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June 8, 2022 8:00 am
God has Encouraging Word for you would be today. The Bible-based teaching Dr. Don Wilton about the storms of our life.
This is The Encouraging Word and Dr. Don Wilton is a well-known author rebadged seminary professor and pastor and today as he completes the message when God speaks before, during and after the storm will gain fresh insight from God's word in particular from Matthew chapter 8 about how God is ready to carry us through another would love to encourage you as well. Our phone numbers 866-899-WORD happy to pray with you 24 hours a day also connecting on our website tewonline.org find many resources that will empower you in God's word and give you a boldness like never before. Again, the details are on our website and TE W online.org Dr. Don Wilton God sustains us. If God loves us. He sustains us. That's what parents do grandparents do we know about that. We love our sons and our daughters and our grandchildren right and what produces what's the product of that love. It is the ability to care for caring is the action of love and when God sustains us. He nourishes us he lifts us up. He embraces us right now. Watch when Jesus Christ had this encounter with the disciples we going to be encouraged to note a couple of things that I want to point out to you today before during and after the storm, listen to God speak number one you will be encouraged to note number one that Jesus climbed aboard before the storm. I'm you know I be honest I don't know that I had fully taken cognizance of that in that initial verse there in verse 23. But Jesus got on the boat before the school did you know by the way, that Jesus Christ is already on board before you even began to go through what you are going through a type that even further, you might not even be going through it, but Jesus Christ has already positioned himself he's on board now. By the way this big deep theological discussion here because it's at this juncture that we come to a fresh understanding of what it means that Christ lives in me. I am in Christ and he is in me. He is on my boat number two you be encouraged to note that the disciples the man followed without discussion. Not this is wrong. The interesting here in verse 23, because in this particular context. There was no discussion associated with the obedience of the disciples, not this particular context. Once again we are reminded of one of the fundamental principles of the cost of following Jesus Christ. Garrett is on apologetic obedience and followership. I might say something to all of us with a lot of love in our hearts.
And I think you know that I'm saying to myself more than anybody else, but sometimes I think we just ask too many questions I think are awesome God too many questions. I think there are too many times in my life that as I journey through life and the moaning of God. Why this why that with this and what that and Jesus just simply says to me excuse me you going to get on board.
All you not this kind of absolute obedience. It's something that we struggle with because we are curious people we like to have everything lined up wheel logical. We want to make sense out of everything we want to know that A+ B equals C whilst God is a God of order. God is also a God mons absolute and unapologetic obedience.
Just get on board. Number three I want you to note something here that the storm came up without warning many years ago many years ago I went fishing with my father-in-law. He loves to fish and so to live. But I remember this particular event because we went fishing on him on a pretty significant river in Africa and at curves like this and most incredible fish in this river and we caught many fish there over the years, from time to time write down in this coastal regions as it came down from the interior of the country and called the SWAT corpse river literally the blackhead River SWAT corpse and and we went out in this tiny little boat with a tiny little outboard motor and they were just the two of us and it was a pretty frayed think of Diane. We found ourselves right out in the middle of this river having a great time together, catching fish, and all of a sudden the storm came that particular area is known for that one can how Gail this was so bad that you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. My father-in-law Laura not talk about this all the time. One of our great memories of life probably laws when the storm came up. The water was coming into the boat. We were beginning to sink, make matters worse, he try to crank that little outboard motor and cut out, it wouldn't run. We would date in the water.
I can still see my father-in-law with a bucket on his hands and knees and was both trying to bail Walter out at me to the front of the boat. I stood there with a rope and an anchor swinging the spring and throwing it as far as I could, letting it sink down with all the waves doing this and holding on for dear life. And then I'd pull us a little bit, inch by inch by inch, we just follow down those I needless to say I'm here to tell the stories about we might to most forms of life are just like that you can go to bed. One minute and wake up the next minute and the whole life is changed. Folks, the storms of life come up awfully quickly. Like every moment count don't leave home without telling your wife that you love.
Don't just let you children just vanish pick up the phone. Young people who are college going to college and just sign off. Call your mom and dad take timeout discipline yourself because the storms of life can come up without warnings, but I want you to note in the fourth place that the waves swept over the entire boat.
Most of us are inclined to say well I promise you this, whatever it is that's going to happen is going to come in dribs and drabs, you know better than that. And so do I.
Most of the storms of life that occur in the lives of believers come in massive doses they can devastate our lives, they change direction. They sink our ship in this particular case the Bible says here in verse 24 that the waves pounded and swept over the entire boat but I want you to be encouraged by something because in the first place. We note that the Son of Man was forced to sleep now that's a nice how do you do. I can't believe that you're in the middle of all of this, Jesus was asleep. As the Son of Man coming in you point number six and I'm gonna marry these two together so we can really understand what's going on. Number six. I want you to be encouraged by the fact that the son of God was wide awake now.
