The God of Limitless Possibilities, Part 2

Sometimes our personal insecurities have a tendency to shape our view of God. For instance, in our weakest moments when we are feeling and out of we tend to cast God in the same light rather than viewing God is all-powerful, capable of moving mountains. We slip into small minded thinking today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll invites us to elevate our confidence in God by shifting our attention away from ourselves onto the Almighty Jeremiah the prophet said, Lord God, nothing is too difficult for you title today's message, the God of limitless possibilities. Are you living these days struggling with feelings of inadequacy feeling small take heart, if you got time for the little children and says the kingdom belongs to such as these. Believe me, he's got room for those of us who struggle with feelings of inadequacy disability, aging mission possible see with God.

There are no little people was back in 1974. He sort of took the Christian world by storm. He dressed in a strange way, but all he held audiences numbered into the multiple thousands in the palm of his hand. As Francis Schaeffer would address our culture, especially the parts of our day, and the more you were around him, the more you realize this man is not impressed with Francis Schaeffer.

He is lost and wonder love and praise of his heavenly father and he talks to the world about everybody counts.

There are no little people. In fact, he wrote the book no little people.

I drag mine off my library shelf yesterday and I call Cynthia my study and I said listen to some of this. I read from the chapter that is titled no little people know little places. He writes all of us pastors and teachers professional religious workers and nonprofessionals included are tempted to say, I will take the larger place because because it will give me more influence for Jesus Christ. Both individual Christians and Christian organizations fall prey to the temptation of rationalizing this way as we build bigger and bigger empires but according to the Scripture. This is backwards. Not a good line.

This is backwards. We should consciously take the lowest place unless the Lord excludes us into a greater.

He continues the word extrude is important to be extrude it is to be forced out under pressure into a desired shape picture huge press jamming soft metal at high pressure through a die so that the metal comes out in a certain shape.

This is the way of the Christian, he should choose the lesser place unless God extrude him into a position of moral responsibility and authority. Listen to me, you who are in a lesser place and your ego is fighting for a greater place. Listen to this.

There are no little people. There are no little places he says let me suggest two reasons why we ought not grasp for the larger place first, we should seek the lowest place because there it is easier to be quiet before the face of I did not say easy and no place, no matter how small or humble, is it easy to be quiet before God and second reason why we should not seek the larger place is that if we deliberately and egotistically lay hold on leadership wanting the drums to beat and the trumpets to blow that we are not qualified for Christian leadership.

Why because we have forgotten that we are brothers and sisters in Christ with other Christians I have said on occasion that there is only one good kind of fighter for Jesus Christ. That's the one who does not like to fight the belligerent man is never the one to be belligerent for Jesus. It is exactly the same with leadership.

The Christian leader should be a quiet man or woman of God who is excluded by God's grace into some place of leadership that great wording extruded into leadership, you who are determined to find a large place in the lobby satisfied until it is large and well-paying and famous missed the whole point. That's not God's way you mean God doesn't have anyone in large places. He does all over but the most effective feel just as comfortable in small places an impossible judge, an impossible tax gatherer and impossible circle of little kiddos about them. Possible individual who was just too big for his britches a rich ruler who appears before Jesus. Verse 18 good teacher, what shall I do to obtain eternal life. He this is a hotshot ruler who shows up in his robes of royalty and in all the accoutrements of wealth and he says good teacher, what do to get eternal life. Emphasis on due. Why do you call me good to know Jesus. Jesus had away what you call me good, no one is good except God alone.

Sword trust, twist, twist with standing there listening to this he goes right to the heart of it trying to do your way and this is about belief, humility, trusting me is not about impressing and doing so that others will stand and take notice that the nails and with a number of things in the man even brags and says why don't all of that, what else in Jesus and find what you sell everything you have been given away and then will see how we come out. Jesus is saying stop trusting in the tangible things and just rather than clinging to them, cling to me you don't own them. They own you release them. Interestingly, Matthew and Mark both say these words.

His face fell and he went away grieved because he was one who own much property something wrong with owning property no better than that is the fact that the property owned the man couldn't get past his own resume. He couldn't take possibly lower himself to do the simple things like let's make Christ first, even though it means being misunderstood by your cohorts who live for the box. Let's go there just like today.

Back in the first century, people were very impressed with wealth and the disciples have been listening verse 26 gives us their response.

They who heard it said, then who can be saved if somebody like that can't be can be click in Jesus answer is again allowed one of the things impossible with men are possible with you can't work up enough humility to lift sacrificially but I can do that through you mean like giving up, for your sake and I love this with Peter.

This is one of those great moments were Peter doesn't say something wrong. He says it right and you just love them for it to Peter so good. Verse 28 Peter said sort of panting for reassurance.

