“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Matthew 17:14-21

This past week, I was in Colorado on a mission trip with my church. One day we took off and went to the top of Mt. Evans, which was 14,270 feet. We drove most of the way and hiked the rest to the top. Let me tell you, mountains are big. 

In Oklahoma, we don’t really have mountains. There are a few really tall hills, and one even stops short of a mountain by just a few feet. But they are nothing like a 14,000 foot pile of rock.

At the top of Mt. Evans, my friend Aaron asked me, “Man, what do you think it would have been like back in the day trying to cross all this with a horse and wagon?” I just couldn’t imagine what it would have been like as a traveler to get that first glimpse of the mountains and think, “I have to the cross THAT?”

In your life, have things come your way that feel like crossing mountains? Sometimes the task just seems way too big for us. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just pick up the mountain and move it out of the way?

There’s an interesting story in the Bible where Jesus talks about that very idea: Matthew 17:14-21:

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[b] and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” [21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”

Jesus spent a great deal of time and ministry addressing several different crowds looking for him. This was no exception, as a father is desperately looking for Jesus, because his son suffers from seizures, possibly a form of epilepsy. However, from the passage, we see that this was brought on by a demonic spirit in the boy; it was not just a physical ailment. Evidently, he has already tried to ask the disciples to heal the boy, but to no avail.

The man still has faith in what Jesus can do though. He goes right to the source. But Jesus makes an interesting statement first. He seems to be troubled at the lack of faith of the disciples and people around Him. However, Jesus does not quit here or give up on these men. As we know, He continues on with them and patiently teaches them. He knows one day these disciples will change the world.

However, right now the disciples have a problem, and Jesus tells them in verse 20: their faith is too small. And evidently, it is VERY small. Jesus says that all they need is faith the size of a mustard seed, and they can move mountains. MOUNTAINS? And that’s not a lot of faith either.

At the time, the mustard seed was the smallest seed people knew of, and that is why Jesus used that picture. If you have a second, go check your spice cabinet for a small container of mustard seeds and pick one up. It’s tiny!!!

But the dynamic we can miss here is where the faith really resides. Too often we place the emphasis on the disciples and what they can accomplish. If they only had a little faith, they could have healed that boy!

However, the problem was really where their faith was. They probably had faith, but faith in their own strength and power. But what we miss is that faith the size of a mustard seed is not about what we can do – it’s about what GOD can do!

And mountains are a peculiar picture. Is Jesus talking about moving actual mountains? What do you think it might look like if we could actually move a mountain. Maybe, something like this?

The theologian William Barclay says that Jesus was not talking about actual mountains, but rather difficult situations. This was a common metaphor to the Jews and used by Jewish teachers. A great Jewish teacher would be known for “moving mountains” by how well he taught. So, perhaps Jesus was really saying, “There is no situation too difficult for God to see you through. Through His power, you can overcome anything.”

Maybe Jesus was actually talking about mountains and trying to use that incredible picture? Probably a little of both. What is certain is that mountains are impossible for us to move, and many things in life are just too much for us to handle. However, when we trust in God and His power, ANYTHING is possible.

What does this mean for us today? There are several implications from this part of Jesus’ ministry that is relevant for us even today.

First, we are not perfect, but Jesus always is. These disciples failed the father, but He never lost faith in what Jesus could do. There are so many that turn their backs on God because of how the church or pastors have failed them. When we put our faith in what men can do, we will be let down some how, some way. But Jesus never fails. Never has, never will. Do you have faith in that?

Secondly, Jesus is so patient! How often did the disciples fall short, and yet He never gave up on them. How often do we fall short? Do you ever feel like He has given up on you? Having faith in Christ means knowing that even when we fall, He always picks us up.

Finally, how much do we really trust in God? I’m not saying that we have to always have a smile on our face and say with a southern accent, “Everythin’s gonna be alright!” Jesus did not say our faith had to be the size of a watermelon, although, maybe some people have that! We can think that things are impossible, but that’s God’s m.o. He loves the impossible! We just have to trust Him more than ourselves.

So what would it look like if we trusted in Jesus more? How would your life be different?

