Read part one of this sermon here

Sermon:  Mover of Mountains [Tell It to the Mountain - Part II]        printer-friendly     MP3     MP4      MP3-2019

by Chris Cumming                      
 

For those of you who attended the Feast here last year, you heard me give a sermon about faith entitled, “Tell It to the Mountain”.  Today is part II of this sermon and begins the exact same way…

In Mark 10:32 we pick up the story of Jesus Christ returning with the disciples to Jerusalem for the last time.  We were approaching the time of the crucifixion.

At the beginning of Chapter 11, we see Jesus entering into Jerusalem.  Verse 1 says…

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples. 

He tells them to find a tied up colt and to bring it to Him.  He then enters into the city as many spread their garments and branches of trees (palms) and put them in His path saying, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

We pick up the story in verse 11 of chapter 11:
 

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

In verses 15-19 we read of Jesus entering into the Temple and seeing the moneychangers and sending them from the House of Prayer.  Then in verse 20 we read…
 

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 

Now verse 22…
 

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

…And here begins a most profound lesson from our Lord and Master Jesus Christ that today continues to rock His church at its very foundation with its truth and admonition and profound encouragement.

We spent the lion’s share of the sermon [almost 75%] immersing ourselves into these verses and proving that the faith being spoken of here is the STRONGEST KIND OF FAITH –the very faith that God has.

God wants us to have the same exact faith that He has.  This is a lifelong process---something we move toward throughout our journey in the salvation process.

In that first sermon I spent less than 20% of my time giving you Action Steps for invoking this kind of faith.  I DID tell you that this process of attaining the same faith as God is a lifelong process…not achieved overnight.

My purpose today will be to encourage all of you to BELIEVE that God can and will move that mountain---that insurmountable obstacle each time you encounter it.

God, through Christ WILL move that mountain!!!

First, let us do a quick review of the Action Steps I gave you in the last sermon.

The Actions Steps are all based from the 4 scriptures Jesus utters after saying, “Have Faith in God.”

Mark 11:23-26

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.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The Actions Steps are:

Say it --- Believe it --- Cast out all doubt --- Forgive
 

1] Say it—with the strongest faith, conviction, boldness.

2] Believe it
3] Cast out all doubt—displace it with the mind of God.
4] Forgive – Be at peace with everyone.  Avoid strife.

Of these 4 Action Steps I am going to focus on #2 Believe it.  I told you that to attain the same faith God has, that you will have to apply yourself to a lifelong process addressing all the foundational elements of prayer, study, fasting and a special focus on Meditation.  What you gain in meditation will be applied to your mountains.  “Meditation to Action”.

The more you meditate about the Faith of God, the more you will Believe it.  The more you Believe it, the more mountains will be moved.

Now there are two kinds of mountains we encounter in life.

1) Those we can move by direct action.
2) The insurmountable obstacle

The first is summed up in a Chinese proverb that says, “The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

We are going to focus today on the second kind of mountain…  the insurmountable obstacle…those things where no normal physical action is indicated.  There is no pebble carrying when the mountain we face is one solid piece of granite.

So, with a special focus on Meditation, we will go from Meditation-to-Belief-to-Action and move that mountain.  However, this “Action” is not one of physical effort but rather invoking our Faith—our belief—and witnessing God, Almighty moving the mountain for us.  He, in essence, creates a pathway straight through the mountain.  The mountain is replaced by a clear path that HE CREATES.

Glorifying God

In this process you glorify God!!  This is the first thing for you to meditate upon.  When you invoke the power of God, you glorify Him.  When you overcome a sin, He is glorified.  Your coming to the Feast glorifies God. 

For most of my ministry, I have been preaching almost exclusively, the salvation process.  Some time ago I gave a sermon, in which we discuss the Definitive verse on that process.

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

I spent the entire time of the sermon breaking down the meanings of each phrase of this single verse.

I finished that sermon with a paraphrase of this verse.

“All true Christians with the Holy Spirit see and know Jesus Christ directly and openly.  We see Him reflected in Spirit and through the Word of God.  We see His glory in everything He does and says.

“We are changed to His image as we persevere in the Process of Salvation---overcoming sin, invoking Godly principles and putting on Christ in every aspect of our lives…”from glory to glory” by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

This phrase, “glory to glory” is speaking to each time God does something through us.  As we grow in maturity and as our belief becomes as solid as granite, the more times you will see God moving mountains in your life.

Let us look at a foundational verse about Godly glory…Isaiah 43:7

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. -- Isaiah 43:7

God created us for His glory.  This glory, of course, begins with your calling to the salvation process and your learning to invoke His power.  That is, allowing God to do great things in and through us…like moving insurmountable obstacles…if we believe and doubt not.