Who was Jesus, the Son of Man Bible says that Jesus became man that he was tempted in all points just as we all yet without sin. That's the dividing line. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world identified with us in all points about human frailty and all of our weakness. Why was Jesus, the Son of Man, asleep. I think perhaps because he was worn out most of the instances in the Scriptures when Jesus got on board a boat, he gathered those who were around him and were designed to protect and those who were closest to him and he said listen, I just got a withdrawal from the crowds a little bit. I gotta stop talking my voice is hurting.
I'll guarantee you Peter got them up there all the time to sing in front of the crowd. He said listen, I bow to just take a break. Jesus withdrew, he went to the other side kinds of reasons but I think fundamentally what Jesus was doing at this juncture is he was putting them to the test concerning number one his son ship as the Son of Man, as opposed to his son ship as the son of the living God. He was teaching them a lesson.
Please forgive the interruption will be back in just a moment for today's message for Dr. Don Wilton. Would you haven't been bar website lately. You might've missed out on one remarkable free resource that can make a tremendous difference in your day-to-day life. If the daily devotion Dr. Don Wilton receivable in a number of ways you can get it by email just by signing up today@tewonline.org just click the sign of the devotion to the base of our main page. TW online.org but you can also call for a physical copy we send it out quarterly and would be happy to give you a free copy. If you call us at 8668. That's 866899673 just ask for your free daily Encouraging Word and would love to send it to you by now let's dive back into today's teaching.
When God speaks before, during and after the storm with Dr. Don Wilton.
He was teaching them a lesson.
At the point of identification with the stones of life, but at the same time juxtaposing that believable truth that God himself can never go to sleep that you know by the way that God cannot sleep.
By the way what is why did God give us sleep. While there are a lot of reasons and I'm not going to get in all those today but amongst many others just to give us risk does God need a rest. Does God need to take a timeout. Does God need to take the day off. Does God need to get away from the crowns, absolutely not because of who he is.
He's all-powerful, he's old knowing he's all present. He's God, he's create tool. He's the one who brings this mighty universe and yet he so small that he dwells within our hearts and within our lives. The Son of Man laid down his head, to sleep, but the son of God was wide awake. Be encouraged in your heart.
Number seven that the maiden came to him. Note that that the main came to him, why was Jesus asleep. You know, folks I thought about this a lot, trying to figure out why Jesus would've gone to sleep at such an incredible time. I think above all else. It was to tasting at the point of their own faith to the mall that they put their faith into action because the Bible says that faith without works is what David faith without works is dead. Folks now, we struggle to understand that Jesus was questioning them at the point of their faith. Faith is not just simply accepting and we see is accepting and doing it is hearing the word of God and doing it is the translation of what we know to be true. Put into practical action.
I believe that Jesus Christ from 100 that they come to him and that they plead with him. I believe that Jesus Christ, the moms that we tell him that we love.
Now we've established these principles, God is God knows God loves God cares let's take the third one. God loves will I know that God loves God so loved me that he gave Jesus to die for me, but God still the moms that I tell him that I love him.
I want you to think just a moment that we have a wedding ceremony here in our church that we ought to beautiful wedding groom and the bride and the flowers are very pretty.
Everything is decked out, but the parents on both sides. All the grandparents, the church is packed out and just before I announce that they are husband and wife. I stopped the proceeding and I say to the groom. I say young man being a beautiful wedding you have anything that you'd like to save your bride-to-be that can you imagine that groom turning Weisbrod taking a Bob & honey sweetie pie. I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart but I'm going to tell you there's just one time I stick with me folks.
I want you to get this non-praying we going to be married and lived together for the next 70 years, but I meant to tell you this one time you got the school. Are you ready get out your notebook.
Write it down in the back of your Bible. If you want. I want to tell you one time you're ready for this. I love you sugar lumps, you got it all right preacher pronounces husband and wife. I'm feeling folks I won't get to make a pronouncement something is wrong why did Jesus go to sleep as the Son of Man, because as the Son of Man, he identified without ability to respond to the son of God the way God wants us to respond God telling us to be very careful even in the midst of our storms of life. I want to show you something here folks, number eight you going to be encouraged to note that Jesus proved his point before he provided his solution. Jesus proved his point before he provided his solution. It's very interesting here, watch this, that the Lord Jesus in the midst of the storm woke up just what he didn't do we always preach about talk about what he did.
Did you notice what Jesus didn't Jesus didn't wake up and go 00 I'm so sorry I been asleep. How could I suck gentlemen listen, don't worry, I'm here guys. Listen okay. You should say strap yourself into the sun. Make sure you got your lifejacket on this, and I bought everything in control. Thank you for waking me up. Peace be still.
Jesus didn't Jesus didn't say all right now.
Okay is everybody okay okay everything is peace be still buckets, again guys don't worry about anyone need a Tylenol seasick tablet everybody okay can I help you, how about a drink of water. Peter you'll feel much better off to this okay or raise your hands.
You all feeling better. All the fear gone. Everything okay yes Lord, it's okay. All right. Good.
