Impossible

He was born into a wealthy family and was known for drinking and partying in his youth. After fighting in a battle between Assisi and Perugia, Francis was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison — awaiting his father's payment,

He began to hear the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. Then he abandoned his life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity.

And his reputation spread all over the world.

Jim Eliott grew up a Christian with a passion for missions. God led him and 4 other Christian missionaries to the jungles of Ecuador, to one of the most violent parts of South America where tribes sought revenge and killed each other constantly.

After a short time of sharing their faith in Jesus, Jim and his friends were killed. Later on, these tribes came to faith in Jesus Christ, found hope in Him, and stopped killing.

A movie called "End of The Spear" was inspired by their story.

A teenager in the late 90's who used to go to his church youth group to try and pick up girls and would drink in the church parking lot before service during his high school years came to know Christ in a real way in that same church a few years later.

That teenager was me.

Why am I telling you these stories?

Because I want you to understand that God specializes in doing the impossible.

WE

For those of us who have been to church at all, we’ve probably heard this before.

And if some of us in here haven’t in the next few moments we’ll discover exactly what that means.

But the question for all of us is this: Do we truly believe that God can do the impossible, and what does that mean for our lives?

GOD

We are in the second week of our series “Satisfied.”

Last week we talked about a rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking what He could do to be saved.

He followed all the commandments, but Jesus knew that there was one more thing he needed to do in order to follow Him: sell all of his stuff and give it to the poor.

And we learned from this story the important truth that TO FOLLOW CHRIST I MUST LAY DOWN MY LIFE

Tonight, we’re going to follow up on this story as Jesus teaches His disciples a lesson through this situation:

Riches get stitches

Jesus says that it’s hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom, because too often their wealth blocks the way. They are not willing to push it to one side and let God have first place in their lives.

This statement shocked the disciples, because in their culture having riches meant God’s blessing on your life.

And Jesus isn’t saying here that it’s WRONG to have wealth.

He’s not saying that the rich are automatically materialistic or sinful. He’s saysing that those with wealth, and the power that goes with it, have a problem trusting in the things they have instead of giving themselves first in faith to God

Camels through Needles

Jesus then pushes further with His statement, saying that it’s easier for a Camel to go through a needle than for rich folks to enter the Kingdom.

*Camel needle pic*

They normally weigh 1,320 to 2,200 lbs. when they are fully grown. Some camels get up to about 6.5 feet tall

The avg needle is a few inches long, and the eye of a needle is even less than that.

So when Jesus makes this statement, it has the disciples messed up and they are like, “Can anybody be saved?”

Mark 10:27 The Message

Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”

Jesus’ Kingdom turns the kingdoms of this world upside down.

Everything that the world says is important, Jesus is like “nah bro.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 NCV

The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.

See, satan rules this world… for now.

But God owns it.

And the devil loves to blind people from the truth of the Gospel.

He says: Believe in your riches, how popular you are on socials, how you can make yourself “happy.”

But that stuff ain’t never gonna save you.

Only the blood of Jesus can do that.

Ephesians 1:7 NCV

In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God’s grace,

What was impossible for us, God made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31 NIV

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

WHEN I TRUST IN JESUS, HE MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.

YOU

*Nick Vujicic Video*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beeaXdv_mGg

God can do the impossible in you when you turn from your sins, from anything holding you back from Him, and trust in the blood of Jesus to save you.

*Prayer*

WE

What if we all lived like we believed God can do anything?

We would live above a sinful life because we would know Jesus can keep us from sin.

We would be willing to risk anything and everything for the Kingdom of God.

And miracles would happen all the time, because we would trust fully in our miracle-working God.

*Response Cards*

*Small group intro*

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