It's much easier to know what to do than it is to do it.
For example, a month ago we decided to put in a cat door at the house. I went to PetSmart and bought a door that would go through the wall into the garage so that the animals could have easy access to their food and litter box. The instructions were very thorough and simple. All I had to do was take my utility knife, cut a hole through the inside wall, and cut another hole through the wall of the garage. There was even a template provided to help me cut the right-sized hole in each wall. Both walls were made of sheet rock, simple to cut through, right? It was easy knowing what I had to do.
After cutting the holes, a door frame was put in place in each wall with a connecting tunnel between them going through the wall. Then all I had to do was attach the frames using 4 longs bolts and nuts that were provided. Again, it was easy knowing what I had to do. I figured it should take less than a couple of hours.
Guess how long it took me - about two weeks! The problem was not that I didn't know what to do. I had all the instructions and the materials required; and the details were simple. The problem was not that I didn't know what to do; the problem was doing it. You see, when I cut through the wallboard and opened each hole, I was confronted with a sold wall of two by four timbers on the inside of the wall, and I didn't have the proper tools to cut through it. I knew what had to be done to get the door in, but couldn't do it. Sometimes, it's much easier knowing what to do than it is doing it.
Don't you find that to be true in your life as a child of God, too? It's not that we don't know what we are to do. It's all right here, in God's Word; He tells us. We know what to do, but the doing of it falls short. What do you do When Human Ability Falls Short?
I. Trust in the Savior who speaks with divine authority.
You know, it's been that way from the very beginning; human ability falls short, especially in meeting the requirements of God. Think of Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden. They knew what to do; God's requirements were laid out clearly and it was simple. God told them after He put them in the Garden of Eden, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Simple, concise, clear. Adam and Eve knew what to do – obey God by refraining from eating of that one tree. Easy! As easy as cutting a hole in the wall!
Sometimes I almost imagine them responding to God like this: “Lord, is that all? Do we just have to refrain from eating of one tree? Oh, we can do that, especially after seeing all that you have done for us here. Look at all the other wonderful trees and plants, which fruit and good things you've given us. It will be simple and a joy for us to obey You, now that we know what to do.” But, dear friends, it's much easier knowing what to do than doing it.
That was true for Adam and Eve, too. They thought in themselves that they could do it. But they didn't bank on the temptations of the evil one. They relied on themselves and the devil tempted them. He convinced them and they let their eyes grow big with desire to know things that God knew. Their resolve weakened, their ability fell short, and their love for God was replaced with a lust for things not given them. You know the rest of the story; they fell into sin and lost Paradise.
Think of it. Even at the time of creation when man was perfect, being made in the image of God, human ability failed . And it's been that way ever since.
How many times haven't you seen yourself fall short in obeying God's commands? How many times haven't you seen your love for the Lord and His ways replaced by a desire to do something apart from His will? How many times haven't you seen your life fail to give Him glory in everything? Even for the Christian, it's much easier knowing what to do to please God than it is doing it. Our ability falls short and sin overtakes us. So it is that Christ entered our world to do what we couldn't. And here He came in our text.
One of the first things that happened was the grabbing of peoples' attention to see who He was and to understand what He could do for them. Then they could trust Him. That meant teaching them. So, when the Sabbath Day came, he went into the synagogue in Capernaum to teach. We're not told what He said, but Mark shares with us the effect His teaching had on the people. They were amazed, awe-struck, held spell-bound by His words, for He spoke to them as one who had heavenly authority behind Him.
I wonder what that was like. Could you imagine what it would be like coming to church today and instead of seeing me or some other pastor standing here, you saw none other than the Lord Jesus? That would be awesome. But I don't think it would be so much the sight that would grab you as much as His preaching. The Son of God who knows all things and has the ability to do all things would be speaking to you. What a difference that would be! What would make it different? Authority, divine authority; it's what caught the peoples' attention here.
Their own teachers fell short of that because they were all about the Law and only the Law. Christ went beyond the Law. He came with the message that promised, “ When human ability falls short, God will provide.”
We call that the Gospel, it's the message that what we could not buy, earn, or obtain on our own, God gives as through the Savior. That Gospel soothes our spirits when our disobedience saddens us; it comforts our souls when sin frightens us; and it floods our darkened hearts with heaven's peace when Satan would upset us. That's the message the people heard and it had a noticeable effect. They were amazed. Wow, what that must have been like!
But, dear friends, you don't need to see the Lord Jesus standing before you in this pulpit to experience that same effect. You simply need someone faithfully proclaiming the Gospel to you for the Lord Jesus told His disciples if they would speak His words, it would be like hearing Him for He would be speaking through them.
So when you hear a minister or fellow Christian proclaim, “Your sins are forgiven for Jesus' sake,” (Mt.9:6) it is true for Christ's divine authority speaks through them. When you hear a minister or a fellow Christian invite, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Ac.16:31), it is true for Christ's divine authority speaks through them. And when you hear a minister or a fellow Christian assure, “My God will provide all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ” (Phlp.4:19), it is true for Christ's divine authority speaks through them. When the Gospel is proclaimed, you hear none other than the Lord Jesus preaching. And what a treat it is to hear!
When human ability falls short, trust in the Savior who speaks with divine authority.
II. Trust in the Savior who has power to save.
Even if that divine authority is challenged, trust Him . That's what happened here. In the middle of Jesus' teaching, a man possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”
It's not surprising that the devil took hold of this man right at that time. Remember, Jesus was in the middle of His teaching which for the first time had brought wonderful hope to people. Isn't that just like Satan, trying to destroy what is good?
He never looks out for your welfare, and he never will bring you anything good. Remember what he did to Adam and Eve. He promised them wisdom. In weakness they gave in to his promise. He got them wisdom alright. But did he bring anything good out of it? No, he brought them only evil. That's all that he will bring you.
The same is true here. When good had finally come to help the people where they fell short of God, the devil tried to undermine it and take it away again. But Christ would not allow it for He came to save us by destroying the works of the devil (1Jn.3:8). With a word of rebuke and a show of authority, he drove the devil out of the man. Jesus helped him with words that have power to save .
It reminds me of another incident where Jesus' words showed power to save . Do you remember the time they were all in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and a fierce storm arose? The wind howled, the waves crashed, and the water flowed into the boat faster than the disciples could scoop it out. They were going under. Meanwhile the Lord Jesus slept in the back of the boat. Finally, when human ability fell short, they cried out, “Lord, save us, we are perishing.” Quietly Jesus arose and spoke to the wind and water, “Hush! Be still!” All became perfectly calm. The disciples were so astonished that they asked each other, “What kind of a man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”
Of course they do; He's their Creator! Of course they obey Him; all authority in heaven and on earth is His! And the Savior wields its power to save His people in their distress. So trust in Him , no matter the situation, whenever your ability falls short.
Hope in Christ for everything. He will not leave you helpless; He will not abandon you without comfort; He will not depart without His kindness resting upon you. Not only does He know what to do, but He also can do it.
So when human ability fails, trust in the Savior who speaks with divine authority and has the power to save. God grant it in our lives of faith for Jesus' sake. Amen.