“How Great Thou Art!”
INTRODUCTION:
BASIC PREMISE … “With God … nothing is impossible!” - Do you believe that?
· SOMETIMES … seems like we face IMPOSSIBLE circumstances.
· SEEMS LIKE … all the odds are against us … NO HOPE.
· SEEMS LIKE … no light at end of tunnel.
It’s EASY to get DISCOURAGED … (last weeks sermon).
- BUT … My God is the “God of the impossible”.
- There’s nothing He can’t do!
SONG: “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable;
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible.
He does the things others cannot do.”
SO … HOW do you handle life’s IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS?
- ANSWER … You go to a great & mighty God!
SOMETIMES … our lives get into TANGLES.
LIKE … extension cord … water hose … rope … HAIR.
STORY “Have any of your childhood wishes ever come true?”
“Yea, when I was a child & my mother used to comb the tangles out of my hair, she would tug & pull. I wished I didn’t have any hair … AND … it came true!”
Let me share a few verses of Scripture.
1.- Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
What you & I call “impossible” … is NOTHING to God!
EX.:
· TAX FORMS … “Impossible” for me … to CPA … “Nothing!”
· CAR PROBLEMS … “Impossible” for me … to RICHARD … “Nothing!”
· TIE SHOE … to Grandson, “Impossible” … to ME … “Nothing!”
· TIE A TIE … to YOU, “Impossible” … to ME … “Nothing!”
2.- Jer. 32:27 – “ Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
God is asking you to SUBSTITUTE your IMPOSSIBILITIES … for the word “anything”.
GOD SAYS … “Fill in the blank … “Is _________ too hard for Me?”
- ANSWER: Of course not! He is GOD!
3.- Luke 1:37 – “For with God nothing will be impossible."
God said this in answer to Mary’s question about her being pregnant … AND … still being a virgin.
LISTEN to what Jesus said to the Rich Young Ruler:
4.- Luke 18:27 – “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
THINK about something that SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE to you right now.
· Salvation of a loved one.
· A health problem.
· A family problem.
· A Job situation.
· A behavior problem.
· A sin problem.
· A habit.
This problem may SEEM IMPOSSIBLE for us to handle.
- AND … MAYBE IT IS! … BUT … God is the God of the IMPOSSIBLE!
DOES THIS MEAN … THAT … God will make all your problems DISAPPEAR?
- NO! BUT … it does mean that there’s no problem too big that God ISN’T ABLE to see you THROUGH.
- He may NOT TAKE IT AWAY … (though He has the POWER) … BUT … It will not overpower Him.
1 Samuel Ch. 17 – all turn
In Ch. 14 … the Philistines & Children of Israel met in battle.
- The Ch. of Israel WON … BUT, NOW … Philistines RETURN … w/ GOLIATH!
The Philistines want to “psyche out” Saul’s army.
- They can’t win the PHYSICAL war … SO … they wage a MENTAL war.
GOLIATH challenges Saul to send out his BEST MAN … to fight him 1-on-1.
NOW … that’s what Satan wants to do with YOU.
- He wants to ISOLATE you from the herd … (lions).
YOU SEE … you are in a battle … EVERY DAY.
5.- Eph. 6:11-13 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
You can go up against Satan 1-on-1 … AND, GUESS WHAT … you’ll LOSE!
- BUT … Satan is NO MATCH for GOD … AMEN?
GOLIATH is messing with their MINDS … 17:8
- “You’re all dressed out for battle … come on! Send somebody out to take me on!”
It all boils down to a battle for our MINDS.
- This is where the battle is fought.
ILL. – psyche out opponent … BOXING (staring each other down) … When I boxed competitively, I would try to psyche out my opponents.
Satan fights his battles in our THOUGHT LIFE … in our MINDS.
6.- 2 Cor. 10:3-5 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
WHEN we let Satan control our THOUGHT LIFE … we open ourselves up to DEFEAT …
· BECAUSE … Satan will appeal to the unrighteous desires of our sinful heart.
· BECAUSE … we leave God out of our THOUGHTS and LIFE.
· BECAUSE … God is the only One who can DEFEAT the Devil.
HE IS …our strength … our victory … our source of power.
- Don’t ever try to fight Satan 1-on-1 … he’ll win every time!
Satan uses the strategy “Divide & Conquer”.
- WHEN … he isolates you from the POWER and GREATNESS of God … he WINS!
You & I are NO MATCH for Satan!
LOOK AT GOLIATH:
17:4 – 9’9” tall (2’9” taller than Shaq).
17:5 – 125# armor (more than some of you weigh).
17:7 – Tip of spear weighed 15# (bowling ball).
GOLIATH issued the challenge … 1-on-1 … 17:10-11
They faced an IMPOSSIBLE battle … LIKE … you & I do every day.
