What God Can Not Do

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
In this discourse, the speaker presents a talk aimed at teens, discussing “Things God Cannot Do,” a theme inspired by his wife. He introduces a series of items, each accompanied by scripture, highlighting fundamental truths about God’s nature, such as His inability to lie, break promises, force love, or make mistakes. The discussion encourages teens to understand their relationship with God, emphasizing His faithfulness, love, and unchanging character through various scriptural references.

Long Summary
### Summary of the Discourse on “Things God Cannot Do”

Introduction
– The speaker intended a talk for teens, inspired by a title suggested by his wife, Janet, possibly from a Sunday school class in Milwaukee.
– The talk includes contributions from teens in the Milwaukee area, focusing on things that God cannot do.

Format of the Talk
– Seven cue cards were distributed, each highlighting a specific attribute of God related to what He cannot do, along with accompanying scriptures.
– Participants were encouraged to read the scriptures and offer additional ones if possible.

Key Points and Scriptures
1. God Cannot Lie
Scriptures:
Titus 1:1-2: Emphasizes God’s promise of eternal life, affirming that He cannot lie.
Hebrews 6:18: Indicates that it is impossible for God to lie.
Exodus 20:16: Discusses the command against bearing false witness.
– This emphasizes God’s truthfulness and reliability.

2. God Cannot Break His Promises
Scriptures:
Hebrews 10:23: Encourages holding onto faith because God is faithful to His promises.
1 Kings 8:56: Declares that not one word of God’s promises has failed.
– Reflects on God’s faithfulness and the assurance found in His promises.

3. God Cannot Change His Mind
Scriptures:
James 1:17: Highlights that there is no variation or shadow of turning with God.
Malachi 3:6: States, “For I, the Lord, do not change.”
– This assures believers of God’s consistent nature and His commitment to His promises.

4. God Cannot Force Us to Love Him
Scriptures:
1 John 4:19: “We love Him because He first loved us.”
Jeremiah 31:3: Speaks of God’s everlasting love.
– Emphasizes the significance of voluntary love in the relationship between God and humanity.

5. God Cannot Leave Us
Scriptures:
Hebrews 13:5: Affirms God’s promise to never leave nor forsake us.
Genesis 28:15: God promises His presence and protection.
– Highlights the assurance of God’s constant presence in believers’ lives.

6. God Cannot Separate Us from His Love
Scriptures:
Romans 8:39: Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
1 John 4:9: Affirms God’s love manifest in Christ.
– This reinforces the depth and permanence of God’s love for us.

7. God Cannot Make Mistakes
Scriptures:
Psalms 18:30: God’s ways are perfect.
Deuteronomy 32:4: Describes God’s work as perfect and just.
2 Timothy 2:13: God cannot deny Himself.
– This speaks to God’s inherent perfection and faithfulness in His actions and decisions.

Conclusion
– The speaker closes by recognizing the many attributes of God that affirm His nature, such as His inability to lie, break promises, or make mistakes.
– He reflects on the importance of these truths for the youth, encouraging them to build a personal relationship with God based on trust and understanding of His unchanging character.

Additional Thoughts
– Besides the listed attributes, the speaker mentions other things God cannot do, such as playing favorites, being tempted, or taking pleasure in wickedness.
– The discussion emphasizes the reliability of God’s character and the assurance it provides to believers, especially the youth, in their spiritual growth.

Transcript

When I thought this up, this 20 minute talk, it was intended for the teens, and what I’ve done was last night I handed out little cue cards to the brethren who had accepted them. So I’ll start here. Some things God cannot do. First, I owe a thanks of gratitude to my wife Janet, who came up with this title or theme which she gleaned from one of her Sunday school teen classes in Milwaukee.

Maybe it was at convention, I don’t remember. I’m not sure just how she does it, but amongst all the other things she does, she’s involved with in our Lord’s service, she had time to consider assisting me with an idea for this mini talk. So what I’ve done was I handed out seven cards and numbered them one through seven, and each one has an item that God cannot do, and these ideas came from the teens in the Milwaukee area.

And then on them are a few scriptures that the Brethren, whoever has the card, they will read, and they were asked to come up with one or two more scriptures if they could. So things we know God can do. He provides, he changes hearts, he protects, he empowers, he strengthens, he builds our characters, he heals, and we’re sure many, many more.

