You Must TRY to TRIUMPH
Dr. Dennis Corle
Dr. Corle is the Editor and Publisher of Revival Fires
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Paul said, “I can do most things” -- right? Ah, that’s not what it says? I can do all things in the flesh? The Bible said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Every word of the Bible is important. Don’t let these people tell you that it doesn’t matter about the words. Jesus said it mattered about the words plural, not just the word.
In Philippians 4:13 he said, “I can...” and he didn’t say that egotistically. He said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” He said, “I can do everything that God wants me to do. I can do everything that is right to do. I can do everything that I am commanded to do. I can do everything that I’m supposed to do through Christ, not in the flesh.”
It’s not my wonderful ability that makes me able to do all things. I can do everything I’m supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. God never commands me to do anything without giving me the wherewithal. He never commands me to do anything without making it possible. So I can do everything I’m supposed to do, but I have to try in order to find that out. I have to try in order to triumph. I have to try in order to get the victory.
I can do everything I’m supposed to do, but I’ll never know that I can if I don’t try. I can be everything I’m supposed to be, but I’ll never know that if I do not try. I must try in order to triumph. I must try in order to see God work in my behalf. I must make human effort to do what is right to do if I’m ever going to see God supernaturally make it possible. It doesn’t matter about my inabilities and my handicaps and what I come short in as far as natural ability. I’ve got to try to do what God has commanded me to do, what is right to do, and when I try, I’ll find out that I can.
Multitudes of saved people say, “I can’t.” They say, “I can’t be a soulwinner. I know the Bible said I’m supposed to go.” By the way, it does say that to you. The Bible said, “Go ye...” That’s a Greek word that means YOU. We’ve got to get into this deep stuff! But He said, “...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” He said, “...ye SHALL be witnesses unto me...” “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:...” (John 15:16) It sounds kind of personal to me. It sounds to me like God may be talking to ME. It sounds to me like God may be talking to you, as well. You say, “Well, Preacher, I’d like to be a soulwinner. I just can’t.” That’s not true, folks.
The first problem with that is you’re saying God is unreasonable because God has commanded you to be a witness. God has commanded you to go. He has commanded you to do what’s necessary to bring forth fruit. When you say I can’t you’re accusing God of being unreasonable. “God has commanded me to do something, and He won’t equip me.” The problem is not that God won’t equip you. The problem is that you won’t try. The problem is you won’t make the effort and put God in a position where He has to keep His promise and bless you for your obedience.
God said that He would make us fishers of men; it’s not something that I make myself. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) If I follow Christ faithfully, He will make me a soulwinner.
God blesses obedience. God honors His Word. God will meet my need when I try to do what He’s told me to do and come up short. I’m never going to find out I can do the will of God if I refuse to try. You say, “I just can’t be a soulwinner.” Do you really believe that? Do you really believe God is unreasonable? You say, “I can’t. I know what the Bible says, but I can’t. Preacher, I know it’s right, but I just can’t.” You’re making an accusation against God when you say that. When you say, “I can’t...” you’re really confessing, “I actually haven’t tried.”
Other people say, “Well, I just can’t afford to tithe.” Wait a minute. God said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10) Can I remind you that the last time God opened the windows of Heaven was back in Genesis chapters six and seven. He poured out a flood of water that the earth couldn’t receive. It overwhelmed the whole earth. God said that if I would bring the tithe into the storehouse He would open the windows of Heaven and flood me with blessing. That’s pretty good. I think I could handle that kind of blessing.
“But I just can’t afford to tithe.” When you say that, you’re telling me you haven’t tried. You haven’t tried tithing if you tell me you can’t afford it. The fact is you can’t afford not to tithe! You can get along a whole lot better with 90% of what you make and the blessing of God than you can with 100% of what you make and the curse of God on your finances. Anybody that tells me they just can’t afford to tithe, I know they haven’t tried it because God will be debtor to no man. You can not out-give God. It is impossible.
Someone says, “I just can’t.” Now what they do is look at their natural circumstances and they look at their bills compared to their income, and they forget there is a God who promised to bless the obedient Christian who tithes. They say, “I know the Bible says and I know it’s right to, but I just can’t.” That’s not true. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It probably won’t work out with pencil and paper, but when God blesses your obedience, you’ll be excited to see the results. But I’ll never know I can do it if I don’t try. The reason I can do everything I’m supposed to do is because God’s commands are His enablings. But I will never find out that I am able. I will never find out that I can if I refuse to try. You must TRY before you will TRIUMPH.
Someone says, “Well, I just can’t live a separated life. I can’t get victory over sin and habits in my life. I just can’t be in church three times a week.” “I’m just too busy and I have too much on me. I just can’t be there.” God said that we’re not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. He didn’t say Sunday morning, not to forsake the assembling. The word assembling means the completion of the collection.
Have you ever purchased something in a box and took it home and began to put it together and you had everything but one piece, and you couldn’t put it together? It wouldn’t work without that one piece. Could I tell you when I’m not in my place the collection is not complete? I’m hindering the work of God. I’m important. No matter what I do, what my function is, what my responsibility is, it’s important to be in my place. I’m part of the collection, the assembly. I’m supposed to be in place. For things to run properly I have to be where God expects me to be.
You say, “Well, I can’t be in church all the time. I’m just too busy for that. I’ve got too many things going on.” You can if you try. You could do it if you made it the priority, if it was important and you gave it your best effort, God would make it possible. If you get your priorities in order and decide you’re going to give it your best effort. You’ll find out you can because you can do everything that’s right to do. You can do everything you’re commanded to do. You can do everything you’re supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. But even though you can, you’ll never know you can if you don’t try.
Someone says, “Well, I couldn’t teach a class, and I couldn’t work a bus route.” Those are not commands to every believer, but they are good things. They are things that need to be done. They are things that God will put on somebody’s heart to be a part of and to give their time and effort to serve the Lord and reach souls with the Gospel.
Somebody needs to decide to rise to the occasion. Somebody needs to respond to the need. If I see somebody in the river drowning, I don’t have to have a certificate on saving lives to try to help them. The very fact that they are drowning is a call to me to do something. They’re in distress and danger. They need help now or it’s too late. We’re waiting for something strange to happen so we know that we’re called to something. You don’t have a certain divine call to everything. There are needs that ought to be met, things that need to be done, and God says if I’m going to be Christlike, He went about doing good.
