R1691 What Only God Can Do

God has an encouraging word for you and me today, through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, as we head to 2 Samuel, Chapter 7. This is The Encouraging Word, featuring Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, evangelist, pastor, seminary professor, and today as he opens God's Word, he talks to us about what only God can do. You know, there is nothing in the restriction of God.

God can do many, many, many things, but there are some things that only God can do. You'll discover that as we open the Word together, and know that we're open to talk and pray with you as well. We're connecting on our website right now at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org, as well as on the phone at 866-899-WORD. If you need to talk or pray, we're here, 866-899-9673.

Now, Dr. Don Wilton. We're going to be in 2 Samuel, Chapter 7 and verse 8. I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make you a great name like the name of the great ones on the earth. I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them so they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more.

And violent men shall afflict them no more as formerly. From the time I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house so that when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you who shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father. He shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men. But my steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away from you before. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.

Your throne shall be established forever. What should we do? How should we relate? What's important? I just want to share with you today based upon what God's Word teaches us on the simple but powerful truth what only God can do. And then I want you to just get this. In this passage, speaking of David, the Bible tells us seven things that God did.

I want you to really be encouraged with this. Only God can turn a nobody into a somebody. That's what happened here in verse eight. God reminded David and said to him, listen, there was a time when all you were, were just what you were.

And look at you now. Only God can turn a nobody into somebody. So when we look at the growth of our little ones, moms and dads, young people, grandparents. And we do everything that we can possibly as believers, you know, and who love the Lord Jesus Christ, never forget that God's the one. God can take a nobody and turn a nobody into a somebody. God is the one. You take our Heavenly Father out, you're on your own.

And evidently, Americans, we don't seem to be doing so well on our own. Number two, only God can be everywhere all the time. You know, verse nine, I love verse nine, I've been with you wherever you went. Only God can be with us everywhere and all the time to boot. God is everywhere. God's watching. God knows. He sees.

He accompanies. That's what happens when you give your heart and life to Jesus. You receive the spirit of the living God. And God by His Spirit is everywhere all the time.

Even in those moments when you are at your lowest point where you've got the greatest questions. Number three, God can prevent enemy attacks. And we are under the enemy's attack, America. We are at war against Satan. And he's found a fertile feeding frenzy ground in the United States of America.

And he's ripping the heart of our nation and our people apart. And only God can prevent an enemy attack. Look at verse nine. He said, I will cut off all your enemies from you.

You can go on later down into verse 11 and the second part of verse 11. I will give you rest from your enemies. This relentless everyday wake up, these headlines, this news, this sadness. These despicable acts of abuse against women and children, even in our own denomination by people that we trust with all of our hearts.

God will cut off the enemy from amidst us. And God will give you rest from that. Parents, you are going to become exhausted. Listen, it's exhausting enough bringing up sons and daughters. Trust me, Karen and I love to go and visit our grandkids. How sweet it is to say goodbye. I mean, I don't know how they sleep. And it's the best in the world and it's lovely for just one and a half days like we had.

Try it for an entire year every day. It's no wonder some of you look like you do. Listen, if it weren't for makeup, we'd get a shock here this morning from some of these young mothers here. You just did a good job, but you had to get up at five o'clock to get it all set in place, didn't you?

Because if you look like you normally do at home, it's no wonder the postman drops your mail off in a box. I didn't say that. God will, what does God do? He prevents enemy attacks.

How do we stop this attack? God, number four, God, only God can protect God-fearing people. And look at verse 10, it's so powerful. He says, and I will appoint a place for my people.

I'll plant them there so they may dwell and not be disturbed over and over again. He goes on and he says, and violent men will not get to you. Wow, did you read that? That word violent in the Hebrew text, wicked people. Parents, listen, you know, we talk about all these tragedies, we don't talk enough about what our kids are seeing. The violence on television, what we show, what we project, what we're putting out there is just a barrage of this stuff. And God says, God will protect those who fear him.

This is urgent. It's not a time to step down, it's a time to step up as believers in Christ. Number five, I love this one. Only God can raise up children well.

I mean, I love what he says to David and we know that from what he said, but verse 12, for example, when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I promise you I've taken care of you. As we speak here today, we've got all our boys and girls in camp. You should have seen them leaving yesterday, four busloads. Many of you parents were here.

I missed it because it's trying to get back from New Orleans, which is too far away. All of us have got cards like this. I've got my card here.

