Monday, November 6, 2006
By Faith... Abraham - Part II, Part 45 of 79
TEXT: "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, 'Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.' And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:13-20).
IDEA: There are things that God cannot do.
PURPOSE: To help listeners recognize that the very nature of God keeps Him from being able to do certain things.
When we were kids, my cousin and I thought we had come up with the greatest question in the world: If God is all-powerful, could He make a rock so big He couldn't move it Himself?
I remember in youth meetings with our pastor answering questions, he made the mistake of letting us write them out. We thought we would destroy Him with our question. What do you think about the answer to that question?
Are there things that God cannot do?
I. God cannot lie, Hebrews 6:13-20.
Why do you think the writer of Hebrews affirms that "God cannot lie"?
What does that tell you about the nature of God?
Is there a difference between saying "God cannot lie" and "God will not lie"?
That is the comfort that you and I can have knowing that one thing God cannot do is lie.
II. God cannot act contrary to His character.
God is the most self-limited being in the universe.
He cannot exercise His holiness apart from His love.
He cannot exercise His power apart from His grace.
III. God cannot act on us and in us apart from changing our will.
The Gospels show us Jesus is limited by our unbelief or unwillingness.
Look at Matthew 13:58 and Mark 6:6. "[Jesus] did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58).
"I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37).
What is the connection between our unbelief and the negating of God's power?
