SN - notes from 3/20/10
SN 3/20/10
Jesus and the fig tree II - watch it live on calvarychapelcostamesa.com or get the podcast at thesngrouo.net
mark 11:20-25
I. Intro - although one application of this miracle was the importance of bearing fruit (for the hypocritical or lost), the application for the disciples was different – to them, Jesus gave some specific guidelines on how they were to pray.
observation - it’s cool how the life and teaching of Jesus can be applied to so many people in so many different ways.
A.v20 – Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
observation – fruitlessness - > uselessness - > pruning/trimming/etc (Luke 13:6) - > still useless = death
B. v21 - And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
observation - If Jesus could walk on water, turn water into wine, heal the sick, and raise the dead - what was so shocking here? Never forget that God can and will do everything He says He will do.
C. v22 - the exhortation - have faith in God.
D. v23 - the example - of how to show that you have faith in God - > prayer.
observation - the “move mountain thing” was a common Jewish saying illustrating the removal of a difficulty.
E. the requirement - > w/o doubting.
F. the promise - faith and belief w/o doubting result in answered prayer.
observation 1-
Faith in God - faith = pistis (noun) refers to an overall state of certainty with regard to belief
observation 2 -
Belief in the power of God = belief = pisteuo (verb) refers to a specific action of belief in a real life situation
observation 3
Avoidance of all doubting – doubting (verb) refers to evaluating carefully (in a negative sense)
James 1:6-8 - But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
observation 4 - (later)
Avoidance of bitterness/un-forgiveness (v25-26)
AN ASIDE ON ANSWERED AND UNANSWERED/HINDERED PRAYER
II. Prayer is answered:
1. to those who seek God –
Ps. 34:4 - I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
2. to those who wait upon the Lord –
Ps. 40:1 - I awaited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
3. to those who are humble and repentant -
2 Chron. 7:14 - If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
4. to those who ask in Jesus’ name/according to His will.
John 14:14 – If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
1 John 5:14 – Now this is the confidence that we have in
Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
5. to those who fear God –
Psalm 154:19 - He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
6. to those who know God –
Ps. 91:14-15 - “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will
answer him; I will be with him in trouble;
7. to those who obey God –
1 John 3:22 - And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
8. to those who abide in Jesus and His word -
John 15:7 – If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.
9. to those who are afflicted –
Ps. 106:44 – Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction when He heard their cry.
10. to those who are righteous –
Ps. 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry
11. to those who are poor and needy –
Isa. 41:17 - “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
12. to those who worship God -
John 9:31 - Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.
III. Prayer is hindered:
1. to those who ask amiss -
James 4:3 - You ask and you do not receive b/c you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
2. to those who live in sin -
Isa. 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
John 9:31 - Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
3. to those who do not fear God/hate knowledge -
“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
4. to those who ignore the word -
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.
5. to those who ignore the servants of the Lord -
But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law
and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen
says the Lord of hosts.
6. to those who ignore the poor -
Prov. 21:10 - Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.
7. to those who are idolaters -
(in light of the rampant idolatry in Jerusalem)
Jer. 11:14 - So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
8. to those who are hypocritical -
For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon
him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?
9. to those who are proud -
Job 35:12 - There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
IV. biblical examples -
1. frequency - Jesus, Peter, Daniel
2. fervency - Jesus, Paul
3. faithfulness - Jesus, Elijah
4. perseverance - Jesus, Joseph, Isaac
5. humility - Jesus, Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23), the unknown tax collector (Lk 18:10)
V. extra-biblical example - George Muller - over the course of 50 years of ministry, while never asking anyone for money, he was given and distributed around 7 million dollars (in the 1800s!) He solely relied on God for all his needs.
G. v25a - And when you pray standing…
observation 1 - notice it’s written as a given - praying is something you are to be doing if you are a Christian - it’s one of your “jobs”
observation 2 - you can stand if you want, kneel if you want, walk if you want, swim if you want, as long as you’re praying, I don’t think God really cares!
H. v25b …if you have anything against anyone, forgive him …
observation 1 - this could be the “mountain” in referred to in v22 - a root of bitterness quickly grows into a mountain of hatred.
observation 2 - your duty to people - to love them (mark 12:31) and to honor them (1 Peter 2:17) should be in harmony with any spiritual thing you do. I mean, you can’t be a jerky or bitter prayer warrior.
observation 3 - even if a bitter person got the prayer out, God wouldn’t accept it (Heb. 12:14-16)
observation 4 - recall in Matt. 18:21, we are to forgive people 7 x 70 x - this means always (see Ex. 23:4, Prov. 19:11, Luke 17:3, etc)
I. v25c ..that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
observation - If one is in an unforgiving state, it is highly unlikely that they are being repentant for anything else they are doing.
J. v26 - But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
observation - see the last explanation. Plus, I would question the salvation of anyone who is simply unwilling to forgive since that is the cornerstone principal of Christianity. It’s quintessential.
APPLICATIONS -
1. Read the bible more.
2. Pray more.
3. Love more.
4. Forgive more.
