The God Of Impossibilities

The God of Impossibilities

Romans 4:19-21

March 18, 2009 FBC, Chester Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction

A And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26 (NASB)

1 What prompted Jesus to say such a thing?

a To remind us that what we think can’t be done, can be done by Him.

b God will make a way!

2 He can change animals’ behavior

a "Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them.8 "Take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go.9 "Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance."10 Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.11 They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors.12 And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh. 1 Sam 6:7-12 (NASB)

b He sent two wild cows to carry the ark back to Jerusalem, leaving their calves.

3 He can change physical law

a So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed."6 Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.7 He said, "Take it up for yourself." So he put out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:4-7 (NASB)

b Iron floating!

c He can do the impossible

4 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.Romans 4:19-21 (NASB)

I Consider not

A Abraham did take into account his natural circumstances.

1 He’s old, his wife is old, they’d tried for years to conceive...

a He didn’t let natural circumstances stop Him from receiving the blessing.

b He also didn’t let it influence his faith.

2 I’m not telling you to ignore the natural circumstances, or to do something crazy.

a When you believe to receive the fulfillment of a promise of God, you can’t concentrate on your natural circumstances.

b The word “not” does not appear in the text-so Abraham looked at the circumstances of his/Sarah’s bodies through the eyes of a strong faith.

B There were four steps to receiving this impossible promise God had made to Abraham:

1 If God says He’ll do something, He’ll do it.

a But there are some things we must do in order to receive His promise!

b Best example is seen in the life of Abraham:

aa God told Abraham his wife, Sarah, would give birth to a son.

bb Abraham had to ignore a lot of stuff, have faith in God’s promise, & believe God was powerful enough to do what He said He’d do.

2 Rom. 4:19-21 tells us the steps Abraham followed to receive the impossible promise God made to him:

a Consider not

b Stagger not

c Give glory to God

d Be fully persuaded

C If you take your eyes off God (focus on the natural or what “so & so” said), you will become weak in the faith.

1 Abraham’s faith was not weak.

a The word weak means “to be feeble, to be diseased, impotent, sick”.

b A lot of folks have diseased faith (Abraham’s faith was not weak).

2 His faith was strong, steadfast (old, barren), & he didn’t blink an eye!

II Stagger not

A In Genesis 18:1-15, Sarah has a good laugh about the news (Abraham is 99 & she’s 90)-funny! It wasn’t funny to Abraham.