THE GOD OF ALL FLESH
Study Text: Jeremiah 32: 27; 33:3
Introduction:
- Listen to what God says in this passage. He is asking this question of Israel, but it is certainly one that we must consider as well. This is a question that goes on even at the hearts of Christians. We often respond with "Well, no...but..." .
- All of us struggle, at different levels, with the problem of unbelief. Perhaps, like Abraham and Sarah, you’ve prayed for something for years, but God has not answered. Life is passing you by while you wait.
- You struggle with doubt as you often wonder whether He is hearing your prayers. You may have suffered some tragedy, such as the loss of a close loved one, and you wonder, “Where was God when this happened?”
- Maybe it’s a family problem that has dragged on for years. You wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He answer?”
- Are you desiring to achieve a huge or great goals and it looks all gloomy, and everything around you is proving impossible.
- Are you afflicted with some kind of strange sickness that have refused all medication and you do not know what else to do. Maybe the doctors have given up on you and said you are going to die.
- There is hope and good news, men may have given up on you, doctors may have failed you, but GOD is stretching out his compassionate hand and is telling you "See, I will help you, I will heal you, I will make a way where there seems to be no way because, "....... the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).
- There is hope, don't give up yet. There is possibility in that which seems impossible, it is in THE GOD OF ALL FLESH.... "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27).
- You must learn to expect the impossible, expect the unusual, and expect the miraculous because that is where GOD works. He fixes the impossible and make them possible.
- God is the almighty and sovereign God. He is a marvellous God, the God of the miraculous. He is the GOD of all flesh.
- This question admonishes us in at least two ways. First, it urges us to see our seemingly hopeless situations as wonderful opportunities to trust our Lord. Surely God is worthy of our trust in our everyday problems, just as He is in that once-in-a-lifetime crisis.
- Second, this question encourages us to act on our faith. It is easy to believe in the doctrine of God's omnipotence, but when an impossible situation confronts us, can we cease worrying and trust our Lord to see us through?
- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:
1. Fearing Before the Impossible
2. Faith that Sees the Invisible
3. Faith that Attempts the Impossible
1. Fearing Before the Impossible
- Facing the reality of this time, we are living in tough times. Times are tough spiritually. Times are tough economically. Times are tough for the church. Times are tough for the family. Times are tough on individuals. Times are tough for the nation.
- In every part of our world today there are some many problems. This problem ranges from great lack, poverty, disease, sudden death, desperate need, drought, False Government, broken home, etc.
- This problems has cause a lot of people to forget about who Jehovah God is, they are now busy running after so called quick solutions, most people don’t mind dinning with the devil all in the name of solving their problems or leaving a good life, most people are even willing sell their life just to get what they want.
- It is very natural to be fearful in the face of difficult situations and great problem, but believers must not allow the fear to take them away from God.
- We read about Jehoshaphat in his time of crises, he was afraid, but he turned to the Lord in prayer and confesses that he had no other way out. 2 Chronicles 20:1-4.
- One of the problems of believers today is that, even when we turn to God in prayer, it is never wholeheartedly, we still have several alternatives in mind, and as a result, we cannot see the power of God working in our lives and situations.
- The Lord uses the crisis in our lives to mould us, grow us and develop us. He uses pain, hardship, suffering and the trials of life to make us more like Jesus, and to be able to trust Him at all times. Rom. 8:28-29.
He is The God of the Impossible, The God of all Flesh. He can take that situation you see as being so impossible and He can transform it into a time of blessing for you and glory for Him.
- The Israelites at the Red Sea were greatly afraid and distressed and they could not trust God for help. They speak evil against God and against His servant, and confesses negative things about themselves.
- But thank God for Moses, who was equally afraid because they did not prepare for the Red Sea, but he was able to trust God in his fear and speak a word of faith and assurance.
- This is because he was sure of the promises of God that He will deliver His people and give them the promised land, so rather than looking at the problem, he was able to hold on to the promise.
- Let the comfort of God’s promises give you peace and encouragement regardless of what you face in this life. He will stand them all, and not a single one will ever fail.
2. Faith that Sees the Invisible
- Your faith in God will make you to see the promised deliverance, healing, revival, restoration, blessings, etc, even before they actually come to manifestations.
- This was what Moses saw when he told the people that they will never see the Egyptians again and forever.
- Also Jehoshaphat was able to see the promised victory when the Lord told him that He will take over his battle, and he was at peace throughout until the promised victory came to manifestations.
- God declares His power by asking Jeremiah a very simple, straightforward question: “Is anything too hard for the Lord.” The word “hard” means “to be beyond one’s power; to be difficult to do.” God is simply saying that nothing is beyond His power and that nothing is too difficult for Him to do.
- May that truth encourage us today. God is still the God Who possesses “all power in Heaven and in earth,” Matt. 28:18.
- He is still the God “who is able to exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think,” Eph. 3:20.
