Impossible Situations
In the face of impossible situations, we must trust in the Father's care and surrender our problems to Jesus, recognizing His sovereignty and power.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the lesson Jesus taught Philip when faced with the impossible task of feeding a multitude. Jesus, aware of the challenges, asked Philip how they would solve the problem, highlighting the importance of faith in seemingly hopeless situations. Wilkerson draws parallels to today's trials, urging believers to trust in God's plan and to respond to their difficulties with faith, acknowledging that nothing is impossible for God. The sermon encourages Christians to relinquish their burdens to Jesus, who has the power to provide solutions beyond human understanding.
Text
Jesus was ministering to a great multitude when the people began to get hungry. He took his disciple Philip aside and asked him an important question: "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?'" (John 6:5-6).
Jesus was saying, "Look, thousands of hungry people are here. How are we going to feed them? What do you think we should do?" How incredibly loving of the Lord. He knew all along what he would do; the verse tells us so. Yet, he was trying to teach Philip something important and the lesson he wanted to impart has great significance to us today.
Our world is teetering on a precipice unprecedented in history. The present upheaval comes at a time when Christians everywhere are facing trials as never before. Multitudes sit up at night trying to figure out answers to their problems: "Maybe this will work. No, wait. Maybe that will solve it. No, that won't work, either. What am I going to do?"
When Jesus posed his question to Philip, the disciples did not have just a bread problem, they had a bakery problem, a money problem, a distribution problem, a transportation problem, and a time problem. Add it all up and they had problems they could not even imagine. In fact, their situation was absolutely impossible.
Beloved, consider that in the midst of your impossible situation, Jesus would come to you asking, "What are we going to do about this?" He knows exactly what he is going to do; he has a plan. Yet he also wants to know how you, his servant, will face your difficulties.
Philip's correct answer would have been, "Jesus, you are God! Nothing is impossible with you, so I am giving this problem to you right now. It is no longer mine, but yours."
That is the response Jesus is looking for from us. I pray that you have the kind of faith that rests in the Father's care and trusts him to come through for you in his own way and time. He can be trusted absolutely!
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to Impossible Situations
- A. Jesus' question to Philip: 'Where shall we buy bread...'
- B. The disciples' multiple problems: bread, money, distribution, transportation, time
- II. The Lord's Response to Impossible Situations
- A. Jesus knows the solution, but wants to know our response
- B. Faith in the Father's care and trust in His plan
- III. Our Response to Impossible Situations
- A. Recognizing Jesus' sovereignty and power
- B. Surrendering our problems to Him
- IV. Conclusion
- A. Trusting in the Father's care and timing
- B. Resting in His plan
Key Quotes
“Nothing is impossible with you, so I am giving this problem to you right now. It is no longer mine, but yours.” — David Wilkerson
“He can be trusted absolutely!” — David Wilkerson
“You are God!” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must recognize Jesus' sovereignty and power in our impossible situations.
- We should surrender our problems to Him and trust in His plan.
- We can trust in the Father's care and timing, and rest in His plan.