R313 Experiencing God Through The New Year, Pt.1

All of us could use some encouragement and will find it together today. The Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton about experiencing God as a matter fact we just days away from beginning a new year and so let's get a jumpstart on having the second Chronicles verse seven with today's message experiencing God year we doing a two-part series here with Dr. Wilton as we study the word know that were here for you connecting on our website right now ITW online.org on one of the resources their launch into the new year, especially that leather bound devotional book. If you haven't seen picked up a copy now is a great time to get started. DEW online.org and their many resources as well to help you spend time in God's Encouraging Word every day online@dewonline.org now. Today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton if we could do what I would want to do and probably will never do, not on a Sunday morning is to come down amongst the congregation and I go upstairs and downstairs and all over our church and and go to people and say to you what has been your experience of God. I wonder what you would cite the I should imagine that you would agree with me that we would have the whole gamut of human experience. They are people who have suffered great tragedy and deep loss.

There are people who have experienced great joy. There are people who have made a fortune because they they did the right thing and I invested at the right time and the right stocks and there are those who lost a fortune because they invested in the wrong stocks at the wrong time. They'll those installed at the right time and pulled at the right time and those who did this and did that people end up in different circumstances every single day.

Even as I stand here this morning we brought many many people in different needs and diverse circumstances is experiencing godlike terminal experience. Can you draw the line as far as God is concerned doesn't mean to say that because we have experienced God in experiencing God that that's all we going to experience all God have we arrive, both individually and personally or as a church have we arrived that we done everything that God is called us to do is they perhaps anything else that we might think that God might want us to do is people as a church as a community as a nation experiencing God through the new year. I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to second Chronicles chapter 7 I'm going to invite you to turn they with me in the Old Testament. The second Chronicles chapter 7. I want us to look at the life of Solomon for just a moment, Solomon is undeniably and undoubtedly one of our favorite characters and and I'm going to put the emphasis upon character. I think that Solomon was a real character.

I mean this man did so much in and accomplish so much and so much happened to him and through him and because of him that that we cannot even begin to describe it all. Right enough books about but caring second Chronicles chapter 7, Solomon had an experience of God that I am convinced was a cool experience in his earthly life as a man is as a human being. I believe that caring second Chronicles chapter 7 that when God appeared to Solomon that what God was doing. He was placing within the context of God himself.

Everything that Solomon ever hope to be, or everything that Solomon ever laws. Let's read it together in the second Chronicles 7 I'm going to begin at verse 11. Now, when Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the Royal Palace and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord in any zone, Palace. The Lord appeared to him at night and said now if you'll pardon me, I just have to pause there. Just a month. This man reminds me of me, not because he was a king or that I'm a king, but he reminds me of me because he seems to have the same kind of weakness that I have. It seems to me that at this juncture in Solomon's life that he had reached the point at which Solomon considered what he was doing to be complete.

There was a Saints in which King Solomon washed his hands with perhaps somewhat of him would agree and determine done to himself self. I have done what I'm supposed to do now I can go home and get into my big chair.

Get out my popcorn and watch my favorite game of football and everything is going to be just fine. Little did he know that what happened to Georgia lost nine happens to people see the game was right down the just a few seconds left in the game in Virginia was leading by seven points and I fumbled the ball. Georgia picked up a ball right on the line and ran through Ray Goff, one of the finest coaches in America today, and he's lost time coaching the team was expected of me. I just went. I mean they've taught the guy going into overtime and my son Rob said they do have overtime dad's a bull going and he was right. So they went to the kickoff with the penalty you see the game wasn't over.

Virginia kicked off the ball and got that ball and there he went ran right through the whole to peekaboo and scored a touchdown with hardly any time left on the clock in Virginia emerged victorious in one ecstatic moment. On the one side of the field turned into a state of mourning on the other and all of a sudden there was a shift change in the Georgia Dome C. Solomon had arrived at a point in his life where he believed perhaps that he is experience of God was completely complete and let's hear what happened because the Bible says in verse 12, the Lord appeared to him at night and said I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices when I shut up the heavens so that there is no writing or compound locus to devour the land or send a plague upon among my people if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated. This temple so that my name might be there forever.

My eyes and my heart will always be there by the Lord varieties word upon our hearts. Let me share with you a few introductory comments about experiencing God through the life of King Solomon.

I'm going to submit to you, my friends, that this theology that we read about caring second Chronicles says some very profound truths to us. It tells not any the exiles to which this was written, but it says to you and to me that there are no circumstances that ought to formidable to prevent God from fulfilling his promises to his people. There are no circumstances there are no happenings there are no current since there are no letdowns.