So we have a list of things God cannot do. We have index cards, and I’ve already said that. So I’m going to ask for whoever had number one, and somebody has a mic for this.

You do? Okay. Are you number one? Bill? I have number one on my card.

So it’s Titus 1, 1 and 2. You want me to read this? Yes, please. Okay, Paul, a servant of God, but tell us what you’re can’t. Cannot do.

Oh, God cannot lie. First one. Okay. Titus 1, 1 and 2. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness and hope of eternal life, which God cannot.

Which. Which God that cannot lie promised before the world begun, and then the second scripture is Hebrews 6:18, that by two unchangeable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, and I don’t have the total Scripture, but I was thinking of Exodus 20:16, which is talking about bearing false witness. So the same type of thing so God wouldn’t do that.

Correct. Good. Thank you. Is somebody writing these other ones down for me, the ones that the. The brethren come up with?

Because I. I can’t do it up here. Thank you, and, and again, this is specifically.

This was created from teens. So we want the teens To. To look at these things that God cannot do. Number two, please.

Did number two skip out?

Oh, brother, you have number two. Okay. Are you prepared for this? Sister says, break his promise. Oh, break his promise.

Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. For he is faithful that promised. Next one is first. Kings 8:56.

Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel. According to all that he promised. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.

We know that he’ll keep his promises. Got a whole book of. A whole Bible of His promises. But he’s. He’s going to not break them.

Did you have another scripture by chance? No, because I. Does anyone else have a scripture in here about God not being able to break his promises? It’s going to go really fast.

Oh, you do? I don’t have a card. Is it okay if I read? That’s okay. You can still talk.

Okay. Hebrews Chapter six always impressed me. You know, the. The debate is whether Paul wrote Hebrews, and I.

I find this theme of God not lying, not breaking promises. We did quote the he cannot lie in Titus, but we also find it here in Hebrews 6. The same way God desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, interposed with an oath. So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. So what a positive statement about our God.

That it is impossible for him to lie, and that his purposes are unchangeable. Unchangeable. What was the verse again? Hebrews, chapter six.

And I just closed my Bible. That’s okay. Hebrews, chapter six. Hebrews, chapter six. The whole chapter.

Okay. Okay, good. Thank you, Obi. If there’s no one else, we’re going to card number three.

Oh, Sister Donna, and again. Read. Read what? The cannot is.

So I have. God cannot change his mind, and the scripture you gave was James 1:17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is. Is from above.

And comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and another scripture which I found was Malachi 3 6. For I, the Lord, do not change. Therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed, and what I took from both of those scriptures is that.

And this kind of goes with what Catherine said. God will fulfill his promises. Particular the. Particularly the Abrahamic promises, and no matter how Many times the nation of Israel turned against him or walked away.

He was not going to destroy them. He was going to fulfill that Abrahamic promise, and so too with the church, with us, he will fulfill that heavenly seat. Thanks, Sister Donna, and what, what does this mean to our teens as they’re growing up with all the influences in the world?

I would answer that question myself. If someone else doesn’t have it, it means that they can depend on their Heavenly Father, especially if they get a special relationship with Him. They know that they can depend on him and that he won’t change his mind, that he’ll be there to direct their lives. Anyone else?

Number four. Sister, get the mic close to her. The point that is being brought forward by the young people is God cannot force us to love Him. What? What is the thing that he cannot do?

Force us to love. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that first. John 4:19. We love him because He first loved us. Jeremiah 31:3.

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee, and I will add to that Romans, the fourth chapter, and I had it right here.

It’s while we were yet sinners, God sent his son to die for us. Interesting premise that young people brought up, that God cannot force us to love Him. I will give more of a testimony. I was about 11 years old. It was at a Fort Collins convention in 1971.

And the theme of the testimony meeting was I love the Lord because, and the testimony that sticks out in my mind was the testimony that Sister Bonnie Gaunt gave, and she quoted the scripture, I love the Lord because He first loved us, and that was a new thought to me being 11 years old, because I had never, to the point that I could remember, heard that scripture before or heard that expression before, and that made a profound influence on me at the age of 11.

So although the Lord can’t force us to love him, he has given us great reason to love Him. Thanks, Sister Jen. Anyone else? Just a little personal note on this. This was.

This one force us to love him. He can’t do that was from one of our grand nieces, Lydia Haza. Very, very intuitive, Very, very wise young lady. Thank you. Number five.

