This sermon emphasizes the importance of approaching life's mountains with humility and forgiveness. It highlights the power of faith in God to move obstacles and the need to address personal mountains before tackling larger challenges. The message calls for a return to prayer, humility, and forgiveness as keys to experiencing victory over entrenched struggles and systems of rebellion against God.

The time has come to face the mountain. Mark chapter 11, please, if you go with there and you're in the New Testament. The time has come to face the mountain. Father, I thank you for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I thank you, God Almighty, that you never ever have called us to stand in our own strength. You don't require human reasoning. You don't need our plans. You're the one who gives the orders and we simply obey. When we obey you, God, you come in power. And heaven and earth begin to move and the souls of men are touched by the grace of Almighty God. Father, I ask you for a touch of heaven to come upon this congregation, upon my physical body, Lord, that you begin to speak to this church today. God, do what only you can do, Lord. I'm asking you, God, to overshadow all the frailty of this human body. Allow me to stand behind the cross today. Let the voice of Jesus Christ be heard. Father, I thank you for this. With everything in me, I give you praise in Jesus' mighty name. Mark chapter 11, the time to face the mountain has come. Verse 20, and in the morning as they passed by, these are the disciples of Jesus, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remember it, saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursest is withered away. And Jesus answering, saith unto them, have faith in God. 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. Therefore I say unto you, that what thinks whoever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. Now, beloved, this is indeed one of the greatest passages about faith in the Scriptures that you're ever going to find. It's a phenomenal passage. In this passage, Christ is in effect saying, whatever obstacle stands before you, if you are in right relationship with God, if you are praying according to the will of God, we know this from the book of James, if we ask for things to consume them on our own lusts, the Scripture says we'll not receive them. If we waver in unbelief, also the Scripture warns that not let not that man think he shall receive anything from the Lord. But when we're in the right battle, we're in the right focus and facing the right mountain. We have this authority that God says I've given to you. I believe it's given to the church. I believe it with all my heart, and it's an authority where the Lord Jesus Christ himself says, you can stand before this mountain, and you can command it to be removed from before you, and it shall happen. Whatever you desire, he said, when you pray, if you believe, you shall have it. In Jesus is speaking about a standing with God of the true follower of Christ in that which is humanly impossible is made to happen by the power of God. I thank God for that understanding. This was never ever meant to be a natural walk. We were never called to figure out how the kingdom of God is to advance in the earth. We were never called to form around committee tables and out of the human spirit come up with plans to advance God's kingdom. That's the route to powerlessness and pride and everything else that opposes itself against the knowledge of Christ. We were never called to do these things. We were called to pray, to get our instructions from heaven, move forward in the grace and power of Almighty God, and see the kingdom of God advance, and I do believe one more time we're about to see this in our generation. I want to talk with you today about the kind of a mountain that Jesus faced and how he taught us to approach it with the confidence and assurance of victory. Now firstly, this was no ordinary mountain. This mountain that Christ faced was a mountain of entrenched rebellion towards the ways of God. It was a systemic religiousness that that made who he was unrecognizable to men. It was a religious system, verses 27 and 28, that directly stood in opposition to and challenged the authority of God. And they came again to Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple there came to him the chief priests and the scribes and the elders and they said to him, by what authority do you do these things and who gave you this authority? Now this is this is the religious system that is supposed to represent God in the earth. These are God's people. This is supposed to be God's city. You and I know today that Jerusalem is where the city in a sense of the great king, where Christ will rule and reign in the earth and where his people will gather. But a system of religion had developed in that city and within the walls of that city that challenged the very authority of God. When God himself in the flesh came into it, they were enraged because he was challenging this in this system that began in Genesis chapter 3 in verse 7. When God came down into the garden the scripture tells us that when Adam and Eve fell, because in measure they wanted to be their own gods, they took leaves of an inferior tree and made their own covering. And Genesis 3 7 says they took the leaves of a fig tree and made a covering for themselves. Can