Praying to Move Mountains

If you have a real God.

Dr. Tony Evans talked about how to put our problems in their place. See mountains will see God's power in this. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony, author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. The Bible promises God will do anything we ask according to his will. But today is Dr. Evans, Texas to Mark chapter 11 will explain God has two different kinds of will and he'll help us understand how that knowledge affects the way we pray let's join them. Jesus talks about moving mountains by the tree Jesus Jesus.

Verse 23 that you cursed yesterday went there today from the root up so when we got back yesterday we find in verse 12, Jesus was hungry and Jesus wants to get something to eat. He looks and he sees Shri Emily that his knees were out when the leaves are on a figtree that means they are. But when it goes all what he discovers that leaves with no breaks or put another way that is total reality with no real external show with no internal meeting for without the reality of things that went out was not reality. In other words, it was trickery with dealing with Christianity Christianity without substance but it looks good on the outside the truck look good. The people of the preacher's book requires good activities.

A good everything is good, but there's no pigs on the tree if there is no life even though you shall all you're doing is withering. All you're doing is withering because there is no life is like a cadaver with no life is going to decay. So says you must put confidence in God's will is way were what you do next with your mouth is what you do. He says whoever said to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea. So Jesus is probably on the Mount of olives 15 miles downhill is the Dead Sea. He says if God is working for you. You can say that this mountain be moved and it will relocate itself. The problem is the mountain you want to get the mountain offer you you wanted to relocate itself away from you and says if that's fixed on your tree, there is life you have faith in the true God, then you can do with your mountain what you saw that you pedal what my I spoke to thoughts about praying to God talks about speaking to your mountain is when I talk this way.

My mountain is what I'm experiencing every night. He says if that's based on the tree.

Real life cannot withering. If you have the real God not the God of your own making, as well as words and his character. You can have a conversation with your problem when you split your mountain and says the mountain will relocate itself get out of your face. The mountain will relocate itself no we talk about talking to God as prayer, but we will have a conversation with them.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and the Atlanta Bible study with the Bible and he opened it up and he quoted the Bible to the devil having a bath because the devil was his problem and he literally talk to the mountain, which was his problem. See Bible studies on just you and other Christians. Learning God and learning God's will and character so you can have a conversation with your problem. Okay all of us have electricity electricity is power is connected to your home so you home have access to power. So now you can run your appliances, you can turn on the lights in your house can plug things in. So the clock can work you have because you have a relationship assuming you paid your bills. You have a relationship with the power company because they get you don't have the power, the power is in the electric company, but you have the relationship because they connected to your home so that you have access to pop the electric company is not going come on and flip the switch in your house, will they come over and turn on the lights will turn on your appliances because they give you they don't give you implementation of you implement what the relationship has access.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ.

You've got access. If you are bearing fruit. You been paying your bills and now you have access to flip the switch to see God move mountains that are too big for you to have all your life, because he is a melting moving God to see you ability to speak into a situation and see God transform now.

This raises the question and the question is what Jesus says after this and it's a question in everybody's heart and mind. He says all things will which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted. You whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your father in heaven will also forgive you. In verse 24. He makes a startling statement. Whatever you have asked for believe you have received another words you have received the check but believe you have received it, even though you have a receipt so you expect to have received so let's follow this we assuming you will for Christians not only Christian does make Christians with where assuming you have faith in the God of the Bible.

We also when you are praying and where assuming you are speaking with that information to the mountain he says you want to do so with faith. So let me say this because of the believing again is not a feeling. Faith is an action. We walk by faith is movement not mouthing walking not talking living not living faith is not conversation your emotions. You can feel faith last but be functioning, full of faith because your actions are faith, even though your emotions may be in doubt when it talks about not doubting he's talking about not being double minded moving in conflicting directions. Put it this way if you walk down the street, somebody you went that when they step over and went over there. Next up that way if you went over to everywhere you will be able to tell you all worked out the way you walk around one another.

In other words, you are going into different directions say you decide which way you going are you going to Go My Way, Sunday in the world way on Monday way on Tuesday and your families way only my way on Thursday and the secular culture way on Friday. Are you will do this and dance around your double minded and the Bible says that not that man think he will receive anything from you dance and dance in Christian going back and forth you committed to God.

