Mark 11:22-24
From Him
Anyone who has lost a loved one would naturally have a desire to
speak with them. The world is certainly changing and it is not for
the good. What would Jesus tell us if He could stand before us today?
While Jesus will not be standing before us, I think we can still get
a pretty good idea through His Word.
What would Jesus tell us to do in these wicked days?
I. Have Faith in God!
A. We do not have to wonder about this for it is plainly declared
in these verses.
Mr 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.
1. Do not get discouraged in these days. Do not doubt. Do
not quit. Do not get side tracked.
2. God has not lost control. Things are progressing just as
He said.
3. Trust God. Have confidence in Him. Have faith in God!
4. Consider this.
a. This is a command.
b. If it is a command, then would it not make sense that
God is going to prove Himself when you trust Him?
c. Sure it does!
B. The Bible tells us how to increase our faith.
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
1. It is through the Word of God. The more we read, both in
the Old and New Testaments, of what God has done, the
more we will believe that He can, will, and is still
working today!
2. Read it. Meditate on it. Obey it. Love it. Speak it.
Memorize it.
3. Let it fill you up and your faith will grow.
4. We do not need to test God. Just wait. An opportunity
will present itself and when it does, trust Him.
C. How important is faith?
Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he
eat, because he eateth not of faith: for
whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
1. The context is irrelevent. It is the last seven words
that is important.
2. If there is anything we do without having to rely and
trust in God while we do it, it is sinful.
3. Sadly, living in such an affluent country, many American
Christians have never HAD to trust in God.
4. That may soon change, but I think it would be better for
us to practice before those days get here!
5. God is waiting to move mountains for us.
D. What is faith?
Mr 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be
thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall
come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
1. Faith is having enough confidence in God’s nature, His
plan, and work that we do not doubt.
2. Too many Christians have programed themselves in justified
doubt of God.
a. They say they believe God is able and willing, just
that they don’t deem themselves worthy or are not
certain that they are right with God personally.
b. With these excuses, they have justified doubting God.
c. We should know that God is able but we should also
know that we are right.
d. We make being "right" with God our way out. How
"right" do we have to be? Let me give you some
suggestions:
(1) We should be as right with God as God has
convicted us.
(a) God is a big God.
(b) If we are not right, He is able to show us.
(c) If He has shown us—unless we are
deliberately resisting—we will know it.
(d) Deal with whatever God has show you and then
ASSUME you are right.
(2) We should be humble. This is not about tests and
having power. This is about trusting God to be
God.
(3) Be in the Word. That is not only how we grow
faith, it is also how we hear from God.
(4) Be willing to be denied. This is not about us
getting what we want or even need. This is about
having faith that whatever God does, He is in
control!
E. God has goals for us.
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is
charity out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1. He wants us to love with a pure heart.
2. He wants is to live with a pure conscience.
3. He wants us to serve with a solid faith.
II. Talk to God!
A. Don’t worry!
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.
1. In our language, that is exactly what those first four
words mean.
2. What should I do? Pray.
a. Prayer is just talking to God.
b. It is amazing how chummy we want to make God when it
comes to sin and how sanctimonous we want to make Him
when it comes to prayer and worship.
(1) We sin all sorts of sins and figure, "It’s all
right. The ‘Man’ upstairs will understand."
(2) But when it comes to prayer, we can’t talk to Him
because God is in His holy temple.
c. We have things reversed. We it comes to sin we need
to walk in egg shells because God is in His holy
temple and when it comes to prayer, God will
understand.
d. Just talk to Him. Talk to Him about anything and
everything.
3. However, there is a level beyond talking to God.
a. The verse mentions supplicaiton.
b. I really cannot find a definition for what that means.
c. It must mean more than to merely pray for that would
be redundant.
d. I think it supplication is what we are to do when
words will not suffice.
e. It is connecting to God heart to heart and spirit to
spirit and it is two way.
(1) It is God feeling our joy, sorrow, pain, need,
and love.
(2) It is us feeling God’s peace, strength, comfort,
courage, and power.
B. Prayer is receiving.
Mt 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask
in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Ps 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD
heareth, and delivereth them out of all their
troubles.
1. I mentioned justified doubt a moment ago.
2. Just like it hinders faith so it hinders prayer for prayer
is dependent upon our faith.
C. Just pray.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Lu 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to
this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint;
1. "Just do it."
2. The problem is not in prayer but in praying. We simply
need to pray.
D. The harder it gets to pray the harder we should pray. Get
alone with God and talk to Him.
Mt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee
openly.
E. I believe that God wants to show up, show out, and show off.
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee,
and shew thee great and mighty things, which
thou knowest not.
III. Serve God!
A. Faith should be demonstrative. It should DO something.
1Sa 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in
truth with all your heart: for consider how great
things he hath done for you.
B. We should be living sacrifices for God. How?
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1. Separate from the world.
2. Change our mind from secular to spiritual.
3. Dumb the quesitonable.
C. The time is SHORT! If it was then, it really is now!
1Co 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is
short: it remaineth, that both they that have
wives be as though they had none;
D. Jesus demonstrated that service to God is better than service
to sin—even when suffering is involved.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with
the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the
flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his
time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the
will of God.
E. How can I serve?
1. To many are preoccupied with the position rather than the
qualities that make service possible.
2. You work on developing the qualities and God will give you
the position.
3. What qualities?
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand:
be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity
among yourselves: for charity shall cover the
multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without
grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even
so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the
oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do
it as of the ability which God giveth: that God
in all things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen.
a. Love
b. Be kind, generous, giving.
c. Be a channel so salvation, finances, faith,
forgiveness, and 2nd chances can flow through you.
d. SPEAK - There are plenty of opportunities for those
who will learn to SPEAK for Jesus.
IV. Stay Faithful to God
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lusts in your
ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
A. "Gird up the loins!" means get ready for something that is
going to be tough to digest.
B. Then he says obey like children. That is important and can
sometimes be difficult, but it does not require girded loins.
C. \\#15\\ Be holy like God is holy! That is the tough one.
1. We are to be as separated from sin as God is!
2. We cannot allow compromise or the world or carnality to
creep in.
3. Buckle up, boys! This is going to be tough but it is
doable.
D. How? Again, it is through the Word.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy
word is truth.
E. Holiness is not an option. It is what Jesus died to produce
in us.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word,
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might
sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered
without the gate.
F. Let’s not waste the blood Jesus shed. Let’s be faithful to
the end!
What would Jesus tell us tonight. These four things are some of what
He would say. Let’s us hear Jesus tonight and obey Him!
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from
these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and
prepared unto every good work.
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