A Meal With The Majestic One

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>A Meal With The Majestic One</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id486.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A New Lifestyle for the Journey of Faith"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id488.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Justice and Mercy of God"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"A Meal with the Majestic One," </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+18:1-15" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 18:1-15</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, November 6-7, 2004</B></div> <bR> <div>      It used to be regarded as impossible for anyone to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. They'd been trying to do it since the days of the ancient Greeks. Someone found the old records of how the Greeks tried to accomplish this. They had wild animals chase the runners, hoping that would make them run faster. They tried tiger's milk: not the stuff you get down at the supermarket, I'm talking about the real thing. / Nothing worked, so they decided it was physically impossible for a human being to run a mile in four minutes. Our bone structure was all wrong, the wind resistance was too great, our lung power was inadequate. There were a million reasons. / Then one day one human being proved that the doctors, the trainers, and the athletes themselves were all wrong. And, miracle of miracles, the year after, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. And the year after that three hundred runners broke the four-minute mile! (Harvey Mackay, quoted in Bits & Pieces, July 20, 1995, pp. 20-22. Bible.org.)</div> <div>      Years ago new engineers in the Lamp Division of General Electric were assigned, as a joke, the impossible task of frosting bulbs on the inside. Eventually, however, an undaunted newcomer named Marvin Pipkin not only found a way to frost bulbs on the inside but developed an etching acid that gave minutely rounded pits instead of sharp depressions. This materially strengthened each bulb. Fortunately, no one had told him it couldn't be done, so he did it. (Bits and Pieces, December, 1989, pp. 20-21. Bible.org.). </div> <div>      (And then there is the 2004 Boston Red Sox . . .!) There are a whole host of things in life that <I>seem</I> impossible. But sooner or later, we have to learn that what may seem impossible to us, is not impossible to God. </div> <div>      What of God's promises and plan seems impossible to us? Some examples: God will supply all your needs (Phil 4:19). All things work together for the good (Rom 8:28). The whole issue of transformation (Phil 4:13 et al), of our lives, families, communities, nations, the world.</div> <div>      We must often be reminded that our whole faith is based on the simple fact that <B>nothing is too difficult for God</B>. Please read <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+18:1-15" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 18:1-15</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Abraham and Sarah needed to learn again that God is able to fulfill his promises.</B></div> <div> A. They welcomed the Lord and the angels who came in peaceful friendship (vss. 1-8).</div> <div>      Abraham gave a lavish, generous welcome to these honored guests, one of whom was the Lord himself. Eating together signifies peaceful union with another.</div> <div> B. They received and responded to the promise (vss. 9-15). </div> <div>      Sarah had received the promise already, but now she was challenged to expect the promise of child to be fulfilled within one year. Maybe she had never really gotten her hopes up when the promise first came, but now there was a time limit attached to the promise. So she laughed, and God kindly reminded her that nothing is too difficult for him.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Nothing is too difficult or too marvelous for God, on behalf of those who have peace with him.</B></div> <div> A. <I>We must welcome God in peace, with open hearts, into the center of our lives</I>. </div> <div>      God's promises and power are behind those who have peace with him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." To have peace with God means that our values, priorities, agendas should be aligned with his.</div> <div> B. <I>We must readily believe his promises, and believe that he is able to carry them out</I>.      </div> <div>      One problem is, that the more specific the promise, the greater the required faith. It does not take much faith to believe a distant promise, because you can stay emotionally disconnected. Sooner or later, though, faith calls us to take a step, whether physically or emotionally or both. </div> <bR> <div>      The creation of the nation of Israel (through Abraham and Isaac) required the same mighty power as the creation of the world - it came out of impossible circumstances, and God pulled it off, both times (<A HREF="http://www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm"><U>Net Bible</U></A>, 18:14). </div> <div>      So too with our salvation. Read the Apostle's Creed (below). We already believe what <I>seems</I> impossible. Jesus' virgin birth, his atoning sacrificial death, his resurrection all are <I>impossible</I> - but that is what our whole faith is based on. <I>Our very identity as redeemed, saved, re-created people is rooted in God's ability to do the impossible - especially the resurrection.</I> So don't give up believing in the promises of God now.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Apostle's Creed </B></div> <div> <B>[Modern English Version ]</B></div> <bR> <div> I believe in God, the Father almighty, </div> <div> creator of heaven and earth. </div> <bR> <div> I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, </div> <div> who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, </div> <div> born of the Virgin Mary, </div> <div> suffered under Pontius Pilate, </div> <div> was crucified, died, and was buried; </div> <div> he descended to the dead. </div> <div> On the third day he rose again; </div> <div> he ascended into heaven, </div> <div> he is seated at the right hand of the Father, </div> <div> and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. </div> <bR> <div> I believe in the Holy Spirit, </div> <div> the holy catholic church, </div> <div> the communion of saints, </div> <div> the forgiveness of sins, </div> <div> the resurrection of the body, </div> <div> and the life everlasting. AMEN.</div> <bR> <div> copyright, 2004, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>