El Shaddai: The God of the Impossible

El Shaddai: The God of the Impossible Genesis 17 June 23, 2019 The Big Idea: After a long period of living life with the daily reminder of the consequences of self-effort, God appears to Abram, speaks to him, and calls him to know Him as the God of All Power and the God who is Enough. Do you know God and can you say, “He is my God?” Genesis 17:1-8; 15-21 (ESV) 17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 15 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 17 7 LESSONS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE 1. God chooses. God initiates. God blesses. We can add nothing to God’s salvation work. 2. God is the God of the Impossible – El Shaddai – God Almighty – He has no limits on what He chooses to do. 3. God asks 2 Things of His Covenant People: Quick obedience and Full consecration of our lives to Him. à “walk before me” à “be blameless” 4. The only appropriate responses to God’s voice and presence are to fall on our face before Him in worship and then do what He says! [vv. 3, 23] 5. The Keeping of Promises Always Depends on the Character of the One Who Promised. 6. The Blessings of God are wonderful, but secondary to the Gift of Having a Relationship With God. 7. What’s in a Name? Names have meaning! God is El-Shaddai Abram becomes Abraham Sarai becomes Sarah Their baby boy will be Isaac What about you? If you are in Christ, … 1 John 3:1-2 Romans 8:14-17 Ephesians 2:10 Galatians 3:29 1 Peter 2:9-10 Have You Ever Fully Committed Your Life to “God Almighty”? Do you walk with Him and live a blameless life?