R1636 A Grandmothers Example

We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today in the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton about a grandmother's example as we open God's word to Luke chapter 2 in just a moment working to talk about see how God's word speaks to the way generations affected generation after generation. And in that multiplication we see God do remarkable things as we study the word know that were available reconnecting right now online at tewonline.org zero for the day is out. I'm excited to share with you about three in the rear concept that we believe God is good to use in our lives as individuals in our lives. As a country to draw close to God. You can take a look online at tewonline.org to get out more information for free in the that's online at tewonline.org. Now today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton off bottles to Luke's gospel in chapter 2. Now most of you will recognize immediately that chapter 2 is about the birth of the Lord Jesus. What does that have to do with motherhood a lot a lot and I'm going to read to you just a few verses in Luke chapter 2 beginning at verse 36 is what the Bible say is in the middle of all of this dedication of this baby that there was also a prophet to us by the name of Anna, the daughter of Penn UL of the tribe of Asher not get this.

She was very old.

She had lived with her husband for seven years off to her marriage and then was a widow until she was 80 full she never left the temple but worshiped night and day fostering and praying coming up to them at that very moment, that is, to Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. She gave thanks to God and she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. This is a beautiful story and it's a wonderful picture. So I'm going to try and paint this picture for you we going to try and understand what it is God's telling us about this. This lady obviously they're all a lot of things we're not told about her, but there are a lot of things we can extrapolate from the text of God's word concerning this grandmother this elderly lady so who was Anna just let me give you five things the Bible tells we know that she was she was a daughter. We know that she was a daughter she she obviously herself, had a father and a mother. Otherwise she wouldn't of been.

She was daughter. She was a prophet to us.

Second thing, the Bible tells us about her, you may be interested know that there are five ladies that are named as profit taxes in the Old Testament, Miriam and Deborah Luca. No idea. For example, in Nehemiah and then the one that's not named in the book of Isaiah chapter 8, the prophet takes she was a if if you if you take on the DNA of your mother or your father you gained speak like them going to behave like them it's it's like in some kind of ways. You know all of us feel that way I probably the greatest compliment I get is if people say to me you know you look like your mother all you love like your mother or you gesture. Have you noticed how we pick up things little gestures and ways of doing things and kindnesses. She was a prophet, takes this grace of God in the face of God. This lineage of God number three. She was a widow. We know that, and for a long time so she was not only a daughter and a prophet chasing a widow but you know we know she she understood. Bereavement sadness.

How about loneliness being alone.

What about survival. You suppose that this grandmother new water main to have to survive and not I would suggest to you in her day message lot more serious than Gina Knapp Social Security and she was living in a very different world number four. We know that she was a God follow. I'm using that word of God. Follow in today's world we would've said she was a Christian, they were not yet named Christians.

Christians Christ followers came when Jesus arrived on the scene and said follow me. She was a God follow with that's very evident in this text is into this comes worship in the temple and praying and fostering daughter in the prophet chasing a widow in a God follow about visit for thing I want to say to her. She was a seeker she she was looking anticipating that she asked.

I can only just imagine now I'm reading this into the story, but I can just imagine that all those who came into her company notwithstanding, even in the temple. They must a hung around his grandmother and said whoa grandma she's on the prowl. Boy she's looking she's expecting something from God that lacks grandmother's just like bonds going to do it just that positive.

Well I will agree with you that her lifestyle may seem somewhat eccentric right, but I think the biblical biblical text helps us to boot profile, don't you think this grandmother. She must've been.

This is one seriously precious lady so let's just kind of put a ribbon on her profile. Let me make some suggestions.

Perhaps I'm suggesting perhaps she was somewhat slight in her Boone may be in her stature because the Bible says she repeatedly fostered.

She did without food and by the way if if you want to get to grips with that. If she repeatedly did that back in in Jesus time here that literally meant long periods of time going without without food, in order to seek off to the mind of God. She was perhaps quite fit. I mean here is an 84-year-old lady. Plus, she was very old by any standard. Yet, especially in her day and age, and she walked around a lot. She was active so I meant to tell you that I think we could perhaps build her profile and suggest this lady was.

