WHAT YOU’LL NEVER LEARN
(If you don’t attempt the impossible)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Pastor Brian Matherlee
Matthew 17:20, He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
1. Real commitment
Lk 9:57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Lk 9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Lk 9:59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Lk 9:60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Lk 9:61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Lk 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
a. Requires separation from the past
b. Requires separation from distraction
c. Requires enduring pain (The pain of being separated from comfort & even family.)
d. Requires a “no quitting” outlook
2. Real faith
Heb 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
a. Presses on in spite of appearances
b. Prepares for the working of God’s Spirit
i. Noah started building
ii. The widow of 2 Kings 4 went to all her neighbors and gathered every jar she could find to pour oil into.
iii. The woman subject to bleeding (Matthew 5) pressed through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.
c. Relies on God every step of the way.
i. If, at any point, I begin to think I can do it without Him I’ve lost my way.
ii. Ps 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.
3. Real joy
a. John 15 talks about the completeness of joy when we remain in Christ and bear fruit that will last.
b. Lk 15:1 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. Lk 15:2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Lk 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable: Lk 15:4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Lk 15:5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders Lk 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Lk 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
c. Now I love the Church. I love teaching the Word. I love seeing the Church loving one another and living holy lives. But the angels don’t rejoice because we’ve understood how the Book of Revelation unfolds. They don’t celebrate in heaven because I preached a good sermon or called on my friends in the Body of Christ. They rejoice over the one because that one had no hope!
d. There is no joy like seeing the Church reach out to lost people just like Jesus did. There’s no joy like seeing somebody come to Jesus. That’s real joy!
4. Real testimony
1 Kings 18:16-39
a. When God accomplishes the impossible people cannot dispute the fact of what is really true.
b. A well known atheist has said that he has never met a Christian who did anything that any moral, decent person could do.
c. Only the impossible, done by God’s strength, will separate the Church from the world.
d. What testimony does the Church have? The testimony of the power of Jesus Christ!
Matthew 11:4-5, Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
e. Unless we attempt the impossible the Church will never have a testimony that the world can’t have.
If there’s something God has been asking you to do and you’ve been holding back. Do it now! Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back. God will empower, God will guide, God will see you through…and all heaven will rejoice because someone always comes to Jesus when we seek to do the impossible with God.
