R1174 Fight Like A Soldier

Citing three things I want you to write the stone never forget.

Let me give you the three things that he sign concerning what it means the font blocker soldier number one, don't ever quit.

That's what he saying to us. Don't ever quit. Number two.

Don't ever take a detour number three.

Don't ever be distracted at what it means to fight like a soldier that you need Candace to listen to is the voice of Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on The Encouraging Word. Just as Paul was challenging us to never quit, never take detours and don't be distracted. There's so much more to come in the mess today. Dr. Don Wilton strong in grace fight like a soldier roll up our sleeves to be the men and women of God were called to be the reader with you and for you.

We love to encourage you with great resources. You can find it. Our website The Encouraging Word.org, crafting personal encouragement right now. Would love to talk to pray with you and connect resources at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. Now Dr. Wilson about those who serve about you and me. It's about a church. This is being the church. God never told us to come to church.

He can wanted us to be the church and I'm very proud of you.

I'm extremely humbly proud of my church family. Don't stop off hold of you to give financially like you've never given before. Write out the biggest checks you've ever written. If you're not tithing. Start now I want Oscar to be faithful like you've never been before. If you have to choose between the lake and the church choose church I'm I'm asking you to join with me in going like never before. Some of us are cinders. Some of us and give us some of us and go as we all have our part to play. Don't wait and I love you for that and I'm very moved by this to the point at which I almost find it that I'm interfering with gone to even try to preach. This is what it's all about.

It's not a ritual, and the is not a membership it's not a Bible.

Those are important, but everything to do with Jesus. Can you imagine on the celebration like this. Open your Bibles to second Timothy chapter 2 second Timothy chapter 2 perhaps one of the most powerful passages of Scripture in all of the Bible.

Paul speaking to Timothy Timothy. This young man about to embark into the battlefield of life two different people to different age 2 different things. But I see our Pilgrim fathers arriving on the shores of no man's land.

Don't you. I've often read with such deep interest how that our founding fathers made so much of so much nothing. What they went through the shores of New England, something most of us in today's day and age cannot even begin to imagine that they were people who were determined they knew they were new why they had come didn't run away from what they were facing.

They stood their ground. They drilled hardship.

They battled against disease.

So many of them died and yet look at where we are today.

Paul said to Timothy in chapter 2 of the second letter you then my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things which you've heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others cannot just say something. There is a really what our founding fathers did back in 1776.

We do today because they plastered on to us. It's the foundation upon which we stand. I'm a Christian man I want you to know today that God loves you and I want to invite you to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. But he goes on in verse three and he says something here that's remarkable. He says endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus from no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. But Rob, a soldier, once all ways at all times to please his commanding officer invokes an incredible symbolic metaphor that I think we understand today. Perhaps like none other. Don't you suppose you cease talking about being strong in grace and as we discovered we discovered that when it comes to the grace of God, our strength lies in the fact that in Christ Jesus by his spirit. God invites us to gain access into all that God is much like adoptive parents bring a child into their home or natural parents bring their child into their home and by virtue of that option into that whole child is invited to become a participant and a full beneficiary of all that those parents have to offer. So it is when you become part of the family of God. God by his spirit. According to Romans five gives us access into his grace.

He invites us to become full participants in all that God is in the sphere of God's sovereignty in the zone of God's attributes in the galaxy of God's holiness so all of the power and sovereign grace of God is made available to us all the attributes of God are made available to us and the holiness of God is given to us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. What a heritage then he tells us how to do and he makes a statement for spike like a soldier but like a soldier. I'm so proud of our men and women in uniform tell you on the occasions that I travel when I parse by someone in a military uniform. It's a very hard thing for me not to stop them and to thank them. I doodle with Tom.

I know you do too.

Just a little simple. I'll turn to someone that I don't even know them.

I don't know them from a bar of soap and say hey man, thanks for your service to just appreciate you so much. Another one of my favorite signs are picked up from a friend of mine was you coming or going. You been my boss that if you not ready for a conversation I said that to someone a couple weeks ago to serviceman Walt Botta said you coming or going up. They said gee thanks for asking where we're coming. I said from where. Well, it took the rest of the time and log on to their plane, they tell you that going. They open up an incredible door you going yeah I'm going to serve here.

I'm going to serve the lower man. Thank you so much you got a family to tough part. You know I'm leaving my wife behind him. You know they are up in Missouri and I bought three little children and board. It was hard to say goodbye to them when you got on that plane wasn't yes or listen 90.

What would you be a friend when you mind if I just had it had little pray with you I get to have a serviceman turn me down when offered a private right slap me in front of all the crowds and just for the raccoon folks. I'm not politically correct. I always pray in Jesus name.

There is no other prayer. Always pull looks into their faces and into my face and into your face and says be strong in grace and this is how you do it like a soldier in this passage that if you would unpack Chris very quickly come to a threefold understanding.

I mean it's major. It's a beautiful picture that we got Karen Scripture.