you imagine how foolish they must have looked? How foolish religion looks to a holy God? When we make our own coverings and make our own robes and make our own righteousness and create our own language and do all of these things and none of it has anything to do with the righteousness of God. Adam and Eve had been naked in the Garden of Eden and they hadn't known it and I've always believed it was because the Shekinah the glory of God was upon them. They were covered with the glory of God. The presence of God, the reflection such as was on the face of Moses when he went up the mountain and into the presence of God was on them and subsequently they had no knowledge of nakedness until they sinned and God's presence withdrew from them leaving them to take leaves. Can you imagine? Covering yourself with leaves. God coming down to his own creation. The man and woman he created that he loved with all of his heart and there they are standing looking like palm trees in the midst of the garden. How utterly ridiculous man is in his attempt to make his own righteousness. Jesus looks at what everything had become in this system of religion. Verse 11 says he entered into the Jerusalem and into the temple and when he had looked around upon all things and now the eventide was come he went out unto Bethany with the twelve on the morrow when they were come from Bethany was hungry and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves he came if happily he might find anything thereon. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves for the time of figs was not yet and Jesus answered and said unto it No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever and his disciples heard it. Amazing! Jesus came down and looked at what everything had become. He saw the greatest desire of his heart still afar off and he pronounced the death of the very things that are separating men from God. He saw this tree and it was afar off. I wonder sometimes did it remind him of Adam? When he approached Jerusalem after having looked at all things around about the temple the next day and he comes and he sees a fig tree afar off and I wonder if in his mind he saw Adam and Eve in the garden covered but fruitless covered but powerless clothed in man-made robes but no hope of a future cut off from the tree of life and Having taken an inferior tree and created their own righteousness and folks That's what religion will always do religion will always go to an inferior tree You notice in our generation a lot of what professes to be Christianity is rejecting the cross Rejecting the preaching of the cross or the talk of the blood of Christ They've gone to an inferior tree folks, and they're making another covering. That's the reality of what we're facing in our generation Jesus faced it in his generation and he stood before this fruitless tree because that's what it was It was a tree that had all the appearance of life, but there was no life in it There was no power in it like the Church of Sardis in the book of Revelation They could sing the songs and they they had a form of prayer. No doubt They they had schemes to get people to attend the church and in the community They even had a reputation of life But Jesus looked at that church and said no you have a reputation that you live But you're dead and the word is necros in the Greek It means you're cut off from the enlivening influence of the Holy Spirit You have form you have tradition you you have schemes and plans and surveys and you're doing all kinds of things in my name And you're even drawing a crowd into the house, but you're you're not you're not in touch with the tree of life You're not in touch with the victory of Calvary. There's no True conversion in the heart where we're living in a generation at least in America and much of America not all of it Thank God, but in much of this country, we've filled the house with unconverted people There's no true conversion. No burden for missions. No burden for their fellow man. No burden for the Word of God No burden for holiness Nobody goes to the prayer meeting in many of these places and if there were even a prayer meeting still nobody would go to it unless they were praying for themselves unless they were opening the book and Asking for things and asking for reputation and power among men Completely Backslidden, but unaware of it not aware of their condition of where we've come to as a generation in which we're living Verses 15 to 17 the disciples became witness to the depth of God's love for lost humanity Look at what Jesus did they came to Jerusalem and he went into the temple He began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers And the seats of them that sold doves and would not suffer that any man Should carry any vessel through the temple and he said to them it is is it not written? My house will be called of all nations the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves Now he's talking to the the religious leaders of that day because according to him Hendrickson's commentary It was essentially the priests and their families that were profiteering from the privileged position in the temple They were the ones that were selling animals for slaughter they were the ones who are changing money and the older ladies that were part of their families were sitting and Selling doves to those that were poor and of course because they were