Two titles for this message: All things are possible AND Nothing is impossible.
Why? Because we limit God by having no faith Mark 6:4,5
There are 3 instances where the Bible says “all things …” and 3 times when it says “nothing is impossible” Look at all and see what we can learn.
1. All Things are possible
a) Mat 19:26
i) Context is Finances … What I like is that Jesus is saying “Rich people can go to heaven”
ii) Mat 6:24 Cannot serve two masters … God and money
iii) When it comes to salvation, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Anyone can get saved! That husband you’ve been praying for …
iv) One of the hardest groups of people to reach are the rich. They don’t need anything. Easy for the poor to admit their need of a Saviour. Jesus is teaching that when it comes to salvation even the toughest nuts, God is able to save.
b) Mark 9:23
i) Context is healing and the key element is faith
ii) Notice that he said “I believe, please help my unbelief” NOT “I don’t believe, please help me believe”
I believe, but the facts are staring me in the face, please help me to see the truth, not the facts!
ILLUS Could be sick (fact) Truth is that Jesus can heal you.
iii) The truth of this passage is that even when it comes to healing; It doesn’t matter if doctors say its incurable, even if the devil himself causes the illness, with God everything is possible!
c) Mark 14:36
i) Context is Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane going through the toughest time of his human life. He is facing his own death.
ii) Jesus was reminding himself in his prayer that even in this situation, all was not lost. God was still in control. Father I know that you can do all things. He took courage and comfort by reminding himself of the truth.
Jer 32:17 “Ah Lord God, thou hast made the heavens and the earth, by thou great power. Nothing is too difficult for thee”
iii) We need to remind ourselves more often that with God all things are possible. When we lose hope, we need to regain perspective and realise that God is still on the throne. He is allowing this thing to happen to teach us a lesson, to help us grow.
2Cor 4:17 (niv) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2. Nothing is impossible
a) Gen 11:6 Context: Tower of Babel
i) Unusual because it doesn’t say “with God …” This is within man’s reach and it is talking about unity
ii) When there is unity, nothing is impossible
iii) Ps 133 There God commands a blessing.
b) Mat 17:20
i) Context: same story that we read of before
ii) Brings out the element of faith
iii) Notice that it doesn’t take a lot of faith. We only need a little faith. The important factor is WHO OUR FAITH IS IN.
c) Luke 1:37
i) Context Angel talking to Mary
ii) With God nothing is impossible … a virgin can give birth to a child
iii) We limit God. We impose our own standards on Him. Lord, this is how you are supposed to do things.
He will not do anything contrary to his word
iv) Vs 38 Mary said “Yes Lord”
3. A key to help us appropriate this faith
a) The word translated “nothing” is the word rhema which is a word, or a spoken thing. The word translated “impossible” is adunateo = not to have strength / power. Literally therefore “there is no word that comes from God that does not contain power”
b) Throughout scripture God’s word is referred to as seed. This is because it is His word by which he has chosen to bring forth life
i) Born again: 1Pet 1:23 (niv) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
ii) Cleansed: John 15:3 (niv) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
iii) Mature: Matt 13:23 (niv) But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
iv) Job 22:28 (NKJV) You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you.
You shall decree a word and it will rise up
v) We need to sprinkle the seed and God will make it grow.
vi) There is power released when we declare the word of God … Ez 37. Why did the prophet need to prophesy to the bones? Couldn’t he just speak to them. Prophecy is speaking for God. NOTE that he also had to prophecy to the breath – not BY or WITH the Holy Spirit. Was he commanding God. NO. He was commanding for God… God is wanting to bring forth life, but he is waiting for us to sow the seeds.
vii) We need to begin declaring some salvation seeds, healing seeds, unity seeds
THESE SEEDS ARE NOT OUR WORDS but God’s words
c) Dick Eastman … Berlin Wall “in Jesus name come down”
