Sermon Tone Analysis

*/“Five Things God Cannot Do”/*

* *

*(originally preached by Pastor Charles Bartels on 11~/11~/79)*

*Mayfair** Bible Church** Centennial Message*

*adapted by Pastor Tim Glover*

* *

*Introduction:*

 

Is there anything too hard for God? Jeremiah didn’t think so, even though he struggled with it ---

 

“16 ¶  "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD: 17  "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.

Nothing is too hard for you.

18  You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them.

O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, 19  great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.

Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.

20  You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.

21  You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.

22  You gave them this land you had sworn to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23  They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do.

So you brought all this disaster upon them.

24  "See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city.

Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it.

What you said has happened, as you now see. 25  And though the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, you, O Sovereign LORD, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’"

26 ¶  Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27  "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.

Is anything too hard for me? 28  Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.”

(Jer 32:16-28 NivUS)

 

If you believe the prophet Jeremiah, indeed if you believe Jeremiah’s God, the One who ordained him, even He who is also our God, the One who brought about such great events in salvation history, then this is a strange title for a message indeed.

But we need not leave the witness even there.

Job echoed this truth in ancient times that “there is nothing too hard for God”.

“1 ¶  Then Job replied to the LORD: 2  "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

3  /You asked,/‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:1-3 NivUS)

 

Job said this at the end of his rope.

Job had gone as far as he could in and of himself in the pursuit of the knowledge of God.

Only God could take him the rest of the way.

Sarah also discovered this amazing thing about her God in those times – that nothing is too hard for Him, and that He didn’t find it humorous at all.

 

“13  Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14  Is anything too hard for the LORD?

I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."” (Ge 18:13-14 NivUS)

 

About 2,000 years later, and 2,000 years ago, the mother of our Lord had this witness of the ages not to question God too long about what He could or couldn’t do.

“34  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

37  For nothing is impossible with God." 38  "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered.

"May it be to me as you have said."

Then the angel left her.” (Lu 1:34-38 NivUS)

 

And Jesus?

What a witness He brought on earth of things possible with God.

 

“23 ¶  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

26  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."”

(Mt 19:23-26 NivUS)

 

--- and yet there are five things God cannot do.

We cannot put God in a box, but can God place restrictions upon himself for his glory and our good?

God created the heavens and all that is in them.

This includes all material things in heaven and earth – all that you can imagine.

He has all power over his creation.

“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.

Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

(Ex 20:11 NivUS)

 

There is nothing earthly, nothing in this realm, that is impossible for God to do.

But although He made man from dust, shall return him to dust, and raise him up from dust again, these are the material things of creation.

No, the five things God cannot do are in the moral and spiritual realm.

These are things that go against His nature that He cannot do if he be truly God.

 

*Big Question:*

 

/In what ways does God limit Himself for His glory and our good?/

*I.

Limitation #1: God Cannot Lie (Titus 1:2)*

* *

“1 ¶  Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2  a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,” (Tit 1:1-2 NivUS)

 

*          A.

Narrative*

 

God’s nature is total holiness.

All he does is holy: his love is holy, his creation is holy, his Word is holy, even we that are fallen are potentially holy by faith and positionally holy by decree.

But God’s nature is far different from ours at the present.

Contrast our nature with his in these words of Balaam, that opportunistic pagan prophet hired by the Amorites, Moabites and Midianites to curse the children of Israel about to enter the Promised Land.

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

Does he promise and not fulfill?”

(Nu 23:19 NivUS)

 

Balaam could not speak that which he would.

We are all liars by nature, but not our God.

Even using such a liar, God speaks the truth.

And God’s Word was fulfilled.

“There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel.

It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’” (Nu 23:23 NivUS)

 

Even the psalmist, David, said “all men are liars” (Ps.

116:11) as he sought God, his only source of hope, proclaiming, “For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death.”

All men strain the truth, but for God, the truth is no strain.

Have you ever tweaked words a certain way by intent to show only what you want to be seen?

King Saul learned the hard way about playing such games with God.

 

“13  When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you!

I have carried out the LORD’s instructions."

14  But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears?

What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" 15  Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."”

(1Sa 15:13-15 NivUS)

 

“27  As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

28  Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors— to one better than you.

29  He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."”

(1Sa 15:27-29 NivUS)

 

Indeed, we can say about God that it is impossible for him to lie.

 

“17  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.

18  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.”

(Heb 6:17-18 NivUS)

 

Because God cannot lie, because truth is his very nature, we are encouraged.