Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
August 7, 2002 Randall Caselman
Power For The Impossible
If I had one dream for the church, it would be that we would return to a faith in the impossible. I wish we would return to a belief in the power and presence of God working in the lives of His people. I wish that we would return to a belief that God still interrupts history, still intervenes in the lives of His children.
Impossible means to be without ability; weak, having no power or not enough power. Ever face a situation or circumstance in which you knew it was impossible to do anything? Where you thought, "I am without ability here. I am in a no-power situation." (Family troubles, ruptured relationships, sin, a debt so enormous there is no way to repay, sickness, death of a loved one, a temptation that keeps dogging us.) All of us have, are, or will soon have to deal with such impossibilities. Let's go to the Bible and note those areas of our lives where we must trust in the power of God.
Sin and Satan. When Jesus and company return from the Mount of Transfiguration, He is confronted with what the apostles consider an impossible situation, their inability to cast out demons. A young epileptic was suffering because of Satan's hold on him. The disciples failed in their efforts. But Jesus was successful.
Like the epileptic, we need help. The entire Old Testament teaches us that we cannot deal with our own sin. If we could handle sin by ourselves, Jesus would never had to have come to this earth. If we could handle sin, Jesus would never have taught His disciples to pray, "Deliver us from evil." Scripture teaches that God intervenes to help us deal with sin. "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape." (1 Cor. 10.13) Then there is Peter who writes, "The Lord knows how to rescue (deliver) the godly from temptation." (2 Peter 2.9) If Jesus can cast the demon out of this epileptic and multiple demons out of a crazy man in a cemetery, He can deliver us from temptation.
God has the power of salvation. We keep thinking that we can save ourselves. Not so. "I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19.23-26) Some contend that the eye of a needle was a gate into Jerusalem, so small that a camel had to get down on his knees to enter. Come on! Holding to this explanation means we believe that with enough effort we can save ourselves.
Scripture teaches us better than that: All our righteousness is but filthy rags in God's sight, according to Isaiah 64.6. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, according to Hebrews 9.22. If we could save ourselves, there would have been no reason for the cross. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2.8) "No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14.6) Believe in the impossible! Salvation is a supernatural event.
Power over suffering. Jesus healed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cured blood maladies, fed the starving and raised the dead. It is inevitable that bad things happen to us. It is impossible to stop them. However God can. Paul tells us that God intervened and healed Epaphroditus. James says, when in trouble, when sick pray. If healing does not come by God's hand, why this admonition?
More importantly, perhaps, God can and often does strengthen us to withstand suffering. I will be with you always. My grace is sufficient. Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to remove his children from all their problems. In fact, Peter and the Hebrews writer says God uses these times of trials and troubles to discipline, refine, remold and remake our character.
God gives us power to accomplish. If we had been at Mount Sinai, we might have been tempted to focus on Moses' strengths. Who would know his way around in the political arena of Egypt more than a former Prince? Who would be more suited for leading people through the wilderness than a shepherd who had tended sheep there for forty years? Who would have more rapport with God's people than one of their own? If we had been there, we would have said "Come on Moses, give it a try... You can do it... You are qualified!" But God doesn't say anything like that, does He? He simply asks, "Moses what is that in your hand?" The strengths and expertise of Moses are never considered. WHY? Because the strength and abilities of Moses are not the issue; the strength of God is! It was not Moses who delivered Israel from Egypt. It was not Moses who guided and provided for them in the wilderness. It was not Moses who gave them water and quail. It was not Moses who gave them the Law. It was God! Moses was just the instrument. God empowered him and He will empower us. "I can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength." (Phil. 4.13)
There are going to be situations and circumstances we face where we are powerless to do anything. That is when we must have faith in the impossible--when we must have faith in the power and presence of God at work in our lives.
RANDALL CASELMAN
