Is Anything too Hard for the Lord? - Genesis Part 38

Now today we're going to return to our theories in the book of Genesis and we come today to one of the greatest event and one of the grandest screws up in all the word of God. In fact, when it comes to unlocking the richest blessing of God on our lives. The true that were going to learn here today from Genesis 18 is the mass for tea and I'm very excited about sharing it with you. So are you ready I little bit of review first. Remember Genesis 17, God told Abraham that he was going to give Sarah, Abraham's wife, a song Genesis 1719, but God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a sauna and you shall call his name Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him and his descendents after him as an everlasting thing covenant so with that little bit of background were ready for Genesis 8.

Meaning we picked up at verse one. Here we go. Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of mom, rare. While he that is, Abraham was sitting by his tent door in the heat of the day. Remember the Genesis 1318 told us that the oaks of mom rare were in a city called he Braun and he brought his just south of the city of Jerusalem verse two and when Abraham lifted up his eyes, he saw three men standing opposite him when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself down to the ground and Abraham said, my Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes.

Please do not pass your servant by please let me bring water to wash your feet and please rest yourself under the tree why because it was shady and was hot out, that's why. And I will bring food that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may continue your journey and they said do as you have said. Now we see here. Of course Abraham, practicing hospitality and I think we all understand that hospitality is a defining value for the people of the Middle East. Even to this day. Even if you're an Arab's worst enemy. He's not allowed to harm you when you're inside his pants or inside his home and here in Genesis 18 we see this cost them in Volga 4000 years ago all the way back to the time of Abraham verse six so Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said quickly prepare three measures of fine flour and needed and make bread, cakes, and then Abraham ran to the her. Remember this guy's 100 years old and he's running that's impressive and he took a tendering choice calf and gave it to his servant who hurried to prepare and Abraham took curds and milk and the calf which you prepared and placed it before. The three men see, watch, and Abraham's good by them under the tree to be nervous to them as they ate. Now let's stop and ask the question why did Abraham do all of this while you say will lawn you just said hospitality.

Yes, but beyond that, I mean why did Abraham personally supervise the preparation of this meal.

And why did Abraham personally stand by these men as they ate ready to respond to their every need. I mean do you really think that Abraham did this for every single passerby that came along. Do you do you know of course he did friends the answer why Abraham did. This is the somehow someway. Abraham had figured out that these three men were something special. So who were the well. The Bible tells us first of all, Genesis 1822 says, then the two men to out of the three men there under the tree with Abraham turned away and went toward Sodom. Chapter 19 verse one. Now the two.

What's the next word angel yes the two angels arrived in Sodom so the Bible says that two out of these three men sitting under the tree with Abraham were angels in human form and the New Testament confirms this identification. Hebrews chapter 13 verse two it says do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so. Some people, meaning Abraham have entertained angels unawares. So that takes care of two of the people who was the first person that was sitting there with Abraham well.

Genesis 1822 says, then the two men turned away and went toward Sodom. But Abraham was left standing before the Lord say what you mean before the Lord. While I mean before the Lord. You say you mean like before God himself, the Lord, that's exactly what I mean friends. The Bible clearly says that this word man who sat there under the tree and have a meal with Abraham that day was none other than Jehovah God himself. Look Genesis 18 one, says the Lord LORD appeared to Abraham verse 22. Then Abraham was left standing before the LORD in both of these verses and this is very important. The Hebrew word that's translated Lord L ORD IS not the word out on nine which means master or server and is often used of people.

In fact, Pharaoh uses this word to refer to her husband.

In verse 12. In just a minute. Rather, the word that's used in these verses is the word Yahweh, the Tetrick grandma time you hold hey Volpe and this is a word that the Bible only only only uses to apply to Jehovah God himself. So the point is that this third man was none other than the living God himself in theology.

