Forgiveness Can Move A Mountain

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. We are ambassadors of this incredible kingdom of forgiveness and we are completely unjustified to hold onto old grievances. No matter what was done to us because surely nothing worse than that which was done to Christ is been done to your glad you joined us for this weekly edition of a call to the nation.

Did you know you have the ability to move mountains in today's message Carter will explain how that's possible. This kind of authority in prayer stands on the foundation stone of forgiveness. But before you even start thinking about anybody else. It's important to know you need the forgiveness of God. Let's learn more about this incredible gift. As we join Carter now March after 11 verse 22 it says so Jesus answered and said to them, have faith in God.

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. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them just these two verses of Scripture.

Can you imagine if we actually believe this permitting would not be something you had to beg people to attend on Wednesday night or whatever night.

I mean, the people would be abandoning everything to come to the permitting they would abandon the business of the data going to the prayer closet and talk with God. If we really, really believe this is what Jesus spoke is actually true. We do have this faith promise of God to to move these mountains and talk about the mountains in just a moment and cause them to lose their their strongholds cause them to lose their influence to be cast into a place other than where they are in this incredible promise, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Now that's in the context of James chapter 4 and verse three remember James the apostle said, you ask any receive not because you ask a mess that they may consume it upon your lusts on the richer. If before asking for something just because we want to consume it upon ourselves. That's it and asking a mess and we may not receive what we asked for but when our motivation is the advancement of the kingdom of God. When our motivation is to live a life that's going to bring glory to his name and and perhaps live in a way that we can be of some effect in pushing back the darkness that is trying to swallow the lives of our families and our friends and so many around us, then whatever we ask for we shall receive is not amazing when our motives are right when our lives are in order when were moving towards God's plan for a land not our own plan, but God's plan. We can ask and we will receive. Now he had just come back from entry into Jerusalem needed it approached a a fig tree that gave the appearance of least of covering gave the appearance of bearing fruit. He walked up to the fig. I've always believed it was a type of atom because remember in Genesis chapter 31 when the Lord came down into the garden. Adam had lost Fatima believe and Eve were covered with the glory of God. That's why they didn't know they were naked. Just like Moses when he when he went into the presence of God, came out in his face was glowing. I do believe because they spent time with the living God that the reflective glory of God was upon them. That's why they didn't need clothing and they were unaware of of nakedness. At this point, but when they sinned against God when they when they did into the theology that they could be godly without God we suddenly lost the glory of God than the became aware of their nakedness.

The bankruptcy and so what did they do they want to date the fig tree, which is has come of broad, flat Greenleaf and they made skirts. Probably hats and the Philistines. The story of cod for fig leaves. Can you just to mention that I ridiculous data must look like. It must look to get a lampshade on his head in the grass skirt with fig leaves to cover himself in the exchange the glory of God for this ridiculous costume and it represents in the sense man's attempt to be godly in himself to cover his his struggles to cover his failings to cover his sin and ultimately it represents the belief that we can be godly without God because that was the theological fruit that Adam and Eve actually did into they could become judges know as God is knowing the good. And it is creating their own good, and creating their own evil, and the Scripture says it Jesus was coming out of Bethany and going back up into Jerusalem and he was hungry and I honestly believe he was hungry for that. The fellowship not without them. But all of Adam's descendents.

He was hungry saw you into the future. He saw me and that was at the hunger in the heart of God. Now I know that God is complete in himself. That's not even debatable. He doesn't need anything.

He's God.

PCs fully complete Justin being God.

We can also allow himself to have a need, and others, like for example God can forget anything. But he said to the prophet Isaiah.

I will remember your sins no more, and it was God's as I will cause myself to forget your sins is not amazing although he's not capable of forgetting he can cause himself to forget. Although we could exist alone fully exist in himself. They chose to create Adam and Eve chose to create us in in in his image because he wanted fellowship.

I don't I don't fully understand administrative the Bible does say that it's a mystery that the angels desire to look into with all of the perfection in heaven with all the created beings around him moving in unison with his well worshiping him not needing to be redeemed yet his affection is on us and the Angels see that in the this week. They don't fully understand it, we must look so incredibly flawed and yet in in the midst of it.

The heart and affection of God is upon us is on his way to the final mission that his father had said absurd to bring us back, and he sees hungry for that fellowship.

