OceanSide church of Christ

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WHAT ENABLES GOD TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE?

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    One month ago, we did a series of lessons about our theme:  “Trusting God for the Impossible.”

1.      One of the lessons was entitled:  “The God of the Impossible.”

2.      In that lesson, we looked at ten impossible things that God has done in the past.

 

B.      In this lesson, I want us to ask:  “What Allows God to Do the Impossible?”

 

I.                   HE IS GOD

 

A.    This is the most basic answer that we could give.

1.      God is not an animal.

2.      God is not a man.

3.      God is not just a power or force.

4.      God is not a mythological creature.

5.      God is not the figment of the imagination of man.

 

B.      He is a unique being with His own nature and unique set of qualities that elevate Him over all.

 

C.     Two passages from Isaiah:

1.      Isaiah 45:5

 

I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…

 

2.      Isaiah 46:9

 

Remember the former things of old:  for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.

 

D.    This was Paul’s message to the Greek philosophers in the city of Athens (Acts 17:23-31).

1.      Knowable (v. 23)

2.      Creator (v. 24a)

3.      Unconfined (v. 24b)

4.      Self-sufficient (v. 25a)

5.      Giver of life (v. 25b)

6.      Creator of man (v. 26-27a)

7.      Near to man (v. 27b)

8.      Upholder of man (v. 28)

9.      Not physical (v. 29)

10.  Commander (v. 30)

11.  Judge of the earth (v. 31a)

12.  Raised the Christ (v. 31b)

 

II.                HE TRANSCENDS TIME (Eternal)

 

A.    God is eternal.  He has no beginning and no end.

 

B.      The realm called “time” was created by Him (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1).

In the beginning God created…

 

C.     We cannot see the past.  We can only remember it.  God sees it as a reality.

We cannot see the future.  We can only speculate about it.  God sees it.

We can only see the present.  It is our reality.  God certainly sees it with us.

 

D.    This kind of ability allows God to work His will through the fabric of human events.

 

E.      This kind of ability allows God to be able to predict the future in minute and exact detail.

1.      Isaiah 46:10

 

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

2.      This ability allowed God to set forth over 300 messianic prophecies that would be fulfilled to the letter.

3.      This ability allowed Jesus to make a memorial before the event rather than after it (Luke 22:19-20).

 

And he took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:  this do ye in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

 

III.             HE IS ALL-POWERFUL

 

A.    The fact that all power resides in God is another factor in His being able to do the impossible.

 

B.      Fifty-seven times the word “Almighty” is applied to God in the Bible (Gen. 17:1).

 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

 

C.     No god is more powerful than God is.  Just ask Dagon.

No ruler is more powerful than God is.  Just ask Nebuchadnezzar

No man is more powerful than God is.  Just ask Goliath.

No nation is more powerful than God is.  Just ask Egypt.

No army is more powerful than God is.  Just ask the Philistines.

No beast is more powerful than God is.  Just ask Daniel.

 

D.    Jeremiah 32:17

 

Ah Lord God!  behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm,  and there is nothing too hard for thee.

 

IV.             HE IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL

 

A.    The word “sovereign” means that God has ultimate authority over all.

 

B.      He commands and all do his bidding.  Notice the word “all.”

1.      The angelic hosts obey His commands (Ps. 103:20)

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearken unto the voice of his word.

 

2.      Sun and moon (Josh. 10:13-14; Job 9:7)

 

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, unto the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.  Is not his written in the book of Jasher?  So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.  And there was not day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man:  for the Lord fought for Israel.

 

3.      Mountains (Job 9:5)

 

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not:  which overturneth them in his anger.

 

4.      Plants (Matt. 21:19)

 

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on the tree henceforward for ever.  And presently the fig tree withered away.

 

5.      The wind and the sea (Mark 4:39)

 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

6.       The evil spirits (Matt. 8:31-32)

 

So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.  And he said unto them, Go.  And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine, and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

 

7.      The dead (John 5:28-29)

 

Marvel not at this:  for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth…

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    What is it that enables God to do the impossible?

1.      The fact that He is God.

2.      The fact that He transcends time.

3.      The fact that He is all-powerful.

4.      The fact that He is sovereign and everything is at His command.

 

B.      Most of us in the audience know about the things that we have discussed in this lesson. 

1.      To hear them again causes us to appreciate the nature of God.

2.      To be reminded helps us to put our complete trust in our theme for this year:  “Trusting God for the Impossible.”

 

C.     One objection:  God is not sovereign over man.  He commands, but not all men obey.

1.      First, God is sovereign over all.

2.      Second, God does not force His will upon man. 

a.      He wants man to freely choose to follow Him.

b.      He wants man to determine his eternal destiny.

3.      One day, God will show that He is sovereign over man (Phil. 2:9-11).

 

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name:  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.