Mission Possible: This Message Will Self-Destruct... (1 Of 6) Series

Mission Possible – Series Intro

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

It should be noted that Jesus gave this command to roughly twelve men. These men depended on transportation with a top speed of about 20 miles/hour. It must have been an overwhelming assignment – one that most of us would say was impossible.

But here we are 2000 years later on the other side of the world celebrating their success. Why?

For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37 (NIV)

God has asked every one of us to do something. Here is the interesting thing about this request… No matter where we are in our walk with God, God is challenging us to do what seems impossible. (If it seems possible, it probably isn’t what God wants you to do…)

We’re all at different stages – we all face different issues in life. And all of us feel overwhelmed at times.

That’s one of the reasons many of us can get lost in a book. Or in a movie. We are drawn to heroes – people that overcome impossibilities and do great things.

This past week on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno was talking about the nuclear weapons that were flown over the nation… Did everyone hear about that? He said the good news was – the nation was never in danger at all. Why? Because apparently Jack Bauer had stowed away on the plane!

I must confess – I’m sort of a 24 junkie… I love the suspense… Why do we like these stories that are so filled with suspense? We enjoy them because we know that in the end, our heroes come out on top…

We all live in suspense, don’t we? Of course, we only call it that in a book or a movie. In real life, we just call it worry. We call it stress. Why is that? Because unlike the movies – we don’t know the outcome, do we?

What if you could enjoy your life as much as you enjoy a good book or movie? How do I turn the worry, which is not fun – into suspense, which is fun? Worry is reduced to suspense when we know the outcome.

That’s what this sermon series is about. Jesus said that we would have life, and have it more abundantly. That doesn’t mean everything is just going to be smooth, and without problems. It means that he intends for you to enjoy life as much as you enjoy reading or watching your favorite stories.

You will succeed! You will accomplish something great. You will leave a legacy. You will overcome impossible odds. Why, because you’re with God. And with God, nothing is impossible!

THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner:

[isn’t that depressing? don’t stop reading...]

but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished Isaiah 51:6 (KJV)

For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 (NIV)

We just saw a movie clip from the most recent “Mission Impossible 3” movie. The idea of a self-destructing communication device has been a theme of these movies since their inception. The methods of communication have become much more sophisticated over the years… (the first was a LP record that dissolved).

Of course – the idea behind this is secrecy… Nobody would ever hear that message but the person for which it was intended. But because the communication device was gone – they would not hear it again either… The rest of the mission had to be carried out on the memory of that initial instruction.

God speaks to us in many different ways. In the Bible, there were many ways God spoke. Once it was through a donkey. Another time it was in a storm. Some heard an audible voice from heaven, and others received message from angels.

A lot of us are familiar with the story of Elijah, who needed to hear from God about his next mission. We find the story in 1 Kings 19 (9-13). Wind – Earthquake - Fire – Gentle Whisper.

-All of us will have, a moment with God

-One thing we can count on – the moment passes

Have you ever had a moment with God? But then later wondered where God was?

Have you ever had a person that really helped you, encouraged you – leave?

Worse yet – have you ever heard God through someone, and then they failed, or even betrayed you?

When the moment, or the messenger is gone, we may