We’ve all faced mountains throughout our lives—situations that loom so large you can’t find a way over or through it. Well, Jesus tells us we have the power to move these mountains, but many Christians wind up placing a lot of faith in the wrong things. In this message, Tony Evans discusses how prayer and just the smallest amount of faith in the right thing can set you free from the mountains that hold you hostage.
acfaith must always precede sight
once you put sight in front of faith
you’ve negated faith
faith is based on what you do not see
if you’ve got to see it first you won’t
see it
the euphemism of walking in the bible
means to live according to because
you’re moving with the mind of christac
you’re not just doing that on sunday
morning when it’s church time because he
wants to know that you want him so if
you’re in distress don’t let that drive
you away draw you near
closer
so that you like jacob and say i’m not
gonna let you go
until you answer me so welcome to the
file
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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 him
he lets you find it
welcome to the fire
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 the
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
unovercomeable 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
mountains zechariah 4 7
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 pronounced a curse yesterday
we came out here today
and what you said yesterday
not only has happened today
but it has super happened
because it has withered not only
with the fig part
but it is withered 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
when the leaves are out on a fig tree
that means they are fixed
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
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 going to curse
your external activity because of the
absence of an internal reality
however
between the fig tree yesterday
and the fig tree today
there is a story
let’s look at the story to tie the two
days of the fig tree together
it says in verse 15
between the two fig tree events
jesus comes to jerusalem
enters the temple
he drives out those who were buying and
selling in the temple
overturned the tables of the money
changers and the seats of those who were
selling doves
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
a robber’s 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 meant 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 leads
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
he says no my house should be a house of
prayer that the thing that should draw
you here is your corporate contact with
him
not your human contact with who’s ever
standing on the podium he says god must
be the center of it because if god is
not the center you’re operating with
christian leads you’re operating with
religious illusion and so
when he talks about that
it says peter says to him
master rabbi
the tree has withered from the root up
i mean you curse the tree but in 24
hours
this whole tree is gone
how could you do this
in that short amount of time
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 with it
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 it
yesterday it’s gone today how could 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 in fact jesus says in matthew 17
verses 20 and 21 if you have the faith
the grain of a mustard seed
you can say to this mountain use the
word mountain be moved
and the mountain will be moved he says
and this comes through fasting and
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 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’re 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 what do
you do next with your mountain
here’s 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 downhill is the dead sea
he says
if god is working for you
you can say to this mountain
be moved
and it will
relocate itself
the problem is the mountain
you want to get the mountain
off of you
you want it 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 with 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 his will
his word and his character
then you can have a conversation with
your problem because the mountain 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 with 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
they’re gonna do nothing will change
because this is my unconditional will
that is it’s not tied to any conditions
i’m just going to 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 gonna 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 life 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 because 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 going to 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 first 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
because you 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’re standing praying forgive
me
if you have anything against anyone
so your father in heaven will forgive
you
okay watch this
forgiveness is a condition of moving
mountains forgiveness is not necessarily
reconciliation
you can forgive without being reconciled
but 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 have the right view of god
you’re not going to do that because you
think i’m gonna repay this i’m gonna get
my posse to repay this cause cause i you
shouldn’t have done that to me and and
and i’m gonna get you for doing that
well what you just did you didn’t have
faith in the god of the bible so you’ve
got to 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
selling them into slavery putting them
in a hole selling them to the
ishmaelites 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 unless you have that view of god
you will do the wrong thing because you
don’t have faith in 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 we want to
make this house a house of prayer not
just a house of preaching a house where
we cry out to god and where we see
miracles happening here i want people to
come not for the preacher or the sermon
but because of the power
that’s happening lives are 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 contactable or
just acknowledging the god if 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’m gonna let you handle them
because i need you to move this mountain
in my life
when we qualify
for the mountain-moving work of god
we will see mountains move
things that god once moved
we’ll see them moved
and we will see god’s power in this
house and that’s what i want
we’ve got to melt him
you have mountains
and if you don’t have one keep living
you’re going to have a mountain
something too big for you to move
just make sure
that when you face your mountain
you have qualified for the conditional
will of god
to see that mountain move
in closing
there was a husband who went to the
doctor
on behalf of his wife he says
doc 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 the doctor 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
so 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 10 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
still doesn’t answer go right up to her
ear
and shout in her ear what are you
cooking
to see whether she answers then because
that will give me a measurement of how
many feet it takes before she’s hearing
he says okay i’ll do it
he went home 15 feet away
dear
what are you cooking
nothing
he goes 10 feet away
deer
what are you cooking
nothing
he goes five feet away
dear
what are you cooking
nothing
goes right up to her ear dear
what are you cooking
she says
for the fourth time vegetables do
see the problem may just be you
we all face
obstacles that seem too steep for us to
climb over
a mountain if you will
something so big so large so high
that we become discouraged at the
thought of it
and we just come to two words
i can’t
or forward
i can’t do this or i can’t make this
it’s just too big for us to handle
but did you know in your prayers
you can not only speak
to god about the mountain
god gives us the privilege of speaking
to the mountain about god you heard me
right
god wants our prayers not just to be to
god about those
towering situations that we face in our
lives
he wants us
to tell the situation
about how big god is how great god is
how powerful god is how omnipotent god
is how faithful god is
how transformational god is when is the
last time
you’ve confronted your situation about
god where you have dictated the
character of god and the word of god
into your situation
that’s a form of prayer
yes prayer is talking to god about it
but it’s talking to it about god
because you’re still bringing god into
the equation
you and i are to have such confidence in
god
through our prayers
that we can look at
the unovercomeable
the thing that is
bigger than life the thing that no human
being can support you on because it
looks like it’s beyond
human capacity to fix and it is
but when you bring god into the equation
and you say
to that sickness
to that situation
to that relationship breakdown to that
addiction to that financial trauma when
you can say to it hey this is what god
said this is what i know my god can do
this is what he has done in similar
situations and i’m looking to my god to
handle you i’m looking for my god to get
me the ability and give me the ability
to override you
oh now you’re speaking to the mountain
now you’re dictating to the situation
and yes
god wants us to use him
righteously and humbly in that way
so that the mountain has to react to him
and not just dictate to us
so go ahead
and tell your mountain about the
greatness of your god
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when you’re in the spirit
but the bible calls the spirit a wind
a wind it blows
my opinion nobody’s opinion when it
conflicts with god
is to be considered as truth the bible
says let god be true and every man a
liar
mother nature doesn’t work without daddy
god
that’s because truth
doesn’t just
because if it comes from god it’s truth
because god has absolute standard by
which reality is measured
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you