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Too hard?
Genesis 18:1-18:15
Have you ever been in a situation where everything seemed impossible?
I mean no matter how hard you looked
You could not see a way out of this mess you have made
No matter where you turned
Or how you turned it
Your situation seemed utterly impossible
Undoable
With men many things are in fact impossible
If you have kids
You have heard
The words
That’s too hard
Whether math homework’
Or cleaning their bed rooms
Maybe you like me have said those words yourself as a child or even as an adult
Maybe about a job
Digging post holes in clay or rocky ground
Too hard
Maybe putting in extra hours in an attempt to get ahead just a bit
Too hard
Maybe in a situation in your life you used these words
Financial disaster
That’s too hard
Serious medical problems
Too hard
Death or a friend or loved one
Too Hard
But
Sometimes
We see things in this world that seemed impossible
Happen
Think about the magic tricks we often see on television
They happen
Or appear to happen
But
Then we see that it was just a trick
Smoke and mirrors
You see we cannot go against nature or natural law
Magicians often seem to make things fly
Make things float
Make things disappear
But
It is just an illusion
You see
They are bound by natural law
And in man’s power those acts are impossible
Not so with God.
God does not have to perform a trick in order to do the impossible.
He is not bound by the forces of nature
Remember when he calmed the storm
Remember when he turned off the sun after Jesus’ death
Parted the Red Sea
You see
He created the nature
And
Nature answers to Him, not the other way around.
Our scripture this morning tells us about God doing the impossible.
How when we think something is impossible for man, we are right but for God, nothing is impossible.
Nothing too hard
Today we will continue with our sermon series from Genesis
People relating to God
Turn to
Genesis 18:1-15
The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the LORD said, “No, you did laugh.”
Focus with me on verse 10
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
What great news this should have been for Abraham and Sarah.
They had been waiting a long time for this
Abraham was 75 years old and Sarah was 66 when God called them to be the parents of the nation of Israel.
Remember last week we learned that God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation.
But
He and Sarah got tired of waiting on God
So
Abram slept with Hagar, Sarai’s slave and the result was a son named Ishmael.
They thought that he would be the heir that God had promised
But
He was not
Abraham was now 99 years old and Sarah was 89 and God told them that Sarah was going to have a son within the next year.
Sarah heard this and laughed.
Yeah right—she thought
You have got to be kidding
I am a worn out old woman and Abraham is older than me.
This is impossible.
The laws of nature will tell you this can’t happen.
I’m sure that Sarah had never seen or even heard about a 90 year old having a baby
This was against the laws of nature.
After all she was way past child bearing age
She had already gone through menopause
Even if embryo transplant or in vitro fertilization had been possible then
This was not scientifically possible
This
Could not happen!!!
But here in this passage
God asks a simple
Straight forward question
To counter her doubt
Her Laugh
In verse 14
He says” is anything too hard for the Lord?
God is saying to Sarah and to us
“I know that this is going against all that you know but I will intervene in your life.”
I made a promise
I will keep it
I will do the impossible and you will have a son
Ya’ll tried to do it your own way
Tried to make your servant Eliezer your heir
You took matters into your own hands
And
Thought that Ishmael would fill the role as the promised heir
But
I will change that.
I will bless you with a son
I know
in the natural order of things
This can’t happen
But
Through me it can.
The Lord heard her laugh and scoff
And
I believe he must have thought
Why doesn’t she understand?
Why does she not get it
Verse 14
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
That was the question to Abraham and Sarah.
Sarah laughed because she did not believe that God could or would be able to do this
She thought it was too hard
It went against common sense
Against the laws of nature
Against science
Let me ask you
Do you believe
That
God can do what He says He will do.
No matter what.
Do you believe he will make good on his promises?
That is the question for us today
Is there anything too hard for God?
Can He still do the impossible?
(pause)
Have you ever felt hopeless?
That something can’t be done?
Doctor’s giving no hope?
Problem too big?
Too Expensive?
Impossible?
Maybe you’re here this morning and you feel like your life is hopeless
And
Your circumstances will never change.
Let me tell you
There is stuff in our lives that are too hard for us.
Many well meaning people try and tell us in times of despair
“That God will not put on us more than we can bear”
The bile does not say that
Ask anyone who has lost a child or a spouse
If God will give them more than they can bear
Ask
Anyone with a diagnosis of a terminal illness
Ask someone who is looking at the burned ruins of their home
God puts more on me than I can bear
On a regular basis
But he never puts more on me than he can carry
You hear me
I can be overwhelmed by things that seem too hard
But
When I trust God
He will take me though the storm
Or give me the strength to praise him in the storm
I know
There are
Things that we have no control over
And
Things that sometimes seem hopeless.
