Jesus is hungry for fruit.

Intro: The triumphal entry….

1. Jesus rebukes a fruitless tree

Mark 11:12–14(ESV)

Mark 11:12–14 NIV

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 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. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

Now why would Jesus rebuke/Curse a fig tree?

…Ummm could you act a little more… like…Jesus.

Because he was hungry and it didn't have figs.

Shouldn't Jesus have known that? “Didn’t you in fact create that tree to bear fruit in certain seasons?”:“Nothing but leaves”taqsh(ta-kwash(like squash)- An immature fig. knob easter by peasants came up w leaves.

Do you have leaves but no fruit? We are not known by our leaves. We are know by our fruit!

When the fig leaves appear around end of March, they are accompanied by small knobs, called taqsh by the Arabs, a sort of fore-runner of the real figs. These taqsh are eaten by peasants and others when hungry. They drop off before the real fig is formed. But if the leaves appear unaccompanied by taqsh, there will be no figs that year. the absence of the taqsh meant that there would be no figs when the time of figs came.The frustration was no potential for fruit. Some fruit thrives in certain season. Some seasons are more ripe.

We are not called to a fruitful season but a fruitful life.

Seasons Change- Season of where bearing fruit is easy.

Seasons where is it difficult. Jesus calls us to bear fruit in the most unrealistic context.We live from Glory to Glory not season to season.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT). 7 “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

Our fruit is not dependent upon our season but on our depth.

2. Jesus cleans a fruitless temple

Mark 11:15–18 (ESV)

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

Some ignore this passage, others it’s the only part of Jesus’ ministry they like.

Don’t confuse the temple with “the church…”

Don’t confuse this it with selling things in church…

The purpose of the temple is to be a house of prayer but it had become a place of corruption… Prayer had been replaced with profit.

This is what is happening:

People were going to offer sacrificesThe authorities mandating only certain sacrifices could be used. From a particular source.A particular source with a particular currency.Exchange your currency with a 10-12%

Jesus is re-establishing purpose!

'The point is purpose.

Jesus is frustrated with that the fig tree wasn’t fulfilling its purpose.Jesus is frustrated with that the temple wasn’t fulfilling its purpose.

Your purpose? Are you fulfilling your purpose?

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

Mark 11:19–25 (ESV)

19 And when evening came they went out of the city. 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

3. Jesus teaches on fruitful prayer

Fruitful Prayer

1. Have Faith in God

You don’t need mountain size faith…Faith moves mountain sized problem with seed sized prayers.

The faith is in God. We are connected to God.

When we are connected….

Its the source of fruitfulness character and of prayer

“The lack of fruit of prayer is often the lack of root in prayer.”

John 15:4–7 (NLT)

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

Fruit is not forced it is yielded. Menō- to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy) :- abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain.

2. Say to this mountain

Don’t just “think prayers”…say them. We don’t ask mountains to move we tell them to.Prayer is now whining.

Some of y’all haven’t learned yet. “Don’t tell God how big….

Mountains: Distractions/Hinderances.

The mountain in the temple, was the activity that replaced prayer…We focus on hindered prayer, BUT What is hindering you from prayer? Maybe the greatest hinderance of answered prayers are the prayers that are not prayed?Most of the times the biggest mountain is me. and WHATS IN MEWhat is fruitless, what needs to be pruned?

Identify your mountain

2. Speak to it.

I’m not talking about the attitude of your boss/spouse Im talking about YOUR attitude, your fruitlessness. It interesting Jesus deals with the forgiveness issue.Unforgiveness will hinder your prayers as much as doubt.

What in your temple do you need to speak to, and throw out?

What is fruitless, what needs to be pruned?

3. Believe and don’t doubt.

Ministry:

Some of you have doubted God, maybe you have doubted that God hears you, or that God has been good to you, or that he doesn’t care about you