Top 10 Things God Can't Do

The Limits of the Almighty: Understanding What God Cannot Do

Summary: This sermon explores the idea that there are certain things God cannot do, which helps us better understand His nature, character, and the freedom He grants to humanity.

Application: By understanding the limitations of God’s actions, we can find peace in knowing that He is committed to our free will and upholds His promises. This knowledge can help us overcome doubts and fears, guiding us to trust in His sovereignty while acknowledging the role of human choice.

Teaching: This sermon highlights that while God is all-powerful, He has chosen certain limitations based on His character, such as not being able to lie or go against His own nature. This teaching reassures us of His faithfulness and truthfulness.

How this passage could point to Christ: The theme of what God cannot do ultimately points to Christ as the embodiment of God's truth and the fulfillment of His promises. Jesus represents the perfect expression of God's character and the fulfillment of His divine plans, which cannot fail.

Big Idea: God's nature is unchanging and trustworthy; He cannot act contrary to His character, offering us a foundation for faith and reliance on His promises.

Recommended Study: Consider utilizing your Logos library to delve deeper into the attributes of God, specifically focusing on His immutability and faithfulness. Examine classical theological texts that discuss the nature of God and the implications of His inability to sin. Additionally, research scripture that illustrates God's promises and the ways in which He honors human free will in the context of divine sovereignty.

1. Truthful and Trustworthy

Titus 1:2

Perhaps you could focus on how God's inability to lie underlines His unchanging nature and reliability. This assurance in God's truth gives us a firm foundation to trust Him, allowing us to confidently align our lives with His promises and purpose. Understanding His commitment to truth reassures us of His eternal consistency and motivates us to mirror this honesty in our own lives.

2. Promises Never Broken

Hebrews 6:18

You could discuss how God's inability to break His promises assures believers of His commitment and faithfulness. Highlighting this aspect of His character helps us grasp His sovereign plan and cements our faith in the fulfillment of His promises. By recognizing His steadfastness, we are encouraged to live faithfully and await the realization of His promises in our own lives.

3. Holy and Unchanging

James 1:13

Maybe you could explain how God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. This reflects His pure, holy nature, guiding us to trust in His goodness as we navigate life's trials. Understanding God's holiness encourages us to seek righteousness and helps reinforce our assurance that trials are meant for growth, not destruction.

4. Faithful Forever

2 Timothy 2:13

Perhaps you could emphasize how God remains faithful even when we are faithless. His inability to deny Himself shows His unwavering nature that does not depend on our faithfulness. This aspect of His character inspires us to rely on His constancy and motivates us to pursue fidelity in our relationship with Him, knowing that His promises stand firm.

INTRO: "omnipotent" refers to God's infinite power and authority over all creation. It signifies that God has the ability to do anything that is consistent with His nature and character, encompassing His control over nature, history, and human affairs. 

PLEASE STAND FOR THE READING OF GOD’S WORD!

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

PRAY!

1 Samuel 15:29 “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

10. God Cannot Be Taken By Surprise

Our wonderful heavenly Father, however, is never taken by surprise. This is because he is omniscient. Or put simply, “He knows everything” (1 John 3:20b). There are no surprises for someone who knows all things.

1 John 3:20 “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”

Isaiah 46:9–10 “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,”

9. God Cannot Lie

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Hebrews 6:18 “It is impossible for God to lie”

Why? If He is omnipotent, He has all power to do anything He wants. It’s because He is Holy

And that quality makes it impossible for Him to lie. The holiness of God is His moral and ethical perfection, His absolute integrity that sets Him apart from all His creatures.

Because of His holiness, when God speaks, He will not and cannot lie. He never deceives; He never distorts or misrepresents what He says or does. Lying is against His nature

8. God Cannot Tolerate Sin

In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet says to God, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil”

Habakkuk 1:13 “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.

The passage is clarifying that He will not look upon evil and tolerate it. He will indeed judge sin

I want to talk about Jesus on the cross for a minute.. We know the famous words that Jesus said on the cross “my God my God why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And I believe Jesus felt God’s displeasure of sin at the moment, because Isa said

Isaiah 53:4–5 “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

All the sins past, present and future were put upon Him who was blameless, Jesus at that moment could feel His fathers displeasure of sin. Jesus bore all sins so we could be forgiven and free

7. God Cannot Change

Malachi 3:6 ““For I am the Lord, I do not change”

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

6. God Cannot Be Unjust

Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Romans 9:14–15 “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

5. God Cannot Go Back On His Promises

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

2 Chronicles 6:14 “and he said: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.”

4. God Cannot Be Defeated

OMNIPOTENT= All powerful

Jeremiah 32:17 “‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

3. God Cannot Be Wrong

Psalm 18:30 “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

Exodus 4:11 “So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?”

We don’t always understand why God allows some things to happen; we wish we could, but in all honesty they remain a mystery to us. Some day, when we get to heaven, we will understand — but until then, all we can do is learn to trust God, even in the dark places of life. As the Bible says, “We live by faith, not by sight”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2. God Cannot Abandon Us

Hebrews 13:5 “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—”

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

God Cannot Stop Loving You

Romans 8:38–39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Ephesians 3:19 “And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

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IN CLOSING

PRAY!!!!