Maybe you are wondering, “How can I even do that?” There’s a verse that may show up in your Bible in this passage, verse 21, that does not appear in every translation. The reason for this is because it does not appear in every copy of the old Scriptures that we have, so it may have been added later, or maybe not. A similar phrase appears in Mark 9, so there has been some acceptance of it, although fasting is not mentioned there. But prayer is!

With or without the verse, prayer remains a vital part to our faith in God. Just look at how much Jesus, the Son of God, prayed! Prayer focuses our heart and trust on God. It draws us closer to Him.

I don’t want to minimize what mountains may be in your life, because if a struggle is hard enough, it’s like a mountain for sure! But I would like for you to take a moment and just write down what struggles or situations in your life may be like a mountain – something you can’t lift on your own.

Maybe there is also just a part of your life you know you need to trust God more in. Write that down too. Then we are going to spend some time in prayer, asking God to give us more faith. Just tell God you want to trust in Him and His power.

Put whatever you wrote down somewhere you can see it regularly. When you see it, just stop and pray. Ask God for a mustard seed. Trust in Him and let Him do the heavy lifting.

In a world full of lies, we need to speak the truth into other’s lives.

Story of Barnabas: Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-28; 11:19-26; 13:15-16; 16:1-5

Have you ever had someone who believed you and really encouraged you? Doesn’t it just make all the difference in the world? Over the past week, I’ve had some conversations with some folks in our church who have a heart for encouraging and praying for young families who are just starting out.

Then, in Church Planting Apprenticeship class on Monday, we talked about Barnabas, and how his life of encouragement was an incredible way of discipling others. And then today! A friend of mine posted a video on Twitter called “Street Compliments” that just blew me away. You can watch it here:

So it seems apparent to me that God is really trying to show me something about encouragement and building one another up. And don’t we all need it? This world is full of lies that are given to us. Facebook, TV, magazines, people we know, and so many other places fill our heads with lies.

And in a world full of lies, we need to hear and speak the truth in lives.

In Acts, the life of Barnabas paints a clear picture of how living this way can change lives. Acts 4:36-37 shows us that encouragement is selfless! Barnabas’ real name was Joseph! The apostles saw what kind of man he was, an encourager, and nicknamed him Barnabas, which means, “Son of Encouragement!”

He was a selfless, generous man, which is what encouraging is all about: giving and investing into others (vs. 37). When we don’t encourage others, we are generally focused on ourselves – we are selfish. Even if we don’t think we are overtly selfish people, keeping the truth to ourselves is being selfish! Barnabas was generous and selfless with more resources than just words. His whole life reflected encouragement.

Encouragement is speaking the truth, even when it is difficult (Acts 9:26-28). Paul (or Saul) was not at all popular with the apostles, because he had been ferocious in trying to hunt them down! Even though Christ changed His life, these men were still wary.

Barnabas was able to see the potential in Paul and see the truth in His life. Christ had really changed him. That was the Holy Spirit working in Barnabas’ life to see what Paul could be. It’s hard for us to have that vision sometimes, but when we live life by the Holy Spirit, He speaks to us the truth to give to others. We live that kind of life through time in the Word and prayer. THAT is where our real truth comes from! Sometimes the truth is tough to speak.
In this part of Acts, Barnabas had Saul who had a rough past. But other times, the truth means confronting the past, or even the present. Paul did this with Peter (Galatians 2:11-14). Peter was living in the wrong, and Paul gave him a hard truth. The way Paul did it is not the model for us always to do that, but it shows all of us that we must speak the truth, even when it is difficult.

Encouragement is also contagious (Acts 11:19-26; 13:15-16; 16:1-5). In Acts 11, Barnabas’ encouragement of believers led to even more disciples being made! He then takes Paul with him and they begin to minister together.

In Acts 13, Paul, who Barnabas had taken under his wing, steps out into the lead and begins sharing the word of the Lord!

In Acts 16, even though Paul and Barnabas are not together anymore, Timothy joins Paul and the cycle begins again!

When we encourage others, we cannot think in a linear progression. Encouragement and discipleship are EXPONENTIAL!

You know what I think is amazing about the life of Barnabas? It’s simple. He didn’t have discipleship books or classes. He shared the truth of God and invested in a few others, and that changed the world!

Encouragement is not fleeting or meaningless. Real, truthful encouragement changes lives.

And don’t sell yourself short either. You may think that you don’t know enough to disciple someone or be that Barnabas to someone else, but you can! We call can! In fact, that’s our calling from the Lord – to make disciples!