older they were giving them chairs to sit in The seats of them that sold doves Now Jesus went in and he knew this was robbing him of the treasure of his heart And it was robbing men and women who are coming into the temple of a living relationship with God The priest of that day that the exterior part of the temple Was it was quite a large expanse and on one side of it in the city was the sheep market where people would Conduct business and on the other side was the general Living area of the city. It was quite a distance to go around the temple So the priests were allowing the people to carry their wares and take a shortcut through the temple on their way home That's exactly what was happening when it says he would he would not suffer any man should carry any vessel through the temple He came into the temple said listen, you've you've made this a casual place. This is not a casual place This is not a place for any stranger just to walk through without any sense of awe without a sense of the fear of God anymore without a Sense of who we're dealing with here and they had created this casualness and I'm very very concerned about this casual approach to God In much of our generation today, and he said it is written My house shall be called of all nations a house of prayer, but you've made it a den of thieves remember when Solomon Dedicated the temple the Lord came down after Solomon's prayer and Solomon said Oh God if a man sinned against his neighbor And he comes into this house to pray God adjudicate between the right and the wrong let justice be done in your house and if Israel be put to the worst before their enemies and they come in and they pray Oh God Turn the battle turn it away from defeat to victory if heaven is shut up and there be no rain Even if it's because we've sinned against you God Solomon said Oh God here when we come into your house and Turn this situation around when we get our lives in order with you and send rain again into the land And if there be in the land Pestilence or blasting or mildew or locusts or caterpillars or if our enemies besiege us in our cities and God we come into this house and pray hear our prayer Oh God and move your hand and turn Lord turn the situation around turn the enemies back out of our gates And back to the place where they came from and let righteousness begin to flow like a mighty stream again And if the stranger Solomon says comes in to this house who doesn't even know you Let him find the deepest desire of his heart answered in your presence if the stranger comes in and says God I don't know who you are But you seem to be in this place Everyone seems to be worshiping you and everyone seems so taken with your presence and I feel a trembling in my heart And that's what Solomon says God answer the deepest cry in the strangers heart And he says Oh God maintain the cause of your people and if your people through neglect or ignorance are Caught and carried away captive into a foreign land yet Even there Lord if they remember this place if they remember God That is through prayer that you move your hand if there's somebody that can remember. Thank God Daniel remembered in Babylon That's why he opened his windows and faced Jerusalem Every day because he remembered this portion of Scripture in the books that Solomon had written he remembered it and Solomon said Oh God if the people are captivated and taken into a foreign place yet Even there if they think on your name and on this house God hear them and God answered their prayer and you know the next day the Lord came to Solomon and the Lord said I Have heard you I've heard your prayer and now my eyes are open and my ears are Listening for the prayers that are going to be prayed in this place And that's where he gave this incredible promise that we quote if my people are called by my name We'll humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Then I will hear from heaven forgive their sin and I'll heal their land Praise be to God The disciples saw this passion of Christ another one of the gospel says he sat and made a scourge of cords This is where we truly we never see the anger of God folks towards the sinner. We never see him throwing out The adulterous we never see him angry with the leper or angry with the man or woman with the demon possessed or dead child We never see any of the anger of God towards these things, but we do see this in the house When he says you created a system that has robbed me of the treasure of my heart You created a system that has robbed me of my people That is robbed the poor man when he comes in who needs to know robbed the sinner when he comes in and needs forgiveness robbed the Overwhelmed man when he comes in to find the treasure and resource that is truly his in God You've created a rich religious system that is Robbing the people and he took a scourge of cords and you can just see the table start to fly This is where the wrath of God is truly revealed folks if you want to see it in the scriptures This is where you and I see it He overthrows the tables and throws out the money changers in the house of God that throws out the dove sellers and throw Returns the seats of the those that are selling doves then goes to the borders of the outer court and says stop No more carrying these things of the world through the temple of God No more. It's written. My house shall be called a house of prayer And