The Gospel of John: Opposed by the Impossible

In his sermon "Opposed by the Impossible," Pastor Johnathan continues the congregation's journey through the Gospel of John, focusing on chapter six and the word that often infiltrates our thinking: "impossible." He begins by addressing how we frequently adopt impossibility thinking in our daily lives, disguising it in phrases like "never in a million years" or "when pigs fly," allowing these thoughts to shackle us rather than breaking free from them.

Pastor Johnathan establishes John 6:20 as his key text, where Jesus says, "Don't be afraid. I am here." He explains that Jesus faced opposition after healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, and if Jesus faced opposition, we will certainly face it too. The question becomes how we respond when confronted with opposing forces and seemingly impossible situations. Do we respond with anxiety and fear, or do we allow our faith to rise up and use the situation as a catalyst for spiritual growth?

The sermon delves into the miracle of multiplication as Jesus feeds over 5,000 people with just five barley loaves and two fish. Pastor Johnathan challenges liberal theological interpretations that diminish the supernatural nature of this miracle, emphasizing that Jesus was testing Philip's trust when He asked where they would buy bread for the crowd. He points out how often we calculate odds without factoring God into the equation, noting that "when God wants to do something wonderful, he begins with difficulty, and when God wants to do something very wonderful, he begins with an impossibility."

Pastor Johnathan shares a powerful personal testimony of encountering a fatal car accident where he prayed for a young girl with no vital signs who began breathing again, demonstrating that we serve "the God of the impossible." He connects the feeding miracle to the principle of tithing, arguing that God's math is different from ours—He can do more with our 90% than we could ever do with 100%. As Ephesians 3:20 states, God "is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think."

The sermon then transitions to Jesus walking on water during the storm, showing how we often move from one impossibility to another. Pastor Johnathan emphasizes that Jesus is present in every stage of our impossible situations—He's with us in the midst of the storm and waiting for us on the other side. He concludes by challenging believers to stop living in fear and to let impossible situations energize rather than deplete their faith, declaring that Jesus is "coming to get you on the other side of impossible."

Throughout the message, Pastor Johnathan maintains that faith in Christ transforms our perspective on impossibilities, reminding us that with God, "nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37). The sermon calls believers to trust God's ability to work miracles in their lives, whether facing financial difficulties, health challenges, or relational problems, because Jesus is always present saying, "Don't be afraid, I am here."