Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,
and it's my joy, truly, to bring God's Word to you today.
A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here,
and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats,
but because we're following Jesus together as one community,
and as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good,
they don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it,
which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word.
We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark.
You'll remember that the Gospels tell the story of Jesus and His life and His death and His resurrection,
and as we come to this passage this morning, there's really no two ways about it.
We have a difficult text of Scripture before us.
It's difficult to understand. It's difficult to hear.
It's hard intellectually because it appears, at least on first reading,
that somehow we can control God.
We can have supernatural powers if simply we have enough faith.
And it's hard spiritually because as we come to this passage,
it has the potential to bring us maybe guilt or shame or cynicism
as we look at things that we've cried out to God for, we've prayed earnestly for,
and God has chosen not to grant that.
We wonder if something was wrong with us if we didn't just have enough faith,
and so maybe we found ourselves in a place of resignation or cynicism.
So as we come to Jesus' teaching here, I say sometimes, as I do now,
I'm going to say something, not everything,
as we try to unravel the knots of this passage to both satisfy our minds,
to understand it, and also to address our hearts as we face the challenges
of just living as Christians, crying out to God,
and feeling like at times He doesn't hear or answer.
And so it's with those challenges that we're going to turn now to God's Word.
I invite you to turn with me to Mark chapter 11.
We're going to start at verse 20, and remember that this is God's Word.
God tells us that His Word is a lamp to our feet, and it's a light to our path,
which means that God has not left us to stumble alone in the dark,
but instead He's given us His Word to show us the way to go.
And so that's why we read together now, starting at verse 20.
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.
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.
Verse 24,
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.
I invite you to pray with me as we come
to this portion of God's Word.
Our Father in heaven,
we do praise you
and thank you again this morning
that you teach us and instruct us,
that you challenge us
and you encourage us with your Word.
We ask that you would do that this morning.
You would especially help us
to understand clearly
what Jesus is teaching in this passage,
and that you would encourage us
to be bold in our prayers,
and comfort us
and sustain us
in the prayers
that we have prayed for
months and years
and perhaps decades,
that you would stir up our faith,
that we would see Jesus
in his beauty
and his glory,
and that our love for him
would grow more and more,
that you would change us,
that we would look like him.
We thank you
that even though
we haven't earned these things
and we don't deserve them,
we can ask them with confidence
because we ask them in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As we come to this passage,
we're picking up
where we left off last week.
You'll remember
that we had first
this cursing of the fig tree
by Jesus,
which was an illustration
that he was acting out,
that he was living out,
so that he could tell his disciples
what was actually going on
with the temple,
that the temple was
all leaves and no fig.
It was all external appearances,
but no substance.
As we move on
from that episode,
Jesus cleaning out
of the temple,
it appears to be important
to Mark to tell us
once again
about this fig tree.
And so we see
in verse 20
what we didn't learn
last week,
which is the totality
of its destruction.
It's not just
that the fig tree
has been destroyed,
but it has been destroyed
away,
all the way
to the roots.
Jesus has taken here
a scorched earth policy
towards the fig tree,
that this destruction here
is total and utter
and complete.
And so Peter represents
the surprise of the disciples
in verse 21.
He says,
look, Rabbi,
the fig tree
that you cursed
has withered,
which reminds us
that it wasn't clear
what the conclusion
would be
in the previous passage.
There's all sorts of ways
this could have played out
when Jesus says,
may you never bear figs again.
And here it plays out
in an incredibly dramatic
and severe way.
It is complete
and quick
and total,
more than Peter
perhaps expected.
That's important
for us to understand
as we head
into this next story
because what Jesus
says next
assumes Peter's
surprise here.
Verses 22 and 23,
Jesus is essentially
saying,
oh, you think
that's a big deal?
You think it's surprising
and powerful
to wither
a fig tree away
all to its roots?
Look up.
You see that mountain
over there?
If you have enough faith,
you can throw that
into the sea.
In other words,
making a fig tree
wither to its roots
isn't anything.
Disciples,
you all ain't seen
nothing yet.
If you are impressed
by that,
you are too easily pleased.
There is so much
more power
than you realize.
There is something
greater even
than what you've seen.
Now when Jesus
in verse 23
says,
look at this mountain,
that helps us understand
that he's talking about
not just mountains
in general
but a specific mountain.
There's disagreement
about whether
he's referring here
to the Mount of Olives
that he crosses over
as he approaches Jerusalem
or if he's referring
to the Temple Mount
where the Temple itself
stands.