this whole passion in the heart of God is for one reason he wanted to show himself God He wanted the people to be able to come to him and find that the answer to the deepest needs of their heart It is written. My house shall be called a house of prayer. Oh God help us in this generation to get back to prayer again. We need to pray today God Ignite the churches in New York City ignite the pastors in New York City My God ignite the congregations in New York City. Let us go back to the prayer meeting let us get out of the boardroom and go back to the prayer room again and start seeking a mighty baptism of God's Holy Spirit and Begin to get our instructions from heaven and begin to move in the power of God Praise be to God praise be to God. Praise be to God The Disciples were witness to this depth of God's love for lost humanity, but they must have wondered how can up one man overthrow such a long Standing entrenched and seemingly powerful and all-encompassing system of religion How can this system be overthrown and folks we have arrived at a time when it needs to be overthrown again We have arrived. I make no apology for that statement We've arrived at a time when all the buyers and sellers and thieves and crooks in the house of God need to be thrown out one more time Throw them out with their holy water throw them out with their holy handkerchiefs Throw them out with all of their plans that need to be thrown out of the house of God How could one man defeat this system Verse 20 in the morning as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots You see what God says he will do God will do when God speaks It has to happen from the roots from the very place where it was drawing its life And I do believe that God is going to give an awakening to his church in this generation I believe the people are going to wake up. I believe they're going to see They're going to see people have been feeding off of their gullibility see those that have been building their own kingdoms while robbing the poor in the house of the Lord and Peter calling to remembered said to him master behold the fig tree which you cursed is withered away That's when Jesus said have faith in God for verily I say to you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain be removed and cast into the sea, but shall not doubt in his heart But shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass. He shall have Whatsoever he said therefore I say to you what things whoever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them Whosoever shall say to this mountain now. It's important to understand. What mountain is he talking about folks? They're coming every day He went into Jerusalem and every night he went into for these few days into Bethany in the morning He would come back into Jerusalem when this occurred. He was on the way back into the city They were facing the fig tree that had been cursed and died the day before he was looking at Jerusalem It's my opinion. He was looking at Jerusalem, and he said have faith in God Whosoever shall say to this mountain this system of religion this entrenched rebellion against God this place that is robbing people of the glory of God and the promises of God of the life of God whosoever shall say to this mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and Shall not doubt in his heart, but believe that the things he says shall surely come to pass. He shall have whatsoever. He says And when you pray believe and you shall have them but just wait a minute now I Want to take time to look at what came before and after all these words you see there are some keys to this It's not good enough just to head out of the door and just start Throwing every mountain into the sea. It just doesn't work that way There are some keys to this. I Want to look at what came before and after all these words That he spoke in this particular verse is 23 and 24 Matthew chapter 11 verse 7 Well, let's go back even before You see Jesus came into this whole time that we're speaking of today in humility He entered it in humility It says when they came nigh to Jerusalem unto Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives He sent forth two of his disciples and said to them go your way Into the village over against you and as soon as you be entered into it, you shall find a cold tide We're on never man sat loose him and bring him You see he came in it with a method of transportation that nobody was considering anymore humility Nobody had sat on this. It's like everybody was taking the grand SUVs of their day and the nicest cars that could be found and parading themselves as it is into the city and there's this old clunk of a car kind Of sitting there that nobody's even considered anymore Nobody's kicked the tires on it for probably 15 or 20 years and he said but go get that vehicle that nobody sat on ever perhaps in his generation that hadn't happened for years and bring him to me and If anyone says to you, why do you need this say to him? The Lord has needed him and straightway. He'll send him You know I believe the Lord has need of people who will take the low seat The Lord has need of people who will humble themselves The Lord has need today of a people who do not go into the marketplace with arrogance We do not stand in the streets having all the answers folks. We don't have all the answers I'm telling you today if the glory of God in