Mark 11:22-24 – From Him – Bible study

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 Gods 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 dont 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 usunless we are deliberately resistingwe 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. Dont 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, "Its all right. The Man upstairs will understand." (2) But when it comes to prayer, we cant 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 Gods 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 sineven 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. Lets not waste the blood Jesus shed. Lets be faithful to the end! What would Jesus tell us tonight. These four things are some of what He would say. Lets 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 masters use, and prepared unto every good work.