Abraham and Sarah's journey of patience and the unexpected joy in their twilight years sets the stage for our discussion on the resilience of faith. Not only do we uncover the beauty of their story, but we also ponder the hospitality that opens doors for divine encounters and the Christophanies that foreshadow Jesus Christ's arrival. Through their narrative, we discover that waiting on God's promises is not a passive act but a testament to His unwavering presence in our lives, even amidst our doubts and questions.
Wrapping up with an intimate prayer, we extend a heartfelt invitation for listeners to experience the miracles of salvation by welcoming Jesus into their hearts. For those who feel stirred by our message, we encourage you to join our vibrant church community, explore the waters of baptism, or participate in our shared activities. As pastors, we're here to walk alongside you, eager to witness the joy God's promises will bring into your life.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Instagram or visit our Website.
Abraham and Sarah's journey of patience and the unexpected joy in their twilight years sets the stage for our discussion on the resilience of faith. Not only do we uncover the beauty of their story, but we also ponder the hospitality that opens doors for divine encounters and the Christophanies that foreshadow Jesus Christ's arrival. Through their narrative, we discover that waiting on God's promises is not a passive act but a testament to His unwavering presence in our lives, even amidst our doubts and questions.
Wrapping up with an intimate prayer, we extend a heartfelt invitation for listeners to experience the miracles of salvation by welcoming Jesus into their hearts. For those who feel stirred by our message, we encourage you to join our vibrant church community, explore the waters of baptism, or participate in our shared activities. As pastors, we're here to walk alongside you, eager to witness the joy God's promises will bring into your life.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Instagram or visit our Website.
Aren't you glad you came to church this morning. What in the worship? Incredible. Put your hands together one more time for Pastor Mark Perry, our choir, our orchestra, leading us into the worship of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:And I love this series that we're doing family matters. I love studying this. I love the opportunity to preach it to you. I believe that God has called our church staff to be a family together. I believe that God calls us to be a family together and I believe that obviously, god has all of us in families separately, in your family together as well. Why? Because family matters. Say it with me family matters.
Speaker 1:We see all throughout scripture that family matters, and this morning what I wanna preach to you is a message that I've entitled when God does the impossible in your family, when God does the impossible in your family. Just this past week, god has done the impossible in a couple of different situations in our church family. Just this past Monday, 10 am, we opened up our sanctuary for anyone to come for a one time prayer meeting at 10 am and there was a couple that came in and that prayed with us, prayed with the church staff, and then, after the prayer meeting, they came up to me. They said Pastor Chip, could we come into your office? And so they came in. They said we just wanna share a prayer request with you. They said we have had a family issue for an entire year now. We've been praying to God over this family issue for a whole year and we just felt led to come and pray over this issue with you for our family because we are so concerned. And so we held hands and we prayed together and they went home and I got a text message the next morning saying you will not believe this. After praying for an entire year, god has miraculously answered our prayer request. We give all the praise and all the honor and all the glory to God. He has provided we put our hands together for the way that God answers prayer. They said from now on, we're bringing all of our prayer requests to you, pastor Chip, to which I assured them I have plenty of unanswered prayer requests in my life. It is not me, it was their persistence and it was God's perfect timing. Can I get an amen? We do not believe in just one person who prays and God answers all their prayer requests. If we do, his name is Jesus. That's the one, but we believe that God continues to do miracles.
Speaker 1:Just this past week, our very own chairman of Deacons, allen Martin, he let us know of something about that, what is happening in his life. He said back in November he had to go through shoulder surgery and through that shoulder surgery that God has been blessing him with a great recovery. He's been blessing him with a lot of mobility in his shoulder. Everything has been tracking, everything has been going great. He's been going through all of his rehab. But there's been one issue in that he has had a lot of infection in that wound, and so much so that there had to be multiple bandages a day because of all of the draining. And so finally he went back to the doctor In this past week I believe it was on Monday. The doctor said Allen, we're gonna have to open back up your shoulder and we're gonna have to basically redo the stitches on the inside of the sutures, redo the surgery if you will, and you're gonna have to start your recovery process all over again.
