THREE THINGS GOD CANNOT DO
Titus 1:2
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Surprising Phone Call
1. When Lynda Cypher was working as a telemarketer for MCI Communications, she made a call to a Minnesota home one evening. When a boy around eight answered the phone, she identified myself saying she was calling for MCI and wanted to speak to his father.
2. She heard the boy put down the phone down and heard him yell, "Dad! Dad! The FBI wants to talk to you!"
3. As soon as the father answered the phone in a quivering voice, Lynda said, "Sir, this is not the FBI; this is MCI Communications."
4. After a long pause, the man said, "This is the first time I am actually glad to hear from you guys."
B. GOD’S LIMITLESS ABILITY
1. The Bible is clear that God: a. Has All Power, b. Is Everywhere, c. Is Outside of Time, d. Is Unchanging.
2. Therefore there is nothing that God cannot do. Job 42:2 says, “I know that You can do ALL THINGS.”
3. Some have irreverently suggested that God has less than “all power” – “CAN GOD MAKE A ROCK SO BIG HE CAN’T PICK IT UP?”
a. Whether you answer “yes” or “no” the implication is still that there’s something God can’t do.
b. It’s similar to a question put to a man in court, “Has it been a long time since you beat your wife?”
1). If “no,” then you’ve beaten her recently.
2). If ‘yes,’ then you’ve beaten her, but not recently.
C. LIMITED TO WHAT IS RIGHT
1. There ARE some things that God cannot do, not because He doesn’t possess all power, but because they are not consistent with His own nature and character.
2. This morning, my subject is, “Three Things God Cannot Do” and I’m sure you’ll rejoice with me that He can’t do them.
I. GOD CANNOT LIE
“Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” Titus 1:1-2.
A. WHY CAN’T GOD LIE? WHY DO PEOPLE LIE?
Have you ever been lied to? You can no longer trust the person or what they say. You feel betrayed. What drives people to lie? God is not affected with this as humans are.
1. DEFECTIVE CHARACTER – some people enjoy lying!
a. Earl Long, former eccentric governor of Louisiana, once said of another politician, “You know how you can tell that fella’s lying? Watch his lips. If they’re moving, he’s lying.”
b. But God is Righteous, holy, morally perfect.
2. FEAR OF PEOPLE. God certainly doesn’t fear people. We’re temporary and powerless.
3. COVERING A MISTAKE or ERROR IN JUDGMENT
God is all-wise, knows the future, so He can’t make those kinds of errors.
4. TRYING TO AVOID A BAD SITUATION/REPERCUSSIONS. God owns everything, is in complete control, so He could alter any situation He chose. So He has no need to lie.
B. TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE
1. Num. 23:19; “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Heb. 6:18; “by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we…lay hold upon the hope set before us.”
2. God is the GOD OF TRUTH – “Thy Word is Truth”
3. So, BECAUSE “GOD CANNOT LIE”
a. Everything in this Bible is accurate and we better be warned to obey God’s commands in His Word.
b. God says this world’s going to burn up; Judgment is Coming. And God can’t lie; it’s going to happen. Are you ready for it?
2nd thing God can’t do…..
II. GOD CANNOT FORGET Sounds logical, no-brainer, but
A. SOME PEOPLE THINK GOD HAS FORGOTTEN THEM
1. THE RIGHTEOUS
a. The Psalmist thought God had forgotten him.
b. God’s people sometimes feel God has forsaken them! Mary and Martha certainly had reason to feel that way. Their brother was at the point of death; they sent for Jesus but He didn’t come. Lazarus died, they buried him, and Jesus finally showed up four days later, but…Jesus hadn’t forgotten!
2. THE WICKED (Ps. 10:11). When they’re not punished for sins, they think that God has forgotten them and that they’re going to get off from their sins. But they’re mistaken. God hasn’t forgotten their sins.
B. BUT GOD CANNOT FORGET HIS PEOPLE!
1. Isaiah 49:14-16; But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me”
2. Luke 12:6; “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.”
C. ILLUSTRATION: THE FIFTH SPARROW
1. A little Spanish boy in Vigo became a devout Christian and was asked by an Englishman what had influenced him to trust God for his salvation.
2. “It was all because of the odd sparrow.” The Englishman said, “The odd sparrow? I don’t understand what you mean.”
3. “Well, Senor, in the N.T. I was given, Jesus told a story of how two sparrows were sold for one farthing. And it says in Luke, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings…”
4. “I said to myself, ‘Christ knew well our customs of selling birds. We trap the birds and get one chico for two, but for two chicos we throw in an extra sparrow. That extra sparrow is just a bonus and it’s of no account at all.”
5. “Senor, thinking of that extra sparrow, I thought of myself, how insignificant I am, so poor, and so small that no one would think of counting me!”
6. “I’m like the fifth sparrow. And yet, marvel of marvels, Jesus went on to say, ‘Not one of them is forgotten by God!’ I have never heard of anything like it, Senor! No one but He could ever have thought of not forgetting me!” [Knights Master Book of New Illus., p. 51]
NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL, GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU!
III. GOD CANNOT REMEMBER…our sins
A. CAN GOD FORGET?
1. We’ve all known people who were forgetful. The one-time Dictator of Greece, General Metaxas, was flying a Sea-plane. He forgot it’s design and was about to land it on land at an airstrip.
