Matthew Mark and Luke are often times called the synoptic
gospels. And what that means is, they
include many of the same stories even using the same wording and
often in similar sequence. In fact, the word synoptic
literally means together site, but this is compared with John's
writings who all, by way of content really is comparatively
different. Well, since some, none of this
synoptic records are exhaustive, we need to look to Matthew and
Mark's account together to get the full picture Hendrickson
wrote this, he said the gospel writers were not just mere.
Copyist, but independent authors who eats utilize their own
methods. And in this case, what we have,
we have Mark that wrote in a chronological order, Matthew
wrote in a topical order. For example, the event that's
before us today, Mark describes as beginning at 6 a.m.
On Monday and the application of all of that.
And the sermon the Lord preaches is on Tuesday.
In other words, he dealt with the chronological sequence of
things that happen in marks account between the actual
cursing of the Fig Tree and the lesson that he taught on Tuesday
in between was the cleansing of the temple.
Now, Matthew just begins with the sequence of topics and since
the next thing is the at 6 a.m. on Monday, Day.
He teaches this fig tree in one uninterrupted account.
So going back, just a little bit though.
Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
And when he was finished, it was getting later in the day and he
made a sweeping survey of the temple.
He leaves the city and the company of the 12 and he spends
the night in Bethany. Now, in the morning, it says he
was hungry. Now, I got to tell you.
I can't tell you the number of explanations that I read by
various Scholars, trying to explain why Jesus was hungry.
In other words, some pointed this out, if he went to Bethany,
no doubt he To the house of Lazarus.
His dear friend, the one that he previously rose from the dead
and guess who else lived there in the house of Lazarus?
His sisters, Mary and Martha. And one scholar said, well, if
he went to Bethany, if you went to Lazarus house, Mary and
Martha, no doubt were there to Martha being the great server
that she was didn't somebody get up and make him breakfast.
Did he get up extra early that day and just leave early?
Well consider this first of all first of all broadest says that
it was very common that the first meal of the day was in the
middle of for noon or the middle of morning so it would not be
uncommon for a man to be hungry at 6 a.m. and still have not
eaten me. Take it further JW McGarvey said
this. Trying to explain about why the
Lord perhaps had not eaten. Her was hungry.
He said the closing Days of Our Lord were so full of activity,
he doesn't have time to Terry and Bethany to eat.
Still others said this and this is entirely possible to by the
way, because there were times when the Lord avoided or evaded,
someone coming to attack him because it was not his time.
Not because he was afraid, not because he didn't want to die
for the sins of the world and fulfill what his father had sent
him to do. But because he knew it wasn't
time. Some Scholars said because he
knew it wasn't time. He never went to Lazarus his
house that night in Bethany he said once Tyler said no doubt.
He spent the night on the quiet, slopes of the Mount of Olives
and laid low because his time had not yet come Well the simple
fact is folks, you know what that matter and we don't know
all we do know. All we do know is we know that
the Lord was hungry and we see The Human Side of Jesus I might
just say this is a beautiful picture.
Of what the Bible describes of Jesus himself.
No doubt. He's the son of God.
And, you know, this, he's the son of God because he is fully
Divine. So, our Messiah was fully
Divine, Son of God. Yes.
What else he was is the perfect picture of things.
I have preached to you. Over the years, he was hungry
showing that he is the son of man, meaning that he is fully
human. Our Messiah was fully Divine Son
of God. He was fully human.
Of man and on this occasion, we get just a little glimpse into
his Humanity, he's hungry, all of a sudden in Matthew chapter
21 and verse 19. It says that seeing a fig tree
by the road, interesting about that.
This was a fig tree, that was standing there.
No doubt all by itself. Very common in Palestine.
And from what I have read very important in Palestine, some of
these trees provided Good shade for the harsh Mediterranean sun.
And I agreed that some of these fig trees actually reached 20
feet in the air. There was a time when a man was
under the under the shade of the Fig Tree one time in John's
gospel it records, I believe is John 1 and 49.
I think it was a man by the name of Nathaniel and Nathaniel was
underneath a tree, a fig tree. One of these great big fig
trees, it was providing shade form.