Sometimes back to commit to do about the topic that's only Christian, Christian does not move mountains now how do you know if this is the mountain God wants to move that that becomes a question. The difference between God's unconditional will and his conditional God's unconditional will is what he decides to do regardless of what anybody else does know what he's going do it. His sovereignty has decided this is what I'm going to do and no matter what you do don't do what somebody else does the dog do nothing will change because this is my unconditional will that is not tied to any conditions of this conduit because I have my prerogative to do it. We do that, not lot something we decide to do will get with the kids. They will give people safe.

We decided unconditional decision but then God has a conditional will is conditional will is not conduit until you do what I told you to do for me is tied to a condition inside to you fulfilling something that God wants done that since conditional will.

The reason why God tells us to pray is so that we can link into his conditional will, because his unconditional will happen. We pray or not, but his conditional will only happen if we obey. If we pray if we believe and if we have pigs on the tree. That is, we are we are full of divine life operating with in us, so that's condition so many of the things that we pray for we don't get because we didn't meet the conditions for God's conditional will cut differences conditional will happen regardless. But if it since conditional will happen if only if certain factors are made and that's why in the Scriptures were told that we have to qualify for certain things that happened because it's tied to his conditional will so how do you know if something you're asking for is unconditional is going do it or not do it anyway. Conditional.

Let me answer that to Wayne's number one. Many times you don't know many times God is silent on whether it's unconditional or conditional.

So guess what you do treat it like his conditional if you're not sure you treated like this conditional you do everything you're supposed to do, so that if it is conditional. You met all the standards for God to fulfill his conditional will regarding that situation. Dr. Evans will tell us about another secret of God's conditional will just a moment but first today's message, praying to move mountains as part of Tony's current series called igniting kingdom prayer look at how to bring heavenly power to bear on our earthly problems right now we are offering all 12 lessons in this two-volume audio collection is our gift when you make a contribution to help support the ministry of the alternative, you can get the details and make the arrangements for receiving this powerful teaching series@tonyevans.org or call her 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are ready 24 seven to help you. That's 1-800-800-3222 will get back to our teaching time with Dr. Evans right after this.

It's beyond a Sunday sermon a chance to really dig into the Bible and the kingdom in a new way anytime and anywhere because it's all online to Tony Avenue and straining center in-depth courses all kinds of topics cultural transformation intro to expository preaching you John, Hebrews, Old Testament, New Testament, and so much more. These are sermons there teaching courses to help you engage understand Scripture and not just to hear about, but to explore the kingdom of God in your own find out more Tony Evans training.org Tony Avenue and straining.org first John chapter 5 verses 1415 says we have this confidence that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know he hears us. We know that he will grant what we have request. So here's another secret God's conditional will when God is operating on a conditional will and you want you to qualify to move this mountain that you are facing what he will do is give you an inbred confidence, a sense of assurance, or a sense of peace and sense of realness that this thing is going to happen now.

What he doesn't tell you is when it's going to happen but it just confidence that God you heard that God you will do something some of you know what it is for God to have told you we don't do it but he just didn't tell you what is going to why why does he tell you what this security going to without telling you where, because what God is doing something big in your life he has to do two things at the same time prepare the thing that he wants done and prepare you for the things he's going about things.

I. If you are not being prepared. You're not ready, like the children in the wilderness because you're not ready for the promised land because you will meet the conditions, but he also has to get the promised land ready so that when you arrive there and is ready to move the mountain. The mountain is already ready to obey creates a class between your preparation and the preparation of the mountain to remove any give you that internal confidence that I am at work if you don't get the confidence and you are not sure that you treated as conditional because you believe that sovereign will and his name we all gonna treat it like it's unconditional. We got treated like a mountain is normal, make sure that all of get my hands on, they shot, make sure I trust, make sure I believe God, make sure I speak to the mountain with what God told me that about 90 God's conditional conditional. But what happened is I don't want to be conditional and I didn't do what I was supposed one more thing that is important that he says when you are standing, praying for give if you have anything against anyone, so your father in heaven will forgive you. Okay watch this unforgiveness will keep you with your mouth. That's one of the conditions so let's talk about that.

The psalmist says in Psalm chapter 66 verse 18.

If I am not confessing my sin in my heart.

God will not listen to God from even hearing your prayer if you're not willing to address your own ship.

