Mark 8:1-30

Now, this may seem to you like a rather large chunk of text, and admittedly it is.

A little bit challenging to take a look at this and see why we should go this far.

And I've wrestled with that quite a bit over the last couple of weeks.

But they are tied together thematically by both this reality and this metaphor of bread.

As God continues in Jesus' ministry to draw people to believe that He is the Christ.

Jesus put it this way, John 6, verses 47-51.

John 6:47–51

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

So He's teaching us there that He Himself is the very sustenance, the very thing that we need for life.

And He's speaking of spiritual matters here.

He uses this example of manna in the wilderness.

Again, I've talked to you guys about typologies.

Manna being a type of Christ.

A way in which God met the physical needs of His people in the wilderness with this manna, this bread that came from heaven.

But now He has sent a greater type, the anti-type.

He has sent Christ as the bread of life to meet spiritual needs.

And so you'll see that this text is all tied together with this metaphor, even as there's some physical interaction happening with bread.

And that's important for us to see this morning.

Now we see again a feeding miracle here.

This is not a re-recording, as some people have suggested, of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.

This is a separate instance.

Some of the structure of the telling of it is similar, but it was a very similar miracle.

We get different details, different region that it was happening in, a different report.

He actually then later asked questions of the apostles about when He fed the 5 and when He fed the 4.

And so this is clearly a unique miracle, although there are some similarities with the one that happened previously.

We see in verse 1 that in those days a crowd had gathered.

And Jesus now has returned from the region of Tyre and Sidon.

He's been ministering primarily in Galilee, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee.

He's been primarily ministering in this region.

And He has now gone off.

He's coming really rapidly, bringing to a close His ministry in this region.

And He's gone off to the coast of the Mediterranean, which is where Tyre and Sidon are located.

Kind of a bit of a retreat.

We see a couple of encounters in chapter 7 that happened.

But the point was to get away from Galilee.

And He's made this circuitous route to come around the region of Galilee and back into the Decapolis.

You'll see that in chapter 7, verse 31.

This is a region made up of 10 prominent Gentile cities.

There were other cities there, but 10 prominent ones.

Therefore, it's called the Greek Decapolis.

It was to the east of the Sea of Galilee.

A region just to the east of the Sea of Galilee.

And previously, Jesus fed the 5,000, which was primarily a Jewish crowd in Galilee.

We see that He expresses to them some of His Godhead.

The way that He's come to lead them by having them sit in groups the way Moses did.

And by having them, as Mark recorded, sit on the green grass to shepherd them.

We don't see those details here because this is a Gentile crowd.

So God orchestrates here with the life of Christ, the apostles' work in this time,

another feeding, but to a different audience, to a Gentile crowd.

And we notice here in verse 2 a unique thing that happens.

Jesus states that He has compassion on this crowd.

Now, this is a crowd that has been with Him three days.

They've likely run out of food.

They've traveled a great distance to hear Him speak.

And He states that He has compassion on them.

Now, this is the only place around this account that He says that.

He Himself says that.

Now, compassion is constantly attributed to Jesus as an observation of His actions.

The recorders of the Gospel see the things He does,

and they say He must have compassion for Him to act in this way.

But this is the only place we see Him say that He Himself has compassion.

And this is important that He declares this because it fulfills prophecy.

Isaiah 54, 7 and 8.

He is declaring Himself God.

Verse 7,

For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,

says the Lord, your Redeemer.

So Jesus cares about the physical things.

He's primarily concerned.

His major focus is on the spiritual things,

those things that are eternal,

but He is compassionate.

We see Him not only caring about the Spirit,

but also about the stomach.

We see Him healing people miraculously.

He's upset about deafness

and the inability to speak clearly.

We saw at the end of chapter 7.

He has compassion on people.

He declares that here Himself.

And then we see in verse 4,

a rather miraculous display of unbelief.

And this is the verse that causes,

some will call them quote-unquote scholars,

to presume that this is a second recording

of the first miracle of the feeding of the 5,000,

because they just don't understand how these men

could have possibly seen Him feed so many people before,

not too long before,

and now doubt that He could do it again.

We saw before,

at the feeding of the 5,000,

this is a record of the men,

so it's likely a much larger group.

There's no real way to know,

but presumably men with families,

so 20,000 to 25,000 people,

quite possibly.

Now with 4,000,

this is probably a massive group,

16,000,

20,000 people.

They've traveled away three days.

Likely their families are with them.

