Obedience When It's Impossible

Introduction

Numbers 14:7–9 KJV 1900

7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

Pray - Be Seated

Body

In 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. flew his small airplane from New York City to his family home in Massachusetts for a wedding. On board were his wife Carolyn and her sister. Though Kennedy was a licensed pilot, he had not yet been approved for instrument flight (using only instruments to navigate). When their takeoff was delayed until after dark, Kennedy should have waited for daylight or sought a more experienced pilot to help. Yet, Kennedy took off into the darkness. The plane never reached its destination, and all three passengers were killed in the crash.

Investigators determined that the crash was likely caused by disorientation from flying over open water at night without any landmarks or visible horizon. Kennedy’s lack of experience may well have led him to trust what he thought he was seeing more than what his instrument panel was telling him.

All of us face the temptation to walk according to sight instead of faith. Faith in God will keep us from crashing. Human reason will fail us at times, but God never fails. His Word keeps us on the right course as long as we obey it.

Matthew 14:22–29 KJV 1900

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Peter, still full of faith from the feeding of the five thousand, just jumped out and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

Matthew 14:30–31 KJV 1900

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Even though Peter had just come from a great miracle. A mighty demonstration of the power of God, he immediately lost faith when he shifted his attention from Jesus to the situation around him.

Let’s not be too hard on Peter, though. We’re of the same spiritual constitution.

God asks us to do something and we let Him know how completely unqualified we are.

There may indeed be more qualified, or more experienced people to do what God has called you to do…Irrelevant.

God does not always call the qualified. He always does, however, qualify the called.

God tells us to go somewhere and we give Him all the reasons why that’s impossible.

When God calls us somewhere, He will open every door, provide every resource we need, and remove every obstacle in our way to bring it to pass.

Zechariah 4:6 KJV 1900

6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.

Expound in length the scripture text

Numbers 13:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

At the commandment of the Lord, Moses sent the 12 spies into the promised land

All of them leaders and heads of the children of Israel.

Men trusted with authority, respected men, and believed to have wisdom.

Given specific instructions as to what they were to assay:

Are the people strong or weak?

Are the people few or many?

Is the land good or bad?

Do they dwell in tents or in strongholds?

Is the land fat or lean?

Is there wood or no?

Bring the fruit of the land back to us.

They went up into Canaan and spied out the land, and returned with their report

They brought back grapes, pomegranates, and figs

Numbers 13:27–29 KJV 1900

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

This command of God made no sense. This is simply not something that we are capable of!

We don’t have the numbers!

We don’t have the necessary skills!

We don’t have the money!

We don’t have the equipment!

They were so focused on what they didn’t have and what they couldn’t do, the impossible situation that was in front of them, they totally forgot what they DID have…God’s promise!

Numbers 13:30 KJV 1900

30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Two people were so focused on that promise, however, they couldn’t see this natural situation that was completely stacked against them.

Caleb and (later) Joshua, did their level best to divert their attention from the natural to the supernatural.

From the impossible situation facing them to the infinite supply of God’s power and grace.

They saw the miracles and the great signs and wonders that were done in Egypt, and all along the way to this place, and they just believed that would continue as long as God delighted in them.

When we disregard the commandment of the Lord in favor of what we know we can comfortably do we will not prosper in the Kingdom of God.

Tell story of pastor that refused the call of God to Africa because it would be uncomfortable.

Conclusion

A recently licensed pilot was flying his private plane in a cloudy day. He was not very experienced in instrument landing. When the control tower was to bring him in, he began to get panicky. Then a stern voice came over the radio, “You just obey instructions, we’ll take care of the obstructions.”

Expound on how this message applies to what we’re going to be doing for the next few months and beyond: Sunday School, Faith Promise, Save Our Nation, reaching La Crosse county.

From here on out, we, as a church, are going to focus on applying our faith. Focus on believing the Word of God to the point that we will consistently act on it.