Paul is saying three things I want you to write this down never forget. Let me give you the three things that he signed concerning what it means to find like a soldier number one, don't ever put that's what he saying to us. Don't ever put number two. Don't ever take a detour number three.

Don't ever be distracted at what it means to find like a soldier. What a challenge you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher here on The Encouraging Word.

Don't go away going back to complete this message fight like a soldier with more that Greg Townsend had to quit the Dr. Don Wilton remind you we are here for you. You could be in the middle of a circumstance or situation you feel like you want to quit. Don't give up and noticed you are not alone. God promises us never to leave us or forsake us in a part of our calling here at The Encouraging Word is to encourage you.

Let us pray you through that season of being ready to give up. Let us encourage you right now our phone numbers 86689 and that number will connect you not just during the broadcast for 24 hours a day for many of us are anxious to pray with you, 866-899-9673 will connect you store in your phone, jot it down is Dr. Don says we all need to a.m. friends and we can start to be one of your friends right now it any time of day, as you call 866899 also meet us on our website@twonline.org again that's TE W online.org there you can only hear today's message and other resources.

You can also sign up for the daily Encouraging Word comes out every morning with powerful insight from God's word way to apply it to our lives absolutely free sign up on our website right now TE W online.org again that's TE W online.org. Now back to today's great message Dr. Don Wilton call fight like a soldier you given up friends today.

There are a lot of reasons why we want to give up on God.

God doesn't always on trust. The way we wanted on stress. We live in a tough world. Some are so beaten down some of you have been so faithful and yet you find yourself in the worst circumstance. Just come and take a trip with me through the mountains of Kentucky and I'll show you every reason for people to want to give up go to the hospital be faced with that relentless diagnosis continually find yourself in the doctor's office never getting to the root of the problem. Wake up every day being feeling poor and listless and and and bad, just try little bit dose of loneliness live by herself for a while have nobody else to talk to become unpopular on that campus because you're a Christian, never be lost to do things be pushed out and rejected. Try being bullied for little while. A lot of reasons, as believers, that we want to quit policies fight like a soldier don't ever quit. Love what he said at the end of his life. He set off for the good fight of faith. Don't ever quit. Don't ever quit you young people. 20 of you that were baptized in Genesis today I'm speaking to you don't step out and say for me to live is Christ and the guys going where you going to be next week. What are we gonna look like next year is that same fire going to burn on that campus I'll be willing to bring Jesus follow what we going to leave him in the mountains of Kentucky don't have a quick second thing he says after telling them to endure hardship, don't ever take detours. This is an interesting thing when he talks about a like a good soldier if don't ever quit means that we need to be in during we need to persevere. Don't ever take a detour means that we are called to a life of faithfulness. That's what a good soldier good soldier is someone that God can count on one of my pledges to you, my beloved congregation. Someone said to me. Just recently, what's it like to be posture of a church for same church for maybe 20 years.

I said the whole to serve in the cold of faithfulness hasn't changed not one but just because I told my wife that I loved her three weeks ago doesn't mean to say that I need to tell her that I love her today. All of us are in their I'm challenging you as a congregation.

Some of you are sitting here this morning and next week. God wants value for dust the turnaround ratio in the church is alarming and it is disgusting in the nostrils of a holy and a righteous God admonish fellow believers in Christ beef. Beef every time I see I don't I'm just sharing from my heart. Folks, it bothers me greatly when I see young people growing up in our church. I see all the ministries I've seen deacons and people in Sunday school groups taking meals on loving and serving in fellowship spending time worshiping together and that some my daughter graduates from high school and all of a sudden the parents disappear.

Where are you. You mean you came to church just because of your children.

Be faithful with suffering from a lack of faithfulness among the American people. We no longer stand true to our heritage wheat we no longer stand up are not counted because of those who gone before us. How much more so when it comes to the things of God, soldier, stand up. Don't ever quit. Don't ever take detours. God never sanctions little sideline shows as far as he is concerned, don't take time off from God. The third thing that he says is don't ever be distracted that little passage there where he says no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs.

He wants to please his commanding officer. I've always had such a deep affection for the military.

When I began to read that I just thought about how men and women in uniform a lot of things that you can teach a rookie being in those boots before camp.

Many of you have. I think one of the things that we learning camp is a multifaceted approach as to what it means to be a good soldier a lot of things that come to mind. Don't think something a good soldier, listen to this. A good soldier enlists, without reservation, you give me a reluctant soldier. I don't want him in that foxhole with me afterwards.

He knows who he is a good soldier understands his weapons is nothing better than going to the battlefront with a soldier who understands what he carries with him good soldier knows his main by not just numbers and not just I am 69394989 in not just a dog tag on the person good soldier never takes his eyes off the enemy never never takes his eyes off the enemy. That's a good soldier, but most importantly I good soldier follows only the orders of his commanding officer what Paul is saying here Paul is saying good soldier doesn't get involved in civilian affairs often pray for our men and women in uniform because they are American citizens. We the people I tell you when that man on that lady dons the uniform of these United States of America.

