LORD, YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?
Matt 19:26
Matt. 19:26 NKJV But Jesus looked at them, and said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
With God, nothing is impossible.
Has God ever told you to do something that just boggled your mind?
Most of us will answer no to this question, but many have been told things by the lord that seemed impossible.
To us it may be a huge, even impossible task, but to God it is just everyday business.
A man walking on the beach one day found a strange looking bottle. He opened it up and a genie came out.
“Ask what you will and I will grant you one wish“, the genie said.
I would like a super highway from California to Hawaii just for my own private use, he replied.**
“that would be very hard to do, do you have an alternative wish.” The genie asked.
Yes said the man, I would like to be able to read my wife’s mind and totally understand her thoughts.
The genie thought for a moment and replied:
“when do you want that bridge built?”
The word of God is filled with impossible tasks that God has asked his servants to do. They all seemed great and even somewhat impossible to man, but not to God.
When God orders something done, he also makes a way to get it done.
He asked Noah to build a giant ark.
He asked Abraham and Sarah to prepare for a baby.
He asked Joshua to march around Jericho and blow trumpets and shout until the wall fell.
He asked Naaman the leper to wash seven times in Jordan and be cleansed of his leprosy.
He has asked each and every one to believe upon his only begotten son for salvation.
I. Consider the task that Noah had.
God said Noah; I want you to build an ark.
There is a flood coming and I will give you full instructions on what to do.
God is the great architect.
You know it’s interesting… the ark survived, …the titanic sank.***
1. Do you know what Noah’s first response was?
(you won’t find it recorded)
2. God, what’s a flood? You know I’m 600 years old!!
Gen 6:5
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
V.6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
(A) HE TOLD NOAH TO PREPARE AN ARK FOR A GREAT FLOOD, THAT ALL MANKIND WOULD BE DESTROYED*****
(B) HE ASSURED HIM OF A COVENANT BETWEEN HIM AND NOAH’S FAMILY. HE PROMISED SAFETY*********
( C) HE REQUESTED THAT NOAH BRING TWO OF ALL LIVING FLESH ON BOARD THE ARK.*********(REMNANT)
2. GOD’S WORD DECLARED, NOAH DID AS HE WAS COMMANDED. (WASN’T EASY, BUT RESULTS WERE GUARANTEED)
II. HE ASKED ABRAHAM AND SARAH TO PREPARE A NURSERY.
Gen 18:9-11
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
(A) Shocking news to say the least.
1. Abraham is 100 years old Sarah is in her 90’s
2. Well past child bearing years, even in those days.
3. Sarah, we need to build a nursery.
4. God is going to bless us with the promised son.
(b) Abraham was very amused and Sarah laughed
1. God was serious, it was no problem for him.
2. He who created all things could do this with no problems.
(c) What God promises he will provide.
Hebrews 6:18>> impossible for God to lie.
III. God told Joshua how to bring down the walls of Jericho. Joshua chapter 6
(a) here was the battle plan.
1. March around the city once each day for six days
2. On the seventh day blow the trumpets and shout
(b) on the first day through the sixth day there was no shout. (Nothing to shout about yet)
(c) On the seventh day they blew the trumpets and shouted and the walls fell down.
1. God had promised Joshua he would give him the city and all it contained.
2. God had made his plan clear. It must be followed specifically.
3. Many today want to alter the plan of salvation, do things their way instead of God’s way, put in works for obedience, it will not work.
(d) You want to know why the people shouted?
Victory was theirs; they had followed God’s commandment.
1. Many today have no shout of victory because they have not followed the way of the lord.
Iv. Consider the task of Naaman the leper
(a) a captain of the Syrian host, yet a leper.
(b) Sent to the door of Elisha to ask what he should do.
(c) Elisha sends his servant to tell Naaman
to go to the river Jordan and dip seven times
(d) Naaman rebels at such advice***
(e) his servant persuades him to do the simple command God had instructed him to do.
1. We try to complicate God’s simple plan of salvation. We try to have an input in it.
2. Naaman followed the prophet’s orders and came up clean.
Rom 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
V. Consider the task of Holland Baptist Church…
A. Our task is not to build a new building…this is vital for our church to understand…we are building a new building so that we can complete our task…
1. Our task is to reach this community for the Lord Jesus Christ…this new building is only a tool!!!
2. In order to do our job, we must have the right tools.
B. There are some who have looked at the task that lies before us like Noah looking at the ark…
1. It seems like a huge undertaking…
2. Maybe even impossible to some…
3. And, if we were depending upon ourselves it might appear to be a daunting task…
4. But…we are depending upon Him…
C. Two years ago we asked God to bless our church with growth!
1. In 2007 we had 0 Baptisms…
We had an approximate average of 25 in Sunday School.
We had an approximate average of 35 in Worship.
We averaged 15 in AWANA
We had 1 person in our Youth Group.
We had no Van Ministry.
We had no reason for a building Program.
We did not have a lot of confidence.
D. Fast forward two years…
In 2009 we had 17 Baptisms…10th in a 33 member assn.
We averaged approximately 50 in SS.
We averaged approximately 75 in Worship…with a high worship attendance of 113 on Easter.
We are averaging 40 kids in our AWANA Program.
We are averaging 10 students in our Youth Group.
Our van ministry is bursting at the seams…
We are in a situation where we have to build to enable us to keep growing…or not build and begin to decline.
This should come as no surprise…it’s simply an answer to prayer…
Luke 11:9 - 11 (NKJV) 9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
E. So, now that God has answered the prayers of this church…and now that we have stepped out on faith and began the building…how are we going to pay for it?
1. Biblically!!!!!!
Exodus 35:4 - 24 (NKJV) 4And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying: 5‘Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze; 6blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 7ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 10‘All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded: 11the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering; 13the table and its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread; 14also the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 16the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, and the laver and its base; 17the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19the £garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place—the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’” 20And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the LORD. 23And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them. 24Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the LORD’S offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
Folks we are going to do the same thing…we are going to build God’s new house by His people bringing in what their heart commands them, and by the craftsmen God has blessed us with…
5 steps of success ppt. presentation
Biblical Foundation for the 5 Step Program
Exodus 35
Malachi 3:10
Deut: 23:21
Passing out of pledge cards
Prayer in New Sanctuary.
CONCLUSION: WHAT SEEMS HARD AND EVEN IMPOSSIBLE TO US IS SIMPLY IN GOD’S SIMPLE PLANS. HE KNOWS BEST.