D. L. Moody was asked to preach his first funeral. He had never preached a funeral before and didn’t know what to say. So he decided he’d look in the Gospels and see what Jesus said at a funeral. He was going to preach the same funeral sermon that Jesus preached. When he started searching the Gospels he found out that every time Jesus came to a dead person He raised them back to life! Moody had to find his own funeral sermon!
I’m trying to tell you that Jesus went about doing good. If I’m going to be a Christian then I don’t need a call to everything. I don’t need a command to everything. The very fact that there is a need, a vacancy, there’s a cry, should do something in my heart to cause me to want to help meet the need. I can help meet the need, but I’ll never know I can if I won’t try. I’ll never know I can teach a class if I don’t try. I’ll never know I could be a bus worker if I don’t try.
God calls people to preach. Just about every preacher I’ve ever heard talk about his call to preach had serious doubts about his ability when God called him. But instead of saying, “I can’t,” he went ahead and surrendered to the call and found out that he could through Christ that strengtheneth him. Most folks that say “I can’t” have not really tried, or it was one of those half hearted efforts. Their effort was not to succeed. They were trying to prove they couldn’t so everybody would get off their back. They wanted to fail. They didn’t try to succeed. They did not give it their best effort. They didn’t pour their life into it. They did not give it their best.
The story is told about a cemetery that stood between a small community and a housing development. There was a little path that went from that housing development into town, and went right though the cemetery. Many folks would walk that path, go to town and buy groceries or do business. Everybody knew the path pretty well.
One of the fellows in the neighborhood passed on and they dug a fresh grave in the cemetery that stood between that little housing project and the down town area. The fresh grave just so happened to be alongside the path. That night after the grave had been dug one man started to town. He stumbled a little ways off the path and fell into that fresh grave. It was raining. He tried to climb out and in the mud and the rain he slipped and fell back in. He tried a second time and fell in. He tried a third time and fell back in. Finally he just went and sat down in the corner of the grave and said, “I’ll just wait till tomorrow, till somebody comes to help me out of here.”
A little bit later another man on the same path headed to town fell in the same grave, totally oblivious to the presence of the first man. He started to try to climb out and fell in. He tried a second time and fell in. The fellow sitting in the end of the grave said, “Hey boy, it’s no use. You can’t get out of here.” But he did! He just hadn’t tried that hard!
I’m convinced that most folks who say ‘I can’t’ have never really even tried. They have not given it their best. They wrote the will of God off before they ever attempted it, because it looked hard and they didn’t look like they were up to the task in the flesh. That’s the wonderful thing about having a real God. It doesn’t just depend on what I can do in the flesh. He said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” But I must try in order to triumph. I’ll never know I can if I do not try. If I say I can’t, I’m right. And if I say I can through Christ, I’m right. But even if I say I can and don’t try, I’ll never know I’m right. There are a lot of illustrations of this in the Word of God.
In Matthew 12:10-13 we read about that man at the synagogue that had the withered hand. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to that man who had the withered hand. I’m guessing it was all shriveled up and unusable. Jesus said to that man, “...Stretch forth thine hand....”
Suppose he said, “I can’t. Can’t you see the condition I’m in? You’re unreasonable. Why would you expect me to stretch forth my hand, when my hand doesn’t work. Can’t you see it’s impossible?” That’s not what he said folks. If he had said I can’t, he would have left with a withered hand just like he came. He would have left with the same handicap. He would have left defeated because he said ‘I can’t.’ But I’m telling you, when Jesus gave the command, “...Stretch forth thine hand....” he tried to obey the command. He tried to do what was impossible. When he tried, he found out he could. He never could before, but when he had the command of Jesus and he tried to obey the command of Jesus by faith, a miracle took place.
Do you understand that the Christian life is supposed to be a life of miracles? The last miracle was not supposed to be the miracle of the new birth. We have a supernatural God. But most folks could never know that because they won’t try anything that’s hard. They won’t try anything if they have a handicap. They won’t try anything if they think that it’s physically impossible. They won’t even make the effort to obey God.
I had a man in a wheelchair say to me. He wasn’t a preacher then. He was in Ravenna, Ohio. I preached a revival there, and preached to the teenagers in the gym. I guess about a dozen young people surrendered to full time service that night. This man came to me and said, “Brother Corle, could I talk to you?”
I said, “Yes, sir.” So I stepped out of the gym with him and we began to talk.
He said, “God has called me to evangelism.”
I said, “Man, that is great. Praise the Lord.”
He said, “But I can’t be an evangelist.”
I said, “Yeah, I know. It’s terrible how God is, isn’t it? He’s cruel, isn’t He? He calls us to do all this stuff we can’t do.”
He said, “Oh, I don’t believe that.”
I said, “Well, that’s what you said. You say that God called you to be an evangelist, but because you have bad health and physical handicaps, you can’t do the will of God.”
He said, “What should I do?”
I said, “Well, I’d do what God told me to do.” This was a long time ago. I said, “Go to Hammond and get some training. Brother Hyles always pulls for the underdog. He’ll help you.” I also asked this fellow, “Did you ever stop and think that maybe your affliction is your calling card?” and it was. He was a good evangelist and soulwinner, and God used him all over the country for a number of years. But to start with, he said, “God’s called me but I can’t.” He would have never known that he could if he hadn’t tried.
Hey, stretch forth thine hand! You say, “Well, I can’t.” Oh yes you can if Jesus said to. But you’ll never know you can if you don’t try it.
How about the fellow in John chapter five, the first nine verses? He was lying there at the pool of Bethesda. Now every so often an angel would come down and stir the waters and put healing power in them, and the first person to get in the water would be healed. You say, “Do you really believe that?” Oh yes, because the Bible says it. This man had been lying there as close to healing and help as he could get, and he’d been there for 38 years. Jesus came up to him and said, “...Wilt thou be made whole?”
Perhaps he started unloading on Jesus. “What do you mean, will I be made whole? Can’t you see I’m as close as I can get, but I can’t get in first. I’ve been laying here 38 years, but every time the angel comes down and stirs the water, I have no man to help me get in.”
