R1053A The Power Of A Personal Testimony

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton all about the power of the personal testimony I'm so excited this time studying the word together. We had acts 26 in just a moment, but there is in the power of personal testimony. You have a story and it's a story that doesn't have to have a lot of excitement in Hollywood ending just needs to be a story about how you know Jesus you sharing that story today in the message of Dr. Don Wilton will gain insight and challenge from Dr. Wilton and he also wanted to remind you to know that perhaps you already feel challenged and would love to have someone praying with you or for you. Let's do that right now are phone numbers available, 866-899-WORD will connect with one of us right now. 866899673 would love to encourage you now Dr. Don Wilton I just want to say this to you already want to cite this to you God has really blessed our church were not a great church we were graced church is a big difference where by no means a great people we were graced God's wonderful grace folks we need to be very careful, we need to be very careful that we make absolutely certain that we praise God, and we give him thanks. We never take things for granted. One of my greatest concerns about our nation.America is that there are far too many people who have begun to just type this great country from drawing to just get so used to it you get so used to the blessings we get so used to everybody wanting to come here get so used to good paved roads and safety in our streets, plenty of food on our table gets so used to earthquakes happening in Chile and Haiti. We get so used to all the schools we have to pick from colleges everywhere churches behind every bush.

We get so used to motor because I lovely homes in clean water to drink. We've gotta be careful because we take things for granted and God has for whatever reason has blessed our nation but I tell you, just like that you take his hand off this nation and I'm concerned I'm I'm concerned because I think that the more morally, we decline more. We take God out of everything that we do turn our backs on him. We gotta be very careful will. Let's bring it in and I hope we don't take our homes and one another from ground in the blessings that we have and then we have our churches.

They some wonderful churches around God's blessing to be able to come together like this.

Worship him, you know, even just in our church on Sunday morning. We offer full worship services for we are one church in four locations just on Sunday morning. This beautiful service.

Goodness, what a wonderful crowd water time without requiring orchestra, then 1030 the most wonderful classic service sucked classic service obtained 50 place will be just like this again at 1030 and musically.

We are slightly different. We singing the same or what it's all about is worshiping the Lord and our classic services just a little quieter and people so many people just love to sing almost exclusively the humans, the service we have a blend of those two. We have both and then at the same time we have an incredible service going on in that beautiful facility. God gave us called the hangar the Genesis service today we have guests that my son Rob from vintage in New Orleans cutting edge church folks. You can't imagine when Dr. Billy Graham and his team went there at during Hurricane Katrina.

My son was so deeply moved in his heart that catastrophe that came out of that city churches close down everywhere and get God's witness to God's people moved in joining together with so many wonderful charities still rebuilding that city and God put on my son's heart to establish a new church work at true church plot that site church plot. That's what you do church plot is where you begin with nothing. You don't gonna borrow from everybody else's congregation blue jewel congregation on on other congregations. You start from scratch you reach that city for Christ and they were lost yesterday. They were in Knoxville in the big conference preaching and leading worship and I said Rob bring your team BNR Genesis service and so as I'm standing have my own son. My oldest son is preaching right you my middle son Greg is preaching in Shreveport Louisiana right now. Been there for a disciple now weekend. He and his wife Abby.

Hundreds of young people is preaching as on standing up there right now and so with Rob there. That allowed Jared to come over and join with Stephen Boyd. Jared is such a blessing, and the team members who came over because we don't they get an opportunity I don't think Jared's reading of over a year. I don't know that he's at the opportunity.

Just like Steve. Steve never gets the opportunity to go on over there. I get that opportunity from time to time and the place is packed out at 9 o'clock in the 1030 the Genesis and God is allowed us to become a church where everyone everyone can invite anyone, anyone got a question about what anyone means everyone can invite anyone to come to First Baptist Church to encounter the living one. You are welcome in this place. Everyone can invite anyone. There is a place for you to come we want you to be at home. We do not compromise over the word of God.

This Encouraging Word God's word.

We blessed and I'm blessed.

You are blessed. We are blessed to be here together like this.

And we pray for one another and we give God thanks and I'm so grateful to a church family.

You folks that have been willing to say what ever it takes and our planes together is to save to know nothing among one another, accepting Jesus Christ and him crucified. We keep the main thing the main thing if you're wondering about this church folks we don't sweat the small stuff. We don't spend more than five seconds a month worrying about things that don't count anymore. That's why you've come to the church where you don't hear people passing in arguing and getting up and all that sort of stuff that's going on that's ruining the witness of Christ across America. We do not do that. Not in the presence of the Lord Jesus.

