JESUS GOD OF POSSIBILITIES

Jesus: God of Possibilities

INSTAGRAM: Jesus Pics

“Images of Jesus from the Gospel of John”

CONNECT Franklin Graham: I want you to give them something to eat!

TENSION What would you do? That is exactly what the disciples faced in this next Instagram pic: Jesus, God of Possibilities!

SOLUTION Nothing is impossible with God!  He is the God of possibilities!

Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV) Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Mark 10:27 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Luke 1:37 (NKJV) For with God nothing will be impossible.

PRAYER

INSTRUCTION This Jesus pic is in John 6. Two most well-known miracles: “Feeding of the Five Thousand”; “Jesus Walks on Water...

John 6:1-14 (NKJV) After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. ² Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  ³ And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” ¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

John 6:15-21 (NKJV) Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

¹⁶ Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. ¹⁸ Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. ¹⁹ So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. ²⁰ But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

John 6:53–68 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ⁵⁸This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. ⁶⁰Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” ⁶¹When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶²What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? ⁶³It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” ⁶⁶From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. ⁶⁷Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” ⁶⁸But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Sometimes...

1.  God gives us an impossible task.

2.  God send us on an impossible journey.

3.  God requires an impossible commitment

APPLICATION

1.  When God gives us an impossible task, He knows what to do.

2.  When God send us on an impossible journey, He is there with us.

3.  When God requires an impossible commitment, He has the Words of Life!

INSPIRATION

Reasons for discouragement:

1.  Hardness of the way, Numbers 21:4 (NKJV) Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.

2.  Difficulty of the task, Nehemiah 4:10 (NKJV) Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

3.  The prosperity of the wicked, Psalm 73:2–3 (NKJV) But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. ³For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4.  Delay in fulfillment of our desires, Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV) Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Our response: Hebrews 10:32–39 (NKJV) But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: ³³partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; ³⁴for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. ³⁵Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. ³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ³⁷“For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. ³⁸Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” ³⁹But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

ACTION STEPS

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (NKJV) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Look for the way of escape!

JESUS THE HEALER

Jesus: The Healer

INSTAGRAM: Jesus Pics

“Images of Jesus from the Gospel of John”

CONNECT We have all been there: the late-night call, the bad news, the hours beside a bed in a hospital or a home watching the one we love struggle in the throes of an illness that is taking their life. We pray; we pray fervently; we pray in hope; but… How does the story end? How does your story end?

TENSION Does God still heal today? If so, why do so many of our prayers go unanswered? Why do we attend more funerals than celebrations of healing?

SOLUTION God does still heal today! The Bible is clear that healing is part of the plan when Jesus suffered and died. In this Jesus Pic, we will see some things that can help us tap into God’s healing power!

PRAYER

INSTRUCTION

1.     Healing has always been part of the nature and character of God.

Exodus 15:26 (NKJV) “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Psalms 103:1-3 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases,”

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

2.     Jesus is a healer.

Depending on your definition, there are over thirty healing miracles attributed to Jesus. Of course, the Bible only records a sampling of what Jesus said and did.

John 21:25 (NKJV) And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

There are four healing miracles recorded in the book of John…

In John 4 Jesus heals the nobleman’s child.

In John 5 Jesus heals a lame man.

In John 9 Jesus heals a man blind from birth. 

In John 11 Jesus demonstrates the ultimate healing by raising Lazarus from the dead!

It would be impossible to cover all four of these in detail in one talk, but if you would allow, let me preach just a little bit from these four stories about Jesus being your healer in every situation.

INSPIRATION

In John 4 Jesus responds to the desperate pleas of a concerned father. We see that if things are sick and dying in your life, He can speak a Word and change your direction! It may be your physical children or something you gave birth to that is sick on the verge of dying. Cry out to God and He will meet you. The Word will speak life into that thing you birthed and raise it up again!

Psalms 34:6 (NKJV) This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

In John 5 we see a man in the throes of despair. He has about thrown up his hands and quit.  If you are powerless, the old KJV uses impotent, and paralyzed, KJV uses withered, Jesus asks us, “Do you want to get well?” Then commands us, “take up your bed and walk!” 38 years he had been impotent; 38 years frustrated; 38 years wondering when his day was coming.  His Day walked in in a man, Jesus Christ, and gave him what he had longed for four decades!  Everything you have tried all your life and nothing worked, one Word from Jesus can make you stand up and walk again!  No angel, no water, no man, just you and Jesus!

In John 9 we see a man blind from birth and the disciples wondering who sinned so that this happened. Jesus said, “Nobody sinned; this man was born blind so that the works of God could be seen in him! That mess you're in is not your fault, it is a vehicle for God to show up and show off! If you are blind today and have no direction, He can spit on the ground of your life, make a mud pie, anoint your spiritual eyes and give you clear vision and purpose!

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

In John 11 Jesus gives life to what has already died!  Not only that, He waited until everyone was sure Lazarus was dead before He shows up!  Jesus specializes in lost causes and impossible situations! If you are dead and stinking, Jesus is on His way! He will roll the gravestone away and call you to come forth and live. And you know what? You will get up off that slab where you are bound and come jumping out to the entrance with new life. Jesus will call for helpers to loosen you and set you free!

Can I get a witness this morning? Does anyone need a miracle today? Reach out to Him and let Jesus give you the miracle you long for!

APPLICATION

As I prepared to preach this message this morning, I wanted to encourage you. I wanted to give you hope that Jesus would come as Healer in your life. And He will!

But I believe God wants me to apply these passages in a different way this morning.

You see, we were all sick, impotent, blind, and dead but Jesus has already released his healing power in our lives. Today, I want to talk to you not as the people that Jesus touched and will touch, but as the “Jesus” who will touch the sick, the lame, the blind, and the dead!

This was the ministry of Jesus!

Luke 7:20-23 (NKJV) When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

This is our ministry!

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV) “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Luke 9:1-2 (NKJV) Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Whatever Jesus did, we are to do!

John 14:12 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I John 4:17 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

What did Jesus do?

Acts 10:38 (NKJV) God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

ACTION STEPS

1.  Open your senses.

Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

2.  Open your spirit.

Luke 5:17 (NKJV) Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

3.  Open your mouth.

 Romans 10:8 (NKJV) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):