I've entitled this message, Is
Anything Too Hard for the Lord? Is Anything Too Hard for the
Lord? Now, the Lord Jesus had appeared
to Abraham along with two angels, and after they had ate the meal,
that Sarah had prepared them. We read beginning verse nine,
and they said unto him, where is Sarah thy wife? Now, Lord
knew where she was. This is going to make Sarah listen
real carefully to what's getting ready to take place. She was
in the tent and now when she heard this, she was listening
intently. And he said, behold in the tent.
And he said, this is the Lord. I will certainly return unto
thee according to the time of life in about a year. And lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. Now remember, Sarah is 90 years
old. Abraham is 99. years old. Now we think, I guess
that could take place in biblical times, but it seems kind of doubtful
that something like that would happen today. And I do not remember
ever hearing in my lifetime of a 90 year old woman becoming
with child. And I've not heard of a 99 year
old man fathering a child. Maybe it's happened, but I'm
not aware of it. So I'm sure that this was rare then. Verse
11, Sarah heard it. Verse 10, Sarah
heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and
Sarah were old, well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with
Sarah after the manner of women. It was physically impossible
for her to have a child. It would take a miracle. It ceased
for her to have a child left to the manner of women. Verse
12, therefore, Sarah laughed within herself. I think it's
interesting that's pointed out. She didn't laugh out loud. She
wasn't gonna laugh at what the Lord said. She laughed within
herself. After I'm waxed old, shall I
have pleasure? My Lord being old also, she didn't
believe. She didn't believe. It seemed
incredulous to her. How could this be? I'm 99, I'm
90 years old, my husband's 99. And the Lord said unto Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? Saying,
shall I of a surety bear of a child which am old? Why'd she say that?
Why did she laugh? And then he asked this question,
verse 14, is there anything too hard for the Lord? Is there anything beyond his
ability and beyond his power? At the time appointed, I will
return unto thee according to the time of life. and Sarah shall
have a son. Then Sarah, I guess from out
from the other room in the tent, she said, she denied saying,
I laugh not. She's lying to the Lord. For she was afraid. I understand
why she was afraid. Wouldn't you be afraid? And he
said, nay, but thou didst laugh. Now if you read the New Testament
account, Sarah's unbelief is not recorded. Did you know that?
It's not even recorded. Listen to this scripture from
Hebrews chapter 11, verse 11. Through faith also Sarah herself
received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child
when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had
promised. Does that even sound like the
same account that we just read of in Genesis 18? Which one's
true? Both. Both. You see, Genesis 18 is the old
man account. Hebrews chapter 11 is the new
man account. They're both true, but you'll
find this throughout the scriptures. The record of what happened in
the Old Testament and the record of what happened in the New Testament
seems to be two different records. But they're not, they're the
same. But one is the record of the old man, and the other is
the record of the new man. And I can give so many examples
of that. Look at Lot, just Lot, that righteous man, his righteous
soul. You wouldn't pick that out from
the Old Testament record of him. By faith Abraham feared not the
wrath of the king, He was scared to death. He murdered somebody,
hid the body in the sand, and fled. Yet look at Hebrews 11's
account of Moses. They seem like two different
stories, but they're not in here. Sarah laughs in unbelief. And when God gives the record
in the New Testament, by faith, Sarah receives strength to conceive. Now back to verse 14, this question, is anything too hard for the
Lord? Is anything too hard for the
Lord? That's the question the Lord
presents to Sarah's unbelief. How can I have a child? She even
laughed. I'm 90 years old. He's 99. I've ceased being able
to bear children. How can I have a child? And the
Lord's reply is anything too hard for the Lord. You see, he is omnipotent. He is all powerful. There are no limitations. to his power. Whatever he wills must come to
pass because he has the power to cause it to come to pass. If he wills for Sarah to have
a son, Sarah's going to have a son. How come? Because whatsoever
the Lord pleased that did he. Our God is in the heavens, he
hath done. whatsoever he hath pleased. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the habitants of the earth, and
none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He said, I purposed it, I will
also do it. Now, in order to be sovereign,
which he is, he must be omnipotent. He must be all powerful because
sovereignty is meaningless if you don't have the power to make
whatever it is you will come to pass. You see, here are two
things that are absolutely go together and you can't have one
without the other. If you're sovereign, you know,
there's only one sovereign God. There's no such, people talk
about sovereign nations. There's no such thing as a sovereign
nation. There's no such, God is sovereign only He's all powerful,
he makes his will come to pass. The song of heaven is hallelujah,
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Now, a couple of weeks ago, Lynn
told me, Charlie Walmsley, wake up, I want you to hear this.