He said, “I have no man to help me in.” Do you understand this fellow has been lying there for 38 years? In 38 years he’s not been able to roll in. He’s not been able to crawl in, not able to get himself into the water in all that time. So he’s telling Jesus about his calamity. Jesus just went ahead and threw a pity party and felt sorry for him, right? He showed great compassion. Do you know what He said? “...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”
You say, “That’s unreasonable. Jesus just expected too much of him. He couldn’t even roll himself into the water or crawl in, and Jesus tells him to do what is impossible. “Stand up and carry a load.” Jesus said, “...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Impossible, right? Not if Jesus is the One who commands you to do it, because He is the One who can make the anything possible.
So what was the man’s answer? “I can’t?” No, that’s not what he said, folks. If he had said I can’t, he would have been lying there for another 38 years. If he had said I can’t it would have been true, because in His own strength and ability, he couldn’t. But I want you to know when he tried to obey the command of Jesus, then a miracle took place. When he tried to rise up, he could do it, and when he tried to take up his bed, to do what had been impossible, God performed a miracle and he could obey the Lord. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” What was impossible before, when I have the command of God, it’s now possible, but I will never know unless I will try. You must try before you can triumph.
Now there’s a real soulwinning principle there too. How many people would like to go to Heaven, they’d like to have their sin and guilt taken away, they would like to have peace in their hearts that is real. But in themselves, they have never been able to wash away their sins. They have tried church membership. They have tried baptism. They have tried communion. They have tried good works. They have gotten as close as they know how to get, but it’s not close enough. Many of them go every Sunday morning to a place that has a sign out front that calls it a church, but they’ve never heard the true Gospel and put their trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to save them. They are as close as they know how to get, but unless we get the Gospel to them and show them how to be saved, they are still lost in their sin and headed for hell.
Back to our message: You must try in order to triumph. How about Peter in Matthew 14:28 & 29 the Bible said that Jesus, after the feeding of the 5,000, put the disciples on board a ship and sent them out to sea. He sent them right into the teeth of a raging storm. Then the Lord went up in the mountain and prayed for them while they were in the storm. He came to them, walking on the water, while they were in the storm. He taught them some lessons while they were in the storm that they never could have learned in the calm, and then He got them safely to the other side.
When Jesus came to them in the storm, the Bible said that when they saw Him walking on the water, they were afraid. They cried out and said, “It’s a spirit.” He said, “It’s not a spirit.” He said, “It is I.” I love it because in this case there was no command given. In this case Peter looked at Jesus and said, “...Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” He said, “Lord, if it’s really You, would you permit me, would you allow me to walk on the water, too.”
Jesus said, “...Come....”
Did Peter say, “No, that’s okay. I was just kidding.?” Do you think that Peter really didn’t know it was impossible for flesh and blood to walk on water? If he thought it was possible to walk on water, why were they fighting so hard to keep the boat afloat? Why didn’t they just go ahead and walk to the shore? Why did they get in a boat to start with if he thought he could walk on water?
Peter knew that it was physically impossible for him to walk on water, but he also knew that if Jesus gave him permission, then he could. In this case Jesus didn’t command him and say, “Get out of that boat.” Peter said, “Lord, I’d sure like to get out there and walk on that water with You, if You give me permission.”
Jesus said, “Come -- I give you permission.” Now wait a minute. Once he had permission, if he had backed down he would have never known that he could. He would have never experienced that miracle. He would have never seen the mighty power of God. But whenever Jesus said, “...Come....” He stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water. I know after a little while he sank, but don’t be too hard on him. When was the last time you walked on water? When was the last time you even asked permission? When is the last time you asked God to let you do anything that’s physically impossible? When is the last time you even had a hunger for anything that would require you to have a miracle working God?
We never have a miracle because we don’t need a miracle to reach our goals. We operate within our own limitations instead of reaching farther and asking for more. Peter said, “...Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” And Jesus said, “...Come....” When he had the Lord’s permission, he obeyed the command of God. At that point he stepped out, and he walked on the water to go to Jesus. You see, he did something that was impossible by the Lord’s permission.
Hey, it doesn’t have to be a command. God can give me permission. It can just be right. It can just be good. I can do all things, everything that’s right to do, everything I’m commanded to do, everything that’s good to do. I can do everything I’m supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. But I’ll never know I can do it if I never try it. There are a lot of folks that can do a lot of things, but they’ll never know they can. Because they say, “I can’t.” I can’t is a cop out, folks. When it’s in the Book, you can, but you’ll never know you can if you’re not willing to try.
How about the feeding of the 5,000? I preached a whole sermon on the lad and his lunch. But there is a part of that story that I didn’t deal with. There was certainly some faith. When Jesus said, “How are we going to feed this multitude?” the boy offered his lunch. That was faith. He tried to do the impossible. This boy knew that he was not able to feed 5,000 people with that small amount of food, but when he placed what he had into the hands of Jesus, it was miraculously enough. He tried to make a difference and found out he could.
But wait a minute. The lad wasn’t the only one involved in this. Do you understand that when Jesus broke the bread and the fish, He had five small barley loaves and two small fishes? He had 12 disciples, I’m guessing. So He took those five small barley loaves and two small fish. He broke them and placed those little fragments in the hands of each of the disciples. He said, “Okay, get them to sit down in companies. Now feed everybody.”
“Lord, I can’t do it with this.” David probably couldn’t defeat Goliath with five smooth stones, but with the Lord, one of them is all it took. He probably couldn’t do it with a sling. No, not if he hadn’t tried.
The disciples looked at what they had in their hands. It wasn’t enough to feed one person. Could I tell you when Jesus blessed it, the sky didn’t just dump food down on them? Let me tell you how it happened. You see these. You say, “Well, go ahead and feed them all.”
I say, “That’s all I got. Look at that. That isn’t much. I can’t do that for everybody. I can take care of one of them. Oh, maybe I can take care of two. How about that? Hey, look at this. Maybe I can do another. How about that?” “What are you trying to say, Preacher?” I’m trying to tell you, the Lord didn’t multiply it and dump it out in a big pile. As they by faith tried to obey and feed the multitude with barely enough to feed one. Every time they gave some there was as much left. They gave some more and there was as much left, and they gave some more and it was enough. But they would never have known it was enough if they said, “Now Lord, you’re expecting the unreasonable. Do you really expect me to feed all these people with these little, few fragments you put in my hand. If they would have complained, if they would have said I can’t, if they had refused to try, they would have never known that they could. But because they tried to do the impossible at the command of God, because they tried to do something that was beyond their ability, they saw a miracle.