I hope this encourages you as it has encouraged me. My heart is full of joy when I think of those in our church who want to be like Barnabas to other believers. Because without Barnabas, what would have become of Paul?

If I can encourage you, or help you in being that person for others, I would love to! And what are some ways that you have been encouraged? Who is God calling you to encourage? the right heart.

Trading the Kingdom for a king // 1 Samuel 12

Ever feel like you got a bad deal on a trade in? It always seems like cars never quite the trade-in value we feel like they should. I remember one time I had a nice acoustic guitar that I paid quite a bit for, and I wanted to trade it in a music store for an electric and an amp. In my head, I figured the values were about the same.

When I went in, the people at the store looked over my guitar (in great shape by the way), and after some time they offered me a price, which was WELL below what I had hoped. As much as I wanted that electric and amp, I knew this was not a fair trade.

The people of Israel wanted a trade – they wanted to make a deal with God. Picking up the story of the Hebrews in 1 Samuel, up to this point Israel had been led by the Lord, His Law, and several men and women who “judged” or helped the people live the law out. This didn’t always go like it should, for man is man, and several of these judges fell short.

Even before that the people had Moses and Joshua – great leaders but still lead only by the voice of the Lord and made it known that it was God who led the people.

But in the time of Samuel, the people of Israel were not happy being unlike the rest of the world, not having a king. Everyone around them had a king for their kingdom, and the Hebrews were not satisfied to have God as their leader.

Don’t we act the same way? The people of Israel had the Creator of the Universe leading them. They were HIS people and He wanted to be THEIR God, but time and time they rejected him. They “traded down.”

We will do that in different ways too. We will say we are God’s people, but our time, money, energy, and worship goes to things that are not worth it. Samuel, the great prophet who lead Israel until they had a king made this statement in his farewell address in 1 Samuel 12:20-21,

“Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or deliver you; they are worthless.”

I know I’ve been there before. I’ve felt like I’ve messed up so badly that even God wouldn’t want me back, so what’s the point? And I have also spent plenty of time chasing after worthless things.

Any trade that we accept in exchange for God is a trade-DOWN. Make no mistake – you can’t get better than Christ and His Kingdom.

All the time in the Old Testament people would carve an idol out of wood, stone, or metal and worship it. And so many Scriptures showed how foolish that is. Habakkuk 2:19 says, “Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

Between people and idols, we far too quickly put our lives and loves in the hands of corruptible, lacking things. Take just a minute and read 1 Samuel 12 and Samuel’s words to the people. Look and see if there is any correlation you can see between our lives today and how Israel was acting.

Are you chasing after worthless things? Our time is much too short for that. The Lord is the One who loves us and will deliver us. Put your trust and faith in Him.

Don’t get the raw end of a lousy trade. Follow Christ, He will take you on a life of unending worth.

Jesus Is a Showstopper // John 6:22-71

This past weekend I went with a great friend to see the Avengers movie. We went to see the IMAX 3D Experience, all the bells and whistles. It was a great movie – still not sold on the 3D, but still it was fun.

It was a 12:15pm showing, and I didn’t think there would be a huge line, but I was so wrong. We showed up at 11:20 and there was already a line of people wrapped around the building. Still, the theater was ginormous so our seats were pretty good.

The folks at the front of the line had been there since around 9am. 9? Really? Wow! People really go out for a good show. I mean, I was there too, so I was drawn in to that same crowd.

I’m a huge U2 fan, and I’ve also gone to many of their concerts. The best spots were general admission where you had to stand in line for the first come, first serve spots. We would stand for several hours to get a good spot. Not only me, but about 40,000 others that would do the same.

A good show draws a good crowd.

Many churches and ministers today have adopted this mentality. Success has been defined by numbers, therefore, we must do what we can do get a crowd.

There is a good sentiment behind this paradigm of the more people at the church or at the event, then the more people that can hear the Gospel. And really, I think this is okay for special events where evangelism is the focus, as long as the Gospel is preached and the truth proclaimed.

Where this is wrong is trying to build a ministry, a church, or any type of discipleship mentality around this idea that numbers = success. Yes, numbers show growth and can validate in some ways, but that should never be the focus. The focus should be on the truth of the Gospel, the truth of what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and true committed followers of Jesus.

