Introduction

Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. As we gather here today, we find ourselves standing on the precipice of a new day, a new opportunity to experience the boundless love and transformative power of our Lord. We are here to immerse ourselves in His word, to allow it to wash over us like a refreshing spring rain, to let it seep into the deepest crevices of our hearts, and to let it change us from the inside out.

Today, we are going to embark on a journey through the pages of Scripture, a journey that will take us back to the dusty roads of ancient Canaan, to the tents of Abraham and Sarah. We are going to step into their world, into their story, and see how God worked in their lives in ways that were beyond their wildest dreams. Our sermon today is titled "Believe The Impossible," and our guiding light, our compass on this journey, will be Genesis 18:14, where we read, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

This verse, this promise from God, is a beacon of hope, a testament to the limitless power of God to bring about change, to make the impossible possible. It's a reminder that no matter how far we may have strayed, no matter how deep the pit we may find ourselves in, God can reach down and pull us out. He can take the worst of us, the most broken, the most sinful, the most lost, and He can transform us. He can make us new. He can make us whole.

So, let us now turn our hearts and our minds to the reading of God's word. Let us listen with open hearts as we hear the words of Genesis 18:14, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for this new day, for this opportunity to gather together in Your name. We thank You for Your word, for the truth it contains, for the hope it offers. As we read and reflect on Your word today, we ask that You would open our hearts, that You would help us to see and understand the truth You have for us. We ask that You would help us to believe in the impossible, to trust in Your power to change even the worst of us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, imagine for a moment a lump of clay. It's formless, shapeless, seemingly worthless. But in the hands of a skilled potter, that lump of clay can be transformed. It can be molded and shaped into something beautiful, something valuable. That's what God can do with us. He can take our brokenness, our sinfulness, our worthlessness, and He can transform us. He can mold us and shape us into something beautiful, something valuable. He can make us into vessels fit for His use.

So, as we journey through the story of Abraham and Sarah today, as we reflect on the impossible promise God made to them, let us remember that nothing is too hard for the Lord. Let us remember that He can change the worst of us. Let us remember that we are the clay, and He is the potter. And let us believe in the impossible.

Believe The Impossible

Genesis 18:14

"Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."

In this passage, we see God's promise to Abraham and Sarah. Despite their old age, God promised them a son. It seemed impossible, but God specializes in the impossible.

God can change the worst of us. He can take our barrenness, our emptiness, our hopelessness, and turn it into something beautiful. He can take our impossibilities and make them possible.

Let's look at Abraham and Sarah. They were old. Their bodies were worn out. They had given up hope of ever having a child. But God had a different plan. He promised them a son. And not just a son, but a son through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed.

The Hebrew word for "hard" in this verse is "pala." It means to be marvelous, to be extraordinary, to be beyond one's power or ability. It's the same word used in Jeremiah 32:17, where Jeremiah says, "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."

God's power is extraordinary. It's beyond our comprehension. It's beyond our ability. But it's not beyond His.

As the great theologian A.W. Tozer once said, "With God, nothing is impossible. He is able to do beyond what we ask or think. The problem is our small thinking."

So, let's think bigger. Let's believe in the impossible.

Firstly, let's believe that God can change us. He can take our worst and make it His best. He can take our failures and turn them into victories. He can take our sins and turn them into righteousness.

Secondly, let's believe that God can change our circumstances. He can take our barrenness and turn it into fruitfulness. He can take our hopelessness and turn it into hope. He can take our impossibilities and make them possible.

Lastly, let's believe that God can change the world through us. He can use us to bring hope to the hopeless. He can use us to bring love to the unloved. He can use us to bring light to the darkness.

So, let's believe in the impossible. Let's believe in a God who can do the impossible. Let's believe in a God who can change the worst of us. Because with God, nothing is too hard.

Believe The Impossible: God Can Change the Worst of Us

Scripture: Genesis 18:14

"Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."

In the book of Genesis, we find a story that seems impossible. Sarah, who was well past childbearing age, was told by God that she would have a son. She laughed at the idea. It seemed impossible. But God asked her, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" And sure enough, Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac, at the appointed time.

This story is a reminder that nothing is impossible for God. He can change the worst of us. He can turn our lives around. He can make the impossible possible.

Let's look at three truths from this story.

First, God's promises are always fulfilled. He promised Sarah a son, and despite her old age, she gave birth to Isaac. God's promises are not dependent on our circumstances or abilities. They are dependent on His power and faithfulness.

Second, God's timing is perfect. He told Sarah that she would have a son "at the appointed time." God's timing may not always align with our plans or expectations, but it is always perfect. He knows what He is doing, and He is never late.

Third, God can do the impossible. Sarah laughed at the idea of having a son in her old age. It seemed impossible. But nothing is impossible for God. He can change the worst of us. He can turn our lives around. He can make the impossible possible.

Now, let's turn to the New Testament. In Luke 1:37, we find a similar theme. The angel Gabriel tells Mary, a virgin, that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. Mary asks how this can be, and Gabriel responds, "For nothing will be impossible with God." Just like Sarah, Mary was facing an impossible situation. But just like Sarah, Mary saw that nothing is impossible for God.