Did you ever notice that each of these people involved in these miracles had to do this stuff by faith. Faith is dependency upon God and expectancy from God to the point that the Word of God is enough. I don’t need a sign, a wonder, a tingle. I don’t need to know how or why. All I need to know is what God said. When I’m operating by faith, when I know what He said, that’s enough to take action. I got news for you. When they took action, they saw a miracle of God. But it took faith. They had to be willing to trust God and depend on God and do it based on God’s Word, not based on their ability. In every case God made it possible.
How about that fellow in Acts chapter three, the first 11 verses? He was crippled from birth, sitting at the beautiful gate of the Temple. He was sitting there with a little cup, collecting alms as people passed by. The Bible said that he was sitting there collecting, and Peter and John came up to the Temple at the hour of prayer. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if you had one of those. You know a set time when you pray. But when they came, he held his cup out.
Now folks, listen. He didn’t need money. That wasn’t his greatest need. But since he didn’t think anybody could meet his real need, he would settle for money, just take care of one of my needs for a temporary time. That’s where most of the world is today. They don’t think anybody can meet their real need. They have marriage problems. They’ve got personal problems. They got every kind of problem and money won’t solve their problem, but since they think nobody can solve their real problem, they’ll settle for money. He stuck his cup out for alms and Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; I’m a Baptist preacher.” “...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
The Bible said when Peter told him to rise up, he reached down and got him by the hand. Now don’t miss this statement. It said that when he stood his feet and ankle bones received strength. It didn’t say when his feet and ankle bones received strength he stood. It said when he stood his feet and ankle bones received strength. He made the effort to get up, to do what he knew was impossible. He never could do that before. This wasn’t Jesus in person, just one of His preachers. But in the name of Jesus, if he tried to rise up in the name of Jesus, he could. When he made the effort, God healed him. God did a miracle and made it possible to obey. He tried to stand and he triumphed. He tried and God did a miracle. He tried by faith to do what he couldn’t and found out that he could.
Instead of saying, “I can’t, and Lord, you expect too much of me. You don’t know my circumstances,” why don’t we attempt to do something for God that’s beyond our ability, and see if the Lord won’t make it possible? You know, too many folks are complaining about their circumstances instead of trying to do what God said. God knows your circumstances. He knew who you were before creation, and He knows your handicaps and He knows your need. He knew it when the Word of God was given to us. He’s not unreasonable. The work of God will take place if I will try.
In every case they were supposed to do something impossible. Some times it was a command. Some times it was by permission. But in every case they got word from the Lord to do something impossible. In every case they had to take action by faith. In every case God did a miracle to make it possible. In every case when they tried, they triumphed. In every case when they tried, they found out they could. But in every case if they’d have said, “I can’t”, then they couldn’t.
We have too many folks pleading inability, ruling God out of the picture. You can do what you’re supposed to. God said, “...Be ye holy...” and you can. God said, “...Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel...” and you can. God said, “Pray without ceasing.” And you can. God said, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,...” and you can. The Bible said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,...” and you can. The Bible said, “Serve the Lord with gladness:...” and you can. The Bible said, “Give your body, a living sacrifice,” and you can. You can do everything you ought to do, everything that’s right to do, everything that’s good to do, but you’ll never know that if you won’t try. You’ve got to try in order to triumph.
You say, “Well, God just expects too much of me.” No, Christianity is supposed to be a challenge. In John chapter 11 Lazarus was dead. He had been dead four days. They laid him in a tomb. When Jesus came to town, the sisters of Lazarus said, “You’re too late. By now he stinketh. By now he’s begun to decompose. By now he stinketh, it’s too late. It’s beyond hope.” That is, unless there is a God. Jesus said, “You take me to where he’s at,” and they took Him. He said, “Roll away the stone,” and they did. Then Jesus said, “...Lazarus, come forth.”
Suppose Lazarus said, “I can’t. I’m wound up in gauze. I’m dead.”
Jesus said, “...Lazarus, come forth.” And Lazarus, a dead man, could hear and could obey when it was the voice of the Lord giving the command.
“Well Lazarus, a dead man, could come forth. But you don’t understand my circumstances.” Hey folks! It doesn’t smell that bad in here. I wouldn’t have guessed that anybody in here is worse off than Lazarus. If a dead man could hear His voice, and if a dead man could obey, then you can do everything you ought to do, no matter about your circumstances, your handicaps, your inabilities, and your lack of talent.
You can do everything you’re supposed to do. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” But I’ll never know I can if I won’t try. Some of you need to decide, “I’m going to try to do what’s right.” I’m not talking to the rebel. Do you know who I’m talking to? I’m talking to the person in this room that has this attitude. “Preacher, I believe that stuff. I believe that stuff is in the Bible. I believe you’re right, Preacher. I know I should, but you just don’t understand, Preacher. I want to, but I just can’t.” You can apply that to 1,000 things. It could be soulwinning. It could be separation. It could be serving the Lord in some capacity. I don’t know what it is, but I’m talking to the person who’s not in total rebellion, but somebody who really says, “Oh, I believe that stuff, and I want to do right. I know I should. You just don’t understand. I just can’t.” If you’d quit saying that and give it your best effort to do what seems impossible that’s right to do, you’d find out you can. I’m telling you, folks, you can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you. But you must try in order to triumph. You will never know you can if you won’t try.
I don’t know what it is that God wants you to try, but I can tell you this. If you do what you ought to do, you’ll be trying to do something that’s impossible for you, and you’ll need a God to get it done. If you try to do what you can’t, you’ll find out that you have a God who can. If you deny Him and say ‘I can’t’ and He’s unreasonable, then you’ll live and die in defeat. If you try to do what God wants you to do, you can do all things through Christ, not in the flesh, but through Christ which strengtheneth you. God plus effort equals success. You can’t do it without Him. “Without Me ye can do NOTHING.” You’re right when you say, “In the flesh I can’t,” but you’re dead wrong when you say, “I can’t obey the Bible.” You can, but you’ll never know you can if you don’t try. You must try in order to triumph.