Listen
This is important
There is nothing that is too hard for God.
With God all
ALL
Things are possible!!!!
Let me remind who this God is that we worship
The God I’m talking about this morning
Let me tell you about my God
The God of Abraham
The God of Isaac
The God of Jacob
My God
My God not only created this world and everything in it out of nothing.
He did it with just a word
He simply spoke
Nothing is too hard for God.
My God loved his creation so much that He made a way for us to be restored when we mess up
He voluntarily died for the things they do wrong so that we would not receive punishment for them.
Nothing is too hard for God
This God who died for us also told us in
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
You see, nothing is too hard for my God.
He is the God that helps us when we are suffering
He is the God that gives us guidance and direction in times when we don’t know where to turn
Where to go
Or any idea how to get there
He is the God who protects us in tines of Danger
Even protects us from our stupid selves
He can do all this
Because
Nothing is too hard for my God.
He is the God who gives us comfort in times of fear
He is the God who gives us peace in times of turmoil
He is the God who give us strength in times of temptation
He can do this because nothing is too hard for my God.
Most of all, He is the God who can and will give us forgiveness
Whenever we ask.
For whatever we have done, or think we have done
Is anything too hard for our God
I don’t think so !!!
If you believe that some things are too big for God
Think about this
Let me ask you
Do you think that God won’t understand your grief
So maybe you keep it all bottled up inside of you.
Remember God gave his son Jesus Christ
His one and only son
And
He watched as he was betrayed, beaten, and led to a horrible death.
He watched his only Son-- Jesus suffer and die
Oh
I think he understands your grief
Do you think that our Lord doesn’t know what it is to be tempted?
Don’t forget that Jesus was tempted for 40 days and nights
By Old Slick himself- In person
I think he understands temptation
Do you think God doesn’t know what it feels like to be lonely and alone?
Let me tell you
Our Lord Jesus had no place to lie his head
No home
No home here on earth
And
The bible tells us
He was often found alone praying to His Father
Which is what we should do when we feel alone, or lonely.
I have no doubt
As He hung on that cross,
He felt alone and abandoned crying out Eloi, Eloi, Lama-sa-bathani.
My God my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why have you left me?
He knew- He already knew the answer
But still he cried out in utter loneliness
I know
He understands our loneliness.
Do you think our Savior doesn’t know what it feels like to wrestle with wanting our way vs. wanting God’s way?
Don’t forget how he sweat great drops of blood in the garden of Gethsemane
And
Cried out
Father, if it be possible let this cup pass by me
But
But
God
Not my will
But your will.
Do you think that God couldn’t possibly understand when you are falsely accused of something?
When someone tells lies about you?
Don’t forget how he also was falsely accused by his enemies
And
He didn’t even open his mouth to defend himself.
He understands
He understands because he has experienced it
The point is this…
God
Can do anything
And
Nothing is impossible for Him.
There is nothing that you are personally going through that God can’t help you with
Or
That he wouldn’t
Or
Doesn’t understand.
He is not some mean and angry God waiting for you to mess up so he can point at you
Call you out
And
Punish you
He is not just an idea
Not just a picture on the wall
Not a God who is confined to a church building
Only to be even thought about on Sunday
No
He is a loving heavenly Father who knows you
And
Knows your heart
He
Understands you
And
Is waiting to help you.
All you need to do is to ask.
Ask for his help
Commit yourself to Him
And
Trust
Trust that
“Nothing is too hard for Him.
If today you need a miracle
Remember nothing is too hard for God.
If you are in need of reassurance
Nothing is too hard for God.
If you need direction in your life
Nothing is too hard for God.
If you need encouragement, strength, freedom from the bondage of sin, comfort, protection, courage.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
If you need forgiveness
And
You feel so unworthy
So unworthy to even approach a Holy God
Remember that He was once a man like us and tempted in every way.
Nothing is too hard for my God
Trust Him today
And
Believe within your heart
And
With all of your heart
That
Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
Do you know Him today?
He is the best friend you could ever have
Let me tell you this truth
Whether you know him or not
He knows you!
I ask you this morning,
Do you know God in personal and saving way.
There is great value in knowing God through Jesus Christ this morning.
Once you know Him
I mean
Truly know him
Not just know about him
You
Too can realize that there is nothing too hard for God
Nothing too hard if we will place our faith and trust in him.
Matthew 19:24-26
I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Close from the heart
Pray
All scripture is from the NLT
Thanks to Horace Wimpy and his sermon " Doing the impossible" for a large part of this sermon
Power points and Audio recordings available on request
