Faith that moves the mountain (Mat 21: 18~22)

Faith that moves the mountain (Mat 21: 18~22)

 ¹⁸ Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

 

Intro)

 1. one day Jesus was tired and hungry from working hard. on the way back from the city he found a fig tree. Jesus got close to find anything to eat, but this plant did not have anything that can feed Jesus. Jesus was disappointed, so he said, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Now the plant is cursed.

 

Today, with this bible verse we can think about Jesus’ other sides like he cursed plant? He has power to dry the big tree at once as son of God. Let’s think about the relationship in faith.

 In verse 21 says, ‘²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.’ Let’s think about our faith. Can we move anything with faith we have? I think it’s still too small to move tiny feather.

 Body)

1. Reproofed disciples

 

1.    There was a pastor named Bu-kyum, kim. He talked about Chinese Proverbs related to saying “ignorant moves the mountain.(愚公移山).” In China there was two mountains called tae-hang and wang-uk. They are both has perimeter of 1,750 miles.

There was an old man named Wo-gong he wanted to move two mountains that were blocking his way at where he lived. So, he decided to move mountains into sea.

Transferring the dirt from mountain to sea took about a year, and his friends made fun of him. Wu-gong said “I will have my future generation and this work will be done.” His friend got scared that some spirit of mountain will get mad, so he went to king and told him the story. King was touched that and moved two mountains for him.

 

2.    Today Jesus says ‘Faith moves the mountain’ and faith really has power to do so.

Jesus is peaceful, so he doesn’t reproof his disciples for small mistake, but there is a point where he reproofed his disciples is that they do not have enough faith. Although they had some it was not fully depending kind of faith, and that’s where Jesus thought it was lacking. How Jesus rate person is based on their faith. No matter what they possess did not matter to him, but only faith.

 

Let’s take a look at today’s verse 20-21, ‘²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

 

  

1. Jesus wants us to have faith to move the mountain.

 

Everyone! What do you think about the faith that moves the mountain? Let’s talk about this in 3 ways.

 

First is is the faith that looking towards God not the mountain.  

Do you have mountain that is like giant obstacle in your life that you are so eager to remove it out of the way? Maybe that can be your boss or enemy, financial crises; illness and bad memories etc. so, if you want to remove that do not look at nothing else, but almighty God and ask him to remove it for you. When peter was walking on the sea with Jesus he looked away from Jesus and he fell into the sea. So, we need to look at God and have faith in him.

 

  Second, faith to move mountain is with God.

 To have such ability you need to know that it’s from God, and you need to be with God.

When Jesus went to revive Nazareth Jesus prayed to God like this, (John 11:42) ‘⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Jesus was always with his father God and listened to him.

 

In John 15:7 says, ‘⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will^[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.’ Do you have Jesus in you? Do you follow his word truly and love him? I’m asking if you are living your life as how Jesus wanted.

 

In book of Act 3:5-6 peter always prayed to God before he make the miracle happen, ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” That is how he made disable to walk again from name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

 We have received miracle already and it’s about our sins are all forgiven, and we became his children and worker. We have eternal long life and ticket to go to heaven. So, these are miracle we already received. We need to be with God we need to follow the way he wants us to go and miracle will happen.

 

 Third, faith moves the mountain is from humbleness.

1. God talked about people with pride. They look down on God, contempt his word, and think having faith in God is useless. Time to time they stand against God and persecutes people of God. Communist and atheists are one of them. God says they are like existence that will be gone like dust, and once that happen no matter how hard to try you will not find them anymore anywhere.

 

  2 kings 5:11 says, ‘¹¹ But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’’ At first he didn’t believe that washing his body in Jordan River for seven times will cure his skin disease, but after all he did what man of God Elisha told him to do his disease were cured.

  Naaman went back to his motherland and poured dirt from Israel, and built altar for God and lived thankful life towards God. Even today there is no other short cut to receive salvation, but only through Jesus. Saints said “believe Jesus, then you and your house will be saved.” Hallelujah! We need to become humble before God’s word and his present. Let’s receive his word with amen. Then, we will be able to move mountains in our lives.

 

 

Con)

Loving everyone!! Do you wish to have faith to move the mountain?

Then, do not turn away and look our God, be with him and be person who is with his word, lastly be humble before God and be obedient.

 If you follow this our mountains will be removed by grace of God.

 

 

 

O82017. BY IK SUN AHN