Nothing is Impossible

Introduction: The Weight of Silence

Big Idea: God’s silence is not a sign of His absence; it is the preparation for His impossible work.

Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent.

We love the Christmas story for its noise—the angels singing, the shepherds running, the baby crying. But before the noise, there was a silence so heavy it nearly crushed the spirit of God's people.

Imagine waiting for a promise. Not for a week, or a year, but for generations. God had sent letters of hope through the prophets. He told them a Deliverer was coming.

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2 NIV

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Malachi 4:5–6 NIV

5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents...”

But after those promises... silence. For 400 years—from the prophet Malachi to the events of the New Testament—the heavens were brass. No prophets. No miracles. just Roman oppression and the slow, grinding feeling that maybe God had forgotten.

We know this feeling, don’t we? Maybe you aren't waiting for a Messiah to be born, but you are waiting for a marriage to heal. You’ve been praying for a wayward child for 10 years, and the heavens feel like brass. You are waiting for a diagnosis to change, for a job offer, for a sense of peace. When you wait that long, "Hope" starts to feel naive. You start to trade the word "Possible" for "Impossible.

We cannot imagine exactly what the first century life in and around Jerusalem was— but it was difficult, especially for the Jewish believers of that time.

That is where our story begins today: In the thick of the impossible. And our theme for this first week of Advent is simply this: Nothing Is Impossible.

God breaks into the silence. (Luke 1:31)

Suddenly, the 400-year silence breaks. It doesn't break with a trumpet blast heard by the whole world; it breaks in the quiet corners of ordinary lives.

We see two distinct interruptions:

Luke 1:31–33 NIV

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

To Mary (Luke 1:26-38):

To a young woman in Nazareth. Luke 1:26-33

He tells her she will conceive a son who will be the Son of the Most High.

Matthew 1:20–21 NIV

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

To Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25): An angel appears in a dream

To a heartbroken carpenter in Galilee. (Matthew 1:18-25)

On paper, this plan sounds like a disaster. God is entrusting his Messiah to a peasant girl and a carpenter? He’s entering the world through a scandal? Mary asks the question that logic demands: "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). Joseph is likely thinking: "How can I do this? Everyone will think I’m a fool."

The situation screamed "IMPOSSIBLE." Biologically impossible. Socially impossible.

Think about how inconvenient this "breakthrough" was. God didn't solve their problems; He actually gave them a bigger problem. Socially, this was a disaster. Joseph is likely thinking, "Everyone in town knows how to count to nine months. They are going to think I’m a fool." The situation screamed "IMPOSSIBLE.

But look at the angel’s response to Mary in verse 37. It is the banner over our entire faith: "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Luke 1:37 NIV

37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

Mary and Joseph had hope through relentless remembering. (Matt 1:20-21)

How did they do it? How did Mary say "Yes" and how did Joseph wake up from that dream and choose to stay? I believe they survived the "impossible" because they were Relentless Rememberers.

When the angel spoke, they didn't just hear a new promise; they remembered the old ones. They didn’t just see their current circumstances, but remembered God’s resume’— His body of work is pretty impressive!

They remembered Abraham and Sarah having a child in old age.

They remembered the Red Sea parting.

They remembered that the God asking them to do the impossible had a track record of doing the impossible.

(Optional: Insert clip from 'The Chosen' — "Holy Night" / Or describe the scene: "There is a scene in the show 'The Chosen' where Mary and Joseph are walking to Bethlehem, exhausted. Joseph sighs and says, 'This all seems impossible.' And Mary replies, 'Yes, but remember what the messenger said... nothing is impossible with God.'")

Advent reminds us that we are waiting as well.

Now, let’s pivot to us. Because we are in a season of waiting, too.

Advent isn't just about looking back at the First Coming of Jesus; it is about looking forward to the Second Coming. But just like ancient Israel, we have been waiting a long time. It has been 2,000 years. We look at the news. We see wars, sickness, division, and pain. And if we are honest, a little voice inside us whispers: "Is He really coming back? Is he really going to fix this? It seems impossible."

We curate our own list of doubts:

Maybe the world is too far gone.

Maybe my family is too broken to be healed.

Maybe the darkness is winning.

But here is the truth we need to hold onto today:

God’s silence is not His absence; it is the preparation.

Just because God is quiet doesn't mean He is absent. He was preparing the world for Jesus then, and He is preparing the world for Jesus now.

Because the Second Coming has been a long time coming, it is easy for us to start thinking of it as an impossibility.

Jesus’ first arrival encourages us to look for His second.

But this is why we need Advent. The first advent is the down payment on the second advent. The angel’s message to Mary is a message to us. If God could break the 400 years of silence to bring Jesus into the world the first time, He can certainly break the silence of history to send Him back again.

Communion represents our table of hope in our waiting. (I Corin 11:26)

This brings us to our final point, and to this Table.

How do we keep our Hope alive while we wait? How do we stop the "impossible" from crushing our spirits? We do what Mary and Joseph did. We Remember.

Jesus gave us a meal specifically for this purpose. Paul tells us in

1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Do you hear that? Until He comes.

Communion is our meal in the “not yet”.

Conclusion & Communion

(Transition to the Table)

This section is scripted to be slow, deliberate, and highly participatory.

Transition to the Table

"This brings us to the Table. This is where we do what Mary and Joseph did. We remember. Jesus gave us a meal specifically for the 'Wait.' He knew we would get tired. He knew the silence would feel heavy. So He gave us something to hold."

This is not just a memorial of a death; it is a rehearsal for a wedding feast. This is the meal of the 'In-Between.' When you hold this bread, you are holding the proof that God keeps His promises."

Distribution of Elements

(If you have ushers passing trays, give these instructions. If people come forward, adapt accordingly.)

"I invite those serving to come forward. As the elements are passed, I ask that you hold them. Do not eat or drink yet. Let the weight of the bread and the cup sit in your hand for a moment. Let us wait together, as the church waits for Christ."

The Bread (Scripture & Action)

(Once everyone has the bread)"Scripture tells us that on the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it."

(Pastor breaks the bread visibly)

"He said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' Look at the bread in your hand. It represents the body of Jesus—God entering our physical, broken, messy world to make the impossible, possible. Church, let us eat together in remembrance of Him." (Everyone eats)

The Cup (Scripture & Action)

(Once everyone has the cup)"In the same way, after supper He took the cup. This cup is the new covenant in His blood. I want to read you a promise from Revelation 19:9: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'

This small cup is a foretaste of that great celebration. We drink today to remind our hearts that the King is coming back, and He will make all things new. Church, let us drink together with hope." (Everyone drinks)

Closing Prayer

"Lord Jesus, we have tasted your goodness. We thank You that with You, nothing is impossible. We thank You that the silence is not the end. As we leave this place, may this meal fuel our hope. We are waiting. We are watching. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen."

Recommended Scripture References for Communion

If you want to swap out the verses used above, these are excellent alternatives for an Advent/Waiting theme:

Isaiah 25:6-9: "On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples... He will swallow up death forever." (Connects the meal to the ultimate victory).

Matthew 26:29: "I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom." (Emphasizes the waiting aspect).

Psalm 27:13-14: "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (A great benediction verse).

Advent is patience; it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience.

Stanley Hauerwas