THIS ENTIRE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE IS DEPENDENT ON ONE THING AND THAT IS A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF VS.9,10 & 11. BECAUSE CHRIST USES THESE VERSES TO QUALIFY THE VERSES THAT WENT BEFORE. AND SO CHRIST USES THE CONCEPT OF FATHER TO DESCRIBE GOD. BUT THE FATHER CONCEPT IS
ONLY VALID FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE POSITIVE MEMORIES OF OUR FATHER.
IF THAT IS YOUR VIEW OF FATHER THEN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE ISN’T GOING TO BE ALL THAT ENCOURAGING TO YOU. FROM THE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT CHRIST USES THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT IT BECOMES FAIRLY
OBVIOUS THAT JESUS NOT ONLY HAD A FIRM GRASP OF HIS HEAVENLY FATHER BUT ALSO HAD FOND MEMORIES OF HIS LIFE WITH JOSEPH, HIS STEP FATHER.
THE TWO ILLUSTRATIONS THAT ARE USED HERE WOULD BE VERY COMMON TO THE AREA OF GALILEE BECAUSE BREAD AND FISH WOULD BE THE MOST COMMON FOOD IN THE AREA. THE PICTURE THAT CHRIST DRAWS IS ONE FROM HIS TIME AND PLACE AND IT WOULD BE FAIRLY OBVIOUS TO THOSE WHO HEARD HIM. IF YOU WERE TO VISIT THE HOLY LAND YOU WOULD NOTICE THE MANY ROUND ROCKS, ALMOST THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AS DARE I SAY A LOAF OF BREAD. AND SO CHRIST IS SAYING WHICH ONE OF YOU, AS A FATHER WOULD ATTEMPT TO TRICK HIS SON BY RESPONDING TO HIS REQUEST FOR A LOAF OF BREAD BY GIVING HIM A ROCK THAT SIMPLY LOOKED LIKE A LOAF OF BREAD.
AS WELL IN THE SEA OF GALILEE THERE IS A FISH THAT IS LONG AND SLENDER, A FORM OF CATFISH THAT IS ALMOST EEL LIKE IN APPEARANCE, COULD THIS BE WHAT CHRIST IS TALKING ABOUT, THAT WHEN A SON ASKS FOR FISH, NO CARING LOVING FATHER WOULD GIVE HIM SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE A FISH YET WAS AN UNCLEAN FOOD. BECAUSE WHEN THE SON REACHED OUT HE WOULD THINK HE WAS RECEIVING ONE OF THESE SLENDER CATFISH INSTEAD HE RECEIVED A SNAKE, THANKS DAD. AND SO CHRIST REACHES BACK TO THE MEMORIES OF AN UNSELFISH FATHER AND SAYS, IF JOSEPH,IF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER WHO WAS A SINFUL MAN, BECAUSE ALL MEN ARE SINFUL. IF HE WANTED ONLY THE VERY BEST FOR ME, THEN HOW MUCH MORE WILL MY HEAVENLY FATHER WHO IS PERFECT WANT THE VERY BEST FOR ME.
AND THAT PREMISE, THE PREMISE THAT FATHERS GIVE THE VERY BEST THAT THEY CAN TO THEIR CHILDREN EXPLAINS THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE STATEMENT THAT CHRIST MADE IN THE VERSES 7 & 8. ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND: KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES; HE WHO SEEKS FINDS; AND TO HIM WHO KNOCKS, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED.
NOW THE PROBLEM IS THIS, WE REALLY DON’T BELIEVE THAT DO WE. I MEAN REALLY, I KNOW THAT WE ARE WESLEYANS AND THAT WESLEYANS BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD, AND I QUOTE FROM THE DISCIPLINE PARAGRAPH 107 WE BELIEVE THAT THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS CONSTITUTE THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. THEY ARE THE INSPIRED AND INFALLIBLY WRITTEN WORD OF GOD.
THAT’S WHAT THE BOOK SAYS WE BELIEVE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PRAYER DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT. DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES. I KNOW THAT WE OFTEN MOUTH THE WORDS THAT GOD IS A
PRAYER ANSWERING GOD, BUT WHAT DO WE MEAN.
DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD ANSWERS PRAYER, THAT WHEN YOU PRAY FOR SOMETHING GOD WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. THAT’S WHAT THE BOOK SAYS, TIME AND TIME AGAIN CHRIST REITERATES THAT POINT. IN JOHN 14:13 AND
I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, SO THAT THE SON MAY BRING GLORY TO THE FATHER. AND THEN IN VS 14 YOU MAY ASK ME FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME, AND I WILL DO IT.
AND WHAT ABOUT MATTHEW 17:20 JESUS 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.