full measure came into this sanctuary We'd be screaming out for mercy everyone in every seat would be crying out for mercy. We'd understand we stand by mercy We've we've not done everything right? We don't do everything right? We're standing like everyone else in this society We've been part of the problem just like everyone else has in our generation today The Lord is need of him and they went their way verse 4 and found the colt tied By the door without in a place where two ways met and they loosed him two ways There was a choice that people could make I suppose on this highway. There was it's the way between pride and humility It's the way where flesh and spirit are divided and in this place of two ways Jesus chose the path of humility God help us today When we step into the streets today, we'd better step in the streets in humility We'd better step in knowing that we're as in desperate need of God as everyone else Passing through Times Square every other church in the nation. We'd better know this folks you and I had better know this When you leave find yourself a spiritual donkey as it isn't you make sure that you're taking the lowest place when you stand in this marketplace today Matthew 11 25 the second key is The end of all of this at the end of everything that happens at the end of looking upon the temple Cursing the fig tree going into the temple throwing everything out Telling them it's a it's become a den of thieves instead of a house of prayer Seeing the fig tree dried up by the roots telling them to have faith in God Promising that whatever they asked believing that they would receive it and then he goes to verse 25 He says when you stand praying, I thought it was interesting because we're going to be standing praying today Forgive if you have ought against any that your father also which is in heaven may forgive your trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses It's an amazing thing folks when we see that the two ends of this entire scenario He came in in humility and he went out in forgiveness and folks that's really the way it has to be for you and I today when we pray we have to come in in Humility and a motive of our heart must be that all men Everywhere find the forgiveness of God not that we just be proven, right? Yeah, we were we were right. We had the right argument They had the wrong one. That's kind of where the argument seems to be in society today. No much deeper than that now We have a desire that all men all men find forgiveness Folks we walk in in humility. We go out in forgiveness Think about Jesus Christ He came in in humility born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem And he goes out in forgiveness on a cross saying father forgive them. They don't know what they do Do you have a mountain? I want to think about personal mountains that we face all of us today Do you have a mountain of unbelief? Do you have a mountain of bitterness and resistance in your own home your own family your own workplace? Do you want to know the keys to getting through and knowing the victory of God? When you go home go home in humility And when you go out to work the next day walk out the door and forgiveness walk in humility walk in forgiveness You know when the Lord said God bless their coming in and bless their going out I do believe that's where it all leads to Let me begin the day with humility and let me finish it with forgiveness in my heart praise be to God I believe those are the keys. I believe that's the the two bookends The cause is this whole walk with God to stand and not fall over That I start my day in humility and I finish it forgiving everybody and I accept in my own heart the forgiveness of God for where I have failed. I thank God for his forgiveness. Don't you I thank God that we stand by mercy. I thank God If if he judged us according to we deserve the psalmist David said none of us would be able to stand when I stand in that Square today. I stand by mercy and I know I stand by mercy. I don't deserve to be there I've not earned the right to be there. I was invited in by a king passing by I was just a beggar on the side of the road with my cup in my hand saying somebody have mercy on me and he heard My voice and he picked me up and he has invited me into his work. Oh, yes folks. Oh, no. No No, we're all there by mercy. We all stand by mercy Hallelujah to the Lamb of God Oh God, we praise you God. We bless you Lord. We bless your holy name God We thank you Lord. We thank you Jesus. Thank you mighty God. Thank you mighty God that we stand by mercy Thank you God that it's because of your forgiveness. We have a song to sing. We have a prayer to pray We have a mind to thank God is because of your forgiveness that we've not dead yet God None of us are committed suicide. We're all here Lord. We're all here because of your forgiveness God We praise you for this God. We bless you God. We bless you Lord. We bless your holy name God father We pray today that in this city God those that lust for money find forgiveness We pray the homosexual find forgiveness. We pray God almighty the proud find forgiveness We pray the immoral find forgiveness. We pray thieves find the forgiveness that is freely offered on Calvary We pray God the casual onlooker be smitten God where he stands and find the forgiveness of Almighty God In Jesus Christ, we pray God we pray for forgiveness We pray we pray God