Let us look at some related verses on Glory.  As we go through these and the remaining scriptures today, you are going to be overwhelmed by the fact that moving mountains can only be performed by a firstfruit who is actively moving forth in the salvation process –keeping the Law, overcoming sin and invoking the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 50:23

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Notice the deep meaning in this single verse as I read the commentary…

Psalm 50:23

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me - That is, he truly honors me; he is a true worshipper; he meets with my approbation. The word here rendered ""offereth"" is the same which is used in Psalm 50:14, and means "he that sacrifices:" here meaning, he that presents the sacrifice of praise. So the Septuagint: "the sacrifice of praise glorifies me." So the Vulgate. The idea is, that the worship which God requires is "praise;" it is not the mere external act of homage; it is not the presentation of a bloody sacrifice; it is not the mere bending of the knee; it is not a mere outward form: it is that which proceeds from the heart, and which shows that there is there a spirit of true thankfulness, adoration, and love.

And to him that ordereth his conversation aright - Margin, as in Hebrew, "that disposeth his way." Or, more literally, "To him that "prepares" or "plans" his way;" that is, to him who is attentive to his going; who seeks to walk in the right path; who is anxious to go in the road that leads to a happier world; who is careful that all his conduct shall be in accordance with the rules which God has prescribed.

As we move forward in the salvation process, we put in order our conduct and conform to the image of Christ and the mind of God.  The more we do this, the more we see wondrous things God can do.  Our faith grows and we move from the level of God’s faith working in our hands…as we remove pebbles, one at a time, as in the Chinese proverb to a level where we allow God’s faith to work through our hearts and move the insurmountable obstacles.  When we get to this level of spiritual maturity, our faith is refined into pure gold for the Kingdom of God…if we believe and doubt not.

Isaiah 43:21

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

John 15:7-8

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Now the commentary…
 

The words of Christ, as well as the person of Christ, may abide in the believer. It is the teaching of Christ that gives rise to the proper kind of praying. When the word of Christ dwells richly within, one may safely ask what he will, and it shall be done. The teaching is similar to that in John 14:13-14.   Verse 8. Discipleship is a growing, dynamic thing. The more fruit we bear, the more truly are we fulfilling the pattern of disciples, those who learn of Christ in order to be like him. God is glorified thereby. He is vindicated and rewarded for his investment in the vineyard.

As we grow in Christ and develop the mind of God, we rightly know what to ask for.  We also learn to know whether the mountain in front of us is a pebble mountain removed with God’s power by our hands or a granite mountain that we leave to Him completely to remove.

As the commentary on verse 8 says, Discipleship is a growing, dynamic thing.  The more fruit we bear, the more glory for God.  The more we use this higher level of faith, the more God is glorified…the more we believe and the more we rid ourselves of any kind of doubt.

Ephesians 1:12

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

You will remember than in Part I of this sermon we define one of the elements of the Faith mentioned in Mark 11:22 as being an absolute trust in God.  We are the praise of His glory when we invoke this high faith.

1 Peter 4:11-14

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.

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

This whole passage is focused on the Godhead.  “The oracles of God”, “the ability which God giveth”, “The Spirit of Glory resteth upon you.”  Everything spiritual that we do, from the time we enter the salvation process, is by the power of God.  God is glorified.  All praise belongs to God.

So how are our insurmountable obstacles moved?  They are moved by our absolute invoking of this God level faith we are developing in our lives and in our hearts.  We do it knowing that it is God in us doing the work—moving the mountain and that He gets all the glory.  We do it by having this highest level of belief and casting out all doubt.

There is a wonderful account of both this kind of faith and Jesus’ response to it.
 

Luke 7:1-10

7:1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

Three things strike me by this account:

1) The centurion was up against an insurmountable obstacle.  He had a servant he cared very much about and who was very sick.  Clearly they had done all that could be done.  Still, “he—the servant, was ready to die.”

2) The centurion invoked Godly faith that contained absolutely no doubt.  He saw the victory before it ever took place.

3) Jesus marveled.

Why was Jesus marveling?  The centurion could only have this level of faith by direct intervention of God.  It was Jesus who healed the servant.  All the chief elements of this healing were of God and not man, so why did Jesus marvel?

Jesus marveled because of the centurion’s choice to allow that level of glory to pass through his body in the form of doubtless faith.  Jesus marveled because His Father was being glorified in heaven.

This is how mountains are moved.  We glorify God by allowing Him to be the Mover of Mountains through us.

The Pathway
 

To this point we have discussed invoking this highest form of faith and allowing the wonders of God to be done through us, wherein God can be glorified and Christ can marvel.  We are now going to talk about the Pathway.

God promises to remove the mountain and to create a pathway “through” the insurmountable situation in which we find ourselves.

Before we get into the “Pathway” verses, I have to ask the questions…“When was the “path of life” laid out?”  “Clearly Jesus is the author of our Salvation and the finisher of our faith, as Hebrews says, but when was the salvation process authored?”  We’ll get back to these.