Regardless,
there is a little-known
historical fact
that's important
for us to know
as we come to this passage
to be able
to understand it.
And that little-known
fact is this.
Neither the Temple Mount
nor the Mount of Olives,
believe it or not,
have ever been cast
into the sea.
That's actually
never happened.
And it's important
for me to point that out
because it highlights
the first thing
we need to understand
about this passage
which is the form
of Jesus' teaching here.
When Jesus tells them,
hey, if you have enough faith,
you can throw a mountain
into the sea,
Jesus is using
what we might call
an overstatement.
Some have referred to it
as an exaggeration
or a hyperbole
or a proverbial saying.
And unless you think,
in case you think
I'm making this up
to take a hard passage
and make it easier,
remember we've already
seen this.
Mark 9, verses 43-47,
Jesus says,
hey, it's a good idea
to cut off your hand,
cut off your foot,
tear out your eye.
None of you, however,
here have cut off
your hands, your feet,
or torn out your eyes
as far as I can tell.
And so you're in agreement.
There's times when Jesus
uses an exaggeration
to make a point.
The same thing is true
in Luke 12.
You have a passage
about this on the back
of your worship guide.
Or Luke 14, excuse me.
Jesus says,
you should hate your family.
And yet,
so many of you
are sitting here
with your families
because you know, right,
Jesus is making
an overstatement.
He is saying something
extreme to make a point.
And the point here
is this,
that prayer is very powerful.
But it's more impactful,
it's more memorable
for Jesus to say,
hey,
prayer's so powerful
you can take mountains
and cast them
into the sea
than to say,
oh, you think that's big?
Well, prayer's a really big deal.
That might go over
the disciples' heads,
but here,
Jesus,
as the master teacher,
gives them this image
to help them
remember forever
how important it is
that they would pray.
Jesus is simply
telling them this,
prayer can accomplish
more than you imagine.
Prayer can make
the impossible possible.
And so that helps us
escape the trap
that's been used
by those who have
abused this passage
that somehow
we have to take it
woodenly
or literalistically
that if we just
have enough faith,
God will do anything
for us.
God is somehow
this genie in the bottle
and if our faith
can rub that bottle
just the right way,
then we will have
the superpower
to do whatever
we want in this world.
And yet that is not
what Jesus is teaching here.
He is simply telling them,
look,
what you've seen here
is nothing compared
to the power
that is available
to you
through prayer.
And so that's the first thing
we need to understand
about Jesus' teaching here
is the form
of his teaching.
That in this,
he is using
this overstatement,
this hyperbole,
this proverbial saying.
The second thing
we need to understand
to make sense
of this teaching
from Jesus
is the context
of his teaching.
That he's teaching this
in the context
of the overthrow
of evil,
the clearing
of the temple
which prevents
God's people
from actually
accessing God's presence.
The point of confusion
here for those
who abuse this passage
or misunderstand it
would be in verse 24
when Jesus says,
whatever you ask
in prayer.
And the confusion
would be
if we make the word
whatever
mean anything
or everything.
And whatever
does not mean
anything or everything
and so I want you
to think about it
this way.
You invite me
to your house
for dinner
and I come over
and being
the housebroken,
well-trained guest
that I am
with just really
clear boundaries,
as soon as I come
to your house,
I make a beeline
for your freezer.
And I pull open
the freezer door
and I say,
what do we have
in here?
And there it is,
it's glowing
and bright
in your freezer,
I see that you
have the quart
of Blue Bell
ice cream.
And so I say,
yes,
this is what
I've hoped for
and longed for,
that is what
I want.
We haven't eaten
dinner yet.
And so what do
you say to me
at that point?
You say,
Matthew,
you can have
whatever you want.
What does that
not mean?
It does not mean
that you have
invited me
to go upstairs
in your house
and take all
your guns
and all your jewelry.
Whatever
does not mean
anything or everything.
When you say,
Matthew,
you can have
whatever you want.
What you mean is
you can have
whatever you want
in the context,
in the realm,
in the sphere
of the freezer.
And if I'm lucky,
in the sphere
of the refrigerator.
There's a context
to that statement.
When you say whatever,
you don't mean
anything in the world.
You don't mean
everything in your house.
You mean
whatever you need
to eat
from this
refrigerated instrument.
Okay,
there's a realm,
there's a context,
there's a boundary,
there's a limit
on your statement there.
I might also
never be invited
for dinner again.
Same thing
is going on here
with Jesus
is that there is
a context
and a realm.
When Jesus says
in verse 24,
whatever you ask
in prayer,
he is speaking
in the context
about the advancing
of God's kingdom,
the destruction
of evil,
and the erasing
of what separates
God's people
from God's presence.
We are not
in the realm
of the refrigerator,
we're in the realm
of the clearing
of the temple
that has just happened
and the withering
of the fig tree.
The withering
of the fig tree
is destroying
those things
that have spiritual
appearance
but no spiritual
substance.
Whatever you ask
in prayer
in that genre,
whatever you ask
in prayer
for the advancing
of God's kingdom,
whatever you ask
in prayer
for the defeat
of evil
and the overthrowing
of spiritual
strongholds.
One pastor
puts it this way,
we can move mountains
in our prayers,
the mountain
we are moving
is the overthrow
of a broken world
and the coming
of the kingdom
of God.
Which means
that this morning
you have already prayed
that God would cast
mountains into the sea
because that's exactly
what we pray for
in the Lord's prayer.
we come together
and say,
hey, may your kingdom
come, your will be done
on earth as it is
in heaven.
For God's kingdom
to come
and his will to be done
on earth as it is
in heaven
is much more difficult
than shriveling
a fig tree
to its roots.
It is in fact
much more challenging
than casting a mountain
into the sea.
It is something
that only happens
if God's supernatural
power is at work
in the world.
And so you might
be thinking,
oh man,
that's all this passage
means?
Like, we're downplaying it.
It just means
the Lord's prayer.
No, I don't say this
to downplay this passage
but to highlight
and emphasize
what a radical
act of faith
it actually is
when we pray
the Lord's prayer
together.
Remember verse 25
of this passage.
Jesus says,
hey, by the way,
when you're praying,
you also need to forgive.
And if you're honest,
you know how hard
it is to forgive
someone who has
truly hurt you.
It is harder
to do that
than to cast
a mountain
into the sea.
We are asking God
when we pray
for his kingdom
to come
on earth
as it is in heaven
to do what
no earthly government
has ever been able
to accomplish.
Dynamite
can destroy
mountains.
We have the technology
right now
to cast
mountains
into the sea.
We do not have
the technology
to move
the human heart.
We do not have
the technology
to break
the forces of evil
once and for all.
We do not have
the technology
necessary
to restore
dignity and worth
to people
who are on the margins.
We do not have
the technology
to rescue
the poor
and bring down
the arrogant.
Now,
I didn't share this
with you last week
because I didn't
want to brag,
but I do want
to tell you this week
I actually
personally have
the capacity
to shrivel
fig trees
to their roots.
I have
a can
of Roundup 360
in my backyard
right now.
And even if I didn't,
we all know
Home Depot
is less than
10 minutes
from this church.
And I guarantee you
they have it in stock.
Roundup 360
cannot destroy
the sin
in our hearts
to its root.
God's power
at work
through prayer
is much
more powerful
than the shriveling
of a fig tree.
It makes
putting a
mountain
into the sea
look like
nothing.
When we pray
for God's
kingdom to come,
we are praying
something
impossible
and radical
and revolutionary.
we are praying
for power
that can come
from God
and God alone.
And so
we can say
mountains truly
are moved
when we pray
in our congregational
prayer for our
army chaplains
and they are able
to speak clearly
about the gospel
and soldiers
are moved
in their hearts
because of that.
God has moved
a mountain.
That is harder
than withering
a fig tree.
It's harder
than casting
a mountain
into the sea.
When we pray
for children
who are taught
in our Sunday
school classes
week after week
that in 40 years
they would still
love Jesus
and be part
of his community
in the church,
we are praying
that a mountain
has been moved,
that God would
move mountains
that are beyond
our control.
To do that
is much harder
than withering
a fig tree.
When we pray
for oppressive
and unjust systems
to be replaced
by the love
of God
and his gospel,
we are praying
for mountains
to be moved.
And so what Jesus
here is saying
is that the power
of God's kingdom,
the defeat of evil,
those are the prayers
that God cooperates
and answers.
Jesus always
and ultimately
answers the prayer,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
He just doesn't
always answer it
in our way
on our timetable.
And so that's
what's going on
in this image
of the mountain.
How do we make sense
of this hard saying?
We have to know
the form
of Jesus' teaching.
His form
is in exaggeration.
We have to know
the context
of his teaching
which is in
the kingdom.
And we are not
out of the woods
yet.
Because we also
have verses 23
and 24
which would
at first glance
make us believe
that maybe
we can somehow
name it
and claim it
if we just
have enough faith
whatever we want
in this life
will happen.
Or on the other side
maybe we're filled
with shame
and guilt
because obviously
we don't have
enough faith
or God
would have acted.