- BUT … little David volunteers to fight this GIANT … 17:32
WHY would David DO such a thing … a shepherd boy?
- BECAUSE … David knew the GREATNESS and POWER of GOD.
- He had seen it BEFORE – 17:34-36
HAVE YOU ever seen the GREATNESS & POWER of GOD?
- IF been saved for very long … you’ve seen God do GREAT & MIGHTY things in YOUR LIFE … AND … in the life of OTHERS.
- We have TESTIMONIES right here … this AM … AMEN?
SO … they try to put Saul’s armor on David … 17:38-39
NOW … David KNEW he couldn’t defeat Goliath 1-on-1.
- He was NO MATCH for this giant.
ONCE we get this into our heads … we begin to see VICTORY over the Goliaths in our life.
· GOLIATH came out every AM & PM for 40 days … AND … challenged the army of Saul – 17:16
· GOLIATH … taunted them … dared them … shamed their names … made fun of their God.
NO TAKERS … shaking in their boots.
- WHY? BECAUSE … They were NO MATCH for the giant.
DAVID comes out to meet the Philistine … 17:40
Goliath couldn’t believe it! – 17:42-44
All Goliath could see … WAS … a shepherd boy w/o armor … a slingshot & 5 stones.
- BUT … what Goliath COULDN’T SEE … WAS … David’s GOD … 17:45
REMEMBER … WHEN Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army at Dothan?
- Elisha’s servant got scared … asked Elisha what he was going to do.
- ELISHA … 7.- 2 Kings 6:16 – “So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
WHEN God opened the eyes of the servant … he saw what BEFORE was UNSEEN:
- “Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
THEN … the Lord struck the Syrian army BLIND!
GOLIATH saw a young shepherd boy … BUT … he DIDN’T SEE the POWER & GREATNESS of GOD … YET!
WITHOUT CHRIST … we stand before Satan as a helpless, weak, poor shepherd boy.
- BUT … WHEN we fight our spiritual battles IN GOD’S POWER … there’s NOTHING TOO HARD for Him!
8.- Phil. 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
17:46-47 – “the battle is the Lord’s!”
THEN … WHY are WE trying to fight the Devil?
- I don’t want to fight any body else’s’ battles!
· WHY … do we try to do the IMPOSSIBLE?
· WHY … do we IGNORE GOD … WHEN … confronted w/ the Goliath’s in our life?
· WHY … do we fail to PRAY … BELIEVE God … TRUST God … WHEN … He is the God of the IMPOSSIBLE?
It just doesn’t make sense … DOES IT?
- OUR PROBLEM: We DON’T EXPECT God to great things in our life!
17:48-50
WHY 5 stones? TRADITION says that Goliath had 4 brothers!
WHO defeated Goliath? DAVID? NO WAY!
- David was only an INSTRUMENT that God used to do the IMPOSSIBLE.
I’VE SEEN God do the IMPOSSIBLE … HAVEN’T YOU?
God tells us that He just wants to USE US … our PRAYERS … our FAITH … our TRUST …
- He just wants to WORK in & thru us … to do the IMPOSSIBLE.
17:51
Want to see Satan FLEE?
9.- James 4:7 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
WHAT would have happened … IF … David had not “submitted to God”?
- He would have been a poor shepherd boy … ALONE with a giant!
Ever feel that way … you & Satan … 1-on-1?
- There’s NO NEED to feel that way.
10.- 1 John 4:4 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
CONCLUSION:
· Got any GOLIATH’S in your life?
· Any IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS?
· Anything you’re AFRAID of?
Face it ALONE … AND … Satan will LAUGH at you.
BUT … PUT ON CHRIST … AND … let HIM do the fighting FOR you.
HOW do you “put on Christ”? (see 9) “Submit yourself to God.”
· You’ve been TRUSTING IN YOURSELF for too long.
· You’ve been LEAVING GOD OUT of your life for too long.
THAT’S WHY … we live such defeated lives … roller coaster lives.
MY GOD … is the God of the IMPOSSIBLE!
- There’s NOTHING my God can’t do!
He may not see you AROUND every battle … BUT … He will see you THROUGH … every battle … every trial … every temptation … every burden … every circumstance of life.
- BECAUSE … He is the “God of the IMPOSSIBLE”.
DID YOU KNOW … He can SAVE YOUR SOUL right now?
With YOU … it’s IMPOSSIBLE! You can’t save yourself.
- BUT … Jesus came to fight the battle for your soul.
- AND … He WON! The CROSS … the EMPTY TOMB proves it.
JUST … REPENT & turn to Him for salvation.
- There’s NOTHING my God can’t do!
STAND - PRAYER
