Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of over 100 books, booklets & Bible studies. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 1,300 US outlets daily and in more than 130 countries.

you see many of us the problem of us

getting along with other people is our

inability to get along with ourselves

everything visible and physical is

preceded by something invisible and

spirit the consequences we are dealing

with in our lives in our homes in our

culture we are dealing with them because

there is a gap between where God is and

where we are he wants to know that you

want him and not just wanted stuff see a

lot of folk go to church to gets God

stuff but who don’t want the God who

gives it so if you’re in distress

don’t let that drive you away draw you

near when you get close and want to live

for him want to please him want to honor

him want to exalt him want to draw near

to him then heaven opens up and he lets

you find

[Music]

Mountains in the Bible are used in a

number of ways first of all there is the

physical mountain that we normally use

the word to refer to but also in the

Bible Mountain also refers to kingdoms

the kingdom of God is called a mountain

the kingdom of Satan is called a

mountain and the kingdom of men is

called a mountain it’s referring to a

rule over a sphere the word Mountain is

used of that the third way that the word

Mountain is used in the Bible as it is

used in this passage is for an

unrecoverable situation a situation that

looms so large you can’t move it by

yourself and you don’t even know anybody

who can help you move it it’s just too

big you can’t get over the hump it’s too

awesome in its problematic impact on

your life

it’s a mountain those are called

Mountain Zechariah for seven uses the

word Mountain in this way some obstacle

that looms large in your life to which

you need divine help to move in this

passage today Jesus talks about moving

mountains and it is introduced by a fig

tree Peter says to Jesus Jesus verse 20

the fig tree that you cursed yesterday

has withered today from the root up you

pronounce a curse yesterday we came out

here today and what you said yesterday

not only has happened today but it is

super happened because it is withered

not only with the fig part but it is

with

from the root up so whatever you said

has completely reversed this situation

we find in verse 12

Jesus is hungry and Jesus wants to get

something to eat he looks and he sees a

fig tree in leaf that is the leaves were

out with the leaves are out on a fig

tree that means they are fakes

the leaves are the external validation

that figs are on the tree Jesus being

hungry

goes over to the fig tree in leaf to get

figs we’re also told it was not the

season for figs so the tree is showing

fig leaf when it’s not even the season

for figs to grow so Jesus sees something

out of the norm and goes over in his

humanity because he’s hungry but when he

goes over he discovers there are leaves

with no figs there are leaves with no

figs let me put it another way there is

an external reality with no internal

reality there is external show with no

internal meaning there is the look of

things without the reality of things the

fig tree was a deception

it was trickery because there was no

figs so Jesus curses the fig tree he

says because you are a deceiving tree

I’m hungry you gave me the visible

impression you could feed me when I came

over there was nothing but a good look

but no substance and so I’m gonna curse

your external activity because of the

absence of an internal reality however

between the fig tree yesterday

and the big tree today there is a story

let’s look at the story to tatah two

days of the fig tree together it says in

verse 15 between the two victory events

Jesus comes to Jerusalem enters the

temple he dries out those who were

buying and selling in the temple

overturned the tables of the

moneychangers and the seats of those who

were selling does and he would not

permit anyone to carry merchandise

through the temple and he began to teach

them saying is it not written my house

shall be called a house of prayer for

all the nations but you have made it

robbers den follow me now on yesterday

Jesus was hungry and he went to a fig

tree that looked like it was real but

when he got up close there were no figs

there was no reality the following day

he goes to church the temple and where

he should have found folk worshiping God

where he should have found folk praying

to God where he should have found folk

living for God he found fake religion

not the real thing now it was in the

right building because it was in the

temple it had the right folk because

there was a priest but it didn’t have

spiritual reality they were shucking and

jiving in church they were playing

religion in church they had the leaves

and the leaves should have met you

should find God here you should find his

presence here you should find his power

here but when Jesus showed up all they

were doing were playing games in the

house of the Lord there was no reality

to their religion you see religion

without reality is leaf without life

religion without reality is leaf without

substance

you can look the part but when we get up

close and peer close there is no

spiritual life spiritual reality you see

between the fig tree yesterday and the

fig tree today is the temple story and

in the temple story which is Jesus’s

major point is you’re supposed to be

reality but all I see is Christian

leaves I don’t see the Spirit of God the

power of God the presence of God all

you’re doing is trying to make money all

you’re doing is having programs all

you’re doing is activity that has

absolutely nothing to do with spiritual

reality you got fake Church going on in

fact he goes on to say when he quotes

the Old Testament my house shall be

known as a house of prayer Jesus is

delusioned

by the church by Christians who are

satisfied with lieth Christianity and

not life Christianity who what leaves

but who don’t want things external

religious look without internal

religious reality and so when he talks

about that it says Peter says to him

master rabbi the tree has withered from

the root up me you cursed the tree but

in 24 hours this whole tree is gone how

could you do this in that short amount

I studied the Bible in college for four

years

I studied the Bible before you is better

than my master’s degree another four

years working on the back for the great

then I’ve been preaching all of these

years and I’m still learning new things

from this awesome inexhaustibility a

little game that’s why I’m so excited

about the twenty heavens Study Bible and

its accompanying works the Tony Evans

Bible commentary it will take all of

this training and this teaching and make

it available to you to understand you

guys and apply God’s most powerful

[Music]

