The Impossible Made Possible

In the 1920s engineers at General Electric’s NELA Park (in Cleveland, Ohio) had a running joke that they played on new engineers. They gave them a task that they knew wasn't possible and sat back to enjoy the futility of the young engineer. In 1925 GE hired an engineer named Marvin Pipkin. Marvin hadn’t realized that this was a joke being played on him, and he took the impossible job seriously. And so he did the impossible, he figured out how to Frost the inside of a lightbulb. When it came to this discovery he brought six lightbulbs into his manager stand them up on their basis. Three were the standard unfrosted bulb and three were his new frosted bulbs. He's systematically toppled each of the three unfrosted standard bulbs over and no surprise all three broken to pieces. But when Pipkin tipped over the three frosted bulbs none of them broke. His manager was amazed but even more so when pipkin held one of those unbroken bulbs and dropped it to the floor, where it remained in-tact. — Light was forever changed because an engineer set out to do what was considered impossible.

In one form or another we have all come to places where something prevented us to from moving forward. The way was made impossible. Often it's a matter of not having the finances or not having the time, or opportunity. Maybe it's because we don't have the right education or degree.

So much of what even our church aims to do would be considered impossible using conventional wisdom. Reaching the lost, in a community where most people feel very content that their needs are met.

Impossible. When the nomadic Israelites crossed the Jordan River, they were given the command by God to destroy the city of Jericho which was the first city in the land promised tot hem by God. the task given was impossible.

“Impossible” is exactly the report that was given by the spies sent into the promised land.

Numbers 13:27-38 gives us the spies report:

Numbers 13:27–28 KJV 1900

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

And for the reason of concluding that the task given by God was impossible, the Israelites were caused to wonder for 40 years in the wilderness.

Jericho

A traveling band of nomads defeating the city of Jericho was an impossible task. First, Jericho was a Tel.

It was a city built on a hill giving it a superior advantage in battle by always having the higher ground. Second the wall was so big it was split into parts. At it’s base the wall went up about 15 feet high and then on top of that it was built another 26 feet high. Behind the first part of the wall was an embankment and then another wall at the top of that embankment. This meant that the city was fortified by a wall that toward roughly 46 feet above the ground

It was a city built on a hill giving it a superior advantage in battle by always having the higher ground. Second the wall was so big it was split into parts. At it’s base the wall went up about 15 feet high and then on top of that it was built another 26 feet high. Behind the first part of the wall was an embankment and then another wall at the top of that embankment. This meant that the city was fortified by a wall that toward roughly 46 feet above the ground.

In Joshua 2:15 we read about the prostitute Rahab’s house, if you remember, she helped the israelite spies and was spared during the destruction of the city. Look what it says about her house:

Joshua 2:15 KJV 1900

15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

As a kid when I heard about Rahab living up on the wall I imagined that the walls themselves were somehow hollow and used for homes is some sort of double purpose. What's more likely is at her home was built in that rampart area between the first wall and the second wall. As overcrowding became a problem people were first to build whatever they could and it stands to reason that poorer and less desirable people like prostitutes would have their homes in this less fortified portion of the city, halfway up the wall.

Context

As we have been studying through chapter 11 of Hebrews we have been re-stating the context of the chapter, lest we miss the point being made by author. And that context comes in Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Or as Cockerill paraphrases it:

Faith is living as if the things hoped for are real.

And as we come to Hebrews 11:30 we see great faith demonstrated by the Israelites

Hebrews 11:30 KJV 1900

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

By faith the impossible was made possible, which is the title of our message this morning. The Impossible Made Possible

Let’s Pray

What is Impossible?

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 4093 Not a French Word

Napoleon proposed to cross the bridge at Lodi in the face of the Austrian batteries that swept it. “It is impossible,” said one of his officers, “that any men can force their way across that narrow bridge in the face of such an annihilating storm of balls as must be encountered.” “How impossible?” exclaimed Napoleon. “That word is not French.” He himself, bearing a standard, was the second across.

This declaration by Napoleon out to be the response of any Christian when faced with the impossible. “Impossible” is not a Christian word.

Declaration by Napoleon are to be the response of any Christian fakes with the impossible. Impossible is not a Christian word.

In Luke chapter 1 the angel Gabriel came to Mary and among the things he said to her was that her cousin Elizabeth who was barren in her old age would bare a son and Gabriel declared to Mary

Luke 1:37 KJV 1900

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

This hearkens back to Sarah’s laughter in hearing that she would conceive in her old age and the Lord said to Abraham in Genesis 18:14

Genesis 18:14 (KJV 1900)

14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? ....

Latter, in the New Testament, when asked about the impossibility of salvation how did Jesus respond?

Matthew 19:26 (KJV 1900)

26 .... With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’

Truth

Declaring something impossible is a declaration of a lack of faith. And I can understand us declaring something impossible because we lack faith in ourselves or in other people and we can't declare anything impossible with God. That is how you end up wandering the wilderness for 40 years because of your lack of faith. Nothing is impossible with God.