We would come down in the garden and he would bring animals to adamantly Adam what we got a call this I don't fully get that God knew what they were but did elect Adam name them. The Scripture says what Adam called and are still called that today and he was hungry and singing fig tree afar off verse 13 this is having leaves. He went to see if perhaps he could find something on it and when he came to he found nothing but leaves work was not the season the fixed now the writers writing from the perspective of either himself or somebody else just observing Jesus doing this, assuming that he's in is physically hungry, assuming that he's coming to the tree and the omission of them is the all-knowing God doesn't know if there's any fruit on the street. I want to suggest that this is just an observation of his behavior, but he knew there was nothing on this tree. It was not even the season of fix and so the son of God with all of his power comes to this fig tree and and when he sees there's nothing on the TE curses that in the sentence is let no one ever eat fruit from you again.

And his disciples heard it. Now if if we take this at face value, it makes the son of God look exceedingly petty.

In other words, is approaching the tree.

It's not the season for fruit he finds nothing on it that he curses it.

It's just a vain display of power in a sense, unless is teaching us something in this I believe, honestly, is looking at this this fall covering as it is that humanity has tried to place upon themselves to even in in the and the sheer force of human will to get to get back into relationship with God and to be godly by human effort, and it it posits coverings remember and in Jerusalem that the Pharisees had these these fine coverings and make these wonderful garments that they had concocted for themselves, but on close examination, there was no fruit.

It was all just a covering. You got close he found in the newfound pride that he found dead men's bones behind asked incredibly whitewashed exteriors and so is it knowing eat fruit from you ever again and in the morning when they passed by. Verse 20 says they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots and Peter remembering said term Rabbi look the fig tree which you cursed is really the way this is when he speaks to them, have faith in God first.

Surely, a senior whoever says to this mountain, the only mountain in the area is Jerusalem. Now the fig tree is is, emblematic of the whole system of religion that's represented by Jerusalem of that time the system that covered itself in its own religious fig fig leaves as it is this this this mountain of deception is not just the is not just the deception of the one fig tree, but it's the whole system that offered a deceptive relationship with God. It was just the exterior covering that had no real reality to it and it was absolutely incapable of bearing the fruit that only God can bear in a person's life.

Praise be to God choices you can.

Not only say this to the fig tree, but to the mountain not only not only pray for anything deceptive in your own life. Anything that is offering covering that is is is not real. You see, we have power to say God this thing must be taken away from. I don't let this thing this evening any longer. Don't let this this substance that's falsely offering me comfort. Don't let it deceive me anymore. I have the power now to stand against this thing, not just in my own personal life, but in the lives of my family members and over we see family members are falling into certain patterns of even religion the doesn't really offer a covering and we can see we have the power to stand and safe. Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. Our friends all around us that that are falling into traps of addiction or whatever their behaviors are. We have the power we have authority to stand against these things and say lose your ability to deceive them to do. Ever know you could pray like that.

You could pray for somebody that's fallen into a trap and the safe in the name of Jesus I stand against this deception and let my brother let my sister let my friend no longer eat no longer eat from this tree of deception any longer, and then he takes even farther is not just the tree but the mountain it is a type of you and I come here and looking out on these per tablets of the mountain of despair.

That's all around us that the mountains of deception that have been trap people are the mountains of failed marriages were one of the partners is somehow fallen into the lie, believing that that somebody else other than my marriage partners going to satisfy the desire of my life or the desire of my heart. This is a mountain within our society today. And Jesus is not just the fig tree, but the mountain, the mountain course was Jerusalem that he was pointing out a new and I know that in A.D. 70 mountain was removed and cast into the sea, all over the world. We know that, and so he wasn't just speaking something idly said there's going to be a victory on the cross in reporting this victory. Do you and telling you if you have faith in God who can speak to this deception, you can have authority in your prayers. You can stand against the darkness. If we don't believe this. I think where people would be pitied in our generation. I happen to believe that these are the words of the son of God, who cannot lie. He does not exaggerated doesn't turn on the stick in front of us is that we can never attain we can.

It's always a foot in front of it because we can't reach it know it is truth. It is absolute truth, but not just to the fig trees of deception is fruitless.

Coverings that that are sent to deceive, but the whole mountain were living in a in a generation whether there is a mountain of deception in this generation. People are looking everywhere but the God trying to be God in their own strength trying to establish rules of good and evil and right and wrong. Apart from God.

