Good morning. He is able. He is able. That's the message I want to try to bring this morning, this first hour. Our God is able. We're not. With man, it is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Let's go to the Lord together in prayer. Our merciful heavenly father, we are thankful that by your grace you bring us to the end of our ability and you cause us by your spirit and the miracle of faith to put our trust in Christ. Lord, how very hopeful we are this morning that you will send your Holy Spirit as you promised, that you will open the eyes of our understanding, that you will open thy word, that you will open the windows of heaven, open our hearts. Lord, open that which no man can shut. and that which we are unable to open. We might worship the we might rest and rejoice all the hopes of our immortal soul in the we might see Christ or that is that is our prayer.

And we thank you for putting that desire in our hearts. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Let's open our bibles together to john the 10th chapter john chapter 10. Our God is able to do that which we are not able to do. Left to ourselves, we will make every attempt to do that which is impossible. Thank the Lord that he shows us the truth.

You have your Bibles open to John chapter 10. Look at verse 28 and 29. and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." No man is able to pluck God's sheep, God's children, out of his hand. And then the Lord takes it a step higher. when he says in verse 29, my father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand.

As we think about our God's ability, we must at the same time consider our inability and only the Lord can make us unable. As I said, we will, we will draw our dying breath holding on to our righteousness. If the Lord does not make us unable to establish a righteousness on our own, We will look in every direction to find a way out before we will ever look up. Only the Lord can make us unable. And his ability, his ability begins at our inability. And it's his mercy that would that would create in our hearts this need, this need. Turn with me, if you will, to Psalm 107. Psalm 107.

I can remember as a young boy growing up with two brothers who were always, my father was away a lot, in the military, and it was difficult for my mother to take care of three teenage boys who were somewhat rambunctious. And I can remember her often saying, you boys have got me at my wit's end. She was never really at her wit's end. She always had another way out. But here's where she got that phrase from. Look with me, if you will, to Psalm 107. And we'll begin reading in verse 25.

And he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. He's the one that creates the storms in our life. The way of the Lord is through the seas. It was, yes, Peter took his eyes off of Christ and looked at the wind and the waves, but at that moment he began to sink and he cried out to the Lord.

These waves mount up to the heaven. They go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because of trouble. We look at In every direction, we cannot find a way out. They reel to and fro, and they stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end." On the margin of my Bible, this phrase is translated, their wisdom is swallowed up. They have no idea what to do. They've got no place to go. They're shut up to only be able to cry out. Look at verse 28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm calm so that the waves thereof are still. Now does that mean that he ceases all the circumstantial troubles that we face in this life. Well, sometimes he baits them. Sometimes he takes them away for a period of time. Another will come. Another will come. But it means that resting in him, looking to him, relying on him and rejoicing in him, that the troubles now are not overwhelming.

We're not at our wit's end. Our wisdom is not now swallowed up. We have Christ as our wisdom. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, who giveth all men liberally, but let him ask in faith. The Lord Jesus Christ is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. He is our sanctification. He is our redemption, he is our all. And the Lord stirs up these troubles and brings us to our wits end that we find ourselves by his grace.

All men go through the same troubles. You know that unbelievers have the same experiences that we have. They experienced death and disease and divorce and and whatever other troubles this This world brings as a result of our sin, what a blessing it is when God in his mercy brings us to our wit's end. The swallowing up of our wisdom. Then and only then are we brought to look on Christ. Look at verse 30. Then they are glad because they be quiet So he bringeth them into their desired haven. What is your desired haven? What is your desired haven? Haven, place of rest. Very close to the word heaven. Is that not our desire?

To be with him in that permanent place of rest and to have him put in our hearts through faith by his spirit, that spiritual rest that we have now in being able to look beyond our circumstances and set our affections on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. That's a miracle. And that's something that only God can do. And that's something that happens in the heart. No man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand, but he is able. He is able to keep them. His ability begins at our inability.

Turn with me, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. When it comes to the eternal destiny of our immortal soul, only he is able, only he is able to save us to the uttermost. The word uttermost in our text here this morning means all the way to the end. We can't keep ourselves. We can't save ourselves. Hebrews chapter 7, look with me at verse 22.