Paul said, “I can do most things” -- right? Ah, that’s not what it says? I can do all things in the flesh? The Bible said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Every word of the Bible is important. Don’t let these people tell you that it doesn’t matter about the words. Jesus said it mattered about the words plural, not just the word.
In Philippians 4:13 he said, “I can...” and he didn’t say that egotistically. He said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” He said, “I can do everything that God wants me to do. I can do everything that is right to do. I can do everything that I am commanded to do. I can do everything that I’m supposed to do through Christ, not in the flesh.”
It’s not my wonderful ability that makes me able to do all things. I can do everything I’m supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. God never commands me to do anything without giving me the wherewithal. He never commands me to do anything without making it possible. So I can do everything I’m supposed to do, but I have to try in order to find that out. I have to try in order to triumph. I have to try in order to get the victory.
I can do everything I’m supposed to do, but I’ll never know that I can if I don’t try. I can be everything I’m supposed to be, but I’ll never know that if I do not try. I must try in order to triumph. I must try in order to see God work in my behalf. I must make human effort to do what is right to do if I’m ever going to see God supernaturally make it possible. It doesn’t matter about my inabilities and my handicaps and what I come short in as far as natural ability. I’ve got to try to do what God has commanded me to do, what is right to do, and when I try, I’ll find out that I can.
Multitudes of saved people say, “I can’t.” They say, “I can’t be a soulwinner. I know the Bible said I’m supposed to go.” By the way, it does say that to you. The Bible said, “Go ye...” That’s a Greek word that means YOU. We’ve got to get into this deep stuff! But He said, “...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” He said, “...ye SHALL be witnesses unto me...” “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:...” (John 15:16) It sounds kind of personal to me. It sounds to me like God may be talking to ME. It sounds to me like God may be talking to you, as well. You say, “Well, Preacher, I’d like to be a soulwinner. I just can’t.” That’s not true, folks.
The first problem with that is you’re saying God is unreasonable because God has commanded you to be a witness. God has commanded you to go. He has commanded you to do what’s necessary to bring forth fruit. When you say I can’t you’re accusing God of being unreasonable. “God has commanded me to do something, and He won’t equip me.” The problem is not that God won’t equip you. The problem is that you won’t try. The problem is you won’t make the effort and put God in a position where He has to keep His promise and bless you for your obedience.
God said that He would make us fishers of men; it’s not something that I make myself. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) If I follow Christ faithfully, He will make me a soulwinner.
God blesses obedience. God honors His Word. God will meet my need when I try to do what He’s told me to do and come up short. I’m never going to find out I can do the will of God if I refuse to try. You say, “I just can’t be a soulwinner.” Do you really believe that? Do you really believe God is unreasonable? You say, “I can’t. I know what the Bible says, but I can’t. Preacher, I know it’s right, but I just can’t.” You’re making an accusation against God when you say that. When you say, “I can’t...” you’re really confessing, “I actually haven’t tried.”
Other people say, “Well, I just can’t afford to tithe.” Wait a minute. God said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10) Can I remind you that the last time God opened the windows of Heaven was back in Genesis chapters six and seven. He poured out a flood of water that the earth couldn’t receive. It overwhelmed the whole earth. God said that if I would bring the tithe into the storehouse He would open the windows of Heaven and flood me with blessing. That’s pretty good. I think I could handle that kind of blessing.
“But I just can’t afford to tithe.” When you say that, you’re telling me you haven’t tried. You haven’t tried tithing if you tell me you can’t afford it. The fact is you can’t afford not to tithe! You can get along a whole lot better with 90% of what you make and the blessing of God than you can with 100% of what you make and the curse of God on your finances. Anybody that tells me they just can’t afford to tithe, I know they haven’t tried it because God will be debtor to no man. You can not out-give God. It is impossible.
Someone says, “I just can’t.” Now what they do is look at their natural circumstances and they look at their bills compared to their income, and they forget there is a God who promised to bless the obedient Christian who tithes. They say, “I know the Bible says and I know it’s right to, but I just can’t.” That’s not true. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It probably won’t work out with pencil and paper, but when God blesses your obedience, you’ll be excited to see the results. But I’ll never know I can do it if I don’t try. The reason I can do everything I’m supposed to do is because God’s commands are His enablings. But I will never find out that I am able. I will never find out that I can if I refuse to try. You must TRY before you will TRIUMPH.
Someone says, “Well, I just can’t live a separated life. I can’t get victory over sin and habits in my life. I just can’t be in church three times a week.” “I’m just too busy and I have too much on me. I just can’t be there.” God said that we’re not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. He didn’t say Sunday morning, not to forsake the assembling. The word assembling means the completion of the collection.
Have you ever purchased something in a box and took it home and began to put it together and you had everything but one piece, and you couldn’t put it together? It wouldn’t work without that one piece. Could I tell you when I’m not in my place the collection is not complete? I’m hindering the work of God. I’m important. No matter what I do, what my function is, what my responsibility is, it’s important to be in my place. I’m part of the collection, the assembly. I’m supposed to be in place. For things to run properly I have to be where God expects me to be.
You say, “Well, I can’t be in church all the time. I’m just too busy for that. I’ve got too many things going on.” You can if you try. You could do it if you made it the priority, if it was important and you gave it your best effort, God would make it possible. If you get your priorities in order and decide you’re going to give it your best effort. You’ll find out you can because you can do everything that’s right to do. You can do everything you’re commanded to do. You can do everything you’re supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. But even though you can, you’ll never know you can if you don’t try.
Someone says, “Well, I couldn’t teach a class, and I couldn’t work a bus route.” Those are not commands to every believer, but they are good things. They are things that need to be done. They are things that God will put on somebody’s heart to be a part of and to give their time and effort to serve the Lord and reach souls with the Gospel.
Somebody needs to decide to rise to the occasion. Somebody needs to respond to the need. If I see somebody in the river drowning, I don’t have to have a certificate on saving lives to try to help them. The very fact that they are drowning is a call to me to do something. They’re in distress and danger. They need help now or it’s too late. We’re waiting for something strange to happen so we know that we’re called to something. You don’t have a certain divine call to everything. There are needs that ought to be met, things that need to be done, and God says if I’m going to be Christlike, He went about doing good.