I don't know that you were asleep, but I just want you to hear this.
Lynn told me that Charlie asked Cammie, is God so powerful that
he can become evil if he wants to. Is God so powerful that he can
become evil? Do you know that's a good question?
Maybe you thought that in some form. Well, here's the answer. God is so all-powerful that he
cannot be evil. Now, she answered that question.
It's a good question. It's a very good question. God
is so powerful, so omnipotent, so all powerful that he cannot
be evil because he cannot be contrary to his nature. He cannot
do it. Now, how many times have you
seen people get a little power and get a little authority and
they turn into monsters? You've seen that so often. Power
corrupts. And it's true, I've seen it.
Anybody, the more power somebody has, the more they'll mistreat
people. I mean, it's just human nature. Power corrupts, but you
can't corrupt omnipotence. You cannot corrupt omnipotence. God cannot be contrary to who
he is. He cannot be. He cannot not be. I am that I am. And that's just
the truth. He cannot not be. I am that I am. For instance, the scripture says
he can't lie. It's against his nature. How
natural is it for you to lie? Look at old Sarah right in front
of the Lord's presence when she thinks she's in trouble. I didn't
do it. Comes easy. You have to teach
your kids to lie. Comes natural, doesn't it? As
soon as they're in a position where they think that they can
deliver themselves, it's natural for them to lie. Now, kids, that
doesn't mean it's okay to lie. You say, well, it's my nature
to lie, therefore I'm gonna lie. That doesn't make it okay. Understand
this. Your responsibility is to be
without sin. That's everybody's responsibility.
God's sovereignty, He's completely sovereign over all of our actions,
there's no doubt about that. But that does not take away our
responsibility. Don't say, well, because I can't
not lie, therefore I'll lie. No, you're called upon to be
truthful. But it's the natural man's nature,
sinful, fallen nature to lie. I was watching a movie last week,
And the actor in the movie said, I never lie. Well, what a lie. I mean, you never lie? Really? I'd like to say, you
know, if somebody really said that, if I ever hear somebody
say that again, I've heard people say it. I just want to say, really?
Really? Are you being truthful? You're
lying when you say that. That's the biggest lie I've ever
heard. But God cannot lie. It's contrary to his holy nature
because holiness cannot sin. Now there's some things God cannot
do. God cannot change. He said, I am the Lord. I change
not. Now, if he could change, you
know what that would mean? That would mean he would either
improve. Or he'd go downhill, one of the two. But that can't
be. I am the Lord, I change not. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday,
today, and forever. God can't change his mind. I
love that. God cannot change his mind. The Lord's not a man that he
should repent. Cannot not be who He is. He cannot
not be any of His glorious attributes. However He is, that's how He
is. He's always holy. He's always just. He's always
pure. He's always sovereign. He's always
omnipotent. He's always omniscient. He's
always omnipresent. God cannot lie. God cannot be anything but that
which He is. Look what Abraham says down in
verse 25. of this same chapter, we're gonna
consider this next week, but he says, that be far from thee
to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked,
and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far
from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right. He must do right because of who
he is. Because there's nothing too hard
for the Lord, There are some things that are impossible. He
can't sin. He cannot not be holy. He cannot
save at the expense of his justice. He cannot save at the expense
of any of his attributes. If any of his attributes had
to be changed or compromised in order for him to save, it's
not gonna happen. God is who he is. I am that I am. God purposed His Son. This is
something that I don't understand, nor does anybody else, but I'm
amazed by it. God purposed before time began for His Son to be
slain. He's called the Lamb slain from
the very foundation of the world. God purposed for His Son to be
slain. Now when the Lord was praying
in Gethsemane's garden, And he said, Lord, if it be possible,
let this cup pass for me. If it be possible, let this cup
pass for me. He knew he was getting ready
to drink the sins of God's elect, and he was gonna take them into
his own body, and he was gonna be forsaken by God. And who understands
that? If it be possible, Let this cup
pass from me. Now here's my question. Was it
possible? No. Because it's God's purpose
and God's purpose cannot be frustrated. His will must always be done. It's the eternal purpose he purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now because of who he is, nothing's
too hard for him. Is it possible for Christ to
fail? The scripture says he shall not fail, nor be discouraged. He had to drink that cup for
salvation to take place. So no, it was not possible. Now, when Peter spake of the
resurrection, he'd been preaching that glorious message on the
day of Pentecost. And he said, it was not possible
that death could hold him. It wasn't possible. It wasn't
within the range of possibility. Why? Because who he is, It's
Christ that died. He wasn't a man like me or you.