And the apostles say,

how can one feed these people

with bread here in this desolate place?

What an incredible display

of their unbelief.

And then we see the details of this miracle.

He asks them,

how many loads do you have?

They say seven.

They're asked to sit.

There's small fish.

It's kind of tacked on the end

as if it's not really the important part of the story,

and it's not.

It's just another way they were fed,

but the bread is the thing

that we're meant to really notice here

and to focus on.

And you'll see in verse 8

that they ate and were satisfied.

They had plenty.

In fact,

they had stopped eating,

and so there were leftovers.

The type of basket here,

is likely a much larger basket

than the previous 12 baskets

that were taken up.

The baskets that were generally carried

in Gentile region

were large baskets carried on the shoulder.

You could put a small person inside of.

So the point, though,

is there's lots and lots and lots of leftovers

that Jesus provided to them aboundingly.

It was above and beyond

what they even needed to be satisfied.

And then we get the record

that he immediately,

this is, I think, Mark's favorite word,

immediately got into the boat

with his disciples

and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Now, the district of Dalmanutha

is not mentioned much in history.

You'll see in Matthew,

it's recorded as the region of Magadan.

So we've got the district of Dalmanutha,

the region of Magadan.

It would have been kind of like saying,

I'm going to Marietta

versus saying I'm going to Cobb County.

This would have been a similar thing.

So these aren't contradictory accounts,

but these cities and this region

existing in the same place,

back again on the west side

of the Sea of Galilee.

This region was south of Capernaum

where he had kind of headquartered

his Galilean ministry.

So he's now entered into a new place.

And we see in verse 11,

the Pharisees.

Matthew's account expands that for us a bit

and says the Pharisees

and the Sadducees.

And they immediately,

they come up to him

and they begin to argue with him.

The Greek word would also mean dispute.

Argue, dispute.

Get into a debate from him.

And the record here in verse 11

is they were seeking from him

a sign from heaven,

not for the sake of belief,

but to test him.

To back him into a corner

to prove that he wasn't who he says

that he is.

That is the Christ,

the Son of God.

Now it's interesting

that Matthew's account records

that the Pharisees and the Sadducees

came together

because these two

were on the opposite ends

of the religious spectrum.

These groups of Jews.

Opposite ends

of the religious spectrum.

In fact,

they were religious enemies.

They didn't really get along.

They believed different things.

If you'll allow,

there were the conservatives

and the liberals.

Not politically speaking,

but the way they treated

the law of God.

The Pharisees were the legalists.

They were the fundamentalists.

They followed everything to a T.

At least they believed they did.

The Sadducees were a little more

loose with that.

The Sadducees were primarily

those involved in running the temple.

They were extorters.

People would bring sacrifice

to the temple.

They would tell them

that they weren't good enough

and then they would sell them

an acceptable sacrifice

at a really high rate.

Often they wouldn't accept

the money that they brought.

They would make them exchange

the money for the proper type of money.

They would rip them off there as well.

Horrible extortioners.

Didn't care too much

about defilement.

They loved the Greek culture.

The Pharisees hated it.

But here we see them

joining forces,

which is such a fascinating thing.

Because they were still those.

They were apostate.

They had built structures

for themselves,

whether it was conservative

or whether it was liberal.

They still rejected Jesus

as the Christ.

They missed the point

altogether,

together.

You've heard the old adage,

the enemy of my enemy

is my friend.

And this is what we find them,

combining forces to come

and to attack Jesus,

to dispute with him

and ask of him

a sign from heaven.

Now there's a superstition

in Jewish culture in this day

that only God could do

a miracle from heaven,

and here we're speaking of

from the sky,

but demons could do

earthly miracles.

So they're pressing him

into a position

where he either

had to do it

to prove who he was

in their thinking,

or deny doing it at all

and then therefore

deny who he is.

They think they've got him

backed into a corner

with this request.

We need a sign from heaven

because this is only a thing

that God could do

to test him.

To test him.

Now do you all remember

the story of Nicodemus?

Nicodemus was a leader

amongst the Pharisees.

John chapter 3 verses 1 and 2

John 3:1

records him coming to Jesus.

Now there was a man

of the Pharisees

named Nicodemus,

a ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus

by night and said to him,

Rabbi, we know

that you are a teacher

come from God.

We know.

Who is he referring to?

He's referring to that group

to which he belonged,

the Pharisees.

We know that you are a teacher

come from God,

for no one can do

these signs that you do

unless God

is with him.