I've got the name of Brock, Reese, Gerard and Natalie. I've got a daily prayer schedule on here. The prayer for Sunday, pray for the counselors as they build relationships with the campers, pray that they might have discernment as to the spiritual needs of each child. We're going down there on Tuesday.

I'll be there at Camp Voyager and Tuesday night and I'm speaking to the middle, younger middle schoolers and on Wednesday and you know, all I'm interested in doing, when I say all I'm interested, I'll do anything they ask me to do. But I just want to be just, hey man, just getting in there and loving and jumping in the pond if I need to. I didn't say that so don't repeat that after me.

Whatever it is, just that special unique touch, it's that touch and you are doing it so well folks. Stay close to your children, man. Don't love on your kids like this. What did you say?

Yeah. Just go to a restaurant, just observe in a restaurant today. You go to a restaurant, the whole family is sitting like this, every one of them.

Or what did you eat? I don't know. Folks, it's with us. This is reality, it's not, it's just, it is, right?

I got one of these, we all deal with that. So we must do our part but God reminds us that God is the one ultimately who raises up our sons and daughters in his scheme of things. I don't want our boys and girls to grow up and leave home and then just go ballistic. I want our children to grow up and to be you.

What's wrong with that? I'm not asking to revert back to the 60s when I was a teenager. I'm not asking for that. These times have changed.

I'm not asking anyone to make sure that they're just duplicates of what we use. No, this is a, I get all of that. But I tell you what, I pray that our sons and daughters will grow up as decent human beings, loving the Lord Jesus Christ, ambitious, accomplishing, playing ball, going to the beach, but loving the Lord, saying please, thank you. Have a sense of looking people in the eye when they talk to them.

Having compassion for others, going on mission, wanting to serve, using their money, tithing in their church and giving and loving on people and contributing in what matters, folks, what matters. It's not some trophy in a cabinet. That's part of it. Get as many trophies as you can.

Nothing wrong with a trophy. But the Bible says it's God, it's the Lord Jesus Christ who ultimately does this. If God be for us, who can be against us? Now that's encouragement.

God is for us. Forgive the interruption, Dr. Don insists I remind you we're available for you both on the phone at 866-899-WORD, that's 866-899-9673, and on our website, tewonline.org. Again, Dr. Don will be right back with the rest of today's message, What Only God Can Do. But while you're on our website, tewonline.org, be sure and sign up for the daily encouraging word email from Dr. Don.

It's a powerful way to launch your day, a wonderful midday snack, so to speak. It's God's word, encouragement and application. You can sign up on our website, tewonline.org, where you'll also find great resources like this. This month, as a special bonus offer, you can purchase Saturdays with Billy as a brand new 4CT audiobook. This audiobook is narrated by Dr. Don Wilton and would be a great gift.

It would also be great to listen to in the car. You will enjoy hearing about the beautiful friendship between Billy Graham and his friend and Pastor Don Wilton. Along with the audiobook, we are offering a DVD collection of Billy Graham Crusades, a gathering of souls. This documentary gives the history of the Crusades from the first event in 1949 to the remarkable events behind the Iron Curtain and in the Far East. You are sure to enjoy watching this collection of timeless Crusades. Please visit tewonline.com or call 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673 to order. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. That's part of it.

Get as many trophies as you can, nothing wrong with a trophy. But the Bible says it's God, it's the Lord Jesus Christ who ultimately does this. If God be for us, who can be against us? Number six, only God can love regardless. All of us have sinned. Look at verse 15.

What a word. My steadfast love for him will not depart. In this dog eat dog world, we very quickly, we can dog eat one dog after another. But let's never forget the grace, the love, the forgiveness, the reconciliation, the restoration of God. Where would we be without Jesus? Only God can love us. We battle with that because so many of us suffer abuse. So many of us suffer hate, hurt. You and I, people have got every reason not to love. We've got all the reasons.

You don't need to find a reason. And how much we pray for the victims. Well, what do we do if we lose sight of the steadfast love of God in Christ Jesus? One more, only God can guarantee the future.

It's a powerful point, verse 16. Your house, your kingdom will be made sure forever. We are all a future people because the future is part of our present. Where are we going? Where are you going to end up?

What shall we do? What world are our kids in? And then to boot the fact is all of us are going to die.

Only God can guarantee the future. So what can we take from this? Here's what to take away.