we pray Lord forgive this city God forgive the ignorance God Forgive your house forgive your people God let mercy flow like a stream through the streets of New York City Let righteousness come on God and touch our schools got our homes our young people Lord hallelujah hallelujah We're facing today an incredible mountain, but as we approach God and man in humility With forgiveness in our hearts and desiring that all people be forgiven I believe as the scripture says whatever things you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them I Believe with all my heart. We're going to have the answer to our prayer today. I do believe it with everything in me I believe it I Am not interested in making noise in Times Square, there's enough of it there already I'm not interested in adding to the noise. Oh Folks have been walking the streets of the city the last few days and I don't know if you're feeling what I'm feeling But I feel that the host of heaven has already come. I think the captain of the Lord's host is already here Hallelujah, it's not about us. It's about him. It's about him Glory to God glory to God Glory to God glory to God Hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Thank You jesus The best thing that you and I could do is take off our shoes in the presence of a holy God put away our plans Put away all pride put away self-effort put away everything of the flesh and say Oh God We come to you because you are good and your mercy endures forever. That's the only Claim to prayer we even have in our generation. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah Thank you God, thank you Lord stand up and praise him just stand up and give him praise Give him glory in this house. Give him praise and glory God Almighty we praise you God Almighty. We thank you for what you've already Determined in your heart to do we give you glory God. The victory is yours. It's yours Lord Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Glory Glory glory glory glory glory. Thank you Lord. Thank you God Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Thank you mighty God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for what you're going to do Lord Thank you God for letting us know what's in your heart. Thank you for inviting us on the journey Lord Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah Glory glory glory glory glory glory glory to the Lamb of God Glory to the Holy One glory to your name Jesus glory to your name Almighty God Hallelujah, Lamb of God the victory is yours Lord. It's all yours. It all belongs to you. The glory is yours Everything is of you Lord. We bring back to you only that which has come from your hand. Oh God Hallelujah, Lamb of God. We bless your holy name God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you mighty God Glory glory glory. Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah Oh God, thank you Lord. Thank you Jesus Thank you Father If you have if you have a mountain a personal one You can't it doesn't work You can't go after the big mountains until you've gone after the ones in your own life If you have a mountain You have a mountain in your family you have a mountain in your home The way to have authority over this is approach it with humility And leave it with forgiveness And if you will do this, God will give you an incredible victory when you go home today You approach the situation with humility and but you determine in your heart by the end of the day. I'm walking in forgiveness Hallelujah, then you can ask for whatever you want. Then you'll see the mountain begin to move Oh God Almighty God bring great deliverance Lord in this sanctuary today God Almighty the people who've had lifelong struggles. Let them be defeated today If you're if you're struggling with addiction and pornography you're struggling with a lying tongue You're struggling with things that are just been in your life entrenched in you for years Humble yourself today humble yourself Humble yourself part of getting out of your seat and coming to an altar is humbling yourself. It's an admission God I can't but you can and when you come to this shelter and humility You will become a partaker of God's forgiveness and in that forgiveness You will find the authority to stand against these things that have been entrenched in your life We're going to do that as we worship today. I'm speaking to everybody who's fighting with some kind of amount. It's a mountain It's not just an annoyance. It's a mountain. It's before you and it looks like it could never ever ever be overcome God is going to curse this thing in your life. Christ is going to curse it and it's going to die this day When you stand in the street later on this afternoon, you're going to have a spiritual authority inside of you That's going to shock you because you're no longer fighting this deep battle. That's producing unbelief in your heart You're going to win a victory this morning and it's going to be a great encouragement For you this afternoon slip out of your seat wherever you are in the annex You could stand please between the screens same in the overflow rooms You could just step up to the front of whatever room you happen to be in We're going to worship then we're going to pray and we're going to believe God for this thing to die in your life And you're going to pray you're going to pray and take authority over this in Jesus name