Mountains Have Ears: Speak to Them, Not About Them
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 5 min
Originally preached as “Choose to Believe in Miracles, Part 2”
Sermon outline
Every believer has the authority to be a mountain mover, so stop digging holes with your mouth by talking about your mountains, and speak to them in faith until they move.
Main text
- Mark 11:12-25
- Luke 4:18-21
Opening
He opens in prayer, then encourages the church that God is a multi-generational God: a pastor once taught him this when he was wrestling with whether having family in ministry was nepotism, and he tells parents their decision to serve God will bless their children and grandchildren. He announces this as Part 2 of Choose to Believe in Miracles, because he did not finish the message the other week, with the subtitle 'Be a Mountain Mover'.
Honour the house of God and the men and women of God
Reading Mark 11, he notes that Jesus drove the traders out because God's house is a house of prayer, not a marketplace. We come to church to worship, listen and show respect, and we must never speak against our pastors or other ministers, even when offended.
Illustration: Growing up Hindu, and with Pastor Zubeda coming from a Muslim background, he never heard a Hindu or Muslim family speak down on their priest. Over the past two months he has phoned, messaged and sown money into pastors he had lost touch with, because he is the sum total of the men and women of God in his life.
“No matter how offended you get or whatever offense you pick up you show respect to your priest.”
- Mark 11:15-18
- Isaiah 56:7
- Psalm 105:15
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you
Jesus said 'have faith in God' and told us to speak to the mountain, having transferred His power of attorney to the whole church. From a scripture the Lord gave him in a dream, he teaches that the same anointing that was on Jesus in Luke 4 is on every believer: good news to the poor, freedom for those imprisoned in their minds, sight for the spiritually blind, and the year of the Lord's favour.
Illustration: Power of attorney: when Jesus left the earth He handed legal authority not only to pastors or the fivefold ministry but to all His disciples.
“The spirit of the Lord was not only on him but the spirit of the Lord was on everyone that believed on him and that includes us today.”
- Mark 11:20-25
- Galatians 6:7
- Luke 4:18-21
- Acts 9:3-5
1. Speak to your mountains
The fig tree heard Jesus and withered, so your circumstances, sickness and finances have ears and must respond when you speak in faith. People who complain, gossip and criticise their pastors, bosses and government dig a hole with their own mouths. Pray for those in authority, refuse to join office gossip, and use your energy to speak life over your marriage, children and finances.
Illustration: A Christian man who had once taught him the Word asked why God was blessing him more. He told the man to list every man of God he had spoken against and go and apologise, because that would be the beginning of his blessings.
“It is your mouth that has dug your hole.”
- Mark 11:14
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2
- Proverbs 18:21
- Psalm 37:4
2. See what's on the other side
Victory and miracles are waiting on the other side of the mountain. Praying for the same thing again and again is praying in doubt, because God heard you the first time; start thanking Him for the victory. In marriage, speak life and be content instead of looking at what you should not desire.
Illustration: After 41 years of marriage he has not been able to change his wife, and he warns men that the dressed-up colleague at work has the same problems as the wife at home.
“God hears you the first time that you speak so now you start thanking him for the victory.”
- Genesis 3:6
3. When mountains still don't seem to want to move, don't give up
Keep speaking to the mountain and build up faith pressure, because your fears and pain matter to God. Like the apostle Paul, fight the good fight and keep the faith.
Illustration: A builder's hammer drill keeps pounding the same spot on a wall until it suddenly breaks through; that is how faith pressure works.
“When you apply faith pressure it will work and that mountain will move.”
- 2 Timothy 4:7
4. We must move mountains because we cannot allow mountains to move us
Don't let your circumstances set your mood; decide you will not be offended. God begins miracles with mind photographs, so visualise your miracles and replay your victories. Be grateful, start at the bottom with a good attitude, and let God promote you as He did Joseph and David.
Illustration: At about twelve he sold newspapers and packed trucks in Gale Street, then worked for a supermarket, delivered for a cigarette company while at school, and carried bags of rice for a couple of rand a day. Joseph made himself the best-behaved prisoner and went from the prison to the palace.
“The only thing that starts from the top is grave digging. Everything else starts on the bottom.”
- Genesis 15:5
- Genesis 39:20-23
- 1 Samuel 17
5. Be a mountain mover
Be satisfied with what God has given you, including your spouse, and stop being haunted by the past. Be excited about life, because many people did not wake up this morning, and God will create miracles for you.
Illustration: When you buy a second-hand car you don't keep asking who sat in it or drove it; you are just excited about the car.
“Why can't you be excited about the fact that you got up this morning?”
Putting it into practice
- Speak to your mountains instead of speaking about them.
- Stop criticising pastors, bosses and government; pray for those in authority instead.
- Walk away from gossip at work, and speak blessing over your company, children and finances.
- Thank God for the answer instead of asking for the same thing again and again.
- Visualise your miracles and replay your past victories.
Closing
He declares life over the church: an end to barrenness and drought, peace in marriages and homes, promotions and restoration of everything the devil has stolen. He tells those who are supervisors, managers or senior at work to say 'in Jesus' name' as they step into their workplace, and to go early or be alone and declare blessing over it and their children, has the church say 'I am blessed to be a blessing', and sends them out as mountain movers 24/7, before handing over to Tommy to close the service.
Declarations he led
- The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
- I am blessed to be a blessing.
In his words
- “God does not think in one generation. He thinks in generations.”
- “We are not to talk about our mountains, we are to talk to them.”
- “Polluted air is better than no air.”
- “Don't let your mouth dig a hole for you.”
- “We must move mountains because we cannot allow mountains to move us.”
Every scripture in this message
- Isaiah 10:27
- John 15:5
- John 6:63
- Matthew 6:33
- Exodus 3:6
- Mark 11:12-25
- Isaiah 56:7
- Psalm 105:15
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
- Galatians 6:7
- Luke 4:18-21
- Acts 9:3-5
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2
- Proverbs 18:21
- Psalm 37:4
- Genesis 3:6
- 2 Timothy 4:7
- Genesis 15:5
- Genesis 39:20-23
- 1 Samuel 17
- Genesis 12:2