D. L. Moody was asked to preach his first funeral. He had never preached a funeral before and didn’t know what to say. So he decided he’d look in the Gospels and see what Jesus said at a funeral. He was going to preach the same funeral sermon that Jesus preached. When he started searching the Gospels he found out that every time Jesus came to a dead person He raised them back to life! Moody had to find his own funeral sermon!
I’m trying to tell you that Jesus went about doing good. If I’m going to be a Christian then I don’t need a call to everything. I don’t need a command to everything. The very fact that there is a need, a vacancy, there’s a cry, should do something in my heart to cause me to want to help meet the need. I can help meet the need, but I’ll never know I can if I won’t try. I’ll never know I can teach a class if I don’t try. I’ll never know I could be a bus worker if I don’t try.
God calls people to preach. Just about every preacher I’ve ever heard talk about his call to preach had serious doubts about his ability when God called him. But instead of saying, “I can’t,” he went ahead and surrendered to the call and found out that he could through Christ that strengtheneth him. Most folks that say “I can’t” have not really tried, or it was one of those half hearted efforts. Their effort was not to succeed. They were trying to prove they couldn’t so everybody would get off their back. They wanted to fail. They didn’t try to succeed. They did not give it their best effort. They didn’t pour their life into it. They did not give it their best.
The story is told about a cemetery that stood between a small community and a housing development. There was a little path that went from that housing development into town, and went right though the cemetery. Many folks would walk that path, go to town and buy groceries or do business. Everybody knew the path pretty well.
One of the fellows in the neighborhood passed on and they dug a fresh grave in the cemetery that stood between that little housing project and the down town area. The fresh grave just so happened to be alongside the path. That night after the grave had been dug one man started to town. He stumbled a little ways off the path and fell into that fresh grave. It was raining. He tried to climb out and in the mud and the rain he slipped and fell back in. He tried a second time and fell in. He tried a third time and fell back in. Finally he just went and sat down in the corner of the grave and said, “I’ll just wait till tomorrow, till somebody comes to help me out of here.”
A little bit later another man on the same path headed to town fell in the same grave, totally oblivious to the presence of the first man. He started to try to climb out and fell in. He tried a second time and fell in. The fellow sitting in the end of the grave said, “Hey boy, it’s no use. You can’t get out of here.” But he did! He just hadn’t tried that hard!
I’m convinced that most folks who say ‘I can’t’ have never really even tried. They have not given it their best. They wrote the will of God off before they ever attempted it, because it looked hard and they didn’t look like they were up to the task in the flesh. That’s the wonderful thing about having a real God. It doesn’t just depend on what I can do in the flesh. He said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” But I must try in order to triumph. I’ll never know I can if I do not try. If I say I can’t, I’m right. And if I say I can through Christ, I’m right. But even if I say I can and don’t try, I’ll never know I’m right. There are a lot of illustrations of this in the Word of God.
In Matthew 12:10-13 we read about that man at the synagogue that had the withered hand. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to that man who had the withered hand. I’m guessing it was all shriveled up and unusable. Jesus said to that man, “...Stretch forth thine hand....”
Suppose he said, “I can’t. Can’t you see the condition I’m in? You’re unreasonable. Why would you expect me to stretch forth my hand, when my hand doesn’t work. Can’t you see it’s impossible?” That’s not what he said folks. If he had said I can’t, he would have left with a withered hand just like he came. He would have left with the same handicap. He would have left defeated because he said ‘I can’t.’ But I’m telling you, when Jesus gave the command, “...Stretch forth thine hand....” he tried to obey the command. He tried to do what was impossible. When he tried, he found out he could. He never could before, but when he had the command of Jesus and he tried to obey the command of Jesus by faith, a miracle took place.
Do you understand that the Christian life is supposed to be a life of miracles? The last miracle was not supposed to be the miracle of the new birth. We have a supernatural God. But most folks could never know that because they won’t try anything that’s hard. They won’t try anything if they have a handicap. They won’t try anything if they think that it’s physically impossible. They won’t even make the effort to obey God.
I had a man in a wheelchair say to me. He wasn’t a preacher then. He was in Ravenna, Ohio. I preached a revival there, and preached to the teenagers in the gym. I guess about a dozen young people surrendered to full time service that night. This man came to me and said, “Brother Corle, could I talk to you?”
I said, “Yes, sir.” So I stepped out of the gym with him and we began to talk.
He said, “God has called me to evangelism.”
I said, “Man, that is great. Praise the Lord.”
He said, “But I can’t be an evangelist.”
I said, “Yeah, I know. It’s terrible how God is, isn’t it? He’s cruel, isn’t He? He calls us to do all this stuff we can’t do.”
He said, “Oh, I don’t believe that.”
I said, “Well, that’s what you said. You say that God called you to be an evangelist, but because you have bad health and physical handicaps, you can’t do the will of God.”
He said, “What should I do?”
I said, “Well, I’d do what God told me to do.” This was a long time ago. I said, “Go to Hammond and get some training. Brother Hyles always pulls for the underdog. He’ll help you.” I also asked this fellow, “Did you ever stop and think that maybe your affliction is your calling card?” and it was. He was a good evangelist and soulwinner, and God used him all over the country for a number of years. But to start with, he said, “God’s called me but I can’t.” He would have never known that he could if he hadn’t tried.
Hey, stretch forth thine hand! You say, “Well, I can’t.” Oh yes you can if Jesus said to. But you’ll never know you can if you don’t try it.
How about the fellow in John chapter five, the first nine verses? He was lying there at the pool of Bethesda. Now every so often an angel would come down and stir the waters and put healing power in them, and the first person to get in the water would be healed. You say, “Do you really believe that?” Oh yes, because the Bible says it. This man had been lying there as close to healing and help as he could get, and he’d been there for 38 years. Jesus came up to him and said, “...Wilt thou be made whole?”
Perhaps he started unloading on Jesus. “What do you mean, will I be made whole? Can’t you see I’m as close as I can get, but I can’t get in first. I’ve been laying here 38 years, but every time the angel comes down and stirs the water, I have no man to help me get in.”
