Speak to the Mountain

Scripture: Luke 24.36b-48; Acts 3.12-19


I am coaching Michael’s baseball team. We are the Angels. Things are going well. We don’t have a lot of players, so I have the concern that some nights we won’t have enough angels in the outfield. . . Sorry, I couldn’t resist. One of the things I enjoy is giving an instruction and having ten kids obey. “Everybody, circle up!” And the small herd stampedes to me.


One time Jesus encountered a Roman Centurion who had a servant who was very ill. The centurion sent word to Jesus, asking if he would come and heal the man. But when Jesus was still a ways from his home, the centurion again sent word and said, "Don't trouble yourself, Master, if you just give the command I know my servant will be healed."

Jesus was amazed at such trust and faith in his word and power. Jesus said, "I've not found faith like this even in Israel."

Great faith, like great power, is recognized by the ease of its working. This Roman soldier had complete trust in Jesus. The centurion was used to speak words of command that would be immediately obeyed. So he was completely willing to believe that another person of authority could accomplish great things. The centurion believed in that kind of universe.

Is it that simple? Skeptics may doubt that things can be like that. But what is wrong with this belief in the power of an authoritative word? What is wrong with a universe that responds to thoughts and intentions? Surely we live in just such a universe.

Physicists have described a universe that is ordered not so much by physical matter as by strings of information - codes, thoughts, words, if you will.

"And God said, 'Let there be light.' and there was light." Genesis 1

The spoken word creates and shapes reality.

Now. Our main theme for consideration is, "How can hear from God?" We must ask ourselves, if God speaks, will we do what he requires? Are we ready to do business with God? If you can honestly say, "God has never spoken to me," you might ask yourself, "Why should he speak to me?" What am I doing in my life that would make speaking to me a reasonable thing for him to do? Are we in business together, or am I trying to use a little of God to advance my own projects?

What would we do if we heard the word of God? Would we have faith like the centurion, or would we require proofs and assurances before we believed?


We may live like we have doubts about God's word, but we should realize, God doesn't.

"He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes." Psalm 147.15-16

"For as the snow and rain come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55.10-11

God creates and shapes the universe with words. The rocks and trees, the moon and the stars obey his words. In the created order we are almost alone in our disobedience.

The story is told of a young father in a supermarket pushing a shopping cart with his little son, who is strapped in the front. The little boy is fussing, irritable, and crying. The other shoppers give the pair a wide berth because the child is trying to reach out and grab items off the shelf to throw them. The father, though, seems very calm. As he continues down the aisles, he murmurs gently: "Easy now, Donald. Keep calm, Donald. Steady, boy. It's all right, Donald." A mother who is passing by is greatly impressed by this young father's attitude. She says, "You certainly know how to talk to an upset child." And then the woman turns to the little boy and says, "What seems to be the trouble, Donald?"

"Oh no," the father says to her. "He's Henry, I'm Donald."

It's been noted that Amish children never scream or yell, even on the playground. A writer doing research asked the Amish schoolmaster why this was so. The schoolmaster replied, "Well, have you ever heard and Amish adult yell?"

In this respect, God is Amish. The Lord of the Universe is not used to yelling to be heard and obeyed. His word runs swiftly and accomplishes his purpose with ease.
What's more, God loves to speak his word. Jesus came talking. That's how he brought the Kingdom here on earth. Not with might, not with armies or political coup, or even religious jihad; Jesus change the world with words. He also taught his disciples that they too can speak reality-changing words in his name and power.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain, 'Move from here to there, and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you."

Jesus put this to the test with a couple of experiments. First, he sent out the twelve disciples with power to heal diseases and have authority over evil. When that was successful, he sent out seventy others. Keep in mind, these seventy were not his closest associates, not his best-trained troops, but just seventy others. They came back at the end of their mission positively ecstatic with what God had done through them. "Even the demons obey us!" they told Jesus. Luke says (10.21) that Jesus "rejoiced in the Holy Spirit." The Greek word here suggests the kind of joy in which people literally jump up and down for. In other words, Jesus is positively gleeful, he is excited in a way that no other scripture records. Jesus is excited because God's power and word not only flows through him, but through all who believe and work in his name. Jesus then says a prayer of thanks: "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will." (Luke 10.21)

We should be clear that all the good we accomplish we do so by the power of God and the truth of God. There is no other option. No one has their own private reservoir of goodness. It just doesn't exist. When Peter and the apostles are doing great works of healing, all the people are amazed at this power and stare at them like they're aliens or gods themselves. Peter says, "Why are you surprised?" We told you about the power of God demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The power that raised him lives in us. "Why do you stare at us like it’s our doing or our goodness?" If you repent and believe, Peter goes on to say, "times of refreshing may come to you from the Lord."

Jesus has shown us his hands and his feet. He has shown us the best signs of his power and presence. He wants to open up our minds and hearts to the hearing and obeying of his word.

Jesus is absolutely beaming when his followers, the children called by his name, not only believe his word, but begin to act on the word with authority and power to do his will.
What would we do if we heard God speak to us? Our willingness to obey is critical to our ability to hear from God and to grow into a conversational relationship with him. My friends, we must recover or discover a love for God's word. Next week, we're going to talk more about what the reading of God's Word does for us. Until then, be listening for His voice of command.