AH BUT PASTOR WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THAT CHRIST WAS
SPEAKING ALLEGORICALLY IN METAPHYSICAL TERMS, NOT SPEAKING OF ACTUAL PHYSICAL EVENTS BUT INSTEAD IS SPEAKING OF WAYS IN WHICH THE HUMAN SPIRIT CAN RISE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO MOST PROBLEMS. THAT HE WASN’T SPEAKING OF FAITH AS SMALL AS AN ACTUAL MUSTARD SEED, AND HE CERTAINLY WASN’T SPEAKING OF A
LITERAL MOUNTAIN. MERCY WHO COULD POSSIBLE BE NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT.
THAT’S STRANGE BECAUSE I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WHAT CHRIST MEANT WAS THAT IF WE HAD THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF FAITH, THAT WE COULD SAY TO A MOUNTAIN, MOUNTAIN BE MOVED, AND IT WOULD MOVE.
BUT PASTOR YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY BELIEVE THAT. HOW COME. I MEAN THAT’S WHAT THE BOOK SAYS ISN’T IT? I LOOKED IN THE KJV, AND THE NIV, AND THE RSV, AND THE NKJV AND THEY ALL SAID BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
AND THAT MEANS WHAT GABRIEL TOLD MARY IS TRUE, AND YOU ALL REMEMBER WHAT GABRIEL TOLD MARY IN LUKE 1:37 FOR NOTHING IS
IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD? NOTHING, NO THING, NO THING IS TOO LARGE, NO THING IS TOO SMALL, WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT GOD PROVED TIME AND TIME
AGAIN THE TENANT OF GOD’S PEOPLE, AND THAT IS THAT GOD IS ABLE.
WHEN NOAH TOLD THE PEOPLE OF HIS WORLD THAT GOD WAS GOING TO FLOOD THE WORLD AND DESTROY SINFUL HUMANITY, THEY SAID, IMPOSSIBLE. BUT HE DID IT.
WHEN GOD TOLD ABRAHAM AND SARAH THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A BABY EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN THEIR NINETIES THEY SAID IMPOSSIBLE, BUT HE DID IT.
WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL STOOD ON THE BANKS OF THE RED SEA AND GOD TOLD MOSES TO REACH OUT HIS ROD AND THE SEA WOULD DIVIDE EVERYONE SAID IMPOSSIBLE BUT HE DID IT. AND HE MADE MANNA FALL FROM HEAVEN, AND HE PARTED THE JORDAN, AND BROUGHT DOWN THE WALLS OF JERICHO AND MADE THE SUN STAND STILL.
AND SENT FIRE FROM HEAVEN AT THE REQUEST OF ELIJAH, AND GUIDED DAVIDS ROCK THAT SLEW GOLIATH AND PROTECTED DANIEL IN THE
LIONS DEN. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE PEOPLE OF GOD LEARNT THAT WITH GOD NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
AND THE NEW TESTAMENT FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN, COME ON MARY WHO DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE KIDDING, VIRGINS DON’T HAVE BABIES. HEY JESUS DON’T YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN’T FEED FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES. AND OH BY THE WAY JESUS YOU CAN’T WALK ON WATER, AND YOU CAN’T JUST PUT THAT TEMPLE GUARDS EAR BACK
ON, HEY DON’T YOU HEAR ME THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. BY THE WAY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE JESUS DON’T YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD.
PETER AND JOHN AT THE GATE CALLED BEAUTIFUL DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT WAS
IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE LAME TO WALK, AND PAUL, PAUL THAT SNAKE THAT BIT YOU IS A DEADLY ASP, DON’T YOU EVEN HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO FALL DOWN AND DIE.
BUT YOU SEE THAT KNEW WHAT GABRIEL KNEW THAT WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. PHILLIPIANS 4:13 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. WHAT CAN I DO? SOME THINGS, A FEW THINGS, MOST
THINGS. NO ALL THINGS. GOD SPECIALIZES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE AND THE EXCITING THING IS THIS HE HAS CHOSEN YOU TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE IMPOSSIBLE IN YOUR LIFE? NOT JUST THE PROBABLE, NOT JUST THE
HOPEFUL, NOT JUST THE POSSIBLE. BUT WITH GOD YOU CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
REMEMBER WHEN GOD SAID IN MATTHEW 17:20 THAT YOU’D BE ABLE TO MOVE MOUNTAINS, DO YOU REMEMBER THE LAST LINE, AND NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU. WHAT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU, NOTHING.
YOU SEE GOD USES MEN TO SHOW HIS GREATNESS, GOD DIDN’T NEED NOAH TO BUILD A BOAT, AND HE DIDN’T NEED SARAH AND ABRAHAM TO FATHER ISSAC, AND HE DIDN’T NEED DAVID TO KILL GOLIATH, AND HE DIDN’T NEED JOSHUA
TO TOPPLE JERICHO, AND HE DIDN’T NEED MOSES TO BRING THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT, AND HE DIDN’T NEED SOLOMON TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. JESUS DIDN’T HAVE TO TAKE THE BOYS LUNCH TO FEED THE MULTITUDE, AND GOD DIDN’T NEED THE ELEVEN TO START SPREADING THE GOSPEL.