There are no sins. There are no situations that ought to formidable to prevent God from doing what sovereign God does for each one of us and that is being God from beginning to end. You see my friend every covenant passage and every covenant safe section in the word of God is filled with blessings and curses. The Bible tells us that you're going to be blessed if the subservient party is loyal to the King, but you are going to be cursed if the seller subservient party is not loyal to the King if they are disobedient to the king what we learned in experiencing God, we learn more than anything else. My friend that the key to our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ lies in the essence of our willingness to know and to do the will of God. You see friends. This is God's word of encouragement to Solomon. It is of remarkable proportion. Solomon if you obey God. God's reciprocal blessings are going to be poured out upon you Solomon. If you disobey God. God is going to pull out curses upon you.

He is going to allow calamity to fall upon you so what does this mean does this mean that God changes his mind know my friends, this does not mean that God's Davidic covenant is conditional from God's standpoint, what it simply means is that God is not condition God is always there not some of you heard me say this before. My favorite South Louisiana advertisement goes like this. Does God seem farther away. Well, who do you think mood you see what God was saying to King Solomon in all of these frailty in all these weaknesses he was saying to Solomon listen Solomon my Davidic covenant stands complete and stands firm, my covenant is not conditional from the sovereign grace of God perspective.

I am never going to change what he did say to him is that Solomon's enjoyment and Solomon's participation in the blessings of God would be directly impacted in direct proportion to Solomon's willingness to do what God was telling him to do.

We need to be reminded as to who wears the shoes in God's scheme of things your listing to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher here on The Encouraging Word. Don't go away will be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment, but he wants me to remind you we are to pray with you anytime at 866886689673 or online@twonline.org and right now in these last few days of the year were in the middle of a remarkable matching challenge gift of $200,000.

This wonderful couple has challenged each of us to give our best gift for them. It's $200,000 for you. It may be blessed in that it may be two dollars, maybe 20 or 200 or 2000 whatever it might be forgiving at the end of this year. In the middle of this challenge multiplied like never before for you will consider calling us and sharing your gift at 866-899-9673 or you can give online right now@tewonline.org we need to be reminded as a church and as a nation and as a community that God never changes that he will never leave us. And he will never forsake us that God never moves that God's covenant is absolutely sure instead falls and that God tells us, my friend. If we disobey him.

We are the ones who are going to suffer not go so what it does have to do with Solomon well you see Solomon if you wind and studied Solomon. We don't have time to do a real exegesis of his life, but they were three things about Solomon's life. It stood head and shoulders above everything he had three great successes.

The festival was political success.

You can logon look at chapter 8 verses one through 11.

He was politically successful. Secondly, he was religiously successful and I'm going to use that word religiously. This was a man of deep devotion to God. The third way in which he was successful was economically this man was a wealthy man.

Folks if you want to talk about a multi-multi billion minute take a look at Solomon don't have a look through the Chronicles and see what he had. The Bible says that he had tons and tons of gold everything that he had was boot out of the finest cedars from Lebanon everything that he did turn to gold.

This man understood the stock market. I tell you what he made the best investments he had people coming to consult with him if he understood gold shares on the rise and fall of economic indicators. He understood budgets he understood everything about economics and he was a tremendous success. But he failed God. Think of the United States.

If you were to talk about three characteristics of our beloved United States of America that stand head and shoulders above most other things, this country is a success politically. You cite how can that be Boston. I'm going to cite you my friend. There is no nation upon the earth that has a constitution finer than the United States of America. There is no greater lateral beacon of hope for the world's population, then the political situation and dispensation in the United States of America with its system of checks and balances, consider the United States religiously. This is a religious nation, folks. There are churches behind every bush preachers all over the place Bible is on every pew rack deacon deacons in every two days. Every church we've got men and women and boys and goes doing the work of God unhindered. We can tell our children about Jesus. Then think about the economic success of the United States. We are blessed people no matter which way we wash it we bought more than anybody else does, where Blair stopped children of blessed our forefathers were blessed we been blessed beyond our wildest imagination. But I'm going to say to you, beloved friends that as we experience God through the new here. We must pay attention to what happened to this man.

Gold Solomon you see this man failed God, folks. And God took those blessings away from him for a time.

Listen to what happened.

What did he do, he began to worship other gods in first Kings chapter 11 and the nation was exiled. The Bible tells us about that in second Chronicles and chapter 36 they were exiled to Babylon and the temple was totally destroyed and everybody who stood and observed and witnessed the desolation of the land than the temple. They wouldn't know they would know that this was the ultimate walk of God's judgment upon these people because of their sin. What a tragedy. What a tragedy but you know what happened happened to Solomon. Solomon repented and the people repented and one of the most remarkable stories of experiencing God into the new year began to take place because the result loss based upon his repentance that Solomon sees Wayne as he had begun it as a perfectly faithful king gone no more are all the references to foreign woman who turned away's heart to follow off the foreign gods. Gone is all the negative evaluation, such as which we find in first Kings chapter 11 verse six which reads, so Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not totally follow the Lord as David his father had done gone all the references to Yahweh's anger to God's anger in first Kings chapter 11 verse nine and God's resulting decision to tear the kingdom apart from Solomon. Gone is all the opposition.

Gone is all the backbiting gone is all the hostility gone is all the play.