Jesus it says answers now it’s

interesting it says jesus answered but

technically Peter didn’t ask a question

all Peter said was the tree is withered

from the root up well that’s not a

question that’s a statement but jesus

knew what he was getting at what Peter

was getting at is how could something

that big happen this fast that’s the

question

jesus knew what his question was tree is

fine yesterday you cursed yesterday is

gone today how can all that happen in 24

hours and that’s when Jesus now gives

him and gives you and me his secret for

moving mountains things in your life

that are too big for you to handle on

your own and for anybody else you know

to handle for you he says in verse 22

have faith in God

he says a simple statement have faith in

God you want to know how I got that tree

from yesterday to be totally transformed

today here’s my answer Peter and the

disciples have faith in God fact Jesus

says in Matthew chapter 17 verses 20 and

21 if you have the faith the grain of a

mustard seed you can say to this

mountain is the word Mountain be moved

and the mountain will be moved he says

and this comes through fasting in prayer

he says mustard seed faith can work if

it’s in the right object don’t have

faith in your faith have faith in the

right object a lot of faith in the wrong

object will go nowhere a little faith in

the right object will go a long way to

put faith in God means that you must put

faith in God’s Word God’s will and God’s

character

and when you have faith in that God now

we can discuss mountain-moving prayers

if you don’t have faith in that God then

you and asking the wrong person to move

the mountain because you’re not asking

the person whom you are to truly have

faith in he then says you must put

confidence in God his will his way his

word will you do next with your mountain

is what you do he says whoever says to

this mountain be taken up and cast into

the sea so Jesus is probably on the

Mount of Olives 15 miles down hill is

the Dead Sea he says if God is working

for you you can say that this mountain

be moved and it will relocate itself the

problem is the mountain you want to get

the mountain offer you you wanted to

relocate itself away from you he says if

there’s figs on your tree there is life

you have faith in the true God

then you can do with your mountain what

you saw me do Peter would mine I spoke

to it he talks about praying to God but

then he talks about speaking to your

Mountain prayer is when I talk this way

my mountain is what I’m experiencing out

here in my daily life

he says if there’s FIGS on the tree real

life you’re not withering if you have

faith in the real God not the God of

your own making as well as word and his

character then you can have a

conversation with your problem

because you’re melting is your problem

and when you speak to your Mountain

it says the mountain will relocate

itself

means get out of your face the mountain

will relocate itself now now this raises

a question and the question is in what

Jesus says after this and it’s a

question in everybody’s heart and mind

he says all things were which you pray

and ask believe that you have received

them and they will be granted you

whatever whenever you stand praying

forgive if you have anything against

anyone so that your father in heaven

will also forgive you in verse 24 he

makes a staggering statement whatever

you have asked for believe you have

received it in other words you haven’t

received it yet

but believe you have received it even

though you haven’t received it so you

expect it but you have received it the

difference between God’s unconditional

will and his conditional will God’s

unconditional will is what he decides to

do regardless of what anybody else does

in other words he’s going to do it

period his sovereignty has decided this

is what I’m going to do and no matter

what you do don’t do what somebody else

does that done do nothing will change

cuz this is my unconditional will that

is it’s not tied to any conditions I’m

just gonna do it because I have my

prerogative to do it the reason why God

tells us to pray is so that we can link

into his conditional will because his

unconditional will is going to happen

whether we pray or not but his

