Words of Jesus Podcast - God Will Not Step Over Our Unbelief

Episode Date: October 4, 2024

We must partner with God in our salvation. The Sower sowed good seed. The faith of the people was hindered by the Jewish leadership. The environment was not receptive to the redemption of Israel by Christ. Being without proof of God we must believe in God by faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." If we refuse the seed of the word of God we will die unfruitful, separated and lost. Believing in God because of proof is not faith. The will of man is stronger than God's will. “...without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6***92: Jesus Condemns A Fig TreeMatthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-26The next morning after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples left Bethany, where they had spent the night, to return to the city.            On the way Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree from afar, he went to it expecting to find some fruit. But the tree contained nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for fruit. Jesus said to the tree:             “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever.”            When next they passed the tree, seeing that it was withered from the roots up, Peter said to Jesus:            “Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.”            Jesus replied to him:            “Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I say unto you, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ 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. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses.”93: Jesus Cleanses The TempleMatthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48When Jesus came to Jerusalem he went into the temple. He began to cast out those who bought and sold therein, overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple. He taught and said:            “It is written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer,’ but ye have made it a den of thieves.”            The chief priests and scribes, when they saw the wonders Jesus performed, were greatly displeased and sought to destroy him but were afraid of the multitude who listened eagerly to his words.            Then the afflicted came to Jesus in the temple and were healed. The people listened attentively to his doctrines and were astonished at his words and deeds.Children sang in the temple, saying:            “Hosanna to the son of David.”            The words of the children and the crowd angered the authorities, and the chief priests and scribes said to...

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus Series with Don C. Harris Hello my friends and welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series. We're talking about, speaking from Matthew 21, Mark 11, and 20 through 26. This is the story of Jesus condemning the fig tree. Now, let me say some things about the fig tree. May I? Thank you. And that is that the fig tree has been attached, I think arbitrarily, to Israel. As a matter of fact, you know, when you start talking about symbology in the Bible

when you start talking about prophecy and the use of particular words and such, well this means this and this means that anytime you take it out of that particular application should it be a legitimate application and try to apply it someplace else I think we talked about, once before, about the mustard seed sized faith thing, where they take the mustard seed in one parable and they translate its understanding and symbol over into another story or teaching of Christ and develop a whole

denomination out of it. I mean, that's what the Word of Faith movement is. And so I just think we ought to be careful with these kinds of things. You're not going to if you get some great and wonderful idea, don't write it in ink. Write it in ink. Write it in pencil. Because you're going to be erasing it. The truth is the Lord reveals these things to us. It's not really a matter of saying, okay, so he says fig tree. Let me see. What does a fig tree mean?

Oh, Israel. And then think that you understand what's being said. However, in this particular story that Jesus tells, now this is a real life story. This wasn't a parable. But I think that the relation of Israel and the fig tree will become apparent to you, at least if I do my job. But there is an idea that the fig tree represents Israel. I've asked people

about this. I hear you say that we're living in the fig tree generation, right? They say that when the fig tree blossoms that you know that these things are near even at the doors, right? Well, you know, the truth is, is that when you take all the stories and all the gospels and put them together, you find out that Jesus is talking about the time that a tree puts on its fruit or buds. He says, behold, the fig tree and all the trees, all the trees and so um i i just think that somehow we get the idea that we're living in in my dad's day my dad preached all over the country and uh he he talked about um you know the i mean it was commonly understood that we're living in that fig

tree generation well that turned out not to be so. It's just not so. This generation shall not pass away. Well, it did. And there's really nothing else we can do about that. And so we just have to discard that idea and not necessarily put the fig tree in as a permanent symbol of Jerusalem. As I say, I've asked people, where do you get that idea? And there

is no scripture, there is no relationship to Israel other than the story I'm going to tell you today but this is me telling you that I believe that this fig tree represented Israel. This is me saying that. You can take that or leave it. But as far as scripture is concerned, that just doesn't exist. So we should be so ever careful with these kind of things.

