and talk Jesus name if you prayed that pray that we be the first want to welcome you to the family. This is one I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can hope to connect to the right place you can begin this wonderful journey in just a moment. I'm in a come back with the final you just gave your life to Christ praying along with Dr. Wilton for re-dedicated your life. Welcome to the family of God.

Welcome home welcome back. We're excited about what God is doing for the power of his word, his living Word, the Bible itself, preaching and teaching of our pastor… But the next step is growing in your faith. Dr. Don has wonderful resources. Absolutely freaking once you have if you call us and let us know you gave your life to Christ dedicate your life to Christ numbers 866899 word that's 866899673 is online as well.

At TW online.org that's TW online.org taking prayer requests connect with resources as a matter fact before we get away Dr. Don Wilton remind you of one of the most important aspects of The Encouraging Word just so grateful for this opportunity to be together by way of radio is wonderful how the word of God speaks to each of our hearts. And I just want you to know how much you mean to me and how much I am praying for you. You can hold and connect with me right now is the number 866-899-9673 you can call you can get the daily devotional where we can connect through the word of God. You could share prayer requests with us is the number again 866-899-9673. I look for to hearing from you. Are times today but we still continue connecting online@twonline.org the right place to discover where you can connect to Dr. Wilton's teachings both on television and radio online on podcast and even sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email that I believe will be one of your greatest blessings you do it online@twonline.org. Thank you so very much.

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