Good. Let's get on Bakley over there to the wolf where we can be safe again. Now that we're back at the wolf and everything is tied up and nobody's gonna drown gentlemen just before we go home sit down.
I'd like to tell you a few things about what's just happened. Jesus didn't do that.
Jesus stood up in the midst of the storm. The waves were sweeping across the boat and he pointed for many sick gentlemen I'm gonna lay the smack down on you are open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 8 point number one why you so afraid this and you just gobble your way is much as you want to gobble and listen at the same time drown while you're listening but I'm going to tell you something before I do what I need to do. Jesus proved his point will he provided his solution. Why did Jesus do this because he knew man I don't know how many times I've seen people walk down the art of this church and say I want to tell you preacher, but this going on and that going on and if God will hear my prayer. I tell you this is exactly what I'm gonna do and God does something in their life. And then God doesn't smell them for dust.
I don't how many hospital room. I've stood where I've prayed with people who would say that God would just get me out of this bed if you just heal me. I'm telling you, I'm got to be faithful in this. I'm going to do this and I'm gonna do that. And God raises them up from their beds of sickness and you never see them again. I don't how many times I've heard people say if God would just give me $1 million man. All ties to the church I'll support this mission really I'm gonna live for the Lord more just give me more money the more you give me the more men at noon God looks into the heart of man and say show me what you willing to do with what I've given you before I show you what I'm willing to give you with that which I will trust you to give you know one of the reasons God doesn't give to some people can't trust you folks. He gave them right there in that boat a lesson they will never forget while those wins was still sweeping across the note number nine. The great blessing was received by our love their country so because the lesson what can we learn from us. What is God teach us five things. Number one is what the Lord told me number one know that God knows number two storms can come up suddenly. Number three. Christians are not exempt from school, contrary to public opinion.
Number four. Have faith in God number five make certain folks when catastrophes happen in America. Everybody runs to God. But the problem is not everyone is in the boat.
The good news is there is room for you in the boat paraded as you've heard Dr. Wilton teaching and preaching today.
You've heard more than just his unique South African brogue. You've heard more than just his insight, but you've heard the voice of God through this servant of God Dr. Wilton. More importantly, by the power of the word of God to know that God loves you. He has a plan for you and he is using even this broadcast to let you know how much he loves you. It's time to make a choice listening to Dr.it's been teaching and preaching now as he comes into the studio just to share from his heart. I pray you would open your what you want to share next are you ready to give your heart walk to the Lord Jesus Christ. So have you wanted to pray this prayer dear God, I know you love very and I know that the Lord Jesus died on the cross so that I might be forgiven a person day. I repainted myself I can face Marson and I invite you to come into my heart into my life. Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that prayer. Let me be the first one to welcome you to the family this one. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important this is for. We can talk to Nick you like ice you can begin this wonderful June and in just a moment. I'm in a come back with the final perhaps moments ago you were praying along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Jesus Christ. Perhaps you know that it's time to do right now. Would love to speak with you our phone numbers.
866-899-WORD would love to answer questions perhaps that the Lord has stored in your heart. We also love to. For those of you that if given your life to Jesus Christ or rededicate your life to Christ love to come alongside you with free resources that will help you grow again.
The numbers 86689996732.
Given your life to Christ today or rededicate your life.
We want you to have these resources that will help you literate bloom where you are planted and do so in a way that the textured roots deep down and allow you to stretch out your branches to bear much fruit for Jesus Christ number again is 866-899-WORD 9673 or meet us on our website TW online.org where you'll find great resources like this. Hello everybody you know my friends know me as Dawn will foster friend, neighbor, and husband.
Grandpa, I'm going to tell you people around just like Noah, not any fun right that man reach so many I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Wright very personal, intimate, both as he's frame and cost. In fact, many I drove up to his Montreat and visited every second just frames reset together to give. We discussed politics frames places we loft he deleted everything one could possibly that's what I wrote about personal relation and Saturdays will be a blessing to you willing spine and will encourage just as Mr. Graham encouraged my change my that's is one of many great resources on our website TW online.org why you're there, be sure and sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email it's actually free on our website TW online.org and before we get away closing thoughts of our pastor and chief encourager Dr. Don Wilton here I am again what a day this is been, you know, one of the things I want to say to you is. Let's stay connected. You know we got so many means to be able to do that.
You can email us got all the details right there in front of us. We all wear a family together. We stay connected in so many ways and your life is very important to me. I seem an God shows and I want to be out of praying we can connect be a vital part of you'll relationship your growth your needs in mind. I'm working in your shoes and I want to pray for. Please don't stop Corliss rock tests.
Keep praying. Keep giving.
Keep connecting keep rejoicing, keep celebrating, keep striving God is on. He strode. This is the Encouraging Word and now you know why at times. Dr. David O. Tomorrow we begin a two-part series called growing together in faith will behead the book of acts, and I hope you will not only join us would bring a friend.
Between now and then we can stay connected on our website@twonline.org.
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