And so we're going
to head straight
into that as well.
Verse 23 says
if you don't doubt
in your heart
but this man
believes what he says
will come to pass
it will be done
for him.
No qualifications.
If you have
enough faith
it's going to happen.
Verse 24
whatever you ask
in prayer
believe that you
have received it
and it will
be yours.
I want you to
think about this
and understand it
in the context
of verse 22
where Jesus says
have faith
in God.
Now in our
confession this morning
we already hit
the first two elements
of Charles Spurgeon's
definition of faith.
First that faith
is knowledge
but it's also
trust or belief.
It's not just
knowing the facts
but that they're
believing that
they're true.
Spurgeon gives
a third element
though which we
might call
trust or action
which means
I live
as if these
things are true.
I don't just
say in my head
I believe them
but my feet
and my hands
and my heart
show that I
believe those
things.
If that's what
we mean by faith
if that's the
faith that we're
talking about
in this prayer
then we can say
that Jesus
is teaching this.
The direction
of our prayers
must match
the direction
of our lives.
The direction
of our prayers
must match
the direction
of our lives.
Don't expect
God to answer
your prayers
if you pray
for the kingdom
and refuse
to live
like the kingdom
is true.
In fact
that's the logic
that's given
in the Lord's
prayer right?
Forgive us
our debts
as we
forgive our
debtors.
It is in
that sense
that we believe
that we've
already received
it.
In the sense
that we're
praying for
the kingdom
and we're
living as if
the kingdom
is true.
We're demonstrating
that faith
by our actions.
We're not just
saying words
but there's
an integrity
there's a
consistency
between what
we ask
God for
and the way
that we act
in the world.
And so that
helps us understand
why verse 25
is here.
Verse 25
is one
application
of that
principle.
Okay,
your prayer
and your life
needs to move
in the same
direction so
verse 25
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.
verses 23
and 24
are not
saying
be perfect
and have
superhuman
faith
and then
whatever you
want to
happen
will happen.
It is saying
this,
live out
the Christian
life.
Live your
life in
such a way
that if
Jesus doesn't
come back
and if the
kingdom is
not true
you will
lose
big time.
That's what
it means
to believe
your prayer
has already
been answered.
It's to
truly live
into the
kingdom.
First
Corinthians
15
talking about
the resurrection
Paul says
hey by the
way if
Jesus didn't
rise from
the dead
we Christians
we should
be pitied
more than
anyone else
in the world.
We're actually
the stupidest
people.
We're going
to lose
more than
anyone else.
Matthew
17
Jesus
clarifies
he talks
again
in that
passage
about moving
mountains
and he
says hey
you know
how large
and great
your faith
has to be
to move
a mountain?
It has to
be so large
and great
that it's
like a
mustard seed.
The smallest
of all the
seeds.
The smallest
amount
of faith
can move
mountains.
that's
what it
means to
believe
that we
already
have it
to receive
it.
It means
that we
are living
as if
our prayers
are true.
I told
you we
have two
challenges
before us
this morning.
One to
satisfy our
minds and
understanding
what it is
that Jesus
is actually
teaching in
this passage
and the
other one
is to
address our
hearts
because I
can talk
about the
power of
prayer as
much as I
want and
I am very
aware that
for all of
us many
of us in
this room
who have
lived as
Christians for
any amount
of time
we have
had seasons
of prayer
perhaps in
the past
perhaps in
the present
and we
have not
seen the
kingdom come
in the way
we wanted
or expected.
And so this
passage raises
up for us
either this
sense of
cynicism and
despair
prayer isn't
worth it
I am going to
continue to
go through
the motions of
the Christian
life but
I have
shut my
heart down
I am not
going to
risk hoping
again.
Or it has
brought us to
places of
guilt and
shame.
Man if I
had only
prayed more
back then
then things
would be
different.
If I had
more faith
then I
wouldn't be
in the
situation I
am in
now.
In other
words we
have to
answer this
question what
do we do
when our
prayers aren't
answered?
How do we
respond when
we pray that
God would
move a
mountain and
we see the
mountain still
standing?
I have a
mentor I'll
call him
John and
John grew
up in a
Christian family
and his
parents were
both believers
and when he
was an
adult his
parents decided
that they
did not want
to be married
to each other
anymore.
And John
begged God
that he would
move that
mountain.
He begged
that the
kingdom would
come in
such a way
that his
parents would
not get a
divorce.
And they
did.
Later
John met
the love
of his
life and
they married
and they
had great
hopes and
dreams of
children together
and they
prayed that
God would
move that
mountain.
