Mark 11:1-33
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
We were created to live by faith.
Intro:
Intro:
Hi Everyone, welcome to Church Online. Thanks for joining us this morning.
To start, I’m just going to come out and say, “Today, we’re talking about faith.” I mean, we talk about faith every week. But today, it’s the main point of our passage.
Faith is an extremely important part of life. It’s important to God. It should be important to us, because God’s word says...
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
Paul teaches us...
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
It’s only by faith that we can live the life God created us for...
Many of you know, last week, Janelle and I went to drove to Michigan because a church by the name of Chapel Pointe wants to help us expand the Kingdom of God here in Glastonbury and New England. It was an amazing trip that expanded Janelle and I’s faith for our church - I share more about that later and how it’ll involve your faith!
…but bro, it’s almost a 2000 mile trip. And gas is expensive. We drove the car with good gas mileage - our Mazda 5. If you’ve never seen one, it looks like this.
But it still cost us $500 in gas. But we need gas to move. Without it, nothing happens. And that’s like faith in the Kingdom of God. We need faith if we’re going to live the life God created us for!
And so it’s timely that it’s one of the main ideas of Mark chapter 11! Let’s jump into God’s word...
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
You may be asking, “What is faith?” Because we say things like:
“I have faith in God...”
But we also say, “I have faith the New York Giants will have a winning season.” Don’t laugh!
But is that the same kind of faith? While both involve an element of “believing something,” they are not the same. And let me share a couple of verses that will help us notice an important difference...
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Okay, so, “Faith is believing something we can’t see yet.” Let me add another verse...
And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
And there it is… faith is not just “believing something,” it’s believing God, who we can’t see! And that’s what we see in Mark 11. Now, I could assume we all believe Jesus is God, but just in case you need Scriptural proof...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And...
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word is God. The Word is Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is God.
And at the beginning of Mark 11...
Jesus has a plan. He tells the disciples to do something; but then, He also tells them exactly how it’s going to work out, beforehand, which only God can do.
The disciples believe Jesus/God (proved by their obedience / their actions) and it comes to pass just as Jesus said it would.
So, as we ask the question, “What is faith?” The answer is, “Faith is believing what GOD says, but also acting upon that belief.” Exactly what the disciples did.
To clarify, the disciples had no idea what was going on. When the apostle John (who was part of this group of disciples) wrote about this story, he says, “His disciples did not understand these things at first...” (Jn 12:16). They simply believed Jesus and obeyed Him. That’s faith!
And that’s how we should live too...
We need to be in a position where we can hear God speak to us. There’s a couple of simple ways to do that today...
We can engage with God’s word by reading our Bibles consistently. We live at a time when we have unlimited access to the Bible. We have no excuse.
Download the YouVersion Bible app, if that’s helpful.
Or watching video Bible studies on RightNow Media.
Btw - if you need help getting access to either of those, come talk to me or any of the leaders here at TRC.
Furthermore, we can faithfully be in places where God’s word is taught. Come to church on Sundays. Be in a Life Group.
But we can’t just hear God’s word, faith involves obeying in response to what God says.. even... when we don’t understand.
In this passage, Jesus is doing a whole bunch of stuff that no one (other than Himself) understood in the moment. Everything happening in the first 10 verses was done to fulfill a prophecy spoken by Zechariah hundreds of years earlier. The prophet said this about the Messiah (or the Savior of the world)...
Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
The securing of the donkey as Jesus entered Jerusalem to save the world was fulfilling this promise. And by faith AND obedience, the disciples participated in God’s plan, even when they didn’t get it.
Even at the end of that passage, it talks about a bunch of people laying their cloaks and leafy branches before Jesus riding on a donkey. I can tell you… it sounds like THESE people got it, but they didn’t.
How do I know? Because many yelling “Hosanna!” (meaning God save us now) would, in a few days, yell, “Crucify Him!” They didn’t get it…
The point is: God has a plan. Our part is to have faith in Him - to believe and obey, even if we don’t understand.
Do you live by faith?
Chapter 11 continues...
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 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. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
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. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 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.” 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. And when evening came they went out of the city.
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Time does not permit me to break down these verses with you, but I’ll try my best to give you the meat. In fact, this passage is written in what’s called a “sandwich technique.” There’s only one point, even though there are three sections. But noticed how the two outer sections talk about the cursed fig tree. That’s like the bread of the sandwich. Then, the middle talks about Jesus seeing people in the house of God (temple) living underneath the curse of sin - that’s like the meat. But it’s all one cursed sandwich that doesn’t taste like faith.
And a warning: There’s hard truth that is going to be applicable to many of us in church. Jesus’ rebuke is directed towards people who looked like they were doing the right thing, should’ve been doing the right thing, but weren’t. Some of us in church fit that description too. We come to church, say we belong to God, but don’t live by faith.
This part may sting. The truth often does. Truth hurts. But as Jesus says, “The truth also sets us free.” My prayer is the truth in this section is about to set some of us free to live for Jesus.
Let me summarize the truth of this section in a statement:
When we don’t live by faith, we won’t be ready, there will be no fruit, and we won’t do the right things.
Now, verse 13 says...
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.
So, Jesus cursing the tree seems a bit extreme because Mark clearly tells us, “It was not the season for figs.” Why is Jesus getting mad when the fig tree is out of season?
It helps to understand that during this pre-season, when the leaves blossomed, there was also small edible buds that grew on fig trees. But this tree had only leaves but no food. It looked ready, but had no fruit.
And that’s exactly what Jesus found in the temple too. He found a bunch of people who looked like they were ready - doing the right thing - but in fact there was nothing godly happening. It was all about profit, appearance, and convenience.
People were all about making money off of the worship of God.
What was supposed to be God’s house of prayer and hope was just a religious show.
Some even used the temple as a short cut thru the city.
Point being: When Jesus came to the temple, no one was living by faith. No one listened for God’s voice and no one obeyed God’s voice. It looked the Kingdom of God, but it was all self-centered.
I wonder what Jesus would find in this church today?
Would He find us ready to obey by faith?
Would He find lives transformed by the gospel - would there be fruit or just leaves?
Would He find selfish people valuing comfort and convenience?
Would there be people actively looking for ways to get rid of Jesus in their lives?
Or, maybe not trying to get rid of Jesus, but we running from Him. We hiding - not showin up to church or Life Groups. Thinking about changing churches every time Jesus tries to change us.
Would He find people choosing the curse over Christ?
These are tough questions. But I think they are necessary because it’s easy for us to fool ourselves. It’s easy to live for comfort instead of Christ. We’re naturally gifted at pretending to do the right thing...
That’s why the Bible tells us...
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
We must ask ourselves (and be willing to be asked from those we live in relationship with) if we are truly living by faith. Because...
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Even if we go to church, we can still be living under the curse of sin. And that’s not right. God’s got something better planned for us! He wants us to live by faith. He wants us to experience all He has for us...
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 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.”
Even as a pastor, my heart deceives me. Sometimes I believe the lie that the Kingdom of God is boring. That it’s not something worth my life or inviting people into it, especially living in a place like Glastonbury.
It’s so beautiful here.
It’s safe.
People have almost anything they want.
Why would they want to hear about Jesus?
Honestly, I can believe that. But I need to remember the command Jesus gives us here, “Have faith in God!” The sense is, “Live in a way where you faith is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. Then, help others do the same.”
Why? Because the faith-life is what we were created for. And it’s better than anything Glastonbury (or any place) can offer us.
Why? Because the Kingdom of God is supernatural. By definition - it’s better than anything this world can offer us.
It’s a life that constantly experience the truth that...
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
It’s experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised to give us (Jn 10:10).
It’s a life that, by faith, we see the impossible happen - Mountains are moved!
It’s a life that, by faith, our prayers are answered and fears and doubts flee...
People are healed.
Marriages are fixed.
Lives are transformed and communities changed.
Where we know that we are not alone, but personally loved by God who is with us to help us.
It’s a life that, by faith, we are forgiven and we practice forgiveness.
I don’t know about you, but I want that life! And, by faith, I have a confidence it’s the life God is bringing to Glastonbury, if we will just, “Have faith in God.”
Response:
Response:
As we close, what are some tangible steps to living by faith?
First off, the best steps come from Scripture:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The Bible teaches us how to live by faith. Additionally, some of the best lessons are learned from the negative or “what not to do.” We see that in the final part of chapter 11...
And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Jesus has a conversation with a group of religious people unwilling to live by faith - to hear what Jesus (God) has to say and then obey. And they do three things, that if we do the OPPOSITE, will help us live by faith...
People who don’t live by faith reject Jesus’ authority over their lives. When you hear that Jesus wants to be Lord of your life, how do you respond? When we live by faith, we will receive Him as Lord. Do you need to do that today?
People who don’t live by faith work hard to justify their sinful living. When Jesus asked the religious leaders a question, they went thru a bunch of mental gymnastics to keep believing what they already believed. They didn’t want to change! When you are confronted with God’s truth, how do you respond? When we live by faith, we’re willing to repent. We turn away from sin and walk towards Jesus instead.
People who don’t live by faith don’t get answers from Jesus. Does God talk to you? Maybe it’s because your sin has separated you from Him. He wants to fix that, but you must humble yourself first, and put your faith in Him.
Because those who put their faith in Jesus, He promises...
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
[As the worship team comes up], my friends, I want to tell you that God has an incredible future for each of us. In His house today, you can know there’s a future filled with hope that’s available to each of you because of what Jesus Christ did on the Cross.
But it requires faith.
Will you believe God and receive the life He created you for?
Will you obey Him by faith, so He can use your life to bring joy to others?
Here at The River Church, I believe we need a lot of faith for this upcoming season. I believe God is preparing to do the impossible in our community and He’s calling us to be a part of this work.
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
God’s ready to change our community. To bring about a fruitful harvest in our family and friends. But we need to live by faith!
Some of us gonna need to trust God and give money by faith when He asks you to, because He wants to use your money to help people find eternal life.
Some of us gonna need to trust God and serve - to volunteer your time to help the Kingdom of God grow. What better cause can you give your life to?
Whatever it is, here’s what’s important: Put your trust in Jesus and let it impact your actions!
God’s got a plan to save the world.
He’s inviting us to be saved but also use our lives to save others!
But we need to live by faith, which is the gas that gives movement to the Kingdom of God.
Let’s pray...
Father, by faith, we thank you in advance for all You’re going to do. We know You want to save the world, because You love the world. God, help us to put our faith in You. Help us to respond by faith to everything You say. May Your Kingdom come, You will be done, here in Glastonbury as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, amen.
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