By so much was Jesus made a surety. Now a surety is one who meets all the requirements of a contract. The contract is the covenant of grace. It is a promise. that God made to God before time ever was. It has nothing to do with our promises to God. It has everything to do with God's promise to us. And a surety is that which meets all the conditions of that covenant promise.

That's why David said, he has made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure. ordered in all things and sure. What makes this ordered in all things? Well, the life, death, resurrection, ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. He made it ordered in all things. From his incarnation to his glorification, he made it sure. We have now a better covenant. Not a covenant of works, but a covenant of grace. with a surety that makes this covenant certain.

Verse 23, and they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death, likening the Lord Jesus as the great high priest to all those Old Testament priests who were mortal men and died and are still in the grave. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. When he ascended back into glory, took his rightful place, his priesthood for all eternity can never change. Wherefore, because of this glorious truth, because he is the surety of a covenant that has made it ordered in all things, because he has ascended back to his rightful place, because his priesthood cannot be changed by death, as was the priesthood of the Old Testament priest, who were but pictures of what the Lord Jesus would do and who he was. He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

He is able. I'll not lose a one. John tells us about those who came and professed to believe, but then fell away. And it's a very fearful description. It's one that would cause every child of God to say, Lord, keep me. He said they went out from us because they were, in fact, and in truth, never really of us. For had they been of us, they would have remained with us. They would have remained in the gospel, in the truth, And then the next verse says, but you have an unction from the Holy One.

Now that word unction in the original language is the word charisma from which we get our word charismatic. And we use that word charismatic to describe a person with a effervescent, attractive, irresistible personality. Well, that's a charismatic person. But that's not what the word charismatic, that's not what the word charisma means. We've changed the meaning of the word. You have an unction. That doesn't mean that you're charismatic in the modern sense of the term.

It means that you have, that word charisma means anointing. You have an anointing from the Holy Spirit and you know all things. You know the truth. You're not going to go out Because you know that you're not able to keep yourself. You know that you can't save yourself to the uttermost. You know that you're completely dependent upon him to do everything for you. You know the truth. How do you know that? By the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

You know, it amazes me listening to unbelievers. It does amaze me, but it's so striking. that an unbeliever can be so incredibly intelligent when it comes to so many things in life. Even human nature, I listen to people talk about the way human nature acts and reacts in circumstances. I said, boy, you've got some discernment concerning those things.

And then you listen to them talk about God. Just listen to them talk about God. And they become absolute, utter idiots. They become complete fools when they try to describe God, and who He is, and what He's done, and how to be right with Him, and what we are in relationship to Him. It's amazing. Now, you may be a complete fool and idiot when it comes to a lot of things in this world, even human nature.

But you are not a fool when it comes to the things of God, not if you have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But you have the anointing of the Holy One and you know all things. You speak the truth when it comes to his ability and your inability. When it comes to who he is, and what he has done and where he is, you know the truth. And what you are and how unable you are to meet the conditions of the covenant, you know the truth.

Why? Because you have an unction from the Holy One. You have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which gives you Understanding. Understanding. Scripture says in John chapter 13 verse 1, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end. To the end.

Oh, I'm so thankful that his love never wanes, his love never fails, his love never changes. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his son to be the propitiation of our sins. We cannot measure love by our feelings and our emotions. We do love him because he first loved us. But the thing that keeps us to the uttermost is his unfailing love for us, his unfailing love for us. And you know that you're unable to love him as you ought, but that he is able to love you to the end, to the end.

Turn with me to Revelation chapter five. Having been theologically, and I use these words very broadly, educated at a religious seminary, and having spent years studying this book, I confess to you, that until God opened the book, until he opened the eyes of my understanding in the new birth, oh, I could define the doctrine, I could tell you the history of the stories, I could tell you the application of works and practical things that we should be doing that were in scripture, but I couldn't see Christ. I was like those Pharisees, searching the scriptures because I thought in them I had eternal life. not knowing that these were they which testify of me."

Only God can open the Bible. You can spend your entire life studying it and not have a clue what it really means. Only He can do it. Revelation chapter 5, verse 3, And no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."

Now, men have debated what this book is. It is the book of, the Lamb's Book of Life that has the names of those whom God chose in the covenant of grace, the names whom the Lord Jesus redeemed. Yes, I think it is that. Is it the book of God's decrees? All that God purposed to do in time is written in a book and he is fulfilling those decrees. Yes, it is. Is it the Bible? Yes, it is. No man can open any of those books. You can't look into the Lamb's book of life and see if your name's there.