Behold, we have left our homes and followed you Lord.

We we've done that. In other words tell me it's worth it hard to tell me one more time know we become missionaries may not a fishing business. Lake my brothers and my daddy and I we walked away from the nets and the boats tell me it's worth reassurance is no rebuke Christ in his graciousness may put his arms around and he said verse 29. I truly say I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom who shall not receive many times as much at this time. I mean to say nothing of eternal life. Let me tell everyone of you may tell everyone it's most if you you who have put your priorities straight.

You who have set aside the ego and the nonsensical pursuit of just more and more imitate work. It is the greatest blessing on earth to be able to represent the Lord Christ.

Whether it's in the halls of academia for a believer or it's in the halls of Hollywood.

For those so desperately in need, or whether it's in the Bush of those in the heart of the most pagan countries, not a bird greatest calling on earth greatest decision you could possibly make that dear rich ruler never got, you know, I was possible for him because he chose not to be going there. Well we look at an impossible judicial decision were a helpless widow couldn't do it. But God did an impossible tax gathering center where he could reach God in his hopeless setting but God did.

God impossible situation with a handful ghettos who really weren't that sophisticated that not all the Lord made their audience possible. The possibility of a proud ruler who stayed impossible because he chose it with the Lord said, I can do anything I can change now got three questions for you. You knew this was coming I got three questions for you.

You have to have a Bible open form, enclosure, Bible, but I don't want anything to distract you from the answer. I don't know your answer but I do know the questions number one by the way, remember how started the most important thing you about you is what you believe about God that opening line filtered so let's go there.

Question number one. How big is God in your mind not looking for dimensions here on and looking for concepts have big easy big enough to bear and to handle your need to be a need in the rearing of children at home in a tight place where the rewards seem to be few and the demands are many big enough to take care of the frustration of where you are in your setting. You may be highly gifted, and perhaps even well schooled, but it seems such a waste. Is he big enough to be there big enough to be there with you and honor that big enough to help you out of your comfort zone and into a brand-new world you've never trusted him for before a big easy big enough to rearrange even your career so you leave. What is so familiar and you go and do something that is relatively unfamiliar because you're you know in your heart that's really what I may not but is big enough to go there and to make that happen. Your second question, what specific thing.

Have you marked off as impossible thinking it'll never change does have a name on it. The guy you continue to witness to continue to talk to about Christ until he finally cursed and virtually through you out of his life. That lady who said you finally become the religious fanatic. I was most concerned about. Please, never again bring the subject up, you got that person on your list. Take about some personal struggle or addiction or scar that again if I flashed before Saul would bring the real embarrassment you think that's too much for you think he's an established open-end addiction since he's in the business of doing the impossible whole direction in your life or your risk complete change and maybe a whole new method of earning a living, impossible. Don't try to be funny here, but some of you are saying an answer back in whose impossible.

My husband, my wife or this child of mine now grown really really so God can handle it blanch at some kind of stubborn husband had some kind of difficult child, you may not say I have reached my limit. I cannot do anything with that person is 1/3 question, she got me leading you into a whole new direction spiritually. Are you going to say yes. Should he.

I don't know what his plan. Are you going to say yes. I don't know what it is. If I did I tell you, so we could, map it out together. Pray through it, but I can assure you that promise. He gave peters is still true.

No one who has left all discomforts shall not receive many times as much is this time in the age to come. Tell your story.

It was a 1979. Everything was rolled along great for me church is going great tripled in size 5 services every Sunday building a new building acreage far away of the more I am. I am visiting a one armed paper hanger in a windstorm with hives. Man I am I got more to do not ever keep up with and have a chance to begin a little radio ministry understand this is before we never done anything like this.

Personally and I realize it would need management that I couldn't provide.

Because of my involvement the church and I said to Cynthia one evening I said that you know what looks like we have a chance to get on the radio and I said to her, I don't know if that's kind of thing. My mission it will be an opportunity to do this. Take everything we have, we had about 10,000 saved up every dime we had and I said if we started to be from scratch and that weekend I took off with our older son, Kurt, and what to not shot the rabbits with him up at the rogue River in southern part of Oregon with a great time. I left Cynthia crying on the sofa when I drove off and wondering what she was going to do as a buzz going around it. You will middle feel under pressure you know standard has been stop but I said you got the brains for it. You got the vision for and it's obvious that I don't have either one. They could use my voice and if you want to put this together. Let me know. Frankly, I think it's ridiculous me of great faith.

