HG129+131 Matthew 21:18-22, 12-13, Mark 11:12-26, Luke 19:45-48, 21:37-38 Have the faith of God
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12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 26
It’s the day after Palm Sunday that Jesus was returning to the city, passing a fig tree along the way. Wanting a breakfast of figs, He was disappointed; the tree was barren. To the disciples’ surprise and within their hearing, He cursed it. The next morning they found the tree withered. This is our Lord’s only “destructive” miracle, but there were two reasons for it.
The first was as a parable. The fig tree is a symbol of the Israelites who, despite the loving care of the divine gardener, despite the fact that God wanted to, like a hen, gather them together, they bore no spiritual fruit but withered spiritually in rejecting the Messiah.
The second reason was: Christ was giving the disciples a lesson in faith so that in coming days they themselves would not wither. On the eve of their greatest trauma, He wanted to teach them to trust God. We have here:
1. A Command (v. 22). Have Faith in God. Because the Greek is open to it, it can also be translated as: Have the faith of God. Faith is the answer to our challenges in life. It puts a little bit of a different twist when we say have the faith of God…God’s faith is complete, God does not doubt. And we can have faith in God for He never fails. The opposite of faith is fear and doubt and worry.
A. What do we do when anxious? Have faith in God. He promises to work everything together for good.
In the Hiding Place about Corrie Ten Boom and her family it was the fact that God has a plan and purpose even in extreme suffering that kept them going during their time in a concentration camp. It was the knowledge that in the midst of crises there is a Divine Plan working out but we may not always understand it. It is to be open to God using us as He used the Ten Boom’s to bring many women into the Kingdom of God. What was her sister’s saying? ‘There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.’
Really, here is the key. The Ten Booms had faith in God because they knew God. They knew from their Bibles and they knew experimentally. It was their living daily faith. Did this make their circumstances change immediately? No. But they saw God at work. And eventually their circumstances did change but only after they lived to see God at work in the circumstances.
B. What do we do when disappointed? Have faith in God. He promises to bring good out of bad in the lives of His children.
C. What do we do when angry? Have faith in God. He promises to settle scores on our behalf. It is God who justifies. We trust God to sort out the injustices, not try to sort them out ourselves.
D. What do we do when impoverished? Have faith in God. He promises to meet every need.
A key promise in the Bible which is conditional upon obeying is:
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
A Scottish missionary to China named George Duncan, a friend of Hudson Taylor, found himself stranded without money for an extended period in the region around the city of Nanking. There were two banks there, but both closed, leaving no way for the China Inland Mission to get money to Duncan. But as the missionary studied his Bible, the Lord gave him a verse of Scripture—Psalm 37:3: “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed” (KJV). That verse came to Duncan so powerfully that he had absolutely no worry about his provision, but his Chinese cook and assistant became agitated. “What shall we do when the money is all gone?” he asked.
“Do?” the missionary responded, “Why, we will trust in the Lord and do good. So shall we dwell in the land and be fed.” The China Inland Mission was desperately trying to get money to Duncan, but it was the dry season and the water level was so low on the rivers that travel was difficult. Finally the day came when all the money was gone and the cupboard was bare. Duncan, unruffled, went out to preach that morning as usual, telling his cook, “Let us trust in the Lord and do good. His promise is still the same.”
That evening as he returned home, hungry and exhausted, his cook ran out to meet him with the exciting news that a CIM representative had finally arrived with money and the needed provisions were available. Duncan just took it in stride. Putting his hand on the man’s shoulder, he said, “Did I not tell you this morning it is always all right to trust in the living God?”
This for me is something that gets me through life. God has always provided not only for what I need but sometimes even for those things my heart has been set on. God is to be trusted and we can rest on Him. Only let us seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness.
E. When facing sickness or death? Have faith in God. He gives eternal life.
Every time someone is sick there are always Christians around who want to condemn you for not having enough faith. Or even think that whenever something doesn’t go our way including sickness that we are out of God’s favour. God is not a vindictive God with His hand against us but He wants to bless us. Again it is about trusting God for the outcome knowing that He has a plan even if we cannot see it or understand it and may never do.
