Why do we let our churches go down this road?
I believe it’s because we miss the passage of Scripture that follows this story.
The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it was withered from the roots. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Teacher! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, `May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. —Mark 11:20-23 (NLT)
Somewhere along the way, we stopped believing in a mountain-moving God because:
- A pastor (or pastors) hurt you, so you don’t believe God can bring you a pastor who has integrity and anointing.
- A small group experience didn’t meet your expectations, so you no longer believe God can lead you to the right group.
- The people you invited to church came, but did not become Christ-followers, so you no longer believe that the Holy Spirit can use you to reach the lost.
- You tithed, but you still suffered a tragedy in your life, so you stopped believing that God would bless your obedience.
After we stopped believing in a mountain-moving God:
- We established more policies and committees that help the church steer clear of pain.
- We got stuck in our favorite ways to “do” church so we can feel secure.
- We criticized our leaders for taking chances.
- We chose to be suspicious of our leaders rather than trusting.
- We shied away from making difficult decisions.
- We actually began to believe that church was about us.
Please remember that Jesus never promised mountain-moving would be easy or painless.
He did not say that it would require no risk.
