May I please God to bless us
together this evening as we meditate in his word. Let us turn to the
Gospel of Mark in chapter 10 and we'll read verse 27. Gospel of Mark chapter 10 and
reading verse 27. And Jesus looking upon them said,
with men it is impossible, but not with God. for with God all
things are possible. It is surely a great encouragement
and a strength to us to realize that we as unworthy sinners on
the earth have such a great God, a great God who with this God
nothing, nothing shall be impossible. That means that you and I should
never limit God, we should never think therefore that something
is impossible, because God is able to do far more exceedingly
abundantly than we can ask or even think. And so as we travel
on through life really, there are those things which occur
in our natural life. There are those things which
occur in our spiritual life. And there may perhaps be many
occasions when we cannot see how things will work out. We cannot see how our prayers
will be answered. And can I indeed believe, as
the Apostle says, all things are working together for good
to those who love God and to those who are called according
to his purpose. But let us remember the Lord
Jesus Christ when he prayed to his father in the 17th of John,
when he said, thy word is true. Yes, the truth of God will never
vary and you and I can rely upon it. And so as we see this statement
here in this 27th verse, and of course it was in reference
to the question really being asked by the disciples The question
had been about those who were rich and the Lord comes down
and tells them and he says, it is easier for a camel to go through
the iron needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God. And their response was, and they were astonished out
of measure saying among themselves, who then can be saved? Well, that was a general statement,
but you know it's a very true statement. It may be a question
that you and I perhaps may be asking ourselves as to whether
we can be saved. Perhaps it might seem almost
impossible. It might seem that our sins are
just too great, too immense, that they will never be forgiven,
and therefore we will never be cleansed from them, and therefore
we will never go at last to heaven. Well, what a blessing if the
Lord grants to us a true concern about such a situation, and such
a concern to know that we are amongst those who are saved,
those whom the Lord has loved with an everlasting love, those
for whom he laid down his life. What a blessing if the Holy Spirit
grants us then such a concern, and we should not be discouraged
However bad, however evil, however wrong we may consider ourselves,
because we have examples in the Word of God to encourage us. Perhaps one of the greatest examples
is with regard to King Manasseh. Yes, as he followed on from his
father Hezekiah, a great godly king. And now we read it and
you can read about him. in the Chronicles and also in
the Kings about his life. He was really one of the most
wicked kings that ever existed. It is only really in the book
of the Chronicles that we read how he then sought the Lord And
why did he seek the Lord? Because the Lord constrained
him. The Lord changed him. The Lord
brought about that which he could not bring about. And we can read
in the 33rd chapter and the well from verse 11 perhaps. Wherefore the Lord brought upon
them the captains and the host of the king of Assyria, which
took Manasseh among the thorns. bound him with fesses and carried
him to Babylon. Now then, this is what it says,
and when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God
and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed
unto him and he was entreated of him and heard his application
and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh
knew that the Lord, he was God. Revelation, the Lord revealed
himself to Manasseh in this glorious way. Then he knew that the Lord,
he was God. And we can read on and in the
19th verse of this same chapter, we read, His prayer also, and
how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass,
and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves
and graven images, before he was humbled, behold, thou written
among the sayings of the seers. So we have there a very clear
statement with regards to the repentance that God granted to
King Manasseh. And that should be an encouragement
to us, if perhaps we are asking the question, well, can I be
saved? Is there any possibility that
I can be saved? Remember what the word says,
for with God all things are possible. Yes, the very worst of sinners
Yes, we have this case of Manasseh. We also have in the Word of God
the case of Mary Magdalene. And there we have a woman who
found grace in the eyes of God. And so let us never be discouraged. Let us always remember that with
men it is impossible. You and I cannot save ourselves. We cannot redeem our souls. But with God all things are possible. Just following this wonderful
theme of forgiveness, because it is so important and so necessary,
and how can it be achieved? How is it achieved? And it's
only through what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for his people
in dying in their place. He paid the punishment for their
sins, and through his death he has taken away all their sins. You and I cannot remove our sins.