Speaker 1:And Allen said he went back to his vehicle after that doctor's appointment. He said he just felt defeated. He said he texted family, very close family members, very close friends. He said they're in the parking lot of the doctor's office. He said that he and God had a heart to heart chat together. He said he went to the gym as he normally does, got about an hour workout. He said he went to the locker room after the gym where he would get cleaned up. He said he took off the bandage, where typically it would be soaking wet from the drainage, and he said it was dry. He said he went home that night to replace his bandage and it was dry.
Speaker 1:And ever since that Monday evening, all the way through this morning, because I checked that his bandage has been dry, the doctor told him that if his bandage is dry by this afternoon, he is canceling the surgery. Can we give God all the honor and the praise and the glory, because our God continues to do miracles? Can we just stop and pray for him right now? Can we do that? Can we pray together for our chairman of beacons, alan Martin? Heavenly Father, in Jesus' name, god, we have seen a miracle from you this week in so many different ways. God, we see it in Alan's shoulder, in his bandage, in his wound, and so, father, we just pray right here, right now, by the power of your Holy Spirit for the glory of your son, god, we pray that you will continue to heal his shoulder in that infection and that drainage. In God, we pray for a dry bandage all the way through and forward from this phone call this afternoon so the surgery is canceled. In God, it would be all to your glory and we pray these things in your name. And all God's people said amen.
Speaker 1:Well, we believe that God continues to do the impossible. We don't believe in an age of miracles, we believe in a God of miracles, amen. We don't believe in TV healers, we believe in the divine healer. We believe in Jesus that he is our healer and we believe hear me that he loves to continue to do the impossible in our family. We believe he continues to love to do the impossible in our life, but we also believe that he loves to do the impossible in our family.
Speaker 1:Why? Because God not only sees us as individuals. God also sees us as family members. God sees us as husbands and wives and fathers and mothers and sons and daughters and aunts and uncles and cousins and all, and brothers and sisters, and I don't know any other family terms that there are, besides seconds and thirds and twice removed. That's about all I can think of all the different family members. But he loves to see us collectively as family, and he loves to bless our family. And the biggest way that we can tell that he loves to bless us as families, hear me, is because Satan loves to curse the family. He loves to destroy the family. Satan loves to damage the family. Hear me, why does Satan love to divide the family? Because it is the family unit that we see in scripture that people love each other. They work together. The family unit makes up churches as church families and that's the way that God changes the world. Can I get an amen? God reveals himself to us as a family member. God reveals himself to us as father. Jesus in scripture is talked about as our, like our elder brother, as he is our Lord and savior. We are described in scripture in our relationship together as brothers and sisters. Why? Because family matters. Say it with me family matters.
Speaker 1:Every family needs God to do a miracle in them in some way. What miracle are you praying that God does in your family? What miracle is needed in your family? What impossibility exists in your family? I love that brother buddy, before he prayed, asked that we're asking about if we're still continually, persistently praying in pursuing God in our greatest impossibilities. So let me ask you what is that greatest impossibility in your family that you cannot do? Typically, those impossibilities are in three categories. Typically they're in the categories of healing, typically they're in the category of provision and typically they're in the category of reconciliation. Is there a healing that God needs to do in your family? Is there something that God needs to provide, whether it's wisdom or faith or financial or something else, some type of power in your family, or is there some reconciliation that your family desperately needs to go through? And we believe that God continues to love to do the impossible. He continues to love to perform miracles.
Speaker 1:So I want you to see this morning from our series in the book of Genesis, as we're continuing in Abraham's life. You can open up with me to Genesis, chapter 18 when God does the impossible in your family. When God does the impossible in your family, everyone. When does God do the impossible in your family? Hear me, when God is present in your family. When God is present in your family. We're about to see from the Scripture. But let me just stop for a second and say if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, then God is present in your life. And when God is present in your life, then God is present in your family. Because of your faith, god may not be present in a salvation kind of a way in your family members, but if God is present in your life, then God is present in your family and God is working a miracle in your family.
Speaker 1:If you can even remember, with Abraham we're talking about a man who is not born into a Christian family. He didn't have a Christian dad, he didn't have a Christian mom, he didn't have a Christian grandma. If you can understand that, believe that Abraham was born in the ear of the Chaldeans. Abraham was known as an idol worshiper and because Abraham wouldn't go to God, god came to Abraham and he said Abraham, I am going to make you the father of a great nation. Abraham didn't choose God at first. God chose Abraham out of his grace, out of his love. God came to Abraham and we talked about last week. If you missed it, you can go back and watch it online. You can listen to the podcast.
Speaker 1:We talked about all of these unbelievable promises that God made Abraham and today we get to watch how God fulfills those promises and to do the impossible and perform the miracle. God was present in Abraham and in his family Genesis 18.1. He said the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre and he sat at the door of his tent. As he sat, as Abraham sat at the door of his tent, in the heat of the day, this is one of those scenes where Abraham he had just moved to this area, to Canaan, some 24 years prior. Back, when Abraham was 75 years old, god said I want you to go to a land that I'm going to show you. Abraham leaves his land. He goes with his family. He is family that has passed away. He takes his employees with him. They go and set up camp right where God told them to. And Abraham has been sitting there for 24 years and God has yet to fulfill his promise.
Speaker 1:God was the one that made Abraham the promise. It wasn't even Abraham's prayer request. It was God's promise that Abraham would have a child, that he would have a son by his barren wife, sarah. We know that Abraham even tried to cheat God. Sarah told her midwife to go and to lay with her husband Abraham to give this son to Abraham that it looked like God was not going to give. Why? Because it had been 24 years. It had been decades. They had been waiting, god. You promised this, god. Are you sure you're going to come through? We're not getting any younger here, God. We're now in our 90s.
Speaker 1:I love that meme on the internet that says if a man says he will fix it, he will fix it. You don't have to remind him every six months. I love that. I think that's a great statement. So Abraham is 24 years later. He is he's saying God, are you sure you're going to come through? Did I hear you right? Did you tell me right?
Speaker 1:This is the day that Abraham, like any other day, is just sitting there at the door of his tent in the heat of the day, and the Lord appeared to him Verse two. Abraham lifted up his eyes and he looked and behold, three men were standing in front of him. And when Abraham saw them, he ran to the tent door to meet them and he bowed himself to the earth. Now, even culturally, this is not normal. We don't know exactly how, but it says that these were three men, but somehow Abraham knew that one of them was God and two of them were angels. How? Because back then, men were to be respected. Old men were to be reverent. Old men were not to run. Even if they could, they weren't supposed to try. And he runs and not only does he run because they were worthy of such great respect, hear me, he bowed down 99 years old. He bowed down.
Speaker 1:If at all possible, no matter how old you are, no matter how long or how short you've been following the Lord. Let me encourage you, if at all possible, even if someone has to help you, try in some way to get on your knees or to get low before the Lord, even if you have to lay prostrate, to show God your submission, to show God your surrender, to show God your reverence for him and the respect that you have him. In verse 3, abraham said oh Lord. Again, he knew somehow. We don't know how, but he knew it was God. Oh Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, don't pass by your servant. These are some big words here. Favor means grace, favor means blessing. Abraham says I'm your servant. I'm just here to serve you. God, if you're coming by here, please don't leave before you bless me. I'm your servant. Abraham says I'll even make it easy for you to stay. Let a little water be brought, lord, I'll wash your feet and rest yourself under the tree.
Speaker 1:And then he goes on and on to talk about the hospitality that he shows the Lord and these angels we see in Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 2,. It says to make sure that we show hospitality to strangers, because by doing so some people have entertained angels unaware. God is showing us the importance of hospitality and I'm so thankful that we have a hospitable church. Can I get an amen? You're such a loving church. Never stop being a loving church, never stop being a hospitable church. Be hospitable and be loving to one another, and I want to encourage you, as much as it is up to you, you individually.