You remember what happened? The Lord passes by and the Lord
calls him to discipleship. What was the man doing, though?
He was Wonder one of these great big trees.
Now. In addition to this about fig
trees, figs were nutritious and very inexpensive and a wonderful
source of food. In fact, in fact, before Israel
entered the promised land, God promised them the land would
abound in Honey in wheat and barley in vines in pomegranates
and in figs Deuteronomy chapter 8, and verse 8, so-so The Fig
Tree is somewhat of a symbol of the blessing and prosperity of
the nation of Israel, a symbol of prosperity, and notice what
happens. And it's when it starts getting
fun. They come by this fig.
Tree by the road. And it says he came to it, but
he found nothing but leaves. What did he mean by that?
In other words, marks account says, you know what he did, he
went over, he saw the leaves and what are you do?
Great picture here, get this in your mind, he saw the leaves and
the Lord goes over to the tree because of the leaves and he
inspects it for fruit. He was drawn to it by the outer
sign of having figs. He sees the leaves and he goes
and inspects it for for fruit. But then there's more marks
account says this too, but he finds none.
Because it was not the season for figs.
First of all, may I say there is not the slightest evidence here
that Jesus has lost his temper or he was moved by selfish
emotions and he cursed the tree. I can't believe how many people
I have or how many accounts I have read that have actually
taken the spin that the Lord lost control because he was
hungry. That's not our Lord.
You don't think that you think that you don't think that our
Lord could maintain self-control regarding a fig tree, when he
was hungry, when he did, all the things that he did for the sins
of the world. When Jesus, for 33 years lived
in this life was in all points tempted, like as we are have the
self-control yet without sin, but he couldn't contain himself
on this occasion. Make no mistake about it.
This was not the hungry fit of Our Lord, by cursing this tree,
he comes to and he sees the leaves when he does, he inspects
it marks account says, but it had it was not the season for
figs one. Scholar said this to said this,
it did it wasn't the season for figs.
Therefore, when the Lord got there.
And saw, there were no figs, it was because that's exactly what
should have happened. If it wasn't this Season for
figs, it wasn't going to have any things.
Please get this though. It wasn't that he was just
hungry sees the Fig Tree, inspects it, for fruit finds
nun, gets mad curses it. And by the way, when Jesus
cursed the fig tree, And when it withered away, that was a
miracle. That was a miracle.
Now, no Miracle ever performed in the Bible.
Was for personal and private benefit, not one.
If Jesus cursed the Fig Tree, thus performing a miracle and it
Withers away, that would be, the only case in all of the Bible,
were a miracle, was performed for personal benefit.
It was never done that way. And that's not what happened
here either. Let's go further, let's go
further. It's time for the Lord to teach
a lesson. It's time for the Lord to preach
a sermon. Many times we reflect on the
teaching of Jesus, and I've even said this and over the last 20
years trying to preach Often times we sit there and we that
speak publicly sometimes we really labor over.
What, we're going to talk on what we're going to speak about,
and I have made the statement that the Lord just went from
place to place me. He saw something.
He saw the need and he preached the perfect sermon for the
occasion. That's exactly what he's doing.
Here. He goes to the Fig Tree sees.
The leaves has no fruit understands.
It was not the season for fruit but it's time to preach a sermon
and the sermon is a Threefold lesson.
Here it is. It was time to reveal Jesus as
the Son of God. That's number one, it was a
lesson that's to teach that. It's utter futility to have a
profession of faith without works.
Also, the lesson is that it reveals the mighty possibilities
of Faith beat. This is the threefold lesson
that the Lord is going to teach. But let's go back to the phrase.
The it was not the season for figs.
Now, I read some critics, And some critics said, you know,
Jesus really acted irrationally if it wasn't the season for
figs, why do you have to curse the tree?
But you know, all you got to do is study fig trees and fruit
back then and you can know exactly that if you took take
that interpretation, you know, exactly that that's a wrong or a
false interpretation. What do we mean when it says it
was not the season for figs. Well, first of all in Palestine
in Palestine, on many fig trees. fruit appears before the leaps,
Now, when we got trees with fruit, we get the leaves first.