A lot of people want God to move a mountain why they don't want to move their sin is a conflict of interest. You can is a holy God to move a mountain you don't want to move the sin. The teacher from the holy God that you're asking to move the mountain to measure what must identify and address sin in your own life and see God's forgiveness, but in seeking God's forgiveness for you. You must offer written to others you cannot work, don't burn a bridge over which you yourself will be the cross. He wants you to offer that forgiveness to others. The reason why some mountains don't disappear. Is unforgiveness, forgiveness is not necessarily reconciliation you can forgive without being reconciled. For example, suppose the person you need to forgive, has died.

You can reconciled.

Suppose the person you need to forgive you even a webinar anymore. You can reconcile with them. Suppose the person you need to forgive doesn't want to repent. Don't want to say I'm sorry don't want to confess you can reconciled. So sometimes people marry forgiveness and reconciliation and the same thing the same thing. Forgiveness can lead to reconciliation, forgiveness is not the same reconciliation, forgiveness is where you are not seeking revenge against the offender. I am not seeking vengeance say of the Lord, I will repay you are not seeking to repay repay a lot of what you can prepay physically around wishing they would be psychological or mental repayments you what you want your caring around bitterness and resentment because of what they did and you are palling around feeling of wanting them to go through a useful experience because of a legitimate reason that you have, but what God is saying is you blocking me moving your mountain because what you're wanting for me is my forgiveness for you. You want my forgiveness for you. You gotta be willing to offer it to somebody else. Now unless you have the right view of God, you would not going to because you think I will repay this I would get my posse to repay this because I that you shouldn't of done that to me, get you doing that what you just did. You didn't have faith in the God of the Bible you just put faith in you and your proxy because the God of the Bible said if you let me handle it. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay you gotta have in the God of the Bible which keeps you from meeting vengeance for your self not necessarily reconciliation vengeance for yourself, to the reason why Joseph Joseph could forgive his brothers. I'm in the slavery put them in the hall to the instrument.

Like he said forgive you and the reason I can forgive you is you meant it for evil but God meant it for good.

God is so.

You asked to create my miracle, unless you have that view of God, you will do the wrong thing because you don't have faith in God and you'll do the wrong thing.

While talking about God and trust in the Lord while getting back so you'll do the wrong thing in the name of God.

I'm trying to create for me, for you us this bigger view of God that we are thinking that God that we are like Christians not least Christian will just come to church on Sunday. We want to make this house a house of prayer, not just the house preaching house when we cry out to God and when we see miracles happening. I want people to come.

Not for the preacher of the sermon because of the power that's happening lives to change. Miracles are taking place. This is ideal marriage is over so since overcome addictions are cancel. That's why they come and the preaching becomes extra because of that coming for the power of God in this house. That's what was crying for.

So if you meet the qualifications you want to be an authentic life Christian, you want to cry out to God in prayer and in faith speak to the mountain and you going to forgive those who need to be forgiven when writing a letter sending a note making a call if those people contactable or just acknowledging the daughter day on I release them. Lord, I don't feel like relational one release of but I do know I want my mountain because I want my mountain move in the name of Jesus Christ I release them from the offense against me, that you handle them because I need you to move this mountain. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with the final word of encouragement about seeing God move the mountains in your life. The first I want to let you know that for a limited time, the popular film journey with Jesus, starring Dr. Evans, Crystal Priscilla and Anthony Evans is available to stream online in journey with Jesus will travel the streets fields and synagogues were Jesus walk and visit the locations where some of the most powerful events recorded in the Bible to place previously shown nationwide only in theaters. You can now bring this extraordinary experience right into your living room. Find out more about streaming journey with Jesus at 2011 start Lord and that's the same place to go to get your own copy of Tony's complete 12 part audio collection of messages we've been going through. Called igniting kingdom prayer. This powerful resource is yours with our thanks when you make a donation to help us keep this listener supported program on the air again the place to go for details since 2011's.org or call 1-800-800-3222 were one of our friendly team members will be happy to assist you with your resource request that's 1-800-800-3222. For many people. Prayer is just a friendly thank you to God before meal but tomorrow Dr. Evans will explain how easily you can become your only defense when things get desperate. Right now though he's back with a final word of encouragement for today when we qualify for the mountain, moving work will see mountains move things that God once moved when Sue moved will see God's power in this house. That's what I want. So yes we got a mountain you have mountains and if you don't have one.

Keep living. You have something to be.

Just make sure that when you think you have qualified for the condition God see that mountain the alternative Dr. Tony have brought you my made possible by the generous contributions from listeners like