When you have little faith, the lie of Satan is more believable than the truth of God. Dr. Tony Evans explains that as our faith grows, our understanding of what God is capable of grows with it. You see, great faith sets no limit on what God can do. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. Most of us understand that God has the power to deliver us, but when we're caught in a difficult situation or circumstance, we sometimes wonder if He'll actually do it. Today, Dr. Evans talks about how we can grow our faith to trust fully in God's deliverance. Let's join him.
How do I deal with the bondages in my life? The things For which I desperately desire to be delivered. That is the question. In Matthew chapter 17. We have a story.
And oh, what a story it is. To appreciate where I'm going. The first thing I want you to understand is the concept involved. of a mountain. Verse 20 says, that if you have the faith of a mustard seed You shall say to this.
Mountain. Be moved. And it will move. The concept of a mountain. means a difficulty You can't climb over.
He's not talking about a literal mountain here. It's talking about A mountain symbolically, that is. A situation in your life. Where you are stuck. Missing It's too steep for you to climb.
Even though you've tried. You find yourself a helpless victim of habitual behavior, attitudes, or circumstances. that enslave you. or controls you. That's a mountain.
A mountain is not a momentary lapse. Mountains don't move. It's stuck there. on the same piece of property in your life. That has always been.
Because it's a mountain. Not a momentary problem that happened once and will never happen again. You've used willpower. The power of positive thinking. You prayed about it.
You saw counseling concerning it. And the mountain won't move. Are there any mountains in the house? Jesus has just taken Peter, James, and John to the Mount of Transfiguration. On this mountain, chapter 17, verse 1, a high mountain it's called.
He was, verse 2, transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun. His garments became as white as light. When they descended the mountain And came down, they discovered. There were other mountains.
You know what that's like to come to a worship service on Sunday morning and have a mountaintop experience. Only to leave church and hit the valley of despair. Because you run into mountains you can't handle. Paul the Apostle had a point in his life where he struggled with a mountain. He does not say what the mountain was, but he does describe the struggle.
He says in verse 18 of Romans 7: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Do I have a witness? He says, it's not that I don't want to do right. He says For some reason, I don't seem to be able to. He goes on and he says, For the good that I wish, my motives are good.
I do not do. In fact, I practice the very thing that I do not wish. Is there anybody here? Who does things they don't want to do, use words they don't want to use?
Well, the good news. The bad news is that's a mountain. The good news is Paul's a witness. He's been there. Verse 23, I have two different things working in me.
I have a different law in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind. I got this conflict. That's a mountain. A mountain is being locked in to a situation that you don't want to be in.
Now, if you're locked in it because you want to be in it, that's rebellion. But I'm talking about a situation you know is wrong, don't want to be a part of it, but don't seem to be able to shake it or be delivered from it. That's a mountain. That's a stronghold. And it is to you I speak today.
That was the situation in Matthew 17. We have a young man here. Who has been bought to the Lord, verse 15. Mark tells us he couldn't speak. Mark tells us he couldn't hear?
Mark tells us that he would foam at the mouth he would go into convulsions he would have epileptic fits And let me tell you. Prove positive when you know you got a mountain. You've got a mountain one when you want to get rid of it, but can't. Verse 16. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.
Even folk can't help you. It's a mountain when you go to the folk who's supposed to be able to help you and they can't help you. The folk who had all God all over them couldn't help me either. That's a mountain. A mountain is when you've tried everything you've had, you've gone to every 12-step program in the city.
Tried the psychic line, you read the horoscope, you've called on the pastoral staff, you've tried the righteous and the unrighteous, and nothing works. That's a mountain. Secondly, the confusion about mountains. Part of the problem Was that they were looking at the external activity of the boy. to determine The diagnosis of the problem.
Watch it. Anybody throwing himself in a fire, they had fires all over Israel out in the open, and he'd just see a fire and go dive into it. He find a puddle of water and jump into it. Anytime you do that, you're going to have scars. If you jump in the fire, you're going to have burns on your body.
So he's been scarred up from his mountain. Anyone got any scars from your mountain? Scars, because you've been cut up. By the situations you are in. But from the text, we discover that the things he was doing on the outside was because of a spiritual problem he had on the inside.
This boy was demon-possessed. Jesus, in a moment, is going to have to cast out the demon. We'll see that in a moment. He's going to have to, verse 18, rebuke him and the demon is going to come out.
Now, watch this. His external activity was due to an internal problem. And my point about your mountain is simply this. If we're going to move the visible mountain of your fruit, we're going to have to get down to the invisible mountain of your root. Many of us have been trying to chop down mountains that are seen without addressing underground what is not seen.
And if you try to fix a big mountain that you see and don't know that underneath the ground is the foundation of that mountain. then what you're doing is messing with the fruit when your problem's at the root. They were confused about the diagnosis. The disciples were confused. Verse 19.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, why could we not cast it out?
