Faith in God's Possibility Amidst Life's Impossibilities

Devotional

Day 1: God's Power Transcends Human Limitations

God's ability to accomplish what seems impossible is a central theme in the Bible. The story of the rich young ruler illustrates the challenge of entering the kingdom of God when earthly attachments hold us back. Yet, Jesus assures us that with God, all things are possible. This truth is further emphasized in the angel's message to Mary and Paul's words in Ephesians, reminding us that God's power is not limited by our understanding or circumstances. We are encouraged to trust in God's ability to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, knowing that His possibilities are beyond our human limitations. [00:40]

"For nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:37, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel limited or stuck? How can you invite God to work in that area, trusting in His limitless power?

Day 2: Recognizing Divine Appointments

Life is filled with moments that seem improbable, yet they are orchestrated by God for His purposes. An unexpected encounter in London serves as a reminder of how God is actively involved in our lives, arranging divine appointments that fulfill His plans. These moments, while improbable, are not impossible, highlighting God's sovereignty and involvement in our daily lives. We are encouraged to remain open to these divine orchestrations, trusting that God is working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes in our lives. [05:48]

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9, ESV)

Reflection: Can you recall a recent event that seemed coincidental but may have been a divine appointment? How can you be more attentive to God's orchestration in your daily life?

Day 3: Faith in the Face of Adversity

Jeremiah's purchase of a field during a siege is a powerful act of faith, demonstrating trust in God's promises despite bleak circumstances. This story teaches us to hold onto God's promises even when our current reality seems hopeless. Our faith should be rooted in God's faithfulness, not in our circumstances. We are called to stand firm in our faith, believing that God will fulfill His word and bring restoration and hope, just as He promised to Jeremiah. [27:29]

"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27, ESV)

Reflection: What is a challenging situation you are currently facing? How can you demonstrate faith in God's promises despite the uncertainty?

Day 4: Embracing Your God-Given Purpose

Each of us has a unique purpose established by God before we were born. This purpose is part of His larger redemption story, and we are invited to participate in His work on earth. Our lives are not accidental but intentional, crafted by a loving Creator. We are encouraged to seek and embrace our God-given purpose, knowing that it is part of His divine plan and that He will equip us to fulfill it. [41:18]

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Reflection: What do you believe is your God-given purpose? How can you take a step today to align your life more closely with this purpose?

Day 5: Courageous Faith in Action

Standing in faith involves taking courageous steps, even when the outcome is uncertain. We are encouraged to believe that God will fulfill His promises and to act on that belief. This requires us to trust in God's faithfulness and to be willing to step out in faith, knowing that He is with us. By standing on our corner in faith, we demonstrate our trust in God's word and His ability to bring about His promises in our lives. [45:25]

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5, ESV)

Reflection: What is one courageous step of faith you can take today, trusting that God will act on your behalf? How can you commit this step to the Lord?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound truth that God is the God of the impossible. We began by reflecting on the story of the rich young ruler, who chose his possessions over the eternal offer from Jesus, illustrating the difficulty of entering the kingdom of God with earthly attachments. Yet, Jesus reminds us that with God, all things are possible. This theme of divine possibility is echoed in the angel's message to Mary and Paul's words in Ephesians, emphasizing that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

We shared a personal story of a seemingly improbable encounter in London, which served as a reminder of God's orchestration in our lives. These moments, while improbable, are not impossible, highlighting that God is actively working in our lives, even when the odds seem against us. This led us to Jeremiah's story, where despite the impending doom of Jerusalem, God promised restoration and hope. Jeremiah's purchase of a field in a besieged city was an act of faith, a declaration that he believed in God's promise of restoration.

