I invite you to turn this morning to Mark chapter 11, beginning at verse 12, and we will read all the way to verse 25, 12 to 25, this is the word of the Lord, this is Mark's second book of the New Testament, chapter 11, beginning at verse 12, this is the word of the Lord. on the following day when they came from Bethany he was hungry and seeing in the distance a fig tree and leaf he went to see if he could find anything on it when he came to it he found nothing but leaves for it was not the season for figs and he said to it may no one ever eat fruit from you again and his disciples heard it and they came to Jerusalem and he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple and he was teaching them and saying to them is it not written my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations but you have made it a den of robbers and the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him but they feared him because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching and when evening came they went out of the city. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered. Jesus answered them, have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain be taken up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass. It will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours and whenever you stand praying forgive you have anything against anyone so that your father also if you have anything against anyone so that your father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses may the lord bless this morning the hearing of his word we have learned a lot in the gospel of mark about faith in christ as our savior from all of our sins that we've committed and anyone who has an appreciation of the depth of their sins against god will be so thankful for what mark has taught us and shown us you will say this has been a marvelous book that explains to me the gospel that the son of god came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many as we've been studying and looking at Jesus is absolutely determined that that ministry will go forward I believe that's absolutely crucial to what we just read this morning Jesus is absolutely determined that that ministry will be preserved and that that ministry will be kept in the future for it's the only way anyone is going to be saved for it is by grace that you are saved all the way through and that has to be understood that has to be appreciated from the moralists and the legalists and all those who are rising up and tied against it this is important to say because we come to a new section this morning in mark's gospel that is very tense i'm sure you felt that as we read this a very tense section as jesus is now bringing judgment on the nation of israel that is essentially what we have beginning to happen as he goes to the cross we don't think a lot about jesus in them in this way but the cross event was also a judgment ordeal so that by the time we uh we get to chapter 13 jesus will say and mark i'm throwing the whole temple structure down they're not going to be one stone left there upon another and it will be an intense section that is really perplexing to the disciples, but it is going there. Jesus is about to tear down the temple. And you say, why? Why did he do that? Why did God do that? Well, if we can look sort of forward and understand this and maybe give something for you to hold on to this morning that you understand why Jesus is so strong in this particular passage, I think you could see it with the widow and her two mites that is coming. Jesus will be sitting soon watching people put their money into the temple treasury boxes and as they do that, He will watch one little widow come up and drop a couple little mites in there and Jesus will see that and He will stop His disciples and say, everyone look right here. Everyone look right here. See that? She gave more than everyone else. She put in out of her poverty. And in the next breath, He says, This whole structure's coming down. This whole thing's coming down. I have had it with what this has become. I am done with what Israel has done. If you get that, you'll understand what begins to happen in Mark chapter 11. The entire worship and temple had become an idolatrous marketplace, destroying the intention for which God had set up the temple to begin with, to be a place of prayer for all the nations. And Jesus is now making a fast and clean break with the whole thing. That's where we're moving in this section. When you read this, then the response of Gentiles should be, who have been brought into the tree, who have been saved, should be, thank you, Lord, for being so zealous for the truth. Thank you, Lord, for caring for people. Thank you, Lord, for caring for the nations. Thank you for bringing them into your house and to stop and be zealous against those who want to destroy your gospel intention in the ministry. Thank you for being like that. Thank you for caring. Thank you for the temple of your body, which no man can destroy, that this one will go down and that one will go up. All these themes come together this morning. So what we have is Jesus parabolically teaching his disciples about the necessity of judgment on the nation of Israel for their rebellion that the gospel ministry would then be opened up as it was always intended to be as a light to the nations so this morning you see jesus's intention with this in this prophetic parable that he gives and then the prophetic application of the parable and then his way of encouraging us to faith. So notice that there. We'll begin with this prophetic parable. It was a real training moment for the disciples. That's where I think people get a little bit derailed in studying the Gospels. They forget