All Things Are Possible with God (Matthew 19:26)

I. Introduction. A. Orientation. 1. Weve looked at Gods moral attributes as a reason to love Him. a. Its not hard to love a Being who is infinite love. b. Especially when that love is directed towards us. 2. Now were looking at His natural attributes these can be reasons to love Him as well when combined with His limitless love. Weve seen: a. That He is omniscient: (i) That He knows all things (a) That have been, (b) That are, (c) That will be, (d) Even what might be. (ii) That He still chose to love us, (a) Even knowing what we had done before He saved us, (b) What we would do after He saved us, (c) And even what we might do under any given circumstances. (d) Our sins dont surprise Him (e) Or cause Him to reject us, (f) He already knows and still loves us. b. That He is omnipresent: (i) That He is everywhere, (ii) That He sees what were doing at all times, (iii) That He is always present to help, (iv) And that His presence helps us to resist sin. B. Preview. 1. Tonight, were looking at His omnipotence. a. This morning we considered what Jesus meant when He said all things are possible to those who believe. (i) It means that God will do everything He has promised, (ii) If we ask Him in faith, (iii) Waiting on Him as well for His perfect timing. b. Now, we want to focus on the fact that its God, by His infinite power, who does these things. (i) When Jesus says all things are possible to those who believe, (a) He doesnt mean that its our faith that causes these things to happen.

2 (b) He means what our text tells us: these things are only possible because all things are possible with God. 2. Tonight, lets consider: a. That God has unlimited power. b. And that because He does, He can and will fulfill His promises. II. Sermon. A. First, God has unlimited power. 1. What does this mean? a. First, lets consider what it doesnt mean. (i) For every truth the Bible teaches, there is a corresponding error. (ii) We saw one this morning, (a) Jesus says all things are possible to those who believe. (b) Some take all things to refer to whatever their sinful hearts desire. (c) But you know there are some things God wont give you (d) Because He knows theyll hurt you. (e) They must be things He has promised, (f) Because those things alone are good. (iii) The same is true here: (a) Jesus says, With God all things are possible. (b) There are those who distort this truth as well mainly in the Full Gospel camp. (c) Years ago, I was listening to Christian radio and heard a woman preacher quote Matthew 28:18, All power and authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (1) After she read this, she proceeded to apply that passage to herself. (2) Do you see what this says, All power and authority has been given to me. (d) I heard another speaker say that the keys of the kingdom of God had been entrusted to him the key of health, the key of wealth, the key of healing. (e) I also remember watching Trinity Broadcasting one time, when the hosts, Paul and Jan Crouch, were interviewing Johanna Michaelsen and Hal Lindsey. (1) Johanna Michaelsen had just authored a book called The Beautiful Side of Evil (2) Exposing the dangerous practices of witchcraft the Lord had delivered her from. (3) One such practice was that of visualization (A) If the witch could see it, (B) It would happen. (4) No sooner had she finished saying this when Jan chimed in,

3 (A) Saying that she does this all the time. (B) Doesn't the Lord say, We call into being the things that are not? (C) The Bible does say something to this effect, but attributes that power to God (Rom. 4:16), not to man. (5) I remember Johanna looking at her in disbelief, (A) Trying very kindly to point out (B) That this was witchcraft, not Christianity. (iv) When Jesus says all things are possible to the one who believes, He doesnt mean that our faith makes these things happen. (v) God makes them happen according to His promise. b. He can because He has unlimited power. (i) God can do whatever He wants. (ii) Theres no limit to His strength. (iii) Its as infinite as His other attributes. (iv) God wanted to create a world, (a) And so He did just by speaking the Word. (b) Actually, by speaking the Word eight times, over a period of six days. (1) Some Christians seem to have a hard time with this. (2) They dont seem to be able to conceive of God doing something so great over such a short period of time. (3) Its somehow easier for them to believe that He took longer, (4) Maybe billions of years. (5) Most of this comes from evolutionary dating methods. (c) Others seem to have just the opposite problem, (1) When I read Genesis One, I wonder why He took six days to create something He could have done with infinite ease in a moment. (2) Augustine had the same problem in his day, (A) Which is why he developed the instantaneous creation view (B) That God did in fact make everything at once. (3) Yet, the Lord tells us plainly that He took six days. (A) He did it in six days to establish the work week for us (B) That we would work six days and rest on the seventh, even as He did (Ex. 20:11). (d) The point is: God could have done it in a moment if He wanted. (e) And dont forget what were talking about here. (1) This universe is quite a bit larger than we usually imagine. (A) Just go to an observatory or look online at some of the pictures the larger telescopes have made. (B) There are some 200 to 400 billion stars in our galaxy alone.

4 (C) And scientists estimate that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in this universe. (2) The Lord took six days to make all that He did, (A) But the creation of the stars did in fact take place in a moment, (B) When the Lord said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:14-18). (4) Is it hard for you to believe that God could just say the word (A) And the whole universe could come into existence (B) Where there was nothing before? (C) If so, then your idea of God is too small. (D) He has infinite power. (E) He can do anything He wants. (F) Jeremiah writes not even understanding what we know of the vastness of the universe, Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for you (Jer. 32:17). 2. Still there are some who would argue and say this isnt true. a. God cant do everything. b. There are at least three things He cant do: (i) He cant lie (a) I hope you can see that that isnt a weakness, (b) But a strength. (ii) He cant sin (a) Same thing (b) This just means that God is infinitely moral. (iii) He cant make a rock so big that even He cant lift it. (a) If you say He cant make the rock, you limit His creative ability. (b) If you say He can make the rock, but cant lift it, you question His strength. (c) But again, this just shows His strength. (1) God can make a rock as big as He wants, (2) And He will always be able to lift it. (3) He has absolute sovereignty over all He has made or could make.

5 (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) He made the universe, And He can lift it, His power not only keeps it in existence, But suspends it at all times. God has infinite power.

(iv) He also cant cease to be God or die (a) But again these are strengths, (b) Not weaknesses. B. And so what difference does this make? Because God has this power, He can and will fulfill His promises. 1. He can do them with infinite ease. a. Paul writes, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). b. Its no trouble for Him at all. (i) He may not fulfill His promise when you want Him to (ii) Sometimes He waits (iii) But thats only because He knows this will be more glorifying for Him (iv) And more useful to you. 2. Most importantly, because He has infinite power, you can know you will make it to heaven. a. His infinite power overcame your heart. (i) You were the only thing standing between you and salvation. (ii) You were dead in sin. (iii) But by His infinite power, (iv) He made you alive: Paul writes, Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:3-5). b. The Lord in His infinite strength can overcome your sin. (i) One of the things that threaten you. (ii) He wont do it all at once there will always be a battle. Paul writes, For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Gal. 5:17). (iii) But He will give you the strength to overcome it. He also writes, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh (v. 6). c. Nothing can take you away from Him.

6 (i) Jesus says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29). (ii) Paul writes, Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35-39). (iii) Just as he also writes in Philippians 1:6, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (iv) He can and will overcome your greatest enemies: the devil, the world, and your flesh. (v) Limited power cant overcome limitless strength. 3. Can you love a God like this? a. Do you love Him? b. Would you have Him to be any other way? (i) If God didnt have infinite power, you would never be safe. (ii) The possibility would exist that any one of your enemies might destroy you. (iii) But because His power is infinite, there is no possibility that this could happen. (iv) This is another reason you should love Him. (v) His infinite power means you are forever safe. Amen. http://www.graceopcmodesto.org