This is not the United States Congress and we refuse as God's people to be dragged into that kind of junk. There were too many people in the world today who need Jesus as a man I want to give you a reason to really thank the Lord did on Monday night under the incredible leadership of Eddie Robertson, a minister of evangelism and recreation out upward leagues had their banquet. We had 117 decisions for Christ on Monday not want to make an announcement.

That's the best healthcare plan you've ever you going to need your Bibles this morning. We got to be in acts chapter 26. I can hardly wait because Jesus Christ has an Encouraging Word just for you today I want to read to you the most incredible passage. It's a long passage but I got to read this to you so you need your Bibles to the I want to speak to you about the power of a personal testimony when in acts chapter 26. Listen to what happened then Agrippa Agrippa was the king said to pull you have permission to speak for yourself.

All right, everybody just listen to me back in Paul's day, he wasn't living in America right now we have permission to speak our fear for our country. There are people who hate God so much. There are movements going on in America today. The stop people speaking up about Jesus back in his diary he had to get the permission of the king, and so we begin, then I'm not gonna read all of the details to you but I want to pick up at verse eight of acts chapter 26 Paul lost a question, why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead like to read that question to you again.

Why is it that there are some of you that actually think that God cannot raise the dead. He was asking that question concerning Jesus because God by his power raised Jesus from the dead, and this is what Paul said in answer to his own question. I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth and that is just what I did in Jerusalem on the authority of the chief priests put many of the signs in prison when they were put to death because my vote against many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished and not try to force them to blaspheme in my obsession against the eye, even when the foreign cities to persecute the Christians on one of those journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests and about noon.

I was on the road and I saw a light from heaven. I remember when I gave my heart to Jesus all get into that I want to just tell you about that in a minute Paul, this is what happened to Paul.

He was on the road just like you and me was taking a journey and suddenly he was confronted by the Lord Jesus.

He saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions and we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic soul soul.

Why are you persecuting me it is hard for you to kick against the pricks. All the goads because I'm God.

God was saying to him, I'm not gonna leave you alone because I love you, then RRC and soul who are you, Lord, and he said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. The Lord replied not get up and stand on your feet and I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you and I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles.

I'm sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified in me.

I want to skip all the way down to verse 24 want to encourage you to read this entire account yourself. But in verse 24. At this point Festus interrupted Paul's witness. Have you ever had someone interrupt you when you're trying to tell them about Jesus, the interrupted Paul's defense look what he said you are of your mind, Paul. He shouted your great learning is driving you mad never had anybody say goodness me, you must be mad.

You must be insane to follow Christ. Could you be so ridiculous.

Please forgive the interruption, but all what powerful teaching… And you may be in that situation right now you may have had someone say that you're ridiculous for wanting to follow Christ.

You may be having to go to work with someone who is oppressing you in your faith. You may have a friend in your social group your sports group, maybe even a family member and they don't understand how passionately Jesus Christ. Perhaps you need someone to pray with you about your particular situation may be totally different.

You need to know we're here to pray with you 24 hours a day at 866899 word that's the phone number 866-899-WORD 9673. It's also the place you can order marketable resources that will help you grow in your faith.

Dr. Wilson's friends with the Lord right now about a powerful Charles Colson my file you want to know about that message to Dr. Lukens.

With that, you'll find it on your website right now. It is indeed a remarkable resource that will help you grow in your faith. I'll visit our website tewonline.org slow down and give you that one more time it's TE W online.org. We would love to connect with you and I would not miss the thing were diving right back inward Dr. Don's picking back up on this concept of have you had someone say that one after said all that religious stuff and that all that is is a crock. Get a lot you need to worry about Jesus. Why you getting so excited about this. This is what Paul said. He said I'm not insane. Most excellent faceless bull replied what I'm saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things and I can speak freely to him. I'm convinced that this is escape his notice because it was not done in a corner and King Agrippa said do you believe the prophets, I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul in verse 28.

Do you really think that you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short space of time.