And then comes the fruit. Right.
Did you know that in Palestine? Some fig trees?
The fruit came before the leaves now it's very important.
Now in fact, there's only two Harvest times for figs in the
area around Jerusalem. The first was for the early figs
and incidentally these were figs that appeared on the tree at the
end of March. They came from Sprouts or shoots
from the previous year. They were called the early figs.
Now. Since the Passover was an April
we'll get to that in a minute, though was an April, we're
talking about the early figs here.
Now the other time for Harvest of figs, were the late figs and
the length figs ripened in the late summer, and we're gathered
from August to October. All right, so what are we
talking about? These came from New shoots or
new sprouts. The ones that came late, the
ones that came early, we're fruit, that was produced in
March from the shoots from the previous year.
Now, we're talking about what time of year.
Now, we're talking about around the month of April, that means
that what the gospel writers are referring to, in the accounts
that are before us, if they're talking about the early fruit or
the early things, Now. I got to tell you, I didn't know
anything about figs at all. I didn't know anything about.
Figs or trees from those areas before I read and study this
subject. But it's amazing though. because
the fact that the fruit comes first, the fruit comes first.
You're about the month of April. Now, Jesus is about to be
crucified in just a few short days and he comes to a tree and
it's got leaps. In fact, it's in full Leaf, it's
in full Leaf, Jesus inspects the tree and has no fruit.
So as the result, the Bible says, Jesus cursed the tree so
this was not a hungry fit by our Lord.
That just got mad at the tree because he was hungry and there
was no fruit this Was just compensation for
misrepresentation. That's exactly what that was JW.
McGarvey wrote this, let me read it to you listen, though, it was
too early for fruit. It was also too early for leaves
the tree, evidently had an unusually favorable position.
It seemed Devon Itself by being in advance of the other trees
and to challenge the Wayfarer to come and refresh himself.
So, he curses the tree because it was Barren, but don't you see
the point? It's time.
Lord to teach a lesson, what is he possibly talking about?
He's talking about something that appears one way on the
outside but really indeed and in fact is another way, this is
what the Lord is doing. He is preaching a sermon about
hypocrisy. He is preaching a sermon about
hypocrisy and the Fig Tree represents the Jewish Nation.
Now. From a distance.
Israel, boasted of righteousness Israel, boasted of having fruit
Israel? Boasted a being the people of
God. But on closer examination.
It was a hypocritical scam. There was no edible fruit
anywhere. Among them Johnson said this,
just a few hours before those that were in Jerusalem, had
greeted the Messiah with unrestrained enthusiasm.
I said this in the introduction, I said it last week, they came
with the palm branches. They laid down the clothes that
went no doubt from Mount Olive. It all the way inside the city
of Jerusalem. They were hailing the King on
the outside with unrestrained enthusiasm.
You know, what's going to happen in just a few days?
They're going to say, let him be crucified.
They're going to say his blood be on us and on our children.
They're going to say crucify him.
Incidentally, do you remember when they brought Barabbas out
that Highwayman a man, no doubt that was like Jesus described
with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Remember when they brought this this Creeped out.
And he standing next to Jesus, And one is going to be released.
And the statement was made, the question was made, which one
shall I release unto you and they All Cried Out Barabbas.
Have you ever wondered this Didn't anybody say Jesus?
Wasn't there, anybody? What about the mindset of the,
of the Disciples of the Apostles?
The Bible says, all forsook him and fled at some point.
I just wonder if there was anyone there that cried out for
Jesus? Anyone that said Hosanna to the
highest on the previous Sunday Was there anyone that cried out
for Jesus? Jesus is painting a picture of
the hypocrisy of the Jewish nation.
And I got to say, I got to say, if you want to make a practical
application for our life, I just wonder this.
Are we one way on the outside in front of?
And in the midst of people that we want to them to know that we
are Christians, like our Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
are our families are we one way on the outside with the leaves
full leaf that were Christian, but inside have no desire at all
to make those changes in your life.
If that's the case, then we're just the same as what.
