LIFE OF
CHRIST
MARK
11:11-26
PRAYER
POWER
Life
of Christ #47
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
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
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
Our desire should be that our
Lord would search us, know us, and correct us.
Vs. 12 – After spending the night in
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
We would commit an injustice if
we just applied this barren fig tree to
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.
Vs. 14 - Our Lord pronounces judgment on the fig tree.
This is, of course, an object
lesson. Our Lord was pronouncing judgment on
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
THE
PRIORITY OF FAITH Vss. 20-23
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!
Vs. 23 - Our Lord was probably talking more figuratively than literally. Of course,
if there was good reason, our Lord could have cast the
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
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
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!
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
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
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