So here you see

Nicodemus.

Nicodemus later

gets this teaching

from Jesus

that he must be born again,

must be born of flesh

and the water

of the Spirit.

This is such a beautiful thing.

I want to believe

that Nicodemus

is counted amongst the saints.

We don't see his response

to this teaching,

but he says here,

we know

that you are a teacher

come from God.

And it's fascinating

to see that there were

groups of Pharisees

that knew exactly

who Jesus was.

So what was going on

with these?

These Pharisees

and these Sadducees.

And that is that they

were just absolutely

spiritually blind.

They had no idea.

Jesus had done

time and time again

things to prove

that he was

the Christ

over and over again.

He was the fulfillment

of Old Testament

processes.

These men,

these were the men

that should have

known the Scriptures

and known who Jesus was.

They should have seen him

for who he was.

But they were

spiritually blind

and they asked

of him

this test.

And his response

to them

is first

that he sighs

deeply.

It's the only place

this compound

Greek phrase

is used

in the New Testament.

We see him sigh

previously

in chapter 7

verse 34

over the physical

effect of sin

but here we see him

sigh deeply

over the spiritual

effect of sin.

This is a

remorse.

This is a longing.

This is a sad

moment for him

that these men

are so blinded

that they would

ask this thing

of him.

That they would

come to him

in this way,

in this attitude

and this manner.

And his response

to him is

why does this

generation seek a sign?

And truly I say

to you,

no sign

will be given

to this generation.

A similar account

is found in

Matthew chapter 12

Matthew 12:38–41

verse 38

through 41.

And some of the

scribes and Pharisees

answered him

saying,

Teacher,

we wish to see

a sign from you.

But he answered

them,

An evil

and adulterous

generation

seeks for a sign

but no sign

will be given

to it

except the sign

of the prophet

Jonah.

For just as

Jonah was

three days

and three nights

in the belly

of the great fish

so will the

son of man

be three days

and three nights

in the heart

of the earth.

There's Jonah

as a type.

Verse 41,

The men of Nineveh

will rise up

at the judgment

with this generation

and condemn it

for they repented

at the preaching

of Jonah

and behold

something greater

than Jonah

is here.

What is Jesus

saying to them?

This is a crooked,

a perverse

generation.

When he says

generation,

he's just referring

to the Pharisees,

the Sadducees

and everyone else

who wouldn't

believe.

It's a very broad

general term

to those

in that day.

They were like

Israel in the desert.

They wouldn't believe.

What is Jesus

saying about himself?

That he himself

is the sign.

That he's standing

right in front of them

and all they have

to do

is believe

that he is the Christ.

They're like Israel

in the desert.

These Pharisees

and Sadducees,

the rest of Israel

in this day.

Deuteronomy 32.5

records,

they have dealt

corruptly with him.

They are no longer

his children

because they are

blemished.

They are a crooked

and twisted

generation.

So you see here

the scribes,

the Pharisees,

the Sadducees

in their blindness

coming to test Jesus

and there's a

very thematic

dealing with blindness

to the truth of God

in the Scriptures.

Lots of language

about darkness,

the inability

to see

and I want to

take you through

some of these

together.

If you have

the stamina,

I encourage you

to flip with me

to these places

but I'm going to

move fairly quickly

for the sake of time.

John chapter 1

John 1 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 1

In the beginning

was the Word

and the Word

was with God

and the Word

was God

speaking of Jesus.

He was in the beginning

with God.

All things were made

through Him

and without Him

was not anything made

that was made.

In Him was life

and the life

was the light

of men.

The light shines

in the darkness

and the darkness

has not overcome it.

Verse 9

The true light

which gives light

to everyone

was coming into the world.

He was in the world

and the world

was made through Him

yet the world

did not know Him.

He came to His own

and His own people

did not receive Him.

We see evidence

of that happening here

in verses 11-13

in chapter 8

of Mark.

Further on

in the Gospel of John

John 3:18–21

chapter 3

verse 18-21

Whoever believes in Him

the Son of God

is not condemned

but whoever does not believe

is condemned already

because he has not believed

in the name

of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgment.

The light has come

into the world

and people loved the darkness

rather than the light

because their works

were evil.

For everyone

who does wicked things

hates the light

and does not come

to the light

lest his works

should be exposed.

But whoever does

what is true

comes to the light

so that it may be

clearly seen

that his works

have been carried out

in God

or from faith.