He said, “I have no man to help me in.” Do you understand this fellow has been lying there for 38 years? In 38 years he’s not been able to roll in. He’s not been able to crawl in, not able to get himself into the water in all that time. So he’s telling Jesus about his calamity. Jesus just went ahead and threw a pity party and felt sorry for him, right? He showed great compassion. Do you know what He said? “...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”
You say, “That’s unreasonable. Jesus just expected too much of him. He couldn’t even roll himself into the water or crawl in, and Jesus tells him to do what is impossible. “Stand up and carry a load.” Jesus said, “...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Impossible, right? Not if Jesus is the One who commands you to do it, because He is the One who can make the anything possible.
So what was the man’s answer? “I can’t?” No, that’s not what he said, folks. If he had said I can’t, he would have been lying there for another 38 years. If he had said I can’t it would have been true, because in His own strength and ability, he couldn’t. But I want you to know when he tried to obey the command of Jesus, then a miracle took place. When he tried to rise up, he could do it, and when he tried to take up his bed, to do what had been impossible, God performed a miracle and he could obey the Lord. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” What was impossible before, when I have the command of God, it’s now possible, but I will never know unless I will try. You must try before you can triumph.
Now there’s a real soulwinning principle there too. How many people would like to go to Heaven, they’d like to have their sin and guilt taken away, they would like to have peace in their hearts that is real. But in themselves, they have never been able to wash away their sins. They have tried church membership. They have tried baptism. They have tried communion. They have tried good works. They have gotten as close as they know how to get, but it’s not close enough. Many of them go every Sunday morning to a place that has a sign out front that calls it a church, but they’ve never heard the true Gospel and put their trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to save them. They are as close as they know how to get, but unless we get the Gospel to them and show them how to be saved, they are still lost in their sin and headed for hell.
Back to our message: You must try in order to triumph. How about Peter in Matthew 14:28 & 29 the Bible said that Jesus, after the feeding of the 5,000, put the disciples on board a ship and sent them out to sea. He sent them right into the teeth of a raging storm. Then the Lord went up in the mountain and prayed for them while they were in the storm. He came to them, walking on the water, while they were in the storm. He taught them some lessons while they were in the storm that they never could have learned in the calm, and then He got them safely to the other side.
When Jesus came to them in the storm, the Bible said that when they saw Him walking on the water, they were afraid. They cried out and said, “It’s a spirit.” He said, “It’s not a spirit.” He said, “It is I.” I love it because in this case there was no command given. In this case Peter looked at Jesus and said, “...Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” He said, “Lord, if it’s really You, would you permit me, would you allow me to walk on the water, too.”
Jesus said, “...Come....”
Did Peter say, “No, that’s okay. I was just kidding.?” Do you think that Peter really didn’t know it was impossible for flesh and blood to walk on water? If he thought it was possible to walk on water, why were they fighting so hard to keep the boat afloat? Why didn’t they just go ahead and walk to the shore? Why did they get in a boat to start with if he thought he could walk on water?
Peter knew that it was physically impossible for him to walk on water, but he also knew that if Jesus gave him permission, then he could. In this case Jesus didn’t command him and say, “Get out of that boat.” Peter said, “Lord, I’d sure like to get out there and walk on that water with You, if You give me permission.”
Jesus said, “Come -- I give you permission.” Now wait a minute. Once he had permission, if he had backed down he would have never known that he could. He would have never experienced that miracle. He would have never seen the mighty power of God. But whenever Jesus said, “...Come....” He stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water. I know after a little while he sank, but don’t be too hard on him. When was the last time you walked on water? When was the last time you even asked permission? When is the last time you asked God to let you do anything that’s physically impossible? When is the last time you even had a hunger for anything that would require you to have a miracle working God?
We never have a miracle because we don’t need a miracle to reach our goals. We operate within our own limitations instead of reaching farther and asking for more. Peter said, “...Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” And Jesus said, “...Come....” When he had the Lord’s permission, he obeyed the command of God. At that point he stepped out, and he walked on the water to go to Jesus. You see, he did something that was impossible by the Lord’s permission.
Hey, it doesn’t have to be a command. God can give me permission. It can just be right. It can just be good. I can do all things, everything that’s right to do, everything I’m commanded to do, everything that’s good to do. I can do everything I’m supposed to do because God’s commands are His enablings. But I’ll never know I can do it if I never try it. There are a lot of folks that can do a lot of things, but they’ll never know they can. Because they say, “I can’t.” I can’t is a cop out, folks. When it’s in the Book, you can, but you’ll never know you can if you’re not willing to try.
How about the feeding of the 5,000? I preached a whole sermon on the lad and his lunch. But there is a part of that story that I didn’t deal with. There was certainly some faith. When Jesus said, “How are we going to feed this multitude?” the boy offered his lunch. That was faith. He tried to do the impossible. This boy knew that he was not able to feed 5,000 people with that small amount of food, but when he placed what he had into the hands of Jesus, it was miraculously enough. He tried to make a difference and found out he could.
But wait a minute. The lad wasn’t the only one involved in this. Do you understand that when Jesus broke the bread and the fish, He had five small barley loaves and two small fishes? He had 12 disciples, I’m guessing. So He took those five small barley loaves and two small fish. He broke them and placed those little fragments in the hands of each of the disciples. He said, “Okay, get them to sit down in companies. Now feed everybody.”
“Lord, I can’t do it with this.” David probably couldn’t defeat Goliath with five smooth stones, but with the Lord, one of them is all it took. He probably couldn’t do it with a sling. No, not if he hadn’t tried.
The disciples looked at what they had in their hands. It wasn’t enough to feed one person. Could I tell you when Jesus blessed it, the sky didn’t just dump food down on them? Let me tell you how it happened. You see these. You say, “Well, go ahead and feed them all.”
I say, “That’s all I got. Look at that. That isn’t much. I can’t do that for everybody. I can take care of one of them. Oh, maybe I can take care of two. How about that? Hey, look at this. Maybe I can do another. How about that?” “What are you trying to say, Preacher?” I’m trying to tell you, the Lord didn’t multiply it and dump it out in a big pile. As they by faith tried to obey and feed the multitude with barely enough to feed one. Every time they gave some there was as much left. They gave some more and there was as much left, and they gave some more and it was enough. But they would never have known it was enough if they said, “Now Lord, you’re expecting the unreasonable. Do you really expect me to feed all these people with these little, few fragments you put in my hand. If they would have complained, if they would have said I can’t, if they had refused to try, they would have never known that they could. But because they tried to do the impossible at the command of God, because they tried to do something that was beyond their ability, they saw a miracle.