Let's consider two more truths from this story.

First, God's ways are not our ways. Mary could not understand how she could conceive a son as a virgin. It did not make sense to her. But God's ways are not our ways. He can do things that we cannot understand or imagine.

Second, God's power is limitless. Mary was a virgin, yet she conceived a son by the Holy Spirit. This was a miracle, a demonstration of God's limitless power. He can do anything. He can change the worst of us. He can turn our lives around. He can make the impossible possible.

So, let's believe the impossible. Let's trust in God's promises, timing, and power. Let's remember that He can change the worst of us. Let's remember that He can turn our lives around. Let's remember that He can make the impossible possible. Because with God, nothing is impossible.

The Redemption of the Prodigal Son

When we consider the story of the Prodigal Son, we are reminded of the transformative power of God's love. This is a story that speaks to the heart of every one of us who has ever felt lost, who has ever felt unworthy, who has ever felt like we've strayed too far from the path of righteousness to ever find our way back. But the message of this story, the message that resonates so deeply within us, is that no matter how far we've strayed, no matter how unworthy we feel, God's love can change us. It can redeem us. It can bring us back to the path of righteousness.

The Prodigal Son, as we know, was a young man who demanded his inheritance from his father, left home, and squandered it all on wild living. He hit rock bottom, finding himself in a pigsty, hungry and alone. But in that moment of despair, he realized his mistake and decided to return home, not as a son, but as a servant, believing he was no longer worthy to be called a son.

Now, let's pause here for a moment. This young man, in his despair, believed he was beyond redemption. He believed he had strayed too far, sinned too much, to ever be worthy of his father's love again. But he was wrong. And this is where we find our first point of reflection.

The father in this story represents God. And just like the father in the story, God sees us in our despair, in our sin, and He is filled with compassion. He doesn't see us as unworthy. He doesn't see us as lost. He sees us as His children, in need of His love. And so, He runs to us, He embraces us, He kisses us. He welcomes us back with open arms, not as servants, but as His children.

This is the transformative power of God's love. It doesn't matter how far we've strayed, how much we've sinned. God's love can change us. It can redeem us. It can make us worthy again.

A.W. Tozer, a renowned pastor and author, once said, "God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves." This quote speaks to the patience of God's love. He is always waiting for us, always ready to welcome us back, no matter how long it takes us to realize our mistakes and turn back to Him.

And this brings us to our final point of reflection. The father in the story didn't just welcome his son back. He celebrated his return. He ordered his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him. He put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. He killed the fattened calf and held a feast in his honor.

This is the joy of God's love. It doesn't just redeem us, it celebrates us. It doesn't just make us worthy again, it honors us. It doesn't just bring us back to the path of righteousness, it rejoices in our return.

So, let us remember the story of the Prodigal Son. Let us remember the transformative power of God's love. Let us remember that no matter how far we've strayed, no matter how unworthy we feel, God's love can change us. It can redeem us. It can bring us back to the path of righteousness. And most importantly, it can make us worthy again.

Conclusion

Beloved congregation, as we draw to a close on this sermon, let's take a moment to reflect on the message we've been exploring today. We've been looking at the story of Abraham and Sarah, and the promise God made to them in Genesis 18:14. A promise that seemed impossible, yet was fulfilled because our God is a God of impossibilities.

Abraham and Sarah were old, well beyond the age of childbearing. Yet, God promised them a son. He asked Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" This question is as relevant to us today as it was to Abraham thousands of years ago.

God's promise to Abraham was not just about a son. It was about a lineage, a nation, and ultimately, a Savior. It was a promise that seemed impossible, yet God fulfilled it. He can do the same in our lives.

We've also looked at the story of Saul, a man who persecuted Christians, yet was transformed by God into Paul, one of the greatest apostles of the early church. This transformation was nothing short of miraculous. It shows us that no one is beyond the reach of God's transforming power.

As we go into the coming week, let's remember these stories. Let's remember that our God is a God of impossibilities. He can change the worst of us. He can bring about the impossible.

So, what does this mean for us? It means that we should strive to be more like Jesus in the coming week. We should strive to show love to those who seem unlovable. We should strive to forgive those who seem unforgivable. We should strive to reach out to those who seem unreachable.

We should strive to believe in the impossible, just as Abraham did. We should strive to trust in God's promises, just as Sarah did. We should strive to surrender ourselves to God's transforming power, just as Paul did.

Let's bow our heads in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. We thank you for the stories of Abraham, Sarah, and Paul. We thank you for showing us that nothing is impossible for you.

As we go into the coming week, help us to be more like Jesus. Help us to show love, to forgive, and to reach out. Help us to believe in the impossible, to trust in your promises, and to surrender ourselves to your transforming power.

And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forevermore. Go in peace, knowing that our God is a God of impossibilities. He can change the worst of us. He can bring about the impossible. Amen.

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