Jesus described with the barren fig tree that he curses, were
pretending to be something on the outside when on the inside
were not even thinking about making changes.
Unless non pas cracy. Now, interesting about this when
Jesus curses the Fig Tree, the lesson is not obvious to the
disciples. So if you go to Mark's account
marks, account has the Lord explaining, the symbolism in its
application of Israel. The next day on Tuesday, now in
marks account and Mark 11. And verse 14, Mark points out
that this is all the disciples are listening to what he had
said and that prepares them for the sequel that begins in Mark
11 and verse 20. Now, let's go in your mind.
It's now Tuesday, right? It's Tuesday in the mindset.
They were all listening. What they hear?
Jesus say, Jesus curses the barren fig tree and says, you're
never going to have fruit. Watch this the next day in the
morning as they passed by, they see the dried.
They see the tree dried up from its roots next.
And Peter remembering said to him, Rabbi look the Fig Tree,
which you cursed. Has withered away.
You know, Matthews account says, when you put it all together, It
says the disciples marbled and were amazed now, why do you
think they marveled? Fowler said this fellow wrote,
he said, no doubt they were amazed because all the miracles
of Jesus up. Until this point in time, we're
miracles of mercy and compassion, and all and so
forth. But all of a sudden, now this is
a different kind of a miracle. This is a miracle demonstrating.
Punitive judgment Fowler said, maybe they were Amazed by that.
I think it's really simple though.
I think the question actually Bears out what it means.
I think the disciples were all amazed at how quick it died.
How quick it withered up, and how quick that it died.
So, Peter says, what an amazing response to Lauren's going to
make in a minute. But Peter says he's remembering
as they're walking by. He said, Rabbi look.
The Fig Tree which you cursed has withered away.
In other words, I can't believe it is withered away.
So very soon, he wants the answer from Jesus.
This is how the Lord responds, what, an amazing response.
So, Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God.
What an incredible response. All Peter says, is can't believe
this thing is withered so quickly.
And Jesus says have faith in God.
That was his response. And Jesus obviously is
addressing all the disciples and not just Peter he doesn't give
him Peter and answer a direct answer for his remark, Peter was
curious, why it withered away? Jesus now is going to preach a
sermon and he's going to talk about something that's extremely
important. He's going to talk about having
faith in God. Now, this word have this word
have. It's an interesting Greek verb,
and it actually means it's in the, it's in the present tense.
So, it actually means this, When Jesus says this to Peter and all
the disciples, he is saying continually have faith in God.
So this isn't a one-time thing, this is an ongoing continuing
thing. Says he continued to have faith
in God. What kind of faith?
The kind of faith that relies on God, for everything.
In particular. He's going to talk about the
effectiveness of prayer and really that's what he's
referring to. It's faith that disciples had so
much trouble for trouble over how many times did the Lord have
to tell his disciples or ye of little faith?
Do you remember? And I'll just be very brief
about this, but do you remember when they could not cast out the
demon out of the boy member that Matthew 17.
They couldn't cast out the demon when Jesus finally comes and he
does so, and he cast out the demon and he goes away with his
disciples, the disciples asked. Jesus, why couldn't we cast it
out? And Jesus says, because of your
unbelief and it doesn't say unbelief in the original
unbelief. It actually says, little faith.
In other words, they did not have enough Faith to rely on.
God that they could do what the Lord promised them that they
could do. They always have problems with
that. They're still having problems
with that. Jesus is teaching them.
A lesson on this. And then Jesus came a little
lesson about a mustard seed that there's their faith needed to
grow to Greatness now, because the Fig Tree here, Jesus
possesses the kind of faith and prayer.
That causes this fig tree to be withered.
And Jesus would point out this very simple thing.
If they could simply have the same exact kind the same exact
kind of Faith, they not only could do things.
Things like Jesus did with withering, the Fig Tree
immediately but even the greater things of all, even greater
things and would come like removing mountains.
We'll get to that in just a few minutes.
Incidentally, the Lord's lesson is to fold its teaching time for
the Lord. In fact, the entire thing the
entire event becomes a teaching opportunity and it is a teaching
opportunity to talk about faith. And humility now.
