The God Who Can’t

In: 1. Yellowstone trip- figure 8, waterfalls, buffalo, grizzly, alien planet geothermal areas (grand prism)

a. Old faithful

1) Despite popular belief, the geyser doesn’t erupt every hour on the hour. It currently erupts every 91 minutes on average. In the 60’s it was every 66 minutes

2) Old Faithful spews water up to 184 ft

3) The water that erupts from Old Faithful has been measured at 204° F

4) In the early days of the park, people sometimes used to throw their clothes into the geyser between eruptions and wait for them to be shot back out, thoroughly clean.

2. College- Great is thy faithfulness (no shadow of turning with thee)

a. James 1:17 With whom there is no change or any shade made by turning

1) Christian Alapati quoted the entire books of Romans and James for TBQ. Master Memorization award

b. I appreciate God’s faithfulness, consistency, dependability

3. My favorite people are consistent, always the same, not moody

a. One thing I appreciate about Sherri

4. God can’t? He has chosen to operate in certain ways, parameters

a. He chooses not to because of His character, nature, for our sakes

5. The God who can’t- Four things God’s can’t do

I. LIE

* Hebrews 6:16-19 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchorfor our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

A. His Word is good, it doesn’t change

1. Numbers 23:19 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 fulfil?

2. 1 Samuel 15:29 the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind

B. We can have confidence in His Word

1. God cannot break a promise

a. Psalm 12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace

b. Psalm 119:89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens

c. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away

1) Two eternal things- People, Bible

d. Jeremiah 1:12 I am watching over my word to perform it

C. His Word gives us hope

1. Like an anchor (fishing)

a. Keeps us still in the wind and waves

b. 2 Peter 1:19 a more sure word- than our eyewitness account

2. Our refuge

a. A place to hide

1) Our safe room (Lake Murray)

b. A place of safety

1) Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe

2) Proverbs 30:5 Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help

* God can’t lie

II. BE UNFAITHFUL

* 2 Timothy 2: 11 This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. 12 If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. 13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is

A. He’s a covenant God

1. A covenant is based on the character of the participant

a. Psalm 89:34 I will not break my covenant or go back on what I promised

b. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 The LORD did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations. It was simply because the LORD loves you, and because he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors

2. Even when we are unfaithful, He remains faithful

3. Like the story of Hosea & Gomer

a. He stays faithful to her- God does

b. He adopts illegitimate children and takes care of them- God does

c. He redeems everything

B. He will not break a promise

1. His covenant with Abraham / Israel

a. That’s why this tiny group (16 million) are back in Jerusalem

b. That’s why the huge countries surrounding them can’t defeat them

c. Bring them back to Him

1) Zechariah 13:1 In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity

2. The promise of His return

a. John 14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also

b. Acts 1:11 Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven

* God can’t be unfaithful

III. FAIL

* Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

A. No one can stop God’s plans

1. Isaiah 55:10-11 The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it

2. Job 42:2 I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted

a. NLT- no one can stop you

b. MSG- Nothing and no one can upset your plans

3. Tower of Babel, Pharoah, Kings & Queens through history, Haman in the story of Esther, Adolph Hitler, Charles Darwin, Communism, Muslim leaders today

a. History marches on and the Bible becomes more real everyday

b. In Ezekiel 38 the conglomerate of nations the Bible says will surround Israel in the last days are joining alliances today and God will one day destroy them on the mountains of Israel (Russia aligning with Iran & Turkey)

c. One day it is all going to end. America will lose it’s place of prominence/influence and the world’s attention will shift back to the Middle East

1. Instead of praying for deliverance, pray for the advancement of the gospel

2. Colossians 4:3 pray for an open door to share the gospel

B. God’s plan always comes together

1. A Team- (Rocky III- 82 Mr T) A-Team 83, Hannibal- I love it when a plan comes together

2. Deliverance from Egypt, journey to the Promised Land, coming back to Israel in the last century

3. From Jesus life, death and resurrection

4. Paul going to Rome, Acts 27 storm for 2 weeks- v22-25- But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said- Everyone safe, Paul got to Rome

5. Why would it be any different? Everything will end just as God said it will in the Book of Revelation

* God can’t fail

IV. NOT LOVE US

* Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love

A. He loved us first

1. 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

2. Romans 5:8 God demonstrates his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

3. He didn’t wait until we were good enough or decided we would serve Him

4. Psalm 8 David looks at the heavens and says, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”

5. Lamentations 3:22-23 The unfailing love of the LORD never ends. By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

B. He loves us no matter what we do

1. Psalm 89:31-33 If they do not obey my decrees and to keep my commands, then I will punish their sin and their disobedience, but I will never stop loving them or fail to keep my promise to them

2. Psalm 107 story of Israel’s failures through the years

a. v43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord

b. Bob Goff shared a story that predates his daughter. Before she was born, Bob wrote a note forgiving her for getting into an accident and crashing their car. He put that note in a jar, then buried it in the ground. And sure enough, seventeen years later his daughter crashed their car! Bob gave her a shovel, along with the latitude and longitude of where that jar was buried. She dug it up and discovered that her father had forgiven her before she was even born

c. God chose to love you before you were born

3. If we choose to reject Jesus and as a result are separated from God for all of eternity in hell, it will be over His dead body

a. But know this, God will still love you

* God can’t stop loving you and me

Cn: 1. He cannot lie, He cannot be unfaithful, He cannot ever fail and He cannot ever stop loving us

2. God’s character gives us hope and teaches us that we can trust Him

3. That should encourage us to put our whole lives in His hand, in His plan

Al: 1. Salvation- He’s ready to forgive will you respond?

2. Need a refuge, need hope- You can Trust Him with His plan & His timing