I said it's impossible and so I took off came back into my amazement, she said I will do that gave birth to a little ministry called Insight for living and we had no idea. None first month we needed $75,000 in the Lord, seven 76,000 next month. We probably needed 82,000. We got in 83,000 thoughts been like that, why does that give us 8 billion and take the pressure off putting never worked like that I would live in the and and I said down here like all of you and I looked up the flags and I thought 60 languages 60% of the world population can hear it. If that union seem to be 100% and I want to tell you something minimum. If you can do that he can meet your need. Listen to me today, no one on earth on earth is more surprised that I over this ministry of its became the connection for the forming of this church.

That's how we knew each other and giving praise all the praise I do when I got ready and you can see my notes and see conclusion with the line is blank as I did not in this message. I rarely if ever even mentioned that I had to mention at this time because it's so obvious what he's doing and maybe it will be just enough to spur you to say, start thinking right about God or maybe a series of songs you're supposed to write. There may be a ministry you're supposed to start.

There may be some books are supposed to write. There may be some live.

You're supposed to touch. There may be a company you're supposed to get off the ground in use for his glory and turned the proceeds totally over to ministry. I don't know if I knew what maybe an education you need to finish maybe a place you need to go up maybe a career, you need to change it's your move.

Do it. He is a God of limitless possibilities.

Believe me now wants to bow our heads to close your eyes the Lord Jesus left the comfort zone of heaven.

No one ever had it more comfortable in the resplendent holy presence of the father in the spirit and the landed on this earth coming to his own things in his own ones did not even welcome because that was the father's plan for him because he did it. We have life eternal through believing in him, he will not barge into your life. He will not force you. He may make life miserable so that you wind up with nothing else to do but turn to him, but you'll have to do it you have to turn I will make you but I will tell you today's the best day to do it. Thank you father for all who will hear what has been said from Gardner to King of the country from truck driver to business owner from homemaker tucked away in a little place to a business executive, a woman who owns her own work.

Who is searching for a reason for happiness some Prof. of the school. Some student some retiree some deer sold in the hospital some disabled friend some brokenhearted sinner, Lord God, thank you for lifting the burden of sin and giving us the blessing of life with you find in us open hearts to do to go to give the span to invest whatever for your glory with the rewards yet to come work on those who today are struggling in as you move upon them may they yield give up the fight, ask the name of Christ Savior, who gives us hope and all God's people site for living message from Chuck Swindoll title, the God of limitless possibilities and will hear a closing comment from Chuck in just a moment. So please keep listening and learn more about this nonprofit ministry. Please visit us online@insideworld.org and let me remind you Insight for living produces a number of resources designed for all ages and stages of your family and one of the more popular items comes from a collection for children called pause entails through creative and memorable stories and fun music with playful lyrics your kids and grandkids will learn timeless theological truth for the audio and video collection called pause entails and for the curious student of the Bible, you'll see inside for living offers Chuck's entire New Testament commentary series called Swindoll's living insights you find all kinds of unique and inspirational giftgiving ideas. When you go online to Insight.org/store. What right now would like to ask you to join Insight for living and giving generously so others will hear the truth about the extraordinary love God offers that every dollar God prompts you to give will go directly toward declaring this message at home in our country and even around the world. Chuck thanks Dave. It was a revered pastor and author AW toes are who made this brilliant observation many years ago he wrote these words. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us now stop and ponder that statement. To paraphrase AW toes are the most important thing about you is what you think about God.

So here's the question. When you think of God is he a big God with a G or a little God with a small G alt I'm not talking about the, the dimension I'm referring to God's competence is significance. What do you think about God well at Insight for living ministries. We fully submit ourselves to the majesty and the magnitude of a big God with a G of course the God who does the impossible. Remember what the resurrected Lord said to his disciples when he was in Galilee.

He said go and make disciples of all nations doesn't sound a bit grandiose maybe over the top, perhaps even audacious, well, not if your God with God. You see, nothing is impossible at Insight for living ministries. This accurate view of God is what shapes our entire mission were driven to pursue the impossible. And that is to make disciples of all the nations. Just as Jesus commanded and gratefully we have big minded and generous friends like you who come alongside us and enable us to make that happen.

As we come to the end of another year. I'm calling upon you to lock arms with us as we pursue an impossible God -sized goal of reaching all 195 countries in this entire world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Your special year in donation will make all the difference. Believe me, so are you with us in this cannot count on you to stand alongside us.

Let's introduce people to the great God, who says behold, I am the Lord God of all flesh is anything too difficult for me so it's your move. Let's do this together.

Here's how to respond. Chuck's window was a call right now listening in the United States., 1-800-772-8888, 1-800-772-8888 four for maybe record more efficient to give online@insight.org/donate once again@insight.org/donate. Join us again Monday, when Chuck Swindoll prepares us for the Christmas celebration ahead right here on Insight for living. The preceding message that God of limitless possibilities was copyrighted in 2001 and 2019 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2019 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited