MARK 11:11-26
PRAYER POWER
Life of Christ #47
Dr. Ralph Byron was an outstanding Christian surgeon. Early in his medical profession he sought for a way to make life count. Professionally and personally, he wanted to be a man of God. One day in his search for godliness, he came across Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Dr. Byron pondered this kind of question: "Would God find me standing in the gap?" Here he was a young surgeon with the press of responsibility all around him, and he answered the question honestly, "No, not right now." He concluded that in order for him to be a man of God, he must continually place a priority on prayer.
At first, it was very difficult, because his duties were numerous. He decided that in order for him to have time with God, he would personally have to get up very early. He set aside the time of 5:30 a.m., which he called "an unearthly hour." But he did it. It was the best time, in light of his busy schedule. Week after week.
The remarkable thing he discovered was that within just two weeks, he began to have a quality of life he had never known before. He saw two men trust Christ. He discovered that a major conflict in their church had been resolved -- dissolved is a better word -- as he committed it faithfully to God in prayer. And so he concluded, "It was apparent to me that I must give prayer top priority, even if it means getting less than six hours of sleep every night." http://www.docbyron.com/
In Glasgow Scotland a woman named Helen Ewing was saved. "She was just a slip of a girl but at the very threshold of her new life in Christ, she crowned Him as Lord absolutely and was filled with the spirit. The rivers of living water just simply flowed from that young girl's life. Although she died at the age of 22 -- all of Scotland wept.
"...hundreds of missionaries over all the world ...wept and mourned for her. She had mastered the Russian language and was expecting to labor for God in Europe. She had no outstanding personality. She never wrote a book. Never composed a hymn. She was not a preacher. Never traveled more than 200 miles...from her home. When she died people wrote about her life story. Although she died so early in life she had led a great multitude to Jesus Christ.
She arose early EVERY morning of her life at 5:00 to study God's word, to commune and to pray. She prayed for hundreds of missionaries." In one of her many diaries there were "at least 3 hundred different missionaries for whom she was praying at all times. ...God had burdened that young heart with a ministry of prayer. She had the date when she started to pray for a request and the date when God answered it. She had a dynamic prayer life that moved God and moved man. Source Unknown
Do stories like this encourage you, or make you feel guilty? It's very easy to hear stories like this and say, "Wow that's great, I can do the same." Or, we can say, "This is terrible. I'll never achieve anything like this in my own prayer life.
This morning we return to our study of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Last week we saw the parade in which Jesus presented himself as Israel’s Messiah. Although he was welcomed with shouts of joy provoked by His disciples, Israel, especially her leaders rejected their Messiah.
This week we see our Lord teaching us something about the power of prayer as he curses a fig tree and teaches lessons on faith and prayer. The purpose of this message is to encourage us to all be better prayer warriors.
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY Vss. 11-19
I want us to begin our thoughts with Vs. 11, which happened the day our Lord entered Jerusalem. READ VERSE.
Please note that our Lord, the Son of God, looked all around at all things in the temple. This was a searching gaze. This was an evaluating gaze. As the Son of God, He had every right to look and evaluate. Why? It was His temple. A temple built for and dedicated to Him, as God.
Where is the temple of God today? It is our bodies. We are the temple of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Does the Lord Jesus evaluate us, His temple today?
Yes.
Does the Lord Jesus have a right to evaluate what we do in our bodies, and direct us to do better?
Yes.
What should be our attitude as Christians towards our Lord when he wants to evaluate us?
Psalm 139:23-24 - Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Our desire should be that our Lord would search us, know us, and correct us.
Vs. 12 – After spending the night in Bethany our Lord returns to Jerusalem and he’s hungry.
Vs. 13 – Jesus saw a fig tree having leaves.
The early figs did not usually appear this early, but when a tree has leaves it usually has figs as well.
Mark says that there was nothing but leaves, because it was not time for fruit.
Why did Jesus expect fruit?
Because the leaves advertised that there was fruit. The leaves and fruit were normally together. This tree was guilty of false advertisement. This tree, so to speak, was a hypocrite.
The tree can be, first of all, thought of as a picture of the nation Israel at this time. Israel went through the motions of religion at the temple. The Pharisees insisted on strict interpretation of the law. And yet, Israel was not being productive for the Lord. On more than one occasion, Jesus referred to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders.
Matthew 15:8-9 - This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
We would commit an injustice if we just applied this barren fig tree to Israel and not to people today. It is always easier to talk faith than to live it.
It is always easier to have the green leaves of verbal testimony without the fruit of righteousness, fruit of soul winning, and fruit of the Spirit. We must beware of being like the fig tree, advertising a Spirituality that just doesn't exist.
"He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions which would become the pillars of the new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by
historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolph Hitler was a master of outward religiosity--with no inward reality!" Today in the Word, June 3, 1989
Vs. 14 - Our Lord pronounces judgment on the fig tree.
This is, of course, an object lesson. Our Lord was pronouncing judgment on Israel. Our Lord was also pronouncing judgment on all hypocrisy.
Matthew 7:21 - Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
How should we Christians deal with our own hypocrisy?
Compare our lives to the Scriptures, when reading or hearing it preached.
Be honest in self-examination.
Confess the sin to God.
Rely on God for the power to change.
Follow the pattern of Ezra.
Ezra 7:10 - For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY
THE PRIORITY OF FAITH Vss. 20-23
In verses 15-19, our Lord cleanses the temple.
Again I see him dealing with the hypocrisy and greed of the religious system of the day.
But we want to move on, and see about that fig tree.
Vs. 20 - It is the next day, and they see the same fig tree.
It had already dried up from the roots.
Vs. 21 - You can imagine the shock of all the disciples, who heard the pronouncement on one day, and saw the withered fig tree the next day! Peter, of course, was the one who pointed it out to the Lord Jesus.
