The Withered Fig Tree and Faith
The Story - "An Interwoven Gospel" • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 144 viewsDon't let your faith dry up; let your faith move moutains
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
A Reminder and Introduction
A Reminder and Introduction
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
Mk11:12
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?
14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
Jesus could have made fruit, but chose to show judgment on Israel because of lack of faith.
, could have made fruit, after all He was doing miracles in His ministry. But in this case He destroyed, but with a purpose. He wanted to teach a couple of lessons.
Lesson one: Failure of faith on Israel’s part, faith produces fruit and they were not producing fruit for the kingdom.
They had already been warned
10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
The tree was the nation of Israel (in general)
In our story today we are going to see a couple of things
Roots of faith
Mountain moving prayers of faith
I. Mountain Moving Faith
I. Mountain Moving Faith
Open your Story Book to Pg118-9; Bible to Mk11:20-26
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
So in looking at (v.20) - where did the tree dry up from?
The root system is where a tree gets it’s nourishment from. The warning had come from John the Baptist previously 3 years before now this tree has dried up.
The religious leaders had law but lacked faith. The religious leaders would not heed the message. Today we are saved by faith, living, obedient faith, faith that is able to move mountains. But our faith takes tending to doesn’t it? If we do not care for it, it can dry up from the roots and we can spiritually die.
What is the observance that is made in (v.21)?
Then comes lesson one - Faith
How did Jesus respond in (v.22)?
OUR FAITH HAS AN OBJECT
Faith in God, means your belief, your faith, your trust, your roots need to be in God.
Where there is the “name it and claim it” people out there, this is not that. This is not faith in faith, this is faith in God.
11 They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
1 Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!
Faith needs to be in God, the good God, and faith needs to be pure in heart. this faith can
Cast your burdens for he cares for you. (1Pt5:7)
Faith that can come to Him (Mt11:28-30)
Faith that can move mountain (Lk11:23)
Now let’s read (v.23) again, pay attention
23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
OUR FAITH IS A WORKING FAITH.
There are some very significant things just in this one verse. Slowly let’s look at it.
What is the first thing someone is to do?
Speak to the mountain!
This is not faith in faith, this is faith in God, this is the faith that is active and is working
Prayer changes things, have you heard that before? - how about prayer changes us, it activates our faith.
Paul says confess
Speaking is a part of our faith, Paul says confess (Rom10:9-10_
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Hebrew writer says speak boldly or confidently, knowing God keeps His Word, keeps His promises.
5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”
When God promsies
What is the second thing?
What is the second thing?
Do not doubt, for we know what James says
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
Jam1
What is the 3rd thing?
What is the 3rd thing?
believe what he says will happen
Not only to speak it, but believe and not doubt what you are speaking
Maybe the Hebrew writer did not say speak, but I think you will get the point
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
What are the results?
It will be granted to them!
Hold on, does this concern you, can you see how this maybe twisted? (Name it and claim it people).
Putting it together thus far
Speak to the mountain by faith
Believe in your heart, no doubt, and know it will happen
it will happen
Have confidence that it will be granted.
What mountains have you had to face?
Is it mountain called “fear”?
How about depression?
Can it be called Mt. Anxiety?
Maybe it is a mountain called “little faith.”
aith.”
We need to by faith speak up and speak out our faith. Speak with confidence, with boldness knowing God is going to deliver on all His promises to His people.
Maybe your faith is needed some growth, maybe you need to obtain a active faith that leads us to (v.24)
24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
-24
If faith is weak, if faith needs to be increased than ask. Here is a good example.
24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
OK, let me explain, expand more on the “name it and claim it” error.
Jesus said speak to the mountain to move the mountain not to get the mountain, but to move it. He is speaking this after a cursing of unfruitful nation to get it out of the way.
Jesus did not teach how to get a new camel, or in our day a new Cadillac
Nor a bigger flat or house
He did teach them how to liquidate, to get rid of things to be His disciple
22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Do you have any hindrances that keep you from growing your faith, your trust, your reliance on the Lord? (expand on my own that I deal with)
Speaking to the mountain, telling it to be gone, by faith, without a doubt, boldly and what happens, it happens. Not because you demanded it for yourself but because you are praying by faith to the God of all faith and He will remove mountains from before you so that you can serve Him.
Now want to read (v.24) one more time just another thing to point out
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Remember man put in punctuation so if you read it as if in the original it would be about prayer moreso than your desires. As we pray our faith grows, as we pray we speak God’s truth for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. As we pray the prayer of faith it can move a mountain. Prayer does change things, it changes US!
THE OBSTACLE OF MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
What is the first things we are to do in this portion of the passage (v.25)?
Pray - we are to be praying; faith is often activated by prayer, faithful prayer
Forgive - we are called to forgive; then we see the results of the forgiveness
Father in heaven will forgive
What things can we grasp from (v.26)?
Give no forgiveness, get no forgiveness
Remember the Lords prayer?
9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Mt6;
We are praying to Our Father; who gives the forgiveness, our Father in Heaven!
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Mt6
When does forgiveness happen? When we forgive!
Clearly in looking at this passage in its entirety that forgiveness is linked to faith. You want to be able to move mountains, to have victory over the mountains that you want to be gone, be sure you don’t short circuit your communication system by unforgiveness.
THink about what Paul said about working faith in Galatians
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Faith works through love.
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
So in other words, love forgives!
Mountain moving faith is like James put it
Jam
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
It is restorative, it is resurrecting, it is forgiving
And if you wanted to go on
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
It is confessing, it is praying, it is healing, it is effective and it accomplishing!
Remember
The object of our faith - God
The outworking of our faith - is speaking, believing
The increasing of our faith - asking, in accordance to God’s will
The obstacle - unforgiveness
The opposite, mountain moving faith is praying, loving, bold and confident!