It's the God man. It was not possible that death
could hold him. It was not possible because justice
demanded his resurrection. Every attribute of God demanded
his resurrection. It's not possible for any of
the elect to be deceived. Now remember when we're talking
about, is anything too hard for the
Lord? Well, because of who He is, there are some things that
aren't going to happen. Is it possible for any of the elect
to be deceived and to miss salvation? Well, didn't the Lord say if
it were possible, they'd deceive the very elect. But it is not Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
6. I love this passage of Scripture. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4, 4, it is impossible. For those who were once enlightened
and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers
of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the
powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew
them again unto repentance, seeing they crucified to themselves
the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Now let's
look at the language. This passage of scripture used
to scare me to death. I used to think, does this mean that
you could come that close and still be lost? Does this mean
that you could actually have been enlightened by God? And you've tasted of the heavenly
gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and you've
tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come,
you mean you can come that close and still fall away? No, he says
it's impossible for that to happen. And here is why it is impossible. For someone to be saved that
fell away like that, Christ would have to be crucified all over
again. And that is not going to happen. He's the lamb once
slain. Now, once in the end of the world,
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself? No, it is not possible. There are some things that are
not Now, because of the character
of God, it's impossible for a man to save himself. Now, because
of his character, his holiness, his unapproachable, his utter, his Godhead, it's impossible
for a man to save himself. You remember when the disciples
said after the rich young ruler was left, and when they saw it,
and he said, He said, it's easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved. And that's not
talking about, I've read commentators where they say in the walls of
Jerusalem, there were these real low walls, and the camel would
have to get real low openings, and the camel would have to get
down real low to get, no. He's saying, how much possibility
is there for a camel to get through a needle's eye? Absolutely nothing,
and they said, He can't be saved, who then can be saved? And the
Lord said, with men, it's impossible. With men, salvation is impossible. impossible. Because of the character
of God, it's impossible for a man to save himself. In Jeremiah
13, verse 23, we read, Can the Ethiopian change his skin or
the leopard his spots? No, they can't. How then can
you do good who are accustomed to doing evil? A man cannot rise above his nature,
that which is born of the flesh is flesh. We read in Romans eight,
verses seven and eight, the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God. Neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. Now with men, salvation is impossible. Now I'm glad the Lord didn't
leave it there though, did he? He didn't stop and just end the
conversation with, man, it's impossible and leave. He said,
but not with God. For with God, all things are
possible. Now, remember, before we get
into this, we've been trying to see how God can't act contrary
to who he is. He can't act contrary to his
nature. Why should he? His nature is
perfect. His nature is holy. He can't
be what he's not. He is the great I am that I am. But he is able to save to the uttermost. Yes, with men it's impossible,
but not with God. For he is able to save to the
uttermost them that come to God by him. That's what Abraham believed. Scripture says he was fully persuaded
that what God had promised, he was able also to perform. That's what Paul believed. He
said, I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded he is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day." It's
a belief in God's ability. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? Now, the works, the wonders,
the mighty acts of power of the Lord are seen in these three
areas, creation, providence, and salvation. And it's very
important for us to understand all three of these things. We
don't understand anything about the power of the Lord. Is anything
too hard for the Lord? Now, the first aspect of His power is seen in
creation. When He created the universe
as an act of His will, He had nothing to work with. I think
it's interesting when people talk about creative people. Well,
I mean, I guess I know what folks mean, but they got stuff that
God gave them that they can work with. Nobody is creative like
the Lord. He created something from nothing.
He spake the universe into existence. Oh, the creative power of the
Lord. Don't you love to think of him
just willing this universe into existence with nothing to work
with. He just did it. Now, nothing's too hard for the
Lord. And in Providence, nothing's too hard for the Lord. In this
sense, He controls everything. He is completely sovereign over
the free and uncoerced actions of men. Now, I want you to understand
this. I've already touched on this. If I sin, I can't say,
well, God moved me to do it. God's sovereign. I wouldn't have
done it had He not purposed it. But He purposed it. That's why
I did it. That's evil. That's evil. If
you sin, it's your fault. Anything you do or any sin I
commit, I got nobody to blame but myself. I can't blame God's
sovereignty and to try to take comfort in God's sovereignty
over my sin in the sense of saying, well, you know, he purposed it,
that's why I did it. You missed it all together. That's just not so. It's wicked
to think that way. That being said, who's in control
of the evil actions of men? God is. God's in absolute control
of everything and everybody. Now, that doesn't get us off
the hook in the sense that we're responsible for our own sin,
but God is in absolute control of everything. Now, that's logical. If he's all powerful, obviously
he's in control of everything, but I have to have a better reason
than logic to believe something like that, because like I said
this morning, somebody said, well, God causes that which is
good and permits that which is evil. I reckon I understand somebody
saying that, but it's wrong. It's not the right way to say
that. God is in control of everything. What about this scripture? He
shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.
that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness." Who sent him the strong delusion?