She was potentially quite fit number three. She certainly was perceptive because she so everything so we can add that grandmother here was very perceptive done say, well, look, there's grandmother she doesn't know what's going on. Big mistake.

Brother big mistake. She was definitely hearing how she might've pretended sometimes that she couldn't hear, but she was definitely hearing. She heard everything she heard what what was said she heard Simeon crying she heard the conversation with mom and dad and baby Jesus so she was definitely hearing. I am also going to suggest that she was remarkably determined.

She waited for a long time. She didn't just arrive and save it doesn't happen right now and then get my coffee I'm not coming back to this restaurant.

This lady understood that God is eternal. She was ready.

She she got sheep. She understood that the best things were worth waiting for is not black grandmother.

She most certainly was highly respected because she prophesied she had something to say from the Lord. She was uniquely valued. She must've been very unique event. Why because she was given access to the temple.

So again, if we had time to die. I'd unpack that and show you just how restricted the temple wall and saw me and it wasn't just the to borrow a real southern phrase goal, they didn't have a sign out there that said, all welcome because not everybody was welcome. So what was it about this grandmother.

She was a highly valued person one more thing I want to say she most certainly was deeply spiritual because she followed hauled off to God so this grandmother Anna what what an amazing lady.

She had suffered for many years.

She was old she found herself alone. She had to fight for survival. But there's one thing that we can say about this grandmother is that she she never laid down her priorities. Evidently, she was not willing to sacrifice what was most important slack mother's with the sons and daughters as they grow up. You can have the greatest time going to bowl games and to the beach and having fun and getting dressed and doing all the wonderful things. Something about grandmother comes to the things that please forgive the interruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message a grandmother's example of Dr. Don Wilton. He wants you to know we're here to pray with you and for you 24 hours day at this phone number dotted town store your sound, 866899 word 866-899-WORD 9673 would love to pray with you and pray for you and connect with great resources as a matter fact I mentioned the free indeed resource business with all the details our nation needs prayer and our founding fathers understood everything having everything that we are is really there on our own. God has a very serious America gift amounts of The Encouraging Word broadcast Street.

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You might want to note some of these things let's get down to where the water hits.

How did she really live a life just watch this. Number one she disciplined herself right. No question about it. She was disciplined. She showed discipline, self-discipline, so I'm I'm going to can you hear your grandmother, your mother saying to you you not your problem is son you got no discipline. If your mother, your grandmother saying that to you. You need to sit up and take note an undisciplined person is a walking landmine. No, she would say you don't just live and do whatever you want to do. You know, just like if it tastes good and feels good smells good. You just want to be in the action you got a big problem on your hands but no discipline. If you just go to bed late if not every not you done can you never do your homework right and you you mess around and you sort of a rock up a church whenever you feel like it you can never be counted on. You make commitments you don't keep your walking landmine. That's what grandmother would say she was.

She discipline she went. Secondly she not any disciplined herself, but she went to the right place. I get this something very special about the house of God and are we coming up on graduation next week and during these weeks and I'm starting to see little tend you as you graduate. As you move on and as you going to this beautiful world. Make sure you discipline yourself right. Make sure you go to the right place. You hang out in the wrong place you got a big problem on your hand. The boy, that's what grandma would say she worshiped the rock God we living in a day and age today way well doesn't matter what. As long as you sincere about the thou shalt worship the Lord thy God with all our heart and soul and mind. She looked for the right person. She was in the temple. She was looking for the Redeemer. That's why she was there she waited with the right expectation. She had the right heart health talk was in the right place with the right expectation. It was purpose driven. She said the right things. She spoke God's truth. People from time to time will say to you and me. How do we respond to our world today stand on God's truth and speak God's truth. God's truth.

She gave the right. Thanks. You know you can't help read this passage but you get your note down what she gave thanks. She gave the right. Thanks. Are you are you thankful you know how mothers teach us how to be thankful. By the way, I hope you not one of those people that just never say thank you. It should constantly come out of your mouth and onto Matt, you win loss did you say thanks to your mom little undergone, you know we had such a wonderful deacons meeting this past week and great church meeting.