Just yesterday whilst walking Ethan, our dog, a sparrow fell to the ground right in front of me. It must have been sick and it stayed there until I returned 5 or so minutes later before flying off and falling again. It is impossible for something like this to happen and not be reminded of what Jesus said in:
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Not one falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will and consent and knowledge. There is not one sparrow that the Lord does not know about. He knew about the one that fell to the ground yesterday and it happened with God’s knowledge and consent and will. Was God vindictive to that sparrow? No. But through it reminded me that God knows about everything and everything happens for a reason either by a deliberate act of His will or by His consent. Nothing happens without Him knowing about it. That does not mean that any of the bad things that have happened was because God did it. That’s not right, for we are in a sin-sick world. But whatever has happened God cares for you and in some instances this may mean we take comfort in the fact that God is a God of justice and will recompense one day any who did you harm.
Sometimes God uses sickness to bring us back to Him if we are out of fellowship…if that is the case it is easy enough to return to Him. But the result of all sickness is that we should draw nearer to God. At least, let this be what happens when we are laid low as sometimes we will be.
But what if we are facing death? Then we have the hope of the most hopeful people on the planet. We have been given eternal life. We are just passing through. Heaven is our home. It is there that we are truly citizens.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
F. When lonely? Have faith in God. His presence is near.
Indeed this can be the lot for people. God has designed us to be in families. There is the family of God which we should not neglect. But God Himself is present with us each, individually:
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
The command then is to have faith of God and faith in God.
[Left out due to time constraints in service:
2. A Truth (v. 23). Jesus then used the occasion to explain faith: “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt . . . he will have whatever he says.” This seems problematic; none of us have ever met anyone who literally moved mountains. But remember, it’s impossible to trust God for something He does not ordain for us. If it’s God’s will for us to uproot a mountain, He’ll give us faith necessary for the job, but it’s hard for us to have faith in that particular task because we can’t imagine God wants us to do exactly that. Jesus was using this as an illustration. Just as the fig tree was a parable, so is the mountain, representing specific challenges in our lives. God gives us faith, just as He gives us strength in the moments we need them. Faith does lay hold of specific blessings and victories, but it operates within two concentric circles: God’s will and His Word. It is never based upon us being able to command God to do anything on our behalf.
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3. A Technique (v. 24). Faith is activated in prayer. “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe . . . and you will have them.” Prayer is the mechanism by which we lay hold of God’s provisions by faith. When we pray according to His will and His Word, we’re claiming what God has already granted. James spoke of the “prayer of faith,” and nothing under heaven is more powerful than people of faith who, in prayer with an open Bible, trusting God amid life’s impossibilities. Faith believes enough to ask and is rooted in the conviction that God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
4. A Hindrance (vv. 25, 26). Finally, we notice that Christ inserts a negative word: “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. . . . But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” The disciples and their Lord were about to be badly abused. Jesus was warning that a cold, unforgiving heart would quench the fire of faith and destroy their effectiveness in prayer. Are you holding a grudge against someone? Do you have feelings of resentment? Those things are fire hoses to faith. Forgive. Remember the Cross where Jesus died to forgive our sins and those of others. We need to forgive in our hearts those who have done us harm for it is for our own benefit too. We can move on. But unforgiveness keeps us in the past.
Conclusion: Jesus gave us a command: Have the faith of God, have faith in God no matter what happens. He gave us a promise that He would act in the circumstances and move mountains if we trust Him. He has given a way for our faith to be activated and this is through prayer. Then He has told us that unforgiveness gets in the way of faith, gets in the way of God working. As we have been shown mercy we too must show mercy.
A hymn of Baylus McKinney says:
1 Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely; He sees and knows all the way you have trod. Never alone are the least of His children; Have faith in God, have faith in God.
Refrain: Have faith in God, He's on His throne; Have faith in God, He watches o'er His own. He cannot fail, He must prevail; Have faith in God, have faith in God.
2 Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered; Your earnest plea He will never forget. Wait on the Lord trust His Word and be patient; Have faith in God, He'll answer yet.
3 Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow; His heart is touched with your grief and despair. Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him; And leave them there, oh, leave them there.
4 Have faith in God though all else fail about you; Have faith in God, He provides for His own. He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish; He rules, He reigns, upon His throne.
Benediction
Benediction
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Morgan, R. J. (2002). Nelson’s annual preacher's sourcebook : 2003 edition (electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. (Week 15)