Gone is all the – dreams in the hopes, and when you come to the end of the Chronicles and you find King Solomon upon his bed. He is presented to you and to me as one of those upon whose name God rests here is presented as a okay here is presented as one of God's chosen servant. See if you go back into verse 14. My people who are called by my name literally in the Hebrew text, this reads my friends if my people, upon whose name I rest my name in the Hebrew text. It means literally… That God was saying to these people as he was saying to Solomon if you all my people upon whom I have vested my sovereign grace is going to be able to take you from the cross of my hand because the covenant I'm with you I will never leave you.

I'm always day. You got to do what I'm instructing you to do. I wonder if there's anyone here this morning. Please don't stand up, raise your hand one. If there is anyone here today who might've messed up in 1995, you know, if you read about Solomon. This is such a wonderful message of hope.

This is what experiencing God into the new. Here is all about. My friend, you know, it's all about it's all about. The only difference between the best of us. And yeah and the worst of them out there is the grace of God. That's what it's all about what it's all about is that we are sinners saved by the grace of God I want to tell you something friend you might've been discouraged.

You might've been let down. You might've been struggling. I wonder if there's someone here today that you been running from God your entire life.

You just been running.

There's no other way to describe people of praying for you all. They've loved you.

You've heard the word of God you been around Christian people you've seen what's taken place you seen the joy you've seen what Jesus Christ is done to families when he's brought them together.

You've seen the new love that he's kindled in the hearts of those who have come to know him. You've seen people rescued from divorce courts. You've seen people who have been at the worst parts of their lives through sorrow and tragedy having to say I know in whom I have believed in our Empress weighted that he is able to keep me against that guy and he's able to God me and garrisoned me with these fortress and with everything that God is given to me you cited i.e. foster is there any hope in 1996 yes sir look at what happened to Solomon so what is this passage teach us. There are five things you that I want us to consider briefly this morning from this this particular encounter that Solomon had what was it that God was trying to tell Solomon what was he saying to this king. I mean, what more could a king have had everything. I mean, what more could a man want in life.

This guy had it all just quickie spring regarding not only that he had wisdom. Can you imagine having just wisdom God gave it to God pulled out his Spirit upon him. It was the most marvelous thing and yet God appeared to him at nine. Solomon thought that experiencing God was the terminal experience.

God appeared to him and he said to him, amongst many others.

Five things number one. He hears our prayers. He says Solomon I hear your verse 12 verse 11 with me.

The Lord appeared to him and Martin said I have heard your prayer is not the most wonderful thing to think about. In 1996. I have heard you pray, do you mean to tell me that God actually hears our prayers look jet would you just drop down with me just quickie down to verse 15.

I want to show you something.

It's remarkable. Listen now my eyes will be opened and my is attentive to the prayers offered in this place. Now folks, God is everywhere, but never discount the house of God. There is something singularly significant about being in the house of God according to God's word. God owns a prayer everywhere and he does with your in the bath tub singing as beautifully as me when you driving down the road.

I just hope you don't close your eyes when you are out there playing with your children with a frisbee in the back God will burning some chicken on your favorite BBQ. God is going to get you what the Bible says that when I come into my house of sacrifice.

There it is that my eyes are open, and my ear's are open and I hear your prayer. What a tremendous privilege great teaching. What great reminder that God hears our prayer is metric.

Scripture reminds us that even we can't get the words right.

God understands the very groanings of our heart. I pray that you know that we believe God has orchestrated this opportunity for us to be presenting Dr. Wilton's message to you in this way. Some of you are listening on podcast on radio and television where it might be that we believe this is what Dr. Don might call a divine appointment, and if the Lord has stirred your heart to the teaching and preaching of Dr. Don Wilton. I pray that you'd open your heart to what he wants to share as he steps into the studio next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm so happy to hear that wanting to pray this prayer with me. Dear God, I know you love me very, very, and I know that the mold Jesus Christ died on the cross so that I might be forgiven today. I repainted myself I can face my soon to invite you to come into my heart, my life in Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of this one. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying how very important message for me: so that we can hope to connect you nice you can begin this wonderful journey. And in just a moment I'm in a come back with the final perhaps moments ago you were praying along with Dr. Don Wilton to give your life to Jesus to rededicate your life and come back in the family of God. We want to rejoice with you Dr. Don Wilton love to pray for you as a matter fact, if you give us a call at 86689673. Share your decision. Would love to put these free resources Dr. Don Wilton you have in your hands and if you give your life to Jesus Christ or rededicate your life today to the ministry.

The Encouraging Word we want to put these resources in your hands. As a matter fact, Dr. Donald love to hear your story like to email and his email is Don doin@tewonline.org again.

That's darndest his first name DOM at T. W online.org would love to hear from you, and he'll make sure that we get your free information to you right away. Just call 866-899-WORD or visit us online@gwonline.org. The wire on the website. You might take a look at a remarkable last of the year here these last few days.

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God will help us to reach this goal together.

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