"How Great Thou Art!"

“How Great Thou Art!”

INTRODUCTION:

BASIC PREMISE … “With God … nothing is impossible!” - Do you believe that?

· SOMETIMES … seems like we face IMPOSSIBLE circumstances.

· SEEMS LIKE … all the odds are against us … NO HOPE.

· SEEMS LIKE … no light at end of tunnel.

It’s EASY to get DISCOURAGED … (last weeks sermon).

- BUT … My God is the “God of the impossible”.

- There’s nothing He can’t do!

SONG: “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable;

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible.

He does the things others cannot do.”

SO … HOW do you handle life’s IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS?

- ANSWER … You go to a great & mighty God!

SOMETIMES … our lives get into TANGLES.

LIKE … extension cord … water hose … rope … HAIR.

STORY “Have any of your childhood wishes ever come true?”

“Yea, when I was a child & my mother used to comb the tangles out of my hair, she would tug & pull. I wished I didn’t have any hair … AND … it came true!”

Let me share a few verses of Scripture.

1.- Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”

What you & I call “impossible” … is NOTHING to God!

EX.:

· TAX FORMS … “Impossible” for me … to CPA … “Nothing!”

· CAR PROBLEMS … “Impossible” for me … to RICHARD … “Nothing!”

· TIE SHOE … to Grandson, “Impossible” … to ME … “Nothing!”

· TIE A TIE … to YOU, “Impossible” … to ME … “Nothing!”

2.- Jer. 32:27 – “ Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

God is asking you to SUBSTITUTE your IMPOSSIBILITIES … for the word “anything”.

GOD SAYS … “Fill in the blank … “Is _________ too hard for Me?”

- ANSWER: Of course not! He is GOD!

3.- Luke 1:37 – “For with God nothing will be impossible."

God said this in answer to Mary’s question about her being pregnant … AND … still being a virgin.

LISTEN to what Jesus said to the Rich Young Ruler:

4.- Luke 18:27 – “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

THINK about something that SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE to you right now.

· Salvation of a loved one.

· A health problem.

· A family problem.

· A Job situation.

· A behavior problem.

· A sin problem.

· A habit.

This problem may SEEM IMPOSSIBLE for us to handle.

- AND … MAYBE IT IS! … BUT … God is the God of the IMPOSSIBLE!

DOES THIS MEAN … THAT … God will make all your problems DISAPPEAR?

- NO! BUT … it does mean that there’s no problem too big that God ISN’T ABLE to see you THROUGH.

- He may NOT TAKE IT AWAY … (though He has the POWER) … BUT … It will not overpower Him.

1 Samuel Ch. 17 – all turn

In Ch. 14 … the Philistines & Children of Israel met in battle.

- The Ch. of Israel WON … BUT, NOW … Philistines RETURN … w/ GOLIATH!

The Philistines want to “psyche out” Saul’s army.

- They can’t win the PHYSICAL war … SO … they wage a MENTAL war.

GOLIATH challenges Saul to send out his BEST MAN … to fight him 1-on-1.

NOW … that’s what Satan wants to do with YOU.

- He wants to ISOLATE you from the herd … (lions).

YOU SEE … you are in a battle … EVERY DAY.

5.- Eph. 6:11-13 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

You can go up against Satan 1-on-1 … AND, GUESS WHAT … you’ll LOSE!

- BUT … Satan is NO MATCH for GOD … AMEN?

GOLIATH is messing with their MINDS … 17:8

- “You’re all dressed out for battle … come on! Send somebody out to take me on!”

It all boils down to a battle for our MINDS.

- This is where the battle is fought.

ILL. – psyche out opponent … BOXING (staring each other down) … When I boxed competitively, I would try to psyche out my opponents.

Satan fights his battles in our THOUGHT LIFE … in our MINDS.