He did. Well, that almost sounds like
God's doing something wrong. Don't ever think of it. Whatever
God does is right. It's holy because he did it.
It's righteous because he did it. He's got no law over his
head. He doesn't answer to anybody. Whatever he does is right. I'm so thankful it's that way.
Let me show you a passage of scripture in 1 Kings chapter
22. Now this is after Micaiah had,
um, prophesied bad against Ahab,
and Ahab was angry about it. And the king, verse 18, 1 Kings
22, verse 18, and the king of Israel said in Jehoshaphat, did
I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me
but evil? I told you he'd do that. And
he said, Micaiah said, the prophet whom Ahab hated, And he said,
Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting
on his throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on
his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall
persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?
And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner,
and there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and
said, I'll persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, wherewith?
And he said, I'll go forth, and I'll be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all of his prophets. And he said, thou shalt persuade
him, and prevail also, go forth, and so do. Now therefore, behold,
the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth. of all these thy
prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil concerning thee." Now that
gives us some idea of the sovereign control of the Lord over everything. This is always going on. And
he shows his power in this. He shows his power in creation.
He created the universe. He spake it into existence simply
by the act of His will. And He demonstrates His power
in Providence where He controls everything. Not a sparrow falls
to the ground without your Heavenly Father. And He's in control of
it. It's working His purposes. Whatever God does is holy. Whatever
God does is right. Whatever God does is just. I'm
not trying to apologize. Whatever God does is right. We don't need
to protect Him or He doesn't need our help. Whatever he does
is right, but most especially, we see his power in this great
work of salvation. God is not willing that any should
perish with regard to his people, but that all should come to repentance. You know what? Therefore, none
of them will perish, and all of them, without exception, will
come to repentance. You see, God's able to do that. God is able to be just, impartially
just, absolutely just, and yet declare me, who am in myself
nothing but a sinner, and he has the power to declare me to
be just, and I am just because of what Christ did for me. Now
that is almighty power. For he hath made him to be sin. God can do that. He can take
my sin and make it so it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. For
he hath made him to be sin, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God. in him. God can do that because
nothing is too hard for the Lord. He's able to be just and justify
the ungodly. He's able to make me just. Now,
listen to this. He doesn't make me just as if
I never sinned. I hate that term. What if I said
this recently? What if somebody murdered your
child and the judge says, well, I'm going to treat you just as
if you never sinned. He said that to the murderer. You'd say
that that judge is an unjust judge. And that is, he doesn't
make me just as if I never sinned, he makes it to where I never
sinned, that I stand before God without guilt, perfect in his
sight. God is able to give me a new
nature, a nature that is holy, a nature that cannot sin. God
can do that because nothing is too hard for the Lord. And here's
what I like thinking about. This goes along with it. God
gives me a new history. Nobody else can do that. And
I can't change my history. I can't change anything I've
done. It's impossible for me to do
that. I cannot do it. But God can. He can give me a
new history. So you look at the pages of my
history and there's nothing but perfection, nothing but holiness,
nothing but perfect conformity to the image of Christ. And that
is the history of every single believer without exception. And here's why. Because nothing
is too hard for the Lord. What a glorious Lord we have. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. He says, behold, I make all things
new. Now, is your God able to give
you a new history to where it's all good in a way that honors
his justice and honors his holiness and honors his truthfulness and
honors every one of his attributes? Is anything too hard for the
Lord? No. You know why? He's the Lord. And nothing is too hard for him. Let's pray. Lord, we are so thankful for
who you are. and that nothing is too hard
for you. Lord, you can save each person
here, no matter how far gone we are, because nothing is too
hard for you. And how we thank you for the
salvation that's in your son, How we thank you that nothing
was too hard for him, that he was able to satisfy your justice
and save us in a way that honors who you are. What a glorious
Savior. How we thank you that nothing
is too hard for thee. Bless us for Christ's sake. In
his name we pray.