So here we see

this metaphor

this analogy

for those who are

in the dark

are those who produce evil

those who have evil hearts

and that is humanity

apart from Christ.

But those who are

in the light

who have been carried

out their works

in God

by faith

are those who are

found in Christ.

The darkness

hates the light

because light

destroys darkness.

Darkness doesn't exist

when the lights flip on.

So it hates it.

It abhors it.

And people who live

in the darkness

want to avoid

the light.

This was certainly true

of so many

vast, vast numbers

of the Jews

in Jesus' name.

This is why we see

in Luke 19

Luke 19:41

verse 41

Jesus drawing near

Jerusalem

and he weeps

over it.

Verse 42

saying

would that you

even you had known

on this day

the things that make

for peace

but now they are

hidden

from your eyes.

You are

spiritually blind.

You are in

the dark.

This is also true

of the Gentiles.

Paul gives us

record of this

in Romans chapter 1

Romans 1 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 18

for the wrath of God

is revealed

from heaven

against all ungodliness

and unrighteousness

of men

who by their

unrighteousness

suppress the truth.

Now this is an address

to Gentiles

because

verse 19 says

for what can be known

about God

is plain to them

because God

has shown it to them.

They don't have the law

but it has been made

evidenced in the creation

for his invisible attributes

namely his eternal power

and divine nature

have been clearly perceived

ever since the creation

of the world

and the things

that have been made

so they are without

excuse.

For although they knew God

they didn't honor him

as God

or give thanks to him

but they came futile

in their thinking

and their foolish hearts

were darkened.

Claiming to be wise

they became fools

and exchanged the glory

of the immortal God

for images resembling

mortal man

and birds

and animals

and creeping things.

Dwelling in the darkness

rejecting God.

This was true

before the days

of Jesus.

Psalm 82.5

says the wicked

have neither knowledge

nor understanding

they walk about

in darkness.

Proverbs 4.19

The way of the wicked

is like deep darkness.

They do not know

over what they stumble.

Isaiah 44.18

They know not

nor do they discern

for he has shut their eyes

so that they cannot see

in their hearts

so that they cannot

understand.

This is true

after the days

of Jesus

leading right up

to the days

in which we now live.

Paul writes

in Ephesians 4.17-19

Now this I say

in testifying the Lord

that you must

no longer walk

as the Gentiles do

just meaning

those outside the faith

in the futility

of their minds.

They are darkened

in their understanding

alienated from

the life of God

because of the ignorance

that is in them

due to their

hardness of heart.

They have become callous

and have given themselves

up to sensuality

greedy to practice

every kind of impurity.

Again you see

the darkness

they are darkened

in their understanding.

Paul writes again

in 2 Corinthians

verse 4

excuse me

chapter 4

verse 3-4

And even if our gospel

is veiled

that is hidden

it is veiled

to those who are perishing

in their case

the God of this world

being Satan

has blinded the minds

of the unbelievers

to keep them from seeing

the light of the gospel

of the glory of Christ

who is the image

of God.

So here we see

all these different things

at work

individuals

we see God at work

we see Satan at work

and these people

are darkened

and they are blind

to the reality

of Christ.