conditional will only happens if we obey

if we pray if we believe and if we have

figs on the tree that is we are we are

full of divine light operating within us

so that’s condition so many of the

things that we pray for we don’t get

because we didn’t meet the conditions

it didn’t feel fit God’s conditional

will cuz if it’s his unconditional will

it’s going to happen regardless

but if it’s his conditional will it

happens if only if certain factors are

made and that’s why in the scriptures

we’re told that we have to qualify for

certain things to happen because it’s

tied to his conditional will so how do

you know if something you’re asking for

is unconditional he’s gonna do it or not

do it anyway or conditional let me

answer that two ways number one many

times you don’t know okay

many times God is silent on whether it’s

unconditional or conditional so guess

what you do you treat it like it’s

conditional if you’re not sure then you

treat it like it’s conditional and you

do everything you’re supposed to do so

that if it is unconditional you’ve met

all the standards for God to fulfill his

if it is conditional for God to fulfill

his conditional will regarding that

situation but then there’s another

answer 1st John chapter 5 verses 14 and

15 says and we have this confidence that

if we ask anything according to his will

he hears us and if we know he hears us

we know that he will grant what we have

requested so here’s another secret to

God’s conditional will when God is

operating on a conditional will and he

wants you to qualify to move this

mountain that you are facing what he

will do is give you an inbred confidence

or a sense of assurance or a sense of

peace or a sense of for realness that

this thing is going to happen because

when God is doing something big in your

life he has to do two things at the same

time prepare the thing that he wants

done and prepare you for the thing he’s

doing both things have to collide if you

are not being prepared then you’re not

ready you’re like the children in the

wilderness because you’re not ready for

the promised land

won’t meet the conditions but he also

has to get the promised land ready so

that when you arrive there and he’s

ready to move the mountain the mountain

is already ready to obey it’s in the

hands of Almighty God of whether it’s

conditional or unconditional but what I

don’t want it to happen is I don’t want

it to be conditional and I didn’t do

what I was supposed to do but then one

more thing and it’s an important thing

he says whoever whenever you are

standing praying forgive if you have

anything against anyone so your Father

in Heaven will forgive you okay watch

this forgiveness is a condition of

moving mountains this is this is this is

in the same story forgiveness is not

necessarily reconciliation you can

forgive without being reconciled for

example suppose the person you need to

forgive has died you can’t reconcile

with it suppose the person you need to

forgive you don’t even know where they

are anymore

you can’t reconcile with them or suppose

the person you need to forgive doesn’t

want to repent doesn’t want to say I’m

sorry doesn’t want to confess then you

can’t reconcile with them forgiveness

can lead to reconciliation but

forgiveness is not the same as

reconciliation forgiveness is where you

are not seeking revenge against the

offender okay I am NOT seeking vengeance

vengeance is mine saith the Lord I will

repent you are not seeking to repay what

God is saying is you’re blocking me

moving your Mountain because what you’re

wanting for me is my forgiveness for you

well if you want my forgiveness for you

you’ve got to be willing to offer it to

somebody else

now unless you

the right view of God you’re not gonna

do that because you think I’m gonna

repay this i’ma get my Posse to repay

this cuz cuz I bet you shouldn’t have

done that to me and and imma get you for

doing that

well what you just did you didn’t have

faith in the God of the Bible so you

gotta have faith in the God of the Bible

which keeps you from needing vengeance

for yourself

not necessarily reconciliation but

vengeance for yourself see the reason

why Joseph Joseph could forgive his

brothers for sell him into slavery

putting him in a hole selling them to

the instrument life he says he forget