Speaker 1:If you see someone that you do not know, I want to encourage you, as we're a hospitable church, I want to encourage you to be a hospitable church member, no longer how long or how short you've been here. If you see someone you don't know, you walk straight up to them and stick your hand out, introduce yourself to them and don't ask them if they're first, if it's their first time. Don't ask them that. Ask them how long have you been here. They'll tell you if it's their first time, because there's nothing more embarrassing than is it your first time. I've been here for 20 years, my bad. We never had the chance to meet.
Speaker 1:We're called to be a hospitable church, but this isn't ultimately about hospitality, hear me. This is about the presence of God. There is nothing more important than having faith and believing that, through Jesus Christ, that God is present in your life. If God is not answering your request, it's not because his presence is absent. If God is not answering your request, it's because that he is working your life according to his will, and his will is always best. There is something that is so incredibly important about the presence of God that it is impossible, hear me, it's impossible to explain, but you know when you are in his expressed presence. God is always present in the believer, but there is something about a special presence of God that he helps us to experience at times that is inexplainable. It's inexplicable, but yet when we feel it, when we're in it, we know it. God is showing us.
Speaker 1:I believe here a Christophany. A Christophany is when Jesus shows up on the scene in the Old Testament. He is taking the form of a man. It is a foreshadow, it is a prefigurement of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In other words, it is like a pre-promise to say that not only did God just come in the Old Testament, at times in the form of a man, but there will be a time in the New Testament that God himself will take on flesh and he will live, not just show up, but he will live on the earth for 33 days in order to go to the cross on our behalf as our human substitute, to die for our sin, to raise from the dead, to ascend back to the heavenly Father. And Jesus does not lose his humanity. He remains fully the God-man, so that he can be our mediator, the God-man, jesus Christ. If you believe that, say amen. This is what God is doing here.
Speaker 1:God is showing us that he loves to be present in your life. And you might be thinking why doesn't God show up in my life? Can I ask you a question? Are you saved? Are you a Christian? Have you given your life to him? Have you believed that Jesus died on the cross for your sin? Have you believed that Jesus rose from the dead for your eternal life? Have you believed that Jesus is the Lord of your life, given your life to him so that you can have his presence in your life, because if you're not a believer, if you're not yet a Christian, we would love to help you with that. But then it's true that God is not yet present in your life, but when you give your life to him, he comes into your life and he's always present, whether you feel like it or not, because he's promised his presence. Is God present in your life and, like Abraham, does that excite you? Do you show him worship and do you give him reverence and do you give him your attention and do you love to spend time with him, as Abraham loved to spend time with God? Number two not only does God do the impossible in your family when he's present, but number two and this might sound a little redundant, but number two God does the impossible in your family when the impossible is in your family.
Speaker 1:And here's the reason why I put it like that. I think this is important. Hear me. The reason why I put it like that is because sometimes there are some, some men out there, to be honest with you, that we think that we can fix everything and we think there's no such thing as anything that's impossible, that we're going to find the solution, we're going to find the remedy and we're going to make it happen and we're going to fix it. Ladies, can I get an amen? That's what we men think. There are some type A people, there are some people that just think I can handle this, I can do this, I can get through this, I can fix this, I can make this happen. And hear me, it's not true. There are some things that are impossible to human beings, that are only possible by God.
Speaker 1:Verse nine says that they said to him. The men said to Abraham where is your God? And the angels said where is your? Where is Sarah, your wife? And Abraham said she is in the tent. The Lord said I will surely return to you about this time next year and Sarah, your wife, will have a son After 24 years.
Speaker 1:As they've been waiting and waiting and they've been losing faith, we see all these ways that they're disobeying God, that they're not being faithful to the promise, because they think so much time has passed that it's too late, and so because they were disobedient, because they disbelieve, god now finally puts a time on it, and this is the first time that God had done it. And God said I'll tell you what. Be patient for one more year, be patient for one more year. In the next year, your Sarah, your wife, will have a son reading on, and Sarah was listening. She was listening at the tent of the door, and Abraham and Sarah, they were old, they were advanced in years.