Now with this first set of Pathway verses we establish the fact

---there are paths—physical & spiritual
---God sets it and guides us down it
---He wants us on the good path and to avoid the wrong one.
---The path is a process
---God is on the path when the mountain is there.

God Shows the Path

Psalms 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalms 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalms 119:35

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

God Knows Our Ways

Psalms 139:3

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Isaiah 26:7

The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

Don't Take the Wrong Path

Proverbs 1:15

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Proverbs 4:14

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Take the Right Path
Proverbs 2:9

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Proverbs 4:26

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
 

God is There When the Mountains are

Psalms 27:11

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Psalms 142:3

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

The Pathway is a Process

Proverbs 4:18

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

It shines more and more as we spiritually mature, as our belief increases and doubting decreases.

Now an interesting pathway verse, as it speaks to a specific pathway God produced.  It also establishes a parameter [a boundary or characteristic] regarding attaining Godly faith.

Psalms 77:19

Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

A seemingly obscure verse, taken out of context like this, but it is talking about the crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel.  Talk about being up against a mountain of granite.  This is the poster child event of insurmountable obstacles.

This verse is an account of God removing a mountain and setting a path through it.  “The way [that God produced] was in the sea and His path was in the great waters.”  God parted the Red Sea.  Then the verse says something Very interesting:  It says His footsteps are not known.  The meaning here is that God does not leave tangible proof behind.  He wants us to develop real faith, by His power. 

The Red Sea closed up again.  We only have His Word now.  And the Spirit of God.  He wants the faith to be pure.

We have been talking about meditation leading to belief and belief leading to God being a mover of mountains.  Would it be great if we could see this being done right there in the Bible?  It is.  That verse about the Red Sea comes at the end of Psalms 77.

This is a psalm by Asaph (as-saf) and speaks of a time of the Babylon captivity.  The commentary says comfort is derived from the history of the past during years of affliction.  That is, the captives---in an insurmountable situation---think on the works of God.

The commentary also says, and I quote:

“It may however be adapted to the case of any individual in spiritual distress through strong temptation, or from a sense of the divine displeasure in consequence of backsliding.”

Before I read this psalm, how many of you remember from Part I of this sermon where I talked about Mark 11:23, where it says “whosoever shall say unto this mountain Be thou removed” [it shall be removed into the sea]?  I said that if you say it with the boldness of God’s faith, the mountain itself would doubt its own place, pull up its roots and jump into the sea, as if this were the proper thing to do.

Keep this in mind as I read Psalm 77…

Psalm 77:1-20
1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.

18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

These captives of Babylon meditated on the works of God and specifically what He did at the Red Sea.  The picture is one in which the Red Sea heard the powerful Word of God AND BECAME AFRAID and moved aside MAKING A PATH. 

This is the faith that God and Christ want us to have!!  It does not matter what your insurmountable obstacle is…a sin, backsliding, debt, a family matter or sickness---God can move it and make the path through it.

Before we began discussing the Pathway scriptures I asked a couple of questions and said we would get back to them.

“When was the “path of life” laid out?”  “Clearly Jesus is the author of our Salvation and the finisher of our faith, as Hebrews says, but when was the salvation process authored?”  Maybe I can answer these by asking you…

How Did You Get to the Baptismal Pool?

How many here were called and baptized after age 20?

30?  40?  Longer?  Just how do you think you survived those 20-40 years or longer?

Ephesians 1:4 says, …
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

God knew He was going to call you to the salvation process before He laid the foundation of the world---Billions and Billions of years ago.  So I ask again, how did you possibly survive all those years from birth to baptism?

How many insurmountable obstacles did you encounter BEFORE your calling?  Who got you through them without you even having the faith as yet?  GOD DID!!

This is another thing for us to meditate upon.  Clearly He got us through all those years and all those situations leading up to the baptismal pool.  Surely all those scriptures of His directing our path since the Calling are true.  Do we, even for a minute think He would abandon us when we come up against the granite mountain?  OF COURSE NOT.
 

Promises  ---Listen to the promises of God
 

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

As we come to the end of this sermon, I want to leave you with my traditional “end-of-the-sermon-zinger.”  Remember one of the foundational verses I gave you on Godly Glory?

Isaiah 43:7 
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

This verse establishes the fact that God created us for His glory.  I did not read the first 6 verses.  Follow along if you will…

Isaiah 43:1-7

1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Now, if I may I want to leave you with the words of the song you heard at the beginning of my sermon, “Move that Mountain"

There looms a mountain up ahead,
No way around it I can see;
But I'll stand on what Jesus said,
And He will move that mountain for me.

I will pray and I'll believe,
I won't be moved by what I see;
With God's word I agree,
And He will move that mountain for me.

When I view that mountain up ahead,
It may seem impossible to Me;
But with faith in my heart there's no doubt,
I can already see the victory.

I will pray and I'll believe,
I won't be moved by what I see;
With God's word I agree,
And He will move that mountain for me.
 
Yes He will move that mountain for me.

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