Did you ever notice that each of these people involved in these miracles had to do this stuff by faith. Faith is dependency upon God and expectancy from God to the point that the Word of God is enough. I don’t need a sign, a wonder, a tingle. I don’t need to know how or why. All I need to know is what God said. When I’m operating by faith, when I know what He said, that’s enough to take action. I got news for you. When they took action, they saw a miracle of God. But it took faith. They had to be willing to trust God and depend on God and do it based on God’s Word, not based on their ability. In every case God made it possible.
How about that fellow in Acts chapter three, the first 11 verses? He was crippled from birth, sitting at the beautiful gate of the Temple. He was sitting there with a little cup, collecting alms as people passed by. The Bible said that he was sitting there collecting, and Peter and John came up to the Temple at the hour of prayer. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if you had one of those. You know a set time when you pray. But when they came, he held his cup out.
Now folks, listen. He didn’t need money. That wasn’t his greatest need. But since he didn’t think anybody could meet his real need, he would settle for money, just take care of one of my needs for a temporary time. That’s where most of the world is today. They don’t think anybody can meet their real need. They have marriage problems. They’ve got personal problems. They got every kind of problem and money won’t solve their problem, but since they think nobody can solve their real problem, they’ll settle for money. He stuck his cup out for alms and Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; I’m a Baptist preacher.” “...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
The Bible said when Peter told him to rise up, he reached down and got him by the hand. Now don’t miss this statement. It said that when he stood his feet and ankle bones received strength. It didn’t say when his feet and ankle bones received strength he stood. It said when he stood his feet and ankle bones received strength. He made the effort to get up, to do what he knew was impossible. He never could do that before. This wasn’t Jesus in person, just one of His preachers. But in the name of Jesus, if he tried to rise up in the name of Jesus, he could. When he made the effort, God healed him. God did a miracle and made it possible to obey. He tried to stand and he triumphed. He tried and God did a miracle. He tried by faith to do what he couldn’t and found out that he could.
Instead of saying, “I can’t, and Lord, you expect too much of me. You don’t know my circumstances,” why don’t we attempt to do something for God that’s beyond our ability, and see if the Lord won’t make it possible? You know, too many folks are complaining about their circumstances instead of trying to do what God said. God knows your circumstances. He knew who you were before creation, and He knows your handicaps and He knows your need. He knew it when the Word of God was given to us. He’s not unreasonable. The work of God will take place if I will try.
In every case they were supposed to do something impossible. Some times it was a command. Some times it was by permission. But in every case they got word from the Lord to do something impossible. In every case they had to take action by faith. In every case God did a miracle to make it possible. In every case when they tried, they triumphed. In every case when they tried, they found out they could. But in every case if they’d have said, “I can’t”, then they couldn’t.
We have too many folks pleading inability, ruling God out of the picture. You can do what you’re supposed to. God said, “...Be ye holy...” and you can. God said, “...Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel...” and you can. God said, “Pray without ceasing.” And you can. God said, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,...” and you can. The Bible said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,...” and you can. The Bible said, “Serve the Lord with gladness:...” and you can. The Bible said, “Give your body, a living sacrifice,” and you can. You can do everything you ought to do, everything that’s right to do, everything that’s good to do, but you’ll never know that if you won’t try. You’ve got to try in order to triumph.
You say, “Well, God just expects too much of me.” No, Christianity is supposed to be a challenge. In John chapter 11 Lazarus was dead. He had been dead four days. They laid him in a tomb. When Jesus came to town, the sisters of Lazarus said, “You’re too late. By now he stinketh. By now he’s begun to decompose. By now he stinketh, it’s too late. It’s beyond hope.” That is, unless there is a God. Jesus said, “You take me to where he’s at,” and they took Him. He said, “Roll away the stone,” and they did. Then Jesus said, “...Lazarus, come forth.”
Suppose Lazarus said, “I can’t. I’m wound up in gauze. I’m dead.”
Jesus said, “...Lazarus, come forth.” And Lazarus, a dead man, could hear and could obey when it was the voice of the Lord giving the command.
“Well Lazarus, a dead man, could come forth. But you don’t understand my circumstances.” Hey folks! It doesn’t smell that bad in here. I wouldn’t have guessed that anybody in here is worse off than Lazarus. If a dead man could hear His voice, and if a dead man could obey, then you can do everything you ought to do, no matter about your circumstances, your handicaps, your inabilities, and your lack of talent.
You can do everything you’re supposed to do. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” But I’ll never know I can if I won’t try. Some of you need to decide, “I’m going to try to do what’s right.” I’m not talking to the rebel. Do you know who I’m talking to? I’m talking to the person in this room that has this attitude. “Preacher, I believe that stuff. I believe that stuff is in the Bible. I believe you’re right, Preacher. I know I should, but you just don’t understand, Preacher. I want to, but I just can’t.” You can apply that to 1,000 things. It could be soulwinning. It could be separation. It could be serving the Lord in some capacity. I don’t know what it is, but I’m talking to the person who’s not in total rebellion, but somebody who really says, “Oh, I believe that stuff, and I want to do right. I know I should. You just don’t understand. I just can’t.” If you’d quit saying that and give it your best effort to do what seems impossible that’s right to do, you’d find out you can. I’m telling you, folks, you can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you. But you must try in order to triumph. You will never know you can if you won’t try.
I don’t know what it is that God wants you to try, but I can tell you this. If you do what you ought to do, you’ll be trying to do something that’s impossible for you, and you’ll need a God to get it done. If you try to do what you can’t, you’ll find out that you have a God who can. If you deny Him and say ‘I can’t’ and He’s unreasonable, then you’ll live and die in defeat. If you try to do what God wants you to do, you can do all things through Christ, not in the flesh, but through Christ which strengtheneth you. God plus effort equals success. You can’t do it without Him. “Without Me ye can do NOTHING.” You’re right when you say, “In the flesh I can’t,” but you’re dead wrong when you say, “I can’t obey the Bible.” You can, but you’ll never know you can if you don’t try. You must try in order to triumph.