You know, when the Bible says, my thoughts, speaking of God, my
thoughts are not your thoughts. And my ways are not your ways.
Saith, the Lord for us to hit the heavens, are higher than the
earth, and so on and so forth. All Peter says, is look at the
tree. and Jesus knows the hearts of his disciples and preaches a
sermon on faith and humility He knows what they need.
I can't know that the Lord knew that it's time for the Lord,
preached a sermon. Now marks account says in Mark
chapter 11 and verse 23. For assuredly, I say to you.
Whoever says, to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the
sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those
things, he says will be done. He will have whatever he says or
whatever he asks now. No doubt the mountain that he's
referring to perhaps is the Mount of Olives.
And the sea. I would think it would be, the
men would be the density, even though some Scholars say, it
could have been the Mediterranean Sea.
What the Lord is doing, is he speaking in hyperbole?
That's an extreme exaggeration to prove a point.
You know what he's saying? He's saying if you have the
right kind of Faith, what kind of Faith?
The kind of faith that grows like the Mustard Seed, the kind
of faith in your heart, that relies on God and everything.
You will have the proper Faith to be able to do what I'm
telling. What you've just seen me do and
Even remove mountains. And in hyperbole, he said, it's
like you could take the Mount of Olives and throw it down. 3,000
feet into the Dead Sea by exaggeration.
You know, Jesus often used exaggeration like that when
Jesus was making a point about a rich, man, getting into heaven.
Remember what he said? It's easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven.
Incidentally, in those areas, they have what they call the eye
of the needle, where camel would come in and the entrance.
And some people would try to explain away what the Lord was
talking about by saying what he's talking about is telling
about that Camel coming into Jerusalem for real right through
that entrance that they call the eye of a needle.
That's not what he meant. He means the eye of a real
needle. That's him.
Speaking in hyperbole extreme exaggeration to prove his point.
He saying the same thing here, if you had the right kind of
Faith, you could buy, hyperbole remove mountains and even cast
it into the Dead Sea. You know, the disciples were
going to have tremendous obstacles, come their way.
With all this encouragement and all the things that they were
talking about. They need to understand that
they can move mountains of difficulty and they understood
that phrase by the way, we're moving mountains.
Among the Jews. Meant a metaphorical statement
to describe moving mountains of difficulty in your life.
That's what that meant and they knew that.
All right, so this is great encouragement here and sometimes
people would take this great encouragement and apply it in a
general sense. Well if it's going to be applied
in a general sense, JW McGarvey gives the following
qualifications in other words, if we're going to say in our
life that if we have, the proper faith, that we can move
mountains of difficulty that come our way, we have to apply
the following clarifications that McGarvey gives here they
are. Our number one, we cannot expect
to obtain that which is unlawful to desire number two.
We cannot expect to obtain that which is unwise to seek number
three. We cannot expect to obtain that
which was selfishly, run counter to the will of God.
And here's number four. We must not expect God to
perform miracles in our life. Because Miracles have ceased.
So if we're going to apply this in general, that's fine.
Yes, we have the right kind of Faith.
Yes, we can move mountains of difficulty in her life.
Yeah, that's true. But with these exceptions, if
these conditions, these qualifications, all of these
things do apply the garbage. Summarize the Lord's point.
By saying the disciples who Jesus addressed will soon enter
into a task, which would seem to him difficult.
As removing mountains, he went on further, he talked about the
license and immorality of paganism and a fight against
that. That might have seemed
insurmountable. What about the bigotry and
Prejudice of Judaism? You know, we're studying in the
book of Galatians. There are still Judy izing
teachers coming in trying to bite aspects of the Old Law.
It going back to the when the church was established on the
day of Pentecost, from that point forward, the disciples,
the apostles had what seemed to be perhaps insurmountable
obstacles and objects They needed this encouragement.
It might even be in been as difficult in their mind as
Moving Mountains. They needed to be assured.
That the power of Faith was Superior to all the adverse
forces. Now let's read it again.
We, they could not, they could not expect to obtain that, which
is unlawful for the for them to desire.
They could not expect to obtain that, which was unwise to seek.
