FAITH THAT CONQUERS THE IMPOSSIBLE
Hebrews 11:11-12
My brothers and my sisters the Davis Sisters once sang a song called God Specializes, and I found the words to be appropriate for this message. The words are, [Have you any rivers that seems uncross able. Have you any mountains that you can’t tunnel through? God specializes in things impossible, and He can do, what no other power can do]. You know there are times in our lives that the words of this song stand true. It appears that there are rivers we find hard to cross, mountains that are hard to tunnel through. But I am so glad that our God specializes in things impossible. I can say this because of two accounts, He is sovereign which makes Him able to do whatever He wants to do whenever He want to and because He is Jehovah-Jireh, or the Lord that will provide.
Last week we spoke of Abraham and we saw his obedient faith. God had told him to leave his kindred, country and father’s house to go into a land that He would show him. It was through his obedience that he left his comfort zone and followed God’ directive into a land that his seed would occupy, although he took all the risk. So, we learn how Abraham was Faithful When the Blessing Was Not His.
Now as we look at this defining text, we will note the writer speaking of Sarah, after she tried to help God be God, by giving her hand maiden Hagar to her husband Abraham to have a son that God had promised between her and Abraham. In this text we now find her with renewed faith and able to conceived although she was in her barren years, just as the Lord had promised. This lesson will allow us to see Sarah’ faith in our God that specializes. We will not spend much time in addressing how impatient she was when she was in her barren state, but we will see a one hundred eighty degree turn around in her faith from being impatient in her faith, to trusting God for the impossible.
So, let see how Sarah’ renewed faith conquered the impossible.
First of all . . .
1. HER FAITH SHIFTED FROM WHAT SHE COULD NOT DO, TO WHAT GOD COULD DO (v.11)
“It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep His promise.”
(N. L. T.)
One of the things that damage our faith is that we
put too much faith in what we can do instead of what God can do. We simply forget that He is sovereign, and He can do whatever He wants to, whenever He wants to. Sarah had that problem as well, she attempted to give God a helping hand by giving her handmaiden to her husband Abraham to have a child that God had promised to her and Abraham. And because of her helping hand, she found her household in turmoil because of her lack of faith. She actually put her handmaiden on equal ground as she. But in the text we see a shift in her faith from what she could not do, to believing what God can do. We must understand when it comes to your faith, you must remember that God is not locked into a time frame like we are, but He is eternal and does not wear a Rolex on His arm to stay on schedule for delivery of our prayer request like UPS. Now although God took His time in giving Abraham and Sarah what He had promised, Sarah had to learn that God is never late, but He is always on time and her faith in God’s ability to deliver what He promised, made it possible for them to have a son in their barren years.
Secondly . . .
2. BECAUSE OF HER RENEWED FAITH, SHE RECEIVED MORE THAN SHE HAD IMAGINED (v.12)
“And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead. A nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.”
When I pondered this point, I could not help but to think about the up coming year’s theme, Renewing our Faith in 2008. I am asking the Lord to allow us to see His miracle working power among us, to show us that all situations’ hinges on His power to deliver, rather than our power to do for ourselves. I’m asking the Lord to particularly prove Himself to those who have little faith, and to strengthen afresh the faith of those who have.
As we look at this verse, we see that Sarah with her renewed faith. She believed not only God, but she believed that He could do the impossible, and God rewarded her for her faith. He allowed her to received the impossible. As for Israel, Israel exists today because Sarah believed the impossible promise of God. Look at the believers around the world, those who profess to be born again by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins. They exist today because Sarah believed the impossible promise of God. I too had to have an experience somewhat like Sarah. I feel that the month of October faith wise was my lowest ever as a Christian/preacher. I was trick in believing that God could not turn Salem around, and the biggest lie that the enemy told me is that I should quit. There was a brief moment that the preacher had the nerve to doubt God and His power. At that point I should have known that Salem was on the verge of a breakthrough, because the enemy of our souls attacked the man of God. Then there was a song I heard my wife singing in the kitchen which said, “I almost let go, I was right at the edge of a breakthrough but I couldn’t see. The devil thought he had me, but Jesus came and grabbed me, He held me close, so I wouldn’t let go, God’s mercy kept me, so I wouldn’t let go.” You all do know that God will get His message through to you even when you are not available don’t you? That was when the Lord gave me the urgency to do this series on faith, and right before my eyes and yours He renewed my faith and I can see that He has renewed your faith as well. Just the other night was further confirmation. I received a blessing Thursday night at a choir rehearsal, when Sis. June Bryant said to me that she loved singing for the Lord and that she felt like praising Him. Now that might not mean anything to some of you, but it was just what I needed to hear for confirmation of this message. Not only with Sister Bryant, but the Lord has allowed me to see others change. I’ve watched God changed the hearts of many of those who I thought did not care about the ministry. I’m hearing from people with good ministry ideas and people who for the first time are saying to me how much they love the Lord and His word. And I felt like running last Sunday evening as the choirs of this church sang with a renewed anointing both together and individually. Salem, just like Sarah, my faith has been renewed and I thank God for it, and just think, we have not seen God best work in us yet.
I see something else in verse 12. Not only was Sarah barren but the text said that a whole nation came from this one man who was good as dead. In other words Abraham was no spring chicken neither. But God through His promise allowed Abraham to father a nation with so many people that like the stars they cannot be counted. Only God can do that.
CONCLUSION
But before I close I want to say thank you for all you’ve done for me.
Thank you, for being patient with me, when I was impatient with you.
Thank you, for the soup you’ve supplied, when I wanted steak to eat.
You all don’t mind if I thanked Him do you?
I want to thank you, for when my daughter was on the interstate last week and her car swerved out of control, you were right there to push all the cars and big trucks out of her way to spare her life.
I just want to thank you, for your grace and mercy that you’ve given me throughout the years.
But lastly, I want to say thank you, for looking beyond my faults and seeing my need.
Had you ever been in a crowded room and thought about how good God is to you, and you knew that the people around you would not understand. And felt like thanking God the way you are feeling it. All you wanted to say with a loud voice is thank you, but for considering where you are, you felt that you better not. But just in case you ever felt that way, right where you are, you should raise those hands and give God a wave offering of thanks. And once you do that, God is going to work the impossible. He is going to send someone in that crowd to you that understood your sign, and together the two of you will get your praise talk on.
Good Afternoon Salem I pray that the Lord will turn your impossibilities into a reality. And somewhere in the midst of your miracle, if you cannot find a place to give Him praise without offending someone. What you should do is to start thanking Him right now, for your miracle that will come your way. Because if you thank Him, it speeds up your miracle. If you thank Him, you’ll be next in line. If you thank Him, He’ll reward you.