We call this a theophany that is God appearing to men in human form. Verse nine. Then after lunch they said to Abraham, where Sarah your wife and Abraham said well she's inside the tent. Now remember Abraham and the three men were sitting outside the tent under the tree right okay for us to and he the Lord said, I will surely return to you. Abraham at this time next year, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a song, but Sarah was hiding behind the tent door and eavesdropping you see in 4000 years nothing has changed with all say and don't write me any cards or letters were just kidding, which is having fun. Okay, I don't want to cards or letters are first 11 now watch Abraham and Sarah were all advanced in age, lawn, how old were the Bible says Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women by saying these words, it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women, the Bible wants us to understand the. The immensity of the promise that God is making here the Bible wants us to understand that Abraham and Dara were utterly beyond the age of childbearing that Sarah was no longer ovulating that is. Romans 419 says her womb was dead.

The bottom line is that when God promised, here Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a child when he was promising them was not unlikely what he was promising them was not improbable what he was promising them is not that the odds were just against it folks by every law of nature and medicine and chemistry and physics. What God was promising that was impossible.

Do we see that good verse 12 now when Sarah heard this is remember she's eavesdropping.

She last inside herself.LL saying again inside herself after I have become so old. Shall I have this pleasure, my Lord, meaning Abraham being also old paper and you know we love say here ladies if you're 90 and somebody tells you that you're going to get pregnant if laugh or cry so you might as well laugh right yeah okay and that's what Sarah did.

Then the Lord said to Abraham. Why did Sarah laugh saying indeed.

Shall I have a child when I am old is anything Abraham too hard for the Lord and suddenly we are confronted with one of the mountain peak versus in all of the Bible is anything too hard for the Lord. This is exactly what the angel Gabriel said to Mary at the virgin birth. Luke chapter 1 he said for nothing is impossible with God. This is what God said to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 32, he said, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me this is what Jesus said to his disciples. Luke chapter 18. He said the things that are impossible with men are possible with God. How much do we love what God is saying to Abraham here is anything too hard for the Lord is saying hey Abraham, I know you're an old man and hey, I know that Sarah's womb is dead and I know Abraham and Sarah, I know that having a son is in absolute impossible ability based on every law of nature, but none of this matters Abraham and Sarah, because you are dealing with me and there's nothing too hard for me how much you love. Amen. You clap, that's great. Verse 14 at the approved time next year.

The appointed time. God says I will return to you and Sarah will have a son. But Sarah denied that she left saying I didn't laugh, for she was afraid but the Lord said to her, no what you did last now. What was God doing here with Sarah salon. He's rebuking her for lying and laughing no is not no not at all. To the contrary, God is trying to reassure Sarah and Abraham that indeed he does have the power to keep his promise and give them a trial is not really sure I I see that will sure. Think about it.

God says hey Abraham hey Sarah, you need proof that nothing is too hard for me. You need proof that I can give you the son the way I told you what I just do. Hey Sarah, I just saw you behind the opaque walls of a 10 did not see you hiding back there. And hey, Sarah. Didn't I know that you would laugh even though you did make one found out loud did not know that. And hey, Sarah. Didn't I know the words that you were thinking that were going through your mind. Even though you never said one word out loud did not know that Sarah not listen. Sarah can someone who's limited by the natural laws of the universe do all of that, Sarah, but I just did it did not.

And the point is if I can suspend the natural laws of the universe. Dara to know what you're thinking in your mind and know that you're laughing in your heart and you hiding behind an opaque 10 then I can suspend the natural laws of the universe to give you a child if I want to Sarah. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Now Sarah. Believe me and trust me and go buy a cripple because you're going to need it. So the conversation ends in precisely one year later, God did precisely what he said.

Genesis 21 verse one then the Lord remembered Sarah just like he'd said in the Lord did for Sarah. Just as he promised, so Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age.

At the appointed time when God had said, and Abraham called the name of his on whom Sarah had borne to him. Isaac and friends Isaac in Hebrew means. He laughs, or laughter.

Now that the stars were going to go in this marvelous passage for today is going to stop now were going to ask our most important question now I want to remind you this is the very first so what of 2013.

You know that right okay so everybody out there Bethesda and all you guys of Prince William allow the down at the edge and on the Internet campus in here at Tysons that we got a really start this year off with is that with a bang right okay I now come on, let's do this is the first one of the year. Are you ready, here we go nice and loud one thread. Oh, that's we use Alonso one so you're right. I mean this is the this amazing passage.

