Why Didn't My Mountain Move Part 2 Series

Why Didn’t My Mountain Move pt. 2

Intro: Part 2 of a series of messages on:

WHY DIDN’T MY MOUNTAIN MOVE?

TEXT: Exodus 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses [up] to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

KEY PASSAGE FROM TEXT: the LORD called Moses [up] to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

SOME MOUNTAINS IN LIFE ARE TO BE CLIMBED.

SOME MOUNTAINS IN LIFE ARE TO BE CONQUERED.

SOME MOUNTAINS IN LIFE ARE TO BE COMMANDED.

SOME MOUNTAINS IN LIFE ARE CORDONED OFF.

Some Mt.’s in life you will command into the sea. (A Future message in this series). Some Mt.’s in life you will have to go in and with hand to hand combat conquer it. (Also a future message). Some Mt.’s in life you won’t be able to command into the sea, or conquer in a fight, but you have to climb them, and hike up them, in order to receive benefit from them. (Today’s message).

Finally there are some Mt.’s you can’t command, conquer, or climb, they are cordoned off. God has placed in front of them an access denied sign. If it’s an opportunity you can’t climb it. If it is an obstacle you can’t conquer it. If it is a hardship you can’t command it out of you life. Knowing what kind of Mt.. you are facing is paramount to how you must respond to it. (Serenity prayer?)

In all likelihood you are at this very moment facing at least one of these Mt.’s. May God give you the wisdom to know how to respond properly to the Mts. in your life.

This weeks message is that there are some Mt.’s in life that are to be climbed. Mt.’s in scripture speak of challenges, obstacles, and places of unique an exceptional fellowship with God. It is that third aspect which we wish to key in on this week, and for that purpose we will equate prayer as a mountain in life that can’t be commanded, conquered, but must be climbed one step at a time.

Sinai or Horeb as it is also called in scripture is the place where God gave Moses the 10 commandments and also the Mt. to which Elijah fled when fleeing from Jezebel. The common consensus (Though not without dispute) is that Sinai corresponds to a Mt.. that today is known as Gebel Musa (Mountain of Moses).

Today a pathway of almost 4,000 steps leads from the base to the summit, which is a peak of 7,498 feet.1 Many of those steps are twice what our average steps today are. Pilgrims to the site are advised that they should take plenty of water with them, and that the trek will take about three hours time. Now I want you to think for a moment what it must have been like for Moses to climb Mt. Sinai. Remember he was 80 years old, and there were no carved out stairs for him, the journey probably involved some climbing on his hands and knees.

No stairs, no hand rails, no ski lift, no elevator, no short cut, no easy way up. From this we will learn several principles about prayer. 1. There is no substitute for prayer. 2. There is no shortcut for prayer. 3. There is no short changing pray-ers. (Those who pray)

1. There is no substitute in God’s economy for prayer.

We are a nation of substitutes. We have a substitute for salt, sugar, butter, and milk. We have a substitute for teeth, hair, bad vision, and bad hearing. You get the point, but there is absolutely no no substitute in the world for prayer! Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

God will not accept giving money as a substitute for prayer.

God will not accept going to church as a substitute for prayer.

God will not accept feeling empathy for people as a substitute for praying for them.

Fact is - if Moses did not climb Mt. Sinai he would have missed all God had for him there. There was no other way for Moses to get what God had for him, but to follow Him in the obedience of Mt. climbing. In the same way there simply is no other way to get some things accomplished but by the means of prayer. There are some things in life that simply will not change until you get a hold of God on Mt. Prayer and Pray Until Something Happens.

2. There is no shortcut for prayer.

Prayer is a Mt. in life that has no short cuts. I wish that I could tell you as a pastor I never have any trouble praying. Scheduling it is always convenient, my mind never wanders, I always "feel," a burden for the people I need to pray for. But that is not so. Sometimes prayer is easy, but more often than not prayer is a discipline not unlike Moses climbing a mountain. You have to know your goal, keep plugging away, and it often involves tiresome work.