that much of what Christ was doing is training his disciples for the ministry. And maybe this question will help a little bit because Jesus is using it. Many of you have vineyards. Many of you have plant trees. You You have avocado trees. You have orchards. Imagine if you had planted a beautiful tree in the middle and it grew up and you tended to it and you nourished it. And year after year after year, you nourished and you nourished and you went out and it had beautiful leaves, but never gave you any fruit. Imagine that. No fruit. The strangest thing happened. It blossomed and it bloomed and it's just a healthy looking tree. but no fruit. What would you do to that tree? It's a frustrating phenomenon, isn't it? That's every tree I've ever planted, by the way. Doesn't have any fruit. I try, I try. That's why I'm a pastor, I guess. At this point, he has made his triumphal entry. It's evening. He returns to Bethany in the morning. He comes back to Jerusalem. And on his way, we read that he's hungry. And seeing from afar off, he sees this beautiful fig tree. He went to see if perhaps there's something on it. Maybe there will be something on this fig tree. I'm hungry. So he walks up to the fig tree, and he looks around, and he begins to inspect it. And there's just beautiful leaves all over this thing. Out of season, there's leaves on this thing. But no figs. Not the season for figs, but there's blossoms and leaves. This is strange. Maybe I'll find something on it. And he finds nothing on it. The senses here, what Mark is doing, is saying this thing is outwardly healthy. This thing looks healthy. It's outwardly beautiful. There's got to be some fruit on this. Jesus sees it and immediately curses it. Let no fruit ever grow on you again. We know by the next day the thing's dead, withered by the roots. This beautiful tree has withered away. Imagine that. Imagine that. And I'd be scriptural abuse this morning to say, well, Jesus just got angry and got irrationally mad at a tree and punished it because it failed to give fruit, right? He's been criticized for this more than a few times throughout history. Here's something that really must have agitated and irritated him. that has a much vital and deeper meaning than we appreciate and is crucial to understand everything that follows. Jesus is giving a little parable here for his disciples. Jesus is giving them something to hold on to. Fig trees were common throughout Palestine and their presence had a long history in Israel, didn't they? The Old Testament prophets used them constantly and the Old Testament prophets would use the fig tree under the inspiration of the Spirit to describe the particular state of the nation of Israel. It's all over the Old Testament. You don't have to go very far. I'm just grabbing a few here. But think of Hosea 9. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first fruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor. And they separated themselves to that shame. They became an abomination like the thing they loved. They just went after everything else. Israel throughout the Old Testament was often compared to being a fig tree, being like a fig tree. But not just a fig tree, a fig tree that was barren. Let me give you what I can't help but to see as a direct fulfillment of this. This is Micah 7. Woe is me, for I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes, there's no cluster to eat of the first ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth and there's no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. Every man hunts for his brother with a net. No fruit. Which you're going to see here, Jesus talks immediately about forgiveness, doesn't he? See that? We have been experiencing a lot in our study of Mark the massive amount of opposition by the leaders of Israel, haven't we? Against Jesus and all of the things they've been doing and saying against him. They did nothing but try to catch him in a trap. The long-standing problem. How about this one? Now let me sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up, cleared out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst and also made a wine press in it. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard, what more could I have done in my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then? When I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned. I think of Psalm 80, which we sung out. I will lay it waste, for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. Wow. You would think we Gentiles should take this pretty serious. What happened? What happened? What happened? Jesus walks up to the symbol of Israel and curses it. You're done. I'm done with you. Let no fruit grow on you ever again. He just made a symbolic break with Israel on a national level. Why? Well, it was all throughout the New Testament too. This isn't the only time it happened. Remember something like Luke 13. He spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I've come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said, Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well, but if not, after that you can cut it down. Jesus, just cut it down. Oh, this is why he was weeping over Jerusalem. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I longed to gather you together as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing. So here's the parable. He comes to a tree that was full of green leaves. No fruit. Hasn't that always been the problem of certain activities among Israel? Think about it. What we've studied and what's been exposed, nothing of sincerity. It was all outward form. That was Isaiah 1. There was no inward reality. It was all leaves and no fruit in their lives. Everything looked good, not real. No change of heart. No affecting of the people in the ministry. This is the cry of the prophets against the shepherds of Israel. They weren't feeding the flock. No fruit in this ministry. In Linden, there was a beautiful windmill they put up. I remember when the windmill went up and I thought, that's a really nice windmill. I like windmills. I remember asking, can I go inside so you don't want to go in there? It's hollow. There's nothing in the windmill. Why would they decorate that thing so beautifully on the outside and put it hollow on the end? Wasn't that just the case here? This is what Jesus is dealing with? Everything looks good. Not real. The fig tree is an eternal sort of object lesson of the kind of, and if we can apply it today, Christianity that has a lot of leaves and no fruit. But the picture-perfect outward life of morality and goodness, at least outwardly, is preserved. Hard-working, moral, upright people. Good people. Cursed. I'm done with this. What is the application to this? What is the application to that? Well, I'll tell you, you now have a prophetic demonstration by Jesus to show exactly what it looks like and how he addressed it. He puts it in concrete terms for you right here. Look at what Mark does in the next breath. So they came to Jerusalem. And where does Jesus go? He goes right into the center of all religious activity in Israel. He goes into the center of their religious life in Israel. As if to say, now let's go to the fig tree. Let me take you into the heart of the fig tree. Let me show you what's going on in the fig tree. Why I'm cursing this. Let's walk right up into it. What do you see, disciples? Everyone's busy. Everyone's busy in the temple. And look at all the outward pomp of all of their show. What was going on? Jesus walks in the temple and into the court of the Gentiles, 14 acres packed with people, jam-packed with people, and it's just madness in there. And think about it. We're studying the temple, the tabernacle structure at night, which gives us all the help to understand this. Tonight we come to the courts of the Lord. It's a really fascinating section. And how they all love the courts of the Lord, the psalmist cry out for. the courts of the Lord. Well, here he is now in the court of what they had imposed of the Gentiles and it's madness. Right at the entrance to the courts, you'll notice here, were those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and money changers and they're doing business. You walked right into the temple, vendors there, dealers, cattle and sheep and they're selling lambs and pigeons for all the offerings. Remember, we're Passover week. What do you think happened to the prices? Well, the people were being exploited. They're being stolen from. A pigeon, probably worth a nickel for an offering, was sold for four bucks. And add to this, every Jew coming into the temple had to pay the temple tax. You could not use a Roman coin with a pagan emperor's head on it to put into the holy treasury. Are you kidding me? So you can't do that. We've got to exchange. We've got to have coin exchangers who give you holy currency and charge exorbitant amounts for all of this. And you can just imagine all of the fees, and this is just a big show. Now you stop and you say, what did Solomon say at the dedication of the temple? What was the intention? Moreover, this is 1 Kings 8. Concerning a foreigner who is not of your people Israel, but has come from a far country for your namesake, they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple. Here in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, that all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by your name. There's always the intention that was looking forward to the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. And you all, the nations of the earth will be blessed. Jesus walks in, looks around. It's a swap meet. Trading, money changers, long lines, massive extortion, total hypocrisy, all show, nothing real. They had come to worship and the leaders had made it a den, Jesus says, of thieves, of robbers. Well, that's what religious people do when they're devoid of changed heart. They take the worship of God and they start tampering with it and make it into their own design, all for their club, all for their group, all for their own gain. We shouldn't look at this and say, man, you know, that was a swap meet. We would never have the swap meet in the church. Are you kidding? what do people do to the house of the Lord to worship when there's no changed heart? They're never satisfied. They're not born again. If Jesus walked into worship today, do you think we wouldn't have this problem? Do you think he would not see the same thing? I think he'd say, oh, this is all great. You have a lot of churches in Revelation he criticized, by the way. And it's pretty heavy duty. Has worship become a marketplace today? Jesus sees this and he's filled with wrath. We know from the accounts he makes a large scourge of whips. You would have attached bone pieces to the end of that. He gathers together long leather straps, makes the whip. We know that he drove them out. I don't know if you understand the scene of this. He then takes the money changers, big bins, on the middle of the courts and he flips them over in coins. Can you imagine how full those were? Fly out everywhere into the temple court floor. He takes their seats and turns them over. He starts flipping seats, slinging a whip, and then stops anyone from carrying any merchandise into the temple. Imagine the disciples for a minute. Just imagine the look of the disciples just for a minute. What do you think they did? You've seen what we consider to be outbursts, right? Everything goes quiet. Awkward. This was a desecration of his father's house. I could only wish there were such zeal for the house of the Lord today among Christians. This is what people don't understand. Imagine if Jesus took our tolerant attitude. This is what they don't get. Imagine if he took our tolerant attitude. His intolerance. Think about the consequences of what his intolerance means here. Salvation. But now imagine Jesus in our highly sensitive PC culture. In one scene, he's offended everyone. He's offended the environmentalists because he cursed a tree. He's offended the tree huggers because he killed it. He's offended the secularists because he assaulted their prophets. The race baiters because he singled out the Jews. This is how they're seeing it. The Pharisees because he preached too much grace. The scribes because he condemned their worship. The pluralists because he criticized another religion. The hypocrites because he exposed their compromise. The unbelieving because they wouldn't come. He's thoroughly offended everyone. This is why in John 6 he would say, have I offended you? Do you want to go away too? He would offend you today. I promise. But notice, he's way more concerned about offending his father. Everyone today is worried about offending everyone except the father. What a hypocrisy. What a show. One pastor said, Jesus here is showing that zeal for the Lord's house is a peculiar virtue for true pastors. Luther once said, all apostles and pastors attempt this. For the more pious a pastor is, the more he feels this zeal. And the more he should. How I wish Christians today would rise up in zeal when the Lord's house is turned into a show and there are skits and dramas and football takes place and theaters and instead of justifying it because they have loved ones in it, Jesus cries out, my house, Isaiah 56, shall be called a house of prayer. That's not exciting. It's a house of prayer for sinners. But you've made it a den of thieves. The house of the Lord is a refuge for sinners. That's what this is. He wanted grace preached so that it would make people cry out in prayer to the Lord of the nations. Well, you can imagine the scene. Think anyone got angry at this? Well, that's what happens. The scribes and the Pharisees heard this and saw this. They are furious. Who does this guy think he is? So they saw how they could, notice that, destroy him. Why? Because he cared? Because he wants salvation to come? And to take the joke of it all away, of what people are doing to it? Why? Doesn't this explain verse 25 now? Look down at verse 25. Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. I believe what Jesus is saying is, don't you see the hypocrisy of all this? they pray but it's fruitless it's a fruitless tree here's the test the test of sincerity the test of the reason you come to the house of the lord will be demonstrated in leading people to cry out to the lord for mercy the house that god intended to be a healing place for all peoples tribes tongues and nations and that'll be expressed in prayer as people say what well god i thank you that I'm not like this in the temple, right? That's what the Pharisees were doing and Jesus says, ah, sickening. That's why I'm tearing this down right there. Sickening. But then there's the man in the back beating his chest saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That's what this is intended for. That's the prayer He inspired to tell us that. in this people who come up to worship their hearts are not here and they're never satisfied never satisfied now that's not what jesus is after i'm so thankful aren't you aren't you so thankful he cares he's training his disciples for ministry that's why i read this morning second corinthians chapter four so this is the encouragement that follows now it makes sense i I believe this passage has been so ripped out of its context. We've never fully understood what it means. And we've taken this in all kinds of word of faith movement ideas. Just pray for whatever you want and you get it. Context. Here it is. The next morning, the disciples come to the tree. Whoa, the thing's dead. All withered up. By the root, serious judgment happened on a tree, right? Well, if that can happen so quickly, think the disciples. by the word of your mouth. What does all that mean? Well, we know what it means. That as we look back on this, judgment fell on Israel that by AD 70, that temple was done. The entire temple was thrown down. Not one stone was left there upon another. Peter comes up and says, Rabbi, look, this fig tree that you cursed, it's all withered away. You think that's something? You think that's something? You think that was a lot for me to take down this temple? I've got something for you. Have faith in God. For sure I say to you, whoever says to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have it. What are you talking about? In other words, you're going to go do greater than this. What do you mean, Jesus? You're going to go do greater than this. You're going to tear down all sorts of stuff. You're going to go out to the ends of the earth and you're going to tear down all kinds of strongholds against my ministry. You're going to tear down more than a fig tree. You're going to take down the kingdom of Satan through this power. This is the content. And my ministry will go to the ends of the earth. isn't this just what paul understood by gospel ministry think about this for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of god and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. We cast down all kinds of stuff in this ministry that is constantly seeking to undermine this gospel ministry. This is what we do. This is the ministry. We take it down. That's what we're doing. That's why we flip tables, if you will. That's why we stand for something. That's why we're critical of what's wrong. for your sake. That's recovering Israel. Therefore, I say to you, whatever you have when you pray, believe that you will receive that and you will have it. Well, now you understand a little bit of what he's saying. I say to you, have faith. Notice this. Don't doubt. You're not only going to do what was done to that fig tree, but you're going to go tell the mountains to be hurled into the midst of the sea. Wow, you mean that mount of all, that one right there, yeah, yeah, you'll do that. All Jesus is saying is, the seemingly impossible will be made possible this way. This way. Think about it. And I find this teaching of our Lord in the middle of this horrible scene is one of the brightest gospel teachings in the New Testament. I really do. He is encouraging the Christian ministry. He is encouraging the believer. He's strengthening the believer. Wouldn't it be a tragedy if the ministry were left up to us? And people who try it, run it right into the ground. Their lampstand's pulled. No one would be saved. If we said, go do, I don't even know if people know what they want, but if we said, go do what you think will work, no one's going to be saved. Maybe we should appreciate being reformed. Maybe. Because if that hadn't happened, this is what Rome did to the whole thing. It's so important. You would create and I would create a show and we'd all end up in hell. But Jesus cares to keep for you a ministry of reconciliation and won't let naysayers have their way. There is real power, says Jesus, in this ministry. Pray, pray. To which I think if we were all much more of a praying people, we'd understand a lot more what He's saying. I will preserve my gospel ministry this way through my people who have faith in me and who pray to me, who talk to me, who rest on me for this power. We'll close here in a minute. Remember the disciples with the rich young ruler? All this outward conformity. All this, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? All this morality, right? He walks away sad. And the disciples have that question. Who then can be saved? And Jesus says, with man it's impossible. But not with God. With God, all things are possible. Dear trainees, look to my Father in prayer. Believe. This is how this stuff is overturned. And don't doubt. Jesus is encouraging you. This is basic to Christian life, isn't it? For the struggles that we have. For all the trials and tests we have. For all the temptations to discouragement that we have. Have faith in God. Don't doubt. Now that challenges us then this morning that Christ walks up to the tree of life, the tree of our life, and He inspects it. Is there fruit? I think the warning of Paul is entirely appropriate to the Gentiles to read at this point. You will say branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in. Israel was broken off so that I could be grafted in. Granted, they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Don't be arrogant. but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. If you refuse, the grace of Christ offered to you in the Gospel is His point. We have to receive it by faith and believe. Or else, how are we any different than Israel? And you have them as a major example to remind us of that. I have them as an example to remind me of that. I think this all says this morning that we're in a major battle. As pastors, as elders, as deacons, as Christians. Individual Christians. That apart from grace and faith, you can't win. But through faith in Christ, He'll keep this ministry of reconciliation for you. That's the glorious message here. He is going to keep you preserved. But don't stop calling out to Him and praying to Him. Whatever you ask, verse 22 in prayer, believing, you will receive. What an encouragement in this dark section that as I come believing in Him and trusting in Him and calling out to Him, a fruit-bearing life will follow. It follows from faith. It's a consequent of faith. But He is inviting us all this morning to real power, to enjoy the same kind of power, the same power, that raised Jesus from the dead. That's the ministry. And that he will give generously to those who ask. Isn't that what this house is for? We're planning on building a building, but for what reason? To make it a place of worship, satisfied with what God has put in place, and a place of prayer. What more do you want than that? Isn't that wonderful? A place of worship and prayer. to believe and to receive from Him love, forgiveness, help, and a Christianity that has real life giving power by the Spirit of God. I hope you share in that vision. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for encouraging us with these words this morning and helping us. It's so wonderful, but we know it takes faith, which is a gift from You. Give us the faith to believe You and not doubt. We have Israel as an entire example of trying everything that we in our flesh want to try and it went terribly wrong. Help us, Lord, to have the same kind of zeal and conviction for the truth. Most of all, thank you for sending a Savior who was zealous for Jerusalem, zealous for the house of the Lord so that there is now a temple of His body that is raised, which we are all members. and we are all members of Jerusalem which is above, which is free. Thank you for doing this and that with God all things are possible. We pray and ask that in this place it would be a house of prayer and healing for people who know what they are, who know what they've done and a place where they can come and dine with a wonderful Savior who gives them the food and drink of eternal life. Thank you for this place. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.