You know everything that comes over the pulpit's not true? Did you know that? Okay. Alright, as long as we got that straight. Jesus, in this situation, condemns the fig tree. This is chapter 92. The next morning, after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples left Bethany, where they had spent the night to return to the city.

Chances are he stayed with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Chances are. On the way, Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree from afar, he went to it expecting to find some fruit. But the tree contained nothing but leaves for it was not the season for fruit. Wait a minute.

Isn't this story about Jesus condemning this tree because there's no fruit on it? What do you mean? It wasn't the season for fruit. Why would he look for fruit on a tree if it wasn't the season for it? Jesus said to the tree, let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever.

Wow, there's an unfairness to this somehow there's just an unfairness here it wasn't the season for the fruit now why is he condemning it because it has no fruit i mean it would be like going to it in the wintertime and condemning it because it doesn't have leaves. Of course it doesn't have leaves. It's wintertime. This is a puzzlement. When they next passed the tree, seeing that it was withered from the roots up, Peter said to Jesus,

Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursest is withered away. Jesus replied to him, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be cast into the sea, shall not doubt in his heart. He shall have but shall believe that those things which he Shall not doubt in his heart. He shall have, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass.

He shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them, and you shall have them. Okay, but I don't get it i don't understand this why are you condemning this tree because it has no fruit i think this is strictly a an act on the part of Christ to say that if there is no fruit,

if there is no sustenance, if there is no production in this tree, in this particular case, he's talking about a tree. But friend, he's saying that to us. And because this season of fruit was to take place, but it's been delayed in some way,

when it says that the that it wasn't the season for fruit I believe what it's saying is weather didn't allow it do you see the difference if you have fruit trees you know I grew up in Florida we had fruit trees man oh man did we have fruit trees. Everything you can think of, it grew in the yard. And so there was a season for fruit. But everybody knew. I mean, anybody knows who has a fruit tree that should weather conditions be such,

dry, cold, heat, you know, rain out of season all kinds of of things about the season if the season isn't right for fruit there will be no fruit listen the bible teaches that jesus came as the sower who sows the word. The seed is good. The tree is good. There is not a problem with the seeds that he sows. It has to do with the environment in which it grows. This, I believe that this was done as purely as an object lesson. That the weather if you will, around Christ

his visitation of Israel his offer to Israel, everything that he came to do in Israel they kept that weather cold they never received him they never wanted anything to do with him they constantly were out to you know essentially changing the weather and because they changed the environment in which this seed was to grow and as this plan was to proceed as everything was to come to fruition which the root of the word fruition is fruit the weather around the situation was so that the tree was not allowed to bear fruit.

Israel was not allowed to bear fruit. The religious leadership had closed off the weather. They had changed the weather. They had brought about an environment that made it impossible for Jesus to do what he came to do. I know, you've been told that he was God when he was on the earth and that Jesus can do anything, but he can't. As a matter of fact, wasn't it Capernaum? Sure it was. They said that he went in there and he tried to do some things but because of their unbelief he could do no mighty works there he could do no mighty works

really there was something that he couldn't do you want to know what's stronger than god you want to know what's stronger than his will yours you want to know what will stop him in his tracks but you holding your hand up and say this far no further drawing a line in the sand challenging challenging him, I wouldn't advise it. But there's just one line he's not going to step over. It's your unbelief. This is what is the, this is the separator. Belief, faith, it's the separator between people who essentially believe in God and essentially the atheist.

