Keeping the Temple: Have Faith

Keeping the Temple

This Week: Have Faith

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Led by Eric Gintert

Mark 11:1-33

Fruit Bearing

Mark  11:12-14

• Jesus cursed the tree because it didn't bear any fruit. It was useless to Him because it didn't satisfy the hunger that he had.

"Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured." Proverbs 27:18

• Jesus always follows up with what He says He is going to do. When He proclaimed that the tree was cursed... it was cursed and withered away.

Ask & Receive

Mark 11:20-24
This is not the justification for the "word of faith" movement.

• When we pray and ask God for things, sometimes He answers with a "yes" or "no", but then other times He says "yes, but not now".  This scripture doesn't mean that He is always going to give us what we want because we have a desire for it. 
• When we're in communion with God and deeply seeking Him, He will do great things, like move mountains.

"... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

The True & False

Luke 8:11-15

• Those who hear the word and keep (guard and protect) it will bring forth fruit.
• Some spring up fast when they hear the word, but trials and temptations kill them and they have no fruit.
• Those who do receive fruit, bear it in different ways... but, the point is, THEY BEAR FRUIT!

"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." Matthew 13:8

Those With No Fruit Are Cast Out

Jesus finds a tree that looked like it could provide for His hunger, but it was deceiving because it didn't have any fruit... it just looked good on the outside. Jesus was headed for the temple where He expected to be encouraged by the brethren to fellowship, pray, and rejoice in the Word of God. But, when He arrived, he found no fruit of righteousness there. Therefore, he cast out the unfruitful. No one was there to keep (gaurd and protect) the temple of God.

You Are That Temple

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

Each of us who are born again are the temple of the Holy Ghost. Are we letting unrighteousness reign in our temples? Is there any fruit in our temples or are we allowing the world to rule over us?

Have Faith in God

1. Commandment -- Mark 11:22 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God."
2. Request -- Mark 11:23 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."
3. Prepare -- Mark 11:25 "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."
4. Warning -- Mark 11:26 "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
5. Receive -- Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Jacob DeShazer: Testimony of True Forgiveness

Click Here to read about the testimony of Jacob DeShazer who forgave the Japanese people after they tourtured him as a POW.

Prayer Requests

Bill & Donna L.  -  health problems, marriage

Larry D.  -  undergoing cancer treatments
Connie G.  -  dad health problems; dementia
Jane T. mom  -  fell at nursing home and hurt back
Jordyn G. & family  -  life after cancer, marriage
Melody - brain tumor
Wendy D. niece's sister, Sara  -  leukemia diagnosis
Emily D. dady  -  home from hospital, heart problems
Ethan G.  -  tonsils
Dirk, Phil, Josh, Scott  -  come to know the Lord
Sara N.  -  baby due this month
Elisabeth G.  -  teeth pulled next week
Kathy  -  spot found on lungs by doctors; existing health problems