The message is not one of escapism but of faith in God's redemptive plan, even amidst loss and uncertainty. We are reminded that God has a plan for each of us, a purpose that was set before we were born. This purpose is not thwarted by the circumstances of our lives, no matter how dire they may seem. We are called to stand in faith, to believe in God's promises, and to act on that belief, trusting that God will fulfill His word.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Possibility in Impossibility: The story of the rich young ruler and the angel's message to Mary remind us that what seems impossible for us is possible with God. Our limitations do not bind God, and His power can transcend our understanding and circumstances. [00:40]
2. Divine Orchestration: The unexpected meeting in London illustrates how God orchestrates events in our lives. These divine appointments remind us that God is actively involved in our lives, working behind the scenes to fulfill His purposes. [05:48]
3. Faith Amidst Uncertainty: Jeremiah's purchase of a field during a siege is a powerful act of faith. It teaches us to trust in God's promises even when our current reality seems bleak. Our faith should be rooted in God's faithfulness, not in our circumstances. [27:29]
4. Purpose and Calling: God has a unique purpose for each of us, established before we were born. This purpose is part of His larger redemption story, and we are invited to participate in His work on earth. Our lives are not accidental but intentional, crafted by a loving Creator. [41:18]
5. Standing in Faith: We are encouraged to stand on our corner in faith, believing that God will fulfill His promises. This involves taking courageous steps, even when the outcome is uncertain, trusting that God is faithful to His word. [45:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - The Rich Young Ruler
[00:40] - With God, All Things Are Possible
[01:11] - Nothing is Impossible with God
[02:19] - Seeds of Possibility
[03:05] - A Divine Encounter in London
[05:48] - The Improbable Meeting
[09:10] - Improbable vs. Impossible
[10:05] - Jeremiah's Context
[11:30] - The Promise of Restoration
[13:10] - God's Redemption Story
[15:07] - Faith in the Face of Siege
[20:50] - Walking with God
[27:29] - Standing on Your Corner
[41:18] - Created for Purpose
[45:25] - A Call to Action

Sermon Clips

And Jesus responds and he says with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. When the angel was speaking to Mary that she was going to conceive our Savior, a situation which, you know, is completely impossible for a virgin to be with child, the Spirit of God was going to come over her and conceive in her the Son of God. [00:36:48]

Paul writing in Ephesians 3:20, a text that is very well known to people who are in church and probably has been, you know, held onto and clung to by a lot of us in life, it says now to him, speaking of God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. [00:83:20]

I don't know what your story is, I don't know what you're up against, I don't know what the situation is, but I do know that we're with a God today in his house who is the God of the impossible and that's the title I've given this message today God of the impossible. [00:147:76]

And so eventually we're landing on the 10:20 but I'm at the table thinking this is terrible that we haven't seen Andy and Sandra yet. They've been here, we've been here, maybe they think we don't want to see him, I don't know, we didn't, it just didn't work out and so I'm trying to formulate the text like hey I'm sorry that we've been here for you know a weekend together we haven't seen each other. [00:250:88]

Shelley and I've had a year like this, we've had a year of divine appointments like this that have been so improbable. We had another one in London, but they're improbable, not impossible. Impossible would have been we're in a taxi cab in Phoenix and Andy and Sandra are going on a train to Oxford and we ended up sitting next to each other. [00:538:64]

The context of Jeremiah 29 as a whole is that by this time in the life of God's people some of the best of the best have already been taken into captivity in Babylon. They're already exiles from their own land and we read about the stories of some of these the brightest and the best in other places in scripture. [00:701:28]

So the message, God of the impossible just to be clear today is not a message of escapism. It isn't a oh this is going to become our bumper sticker slogan for everything in life oh I believe in God I believe God can change everything I believe God can turn stories around I believe God has a future for me. [00:833:84]

And Jeremiah said I believe you, I believe that your plans are for good and not to harm us to give us a hope and a future I believe you so much that even though the army is at the top of the siege ramp and the city is going to be overrun I am going to take my money and buy that field. [00:1630:56]

You were created on purpose for purpose and the God of the impossible wants to take you back to your Anathoth today, the moment where he can speak to you what he spoke to Jeremiah oh no you're not going to be a prophet to Zedekiah, you're not going to be a prophet to the kings of Judah. [00:2423:28]

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a fill in the blank to the nations I gave you a role I gave you a job I gave you a purpose I've set you on a course and that course is for good and not for evil. [00:2475:60]

I pray especially that teenagers in this gathering wherever you are today we'll hear this word today because we're losing too many of you right now, maybe someone is telling you that you are accidental, maybe the philosophy that's trickling in is that we all just sort of randomly showed up here on the planet. [00:2546:72]

No you were created, the circumstances may have been that the siege ramp was at the top of the wall but God created you called you and still has a beautiful purpose for your life so when the darkness closes in when everything looks crazy when it looks like God's not even on the scene. [00:2597:84]

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