I tell atheists, look, I've got great news for you. A lot of what you don't believe, you got good reason not to believe it. You know, 85% of what you say, I agree with. I don't have any trouble with what you're saying. As a matter of fact, on our radio station and our television station here in Pytown, I called the guy, I don't know if it was a phone call or it was an email or whatever it was, who runs the website Thinking Atheist. And I said, I don't want to get your permission to run your videos on tritv he says what do you do what is tritv well it's uh think reading television think red ink yeah you know the words of christ in red in the scriptures oh yeah yeah yeah he's he's more aware than most

people they know their bible better than most people and he says you're you're christian television well sort of it depends on what you mean by christian if you if you think that the ones that you are decrying in your videos represent us no they don't but i agree with 85 of what you're saying and i think they're good and salient points that need to be made so i'd like to use your videos he said okay sure go ahead he was he was very accommodating um but you see it it's it's because we have so many foolish doctrines and foolish ideas and things that we just say, maxims and cliches and stuff that don't make any scriptural sense, is what many of the atheists have trouble with.

Well, in speaking to atheists, I find that, now look, if you think, first of all, I'm your best friend on the Christian side. I'm your best friend. You're not going to get me over here defending Trinity and defending omniscience and omnipresence and all those kind of things. You're not going to get me defending a lot of the silly practices of the church. I'm not here to defend that. But I'm still the best friend you ever had when it comes to you know over here on the

christian side and uh here's what here's the thing i'm not going to step over you're gonna have to believe in god he is not going to show himself to you he is not going to manifest himself to you in a way that is undeniable you see that's not faith there is a line that he is just not stepping over anymore you see there was a time when god winked at the ignorance of men but now that his son is dead now that his son has been murdered he commands all men everywhere to repentance. And without faith, it's impossible. Absolutely impossible to please him. You want to believe in God because he healed your dog?

You want to believe in God because he healed your grandmother? You want to believe in God because he writes in gold letters in the sky or drops feathers from the sky or drops feathers from the ceiling or gold dust or anything else that you can see. Friend, that's not faith. That's not faith at all. It doesn't honor God at all. Just because you say you believe in him. Why do you believe in him? Because, you know, the fact of the matter is he is never ever ever going to erase that line of faith between us and him i don't care if i let me say that perhaps he's busy and not listening i don't care if i ever hear his voice again i don't care if he ever intervenes in my life again. I don't care if I ever see a

miracle. I'm still going to have faith in God. If I go to hell, I'm going to have faith in God. I believe that he is and the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So what's my duty? Believe in a God that I can't see. Believe in a God that I can't prove. So, Mr. Atheist, I agree with you on a lot of things, but if you're waiting for proof of God before you believe, first of all, it's an impossibility. Second, it's never going to happen. So, are we talking about something that God won't do or can't do? I don't know. I don't know if it's he won't or he can't,

but I assure you it's not going to happen. He is not going to step over unbelief. Here we have the Pharisees creating an atmosphere of unbelief. Oh, he casts out devils, but he does it by beelzebub we know this man we know his mom we know his dad his brothers and sisters live here he's not the messiah we know this guy he and and he can't be the messiah because we know know Elijah must first come. What are they doing? They're sowing unbelief, unbelief among the people. I believe that they created this atmosphere of unbelief, this weather, if you will, of unbelief, thus choking this seed, choking the plan, stopping what God wanted to do.

I don't know that they did it because they're that intelligent and understood that God can't step over this. I think that they were guided by Satan, to tell you the truth. But this is the condition, the environment that they created. And so when Jesus walked up to this fig tree, it wasn't that the time of fruit wasn't, it wouldn't have bore fruit. No fig tree was bearing fruit at that time.

It wasn't that. It was that the season wasn't right for figs. I believe that what it's telling us is that this fruit was late at coming on. It was way late at coming on. I can't believe Jesus saw this fig tree. The Bible says he saw it afar off. Afar off. You think he would have walked over there in december to go find fruit no he would

have known within himself that fruit shouldn't have been on that tree he's not going to walk way over there looking for fruit that he knows doesn't exist he's not an idiot he lived there he eats figs he obviously likes them when he got hungry he looked for a fig tree oh there's one come on and they divert from their little path and they go over there and there's no fruit now like i say the bible says that the season wasn't right i'm telling you i believe that jesus knew exactly when the season was and he knew exactly that there should be fruit on that tree however the weather didn't allow that tree whether dryness whether its location i don't know what it was but i can't believe that he walked up to a tree that ought not have fruit and condemn it.