I agree with you but I don't see what any of this has to do with me.

I may not. God knows when I'm 90. I hope the Lord on the purely like this do this. Okay, fair enough. Chances are he won't. So you got nothing to worry about, but you say other than that I will see what any of this got to do with me.

Well, it does Romans chapter 4 is a commentary on Genesis 18. Let me read you what the apostle Paul says there verse 19.

Romans four it says without becoming weak in faith Abraham did not consider his own body now is good is dead as he was about 100 years old, nor did he consider the deadness of Sarah's womb with respect to God's promise that is that Sarah was going to have a son. Abraham did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God watches now verse 21.

Watch this being fully convinced. Gosh I love that being only convinced that what God had promised God was able to perform and you know what it wouldn't just Abraham. It was Sarah to Hebrews 11 verse 11 says, by faith Sarah received the ability to conceive the even beyond the proper time of life. Why, because she considered him faithful who had promised.

No wonder Abraham and Sarah are in the Bible.

No wonder God so richly bless these people's lives.

Because here's what they did.

They looked at a promise from God that was utterly impossible that there was no way in their finite minds. They could figure out how God was going to do this, but here's what I love about them. Don't miss this. They refuse to go into unbelief. They refuse to go into doubt in bed. They refuse to limit God in bed face that got free to be God. They say God we don't are you going to do it. We can't figure it out but it doesn't matter. We are fully convinced that if you set it you can do it. So here we are, Lord no limits on you. You be the omnipotent God for our life. You see what they did. Yes, one of the saddest verses in the Bible to me is Psalm 78 verse 41, where it says they that is the Israelites under Moses limits is the holy one of Israel. What this means is that they'd seen God open the Red Sea. These Israelites have seen God's mash Egypt with the templates they had seen God destroy Brown pharaohs Cherry if they had seen God give them supernatural food man on supernatural water in the wilderness they had been God lead them with a pillar of fire through the desert. And yet, after all of this when God instructed them to go into the promised land.

They refuse why well because there were obstacles there were giants, there there were walled cities.

There there were big armies. There, but don't miss this instead of trusting God to be bigger than those obstacles just like God had been bigger than the Red Sea and bigger than Pharaoh, and bigger than the desert instead of doing that. They shrank back in unbelief and doubt and fear and friends. They in voltage God by doing this they dishonor God by doing this they angered God by doing this now happily Abraham and Sarah didn't do with the Israelites to happily Abraham and Sarah did the opposite. They took the limits off of God and they said God free to be God for them and all of his awesome omnipotent glory and friends as followers of Jesus Christ look here this is what God wants you and me to do.

God wants us to approach every problem in life with the very same attitude as Abraham and Sarah, an attitude that says hey, no matter how big the problem. My God is bigger and no matter how great the obstacle. My God is greater and no matter how powerful the opposition, my God is more powerful as followers of Christ. The only limits that we should have a place for what God can do for us what God will do for us or the limits the God hymns sell ordains in light of his perfect will and plan for our life and not self impose limits that we put on God in our own puny human unbelief. Here's what that sounds like a 90 minute ask God for the noise I could do it anyway because not even into demigods running the whole universe you really think God's going to step in promoting a whole universe and handle some little problem for me like that. He's not going to do it. I'm not even go to waste his time on me. I get out anymore put them on the spot. But you know because if he doesn't come through and then I'll be in there. You know, and so I'm deciding going to add you to unbelief and limiting God joining the back to each of club get behind me Satan. This is what sent the Israelites back out in the wilderness for 40 years and if you think and act like this that's exactly what it'll do for you.

Let me just say I don't want to go there with you. So if you want to think like that and act like that that your business just stay away from me because I'm not going there. God help you don't think like that.

Like you don't have to you've got an all powerful omnipotent God. There is no reason to act like I remember back in 1997 when God offered us this property that's now our Tysons campus.

Everybody said to us you can't do it. You never make it. You won't get to the County.