Trying to be virtuous without the virtuous one, abiding in their inward parts, and Jesus said you I am going to give you the power of your faith in God to say to the mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea. However, this kind of authority in prayer stands on the foundation stone of forgiveness. Listen to this, he said. Therefore, I say, what do you, whatever things you ask in prayer, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them, and verse 25 and whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father in heaven forgive your trespasses. You know what week we ask yourself how important is it's funny like this incredible promise of cursing fig trees and moving mountains and then he just puts it all on the cornerstone of forgiveness because we are ambassadors of a kingdom that is all about forgiveness. Father forgive them. As the spring he was bleeding. He was betrayed he was lied about.

He was spit on it was marked he was crucified. And yet in the midst of all his pain as his father forgive them. They don't know what they do. This is a kingdom of forgiveness that you and I have been invited into as ambassadors and so he puts that this power to pray on this cornerstone of forgiveness.

It's amazing thing when you begin to realize you know in Matthew chapter 18 no Peter came to the Lord Jesus Christ and he said the Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him up to seven times. Now Peter was a fisherman. He was a top fisherman I've no doubt about it. I have no doubt he had a bad temper. I've no doubt if you crossed them once. You might get away with it if you crossed them twice your teeth what your reading your supper with your gums that night. I have no doubt about it and so he kind of wants to please the Lord. He wants to appear spiritual and seizes how often shall I forgive my brother and his is concocting this this thing is seven times and that's to feel this way.

The unreasonableness only God can do that 7×7 inches.

Things nobody would ever get away with it with 20 days of the seven times and Jesus said to my I do not see up to seven times but up to 70×7 is is probably doing the math of this pointless 490 times it's impossible with men is only possible with God and goes on to say there for the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king he wanted to settle accounts with his servants when it begun to settle accounts. One was brought to mold him 10,000 talents.

But as he was not able to pay his master commanded to be sold, and his wife and his children and all that he had and that the payment be made in the servant therefore fell down before him, saying, master, have patience with me and I will pay you all. The master of that servant was moved with compassion released him and forgave him the debt.

But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him 100 denarii towards what anybody owes us in comparison to what we old God is so insignificant it's almost not worth writing it down, but he laid hands on the chicken by the throat sink pay me what you owe. You wonder how many people how many people been forgiven by God in the body of Christ, but we still have somebody else by the throat, somebody in our past that abuse the somebody that let us down some but it wasn't there when we needed a somebody that spoke ill about a somebody that maybe stiffness for money. Whatever it was sweetly taken by the throat. Even though we been forgiven such an incredible that we are refusing to forgive those who have hurt us pay me what you all so the fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, have patience with me and I will pay you all and he would not, but went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt so it is fellow servants saw what had been done there were very grieved and came and told her master.

All that had been done then his master after he called and said to him, you wicked servant, I forgive you all of that because you begged me to do not also have had compassion on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you and his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly father.

Also the duty you need to review if you from your heart is not forgive his brother's trespasses and want you to think about. That is one of the harder portions of Scripture we brother glosses over not have to deal with it, but wonder because we have about almost 1900 prayer requests tonight that have come in throughout the day. In the last little while and when I looked at it.

I can't tell you how many people are tormented and you can but wonder, is there an forgiveness in the background. Is there somebody they have come for forgiveness to God because a lot of these people claim to be Christians but there are refusing to forgive somebody else along the way and Jesus didn't say if you're forgiven a great debt but you refuse to forgive somebody was wrong view. The end result is delivered to torment I think of all of all the people and marriages that are looking outside the relationship and 1/2 the times there is there are problems in the past before even coming into the marriage. There's an forgiveness there somewhere and they refused to let go. Now I'm not suggesting that forgiveness implies that what the person did to you was right. It's just along the kingdom of God week we are built on this foundation of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a command. Trust is earned. You don't have to trust somebody because you forgiven them, but you have to forgiveness the command of God which one hears in years ago I was I was transferred into the public relations department and the police force were I worked in the in the public relations department.

There was a man called Tom he was about 35 years of age at the time and he had a fatal disease. It was only a matter of time and he was going to lose his life and there was no cure for what he had any been transferred interest to answer the phone in the office until he was incapacitated, and then at a certain point, then he would have to go on that disability and then he was going to die and his prognosis was not very good.

He only really had a few years left to live. I got to know Tom and and one day I'm passing to the office and he said that Carter said II just sees something and I hear something in you and not quite sure what it is, what is it that I'm saying I was able to share with him my testimony was able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and in in the office that they are led him to Christ as his Lord and Savior.

