R360 Shaking Hands with God

Shaking hands. It's something we do every single day. Or at least we did before the pandemic. But what does it mean to shake hands with God.

This is the word with Dr. Don Wilton well-known pastor author advantage the seminary professor and today his message from Philippians chapter 4 is called shaking hands with God will open God's word just a moment first… You know were connecting with you both on the phone and 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 with you and for you can write resources we can do the same thing on our website at tewonline.org that's TE W online.org why you're there, sign up for the daily Encouraging Word devotional comes out email of chronically everyday that's online at tewonline.org large doctrines I have something very special to share with you. Perhaps a little bit different to what we have grown accustomed to doing at this time and yet in some ways, not different goal is a wonderful thing to meet together with God's people that you know we are in the middle of a study in the book of Ephesians and in fact, the next section that we dealing with is related to the gifts that God gives to us and I'm looking forward to being able to share with you what God is light on my heart through his word literally thousands of people probably over 100,000 people who all worshiping by way of television. So many people are hurting the exit polls in the recent presidential election.

Many of them made a statement by said that it seemed of the less than half of the people that voted that they voted to keep the same administration in place for one basic reason and that was that they felt that life was so good that they didn't want to change anything and everything was on the so why change anything, you know friends. We know that that is not true. When we look around our world today when we go to hospitals and when we talk to our family members and when we love one another a lot about people are hurting to you know all needs that we have can be summarized greatly in three basic areas and talk about three basic needs to all people.

I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4, I want you to just keep it open at Philippians chapter 4 this morning before I read very important verses I want to remind you of something that we don't need to be reminded of that is that all needs fall into three categories number one there all people have physical needs are people today are hurting physically. I am finding more and more about people being diagnosed with cancer with other diseases and illnesses that are graded things that cause tremendous anxiety, a lot of sorrow lot of pain even as we speak. Right now I could probably give you a list of names we we spend a lot of time in our church praying for others and it's one of the most wonderful things that we do is we have many of our people today who are suffering physically. We have many in hospital right now. There's a sense in which I could full up the rest of this are just talking about physical needs). This congregation just look around Spartanburg that people who are hungry in our backyard. People have nothing.

So I was so grateful for those who spend so much time giving to others. Organizations like MobileMe use in the downtown rescue mission church which is involved in the front lines throughout benevolence ministries in the helping center people you don't have close to where some of them resort to going to moles like the way Skype goal not to shop closer they go to the mall so they can get a roof over their head. They go to the mall so that they can get a little bit of warmth and when they get to the moles we reject them because they don't fit they very soon are accused of looking like shoplifters and so we watch them with Hawkeye there people who are hurting to physically we've got people in our congregation right now that are sitting here right now that are in such pain that it's a it's a miracle that they can even sit. We got people to have material needs in our world and in our community that that it's a miracle that they that they were even alive. We we want you to know just how much we love you we really do your very special to us, but there's 1/3 category of need. That's common to all people. It's a spiritual need all of us have a desire to know God, to seek off to him to know the mind of Christ. The Bible says it is unnatural to be out of fellowship with God, we desire to have fellowship with him and grow in him, but our sin has dragged us down. Our sin has separated us from him and they all three categories of spiritual needs. First of all, there are those who are lost and they are all around us, we become so complaint to include complacent within the comfort zones in which we live that we forget that our world is filled with lost people. I will guarantee you right now in Spartanburg in the Piedmont Valley from north to south and east to west that while we stand and worship God.

There are literally hundreds upon thousands of lost people right now in our backyards people have done well. People who belong to every kind of club in society. People who have won the claimant made a great deal of money. Some of them the very best that the world has and yet the Bible says they lost by standing one heartbeat away from an eternal separation from God. No matter how nice and no matter how good, no matter how many times they've they going to church.

There are lost people here this morning. You know exactly who you are you sitting up there in the balcony.

You sitting down here in the middle you looking at me.