Speaker 1:The way of women had been ceased to be with Sarah. I think that's a very nice way to put it. So Sarah laughed to herself. In other words, sarah thought to herself this is ridiculous. This has gone on long enough. I've had all the promises I can take. You ever had somebody promise you something over and over, and, over, and, over and over again, and they just never do it. That's how Sarah feels verse 12. So she laughed. And, by the way, that word laugh means to laugh in mockery, it means to laugh in scorn. It is a disbelieving laugh. And guys, let's not think anything about the ladies called. Sarah laughed because Abraham laughed.
Speaker 1:In chapter 17 too, in the same word mockery and scorn, it says that she laughed to herself, saying you're gonna do this, god, after I'm worn out and my Lord, abraham is old and now I'm gonna have all this pleasure that you've been promising. Now you're gonna do it. Now that it's too late, now that it's gone too far. This whole promise, this whole miracle. It was cute in the beginning, but here we are, 24 years later and now you're going to do this, and sometimes that's how we get with God. We give up, we think it's all a big joke. We never see God do it. We feel like his faithfulness doesn't come to us, even though we hear stories about others.
Speaker 1:Verse 13, the Lord said to Abraham why did Sarah laugh and say that she'll? Shall I indeed bear a child now that I'm old? God said is anything hear me, is anything too hard for the Lord? God asked Abraham, can I ask you this? Is your impossibility in your life too hard for the Lord, the God who created the entire universe by his word, the God who sent his only son from heaven to earth, remaining God, becoming man, taking on human flesh to die, to rise from the dead, to be able to take on the sins of humanity in order to save? Is it too hard for the Lord?
Speaker 1:God said, at the appointed time, abraham, I will return to you about this time next year. Sarah shall have a son, but Sarah denied it. She said God, I didn't laugh. What are you talking about? And God said no, but you did laugh, but you did. Not only is she disbelieving God now she's lying to God like God can't hear, but he hears all of our doubts and he hears the times, not just that we have questions, but when we question him. He hears all of our fears. He hears all the thoughts in our head. He's aware of all of our temptations. But listen, god didn't say to her because you laughed, you missed the miracle. No, god said you watch and I'll do it and I'll be back in a year, just like I told you. That is the grace of God over our sin. It's the grace of God over Sarah's sin. It's the grace of God over Sarah's sin and our sin.
Speaker 1:But hear me, this ultimately is as I love to talk about every week. This ultimately is not about Abraham, it's ultimately not about Sarah, it's ultimately not about you, it's ultimately not about me, but the whole Bible is ultimately all about Jesus. Can I get an amen? Because the Bible says you see it on the screen. John, chapter eight, verse 56, says that Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw my day. Jesus said, and it was glad, meaning the birth of Isaac wasn't ultimately about Isaac. He is a promised son, but Isaac's not the promised son. Jesus was the promised son of God to be born. Can I get an amen? And I love in the same way how all the Bible connects together.
Speaker 1:Not only is it ultimately about Jesus' birth, but in Luke one, listen to what the angel says to Mary. The same words the angel says to Mary in Luke one, the mother of Jesus, while she is being told that she's being conceived of the Lord Jesus. In verse 37, the angel says for nothing will be impossible with God. Is anything too hard for the Lord? But notice how Mary didn't laugh. Verse 38. Mary said behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. So my question is what is the impossibility in your life? What is the impossibility in your family? God does it when he's present. God does it when the impossibility is present. And number three and finally, god does the impossible in your family when he wants to put his power on display. When he wants to put his power on display, Another way to say it would be when it is according to his will, his plan and his purpose.