Sorry, just don't believe it. I want to start, if I can, in the next chapter, chapter 93, where Jesus cleanses the temple. When Jesus came to Jerusalem, he went into the temple. He began to cast out those who bought and sold therein, overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple.

He taught and said, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves let me see if i can um let me see if i can shed some light on this for you these people were not there selling gold crosses or trinkets or Judaica or little things and turning the temple into a place of merchandise. I know that's been said but the truth is that these people were actually following the Old Testament's

instruction on how exactly we are to offer sacrifice. You see Passover was getting very, very close. And it was expected that a person bring the lamb of their flock and slay it for Passover. Now he said, actually he was talking about the Feast of Tabernacles when he said this, but it was obviously a practice.

He said, if the way be too long for thee, then take your gift, whatever it is that you want to offer, sell it for money, put that money in your pocket, come on over to Jerusalem and purchase your sacrifice there it was just it was it was just uh he was just kind of conceding to he was allowing us to make this trip just a little bit easier you don't have to mess around with we didn't bring cows and messing with sheep and all the rest of the stuff that you want to sacrifice.

And so here's what you can do. You can turn it into money. Come over here and purchase it. Well, this was his idea. It wasn't these men. Some people say that they were overcharging for these kind of things. No. No, you never mentioned that.

What is it they were doing that was so awful? Why was Jesus' ire raised on that day? Well, come to find out that the Jews, they didn't like the idea of these animals being anywhere near the temple. And they didn't like the idea of money being exchanged and things like this because, I mean, they were more holy than God was. They didn't like his idea. So they said, how are we going to do this? Well, I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll put them over there in the court of the Gentiles. You remember when Paul said that one thing jesus accomplished was that he broke down the middle wall of partition you know what was on the other side of that wall the court of the gentiles and this is where the jews decided if we're going to have you know animals crapping all over the

sidewalk and we're going to have people dealing with money let's do it over there and so they pushed all this merchandising over into one area of the temple and here if you understand that it wasn't what they were doing it wasn't the fact that they were charging money they were told to do that it wasn't the fact that there were animals money, they were told to do that. It wasn't the fact that there were animals there, they were told to do that. Everything was according to what the Old Testament required. Except that there was that bigotry, there was that false separation between us and those dirty Gentiles, and it just really ticked him off. How do I know that that this bothered him it was the location well he says it it's written my house shall be called

the house of prayer now in in another gospel it says a prayer for all nations. Here it just says house of prayer in this little book here. But in the scriptures it says, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. How dare you exclude anybody? If anybody gets excluded, that's the king's job, not yours. And so he overturned those tables, and the Bible says that he flipped over the chairs,

the seats of those who sold doves, and would not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple. That is just amazing that this was such a concern for him. But friend, you hear me say, he didn't come to save the Gentiles, he came to save the Jews and that we should thank God that we have been included, although it was tragic on the part of the Jews for rejecting him.

It did offer a way for the Gentiles to come in. And all those things are true. But there is one thing that's also very, very true. It was his intention to save us. Not particularly then, but you know, had the Jews accomplished what they should have, what they could have, we would actually be enjoying the Kingdom of God because of us being companions with and friends of God-fearing people, friends of the Jews. His intention was for the Jewish nation to be the capital of the world, that we would be saved through them. That was his intention. But I guess I want to tell you, though, as we look at this kind of thing, I want you to know that he's always loved us.

He's always cared for us. And he had intention on saving us. So when I say that he came to save the Jew, it's just essentially what Paul said, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek. Here we have him defending us, saying, you're going to do this? Then let's share this equally.

This isn't a place for your animals to crap. This is my house of prayer for all nations, not just you. It's time for us to go already. All right. Write to me, if you will. Don at ThinkReady.com. And until I see you again Think Reading my friend

bye bye you've been listening to Don C. Harris of Think Reading Ministries email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredink.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you