- He is still the God Who “works all things after the counsel of His Own will,” Eph. 1:11. He is still God and that should comfort our hearts today
- It does not matter where you are today, He will hear you too. It does not matter what you are up against He will hear you. Not only will He hear you, He will answer your prayers as well.
- He may not answer them the way you want Him to all the time, but He will always answer them correctly and in a way that brings glory to His name. 1 John 5: 14 – 15
- Today, God is saying to every one of us, behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for me.
- Our God who divide the red sea, our God who gave the children of Israel a line slide victory over the people of Jericho, our God who has all the powers in heaven and on earth, our God who has proven Himself to our fathers of old by providing for them, our God who created the heaven and the earth and every living thing on this earth, Our God who never fails, is saying to us today, behold I am the God of all flesh, is the anything too hard for me .
- Is it diseases, Our God is a great physician, God can cure all diseases, is it poverty, the gold, the silver, the diamond are His (Haggai 2: 8, all things in heaven and on earth are His), is it famine, drought, Our God owns the rain, our God who fed the children of Israel in the wilderness can still do it again, He never changes, is it disaster or war, Our God will restore all we have lost like Job in the bible (Job 42). Is it shame, pain, sorrow, hardship, our God is able to turn it all to Blessing, honour and glory.
- What is that problem that has taken you out of the way of God, God wants you to know that He is able if only we let Him into our life, into our affairs He will change our life, He will answer us when we call (Jeremiah 33: 3, Isaiah 65 : 24).
3. Faith that Attempts the Impossible
- By our assurance in the power of God and His promises, we must be willing to take a step of faith to see the promised miracle come to manifestations.
- We can see some scriptural examples where impossible situations became possibilities:
1. God appeared to Sarah when she was ninety years old and told her she was going to have a baby.
- The thought was so ridiculous to her that she laughed. Then God rebuked her with the same question he asked Jeremiah: "Is anything too hard for the LORD?..." Gen. 18:14a
- Sure enough, a year later she gave birth to a son, whom she named Isaac, which in Hebrew means "laughter".
- Every time Sarah called his name, she reminded herself of the day she laughed in God's face at the thought of an impossible situation.
2. A few years later the Lord told Sarah's husband, Abraham, to offer Isaac on the altar of sacrifice.
- Abraham obeyed without question. cf Gen. 22:1-12. God even had to stop him at the last instant before he plunged his knife into Isaac's throat.
- When the Lord saw Abraham's willingness to obey, it was enough. Do you know why Abraham was so ready to sacrifice his son? Hebrews 11:19 tells us: That Abraham believed "that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead..."
- At that point in history no one had ever come back from the dead, but Abraham knew that not even a resurrection was too difficult for the Lord, and he was willing to obey the divine command to prove it.
3. When Joshua led the army of Israel to victory over the Amorites, darkness approached before his job was completed. Josh. 10:12-13
- So he asked the Lord to make the sun stand still so he could finish the job. Was it a foolish prayer request? Do you believe that halting the rotation of the earth is too difficult for God? And is it too hard a job for him to overrule all the side effects of this miracle?
4. Consider Jesus.
- He enters Bethany where his friend Lazarus has been dead four days. The first thing he hears from both of the grieving sisters is, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.". John 11:21
- Does Jesus apologize for being absent when Lazarus was sick? No! He raises him from the dead, grave clothes and all. Nothing is too difficult for Jesus Christ.
- Have you settled in your heart the question of God's ability? Is there anything you can think of that is too difficult for him? There are reasons why we cannot believe that God will do something or hold onto Him for what He has promised to do:
1. Sometimes our doubt centres on our own sinfulness of heart.
- Sometimes a person might think that they are too wicked for God to forgive. However, many times such a claim is a camouflage hiding an unwillingness to repent.
- But some people do have serious problems accepting divine forgiveness. If you are having trouble believing that God could forgive you, take your eyes off your sins and put them on Christ.
- The wonder of his love is that he knew perfectly well how depraved you and I would be, yet he died for us anyway. And that proves that nothing is beyond the reach of God's strength.
2. We do not see our prayers answered.
- You wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He answer?”
3. Temptation is another area in which you may doubt your Lord's might.
- We may easily yield to various enticements because even as a Christian we feel helpless against them. The result is that we become an easy target for the fiery missiles of our enemy, the devil
- Don't confuse the Lord's power with our own. We know we are no match for temptation, but do not assume our heavenly Father is as well.
- There are many areas which we could apply the question God asks in our text.
- Maybe you've given up hope of seeing your broken marriage restored. Is it too hard a task for the Lord to straighten out your wayward children? Can he heal you of a terminal disease? Will he answer your prayers? Can he find you the right job?
- Yes, he can do all these things...He is the Lord, and nothing is too difficult for him.
Conclusion:
- What is your impossible situation? -What is the most difficult thing in life you need God to accomplish for you?
- "Is it too difficult for you to trust in an almighty God?" -The real weakness lies not in our Father but in our faith.
