Mark 11:21-23 (NKJV)And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God”. 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.
Our faith in God is built upon His Word, because it is what gives substance to our faith. The Word of God serves as an anchor for our faith because God and His Word are one. It reveals His will because God will never do anything outside His Word and promises. Jesus is the Word made flesh; He is one with the Father and shows us the Father. He came to fulfil the Father’s will, never speaking or doing anything contrary to the Father’s will.
In the opening passage, Jesus instructs us to speak to, rather than talk about the mountain. Often, we make the mistake of elevating the magnitude of our problems by discussing and recounting them to everyone we meet. Unfortunately, this practice only leads us toward disbelief, as the more we talk about the problems, the more insurmountable they seem. Such discussions do not provide solutions but only breed worry, doubt, and unbelief. By excessively focusing on our problems, we may even talk ourselves into depression, as the situation appears increasingly hopeless.
For instance, singles like to complain about the lack of eligible candidates, and at the peak of COVID-19, the fears and dangers associated with the virus were hot topics of discussion, leading to panic and unnecessary fear. In the current economic climate, conversations often revolve around sectors that are at risk, and restructuring due to mergers and acquisitions. However, over-focusing on these topics only breeds hopelessness.
Jesus, on the other hand, dispelled doubt, and unbelief wherever He went.
Luke 8:51-52 (NKJV) When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”
By excluding those who doubted and focused on the problem, and only bringing with Him a selected few when He tended to Jairus’ daughter, Jesus maintained Jairus’ faith and trust in God. Likewise, sometimes all we need are like-minded individuals, who are full of faith and the Holy Spirit, to encourage and support us. People who speak words of faith can redirect our focus from the problem to God.
Therefore, let us hold one another accountable. When we hear of someone talking excessively about their mountains, we should ask them whether they think the mountain should be in their lives. We need to know from Scriptures what mountains are not supposed to be in our lives, and speak to them instead of speaking about them.
Sermon Series: Cell Group Campaign (Session 2)
停止谈论它们！
马可福音11:21-23彼得想起耶稣的话来，就对他说：拉比，请看！你所咒诅的无花果树，已经枯干了。耶稣回答说：“你们当信服神”。我实在告诉你们，无论何人对这座山说：你挪开此地，投在海里！他若心里不疑惑，只信他所说的必成，就必给他成了。
我们对神的信心是建立在祂的话语上, 因为神的话是我们信心的实底。神的话是我们信心的锚，因为神和祂的话语是一体的。神的话语显明了神的旨意，因为神不会做任何在祂话语与应许之外的事。耶稣道成肉身;祂与天父本为一体，将父向我们显明。耶稣来是要成全父的旨意,祂从来不会说或作任何违背父旨意的事。
在前面的经文，耶稣教导我们要对这座山说话，而不是谈论这座山。很多时候，我们会犯提升问题的严重性的错误，就是通过将我们所面对的问题向每个所遇到的人阐述或讨论。不幸的是，这样做只会让我们走向不信，我们越是谈论, 问题就越会变得看似无法克服。这样的谈论并不能提供解决方案, 只会滋生忧虑、怀疑与不信。过度关注我们的问题会使情况看起来越来约没有希望，我们甚至会因口里的话使自己陷入沮丧里。
例如，单身人士喜欢抱怨缺少合适的人选，及在新冠肺炎高峰期，与病毒相关的恐惧和危险成为热门话题，这些会导致恐慌和不必要的恐惧。在当前的经济环境下，对话往往都围绕着面临风险的行业，以及由于合并和收购而进行的重组。然而，过分关注这些话题只会滋生绝望。
路加福音8:51-52耶稣到了他的家，除了彼得、约翰、雅各，和女儿的父母，不许别人同他进去。众人都为这女儿哀哭捶胸。耶稣说：不要哭。她不是死了，是睡著了。
当耶稣处理睚鲁女儿的事件时，祂不带那些怀疑和关注问题的人同去，而是只特选了少些人，借此耶稣维持了睚鲁对神的信心和信靠。同样，有时我们所需要的是意念相同的人，就是那充满信心和圣灵的人来鼓励和支持我们。用信心说话的人可以将我们的注意力从问题转向神。
因此，让我们相互负责。当我们听到有人过度谈论他们的山时，我们应该问他们，是否认为这座山应该出现在他们的生活中。我们需要从圣经中知道我们生活中不应该有什么样的山，并对它们说话，而不是谈论它们。
讲章系列：细胞小组活动(第二部分)