Steppping Beyond Normal

Stepping Beyond Normal Text: Romans 4: 17-22

17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

The Living Bible: 17That is what the Scriptures mean when they say that God made Abraham the father of many nations. God will accept all people in every nation who trust God as Abraham did. And this promise is from God himself, who makes the dead live again and speaks of future events with as much certainty as though they were already past.18So, when God told Abraham that he would give him a son who would have many descendants and become a great nation, Abraham believed God even though such a promise just couldn’t come to pass! 19And because his faith was strong, he didn’t worry about the fact that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred, and that Sarah his wife, at ninety, was also much too old to have a baby.20But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened. 21He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything he promised. 22And because of Abraham’s faith God forgave his sins and declared him “not guilty.”

If the devil and this world system can get you to consider your limitations- whether it’s limitations of your body, your mind, or finances- You will be defeated! Limitations will say, “You can’t, but God say’s, “You can!” Today God desires for us to look beyond our limitations and to look at His promises. If He promised it, you can have it! The reason we get stuck in the mud many times is because we take our focus off of faith! You are either a person of faith, or a person of doubt. There are no buts or ifs in faith! The same Christ that was raised from the dead, now lives in you!

I. “Figures can’t lie,” said the professor earnestly. “For instance if one can build a house in 12 days 12 men can build it in one.” “Yes?” interrupted a student. “Then 288 will build it in one hour, 17,280 in one minute, and 1,036, 800 in one second. And I don’t believe they could lay one brick in that time.” While the professor was still gasping, the smart “ready reckoner” went on: “Again, if one ship can cross the Atlantic in six days, six ships can cross it in one day. I don’t believe that either, so where’s the truth in arithmetic? ”Then he sat down. You can’t always trust statistics. Apply this to religious issues, then. Science can’t disprove religion, nor can it produce faith. It concerns me when Christians feel the need to find Noah’s ark or try to prove the flood. If you have to try to prove faith, is it still faith? Faith is against the logic of this world! We Have an Illogically Logical Faith

A. Romans 4:23-25 23Now this wonderful statement—that he was accepted and approved through his faith—wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. 24It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way he accepted Abraham—when we believe the promises of God who brought back Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God’s goodness.

B. Think about that for a moment, in Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

C. You are not alone, you have living within you the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead!

D. Listen to the text again, and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (Since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He’s 100 years old! Sarah’s in her 90s! [In the natural this is scientifically impossible, but Abraham trusted God]!