The God of Impossibilities
Matthew 19:26, "… Jesus … said … with God all things are possible." What prompted Jesus to say such a thing? The answer is that He wanted to show us all that what we think can’t be done, is no challenge at all to God for God can do anything and He will make a way where there is no way.
He can change Animal Nature:
1Sam.6:7-12 God sent 2 Wild cows to carry the Ark of the Lord back to Israel leaving their calves behind.
He can change Physical Law
2Kings 6:4-7 God made an iron ax head to float like a cork.
He can do the impossible!!!!!!
TEXT: Romans 4:19-21 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Ro 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
If God says He will do something for you, He will do it! He always keeps his promises, but there are some things that you have to do in order to receive from Him.
The best example of this is seen in the life of Abraham.
When God promised Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a son, Abraham had to ignore his natural circumstances, have faith in God’s promise, and believe that God was powerful enough to do what He said he would do.
Romans 4:19-21 tell the steps that Abraham followed to receive the IMPOSSIBLE promise God made to him.
This passage of Scripture makes one thing clear: If we’re going to receive from God, we’re going to have to do the same things Abraham did –
1. Consider not,
2. Stagger not,
3. Give glory to God,
4. And be fully persuaded.
I. Consider Not
He didn’t take into account the natural circumstances that told him it was impossible for him and Sarah to have a child. He did not let those circumstances influence his faith.
I’m not telling you to ignore the natural circumstances and do something crazy. But I am telling you that when you believe to receive the fulfillment of a promise from God, you can’t concentrate on your natural circumstances.
The word “not” doesn’t appear in some manuscripts – so Abraham looked at the circumstances of his and Sara’s body through the eyes of strong health faith.
It doesn’t matter what you’re believing God for—you don’t have to consider the circumstances that surround your particular situation. If you start thinking about all the natural conditions or what So-and-so said, you will become weak in faith.
Abraham’s faith was not weak.
The word weak means, “to be feeble to be diseased, impotent, sick, etc.” A lot of people have diseased faith. Abraham’s faith was not sick but well.
Abraham’s faith was so strong that he didn’t consider the fact that both he and Sarah were beyond the age of having children. God promised him that they would have a son, and Abraham didn’t even blink an eye!
He did not allow the obstacles that were in front of him stop him from believing God.
II. Stagger Not
If you’ll go back and read the story in Genesis 18:1-15, you’ll see that Sarah laughed at the whole idea of bearing a child at her age. Think about it, common sense tells us that a 99-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman are not going to be able to have children. But Abraham didn’t say anything against it at all. In other words, he didn’t waver.
The Contemporary English Version says: “But Abraham never doubted or questioned God’s promise.”
A person who staggers or wavers in faith will not receive anything from God. James 1:6,7 – “(6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”
I know people who have read a faith-inspiring book or listened to a powerful sermon and felt “sky high” spiritually – really strong in faith. They’d make all the right confessions and keep concentrating on the Word.
But a few days later they would start to waver, so they never received the answer to their prayers. They did exactly what they weren’t supposed to do. They began to consider the situation. (Considering not and staggering not go hand in hand. You can’t separate them.)
The enemy will always try to get you to focus on your circumstances. When you make a statement of faith declaring what you’re believing God for, the first thing he’ll do is start asking you questions and sowing seeds of doubt, saying “Have you considered this? Have you thought about that? Do you know that what you’re believing for goes against what’s happening in the world?” The enemy may ask, “Why hasn’t God answered you yet? If God were going to answer you He would have already done it.”
In the Garden of Eden, The enemy came to Eve and said, “Well, God said such-and-such, but have you thought about this?”
You see, if the enemy can get you to consider everything around you, he can get you to stagger at and forfeit the promises of God. So don’t consider the situation or the circumstances!
Are the circumstances real? YES!!!! YOU RECOGNIZE A MIRACLE IS ON THE WAY
You had to acknowledge you were a sinner in need of a Savior before you could ever be saved. Well, in the same way, you have to acknowledge that you need a Healer before you can ever be healed, and so forth. In other words, you have to acknowledge the facts—but you don’t have to dwell on them.
Abraham acknowledged the fact that he was almost a hundred years old. He knew the condition of his body. But he refused to consider those things and chose instead to consider what God said.
III. Give Glory to God
Romans 4:20 “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, GIVING GLORY TO GOD.”
Abraham gave glory to God for the blessing before it ever happened.
You have to believe God & thank Him for the answer when you pray.
Philippians 4:6 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
TLB – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.”
You can’t wait until you get the answer to praise God for it!
Today you may be facing obstacles or situations.
You need to recognize the facts that exist, but don’t consider them – only consider what God says.
Too many people are trying to receive from God, but they don’t know His Word for themselves. Someone told them what God said or they heard a testimony of how God’s Word delivered somebody else. But that’s not good enough.
If you’re going to consider what God said, you’re going to have to know His Word for yourself. It’s one thing to say “I think so” or “I heard,” but it’s another thing to say, “I know!” When you say “I know,” that means you’re persuaded beyond a shadow of a doubt.
IV. Be Fully Persuaded
Abraham was strong in faith, so he didn’t consider the circumstances or stagger at the promise of God through unbelief. He wavered not concerning what he believed. Why? Because he was fully persuaded.
You see, our position is to consider not, stagger not, give glory to God, & be fully persuaded—that’s our responsibility.
It’s God’s responsibility to do. We don’t have to try to figure out how He’s going to do it either, because if God said it, He will do it!
Remember when the Apostle Paul was on a ship bound for Rome? The wind & the waves tossed the boat back & forth so violently that the men on board the ship gave up all hope of being saved.
After several days, Paul encouraged them with a message that the angel of God had given him. He said, “therefore take heart, men, for I BELIEVE God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:25). NIV – “So keep up you courage, men, for I HAVE FAITH in God that it will happen just as he told me.”
Paul was full persuaded that God would do just what He said!
It’s possible that a ship would go down during a violent storm without someone dying. But that’s what happened (vv. 41-44).
If God says He will do something for you, He will do it, if you’ll stay steady & not waver.
You may feel as if you’re in the middle of a storm & your ship is about to go under.
Keep believing God, He will deliver you. He may have to give you a new ship, but He will deliver you!
Concl.
We have to be like Abraham—fully persuaded that what God has promised, He is also able to perform. We have to believe that whatever God has said, He is able to bring to pass!
What is it that you need from God? Refuse to consider the circumstances.
Don’t stagger at the promises of God through unbelief but, instead, thank God in advance for causing you to triumph. Then stay fully persuaded that whatever God promised, He is able to do. And it will come to pass.
IF God CAN CAUSE A WILD COW TO LEAVE ITS CALF, AND AN IRON AX HEAD TO FLOAT, and A 100 YEAR OLD WOMAN TO HAVE A CHILD
God CAN DO WHAT YOU NEED.