They could not expect to obtain that, which his selfish Leon run
counter to the will of God, but it wasn't the age of Miracles
and they could expect A miracle. And that's what it says in
chapter 11, Mark 11 and 24. Therefore, whatever.
Things. You ask, you know, there's a the
implied condition here. Is whatever they would ask of
God in faith. The implied condition would be,
what is asked in harmony with the loss of the will of God.
And by the way, if you pray, you have to pray in accordance with
the laws of the will of God, we can never expect God to change
the laws of the will of God just to accommodate us.
Secondly, here's the other implied condition of the
statement, whatever things you ask.
That every true prayer involves the submission of what is asked
to the Judgment of the father. How many times have we said?
If It Be Your Will, or we put it in your hands, our brother just
prayed a minute ago. He said that we pray for those
that rule over us as I paraphrase that rule over us
that they would never in act any laws.
That would keep us from worshipping you our heavenly
father. But what are we doing?
We are praying to God but we are putting it in.
His hands and his judgment. And his will.
In everything. Then it says this I say to you,
whatever things you ask, when you pray believe that you
receive them, your the word receive here in the original is
in the past tense. Now get this, this is great.
This is going to talk about how confident we are when we pray.
Okay, here's the lesson. You know what this says to them
he's telling them, whatever you ask, believe that, you receive
them. But this word received in the
original is in the past tense. It's better rendered like this,
whatever things you ask, when you pray, believe that you have
already received them. That fits.
That fits Paul's were John's writing, too.
The Epistle of John. In other words, when you pray to
God, you have such belief in answered prayer that you believe
that God is automatically answering that prayer right now.
If it's according to his will He is answering that prayer as
you're pregnant. So, the main lesson here, the
main lesson obviously is talking about having the right kind of
faith and I can't imagine living life without the right kind of
Faith. But there's more because the
Lord now is going to talk about something else and this is very
brief and we'll wrap up our remarks.
He's talking about the right kind of Faith.
Peter says, look at the tree. He says, believe in God, have
faith in God, teaches them, a little sermon, if you just have
the right kind of Faith, you're not only could do what I did
with that. Fig tree, but you can move
mountains of difficulty to speaking in hyperbole.
You could take the mountain and even throw it into the sea.
Whatever you ask, you will receive with the conditions.
We've already stipulated, but there's more It's also a lesson
of humility. It's also a lesson of humility.
In other words, Jesus is saying, while we're having this
discussion about faith, we must also have a discussion about
humility and that brings us to verse 25.
And whenever you stand praying, Now.
In a Bible, study of private bible study this last week.
We're talking about the posture and prayer.
Somebody asked a question about the posture in prayer And
sometimes we kneel down. when we pray, sometimes we stand.
Do you know that there's no posture in the Bible?
Described for praying, none at all customarily?
We met Neil. That's good because, you know
what? Jesus made that example, Jesus
one-time, knelt in the Gospel of Luke when he prayed.
So we have evidence of that. Why did Jesus say, stand,
though? Why did he say, stand, he sent
stand because it was customary for Jews at that time when they
prayed they stood. So he's just using that example.
He said, oh my the way. When you stand praying.
Because that's what they did, not that you have to stand up to
pray. Okay?
Now, He says, when you stand praying, not speaking about a
particular posture, okay? But he says this, when you do
that, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him,
that your father in Heaven, may also forgive you.
Your trespasses, may I say one final thing about posture, it's
not the posture of the body, it's the posture of the mind or
the heart. That's it.
And, you know, it's, I don't know why people sometimes in the
religious World prey of flippant type prayer.
Almost a words of disrespect, you're coming before the father.
And I'm going to tell you, whether you kneel down, stand
up, lay down, whatever you do, you have to make your heart
reverent, and you have to submit your heart in a position or
posture, your hearts, the posture of reverence to God.
Now, Jesus could I add something here to?
This is similar to the words on The Sermon, on the Mount.
His point is our prayers will not be effective, even though we
believe intensely, that's what he said.
If you have the right kind of Faith, you're going to get it
right now. We saying there's a condition
and it even if you have all that faith, it doesn't matter.