Vs. 22 - Jesus is very specific.
To accomplish what seems impossible, faith in God is required.
Faith is essential.
Not faith in man.
Not faith in my own ability.
Not faith in faith.
BUT, FAITH THAT RESTS IN GOD!
· Why are there not more being saved?
Because more Christians do not have faith in God to
witness.
· Why are there not more practicing Christian families?
Because more Christians do not have faith in God to
raise their families properly.
· Why are there not more people going into full time Christian service?
Because more Christians do not have faith in God to
send people into service.
· Why is there not more Godly living?
Because more Christians do not have the faith in God
to live Godly lives.
· Why are there not more dynamic churches?
Because more Christians do not have faith in God to
change their churches!
· Why is our church not growing the way it could?
Because we do not have faith that it will!
So much more would be accomplished, if we just trusted the God we claim to serve.
Vs. 23 - Our Lord was probably talking more figuratively than literally. Of course, if there was good reason, our Lord could have cast the Mount of Olives into the sea.
The rabbis of that day, referred to a mountain as an impossible situation.
A Christian can deal with an absolutely impossible situation, and see God work.
But how can we possibly muster enough faith to handle impossible situations?
What I believe that God will do must be based on God's Word.
As I study God's word and believe it, that's when mountains will be removed!
Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What is the biggest hindrance to removing mountains in our lives?
It is doubt! Jesus says here, we are not to doubt in our heart.
Remember Peter, who asked the Lord to walk on the water.
Jesus said come. Peter did fine until he got fearful.
Jesus rescued him, and then rebuked him.
What did Jesus rebuke him for? His doubt!
Matthew 14:31 - And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Going back to our text, we will have what we say, according to Vs. 23, when we believe it.
May I remind you that what I say must be based on the will of God, as well as faith in God? God will do what we say, as we trust Him, but we must be surrendered to His will, and basing our statements of faith on His word.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
When I delight myself in the Lord, I will not desire anything contrary to His will or His Word.
Let’s read this verse 23 again, paying particular attention to the last phrase.
Just think of how many positive things according to God's will and God's word would be accomplished, if we just trusted Him.
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY
THE PRIORITY OF FAITH
THE PROMISE OF ANSWERED PRAYER Vs. 24
Vs. 24 - Here is a great promise!
Faith and Prayer go together.
Our pronouncements of faith are based on our prayers of faith.
Notice how broad the scope of our prayers - What things soever. Or, "Whatsoever"
Notice it is based on our desires.
The condition here is that our desires need to be right in order for us to receive answers to our prayers.
We must pray with the right motives.
James 4:2-3 - Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Not only must we pray with the right motives but according to the will of God.
1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
When we pray, we must believe that we will receive what we are asking for.
How many times have we prayed for things and not really believed that God would answer?
How many times have we prayed and have not thought about whether God would answer or not. I think that most times we do not think about whether God will answer or not!
Let's face it, to have faith in God, we must believe He's going to answer when we ask!
H.G. Bosch - "In the 1940's, the Lord led my wife and me to Chicago where I worked for the radio station of the Moody Bible Institute. World War II was in progress, and it was almost impossible to get housing.
We finally secured one large back room we could occupy temporarily, but soon the owner told us we'd have to find
another place to live. We diligently searched the classified ads, but all to no avail.
With only 2 hours left before we had to move, Lenore and I got down on our knees once more. "God, you have put us here," I said, "I know we're in the center of Your will, and You have promised to supply our needs." When we finished praying, I knew our request would be granted. "Get everything together near the door," I suggested. I'm sure I'll be back shortly with good news"
As I walked down Dearborn Street, I happened to look up
just as a hand was placing a sign in a third-story window of a nearby building. It read: APARTMENT FOR RENT. I raced over and told the landlady we'd take it. What joy filled our hearts as Lenore and I carried our meager belongings to our new home a block and a half away. Once again God had honored his Word. If His will is your highest desire, He'll do the same for you."
Let's pray, believing that God will answer.
THE PROMISE OF ANSWERED PRAYER
THE PRIORITY OF FAITH
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY
THE PREREQUISITE OF FORGIVENESS Vss. 25-26
As Christians, no sin will keep us out of Heaven.
However, sin will hinder us from having our prayers answered.
One of the great sins is unforgiveness.
Christians hold grudges, refusing to forgive others.
As a result there sin of unforgiveness keeps God from forgiving them, and having their prayers answered.
Psalm 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
It would do us well to remember, and practice the phrase in the Lord's Prayer, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
"As the pastor was preaching about King David's love for his rebellious son, Absaloam, the Holy Spirit seemed to speak to Judy about the bitterness in her heart toward her adulterous and irresponsible father whom she had never met.
“When the service was over and people were leaving the church, Judy motioned to her husband and an elder and asked, 'Will you pray for me?'
Right where they were, they bowed their heads and she prayed, 'Lord, I forgive my father, wherever he is, for bringing me into the world and not caring for me or wanting me."
"In that moment, Judy sensed a new wholeness in her spirit. As she let go of her ill feeling towards her real father, her heavenly Father filled her heart with a new joy, which comes from His unconditional love in Christ."
Don’t let unforgiveness rob you of joy or of answers to prayer.
THE PROMISE OF ANSWERED PRAYER
THE PRIORITY OF FAITH
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY
THE PREREQUISITE OF FORGIVENESS Vss. 25-26
My own challenge - praying Paul's 4 prayers for our congregation and the others I pastored. Ephesians 1&3, Philippians 1, Colossians 1
I also like to pray the blessing that I quote at the end of the service:
Numbers 6:24-27 - The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: [25] The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: [26] The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. [27] And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.