Now you're trying to concentrate and you lost and you know it. Maybe you come to church not only today but maybe you gone to church for weeks, months, years, it's the right thing to do.

But, dear friend, you lost, you don't know him, you know that God knows that you lost because he's the one who saves you, and you've never met but then there are those who are saved, they very committed people. We have them all over our congregation all over the choir here this morning not orchestra down looking off-track children doing all the things that enable us to worship wonderful gone cold committed men and women and young people who prepared to stand up and stand tall for the Lord Jesus Christ and God is using you mightily. But then there are those who are saved and not committed a goal you know exactly who you this morning is sitting back there in the front and upstairs and downstairs.

You love the Lord, you know him you going to heaven. There's no doubt about that, but you're not serving him you not committed. You have a beautiful voice and you sing the reason you're not in the choir this morning.

Could you not committed.

All you know the Lord you love him, but you're not prepared to pay the sacrifice you not prepared to practice in and put in the time you not prepared you not prepared to do those things because you not committed to the Lord.

Maybe you come to church just on Sunday mornings. The reason you don't come on Sunday not Wednesday night is not for any other reason you just not committed. Now a lot of people are very busy and your spirituality is not measured by whether or not to come on a Sunday night or Wednesday night not for one minute. I'm not suggesting that but the reason you only come to church on Sunday morning is because you're not committed it cost too much. It's going to put you out.

The reason that you don't tire is because you're not committed. You can imagine, tithing doesn't matter what the Bible says the Bible can say you go to give 10% in the me of your income to God's house. The reason you don't do it is because you're not committed you're not committed to Christ you have a real need for spiritual need. The reason you don't teach Sunday school young you got a gift of teaching God's grace to you.

You just one of those people you can sit down and you can get out of blackboard and you can get out the word of God, and you can be such a blessing to others and the reason why you don't do it is because you're not committed.

That's why you don't. That's why you you don't do it your slave, but but you just you're not committed you're going to need this morning he see that all kinds of leads we could go on and I have a burden to thy beloved friends. Maybe it's your business, maybe rent out cardio business and somebody is about to renege on their rental agreement and you know it's going to give a burden to you and and you don't know what to do. Maybe it's a financial need that you've gotten you can't make a payment on your car or your house. Maybe it's a family need a son or daughter and you love them so much and and and by breaking your heart and even as you sit care of this morning your son is no way spiritually. He makes up every excuse he's got a gun work. Maybe he's at college and you know very well at college. He doesn't even darken the door of the church when he comes home.

He talks a little bit about God, but but he or she have no commitment to the Lord. There are needs everywhere and I want you to know how much we love you today writing here in Philippians chapter 4 verses six and seven I want to read to you what God's word says we need to do about the needs in our hearts listen to this verse six.

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication will petition with Thanksgiving versus Thanksgiving folks with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which Trenton's angel passes all understanding, will guard will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. There are three principles that the Bible tells us about and I want to share them with you this morning.

Principle number one, don't be anxious about anything this morning you're sitting here in your erecting plane or you're facing whatever it is you're facing. And if you're anything like me, I spend half my life trying to hold on to all the circumstances and things that I have to deal with personally in my work in my ministry in my life.

We we hold onto these things and the word be anxious for nothing, the double negative, that is, Santa Fe is basically do not allow anything to captivate you in anxiety. Don't let it hold you because what happens is when you hold onto something. Beloved frames you become like a boiling volcano things just begin to build up and build up an anxiety builds up, worry, worry, worry, we are so good at quarry. We worry about budgets and we worry about call requirements and we worry about our physical needs, and we worry about our girlfriends and we worry about everything, and the Bible says to not worry about these things all that so much easier said than done is what you been, don't worry what you mean. Don't worry, do we become blasé about these things that we just throw up our hands and say will then get it doesn't matter.