he’d say I forgive you and the reason I

can forgive you is you meant it for evil

but God meant it for good god is so big

he used your mess to create my miracle

that’s a unless you have that view of

God you will do the wrong thing because

you don’t have faith in God and you’ll

do the wrong thing while talking about

God yeah I’m trusting the Lord while I

get them back okay so you’ll do the

wrong thing in the name of God I’m

trying to create for me for you for us

this bigger view of God that we have

faith in that God that we are life

Christians not leaf Christians we don’t

just come to church on Sunday that we

want to make this house a house of

prayer not just the house of preaching a

house where we cry out to God and where

we see miracles happen here I want

people to come not for the preacher or

the sermon but because of the power

that’s happening lives have changed

miracles are taking place sicknesses are

healed marriages are restored sins are

overcome addictions are canceled that’s

why they come and then if they come for

that the preaching becomes extra because

they’re coming for the power of God in

this house that’s what we’re crying for

and so if you meet the qualifications

you want to be an authentic life

Christian you want to cry out to God in

prayer and in faith you’re going to

speak to the mountain and you’re going

to forgive those who need to be forgiven

whether that’s writing a letter sending

a note making a call if those people are

the boat or just acknowledging the God

that they aren’t I release them Lord I

don’t feel like releasing them I don’t

even want to release them but I do know

I want my Mountain move so because I

want my Mountain move in the name of

Jesus Christ I release them from their

offense against me i’ma let you handle

them cuz I need you to move this

mountain in my life and when we qualify

for the mountain moving work of God we

will see mountains move things that God

once moved will see them moved and we

will see God’s power in this house and

that’s what I want

we’ve got a mountain you have mountains

and if you don’t have one keep living

you don’t have a mountain something too

big for you to move just make sure that

when you face your melton you have

qualified for the conditional world God

to see that mountain move in closing

there was a husband who went to the

doctor on behalf of his wife he says God

my wife ever has a hearing problem she

can’t hear well I can be talking to her

screaming across the room and she

doesn’t hear we’ve got I said okay well

I’ll tell you what let’s set an

appointment you bring her in next week

but between now and next week I want you

to run a test said doc what’s the test

so stand 15 feet away and when she’s

cooking ask her what she’s cooking if

she doesn’t answer then go ten feet away

and ask her what she’s cooking if she

doesn’t answer go five feet away and ask

her what she’s cooking if she’s still

gotten the answer go right up to her ear

and shout in her ear what are you

cooking to see whether she answers then

because that’ll give me a measurement of

how many feet it takes before she’s

hearing he says okay I’ll do it

he went home fifteen feet away dear what

are you cooking nothing he goes ten feet

away

here what are you cooking nothing he

goes five feet away dear what are you

cooking nothing goes right up to here

dear what are you cooking she says for

the fourth time

vegetable stew

[Applause]

see the problem may just be you

[Music]

we are not only to speak to God about

the problem we are to simultaneously

speak to the mountain or the problems or

the unavoidable situation about God when

you pray about this mountain and fig

ative ly the mountain in the Bible is a

situation you don’t know how to overcome

then you need to bring the character of

God the promises of God and the power of

the word of God to that problem and you

speak to it you tell that mountain what

God says about it you tell that mountain

about the power of God you tell that

mountain what this passage of scripture

says about this particular situation if

you need healing quote to the illness

the power of God’s Word watch God show

you that he can cast mountains in the

seas when you speak to the mountain

[Music]

[Applause]

you

you