They have every right to express their rights as Republicans and Democrats, but they are cold to take orders only from the commanding officer and so it is you want to be strong in grace, we only take orders from Jesus Christ. You see I enlisted in God's Army without reservation. I'm trying to know and understand my weapons. The Holy Spirit in me. God's people around me.

The word of God through me.

What a weapon God's grace for me as a member of God's Army.

I want to know who my fellow believers.

It gives me great joy to know you the more I know you the more my heart becomes warm talking about being in a church for a long time. I said to a young foster recently at the convention.

I see them brother you could never be in the church for two years and three years and get anyway because you'll never know the preciousness of those people, the more I have gotten to know you and to love you and to be a part of you, the more my heart becomes warmed behind you. The more I care for you. The more I want to be around you. The mom loved by you.

The more I want to talk to you and is a soldier in God's Army. I want to take my orders from Jesus Christ. Any questions I'm so proud of this church.

I'm so grateful at the word of God is the centerpiece on the mantelpiece. I'm so grateful that we've settled the issue of personal conviction on personal preference and we opted for absolute truth.

We believe in sharing God's truth with the searching world.

I'm so glad to share with you the truth of God, I'm so glad to tell you from my commanding officer whose name is God is none other than the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Jesus died for you at the express wish and come on about heavenly father. I'm so glad that my commander-in-chief has told me in his word that what he's done for me exactly the same thing for you. I'm so glad that I be given God's instruction to invite you to give your life to Jesus Christ. I'm so glad I'm so glad to be a part of the family while what a wonderful person's ladies and gentlemen, consider your verdict is that anyone within the sound of my voice who does not know Jesus, let your lives before the Lord that I want to be strong in grace, I'm willing to fight like a soldier.

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 news and by the way, don't go away because I'll be right back in just a minute if the Lord is stirring your heart. Don't hesitate respond to him today.

Dr. Donnelly back in just a moment. So please don't go away but shot this number down were available 24 hours a day to talk to listen to pray to connect with resources. That's 86689866899673 the closing thoughts from our pastor, Dr. Don you know I I want to say something to you personally.

You ready for this.

Thank you. It's a powerful word visits more one powerful.

I want to thank you you see the sun hardly rises or states in a day that we don't see people come to know Christ through this bold cost ministry every day and you make that possible through your prayers. Most of all, and through your financial giving. God is doing something great and in our world today. This medium of television very important folks. This is very very important. God is allowing us to going to more and more homes across the United States of America. Thank you for helping us make this possible. And let's never stop praying that people would come to know Jesus. God bless you that's Dr. Don Wilton Florida stirs your heart to respond. Again, we would love to take your call at 86689. That's 866-899-9673 call to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior with a plate together okay that Lord Jesus love you I You as my Lord and Savior. Love the Lord all night long all in your name I cannot, Lord Jesus, I love my Lord and Savior. That's my take. Please forgive me all of my trauma and Lord Jesus accept you as my Lord and thank them. Please forgive me about my thing is your name I pray a man let you what a wonderful, wonderful division, yet made and most important decision you like. You will make what I look if you just a delight to spring along with Dr. Littleton moments ago maybe for the very first time dedicating your life to Christ, you need to know Dr. Wilton is excited to pray with you and for you. Would you let us know about your decision. You can call us at 86689. Let us know so we can send these resources to you again. The numbers 866-899-9673. You can also let Dr. Wilton know about how God's working in The Encouraging Word by sharing your story. He would love to hear from you. His email is doncon@twonline.org again that's Don Dio and Pat TW online.org Dr. Donald love to hear your story, and he would love to pray for you.

Just know that we're here to connect with you get online as well. It TW online.org that's our website that's TEW online.org place to connect with us and also connect with great resources like this hello everybody you know my friends love me Don Wilton foster friend, neighbor, and grandpa and I made it to people around just like Noah not Danny five, Dr. Billy Graham is that man God, you reach so many people I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Gray very personal, intimate, both as his frame and as he supposed.

In fact, many I drove up to his Montreat, North Carolina and visited with him every sector just like friends do every reset together and together we walked.

We discussed politics, friends faces, people we loft kids will we did everything one could possibly that's why I wrote this wonderful Saturdays it's all about a personal relationship, and I hope and pray that Saturdays with will be a blessing to you willing spine and will encourage your heart, just as Mr. Graham encouraged my heart and changed my life. God bless you my friends, that is such a powerful resource Saturdays with Billy. I had the privilege of sitting in this very studio listening to him read that entire all. What a blessing. Whether you get it on that audio form or get a copy and read it and share with other friends. It's all available on our website@twonline.org enough. The fact that Dr. Wilton had the privilege of being the pastor Dr. Billy Graham was one of those mutual privileges Dr. Grant that Sandy was his privilege… Since it was his privilege. The reality is we both receive that understand not only what comes out of that book. But some of the things that have have anchored our ministry The Encouraging Word ministry with Dr. Don Wilton in a commitment to share Christ with any and everyone 24 hours a day if you'd like to get involved. We would be blessed by your prayerful and financial support.

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