I mean, there's so many things. Here's what to take away. Take this with you perhaps today, together with the things that God's putting in your own heart. Number one, do your part.

You've heard me say God does, Jesus loves you, God does, Jesus loves you. He will do it. Only God can do it. You've got to do your part. Only God can save you. Only God can convict you of your sin.

Only God can give you his Holy Spirit. But you've got to do your part. We've got to do our part.

What is our part? It's to be the parent that I know God wants. It's to be the man God wants me to be, the woman God wants me to be.

It's to be kind, be loving, be reconciling. My part is to pray without ceasing for my children, my grandchildren. My part is to say no and no needs to be said. Parents, you need to be prepared to look at your kids and say no.

You are not doing that. This business of looking at children and saying, well, you need to work through this. There's some things kids don't need to work through. Like what are you trying to be, some kind of hero?

You mean you don't know what God says about right and wrong? You're struggling with that? You're the parent. Do your part. Work hard. Be ambition.

What about the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study? Do your part. Be in Bible study. Make sure you're in church. Get into a life group, people. Be in a life group. Be in a life group and be in worship.

You need those two things every Sunday. Don't just go to a life group and go home. Be in worship, corporate worship, and get yourself in that small group. Be disciplined, introduce some fresh disciplines in your life.

Take yourself in hand. Decide to get healthy again. Don't talk about it. Do it. Start eating correctly.

Get exercise. Don't talk about it. Do it. Do your part.

Teach your children these disciplines. What else can we take away from the second one is don't worry. Don't worry. I want you to hear the context of that because God says be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and say let your request be made known under God.

Why? Because only God can do some things. God, only God. So what is it that's churning your heart right now? Don't worry when you can pray, when you can share that with the Lord, when you can trust him.

Number three, be encouraged. Make a deliberate determination that as of this moment, because you know and love Jesus Christ, that you're saying, Lord, I am going to be encouraged. Even facing all these things that are going on.

Because you're in the center of my heart. Make up your mind. Stop your nonsense. Stop being one of these silent troublemakers. Stop this double agenda that some people have. Stop feeling like you have been appointed to be the savior of the world.

Get off your pedestal. Be encouraged in Christ. Take hold of the things of God and determine in your heart that with God in your heart you're going to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you're going to pass this on to your sons and daughters and you're going to rise up in this dark and searching world. What only God can do.

One more thing, take away. Make certain you know Jesus Christ as your savior. Otherwise, all this is is just an interesting talk.

A lot of interesting talks going on. Nothing really makes sense outside of the wonderful grace of God in Christ Jesus. Do you know that you know that you know him? Have you trusted him as your savior and Lord? Why don't you do that today? Would you bow your heads with me? I want to pray a prayer with you today. No prayer can save you. Not one. This is a sinner's prayer for you.

I'm just helping you. You've got to hear what the Bible says. If you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.

That's it right there. Let's pray. You pray this prayer in your own heart. Dear God, Jesus is the Christ. He is Lord. I confess Jesus as Lord.

I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. I put my faith and my trust in you. I respond to you because you are speaking to me by your spirit and I am under conviction. I'm a sinner and my sin separates me from you and you died on the cross for me. I give my heart to you, Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen. Perhaps you were moments ago praying along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Jesus. Or maybe rededicate your life to Christ.

Either way, you need to let somebody know about your decision today. Dr. Don would say, why not let him know? He would love to hear from you. You can email him Don at T-E-W online dot O-R-G. Again, shout it down.

D-O-N, his first name, at T-E-W online dot O-R-G. He loves hearing the stories of how God's working in your life, about how God has transformed your life, or used the encouraging word. Again, write to him, Don Don at T-E-W online dot O-R-G. Or he would also recommend giving us a call. We'd love to speak with you, pray with you, and make sure you get the free resources Dr. Don wants you to have if you've given your life to Christ, or rededicated your life to Christ by calling 866-899-WORD.

Again, the phone number is 866-899-9673. Or meet us on our website, T-E-W online dot O-R-G. All the resources are there and the opportunity to share your faith and watch us invest in your life, encouraging you with great resources, online at T-E-W online dot O-R-G. While you're there, discover more about our ministry, about Dr. Wilton's relationship with Dr. Billy Graham, and more. If God leads you, consider prayerfully and financially supporting our ministry.

Every single day, lives are being changed by the encouraging word of God. Again, the details are at T-E-W online dot O-R-G.