The issue is, the truth doesn’t draw a crowd. The truth isn’t very showy.

What is so interesting is how so many of us get caught up in this mentality that we need to draw a crowd, when Jesus never operated that way. He never intentionally tried to draw numbers to his side. It just happened, but it didn’t stay that way.

When Jesus stopped the show, the crowds walked away.

John chapter 6 has the famous account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (which was only counting the men, not the women and children). The reason there were so many people is because they were coming to see Jesus “do his thing” and perform miracles and other miraculous signs. They were coming for the show. Jesus feed them in a miraculous way, and they He actually takes off.

The crowds come after Him the next day and He calls them out saying, “Truly, truly, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” (John 6:26-27)

When Jesus starts to teach and preach to them, people start to get unhappy. When He tells them the truth about eternal life and following Him, the crowds leave. Verse 66 says, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”

All that remained at this time were the 12 disciples. The numbers went from over 5000 to 12 in one day. If that happened in a church today, the preacher would probably be fired and disgraced.

What’s the point of all this? As ministers and churches, our focus should be on reaching people, but it should be in making disciples (Matthew 28), not growing numbers. We should not sacrifice the truth for a show. We should not “water-down” what the Gospel is to keep people around. Jesus didn’t, why should we? The power of ministry and the power of change come from the Holy Spirit.

For Christians, our focus should be on becoming more like Christ and following Him. We should not be so obsessed with the showy aspects of worship or whether or not being a part of a ministry is fun. Our endeavor should be to grow in the truth of the Gospel. As Christians we should also support our churches in ministers in striving for this goal.

Should worship services look good? Yes. Should ministry be attractive? Of course. But that should not and must not be the focus of everything we do. Our focus should be the Cross and the One who paid the price for us (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5)

God’s Graffiti // Romans 1:18-23

Graffiti is such an interesting thing. It’s been around since ancient times. Someone left their own mark behind for others to see.

Have you ever heard a song, seen a movie, read a book, caught a glimpse of nature, or something like that has inspired you? Has something just struck that chord inside your soul and you just couldn’t it out of your head?

There have been a few things like that for me. Many songs, a few movies or stories, a couple of video games, characters on a TV show, the sky, and the greatest of all – Christ and the Bible.

As Christians, we often think that these sources of inspiration can only come from aspects of Christian culture – like Christian songs or art. And while this may be true for some, it’s not for all. There have many things that have really connected to my heart that are not specifically Christian.

However, part of why I get so inspired by these songs or scenes is because of my faith in Christ. What I see or hear has a deep meaning that connects to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in me. Why is that? What causes this deep, meaningful connection?

It’s God’s Graffiti.

Paul wrote some amazing words in Romans 1:18-23, “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Paul’s intent with the first part of Romans is to set the stage of why man needs God for salvation, and he is explaining the problem of sin in our lives. In these verses, Paul describes how we are made in God’s image, and He has left his signature on our hearts – sort of like graffiti.

So often we will be inspired by something made by a non-Christian because His nature is breaking through. Our sin distorts this nature, and fallen man doesn’t understand it and even rejects it. Still, we can see it so often.

The question now is, what do we as Christians now do with this? What should our response be to God’s graffiti in the world?

I was visiting with a friend of mine who started the 9th Continent, a community of people trying to share the Gospel in the video gaming culture. There are some people who are really inspired and moved in aspects of some video games. It’s more than just Pong and Pac Man anymore.

Basically my friend Zac Workun (@zacworkun) said there were three responses Christians could have. The first was “sword,” which sought to totally dismiss or destroy, the second was “shield,” trying to guard against outside culture, and the third was “salt,” working with the culture trying to “enhance the flavor.”

We as Christians have a hope in Christ that gives us a much different worldview, a perspective on how life is and should be. We can see these messages of inspiration shining through and engage them head on.

If something strikes that chord, tell people about it, but also tell them why. Use it as an opportunity to talk about the Gospel. Don’t run away from what God is telling you or what He is giving you the opportunity to do.

How many of us will tell everyone we know about a song we just heard, the movie we just saw, the book we just read, or the restaurant we just tried? That same passion can be applied to how we share Christ with others.

People see graffiti all the time in all sorts of places, but God’s work stands out. Take some time to tell others the messages He left us.