And here in this text

there seems

to be a turning point

as Jesus deals

with the Pharisees

and the Sadducees

moving on

in the gospel of Mark

he doesn't show

much mercy

to them

he doesn't seem

to put up with them

much at all

he doesn't really seem

to entertain their questions

he's very forward with them

he speaks boldly out

against their sin

it seems here

that they as a group

have made it evident

that they never intend

to leave the darkness

and Jesus treats them

as such

as those who have

spiritual influence

over their communities

he begins to call them out

and tell them

exactly who they are

moving forward

in the gospel of Mark

he turns his attention

away from the crowds

he turns his attention

away from redemption

of Pharisees

and Sadducees

he begins to really

pour his energy

and his efforts

into the apostles

and he just

doesn't hold back

it seems up to this point

some punches were held

now he lets them fly

there seems

to be expressed here

by the Pharisees

a degree of unbelief

with finality

an unbelief with finality

all of us

didn't believe

at one point

none of us

were born in belief

we were all born in sin

we had to believe

at some point

they seem here

to express

that they will never

believe

and Jesus then

treats them

as such

now we move

beyond them

and we see them

again

hopping in a boat

and moving

they get back in a boat

probably heading

back again

to the other side

although

they don't arrive

right

this story takes place

in the boat

and we see the

apostles

unbelief

the poor

pitiful

apostles

this group of men

that's just

confounding

when you look at them

on the surface

and then when you

actually begin to apply

the way that they act

and the way that they

respond to your own heart

you'll find that you're

so much like

these men

and I am

certainly

much like

these men

they have now been

with Jesus

for approximately

a year

they have seen him

do first hand

accounts of him

do just some

incredible things

healings

in the thousands

it was said

that Jesus

eradicated

illness

in the places

that he went

we just get

some particular

records of that

all of these stories

that are meant

to point us

to the reality

of who he is

but he healed

far and wide

remember they're

on the sea of Galilee

and there are

ten foot waves

coming

and Jesus speaks

and it's calmed

he's done

incredible things

in their presence

now for a year

and they get into

a conversation

about bread

they only brought

one loaf

with them

in the boat

and they're concerned

about their

hunger

Jesus had just

fed

sixteen to twenty

thousand

as an approximation

with seven loaves

and here we have

a group

we don't know

exactly the number

in this case

but a much

much smaller group

with one loaf

and they're

concerned

about this

oh we forgot

to bring

the bread

and Jesus

cautions them

with an interesting

statement

watch out

beware of the

leaven of the

Pharisees

and the leaven

of Herod

now this

obviously the

encounter that

had just

happened

is still fresh

in Jesus' mind

should have been

fresh in theirs

as well

as he has

encountered

the Pharisees

and the Sadducees

in this question

that they

had

now leaven

if we're going

to beware

of something

leaven we must

understand

was

like yeast

was the thing

put in bread

to have it

rise

it was a bit

of bread

a bit of dough

from a previous

batch that had

yeast in it

and if you don't

know yeast

is a bacteria

that gives off

carbon dioxide

I think

I hope I'm getting

that right

and causes our

bread to rise

which makes

those little

air pockets

inside

our bread

I think I hear

whispering from

our chemistry

teacher

it doesn't

matter

this is what

happens to

bread

and they

in this day

they would

save a little

bit of dough

because they

didn't have

a little

yellow packet

of yeast

that they

could rip

off the top

and mix

in water

to add it

to the bread

so they

would save

a little

bit back

and they

would add

it to

the bread

so he's

been doing

miracles with

bread

he's been

talking a lot

about bread

he's saying

that he is

the bread

of life

and here he

says

watch out

beware

of the

leaven of

the Pharisees

and the

leaven of

Herod

now this

this idea

this metaphor

of leaven

is used

all throughout

the scriptures

used throughout

the Old Testament

as well

and it's most

commonly used

as a metaphor

for sin

not in every

case

it doesn't

unilaterally

represent sin

but it is

most commonly

used as a

metaphor for

sin

this is why

the Passover

feast

that you

celebrate

is done

with unleavened

bread

it's intentionally

meant to

represent that

in fact

we probably

more accurately

should have

unleavened bread

during the

Lord's Supper

it'd probably

be a better

picture

of that

we won't

be too

concerned

about it

the gluten

free stations

I think

a little

more holy

than the

other ones

because I

don't

I don't

think

there's

any yeast

in that

maybe there

is

I don't

know

Galatians 5

7-9

Paul writes

to the

Galatian

church

which was

dealing

with

taking on

circumcision

they were

replacing

this gospel

of grace

with the

gospel

of works

and Paul

says to

them

you were

running

well

who hindered

you from

obeying

the truth

this

persuasion

is not

from him

who calls

you

being God

a little

leaven

leavens

the whole

lump

Matthew

16-12

the same

account

that we're