So they're confused. The father is confused because he doesn't really understand what the real problem is. The son is confused because he's in the problem. The disciples were confused because they were the ones who've been ordained by God to be able to cast out demons and they can't get rid of the problem. You find out in Mark chapter 9, the people are confused because they thought the disciples should have been able to cast out the problem.
So everybody's confused. about the mountain. And mountains can get quite confusing. Why does this thing have me like it does?
Now, let me correct something here. First of all, I want you to know that You can't have physical problems. And if you have a physical problem, then you need a doctor. Nothing wrong with that. But in this story, this mountain was due to a spiritual root that had to be addressed.
The disciples were embarrassed. They saying come out nothing happening Change, nothing's happening. And that helped me. The final disciples couldn't do it because that let me know I'm not supposed to be able to fix everything. And you'll see why in a moment.
So that leads us to there was confusion about what the diagnosis really was. You know, many times you can have things wrong on the outside because there's something that needs fixing on the inside. And if you have a mountain as we've defined it, you must diagnose the spiritual cause if you're going to fix its external expression. Dr. Evans will return in a moment to show how identifying the spiritual root.
is the key to breaking the visible stronghold. First, though, if you're ready to dig deeper into the biblical principles Dr. Evans has been presenting today, be sure to request a copy of his two-volume series on fasting. It explains how saying no to your physical appetite can sharpen your spiritual one. creating a hunger for God that the Lord is only too happy to satisfy.
Right now, we are offering all 14 full-length messages in this series as our gift. when you support the ministry of the alternative. Along with this audio collection, we'll also send you a special bonus, our substantial Hope for the Herding leader kit. Including the Hope for the Hurting book, study guide. printed material for six study sessions, teaching videos, and more.
This study unveils God's purpose and power during times of suffering. and helps us realize God is working on our behalf in ways we might not easily see. This is a great package for a small group study or even for your own personal growth. To request your copy of this bundle, visit us today at tonyevans.org. or call us at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.
This is a limited time offer, so visit as soon as you can. Again, that's tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night. Dr. Evans will return with more of today's lesson right after this.
On the Unbound podcast, Dr. Tony Evans sits down with guests, both renowned and emerging for meaningful conversations you won't want to miss. I am so excited to be here with Gary Thomas, a famous The Craig. Rachel Myers, Amanda Bible Williams.
Well, hello, Dan Wallace, and welcome to the Unbound podcast. Each week brings an insight that will expand how you see the world. Listen to the Unbound Podcast. The Unbound Podcast with Tony Evans. Available on all major podcast platforms.
Right now, let's return to Dr. Evans for the second part of today's lesson. If you have an addiction. That is the symptom, not the problem. If you have a drug problem, you have a drug problem symptom.
Not a drug problem essence. If you can't put down a cigarette, that's a symptom. What we got to do is get beneath the ground to find out what Satan is stirring up on the inside. That's producing the inability, the partition that keeps God from getting through to turning things around on the outside. And when I studied this, I said, that's it.
People are spending their lives to fix the outside, not having diagnosed properly the inside, so they don't fix the inside, so they struggle forever with the outside. That leads to a third point. the confidence regarding mountains. Look at what Jesus says in verse 17. All unbelieving and perverted generation.
That's not what you'd call a compliment. How long will I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me. Or to put it in ordinary English, I'm tired of you folks.
How do you think Christ feels about us? when he sees our powerlessness due to lack of faith. Verse 20, because of the littleness of your faith, for truly I say to you, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it shall move, and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Now that's deep. He says, if you have enough faith. You'll talk to the difficulty in your life, Mountain. And the mountain will move. Did you just hear that?
Now I didn't make that up. That's what verse 20 says. He says. If you didn't have little faith, then you would be able to say to this mountain. Get out of here.
Satan is addiction, go away. Satan is inability to control my tongue. Shut up. Say that it's mine I can't control. Think straight.
And the mountain, the difficulty. We'll submit.
Now that just seems a little bit too good to be true. That I can just Tell it what to do. And it'll do it. He says the problem is related to little faith.
Now it raises the question, what is little faith? How do I know if I have little faith versus great faith? I have people tell me all the time, I have faith in God, but nothing's working.
Well, maybe you have little faith. How do I know if it's little or if it's great?
Well, let me tell you the difference between little faith and great faith. When you have little faith, the lie of Satan is more believable than the truth of God. You see, great faith sets no limit on what God can do. Little faith. is the kind of faith you have.
When you've put enough other things up In place.
So that if God doesn't come through, you're going to be okay anyway. That's little faith. Little faith means, God, I need you and I trust you, but if you mess up, I just want you to know I'm still covered. I have gotten enough other things. Situated.
That if you don't supply it. I'm still gonna be okay.
So I'm going to trust you. But I don't really need you. But it's nice to have you. You know what great faith is? Great faith is when you are trusting God, and the very opposite to what you are trusting Him occurs.
And you still trust him. Great faith was like the disciples on the water. Jesus said, let us go to the other side. But it rained and the boat was sinking. Great faith lays down on a cushion when the boat is sinking because it believes that when God said, let us go to the other side, you still don't get to the other side.