No, that's not what God is saying, because God gives us principle number two. Tell God everything you see the letting go of our anxieties and the letting go of the things that that that we are holding to ourselves the letting go of all the needs and circumstances of our lives is done with in the context of handing it over to God. You're not just letting it go unto yourself, you are releasing everything to God and the Bible tells us very, very clearly. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything. Tell God about you told the Lord about what is in your heart to the have you just simply shared that with your listening to Dr. Don Wilton such great direct simple concepts are we speaking to God. Honestly, if you done that today it's so foolish for us to think we can fool God knows our hearts. He knows what's going on before we even ask it. So let's be honest like to have someone pray with you and for you. Our prayer teams ready and 866-899-WORD shot the number down, store yourself anytime. We love to pray with you or connect with resources at 866-899-9673 connect on our website as well as tewonline.org.

He may folks are still asking about the new book to Dr. Donnelly's just a month or so ago called Saturdays with Bill about his time with Dr. Billy Graham. Get a copy of the audiobooks are releasing now is wealth in the details are on our website@twonline.org. It's a powerful book. It's as if you're stopping the car going with him every Saturday.

Spent time with Dr. Billy Graham. It's called Saturdays with Billy available wherever great books are sold but also on our website@twonline.org. Now back to today's great teaching Dr.you just said, Lord, I know what to do about my son anymore. Lord I don't know how I'm going to face tomorrow.

Lord, I am so weak I don't know how I'm going to avoid picking up that alcohol again. I don't know how I'm going to get rid and free from the drugs that have enslaved me Lord, I don't know how I'm going to go home and and look at my wife and say to a honey I married you and I love you and that hasn't changed and everything is on the rocks, but I want you to know, whatever it takes and how ever it takes.

I want our marriage to come back together again. Lord did you just help me because I know the moment I see her I'm going to start getting angry again. Just let it go.

Tell God about telling him about everything. Now that would everything means everything.

Big things in small things we don't like sometimes to talk about small things we think they are too small and insignificant, but God wants to know about everything. It's kind of like our children when they small and they come home from school and they they just sit one of the things my wife told me many years ago. She said if there's any time in which you can be with the children. It's when they come home from school.

That's not easy for a working man or woman. Why is that such a special time. It's a special time because because of a small child would just talk. The Gnostic teachers about teachers get more information than I need by just talk I just love to share all about mommy and daddy that's why you need to be nice to your children's teachers just tell the Lord about but there's 1/3 principle. You see there's really only one principal before we get to the third principle. Principle number one is tell God about principle number two is tell God about principle number three is tell God about fourth verse, same as the first.

Tell God about second verse, same as the third. Tell God about whatever my need whatever my circumstances till the Lord Jesus Christ about, but there is 1/3 sub principle because Paul knows our weaknesses, and he breaks it down. He says don't worry about anything he says tell God everything principle number two but principle number three is shake hands with God, shake hands with God. I want to show you something very interesting in this passage Paul says in verse six. Do not be anxious about everything but in everything, and he tells us how, by prayer and petition, the word additional or supplication means literally like little children when they make a list for Santa. You need to make a list for God and you need to put it down there believing with all your heart that God is going to come down the chimney and he's going to leave a package for you.

There's something so sweet and precious about little children missing. Jesus understood that he said, suffer the little children to come to me he wasn't just talking about salvation. He was talking about the tenderness of their mind. The simplicity of their understanding and get a big cross of the sovereignty of God. Perhaps that's what Jesus was about. He says petition me with Thanksgiving that seems to be raw. The retroactive, don't you think that we are told to be thankful before we've even heard what God's gonna do about God says thank me in advance to the offices that I give.