It is impossible, but we are thankful we have a great and
glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into this world
to save us from our sins, to deliver us from the wrath to
come. Isn't that a wonderful truth
to think that the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person in
the Trinity, the great God, the creator of all things, gloriously
and wonderfully condescending to come into this simple world
and to live that perfect life and to therefore satisfy the
demands of the Holy Lord of God, and then to come and give his
life, not for himself, but for his church. His church, every
member, the vilest sinner, the most wicked person, including
ourselves, including Manasseh. Oh, we shall be very thankful
then that we have such a gospel these things which are impossible
with men. With men it is impossible, but
not with God, for with God all things are possible. Well may we never forget that,
whatever situation we might find ourselves in. You may remember
well-known character Jonah. Jonah ran away from God. Jonah
had a clear commission as to what he was to do. But he ran
away from God. He didn't fancy it. He thought
it was too difficult. But God knew where Jonah was.
And God dealt with Jonah. And how did he deal with him?
In love to his soul. Love to his soul. Jonah, yes. God didn't throw him away. No,
God didn't allow him to be drowned in the sea. No, God was gracious
to him. And there he was in the whale's
belly. And what did he say? He said,
I'm cast out of thy sight. Cast out of God's sight. That's
what he thought. He wasn't. And that's a mercy that we're
not either. You might think perhaps that
God's forgotten us. You may think that we are cast
out of God's sight. Well, that's what Jonah said,
but it's good that we can read what continues. He says, I am
cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. Holy Spirit you see, spoke to
him and convinced him to look again, to pray again, to seek
for mercy. God granted him a wonderful deliverance
and of course then you see Jonah, he then the Lord spoke to him,
he then obeyed the Lord. He didn't disobey the Lord, he
obeyed the Lord. what a good thing it is for us
in our lives if the Lord comes and brings us into these situations
where we recognize how we've failed and how we've erred and
yet once again to pray unto the God of heaven. Never give up
praying. Remember, the door of God's mercy
stands open all day to the poor and the needy that knock by the
way. What a mercy that is. So let us not forget then this
truth, with men it is impossible, But not with God, for with God
all things are possible. You may remember also in the
history of the children of Israel, that occasion when they sinned
against God, they often did. They often turned their back
upon God. They often disobeyed his word
with solemn, solemn consequences. And on one occasion, God sent
serpents, serpents to bite them. And they were very poisonous
serpents. And all those who were bitten died and multitudes were
dying because of this situation. But the Lord brought about a
deliverance. It was impossible naturally for
Moses to bring about any deliverance. and he was told to make a brazen
serpent, put it on a pole, and all those who looked lived. And that, you see, is a wonderful
picture of the gospel. And it represents the sinner
looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. for salvation, for forgiveness. You might say, well, it's so
simple. Well, it is so simple. But you know, you and I need
grace. You and I need faith to look to the Savior, to realize
there is forgiveness with him. And so with many it is impossible. These Israelites could not save
themselves. but with God all things are possible. And how very simply the Lord
enabled those Israelites who looked to that serpent and they
were indeed healed. Well, we should be very thankful
that we have so many examples to encourage us to believe that
this word we have here tonight is of God, is true for with God
not without God. With God all things are possible.
Things are not possible without God. We should not try and press
on and solve problems and solve difficulties and make plans in
our own strength. We should commit our way unto
the Lord and trust also in him that he will bring it to pass. And you and I can be sure that
if we are the children of God, the Lord will work. The Lord
says, I will work. And who shall let it or who shall
hinder it? No, it won't be stopped. God's
time, God's timeframe will be worked out. It may not be your
frame and our timeframe, but it will be God's and it will
work out in his time and for his honor and for his glory. So let us be thankful tonight
that we have such a statement like this to encourage us and
to strengthen us. You remember, of course, I'm
sure Job. Job was a man of God. Job didn't have an easy life,
did he? It was all right to begin with, and then he passed through
a very trying time, a very hard time, and had to sit and listen
to his three friends come and speak to him, and then Elihu,
and then finally, of course, the Lord graciously came and
spake to Job, and of course, that had a good effect upon him. And that will be the same with
you and me. When God comes, God speaks, then you see there will
be a true blessed effect. And in the 42nd chapter of Job,
we read about Job and this is what he said, Job, answer the
Lord. And what did he say? I know that
thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholden
from thee." What do we see? Confidence in his God. The Lord had graciously come
and spoken to Job, told him about himself, told him how great he
was, how great God was, and that brought Job down to a very low
place. But also to come and to testify
this great truth. I know that thou canst do everything. What a blessing it is for you
and me today if we come to that position. God perhaps has brought
us or does bring us down low And it brings us, we might say,
into a wealthy place, because it really was a wealthy place