Great faith is faith that operates. when the opposite to what you are trusting God for occurs. That's great faith.
Now He then tells us something that has led to a lot of confusion. Perhaps even in this room. If you have faith. as a mustard seed. you shall be able to say to this mountain get out of here say to this drugs leave me alone And the mountain will move.
Now that's what the Bible says. And either you're going to believe the Bible or you're going to believe your experience, your circumstance, your feelings, or your situation. Question is what you gonna believe? You say, well, wait a minute, I have mustard seed faith. A mustard seed is only a tiny little seed, it is.
It is the smallest seed of garden plants. There is no smaller seed in Jesus' day than the size of a mustard seed.
So you say, well, wait a minute. And even Jesus says they had little faith because he says, because of your little faith. A mustard seed is a little seed.
So we have a contradiction here. Jesus says, you have little faith and condemns them. but then tell them if you have mustard seed faith that's all the faith you need for the mountain to move and a mustard seed is a little seed so we got a contradiction he condemns them because they have little faith and then tells them but all they need is little faith in order to move a mountain You follow me? We don't have a contradiction. What we have is a misunderstanding of mustard seed.
Turn to chapter 13. Hold your finger here. Verse 31. And he presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. When a man took and sowed in his field, and this is the smaller than all the other seeds, but When it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants.
Becomes a tree so that the birds of the air can come and nest in its branches.
Now watch it. A mustard seed is very, very tiny. But that's not Jesus' point. Here's Jesus' point. When you take a teensy, weensy eensy.
Bip. Mustard seed. Plant that bad boy in the right soil. Its external shell splits. Inside the mustard seed are little tiny miniature seeds that's even smaller than the mustard seed.
But guess what happens underneath the ground? When the external breaks and opens up. The internal expresses itself. And what was held hostage? On the inside, by the hard shell on the outside, is now free to express itself.
And when this little itsy bitsy teeny weeny mustard seed sheds its external shell and begins to do its internal thing. That no-nothing seed becomes a 15-foot plant bigger than all the other plants in the garden, although it started as the smallest seed in the garden. And not only does it get bigger than all the other plants in the garden, other birds can come and sit down and rest on it because it's so strong now. He does not mean that you have to have tiny faith. He says, if you take the tiny faith you have and plant it right.
stripping it of its external shell. what has been held hostage on the inside will begin to express itself on the outside and you're going to find out not only can you grow and not only are you a 15 foot christian but other folk can rest on your life too that's how strong you are So guess what? That mountain in your life. That mountain in your life is because the shell on the outside is controlling. The life on the inside.
So what you got to do is split the shell.
so that the life on the inside can express itself. But no mustard seed ever grew without being buried first. He means if you have the faith of a mustard seed that is willing to die, be buried, be stripped of its external so that it can express its internal, then you can say, mountain, get out of here. You get a little acorn that drops in the middle of a pavement. Where the pavement is split.
If that thing drops into a middle of the pavement and is able to sink in. and express itself. And that external shell cracks. And what's on the inside begins to express itself? The pavement will move.
I'm talking cement will begin to spread out. Why? Because there's power compacted in the shell. And a lot of us here, our power gone unnoticed. Power going unnoticed, we haven't expressed the internal because it's been held in check by the chef.
Dr. Tony Evans, reminding us that a faith broken open and used. is a faith that can bring real deliverance.
Now, before we go, don't forget to take advantage of our current resource offer. All fourteen full-length messages in this powerful series on fasting. along with the added bonus of the Hope for the Herding leader kit. including the book, Bible study, study resources, teaching videos, and more. These resources are all yours, along with our thanks for your donation to help keep this listener-supported program coming your way.
Just visit TonyEvans.org before time runs out to make the arrangements. or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222 at any time of the day or night. Again, that's Tonyevans.org or by phone, 24-7 at 1-800-800-3222. I'll tell you what's in store for us next time, right after this. What if Jesus had spent the night before his crucifixion in the park down the street from your house, or changed water into wine at a wedding in your neighbor's backyard?
These stories wouldn't just be stories anymore, they'd be memories because you were there. Tony Evans wants you to have that kind of experience every time you read scripture. That's why he's hosting TISISRAL Tour. You'll visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, tour the Old City, including the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the upper room where Jesus washed his disciples' feet. You'll overlook Nazareth, stand on the Mount of Olives, and walk the road where Jesus made his triumphal entry.
You'll gather as a group for great music and worship, and Tony will have messages that will give you new insight into familiar Bible stories. There's a lot more on the itinerary. Check it out at tonyevans.org and make your reservation before spaces run out. Don't miss this chance to add a whole new dimension to your faith. Visit tonyevans.org today.
Most of us say we trust God. But we still like to keep a few backup plans in place. On Monday, Dr. Evans explains why that kind of faith often leaves us stuck. and how real deliverance begins when God becomes our only option.
Be sure to join us.
