Our Unstoppable God

Nathan Hall

Midland SDA Church

August 3, 2019

I.  Introduction:

A.  God has recorded in Scripture some very important questions to man.

Isaiah 43: 13 – records one of those most important questions:

“When I act, who can reverse it?”  NIV

“I work and who will reverse it?” NKJV

“I work and who can turn it back?” ESV

“I make and who can unmake it?”  Message

B.  God makes a thrilling declaration in this one verse!

What a challenge is made to the forces of darkness and evil!

How sweet is the promise of victory!  The struggle between God and Satan, between righteousness and evil, has been going on for somewhere around 6000 years!!!

Stop and chew on that for a minute!

It has been the studied plan of God’s great enemy to overthrow His whole plan for the salvation of man and the restoration of that which has been lost by sin.

“I will work, and who can hinder it, reverse it, unmake it – is a question which Satan has challenged through the ages.

Satan thinks he can change God’s plan- but God says otherwise!

II.  God’s Plan VS. Satan’s Plan:

A.  In Exodus 3:8 – God’s says:  READ IT

Here we have God’s plan for Israel outlined.  He came down to deliver Israel out of Egyptian bondage, to take them out of the land of oppression, and to put them in their own land.

When this plan was revealed in the call of Moses – Satan immediately sought to block the way.  He challenged the plan of God by attempting – through Pharaoh – the greatest monarch on earth at that time – to stop what God had declared He would do.

When Moses when to Pharaoh and said God wanted him to let Israel go – Pharaoh answered:  “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?  I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2

B.  To the recorders of human history it seemed to be a struggle between Moses and Pharaoh – but behind the scenes stood God and Satan.

Day after day the battle raged.  Mighty signs and wonders, terrible calamities and awful plagues, came in rapid succession upon those people that fought against God’s plan.

Day after day – Satan was beaten, but he did not give up.  He retreated, but he watched and waited for an opportunity to strike again.

 Finally, the crisis came upon the Egyptians in the slaying of the first-born.

The white flag was raised, and Israel was sent from Egypt.

God had won!  “I will work and who can hinder?”

Nothing can stay the hand of God.  Nothing can keep Him back from objectives that He seeks to accomplish!

C.  Though Satan lost the first round, seeking to keep Israel in Egyptian bondage – he continued to fight to keep them from the Promised Land.

 Do you remember the story of Balak and Balaam?

It’s found in Numbers 22-24

Balak was fearful when he saw the onward march of Israel in their triumphs against all opposition.  Knowing of the fame of a certain prophet by the name of Balaam, Balak sent for this man whose reputation was so great that the king said:

“He whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Numbers 22:6

At the offer of a large reward Balaam met Balak, and together they went to a place where they could see Israel camping below.

Balak said: Curse these people for me – but when Balaam opened his mouth to speak the curse and get a big pile of money – from his lips poured out words of praise and blessing!

This is one of those moments in Bible history that I find hilarious! J

When Balak heard the blessing – he must have said:

What are doing?  I said pronounce a curse but you gave them a blessing.  I didn’t pay you to come here to give them a blessing.  I’m paying you to put a curse on them.

(Numbers 23:11)

So Balak said:  Try it again and you better get it right!

Take Two:  Out comes a blessing instead of a curse.

Take Three: Out comes a blessing instead of a curse.

Balak said:  “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.” Numbers 24:10

Balaam’s response:

“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

So Israel marched on toward the Promised Land.  There were many skirmishes between the forces of righteousness and evil, but God’s plan could not be hindered.

D.  And then Scripture records another mighty conflict!

Moses had failed when the Lord told him to speak to the rock in order to cause water to flow for the people.

Moses had become impatient.  He hit the rock!

As a result – God told him that he could not lead Israel into the Promised Land but that he must die.

I can only imagine: that was a tough pill to swallow for Moses but he didn’t complain.

God did give him a view of Canaan from the top of the mountain.

Then Moses died.  It had been his desire to lead Israel into Canaan, but on the borders of that Promised Land he failed, and the responsibility of leadership was given to Joshua.

Angels buried Moses right there on top of Mt. Nebo.

Satan had caused Moses to fail.  He was working for high stakes, and he was happy at the death and burial of Israel’s great leader.

There were no human markings placed on that grave, but it seemed as if it were a monument of victory for the forces of evil.

But the story doesn’t end there!

God desired that Moses, the man who had held such close and intimate association with Him, should be with Him in the heavenly courts.

Deuteronomy 34:10 – There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Moses had spent 40 days and 40 nights at one time on the mountain with God.  He had been the instrument of God in delivering to the children of Israel the instructions concerning the earthly sanctuary.

Now Moses was dead.  But Michael, the Archangel, came down to resurrect him.

As Michael came near the unmarked grave, Satan challenged the right of the Son of God to open the house of his prison and stood in the way to oppose.

But the Archangel only replied:

“The Lord rebuke you.”  Jude 9

Then, with the cry of resurrection power He called for Moses to come forth.  The grave opened, and Moses came forth.  The prison house of the enemy had been invaded.

“I will work” says God, “and who can hinder?”

E.  In the fullness of time when the hour struck for the appearance of God’s Son as a man among men, He came.  He did the work of the Messiah.  He spoke prophecies, saying: 

“I tell you before it come, that, when it come to pass, you may believe.” John 13:19

Luke 21:33 – “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

Jesus made some striking predictions concerning Jerusalem and the temple of God.  He prophesied that the city would be so completely destroyed that there would not in the temple be left “one stone upon another.”

Speaking of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, He added:

Luke 19:44,21-24  -“They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

E.  Down through the centuries Satan has also tried to break the prophecies uttered by servants of God.

600 years before Christ – Daniel outlined the rise and fall of kingdoms from the days of Daniel all the way to the coming of Christ.

You can refresh your memory in Daniel chapter 2.

The bottom line is:  everything has happened exactly as God said it would!!!

One by one strong, ruthless conquerors have soaked the soil of Europe with the blood of millions, seeking to attain their ambition; but stronger than all the forces of man are these seven words:

“They shall not cleave one to another.”

When Napoleon made his attempt to unite Europe and consequently to break the prophecy of God’s Word, Victor Hugo, the French writer, said: 

“Was it possible for Napoleon to win the Battle of Waterloo?  We answer in the negative.  Why?  On account of Wellington?  On account of Bluecher?

NO - ON ACCOUNT OF GOD!

III.  Conclusion:

A.  God’s Word has not failed in the past and it will not fail today or in the future!  The Most High still rules in the kingdoms of men and women.

God will work and who can stop Him?  Nobody!

B.  I believe that we have come to the time when the work of God is soon to be finished on this earth!

Romans 9:28 – “For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

Against this divine plan the forces of evil are in full array.

Every possible roadblock is placed in the way of the spread of the Gospel

Will Satan win?  Will wars, famines, pestilences, hatreds, animosities, be able to stop the onward march of God’s work and its final triumph?

God says:  “I will work, and who can hinder?”  “I will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness.”

IV.  Appeal:

We need to keep our eyes on God!

We’ve all seen the forces of wickedness and the strength of evil.  We’ve all seen roadblocks.

But we must all remember:  God is able to do all that He has promised.  He will perform His work, and nothing can keep Him from it!

He who has begun a good work in your life is able to finish it.  Do not distrust His power.  Do not doubt His ability!  Don’t look at the power of evil – look to the power of God to bring you through – to make you triumphant.

He can save to the uttermost!

Let God work in your life!

Let Him have full sway!

If we cooperate with God, no combination of circumstances can keep us from the life of victory here of the “well done” at last, for He “will work, and who can hinder?”