You don't know what God's going to do in the future, what his decrees are for the events of your life or the life of this world. And the Bible itself will remain a complete mystery to each of us if God does not open it. And I wept much. John is in heaven in a vision. and he sees this book and he weeps because there's no one, he looks around, no one's able to open the book and without the opening of the book, no one can be saved. The decrees can't be fulfilled, the last book of life cannot be fulfilled, the scriptures cannot be revealed without someone who's able to open the book. No man was able, no man in heaven, no man on earth was found able to open the book no man can set you out of my father's hand we're talking about God's ability and God's ability begins at our inability can you say I'm at my wits end I'm not able I'm completely dependent upon him I'm shut up to Christ I'm dependent upon him And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. No one was worthy. No one had a perfect righteousness that enabled them to open this book. And one of the elders said to me, weep not. John, stop crying, dry your eyes.

Behold, look. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and of the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. Now don't try to imagine a picture of that. This is symbolic language. Seven is the number of perfection. Horn is a picture of the animal's strength. It's his weapon. Eyes is the understanding.

The scripture just saying that this, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God that was slain before the foundation of the world has perfect understanding and perfect strength. And he is able to open the book. and seven spirits of God, same thing, the one Holy Spirit, but in perfection in Christ. In Christ, we have a measure of the Holy Spirit, a small measure, that unction that we're talking about in 1 John 2, we have an unction of the Holy One. He came as the Christ, the anointed one, in the full power of the Spirit of God, the seven spirits of God.

And he came and took the book out of the hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and the 20 elders, that's the church. They fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. Only he is able.

Paul, in writing to young Timothy, He said, don't forget what you were taught by your mother and your grandmother. And then he said, for you were taught the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. We are born again by the word of God. God uses his word to enlighten the eyes of understanding, to open our hearts.

So James said this, he said, receive with meekness. Only God can make you meek. What is meekness? It's being unable. It's being unable. Receive with meekness. Receive it as one. who cannot earn it, who cannot deserve it, who cannot work for it, who cannot manage it, who receive it with meekness, receive the engrafted work with meekness, which is able to save your soul, your soul.

Turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter one. Speaking of the ability of our God and how it stands in stark contrast to our inability and how the unbeliever, the one who has never, never been born of the spirit, believes themselves to be able. We have no ability outside of his ability. First Timothy chapter one, verse 12.

For the witch cause, I also suffer these things. He's talking about being an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul suffered primarily at the hands of the Jews. They resented the fact that he had gone and taken the message of God to the Gentiles. and sought everything they could to discredit him, saying that he wasn't a legitimate apostle, all sorts of things. And he says, now, for the witch cause, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to be silent. I'm not going to back down. I'm not going to turn away. For I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded, I'm convinced to the depths of my soul that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Now, most oftentimes we use the word committed to talk about determination. You know, we're committed to do something. This word committed means to make an investment. It means that it would be unwise for anyone with material means in this current day world and economy in which we live to put all their eggs in one basket. And so if you've got some money, you diversify your assets, do you not? You put them into a mutual fund, so you've got a percentage here, here, here. One goes up, the other goes down, and hopefully in the end, you make a profit.

You know that's how people do the salvation of their souls. Well, I know I need Jesus. And in my family, not only was there Jesus, but there was Buddha also. And any other little god that could be brought into the home to, you know, diversify my assets, cover all my bases. And of course, got to have your righteousness and your good works in addition to all that other stuff.

This word committed, Paul's saying, I've got everything on Christ. He has made me to rely upon him as my surety. If he doesn't save me, I won't be saved. And if he does save me, he gets all the glory and all the praise and all the honor for he did it all and he did it all by himself.

What a great God. What a glorious gospel. I know whom I have believed. I'm persuaded that he is able. Now that's what faith does. Faith doesn't say, well, if Christ doesn't save me, I won't be saved. That's true. But faith says, I'm persuaded that he's able. I'm resting all the hope of my salvation on him. And I'm rejoicing. I'm rejoicing, and I'm resting. I'm not afraid. He's able.

He's able to do that which I cannot do. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Jude concludes his little epistle by saying, now unto him who is able, to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before his throne with much rejoicing. To him be glory and honor and praise. He is able to keep us from falling. He is able to save us to the uttermost.