studying

in Mark

it

ends

with

verse 12

then they

understood

that he

did not

tell them

to beware

the leaven

of bread

but of

the teaching

of the

Pharisees

and the

Sadducees

so he's

warning them

as they

are not

believing

that he

is who

he said

he is

that he

is the

son of

God

he's already

evidence

that he

can feed

them

to plenty

to overflowing

there's

way more

available

for them

right

he asks

them the

question

later on

does he

not

he says

how many

baskets

did we

have

left over

we had

twelve

this time

we had

seven

this time

don't you

think

I can

feed

you

right

don't

be

like the

Pharisees

and the

Sadducees

don't be

like

Herod

who was

afraid of

what people

would think

of him

so he

put John

the Baptist

to death

don't let

that

untruth

that unbelief

work in

you

because here

we see

these men

are still

apparently

in darkness

let's say

there's a

dawning light

they've

obeyed

they've

followed

they've

left things

behind

for Jesus

they've

seen

miraculous

things

happen

but yet

they still

respond

in these

bizarre

ways

Jesus

asked

them

scathing

questions

do you

not yet

perceive

or understand

are your

hearts

hardened

hardened

and I don't

think Jesus

asked these

questions

are your

hearts

hardened

but in

what is

wrong

with you

guys

have I

not

displayed

for you

the power

of God

have I

not shown

you

that I

am

the

Christ

and he

asked them

questions

that they

would know

the answer

to

how many

baskets full

of pieces

did you

take up

they said

twelve

and the

seven

for the

four thousand

how many

baskets full

of pieces

did you

take up

and they

said

seven

and he

says

do you

not yet

understand

now there

are a number

of again

quote unquote

scholars

that play

around with

the significance

of the

numbers of

baskets

twelve

times of

Israel

seven

represent

something

to the

Gentiles

I don't

remember

what it

was

but there's

absolutely

no way

to prove

that it

meant

anything

at all

and I

don't

think

it

means

anything

at all

for this

text

I

really

don't

think

that

Jesus

is

trying

to

teach

them

anything

other

than

I

provided

beyond

because

there

was

a

lot

left

over

to

them

abounding

provision

to

them

see

the

apostles

were

always

so

concerned

with

physical

things

physical

provision

as

they're

traveling

around

Jesus

was

primarily

concerned

with

the

spiritual

things

the

account

of

the

same

story

we

see

in

Matthew

prior

to

that

Jesus

preached

a

sermon

that

we

call

the

Sermon

on

the

mount

in

which

he

said

do

not

be

anxious

saying

what

shall

we

eat

or

what

shall

we

drink

or

what

shall

we

wear

for

the

Gentiles

again

meaning

those

outside

the

faith

seek

after

all

these

things

and

your

heavenly

father

knows

that

you

need

them

all

but

seek

first

the

kingdom

of

God

and

his

righteousness

seek

first

those

things

that

are

spiritual

those

things

that

matter

most

those

!

things

that

are

eternal

and

all

these

things

these

temporal

things

will be

added

to

you

do

you

not

yet

understand

and

it

hangs

there

for

us

today

at

very

least

I

hope

you

will

read

on

eagerly

waiting

for

Peter's

declaration

of

verse

29

of

chapter

8

you

are

the

Christ

as

the

spokesman

of

the

apostles

we

know

they

didn't

all

come

to

believe

in

him

Judas

betrayed

him

right

but

as

the

spokesperson

for

the

apostles

you

are

the

Christ

the

anointed

one

!

of

God

so

we

see

these

two

stories

really

of

unbelief

following

this

miracle

of

the

feeding

of

the

four

thousand

and

the

tying

together

of

all

that

with

Jesus

being

the

bread

of

life

the

source

of

sustenance

the

very

thing

that

sustains

us

to

the

end

as

well

as

the

one

who

provides

the

temporal

stuff

for

us

right

let's

go

hard

after

those

things

that

are

spiritual

!

the

temporal

will

come

along

beside

so

what is

the

application

of

this

text

well

if

you're

not

a

believer

if

you

don't

have

a

confidence

that

you

have

placed

your

faith

in

Christ

if

you

don't

have

evidence

of

the

spirit

working

in

you

to

bring

about

righteousness

to

hate

sin

to

love

the

ways

of

God

do

not

a

believer

do

not

be

like

the

Pharisees

and

the

Sadducees

do

not

wait

for

a

sign

from

heaven

it

has

been

given

to

you

do

not

be

like

Voltaire

the

French

man

that

did

not

believe

in

God

he

said

that

if

a

thousand

people

witnessed

a

miracle

he

would

be

more

likely

to

doubt

their

senses

than

to

believe

that

a

miracle

had

actually

happened

do

not

be

darkened

like

the

Pharisees

and

the

Sadducees

do

be

like

the

apostles

there

was at

least

a

dawning

light

here

in

their

story

they

still

got

into

the

boat

with

Jesus

they

weren't

his

enemy

at

this

point

they

weren't

seeking

his

death

as

the

Pharisees

and

the

Sadducees

were

and

finally

make

the

declaration

you

are

the

Christ

be

like

the

apostles

to

the

end

follow

him

wherever

he

takes

you

and

even

to

the

point

of

death

on

his

behalf

so

do

be

like

the

apostles

if

you

are

a

believer

hope

and

pray

that

everyone

in

this

room

is

can

say

that

with

confidence