for Job. And we know that the Lord blessed
the latter end of Job far more than the beginning. And so he
was able to confirm, I know the Balkans do everything. He didn't
just stop there, and that no thought can be withholden from
thee. He knows our thoughts. He knows
everything about us. And may that be again, an encouragement
to us to bless God that we have such a God who is indeed mindful
of us and doesn't deal with us in accordance with what we deserve. Well, we can move on to the New
Testament. Remember Paul, Well, Paul had
a difficult life, didn't he? We can read about the blessings
he had, but we can also read about the many hardships and
the many difficulties that he has to face almost continually. And when he wrote to the Ephesians,
he desired to really acknowledge the greatness of his God and
how great he was. He tells us in the third chapter,
the 20th verse, he says, now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly about all that we ask or think according to the
power that worketh in us. It is so easy for us poor sinful
creatures of the earth to limit our God, and yet we are thankful
that we have a statement like this, to know that our God is
able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
for it is the power that worketh in us, the power Belongeth unto
God. The Lord can appear and do great
things. The Lord can come and change
people's minds. The Lord can blessedly hedge
up our way. The Lord can control the things
which happen to us, where we thought perhaps there was no
solution. We're tempted therefore to think,
well, there's no hope. Well, remember, with God, all
things are possible. And we have so many naturally
encouraging statements or situations we may see, say in the word of
God, to strengthen our faith. Now we can read the accounts. And of course, they're very wonderful
accounts. Let us try and put ourselves in those positions
without the result and realise the faith that was required and
the favour of God to bring about those impossible situations. Remember the case of Elijah. Elijah in Mount Carmel. He thought he was the only person,
because he wasn't right, but he thought he was the only person
that hadn't bowed down to Baal. He was the only person, but he
wasn't. Anyway, there he was on Mount
Carmel with all the prophets of Baal, and the great need was
to know who was God. Who was the true God? Great question, wasn't it? All
the people assembled to see who was the true God. And Elijah
laid down what was to be done. And the difficulty there was
because they were to build an altar, and they were to slay
an animal, and they were to douse it with water, And then they
were to pray to their gods that fire might come down from heaven
and consume the sacrifice. Well, as no doubt you remember,
Baal's prophets were utterly unable to produce any fire at
all. Everything was just as it was,
Sodom with no success. And Elijah waited until the time
of day when the evening sacrifice was offered up. And then he told
the people to come near. Then he built a sacrament, he
built an altar. And he slayed the animals, placed
it on the altar. He doused it with water so thoroughly,
all the water run round about in a trench he built. And then
he prayed under his God. God sent down fire from heaven
and consumed everything. The sacrifice, the altar, the
water, everything was consumed. With God, all things are possible. And what a result that was. And
what did the people say? The Lord, He is the God. There was no doubt about it. And when God graciously comes
and blesses us, not in the same situation, but
perhaps in our little way, in our little world, in our little
life, how encouraging it is when the Lord hears and answers prayer. And we are able then to say,
the Lord, he is the God. He has heard and he has answered
prayer. That which I thought was impossible,
God came and God blessed. Elijah is a wonderful example
of faith. But there are others, of course,
just briefly. Daniel, we can think of Daniel,
I'm sure, in his life and the great confidence he had in his
God. What a blessing it was when he
wouldn't partake of the king's food. No, he just wanted to prove
that he could do well without it. and his three friends, and
God would be with them, and God would bless them, and so it came
to pass. And of course, Daniel's faith
was tested. And you say, your faith and my
faith will be tested. What does it do? It proves to
us the greatness of our God when he stands with us and delivers
us. There was Daniel. He wouldn't
give up. He wouldn't forsake doing that which he did day by
day. And that was to pray to his God. The king's law was that
he shouldn't, should bow down to the idols. But no, he continued. And of course, that's just what
his enemies wanted, to find a reason so that he might be destroyed.
And therefore he was taken and thrown into the lion's den. Well, we know that naturally
speaking, there was only one solution and that was he would
be killed and would be eaten by the lions. And that's very
obvious because when Daniel was taken up out of the lion's den,
then all those his accusers and their wives and children were
thrown to the lions and they were all killed almost immediately. But God has shut the lion's mouth. God has shut the lion's mouth
and there may perhaps be in your life and my life those who are
against us, those who may speak against us, God can shut their
mouths. The things which are impossible
with man, not impossible with God, God can shut people's mouths. God can change their position,
change their views, change their attitude. They're all in the
hands of Almighty God. Let us never forget that. And
let us be strengthened to realize with God all things are possible. And then perhaps in the New Testament,
Paul and Silas, following the commands of God, doing the will
of God, Yes, they were preaching in Philippi after the command
of God, doing God's will, and then they were taken captive,
and then they were beaten, and then they were thrust in prison.