Speaker 1:Look at chapter 21, verse one, genesis 21, verse one on the screen that says this the Lord visited Sarah as he had said. The Lord did to Sarah as he promised and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham, a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, isaac. Do you know what the name Isaac means? It means laughter. It means laughter, but it doesn't mean laughter in the kind of way that God was shaming Sarah because you laughed. I'm going to name him laughter just to remind you of all the times you sinned against me, of all the times you didn't believe in me. No, it's not the same word. This laughter means laughter of joy, laughter of great pleasure, laughter that comes from worship, laughter that comes from blessing. His name is Isaac and Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old and God commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said God has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears about my son will laugh over me or laugh with me. A worshipful laughter this word is. And she said who would have said to Abraham and Sarah that Sarah would nurse children, that I have born him a son in his old age.
Speaker 1:Hear me this morning. Our God is still a God who does miracles. Our God is still a God who does the impossible. But I have to finish my sermon with helping us understand something very critical and very important what do you do when God doesn't answer your prayer request? What do you do when God doesn't do the miracle? What do you do when God doesn't do the impossible? Because there are those of us in this room that there's still time for God to perform the miracle, but there are also those of us in this room that it's too late. He didn't answer the request, he didn't do the miracle, he didn't do the impossible. Can I just remind you this morning that God didn't answer Jesus' prayer request either. Matthew 2642,.
Speaker 1:Jesus went away. He had already gone the first time. Jesus went away a second time and he prayed, and Jesus meant this prayer my Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done, and I believe that that's how we should pray for the impossible. We should pray for the impossible. God, here is my impossible prayer request. God, here's the miracle that I'm begging you to do. But if you don't do it, god, I'm praying that your will would be done. Jesus prayed that prayer three times. May this cup pass from me. And God did not answer his request. The cup he was talking about, you know, was his very death and crucifixion.
Speaker 1:Also, god did not answer the apostle Paul's prayer request. The Bible says that he had prayed three times that his thorn would be removed from his life. Listen 2 Corinthians 12, verse 9. The apostle Paul said but God said to me my grace is sufficient for you. Hear me, my power is made perfect in weakness. The apostle Paul then said because God didn't answer my prayer request for a miracle, because God didn't do the impossible in my life. The apostle Paul said therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest on me, just personally, as I know you have your own story.
Speaker 1:Personally, god has answered the impossible in our lives. Personally, we struggled with infertility for some nine years and we got to have our baby boy cruise through a fertility process and he is now one year old. And then our first full day in Georgia, which was September 22,. 2023, september 22, our first full day in Georgia. Here we learned that we were pregnant with our third child and as we're going to have her this May and I'll be 46 years old, I'm feeling a little bit like Abraham, like an old dad here, having children the young man's game.
Speaker 1:But we continue to have an unanswered prayer request in our life and in that where we live often that's where we live that God has done the impossible and he's yet to do the impossible, and that feels like God. You've done it before. Why wouldn't you do it again? You've done it before. I believe that you can do it. And here, where the Bible tells us to have faith when you pray, hear me. The faith when you pray for the impossibility in your life and your family is not having faith that God will do it. It's having faith that God absolutely can do it, because we want God to do everything and only according to his will can I get an amen.
Speaker 1:We still have a prayer request that God would heal our baby girl, brooklyn, from cerebral palsy. We pray every single day that God would do a momentary miracle in her. We pray that we wake up one morning and she'd just be running around the house like we've never seen before. But she is yet to do it. He is yet to do it. Does that mean that we don't have enough faith? No, that means that God has a greater plan. I'm going to put some quotes on the screen very quickly. You won't be able to write them all down. You can take a picture with your camera phone if you would like to, but very quickly. In conclusion, these are some promises, some quotes that the Lord has just given us to remember.
Speaker 1:When he doesn't answer our prayer request, god always keeps something in our life to keep us on our knees. God is too perfect not to have a purpose. God's purpose is our dependence on him and desperation for him. When God chooses to grant our request, we see his power. When God chooses to not grant our requests, we see his wisdom. God can do more with our suffering than we can do with our healing. See here's what our prayers are In our situation.