You can't afford it. You go broke. The neighbors will all oppose you, and I said don't tell me what God can't do dog audit.

If God wants us to have this campus and use this campus for the glory of God, then God is perfectly able to make it happen and the rest is history. A man and and and and when people said you can't go on the radio there never going to let you put not a sermon, just a thought on secular radio and talk about God on secular radio and put 30 minutes government secular radio that we preach in charge. It'll never happen and I said don't tell me what God can't do it.

God wants us on secular radio. He will open the door and will be on secular radio and the rest as they say is what is right and people said you'll never bill Jill South. It's a nice idea long. God bless you, but it'll never happen. There's no way you can pull this off and I said tell tell you what God can't do it. Jill South is supposed to go up. And God wants it to go up. God is omnipotent and powerful enough to put it up.

I'm not putting limits on God and telling him what he can do what you drive by it every day coming in here. Don't you. The rest is what thank you and we wanted to start campus is people said all you you can't do that, you'll never pull that off it won't work in Washington. You will be able to afford it. It'll sink this church will go bankrupt.

I'd like to say hello to all of you at our campus is here today.

The rest is not. Thank you very much, and even most recently in December we needed $3.8 million to end the year in the black as a church family and people said that's impossible.

We've got an economy that will recover in the housing market, the Sinemet customer going over the fiscal cliff and we got all kinds of problems and you never see that kind of money in a month right now in our economy tell me for talking to.

And you know what we didn't get $3.8 million. We got $5.5 million from the Lord.

The rest was not say to and friends on and on and on it goes when you don't limit God. That's the way you got a live that your follower of Christ you listen to me if you got problems and you got obstacles and you got blockades in your life and for the like for you.

You can see how the Lord's gonna work this out and how he's going to make a way through for you.

That's all right. Don't worry about it.

You don't need to understand it, my friend. The bottom line is, don't you dare join the back to each of club, don't you day or copy the example of the Israelites in the wilderness you copy the example of Abraham and Sarah, you grow strong in faith, you refuse to waiver in unbelief. You, as the Bible says give glory to God. You consider him faithful who promised you stay convinced that what God has promised you. God is able to do whether you can understand it or not, and he's able to perform it, according to his mighty power.

Ephesians 119, by which he raised Jesus from the dead don't you sit around and talk about what God can't do don't you sit around and decide for God what he won't do, don't do that and folks, this is how we unlock the richest blessing of God for our like this is how we set God free. Jeremiah 33, three to do great and mighty things for us that we know not.

This is how we position ourselves so that God can.

Ephesians 320 do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or even think we take the limits off of God use Avalon I got excited. Sounds like the prosperity gospel to me know it isn't you say want to say that if we take the limits off of God he'll do anything we want no I didn't say that friends what I said is the God sometimes will not do what we want is not best force but you lead God make that decision, not you in your unbelief to make that decision. You let him make a promise you there are blessings he wants to give you and me that he is dying to give us. If we don't approach him with his hand.

He hit me to do that to say here I am Lord be God in my life. If you don't have it, fine, I'll submit to them. I'm not making that decision, Lord you make folks.

The bottom line is we've got an omnipotent Almighty awesome, great God and we need to live like a man (heavenly father, thank you for the great example of Abraham and Sarah today who by not limiting. You saw something happen that literally couldn't have trouble. But it did because there is nothing too hard for the Lord and father remind us that as followers of Christ. There's a lot of things you want to do in our lives, just like if we will do what Abraham and Sarah take the limits off and let you be the sovereign God of our life, not us. And so Lord forgive us for the many times that we limit you in our own puny unbelief. Teach us Lord Jesus teach us never to do that, but to let the awesome God of the universe have the final word.

Everything in our life change the very way we live because we were here today, and sat under the teaching of the word of God change the very way we approach our problems of life and we pray these things in Jesus name what God's people say you know what, listen, we had just talked about want the greatest truth of the whole Bible. And you say any no would listen if you can't get excited about this know what you need gold I don't know what's wrong with you Kaman and God's people said about there you go. We got a great God, go out there live like it this way.