If you have a problem right here, you're not getting
forgiven at all. That is amazing to me.
I have to tell you, I got to tell you, I've wondered in my
life, was there ever a time? When I held a grudge and did not
forgive someone out of the hardness of my heart?
Have I ever done that? And then just put that on the
back burner gone on down the road and ask God to forgive me
that night of my sins. I'm going to tell you, Jesus
said, while you're doing the standing in the praying, Why you
have all that faith that I just promise you're going to have?
If you have that kind of faith, if you have anything against
anyone and you don't forgive them, your father will not
forgive you. Now let's go back to Peters
original statement. This is where I think the Lord
is just so brilliant. Maybe this is an obvious to you,
is just it just kind of jumped off at me, kind of obvious to
me. Peter comes to the trainee, all
look at the tree and the tree. Okay.
Hey, there's trees a withered away.
Maybe Peter in his mind was thinking this, what the Lord
would have known. Maybe Peter in his mind was
thinking now, wait a minute, all those that are going to be
enemies of ours, all those that are going to be hypocritical
enemies will be able to curse them to just made me.
Maybe in Peters mind. He was thinking we'll be able to
do that with people too. I don't know.
Just maybe the Lord felt like,
wait a minute. Peter, I got to fix your heart.
I have to straighten out your heart because while you have the
faith and why you saw me cursed the Fig Tree.
And when I said you're going to be able to even do that, let me
fix your heart. In other words the curses on
other men will be executed by God just as the curse of the Fig
Tree, Maybe. He would have had a vindictive
spirit. I don't know, but Jesus made
that point. Effective prayer, folks must be
with the loving heart. A person who prays must be
willing with anxious desire to forgive others.
Now, Jesus is not saying that if you forgive others, if you
forgive others, you are automatically forgiven of your
stuff. It doesn't say that it doesn't,
it doesn't say automatic just do this when you get this.
But rather the refusal to forgive others will stand in the
way of you being forgiving and verse 26.
Our final verse But if you do not forgive, neither will your
father in Heaven? Forgive your trespasses.
You know, we've studied about trespasses on Wednesday evening
and we did discuss, the very fact that it was sins is talking
about. If your brother's overtaking in
a trespass in any trespass, with all my sin, you that our
spiritual which is just a faithful, Christian go, help
them, right? You know, it's amazing though.
Is this work trespass? Means more than just gigantic
big sins, it does. It means more than someone
that's overtaken in a big sin. That Galatians is talking about
Galatians 6. It means more than that.
This word is defined further. You know what, it also defined
as trespasses means to actually fall alongside it even means to
make a false step. That means a little thing, a
little bump in the road. Do you get the picture?
If you won't forgive your brother or your sister, then
you're not even going to be forgiven the little false steps
you make in your life. Not even that.
What a powerful? Powerful sermon.
In closing, let me say. It's Monday morning 6.
A.m. they came to a tree has leaves.
Jesus is the inspector. He's the fruit inspector.
He goes to inspect the tree for fruit because it has leaves and
fruit comes first. So it should have fruit.
Nope, not fruit. No curses it.
The next day on Tuesday morning. They're walking by Peter says oh
look at that, there it is. Why is it withered so fast and
all the disciples are amazed Jesus says have faith in God.
A You will faith in God that relies on God teaches a lesson
about prayer. Says, if you can have the right
kind of Faith, you can move mountains, you can take
mountains and throw them into the Dead Sea.
But while you're doing that, Have a humble heart, and a
forgiving heart of others, because if you don't forgive
others, it doesn't matter all this faith and strong belief
that you have. It doesn't matter.
You're getting nothing from the Lord and you won't be forgiven
even of your little false steps. I'm through.
By the way, we're going to be on Tuesday, for a long time.
Well, for quite a while, there's more recorded on Tuesday.
There's more recorded in the last week on Tuesday than any
other day, except for Friday. There's more on Tuesday says, a
whole lot that Jesus does on Tuesday.
Next, we're going to find the cleansing of the temple and also
the day of questions or also known as the day of controversy
that's coming up. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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