Dr. Gough:
I am grateful for a God of great possibilities!
--You and I are beneficiaries of His many miracles.
--God rewards one's faith in the midst of difficulty.
--Look what Jesus did, Mark 9, for a man and his son.
--They came to Jesus, "Kneeling, praying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son .. for he suffers" (Mt. 17:14) .
--Jesus did. He does today, for those who seek Him.
Jesus asked, "How long has this been happening?"
--The father replied, "From childhood. Thrown him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us" (Mark 9:21-22). Don't you feel for them?
This son was ill, with a "deaf and dumb spirit."
--"It convulsed him greatly .. as one dead" (v 25).
--The doctors couldn't help. Nor Jesus' disciples.
--So Jesus replied, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes," in the Lord.
--Look! "The father cried with tears, 'Lord, I believe; but help my unbelief!" (v 24).
--Like some of us, the father had some faith, belief; but he also had some doubts, or unbelief.
We need to defeat doubt with faith in God's possibility!
--To let go of negativity, and to believe positively.
--That takes growing faith, in a God Who saves us!
As a child I had diphtherea I lay near death for days.
--Burned with fever. Being treated for tonsilitis.
--I am here by the grace of God, and prayers of many.
--In His will, I was spared - but I bear the scars.
--I, as all of us, have a great debt to Almighty God.
Yet some more godly than we are not spared, or healed.
--How do we resolve that? We need to trust God.
--We need be saved, living godly, trusting Him fully.
--Though "all things are possible" not all things are in God's will. He knows what is best, not we.
--Friends, to be promised heaven is, better than earth.
--Jesus heals, as he did this son, to show us He can.
Healing is fine and good. Let's all seek it.
--But healing is only temporary. Saved is forever!
--That's why He left heaven, and went to a cross.
--Took our sins on Him, so we may be "born again."
So how can we help any in "Unbelief" to salvation?
--So that those who delay, or doubt, may believe?
--Not just believe, but believe in Jesus as Savior?
--That's my desire, and daily prayer, for any unsaved.
We all know troubles, ills, bring us aches and pains.
--It does no good to curse them, or rehearse them.
--Rather, let's disperse them, in prayer to God.
--That's what this father did. Came to Jesus.
--God rewards a parent like that; used faith he had.
--Asked, "Lord, help my unbelief," and Jesus did!
What was wrong? The son's condition, an evil spirit.
--Jesus commanded, "spirit, come out and enter him no more." Jesus has power over evil - all kinds.
--Power over all manner of sins, addictions, habits.
--You and I don't, Jesus does. Evil can get in us!
--Indeed it can, and we need the Lord and His Spirit!
Never say salvation is impossible - it is with God!
I. CREATION, FROM NOTHING, WAS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
--"God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen.1:1).
--God did - not evolution. Created "from nothing!"
--Not by chance. By divine design. He made it "good".
--God not only made the world, He made you and me.
--The Trinity - Father, Son, Spirit - all had a part.
--Good things, "all things are possible with God."
Why doubt what God has done? Or God can do for you?
--Doubting never would heal this son, or save a soul!
--Many great men, and scientists, are believers.
--It is believers in the Lord who are richly blessed.
The sun, moon, right distance from earth for our good.
--Air with right amount of oxygen, water, nitrogen.
--The tides come and go, to clean our river harbors.
--In fact God is able to make "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:28).
You talk about God's creation, look at a new baby!
--Divinely designed. Created. Great possibilities.
--A fragile life. To be loved, taught, cared for.
--To be handled with care .. and prayer; to be saved.
--And to do many great things for God, and others.
II. THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS WAS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
--One day our Savior came to earth, as a tiny Baby.
--Born of a virgin. Without a human father. God!
--No other ever born like that - of a virgin. Holy.
--No other ever born like Jesus or lived like Jesus.
--God, in human flesh. To show us what God is like.
--To endure our same struggles, and temptations.
--Yet without sin. So that we may be like Him.
--To be saved, and be with Him. God will not lie!
Isaiah 7:14, says, "The virgin shall conceive."
--She shall "bear a Son." God's Son. Our Messiah.
--An angel, 700 years later, quoted this to Joseph.
--Joseph was engaged to Mary. He needs to know this.
--The Word of God teaches the fact of a virgin birth.
--If you believe it not, show me your documentation.
--Don't say it couldn't happen! God can, and did!
Jesus as God, made Himself a Man; to show God to us.
--Why disbelieve? Or follow another? Jesus is best.
--He has all the credentials of God. And proved it.
--By giving His life for our sin. And rising again!
--My friend, we need the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
--Each has a purpose. A Holy Trinity. One God.
--As "God with us," no one changes lives, as Jesus!
--His resurrection and ascension prove His identity!
III. ANYONE'S NEW BIRTH IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
--Some feel God can't save or forgive them. He can!
--God can make "new persons in Christ" of a of us.
--The penitent thief on the cross. A Peter or Paul.
--I believe this father and son, Jesus healed, saved.
--Think of a loved one or friend, Jesus changed!
We all need to be "born again." Salvation is eternal.
--Our Bible says, "You must be born again" (Jn. 3:7).
--Jesus told that to Nicodemus, a religious leader.
--The beautiful thing, it is so simple and easy.
--Simply repent of our sin. Receive, follow Jesus.
--Daily "grow in His grace and knowledge," in worship and in His Word. You'll be rejoicing, in peace.
IV. ANY REAL SPIRITUAL NEED IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
--Do you have a need? A spiritual need of some kind?
--If you are God's child, tell Him of it. God cares.
--Do as this needy father and son did, seek the Lord.
I know some think, "I did that without any results."
--My dear friend, so have I. But I still trust Him!
--Because I have learned that "God's ways are best."
--I have found so often my disappointments were God's appointments, for God had something as good or usually better, down the road for us. I trust God.
--Let's ask ourselves, "Am I saved, living for Jesus?
--And, do I desire, and pray, for God's will?"
The will of God never takes us where the grace of God doesn't go with, or provide and protect us.
--If God seems to take something from our grasp, God may be opening our hands to receive more of Himself.
God provided for Israel forty years, in a desert -no Wal-Marts or McDonalds - but He sent daily manna, to eat, and provided water to drink. Gave His presence.
--Further, neither clothes or shoes wore out 40 years!
--Guided them in a desert, in a cloud or night light.
--Even over a Red Sea or Jordan - "on dry land!"
--No bridges or boats, so God dried up the waters!
If God did that for Israel - and so much more for all - don't you believe He can save you? Or meet a need?
--Of course He can, in a way that is best for us.
--So I invite you, friend, why don't you follow Him?
This father and needy son did. Jesus met their need.
--"All things are possible with God." For reunion.
--For growth in His Spirit, and in Jesus' likeness.
--For ourselves. That of loved ones. Commence today.
--One prayer God always answers now, "Lord, save me."
--Have you done it? If not, why not now?
--If you have, rejoice! Your best days are coming!
--God can and will!
Dr. Wilbert D. Gough