Where we go wrong is relying on human ingenuity in order to move the plans of God forward. If I were to come upon a heavily fortified city with 46 foot tall walls I would conclude that my band of nomads would not be able to defeat the city. In order to defeat a city like this a couple of things would've had to happen, the siege would have to have taken place where they surround the city and didn't let anyone out to starve them. To break through the walls you would need ramps and ladders and superior numbers. This is before the catapult was even invented.

What I wouldn't do is suggest that we march around the city blowing a trumpet expect victory from that. But I'm not God. I consider this method for defeating Jericho as a referendum on the lack of faith it was demonstrated when the Israelites first came to the promised land. What did they say? The inhabitants of this land are too powerful for us and they lived in fortified cities, we can't possibly hope to have victory. It's on the time came for Israel to begin its push into the promised land it's worth noting that God did the hard work. They didn't have to build ramps to scale the walls, nobody died trying to climb ladders. The Israelites had to act on faith but it is God who brought down the walls.

Archeology

The city of Jericho is unique. It is one of those rare ancient cities mentioned in the old testament where we have discovered the site with a pretty great degree of certainty. It has archaeologists excavated the site they found some very interesting things in the layers of soil that built up around the city. There is a little bit of debate about this but what they found was right at the same time but the Old Testament reports that Jericho was defeated that there was a wall around the city that was found crumble to the ground. What is interesting is how they found that wall collapsed. If the wall was brought down by attackers then you would expect the wall to be pushed from the outside of the city inwards and that it had fallen in upon its self but that's not what was discovered. What was discovered is that the wall fell forwards. The wall fell across that embankment in the wall fell ramping down the side of the hill so that the Israelites only had to walk right in. Furthermore when archaeologist found was that right at the same time that the wall fell the city was burned and then left abandoned, perfectly lining up with the old testament account.

God did the impossible and we have dug up proof.

Application

We need to take heed of Romans 8:31

Romans 8:31 KJV 1900

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

But we need to take into account the first part of that phrase. If God be for us. We need to remember what we said before nothing is impossible… With God. You can't go wrong from the faith and expect God to be there, you can't try to force your way forward on human ingenuity and expect God to be there. God things to work in ways that the wise would cost foolishness, God tends to work in ways where you can only look back and say only God could've made things turn out the way that they have.

One of my favorite quotes from American history was said by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln famously was asked “Do you believe that God is on our side” to which Lincoln replied:

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God side, for God is always right.

We need to first be concerned with being on God side. If the task in front of you but your heart is set upon seems impossible then there are two possibilities. The first is that you have your heart set on something that God doesn't one for you. Maybe the impossible path forward is an opportunity for you to look back. To reevaluate some things. It's an opportunity for you to make adjustments in your faith.

Paul Prohibited

In the book of Acts we read about Paul’s travels and it in Chapter 16:6 we read

Acts 16:6 KJV 1900

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

later in the book of Romans Paul writes to the Romans in Romans 15:22 saying

Romans 15:22 (KJV 1900)

22 ... I have been much hindered from coming to you.

Paul found at times that it was impossible for him to go in the direction that he planned on going because it wasn't God's will for him to go there. It wasn't God's will for him to go to Asia in the book of acts it wasn't God's will for Paul to have gone to Rome as he reports in the book of Romans. He could have tried to push the issue against the Holy Spirit put the apostle learned his lesson long ago that it was hard to “kick against the pricks” With Paul many things were impossible but with God nothing is impossible.

Impossible Christians

Christians find a lot of things impossible. A lot of Christians believe that it's impossible for them to serve in ministry for one reason or another. Then I have a talent, I don't have the means, I'm just not good enough. For many Christians is impossible for them to mature: I've been told before well that's just who I am. Finances are often impossible how could I possibly give 10%.

Where is your faith? We expect God to do all of these great things for us and then we're disappointed when the impossible doesn't happen. But where God wanted you to accept the impossible what did you do? Did you answer back to God that's the inhabitants of the land are too strong in the cities 245, I'm sorry God but what you are asking of me is impossible.

Action

Christians, you need to live in impossible life. You need to live as if the impossible promises of God are possible, that those things you hope for are real.

If you can't get out of the book of Hebrews chapter 11 that the unseen impossible things of God are actually possible if you exercise a little faith then you might as well rip Hebrews chapter 11 out of your Bible because it's doing you no good. We need to be people of faith.

If you will bow your head and close your eyes for just a moment I want you to ask yourself this question what is God asking me to do that is impossible. That I want you to ask this question where is my faith. And I'll close on this final point: the question was posed to Jesus about salvation and the common wisdom of the time was being challenged it was believed that you could buy your way into heaven. And the disciples were perplexed that Jesus is teaching that the wealthy with their charitable giving will have a hard time entering the salvation and so Jesus responds as we said before colon with man it is impossible but with god all things are possible. If you hear this morning and you don't know Christ, if you haven't given your heart and obedience to him and I will challenge you in anyway that you have tried to find to reconcile yourself to God this is possible. But understand this, with God all things are possible. You aren't good enough Christ gave his perfect life on the cross of Calvary, he paid the penalty for your son so that you might have eternal life. If you have any questions about that or anything in this message I would love to talk to you as soon as we conclude.

Let's pray.