Brother. Brother Mark Allard. It’s right behind you. Didn’t see you sneaking up on me. Ours is God cannot leave you or us.

And Gary, the two scriptures you provided was Hebrews 13:5, which says, Let our conversation be pure and be content with Such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, and our second scripture is Genesis 28:15, which says, and behold, I am with you and will keep you in all places you go, and I will bring you again unto this land, for I will not leave you. Elaine and I looked up scriptures last night.

We found there was quite a few that says this, which was nice to see. We found three Old Testament scriptures that were. We kind of picked, but there were many that we could have chosen from. One was Deuteronomy 31:6, which says, Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or dread, or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who gives, who goes with you.

He will not leave you, not leave, nor forsake you. The next One is Psalms 94:14, which says, for the Lord will not forsake his people. He will not abandon his heritage, and then 1st Samuel 12:22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because he has please the Lord to make you a people for himself.

We also noticed that there was a lot of similar thoughts in the New Testament, but we couldn’t tell entirely if it was Jesus’s words or from God, which you had specified as God’s Word. So. But nevertheless, we’re in good hands, I think. Thanks, Brother Mark. That’s interesting because a couple of things that have already come out in the two previous 20 minute talks are going to jive a little bit with my discourse tomorrow and words that you just said, you know, the difference between the Father and the Son, and in the language, you know, by him, for him.

You know, we have to understand who it’s talking about. So thank you. Anyone else? Number six, Sister Kathy. Kathy’s my sister from the dawn.

My scripture was Romans 8:39. No height nor depth. Excuse me, Kathy. What is the thing that he cannot do? Oh, he cannot separate us from his love.

Okay, Romans 8:39. Nor, nor height, nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and the second scripture was First John 4. 9. In this what was manifest?

The love of God toward us. Because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. I have a comment that nothing can separate us from God, God and Jesus’s love as long as we remain faithful and serve him in every way. Thank you. Anyone else?

There’s, you know, there’s when, when we get a relationship with our Heavenly Father and with His Son. We just. One of the things we have to always remember is that he wouldn’t have called us if he didn’t. Wasn’t confident in that we would be successful in our walk. So we always know that he’s behind us and he won’t separate himself from us.

We’re the only ones that could do that. But he’ll always be there to support us. Thank you, Brother Robert. Yep. Number seven.

Number seven. God cannot make mistakes. Psalms 18:30. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried.

He is a shield to all those that trust him, and in Deuteronomy 32, 4, he is a rock. His work is perfect for all his ways are judgment a God of truth and without iniquity. Just and right is he, and one that I came up with is second Timothy 2:13.

If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he which is God cannot deny himself. So back to he cannot lie. God cannot do wrong. It is impossible for God to lie because it would be inconsistent with his character, and we likewise should be take on these characteristics to the best of our ability of God likeness.

I’ll share one little thing with you and I’ll. I’ll give the mic back. I was in a meeting for the agency that I worked for some years back, and we were going through a little class of some sort, and the person that was leading it said the best way to develop credibility with others is to do what you said you were going to do, and for us, it’s in small areas, not big things.

It’s just, it’s everything just like the Lord. The best way to lose credibility with others is don’t do what you said you were going to do. Thanks, brother. That’s. That’s really nice.

I appreciate your input on that, and I, you know, I think of all the times when, you know, in my working life when I made a promise that I would do such and such, and there were times that I, I didn’t, and that, that’s a, you know, real failing because everyone is aware of that. You know, they know that I’m a Christian and, and I don’t admit a wrong or something. You know, they’re going to say, wow, I worked with him and he said, heaven, say what?

So, so that’s, that’s the end. I only. I had seven. There’s a whole bunch more. But I’ll further read other ones that, that we have.

I’m not going to see all the scriptures with them. If you want them. I have copies of this. He. God cannot play favorites.

In a way, he does. But he can’t change his plan. He can’t change. He can’t die. He cannot deny himself.

He can’t.

I guess that means I’ve talked too much. He can’t be tempted. He can’t be contained. He can’t take pleasure in wickedness. He does no wrong and cannot fail.

He says, I will not forget thee. He cannot. The Scriptures cannot be broken. He cannot be unjust. He’s not a respecter of persons.

He’s not unrighteous nor forgetful, and he. His anger is not everlasting.

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