BUT GOD USES MEN WHO BELIEVE, GOD USES MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAN SEE PAST THE OBSTACLES TO THE GOALS. GOD IS GLORIFIED BY HIS PEOPLE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MOST OF GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE NEITHER VISION ENOUGH OR FAITH ENOUGH TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. TOO OFTEN WE PREACHER INCLUDED TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO, INSTEAD
OF SEEING WHAT GOD CAN DO.
DO YOU REALLY THINK WE CAN STOP ABORTIONS, NO. DO YOU REALLY THINK WE CAN TURN OUR COUNTRY BACK TO GOD, NO. BUT DOING THE POSSIBLE DOESN’T GLORIFY GOD, DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE DOES. OUR GREATEST MISTAKE AS WE ENDEAVOR TO GROW A CHURCH, NO LET ME STRENGTHEN THAT, OUR BIGGEST SIN IN GROWING OUR CHURCH HAS JUST TWO LETTERS, W. E.
WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT CAN WE AFFORD, WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR US TO BUILD A CHURCH WE’LL ASK HOW BIG OF A CHURCH CAN WE BUILD, HOW BIG OF A CHURCH CAN WE AFFORD. YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW BIG OF A CHURCH MAN CAN BUILD GO OVER TO CLAYTON PARK, DRIVE UP TO LACEWOOD DRIVE AND SEE THE CHURCH THE MORMONS BUILT. IF THEY CAN DO THAT WHAT CAN GOD DO.
IF THE GOD’S CHURCH IN METRO IS TO GO WHERE GOD WANTS IT TO GO THEN WE WILL NEED TO ASK, NOT WHAT CAN WE DO BUT WHAT CAN GOD DO. NOT WHAT THE CHURCHES OF METRO BUT WHAT CAN GOD DO THROUGH THE CHURCHES IN METRO. NOT WHAT CAN WE ACCOMPLISH BUT WHAT CAN GOD ACCOMPLISH. WE ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A HOLY PEOPLE WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, AND THE CHILDREN OF GOD SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED BY TEMPORAL RESOURCES. PSALM 50:10 GOD OWNS THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS. IF GOD PROVIDES THE VISION THEN GOD WILL PROVIDE THE WAY EVEN IF HE HAS TO HAVE A CATTLE AUCTION.
D.L.MOODY TOLD HIS SONS, "IF GOD BE YOU PARTNER PLAN BIG." IF WE TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD, THEN WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE IN GOD’S WILL THEN WE CAN DO ANYTHING. THE SONG WRITER PENNED THESE WORDS, "GOD CAN DO ANYTHING, GOD CAN DO ANYTHING BUT FAIL" DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
MARK 10:27 WITH MEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE BUT NOT WITH FOR, FOR WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. LUKE 18:27 THE THINGS WHICH ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD. OF COURSE YOU BELIEVE IT, JESUS SAID
IT.
IT’S KIND OF LIKE OUR DREAM FOR BCC, IF JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE A CHURCH OF 200 THEN JESUS WILL GIVE US A CHURCH OF 200 AMEN, AND IF JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE A CHURCH OF 500 THEN JESUS WILL GIVE US A CHURCH OF 500 AMEN, AND IF JESUS WANT US TO HAVE A CHURCH OF TEN THOUSAND THEN JESUS WILL GIVE US A CHURCH OF TEN THOUSAND. AMENS WERE A LITTLE WEAK ON THE LAST ONE PEOPLE.
BUT LISTEN TO MATTHEW 17:20 NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR,--- WHO, THAT’S RIGHT NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU. AND THAT PROMISE IS JUST AS REAL TODAY AS IT WAS 2000 YEARS AGO WHEN A GALLILEAN FISHERMAN STEPPED OUT OF HIS BOAT AND WALKED ON THE WATER. JUST AS REAL TODAY AS IT WAS WHEN PETER SAID TO THE MAN AT THE TEMPLE GATE, SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE TO YOU, IN THE NAME OF JESUS OF NAZARETH, RISE UP AND WALK.
LET’S NOT LIMIT OURSELVES TO WHAT WE CAN DO. THE SAME CHRIST WHO RAISE LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD IS STILL WITH US TODAY. THE SAME GOD WHO CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, THE LAND AND THE SEA. THE ANIMALS, FISH AND BIRDS. MAN AND WOMAN HAS TO BECOME THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND BEDFORD COMMUNITY CHURCH. BUT GOD ONLY GIVES TO THOSE WHO ASK.
JAMES 4:11 YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT. AND IN MATTHEW 7:7 ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND, KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES; HE WHO
SEEKS FINDS, AND TO HIM WHO KNOCKS THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED.