2. A passenger with him reminded him it was a sea-plane. The General laughed, “But of course! What am I thinking of?” and flew it out over the water and landed it.
3. The General turned to the passenger and said, “I appreciate your tactfulness in pointing out the incredible blunder I was about to make! Thank you.”
4. Having said that, His Excellency opened the door and stepped out into the ocean, with a splash! [7700, #1749]
B. SCRIPTURES AFFIRMING THIS
God CANNOT forget, but He CAN choose NOT to remember!
1. Isa. 43:25; “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
2. Jer. 31:34; “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
3. Heb. 8:12; “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
4. If it’s impossible for God to forget, then…
C. WHY DOESN’T HE REMEMBER OUR SIN?
1. Because the atonement provided by Jesus’ death on the cross is so complete that it wipes our sins from our record!
2. Our sins were transferred to Jesus.
3. Our sins were paid for by Jesus’ death.
4. We’re NEW CREATURES, part of the Coming Creation. The old sinful person is dead and no longer exists before God.
5. ILLUSTRATION.
a. There was a woman who was known to hear from God in the parish of a priest who had a troubled past and could never let it go. One day the priest said to her, “If you can really hear from God, then ask Him what sin your priest committed while he was in seminary!”
b. Later, the priest saw her and said, “Did you ask God what sin your priest committed while he was in seminary?” She said, “Yes.” The priest said, “Did He tell you something? What did He say?”
c. She looked at the priest tenderly and said, “In answer to my question, the Lord said, “I don’t remember.”
D. THE KEY TO FORGOTTEN SINS
1. A priest censured a woman for not coming to confessional for a long time. When she finally came, he asked to confess her sins from yesterday, last week, last month and last year!
2. She replied, “I don’t have any sins from yesterday and last year.” He replied, You are either a great saint or an awful liar!”
3. She replied, “There’s another alternative: I confessed my sins to the Lord Jesus Himself and found full forgiveness, because God’s Word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!” 1 Jn. 1:9.
CONCLUSION
A. APPLICATION
1. GOD CANNOT LIE. Do you know what that means for you? It means that…
a. When God said, “The soul that sins, it SHALL die,” He wasn’t lying!
b. When God said, “I saw a Great White Throne…and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God…” He wasn’t lying!
c. When God said, “The wages of sin is death,” He wasn’t lying!
2. GOD CANNOT FORGET. Do you know what that means for you? It means that…
a. Though you feel like God has forgotten you, He hasn’t! He said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee!”
b. Heb. 6:10, God won’t “forget your work and labor of love.”
3. GOD CANNOT REMEMBER. Do you know what that means? It means that…
a. If you’ve repented of your sins, they’re under the blood and never will be remembered against you anymore!
b. You can know today that you are forgiven and washed clean of your sins. You can look into the face of God with a clean heart!
B. ILLUSTRATION: God’s Love for You!
1. A pastor received a call from a new father. He wanted the pastor to be present when his wife came out from under the anesthetic. She had given birth to a beautiful baby boy – healthy in every way -- but the newborn had no ears.
2. When the pastor arrived, the nervous father and the doctor went into the room where the mother lay. The doctor explained that the baby had auditory openings and all the inner ear parts, but no fleshy parts outside.
3. The doctor assured the parents that the problem would be corrected when the child’s growth was completed and a matching donor was found.
4. School was a tough experience for this little guy. Many times he would come home crying, “I’m a freak! I’m nothing but a freak!” He was well aware of the stares, whispers, taunts and nicknames. Junior high was the worst of his growing-up experiences, but the young man began to adapt and learn to live with his disfigurement.
5. He became an excellent student and entered college on a scholarship with plans to study geology. One Spring day when he was a sophomore in college, his father called him. “Well, son, we’ve finally found an ear donor for you. The operation will take place this summer.”
6. The operation was a success. The young man was so happy as he returned to college in the Fall. His new ears were beautiful and life took on new meaning for him.
7. He graduated with honors and was hired by a company in Colorado. He had only been there six months when his father called, “Son, come home quick. Your mother has had a serious heart attack!” He immediately caught a plane, but she passed away before he could get there.
8. He stayed for the funeral. As he and his Dad stood beside the casket, his father pushed back his mother’s hair to show him…his mother didn’t have any ears.
9. She gave up part of herself to meet her son’s need. So great is the love of good mothers!
10. But the love of God is greater than this mother’s love. God gave us MORE THAN EARS, He gave His Son to die for us. [Robert Strand]
C. THE CALL
1. Since God sacrificed so much for you, won’t you accept His gift of His Son for you?
2. Let’s all bow our heads. How many of you would like to make sure your sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ? If you want your sins wiped out, then raise your hand.
3. How many have felt like God has forgotten you or that you’re insignificant to God? Slip up a hand. The opposite is true: God hasn’t forgotten you – you’re worth more than MANY sparrows! We’re going to pray for you.
4. God says a Judgment Day is coming and a terrible punishment. How many of you want to make peace with God? Raise your hands.
5. I want all of you who raised your hands to come to the front for prayer. PRAYER.
6. NEW MEMBERS -- COME TO THE FRONT FOR WELCOMING.
