Inheritance Church Sermons

Main Idea: Faith Unlocks God’s Blessings


Mark 10:20-24
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.


Jesus’ Invitation
Jesus grants us access to incredible blessing.

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness of sin & freedom to thrive
Healing from sickness
Spiritual authority
Protection
Material Provision & Purpose
Gifts, Fruit & Guidance of the Holy Spirit
Friendship with God


Amazing Grace
 Jesus’ atonement paid for these blessings, making them available to us by sheer grace!


Essential Faith
We must exercise faith to access these blessings.

Mark 11: 22-23 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.. whoever says… and does not doubt in his heart… will have whatever he says.”

BONUS SCRIPTURES:
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

John 14:12-14 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 15:15-16 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

John 16:25-27 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.


FAITH = Revelation + Response
God is looking for people who respond with audacity


Five Faith Killers
#1 Focus on the Horizontal
Mark 11:13-14, 20 When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it… 20 Now in the morning…


Matthew 21:19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

Mark 11:20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

#2 Doubt
Mark 11:23 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

BONUS SCRIPTURE:
James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven… For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his

"Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ."

Jesus finishes this passage by telling his disciples not to tell anyone. Why? Because the world would have totally misunderstood what it meant for him to be the messiah. They would have expected a guy to come in and toss out the Romans. He had to show his disciples that his Kingdom was established by laying down his whole life. Only this sacrifice could open the door for us. And only this sacrifice could reveal a power that overcomes even death! Jesus wants the same thing from us. We must lay down our whole lives to step into his eternal life! The church was never meant to be a volunteer organization built around programming planned by professionals. It is meant to be a people movement of transformed hearts who deeply love one another and the world!

BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A PEOPLE MOVEMENT, WE INVEST IN PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL-IN, NOT BUILDING PROGRAMS TO ENTERTAIN CONSUMERS

The church can’t be stopped, not even by the gates of hell! We’re committed to extending the King’s authority into all of life! We’re overcoming brokenness. We’re living into our identity in Christ. And we’ve been given the Holy Spirit so we can do these things! BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A PEOPLE-MOVEMENT, GOD HAS EMPOWERED US TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO FOCUS ON GETTING PEOPLE TO HEAVEN, WE’RE BEING CALLED TO REDEEM LIVES HERE AND NOW

 I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Fear of not “knowing enough.” Or having the right answers… not so important. We are organized around a truth-claim: Jesus is Lord! But that truth claim is one that must take on flesh and blood in our lives. Peter’s confession brought out a whole new identity. His loyalty to Jesus opened the door to the indwelling Holy Spirit, which made Peter a vessel God could use. The disciples had grown up in a culture that emphasized following the law. Jesus introduced them to a life of following him. 

BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A PEOPLE-MOVEMENT, TRUTH CLAIMS AND CREEDS ARE NOT ENOUGH AND NOT THE ULTIMATE POINT, TRANSFORMED LIVES IN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS ARE THE POINT

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter

Many of us grew up with a rhyme, “Here’s the church, here’s the steeple…”
What did Jesus have in mind when he said he would build his church? Not a building. Not an institution. Jesus saw an unstoppable people movement, hosting the presence of God and exercising his authority on earth!

How did Jesus model a compassion that unleashed supernatural power?

Luke 7:11-17 (NLT)

11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.

How did Jesus model breaking free of man-made religion? The new life is not meant to be lived under the yoke of false religiosity. Our traditions and expectations can set limits on our ability to progress. They will also make it impossible for us to build real community.

How did Jesus live free of worry and anxiety, even though he was surrounded by hostility? How did he move from place to place without being concerned about provision? How did he try to get his disciples to see that, as long as they are walking with him, they have nothing to fear?
Find out on this week's podcast. 

How did Jesus live with relentless courage in the face of imminent suffering? Jesus moved forward through opposition his entire ministry. He faced criticism. He faced doubt. He faced betrayal. He faced the cross. How did he have the courage to persevere? 

We experienced some technical difficulties capturing this sermon. We apologize for the poor audio quality. 

Acts 2:42-44  And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Acts 4:24 And when they heard [the report], they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them . . .

Acts 8:6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.

The Church experiences unity when we align with true teaching.

The Church experiences unity when we make time for each other.

“Radically ordinary hospitality is this: using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God.”

“We introverts miss out on great blessings when we excuse ourselves from practicing hospitality because it exhausts us. I often find people exhausting. But over the years I have learned how to pace myself, how to prepare for the private time necessary to recharge, and how to grow in discomfort. Knowing your personality and your sensitivities does not excuse you from ministry. It means that you need to prepare for it differently than others might.”

― Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, The Gospel Comes with a House Key