You know we got so much for which to Frank the Lord for the country and she she just gave thanks. She gave the right things and she shared the right news when when she sore and held this baby Jesus and God spoke to her and affirmed the she shared that. Have you noticed about something about our moms.

They just they they they want to tell you the good things.

So what is this grandmother teacher slates. Let's bring it all together. Let's what what can what is grandmother Anna teachers cannot just give you five, six, 7.2. Maybe you want to put these in a frame and say, from grandma Raquel. They already what what can grandmother teach us this lady number one discipline to get your life back to a system of discipline work on yourself. Discipline was physically it's jolly hard work. Otherwise you go through life never getting it.

You gotta be disciplined and we could go school lockers you want to succeed in school. Get discipline you want to succeed on the ballfield get discipline you not just gonna fall out of your bed and it's going to happen you going to have to discipline you have to get up you have to do things you have to put your self out and you gonna have to deny yourself a lot of things in order to accomplish your goal.

You got a goal in mind it's going to take discipline you want to make some money get disciplined about it. Jolly hard work starts thinking. Talk to the right people stop overspending. Stop thinking every time you walk into some way, it's there for you to buy because it's not stop killing your family like this get discipline, but the greatest discipline of all is the spiritual discipline doesn't just rock up in God's front porch and expect God to just pour out all over you. Be disciplined and print discipline in fostering discipline in being in church disciplined in that life group number two, focus, focus, focus done. Some people are so distracted this grandmother boy was she focused. She focused on being in that place.

She focused on pray she focused it's it's a derivative of discipline. Number three determination. I would love to make Anna because she she shows me and you such a determination doesn't she.

She was just determined to get arm I'm reading into the text.

But I really think it would be much easier for her to just stay home and watch TV.

Honestly, just much easier. She she was determined. Number four perseverance. Love that would perseverance don't you would, perseverance, and it comes right throughout the Bible. This relentless pursuit off to the heart of God. Keep on. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up if you if you tied the end, you've been you been hammered.

You've taken some hard knocks and I tell you just weigh you down. Persevere God is on his throne. Keep looking to him, trusting him number five. What is she teachers worship. Worship is a beautiful word worship the Lord in the beauty of these holiness. Aren't you glad that we can worship him like this in Genesis and celebration an online and on television and on Facebook and whatever means. Isn't it wonderful just to worship the Lord Jesus, I promise you if you haven't seen status. I'm telling you you you will you will feel. I used trying to find us proper word you feel the benefit in your soul system of just coming to worship the Lord just being in a place where you just worship the Lord Jesus, I promise you they will look baby, you week will look better. You'll it's just because this it's about God. She knew that number six gratitude of spoken about this a six thing grandmother teaches us gratitude that you we talk about the attitude of gratitude. I just love the fact when she came to that point and she recognized Jesus and and she saw him, and she knew this culminating point. She immediately thanked God for the gift of his son.

She said thank you Jesus. And then one more evangelism. She teaches us something about evangelism. The gospel did you notice there and that in that lost because the Bible says very, very clearly coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. What is this grandmother teacher speak what you believe. That's what she was saying till some you bow your heads with me from an as many are bowing their heads auditorium. The pastor continues to lead worship know that we're here to bow our heads and pray with you as well. Our phone numbers 866-899-9673, and we stand ready to pray with you and for you at 866-899-9673 but you've heard Dr. Wilton preach now as he steps in the studio here this message from his heart.

You know I love this opportunity to be able to share with you like this and I want to thank you for tuning in and for listening. God is speaking is even in our day and age today and he seems he loves Jesus died Sunday DOS that you read to give your life to Christ right now. I'd love to be able to help you know, pray can save God can you pray this prayer.

Make it your own. Pray dear God, I know Jesus died on the cross for me. I believe I accept say and I'm hearing you speak to me today. I repent of my sent box fight receive you in Jesus name that amazing you know what God has just heard you pray because of Jesus, you know, my friend, your name is being written. God fantastic. So here's what I'm going off. You can visit.

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