Acts 12:1-19

God specializes in the seemingly impossible.

When life seems impossible God gives hope.

When everything looks hopeless, God brings deliverance.

God is still "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20).

Trust is the Antidote to Unanswered Questions (vv. 1-4).

Nominal, half-hearted Christians are not persecuted for their faith (v. 1).

Life’s unanswered questions are not always explained by God (vv. 2-4).

Prayer is the Antidote to Impossible Situations (vv. 5-11).

When everything else fails, prayer is our avenue to the impossible.

Charles Wesley captured the drama in "And Can It Be" (#221):

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night.

Thine eyes diffused a quick’ning ray.

I woke the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off: my heart was free.

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

Prayer is never a substitute for effort (v. 10).

Prayer doesn’t remove responsibility.

Retrospect is often required to discern God’s providence (v. 11).

Expectancy is the Antidote for Paralyzing Doubt (vv. 12-19).

Too often we believe that God could deliver - but we don’t expect God to do it.

Too often we limit our prayers to what we think God will do.

Unbelief keeps doors locked! But, God specializes in impossibilities.

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible;

And He can do what no other power can do.