Mountain Moving Faith

Scripture Text Mark 11:22-24

Intro: Jesus teaches us in these verses what we should do with the problems and circumstances we face in this life. He outlines the steps necessary to have all our problems resolved.

I.  Faith - The first condition to prayer is faith in God. We’ll look at four important facts.

  a. The object of faith is God Himself. Mark 11:22 (NKJV)  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. The critical words are "in God." There are three significant things that need to be noted about the object of faith.

     1. Jesus did not say, "Have faith," but "Have faith in God." Faith has to have an object. "In God" is where one is to have faith, where one is to place his faith.

    Faith has no value by itself; only the object of faith (God) has value.    The Bible never says to have faith in faith, yet this is the experience of many. Too often, a great difficulty or problem arises, and the believer feels he has to arouse his faith. He feels that if he can just stir up enough faith, he will whip the problem. But in reality he has faith in faith. His mind, his attention, and his heart have been focused upon his faith—not upon God.

   2. Faith has no power; it is the object of our faith that has power. A man's faith is not going to remove the mountain. God is going to remove the mountain. The strength of faith is not faith, but God. In the Bible practically everyone who came to God had weak faith. Only a few had strong faith, yet God saved them and granted their requests.

   3. Faith requires knowing the object. The more one knows the object of faith, the more one believes in the object of his faith( Hebrews 11:6). You must know in your heart that what God says is true and there is no question about it. God rewards diligent- persistent faith in Him.

II. A second fact is the purpose of faith. Mark 11:23 (NKJV) 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. The purpose of faith is to remove mountains.  Jesus' teaching says, "Have faith in God... [and then] say unto this mountain, Be removed." Mountains represent the immovable, the impossible. It is something almost too steep to climb, almost too high to cross, almost too awesome to see beyond. This is the reason Jesus discussed prayer and communion along with faith. One learns to have faith in God as He prays and communes with God. And the more he prays and communes with God the more he will know God; and the more he knows God, the more he can experience faith in God and experience the removal of mountains that slow his progress through life.

III.  A third fact is the way to possess faith. The way to build faith is prayer. Jesus explicitly says, Mark 11:24 (NKJV) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

 a. Not doubting at all. This means never having a thought whether a thing can be done or not. It means not hesitating, not wondering, not questioning, not considering, not being concerned at all. What Christ is teaching us is to grow in belief and trust. He wants us to believe that all things are possible through Him who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:19)

IV.  A fourth fact is the result of expectant faith. Mark 11:23 (NKJV)  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. A man who prays having faith, truly "having faith in God...has whatsoever he says." The mountains which confront him will be removed if he continues to say he believes that God will remove that mountain.

Invitation: Be sure you have a relationship with God through saving faith in Jesus before you bring your requests to the Lord. Are you 100% sure you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

      If not, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins against God and save you. Invite Him into your life to take charge of you.