And we rejoice together and was just an awesome moment and then was only a few weeks later, Tom could the office for this is not believe this is believe this is beside himself.

I've been to the doctor and my disease is gone.

It's absolutely God there is no trace of it and the doctor said a secular doctor said to me Tom you have had a miracle is that this disease you have does not go away on its own. There is no known treatment for it is gone. There's not a trace of it in your body.

You are cured.

Your healing is the time. I have no explanation for what is happened to you, but I'm telling you you've had a miracle but a secular doctor told Tommy that America and you know the funny thing is we never prayed for his healing that occurred to me at that point to pray for his healing. We talked about Christ, a guy, he opened his heart he received the forgiveness of God and I said Tom how how do you think the healing were talking when this is how do you think the healing in your in your life happen. Now this is a brand-new Christian.

He doesn't have a whole lot of theology in his life.

But here's what he told me his card. When I was a boy my father was an evil man. My father would stand me in the bathtub of ice cold water take his belt often beat me on the back and on my legs on my buttocks until Welch broke out in my body. I hated that man and he said I live to see him die in agony. His father was still alive. It is that I just lived to see him on his deathbed so I could walk in at this point my finger and told Adams and you're finally getting what you deserve is the interesting thing is when I open my heart gave my life to Jesus. I went home one night and is a God. If you have forgiven me.

After all I have done.

I no longer have the right to hold this grievance against my father and he said the words I forgive my father and he told me since when the bitterness left my life.

The disease went with it is that's Tom's story and he had a miracle healing to back up his testimony. So how important is forgiveness and why, why would Jesus set this this mountain moving miracle power on this foundation of forgiveness. You see, the reasons are fairly obvious. We are ambassadors of this incredible kingdom of forgiveness and we are completely unjustified to hold onto old grievances. No matter what was done to us because surely nothing worse than that which was done to Christ is been done to you or me. We've all had people of let us down. We've all had things that have been said, we've all had people work there when we needed them. I get all of that. But if we have received the forgiveness of Christ and we are willing to let go the debts the throats of others that owe us something, even if they don't, we feel, at least they owe us an apology.

If nothing else, God says no. Take your hands off their neck and let them go on the promise that I make to you is not going to give you faith to to see people around you set for him to give you faith to make a difference in your society.

I'm going to I'm going to move you into something of of of my spirit of my life that can only come from the presence of God inside of your life is so yesterday. Now the question should I forgive first will before you even start thinking about anybody else is so important that you receive the forgiveness of God as we always say at times her churches is the easiest ABC just admit that you're a sinner and you need a Savior. Don't make it difficult for God. I can't save myself I'm done with the false coverings in my own life. I'm done trying to be good in my own strength because I can't and so Lord I recognize that you went to the cross and paid the price for my sin is that I invite you into my life to be my my Lord and my Savior believe that God sent his son to die on the cross to take your place. The punishment you deserve.

Jesus Christ took the punishment don't make it complicated. You were guilty and this is an insecure place suffer the punishment of the separation from God that you deserved and I deserved and he did it because he loves you. He did it because it was hungry for fellowship with you. Remember, Jesus approached the tree because he was hungry. He was hungry to have her living relationship with you. That's why he came to this world not to condemn you came to get you came to pay the price so you could be restored to God and begin to confess with your mouth Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior. Firstly, you need to receive the forgiveness of God and secondly, you need to forgive yourself, because you might've been the abuser. You might've been the one that wasn't there when people needed you. You might be the one that needs to see when it when you do come to Christ as your Savior you get kicked off the throne of her home like you no longer the King or the Queen anymore your ticked off the throne. Jesus Christ sits on the throne and he starts calling you his own and he calls you clean the because you forgive and matter fact in the Bible. He says you are as clean as God is through Jesus Christ, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

That's where the Bible says that means I'm as clean as God is through Jesus Christ. He said to Peter one day when he was speaking with Peter, the Lord said to him, whatever. I have plans don't you call it common or unclean anymore.

You have to learn to forgive yourself.

Because we've all made mistakes. We've also fallen short of the glory of God. We've all done things that we regret doing. Sometimes people can receive the forgiveness of God, but they can forgive themselves for what they have done.

You have to accept God's forgiveness and then forgive yourself and once you're operating it from that perspective, then you let go that that somebody else owes you. Forgive, and sometimes you trust God to forgive have to ask for the strength because we just can't do it in our own strength. Just let it go political thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter come from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information log onto TSC NYC TSC NYC and counting on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter,