THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE (Outline)
October 23, 2022 – Pentecost 20 – MATTHEW 19:16-26
INTRO: That’s impossible!! How often have we thought or said those very words? That’s impossible. Scripture has examples of the impossible becoming possible. The Israelites left Egypt. They were trapped between the Egyptian army and Reed Sea. That’s impossible to stay alive. Isaiah foretold that a virgin would be with child. Impossible. Mary was told she would give birth to a son. Impossible! She was an unmarried virgin. Joseph, her husband to be, was told Mary was expecting. That’s impossible. An angel visited them both with God’s message. "For nothing will be impossible for God” (LUKE 1:37).
THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE. I. Not earned. II. Not bought. III. God’s gift.
I. GOD’S POSSIBLE IS NOT EARNED.
A. Verse 16. This man centers everything on himself. “What…should I do…that I have eternal life?”
1. Verse 17. Jesus answers this man’s question with what he expected to hear.
2. “…keep the commandments.”. After all, the man was trying to earn his salvation.
B. Verse 18a. “Which ones?” This man wanted to bargain about the commandments. 10 too many.
1. Verses 18b, 19. The Lord Jesus points this man to the second table of the law.
2. The man needed to learn to love his neighbor as himself. Only do so by loving God first.
C. The man wanted to do a good thing. Impossible. For he did not even recognize the One who was good. God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Too many today think they can earn their way into heaven by all the good things they have done. Do. Will do. That’s impossible. Our very thoughts…words…and all our actions are stained with sin. We are infected with evil thoughts every day. There is no one who does good. Not one. "All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth. All of us have withered like a leaf, and our guilt carries us away like the wind" (ISAIAH 64:6).
D. How sad so many think that if they can make the impossible become possible. Untrained preachers today make God’s gospel into a law. Do more. Try harder. That is pure law. Without the gospel we are not motivated to do anything right in God’s sight. “For this reason, no one will be declared righteous in his sight by works of the law, for through the law we become aware of sin” (ROMANS 3:20). It is impossible to please God. It is impossible for anyone to earn an entrance into heaven.
THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE. It is not earned. It is not bought.
II. GOD’S POSSIBLE IS NOT BOUGHT.
A. Verse 20. “I have kept all these. What am I lacking?” This young man is back to his own importance.
1. Verse 21. “If you want to be perfect…” The task was simple: sell everything, give to the poor.
2. Then this man would have treasures in heaven. Treasures that moth, rust do not destroy.
3. “Then come, follow me.” Jesus wanted him to count the cost. Seek first God’s kingdom.
B. Verse 22. Jesus gave this man what he wanted to hear. Do this to have eternal life. Salvation.
1. The young man had too many possessions to give them up and give them to the poor. Sad.
2. Self-trust made eternity impossible. Looking to do more and more did not satisfy. Or save.
C. Our nation is abundantly blessed. One might even say “over-blessed”. We have enough to live comfortable daily lives. We actually have more than enough to enjoy in our earthly lives. Satan knows this. It is no surprise when the devil tries to distract us from our treasures in heaven. We fall into the trap in this world which keeps promoting new, bigger, better. There is nothing wrong with improving our lives. But this can turn into an unhealthy obsession. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon" (MATTHEW 6:24). Mammon includes all earthly wealth. Impossible to save us.
D. We are familiar with paying for products and services. It is our way of life. Oh, we may grumble and complain a bit about the cost of things. Generally, we pay. Some have tried to buy their way into heaven. Impossible! The rich man had everything on earth. The rich man ended up with nothing in heaven. Poor Lazarus had nothing of any earthly value. Lazarus was rich toward God. Had everything in heaven. We cannot pay for one single sin. We cannot buy a ticket to enter eternity. "But no one can by any means redeem himself. He cannot give God a ransom for himself. Yes, the ransom for their souls is costly. Any payment would fall short" (PSALM 49:7, 8). Impossible to save ourselves from ourselves.
THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE. It is not earned. It is not bought.
III. GOD’S POSSIBLE IS GOD’S GIFT.
A. Verse 23. The disciples of Jesus heard him speaking with the rich, young man. Interesting.
1. Jesus clearly tells them it is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
2. Verse 24. So hard that it is impossible. A camel cannot go through the needle’s eye.
B. Verse 25. Jesus’ disciples ask the right question. “Who then can be saved?” “Who can…?”
1. Verse 26. Jesus looked at the disciples. Wanted their full attention.
2. “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The impossible is possible!
C. Scripture cannot be any clearer. “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Try as hard as we might we cannot earn eternity. Whoever breaks one law is guilty of breaking all of the commandments. Sin is an ever-present disease contaminating our very souls. Ruining every effort. It is impossible to save ourselves. Thanks be to God! Jesus makes the impossible possible. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, he saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy" (TITUS 3:4, 5a). “…not by righteous works we did…” = impossible. “…he saved us…because of his mercy.” = possible. Jesus’ sinless earned our forgiveness. Our eternity.
D. “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Not all of the wealth in the world can pay for a single sin. The price is too great. Worldly wealth cannot compare with our loving, heavenly Father. Our Lord God of creation is rich in mercy. Adam and Eve sinned. Ruined the perfect world the Lord created. God demanded a price for disobedience. For sin. The price God required he paid with the sacrifice of his Son, our Savior Christ Jesus. "For this reason, he had to become like his brothers in every way, in order that he would be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, so that he could pay for the sins of the people" (HEBREWS 2:17). Christ took on human flesh to live on earth. He was tempted in every way as we are tempted. Jesus did not sin. His perfect obedience paid for our disobedience. The righteousness of Christ covers up our unrighteousness. The impossible is possible.
CONC.: That’s impossible. A statement of unbelief. The Lord God has made those things that are impossible possible. We have faith. We are God’s children. That’s impossible. We are born as enemies of God. Impossible is possible. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts of stone into flesh. Our sins are forgiven; freely and fully. That’s impossible. Our disobedience earns eternal punishment. Jesus’ innocent suffering and death, his precious blood paid the price. The impossible is possible. "Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (EPHESIANS 2:8, 9). God saves us by grace alone. By faith alone. By scripture alone. THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 20 rdgs.: HABAKKUK 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 2 TIMOTHY 1:3-14; LUKE 17:1-10; (PSALM 27)
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