Speaker 1:If God healed Brooklyn physically, fully and miraculously, we pray that she would use it to worship Jesus, share her testimony and use it in ministry. But if God does it so choose to heal Brooklyn from her disability, then we pray that she will worship Jesus, that she will share her testimony and that she will use her disability in ministry. Can I get an amen? The outcome is still the same. The outcome is still the same, whatever limitation that God may leave in her life. And whatever limitation God may leave in my life. And whatever limitation God may leave in your life, hear me, may our limitation be a magnification of his glory, may our limitation be an amplification of his gospel, because if we're not careful I have to say this last part because I believe this is the most important thing I say here this morning If you're not careful, you'll miss the miracle. While you're praying for a miracle, hear me, if you're not careful, you'll miss the miracle. You'll miss the miracle.
Speaker 1:In conclusion, the four men that brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. The house was full, they couldn't get in the door. They go up to the roof. They open it up. They lower him down. Mark two, five.
Speaker 1:Jesus saw their faith and he said to the paralytic son your sins are forgiven. Some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts why does this man speak like that? He's blaspheming. Who can forgive sins? But God alone. And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they questioned within themselves, and he said to them why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier To say to the paralytic your sins are forgiven. Or to say rise, take up your bed and walk. In other words, jesus is saying I just did the miracle.
Speaker 1:The miracle is not the physical, the miracle is the spiritual. But you may know that the Son of God has authority on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralytic all right, I say to you, rise up, pick your bed and walk and go home. And he rose immediately, picked up his bed and went out before them all. And so they were all amazed, glorifying God, saying we have never seen anything like this. Jesus said this If all I did was heal him from his paralyzation, then he would get up, go home and, without forgiving his sins, he would go to hell. And what good would that do him? But instead Jesus said you know what the real miracle is? The real miracle is when I brought your dead heart to life. The real miracle is when I sent my Holy Spirit to endwell you. The real miracle is when Jesus became the Lord of your life and he changed you.
Speaker 1:So, while we continue to pray, as we should, for the impossible, for the miracle within our family. May we not take our eyes off of you, may we not take our eyes off of the miracle that he has already done within us by our salvation this morning at the end of the 11 am service, so that you can be there and they can be there if you so wish. This is the morning that we get to baptize Brooklyn and we get to see the miracle that God has done in her Four years old. She's accepted, she's received Jesus as her Lord and savior. We've asked her gospel questions backwards and forwards, in every way that we can. This girl was saved, amen, and I'm gonna baptize her because that's the miracle of salvation. When I bring her out of the baptism, I might try to let go over a little bit just see if she runs off. I don't know. We'll see If God does the physical miracle, but you've heard me say it before even if she never walks on this earth, may she walk with Jesus in heaven. That's the real miracle that God does.
Speaker 1:While we pray for the earthly miracles, we never lose sight and we always enjoy the heavenly miracles that he's doing in our lives. Heavenly Father, we love you. God, you're so good, and Father, we pray in Jesus' name, lord, that you would use this time, god. I pray, god, that you would save anyone that is unsaved this morning, god, that they will have experienced the miracle of your presence in their life, the miracle of being forgiven of all their sins, the miracle of having your Holy Spirit. The miracle, god, of getting you. God, I pray.
Speaker 1:If there's anyone like that in this room, right here, right now, if that's you in this room, then you can just pray a simple prayer like this that I would love to lead you through. You can say God, I believe in you and I need you. God, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. He rose from the dead and he's coming again and I ask Jesus to be the Lord of my life. In the Bible promises God promises that when we confess him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, then we will be saved. God, we believe that and we pray that in Jesus' name.
Speaker 1:And all guys, people said put your hands together for anyone that prayed that prayer, that received Jesus this morning as their Lord and Savior. I'm gonna ask us all to stand up and we're gonna sing together. If you have a decision to make. Maybe you wanna join our church family. Maybe you have given your life to Jesus. You wanna be baptized? You wanna join one of our groups? We'll have our pastors up here, pastor Allen and Pastor Dave, and you'll be able to come up for any decision that you have made. Let's sing together and give God all the glory.