I Am The Impact [The God of the Impossible]

I Am The Impact [The God of the Impossible] (Faith & Obedience)

Ezekiel 37:1-20 NLT/NIV; Matthew 21:21-22 NLT; 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT/NKJV

July 15, 2022 – Waters Edge Church Student Camp

INTRODUCTION / TENSION / THE HOOK (6.5/6.5)

What’s up…I’m Corey Hise-NNCP…honored to be here…wasn’t last night amazing/60 students/God, creator moved/ best decision of lives/don’t stop there-baptism/changed… last full day of camp!…lots of fun? Fav thing so far?

Speaking of fun, I have a fun ?… are you a beach or mountain person?… Beach Story

Other day, we were at the beach/her and her friend were reading/I asked what they were reading-they told me fiction... & so I asked-why fiction? why not something beneficial to your life? & her friend said bc a good fiction story gets you out of this terrible world and lets you live in amazing/miraculous/impossible world…where anything can happen

Started to think- many of us live today believing that miracles/God doing the impossible is stuff of fiction/fairytales/ legend- believe that outside of camp God doesn’t really move like he used to/that hes quieter/stealthier/more secretive

Maybe you’re trying to make an impact in your school for Jesus but then you see hard things (someone get bullied/ friend turn from God/society commit atrocities against God/ppl hating others/wars & violence/death), you think that God might just be less powerful today than he was in Bible times…losing his touch/grasp slipping/strength wavering/ love fading for us/doesn’t care anymore… anybody felt what I’m talking about?

EXPOSITION (.5/6)

Here’s what I bet you didn’t know- people have had this doubt throughout history…even ppl in Bible times would doubt God’s power/thought he’d lost his touch/given up on them… even after they’d just seen him move!

Today, I’m going to walk you through a story about man named Ezekiel where everyone had given up faith on God/ all hope was lost/no shot for God to move/battle had been lost/where it seemed impossible for any good to happen

Shift Your Focus (Listen to His Voice) (8.5/15.5)

Ezek 37:1-2: The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out.…pause- such scary start… the Lord picks up Ezekiel & takes him to the most hopeless place you could think of- a valley full of bones- bones dead so long they’re bleached white & bone-dry

What does this valley of dry bones represent? Hopeless situation/place of no return/battle that’d been lost…

I can imagine, Ezekiel is walking around these bones in despair/defeated/crushed…& I’m sure Ezekiel is asking… God, why am I here? why would you bring me to this valley? Hopeless situation? scary/lonely/irredeemable place?

Y’all ever asked that? Why am I in this valley/school/team/family/friend group? Why in such hopeless/lonely place?

Notice what God says…Ezek 37:3a: Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

Loaded question, but before we address the ?…notice God brought Ezekiel to this valley so he could speak to him… maybe one of the reasons why you’re in that valley/at that school/team/family/friend group is bc God wants to speak to you…guys-God loves speaking to us in darkest valleys-we’re alone/no one else to turn to/rock bottom-only look up

Before Jesus does anything in your valley, he calls you to Listen to His Voice… Jesus wants to tell you things that only he can tell you… he knows what you’re feeling/that you’ve given up on making impact/tired of being mistreated/feels your pain… he wants to speak to your insecurities/shame/guilt…comfort/love/heal/restore you… I encourage you, before you ever ask God to move, listen to his voice

Pause-how do I listen to Jesus’ voice? Pray/read Bible/sit quietly… listen for his whisper/speaks softly/says things you wouldn’t think of/have conversation…he wants to give you new words/confidence/mindset… lead/guide/shape you in the midst of your valley… & he wants to do it today… make sense?

Alright back to ?… God asks Ezekiel, “can these bones live?”…this ? is huge- changes his perspective/refocuses him

Bc I’m sure, Ezekiel was disgusted/creeped out/can’t take his eyes off the bones…God asks “can these bones live?… Ezekiel is focused on the bones, but God focuses him on impact…he’s saying, Ezekiel: stop thinking @ how the bones are effecting you, think @ affecting the bones!

Some of us are in same boat- so focused on the ppl around us- we’ve been asking God to get us out/pick us up & take us somewhere safe…but Jesus is saying, no- you don’t have to be impacted by those around you, you can be the impact! Bc ultimately, God wants to Shift Your Focus…he’s saying- stop thinking @ how alone you are at school/ hopeless your team makes you/sad your family makes you/different your friends make you feel…shift your focus!

Instead of asking God to do the impossible for you, ask God to do the impossible through you… he’s calling you to stay in the valley so you can be the impact… if not you, then who will?

I want you to know today- not in your valley by accident/just zoned into that school/born into that family/recruited onto that team… no listen- God put you there on purpose…you were designed/called by God to be in your valley… God picked you up and placed you in your valley to make an impact… God wants to do the impossible through you

So, you might ask how? Even if you’re right & God still has the power to do the impossible & wants to use me to do it… how in the world do I? how do I make an impact?