They were sure they were going to be very bitter They were going
to be very rebellious. And here they were obeying God
and now they were suffering in this very difficult and harsh
way. Well, we can read very wonderfully
and very gloriously, at midnight in the prison house, these two
men, they sang praises unto their God and the prisoners heard them. What a testimony of the grace
of God. What a wonderful blessing to
have such a record in the Word of God. How God was gracious
to them in that situation. Of course, he brought about a
wonderful deliverance, a wonderful deliverance. because there was
an earthquake and the prison doors were opened and the chains
fell off. Yes, and the jailer, of course,
was very fearful that the prisoners had all escaped. He was going
to kill himself, but Paul stopped him doing that, and then quite
clearly preached unto him the gospel. That was the reason why
he had gone to the Philippines. He never thought he'd be preaching
to a jailer the prison but nonetheless it was the time for the conversion
of the jailer and all his house what a wonderful time that was
and of course he was moved by the jailer was moved by the spirit
of god and all his house to be baptized what a wonderful occasion
that was what a god-honoring occasion it was and do we not
come back to these words but for with God all things are possible. He would not have thought, would
he, that it was possible to be delivered out of that prison
house, but God's ways are to be fulfilled. To the honour and
glory in his name. Worthy is Jada and his family,
and a great cause, didn't they, to praise God. And may you and
I have great reason in our lives in one way or another to praise
God, to realize that with God all things are possible. It's a wonderful thing to realize
that we have a God in heaven who rules and reigns, a God who
does not change. I am the Lord, I change not. for ye sons of Jacob are not
consumed. It is the wonderful mercy of
God. But just let me come back to
the, that which we really began with. And that is to think that
with God, all things are possible. And that refers to the forgiveness
of all our sins. Very easily believe that we are
without without any possibility of receiving forgiveness. We
may think that we've sinned against light and knowledge. There is
no hope for us where Jesus came to seek and to save those who
are lost, those who are ruined in the fall, those who have no
confidence in themselves. They may have had They may have
been proud of their lives, they may have been satisfied of all
that they had done and were doing, and then when the Holy Spirit
comes and convinces them of their sin, convinces them of their
black sins, convinces them that they have no right to enter into
heaven, they have no right at all, and that they cannot unless
their sins are forgiven, and then to be found with this good
hope, looking unto Jesus. Look unto me, all the ends of
the earth, and be ye saved, for I am God, and there is none else. That's the glorious gospel. With
God all things are possible, yes. May we have faith to look
to the Saviour, look to him in whatever condition we find ourselves
in. The Lord knows about us. What
a mercy perhaps it might even be like it was in the case of
the prodigal son. Yes, he wanted to enjoy himself,
off he went, spent all his money and all his goods until that
time when, we read, he began to be in want. That of course
is a wonderful blessing when you and I have begun to be in
want in a spiritual way. We need the Saviour, we need
forgiveness, we need mercy, we need to know the wonderful love
of Jesus toward us, unworthy as we are. What a mercy then
to know this great truth, that with God all things are possible,
that however bad we are, we're not without the reach of Almighty
God. The Lord stands there to have
mercy upon us, to look upon us, to not deal with us as our sins
deserve. but to deliver us from the wrath
to come. There is forgiveness with God
that he may be feared. Remember, the blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanses us, cleans us from all sin. That means what it says, every
sin, however many there are, however black they are, all sin. With God, all things are possible. Well may that be a wonderful
encouragement to us tonight. as we think of these simple words
but they are so comprehensive and they are so great and may
we be encouraged by them and strengthened by them and go on
our way rejoicing in what the word of God tells us for with
God nothing shall be impossible nothing at all and may we therefore
praise and bless God and may we prove it because if you and
I prove it you know the result, honour and glory to God. We shall
be amongst those who praise him, praise God from whom all blessings
flow, for his love, for his mercy and for his grace which has come
to such unworthy sinners. So let us ponder these words
and may they be blessed to us and Jesus looking upon them said
with men it is impossible but not with God for with God all
things are possible. Amen.