Don’t Say God Can’t

DON’T SAY GOD CAN’T

2 Kings 6:25; 7:1-2

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: I’ve Heard Crazier Things

1. When King George VI was a boy, he and his older brother Edward were standing at the window of their palace looking out on the snow-covered city. Just off the palace grounds they could see a mob of common children having a snowball fight. They longed to be in it.

2. Just then, their Governess got called away. They threw on their coats and shoes and ran out and joined in the melee. A palace window pane got broken and the group of kids were all hustled to the police station, where a sergeant began asking their names.

3. “What’s your name, boy?” he asked the first boy. “My name is Edward, Prince of Wales” he said haughtily. “A smart guy, eh?” said the sergeant. “And what is your name?” he asked to the second boy. “My name is Albert, Duke of Windsor,” said the second.

4. By this time the sergeant was furious, “I’ve never heard such a bunch of liars in all my life.” He asked the third boy, “And what is your name?” He said, “I’m sticking with the other boys — I’m the Archbishop of Canterbury!” (Treasury of Humor, Clyde Murdock)

5. In today’s passage, we’re going to hear something even more improbable.

B. TEXT

6:25 There was a great famine in the city [Samaria]; the siege [by Aram] lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and [4 ounces of dove’s dung] for five shekels. 7:1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, 12 pounds of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and 20 pounds of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” 2 Kings 6:25; 7:1-2.

C. WHY THE OFFICER SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE

1. The officer’s perspective was the natural. He knew what would be necessary for the prophet’s prediction to come to pass.

2. A MASSIVE ARMY must come and battle and defeat the army of Aram. It would take a month to move that large of an army from Egypt and a few days more for the battle and cleanup.

3. Then messengers and money would have to be sent to Egypt, and a small fleet of ships be loaded with grain and sail back to the coast, be unloaded, and then transported by caravan to Samaria. This would take another 2 months! So abundant supplies would require about 3 months, but the prophet said, “Tomorrow!”

4. Many times WE see things as impossible to happen, simply because we’re leaving God out of our calculations. That’s why the title of this message is, “Don’t Say God Can’t!”

I. THE IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE

A. BECAUSE REASON CAN APPROACH FAITH

1. Achievers have learned not to wholly trust to the natural. Charles F. Kettering, the noted scientist and inventor, believed that the easiest way to overcome defeat was to ignore completely the possibility of failure.

2. To prove it, he gave a tough assignment to a young research worker at the General Motors laboratory, but forbid him to research the previous work on the subject, because an expert research team had already proven that it was impossible.

3. So the research worker didn’t know this and proceeded with the idea that he would succeed. He did succeed, because he didn’t know it couldn’t be done!

4. Similarly, Igor Sikorsky, when 12 years old, was told by his parents that human flight was impossible. Yet he built the first helicopter.

5. In his American plant hung a sign that read: “According to [modern science], the bumblebee can’t fly because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to the total wing area. The bumblebee doesn’t know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway.” [Even Snopes confesses the math for bumblebee flight doesn’t add up.] It’s simple, yet so profound; many things are still mysteries!

6. Jesus told His disciples, “If you have faith...nothing will be impossible for you…If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” Mk. 9:20,23.

B. MIRACLES ARE NATURAL TO GOD

1. E. Stanley Jones described the scene: Suppose a man is walking down a path through the woods. Beside the path there was a frog underneath a stone.

2. The frog wanted to lift the stone, so he strained and bulged every muscle, but he couldn't lift it. A man came along and easily picked up the stone, throwing it to one side.