I want you to claim the victory folks. You cannot explain that because when you claim the victory in Christ. You are simply placing your trust and confidence in God's sovereign grace. That means whatever God determines to do is going to be right for you. God says if you shake hands with me. Listen what will happen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If you shake hands with me. It means that you are going to come into full agreement with who I am Eddie Robertson when you come here pretty soon. How you doing today any so good to see you shake my hand. What what what did you just do when you walked up there and I held my hand up to unity and personal risk takers squeezed armies what why did you open your hand can get any other way. Why don't you give me a first is that a handshake has what would that tell me if you gave me a first might say I have something here or holding on. What about is that is looks a bit aggressive to me right road project okay alright I don't care how big you are. Brother Alice 80. You open up your hand. Did you know with a handshake came from from years ago when men were more together and they would carry weapons and and that the trouble would settle down and they would come to a gentlemen's agreement and they would offer the handshake and when you offer a handshake. Eddie let's do together. I open my hand there it is, you can all see if there's nothing in my hand. I open my hand and he opens his hand and not to hands meet. They become one. Now Eddie has said to me, and I've said to him that I'm offering you the openness not of my hand, but symbolically of my whole life. But when you open your hand to me. God says I will fill your hand, I'm not going to leave your hand empty. I'm coming into a partnership with you. So what what do you feel with that empty-handed Eddie when when I or someone takes your hand and I are off to take hold of you and what you feel right strainer is okay right totally accepted you feel acceptance there's a there's a oneness dude that I'm on your side you are on my side. We we sending a message.

This is a it's a handshake and there's something about that.

Thank you so much brother gone is extending his hand to us all of us.

God is saying. Would you take my hand this morning. Would you give me a handshake that I know that you hurting physically. I know that you have needs materially. I know that you have needs spiritually and and you don't know where to turn or how to turn what to do about it.

God in Christ Jesus is saying, take my hand. Give me a handshake. The problem is that most of us when we reach out to shake God's hand out hand is so food up with everything that we cannot shake his head and the Bible says that God cannot accept at hand. That is anything but completely open. Be anxious for nothing, it is a complete release of myself to God. And when I open myself up to him and he takes my hand I receive his strength, his blood flows into me by get nourished by him, he becomes my partner. He becomes my my caretaker. He is the great physician. He takes control of everything that I'm doing. And God says want you want to take my hand, sometimes the simplicity overwhelms us to goddesses take her hands.

I pray that as you heard Dr. Wilton preach from Philippians 4 today is not just heard our pastor and our great friend and lover of God's word The Encouraging Word, but you've heard the voice of God opening your heart to a decision that needs to be made today before Dr. Wilton preach now as he steps in the studio I prayed. Open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me. Dear God, I know you love me very, very, and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross so that I might be forgiven of myself today. I repainted myself I can face my sin and I invite you to come and align our faith in Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that prayer. Let me be the first one welcome to the family of God. This is one I hope that you know how much I'm trying help very important for us so we can hope to connect right place you can begin this wonderful journey. If you just prayed along with Dr. Wilton. Moments ago, perhaps, to rededicate your life or to give your life to Jesus for the very first time want to live celebrate with you and give you some free information Dr. Don want you to have to help you grow our phone numbers.

The best way to reach is 866-899-WORD call right now and let us know what God is doing in your life. Let us know how we can pray for you with The Encouraging Word 866-899-WORD 9673 is the phone number we also connect on our website at T.

W online.org that's TEW online.org. It's also a great place to discover wonderful resources like this, our nation, prayer, and our founding fathers understood everything and everything that we are is really not there on our own.

God has a very serious SH for America this month.

You are gifted him out to The Encouraging Word broadcast Dr. Wilton's powerful message free indeed. Along with the billing stuck 31 days of prayer for nine days resource that will provide encouragement now and for the days ahead will have a renewed focus on the promise and power of prayer and for your freedom, last at 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 to request free indeed.

31 days for supporting The Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to a nation in desperate need of a culture that's just one of many great offers available on our website@tewonline.org. Join us tomorrow. I'm so excited about the next message from Dr. Wilton. It's called facing tomorrow with confidence had to mark chapter 4 tomorrow. Perhaps you can invite a friend to join you as we listen and open God's word together noted. Also, you can hear today's program again will share it with a friend from our website@tewonline.org thank you so much for your prayerful and financial support of the ministry of The Encouraging Word. That's how we are here to share the love of Jesus