Listen to what Paul said in verse 29. He replied short time or long time. I pray God that not only you but all who are listening may one day soon as possible right now become what I am. And of course Paul was in chains. He said accepting. I wouldn't wish you to be in chains like I am held in captivity like I am. It was a some weeks ago I was headed to a conference to go and preach for the state of Mississippi. I want to be perfectly honest with you I was a little on the tired side you know when you get on an airplane and you just born flat out, and you're off on a business trip or you doing something. This was a late night flight and I was just going there and back to see how far it is got on the plane and I said to myself, you know I'm going to take a little nap take a little siesta here recover a little bit put my head back, enjoy my full meal of peanuts in the Diet Coke and I'm ready to just and a young man sat down next to me and would you believe we hadn't sent down for two minutes and he asked me a question I thought. I cannot believe this man is asking me a question. He was a fine young man turned out he was a medical doctor and he lost me a question and he's almost the very next question was are you one of those Christians.

I can't believe this wisely go to ask me that when all I want to do is have a nap. I mean, the Lord knows that this is reasonable.

I you know why Lord why you doing this to me and so I will be quite honest with you with someone over little bit of a reluctant heart. I looked at him and we began to talk together. He was as far as you can imagine, and you talk about shop. I mean, a brilliant man, brilliant, and he said to me without apology. He said to me well I'm a Muslim.

I said no. Tell me about well before we had gone about 10 minutes here and I began to talk and he shared with me. I mean from his heart.

He was a fine man and he knew what he was talking about. He began to quote the Koran to me. I would also him and he would on summary. After a while he looked at me and he said you know, it seems to me you know what you're talking about and I looked at him and I said well it seems to me you know what you're talking about and all of a sudden the trip became irrelevant because we began to get this man a grown up in another country. As I head and he was a he told me as far as he was concerned he couldn't begin to imagine why we would believe things like this. He told me that in his religion. They very much respect Jesus and of course in our discussion he told me that most certainly, Jesus was not the son of God. In fact, even told me what I already knew that in his religion.

He believed that Jesus was a Muslim and I sent them will of Jesus was a Muslim.

How did you arrive at that point and he said well it's quite simple. He said Jesus obeyed God.

That's what Muslims do Muslims obey God. So Jesus obeyed God Jan that made him a Muslim. Of course my next question was now who is your God will of course he was talking about his God, Allah, I began to talk to him about my God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and why believe these things, and he said well in that case, where the jewel God come from. I told him so I say team will why don't you tell me where your God came from and where is he now.

And he explained to me about Mohammed the prophet we talked about 630. We talked about his death. We talked about all those kinds of things and he readily agreed with me that Mohammed was dead. I pointed out to him that my lot in fact was not that he's alive, he "chapter and verse out of the Corolla and I began to quote chapter and verse out of the Bible. We got to a point where it became somewhat interesting to say the least, and we had a friendship going.

There was no question about.

He looked at me and he said to me well. He said I tell you if I could sit around with someone like you. He said you the first one is ever bothered to sit down and explain it to me without frightening me. I said, I'm not sure to threaten you, my friend, I'm just here to tell you about something that really has nothing to do with anything because it's about someone else about the Lord Jesus. What we finally approached where we were going and I realize we were running out of time and so I looked at him and I said to him I went off question and perhaps the most important question you and I never discussed never pondered never considered. Pray that you've heard Dr. Don is been teaching and preaching from the pulpit book of acts 26.pray that you been encouraged by the human strength and by the but I will tell you Dr. Don Wilton's greatest prayer is that you cannot just heard his voice, but you've heard the Scripture itself come alive by the power of God, the power of God's word through God's servant Dr. Don Wilton is what we pray for every single time we share these broadcasts at the Lord stirred your heart I pray especially that would open your heart to what Dr. Don wants to share 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 on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting new. You just gave your life to Christ praying along with document welcome to the family. Maybe today's the day that you rededicate your life you know that from this point never be the same God is serving. Either way, we would love to pray with him for you and connects with some free resources. Dr. Don wants you to have phone numbers 86689. That's 866899673 Dr. Wilton would love to hear your story builder pray for you and again send you these resources. You can also connect on the website as well@tewonline.org.org that's TE W online.org did you know The Encouraging Word has a YouTube channel on this channel you can watch over 100 of Dr. Wilton sermons. You can also listen to the weekly words of encouragement and emotional series written by Dr. Wilton. Visit us on our YouTube channel.

Today now after you enjoy those YouTube videos. Be sure drive our main website.

Tewonline.org, G just been two days online with everybody's asking about this. My final word Chuck Colson resource and more. It is a powerful powerful statement of faith in this remarkable century, how to be a vital Christian witness again. Tewonline.org he is our website that's TE W online.org while you're there, be sure and sign up for the daily Encouraging Word devotion from Dr. Don powerful insight in God's word actually free sign up today online@tewonline.org he that's TE W online.org