OceanSide church of Christ

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THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Our theme for this year is:  “Trusting God for the Impossible.”  In our lesson’s today, we will be discussing this theme.

1.       “Impossible for Man”

2.       “The God of the Impossible”

3.       Trusting the God of the Impossible”

 

B.      Two verses:

1.       Luke 1:37

 

But with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

2.       Matthew 19:26

 

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

C.     God can do what men cannot.  God can do the things that men cannot comprehend.

 

I.                    TO CREATE SOMETHING FROM ABSOLUTE NOTHING

 

A.     But, man cannot create something from absolute nothing.

 

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B.      God can and did.

1.       Genesis 1:1

 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

2.       Genesis 1:3

 

And God said, Let there be light:  and there was light.

 

3.       Psalm 33:6, 9

 

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth…For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

 

II.                 TO BRING THE NATION OF EGYPT TO ITS KNEES WITH NO WAR

 

A.     The nation of Egypt was a world power during the days of Moses.

B.      It had as its kings a lineage of men who were called the Pharaohs.

 

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C.     Israel existed, and was under the authority of this mighty nation.

1.       They had no government.

2.       They had no army.

3.       By themselves, they could not topple this powerful nation.

 

D.     It was impossible for Israel, but it was possible for God.

1.       Ten plagues were first sent by God upon this nation that brought stench to the land, killed the animals, destroyed property, afflicted the Egyptians, and brought death to their firstborn.

2.       Ultimately the Egyptians armies were destroyed in the Red Sea by the hand of God.

a.       Exodus 15:3-7

 

The Lord is a man of war:  the Lord is his name.  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:  his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.  The depths have covered them:  they sank into the bottom as a stone.  Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power:  thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:  thou sendest  forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

 

b.      Exodus 15:19

 

For the horse of Pharoah went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them:  but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

 

III.              TO DESTROY A WALLED CITY WITHOUT ANY WEAPONS

 

A.     Jericho, a city of Canaan, was a city with a great wall. 

1.       The report of the spies who entered into Canaan (Num. 13:28)

 

Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great:  and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

 

2.       It would be impossible for Israel to bring that wall down without any kind of weapons at all.

 

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B.      Yet, what was impossible for man was possible for God (Josh. 6:20).

 

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets:  and it came to pass, when the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

 

IV.              TO HEAL A MAN OF LEPROSY

 

A.     In the Old Testament, leprosy could not be cured (II Kings 5:6-7).  If a person contracted it, the ultimate outcome was death.

 

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B.      What was impossible with man as possible with God (II Kings 5:14-15).

 

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:  and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him:  and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel:  now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

 

V.                 TO ENABLE AN ANIMAL TO TALK

 

A.     In the Old Testament, we read about a donkey that carried on a conversation with a man.  Impossible, right?

 

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B.      Balaam’s donkey spoken with him and he spoke back to it in a regular conversation (Num. 22:27-30).

 

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam:  and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.  And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou has smitten me these three times?  And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou has mocked me:  I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would kill thee.  And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden over since I was thine unto this day?  Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?  And he said, Nay.

 

1.       For an animal speak is inconceivable to us.

2.       Note the words:  “And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass…”

 

VI.              TO FULFILL 300 PROPHECIES TO PREDICT ONE’S COMING

 

A.     In the Old Testament, there are over 300 prophesies about the coming Messiah.

 

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1.       These prophecies are minute in their details:  place of birth, price of his betrayal, and the way the Messiah would die).

2.       There is no way all of these prophecies could be fulfilled to the letter.

a.       Odds of fulfilling 8 prophecies is 1 x 10 to the 28th power.

 

1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

 

b.      Odds of fulfilling 48 prophecies is 1 x 10 to the 157th power, that is, 1 followed by 157 zeros.

 

B.      The probability is impossible for man, but extremely possible with God (See Matt. 5:17-18).

 

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill..  for verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 

VII.           TO ENABLE GOD TO BECOME A MAN

 

A.     Man could never comprehend God becoming man.

1.       This was one of the problems the Jews had with Jesus.

2.       When He claimed to be God, they accused Him of blasphemy (Mark 14:61-64).

 

B.      What man could not conceive to ever happen, God made possible

1.       Gal. 4:4

 

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law.

 

2.       Luke 1:34-37

 

 

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee:  therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

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VIII.        TO WALK ON WATER

 

A.     In the New Testament, we read of not one man, but two men, who walked on water.

 

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B.      The account happened during a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:24-29).

 

But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves:  for the wind was contrary.  And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.  And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto the on the water.  And he said, Come.  And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 

1.       Only the creator of water has the ability to walk on it.

2.       Only the creator of water has the ability to command others to walk on it.

 

IX.               TO RAISE ONE FROM THE DEAD

 

A.     During the life of Christ, there was a man who had died who was brought back to life, not on the day of his death, but four days after he died.

 

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B.      We are familiar with the account.  It is called:  “Jesus raises Lazarus” (John 11:43-44).

 

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with aloud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

 

1.       Not one human being could do this today.  Not one so-called “faith healer” would stand before the tomb of a man who had been dead four days and expect to raise him back to life.

2.       With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

X.                  TO KNOW THE MIND OF GOD

 

A.     It is impossible for any man to know the mind of God, but we do know the mind of God today.

 

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B.      We know it because God has revealed His mind through His precious Word, the Bible (I Cor. 2:9-13).

 

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:  for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 

1.       Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

2.       But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit.

3.       Even so the things of God knoweth no man.

4.       Now we have received…the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

5.       Not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     In our minds, we all would acknowledge that God is the God of the impossible.

 

B.      In a study like this one, we are overwhelmed with this idea.  Ten impossible things God has done.  NOTE:  This is a short list.  Many, many more things could be set forth.

 

C.     “But with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

 

D.     In tonight’s lesson, we want to emphasize that each one of us must learn to trust God for the impossible.