You and I have had enough experience with our sin and with our indifference. to know that if God the Holy Spirit did not continue to convict us and convince us and draw us and cause us to be so discontent with that which our flesh might otherwise be drawn to, that we would fall away. We would fall. We're not able to keep ourselves.

Look what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4, beginning in verse 7. But we have this treasure, that's the gospel, that's Christ. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that's our flesh. That's our old man. That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. He gets all the glory.

We are troubled on every side, troubled by our sin, troubled by this world, troubled by Satan, troubled, yet not distressed. We haven't given up. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Why? Because we're persuaded that he is able, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our bodies. It is his life. It is his life that sustains us. We're not able. We have an earthen vessel. Turn with me, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. He is able, and we're not. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 18.

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted. The scripture says that the Lord Jesus was tempted in all ways that we are yet without sin. Does that mean that he fought his way through temptation like we do? No. We sin in our temptations. It means that the Lord Jesus experienced all the things of this world that would entice a man, but because he is impeccable, because it is impossible for him to sin, He said not.

He said, well, he doesn't understand then the shame and the sorrow and the separation that I experience in my sin if he never sinned. That's what happened at the cross. When God made him sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The Lord Jesus on the cross suffered all the shame and all the sorrow and all the separation that comes as a result of sin and cried out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Forsaken of his father, bearing our sins. And so when the scripture says, for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, He knows by experience all the temptations of this world and of this life. He is able. He is able. He is able.

Now, succor is an old English term that means to give help. to come along beside and lift up and to support and to provide and to identify and to relate. People go through a very unique difficulty in life, and it's hard for them to be comforted by someone who has not experienced that. You can't You can't go to someone who's gone through something that you've never gone through and say, I understand, because you don't understand. But another person who has gone through a similar situation can help them in a way that you can't help them.

The Lord knows. He understands. He experienced all the things of sin. He experienced the temptations of this world without being sinful in them. And then he experienced on the cross, oh, there's nothing, nothing that you and I can possibly go through that he hasn't gone through infinitely more. infinitely more, he understands. He is able to help them that are tempted. Lord, I'm not able. That's why the Lord said, when you pray, pray that you'd be not tempted. Deliver me from temptation. Lord, because I know when I'm tempted, I'm going to sin in my temptation. We have one who understands. What are we going to do in the hour of death? What are we going to do when this mortal body draws its last breath? What are we able to do? What are we able to do? How are we gonna help ourselves?

Turn with me to Philippians chapter three. Verse 20, for our conversation is in heaven. When we pray, we are praying to our God who is in heaven. And this word conversation has a much broader meaning than just carrying on a conversation. Our life, our behavior, everything that we have is in the heavens from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies that we may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Oh, he takes that which is mortal and makes it immortal, he takes that which is corruptible and makes it incorruptible, this vile body, and he translates it into his glorious body, a sinless body. We're not able. He is. He is. Who is able?

Revelation 6, verse 17 says that the day of judgment has come, who is able to stand? And David says in Psalm 24, who can stand? He that has clean hands, a pure heart, has never lifted up his thoughts to vanity, nor has he ever spoken deceitfully. Now that only describes one. Am I going to be able to stand in the presence of a holy God outside of Christ? No, no, but in him being found in him that it might attain unto the resurrection of life. I can stand now.

All of the things that we've looked at in God's word, considering God's ability and our inability, I wanna close with one final passage in Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three. This is so glorious. Even as we cannot imagine the greatness of our God, We cannot even begin to imagine the glory that shall be revealed in us. We do know that the sufferings of this present life cannot be compared to that glory, but we can imagine it. Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the imagination of man the things that he has prepared for us. It's beyond our comprehension.

And yet we cast all our care upon him, knowing that he cares for us. Now look at this verse in Ephesians chapter three, verse 20. Now unto him, this is the conclusion of the matter. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that work within us. The power of the Holy Spirit that gives us faith to believe that he is able and I am unable and he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above. How the Holy Spirit gives us all these wonderful adjectives to try to help us Try to grasp how able he is.

He's able beyond our understanding, beyond our comprehension. Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. No man can pluck them. out of my father's hand. No man is able. My father's ability is infinite. It's infinite. Unlimited.