Have Faith in His Power (6/21.5)

Ezek 37:3: Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”… love this- the answer should be heck no/no way… Ezekiel not dumb/ knows its bleak/not looking good/require a miracle… yet, he still believes in the power of God… the 1st step to making an impact is to Have Faith in His Power…believe that God can do impossible/revive valley/resurrect bones

I know a lot of us hear the word faith & don’t think much of it… but faith is much more than believing God is real/ knowing you’ll go to heaven… faith is the most life-changing/reality-altering/transformational power that belongs to us…our faith has the ability to change the world/we don’t even know it…Genie Illustration

I know silly- but that’s so many of us with faith… we have this ultra-powerful weapon, yet we barely even use it… convinced we’re hopeless/helpless… but God has given us a powerful weapon to use! Matt 21:21-22: Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”… students it’s time for a perspective change-

Many of you see the hopeless valley/dry bones around you/ppl @ school dead in sin/friends lost/family pieces/team hopeless & you’re waiting for someone else to come & transform them… but I’m here to tell you today… if you have faith, God will use you to make the impact! You’re waiting for someone else to come, but God has already sent you!

I know you don’t see how… how friends will change/coach will learn/parents will humble themselves/classmates will stop bullying you… but trust me, we serve a God who can do anything/change anyone/transform any life/heal any heart/redeem any past… & for him to do the impossible, you know what he needs from you? Have Faith/believe…

That is what God is calling you to do today…but it doesn’t stop there, bc as we see with Ezekiel- faith only activates God’s miraculous work… faith is not the whole story- if God is gonna do the impossible- there’s one more piece…

Obey His Commands (6/27.5)

Ezek 37:4-7a: Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” So I prophesied, just as I was commanded…listen y’all, if you want to make an impact- can’t just listen to God’s voice/have faith in God… you must actually Obey His Commands… Canes Story

Jesus isn’t telling you to stop eatin’ canes, he’s calling you to obey his commands…the reason we struggle w/ trusting that God will do the impossible is bc while we’re willing to believe he can, we’re unwilling to do what he says

You want to make an impact? Be a difference-maker? See God do the impossible? You can only do it in obedience to God…listen, we don’t have an information problem, we have an application problem…so many of us, we know what God calls us to do, we just don’t want to do it…&yet-we hold God accountable for not doing the impossible…not fair

Here’s reality- God is not less powerful/lost his touch/strength fading/love wavering…his ppl are just less obedient

It’s our disobedience thats impeding God’s miracle to be done through us…our defiance is hindering God’s ability to do the impossible…students, I wanna challenge you today-let’s stop that trend now/do what he says/obey commands/ follow Jesus & his word/be the impact…everyone say, I Am the Impact…in my school/team/home/job/college…IATI

But to be the impact-we have to address those areas of disobediences/places where we’re living in sin/defying God… everybody right now- take moment to identify those areas that are stopping God from doing the impossible through you… relationships/sexual identity/porn/substances/hobbies/reputation? Now, here’s what I want you to do- in group, surrender those areas to Jesus… bc only once you’re fully obedient to Jesus can he do the impossible through you…

CONCLUSION (4.5/32)

Ezek 37:7b-10: Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the winds, son of man. Prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet — a vast army… amazing! We serve God of the impossible/comeback/revival/2nd chance/resurrection/God who doesn’t give up/lose hope/slow down/despair/quit/ yield/we serve the living/all-powerful/all-knowing/awesome God who’s just as powerful today as he was then… & he chooses to use us to do the impossible! … isn’t that amazing?

But guys I want you to notice… God only did the impossible once Ezekiel obeyed…God waited to do the impossible/ make an impact/change lives until Ezekiel obeyed- Ezek’s faith/obedience unlocked the miraculous/allowed God to do the impossible… listen, I fully believe this: Through faith and obedience, God will do the impossible through you

(SIT ON STAGE) God is searching for a student who will stand in the gap/wants to make an impact/see God do the impossible… he’s looking for someone who has faith in him and will obey him!

2 Chronicles 16:9: The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him… God wants to show himself strong in you/do the impossible through you...

What happened last night- God wants to do that in your school! And he wants to use you to do it… LHS Story… wasn’t bc I was special/or my personality/smarts/popularity/knowledge…no, was bc I believed that God could do the impossible in my school… & I obeyed when he told me to talk to someone… and Jesus radically changed my school

God can do the impossible in your school too… and here’s what’s most beautiful part of all, when Jesus does the impossible in school/team/family/friends- that place that was once a valley of death becomes a beacon of life…

We serve the God of the impossible & he wants to use you to be the impact- let him, don’t say Gods no for him, listen to his voice/have faith in his power/obey his commands…remember ‘bc of Jesus w/in me, I am the impact’…lets pray

KNOW (BOTTOM LINE): Through faith and obedience, God will do the impossible through you.

DO: Listen to His Voice, Have Faith in His Power, Obey His Commands

FEEL: Inspired; Commissioned

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