And he
didn't.
And so I
asked him at
one point I
said what have
you done
with that?
How do you
work through
that in light
of God's
promises to
you about
prayer and
what you
believe about
his goodness?
And he
said this.
He said that
took several
years to
really work
through because
there's so
many other
ways that I've
seen God's
goodness.
You use
what you've
seen in the
light to
help you
trust in
the dark.
I don't
understand Lord
why you would
let this
happen but I
also know
this is a
broken world
and that's not
your fault.
that's our
fault.
I need to
trust that
you're still
with me in
this and
you haven't
forgotten me.
You use
what you've
seen in the
light to
help you
trust in
the dark.
And then he
goes on to
say this.
When prayer
does not change
things I need
to trust.
Lord you are
still good and
I don't know
why you haven't
answered this but
I trust you and
I'm going to
keep asking.
That doesn't
mean there
aren't times
when I'm in
sorrow.
That's why so
many of the
psalms are
lament psalms
because of
unanswered
prayer.
God knows
how grieving
that can be and
so he gives us
the language to
use in the
face of
unanswered
prayer.
The same
trust that
allows us to
pray allows us
to keep
following God
even when we
don't see what
we want to
see.
You use what
you've seen in
the light to
help you trust
in the dark.
Of course
that's what we
sang this
morning, right?
We sang how
long?
How long
until you wipe
our tears
away?
How long
until we see
you descending
from the sky?
Of course
if you read
the book of
Psalms you know
that at the
end the last
psalms are all
psalms of praise
which is the
psalmist's way of
teaching us that
in the end all
of our laments
turn into songs
of praise to
God if we
wait long
enough.
The kingdom
will come
fully and
finally.
Finally Jesus
teaches this
knowing that
the most
painful
unanswered
prayer in
all of
history
will happen
to him
soon.
You'll
remember as
Jesus is
facing his
own death
he prays out
to God
and he
basically says
look I want
there to be
another way
for this to
happen
but not
my will
be done
your will.
And so
Jesus'
prayer goes
unanswered
and Jesus
himself removes
the greatest
mountain he
removes the
mountain of
sin that
separates us
from God
because of
his unanswered
prayer he
suffers the
punishment the
death that we
deserve and
he lives the
perfect life
that we did
not so that
we can cry
out how long
so that we
can pray to
God asking
him to move
mountains so
that we can
have the faith
that accesses
the very power
of God.
When we don't
know where
God is or
how he is
acting we
simply look to
Jesus on the
cross.
Jesus.
And we
know
as we're
told by
the apostle
Paul all
the promises
of God are
yes and
amen in
him.
All our
prayers for
mountains to
be moved,
all our
prayers for
the kingdom
to come
are, have
been answered
and will be
answered in
Jesus.
I
mentioned
before
Charles
Spurgeon
who's a
famous
Baptist
preacher
in London
in the
19th century
and the
story is
told of
five young
college
students who
were spending
a Sunday
in London
and so they
decided hey
here's what we
really want to
do we want to
go hear this
great Charles
Spurgeon guy
preach because
we've heard
about how
wonderful he
is.
So they're
waiting for
the doors to
open and
this unassuming
man comes in
and greets
them and
he says
gentlemen let
me show
you around
would you
like to
see the
heating plant
of this
church.
They thought
this was a
strange request
because they
happened to
be visiting
in the month
of July but
they decided
to amuse
this old
man.
They didn't
want to
offend him
so we're
told they're
taken down
a stairway.
A door
was quietly
opened and
their guide
whispered
this is
our heating
plant.
To the
surprise the
students saw
700 people
bowed in
prayer seeking
a blessing
on the
service that
was soon
to begin
in the
auditorium
above.
Softly
closing the
door that
man introduced
himself to
them.
It was
Charles Spurgeon
himself.
Prayer
moves
mountains.
Christians.
It is the
heating plant
of the
Christian
life.
And as
we pray
in faith
for God's
kingdom to
come
we use
what we've
seen in
the light
to trust
in the
dark.
Let's pray.
Our
Father in
heaven we
praise you
and thank you
for your
word for
your promises
of prayer
and for
your
encouragement
to us.
We ask
that you
would use
this teaching
in our
lives.
That we
would cry
out to you
more and
more with
hope and
longing
that the
direction of
our lives
and the
direction of
our prayers
would be
one and
the same.
Knowing that
you're the
one who
gives us
the power
and the
grace.
We ask
these things
in Jesus
name.
Amen.
I invite
you to
stand