Do You Still Not Understand?

We'll begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 103, the Scottish Psalter version.

Psalm 103, page 369 of the psalm books. We're going to sing from verse 8 to verse 13.

The Lord our God is merciful, and he is gracious, long-suffering, and slow to wrath, and mercy

plenteous. He will not chide continually, nor keep his anger still. With us he dealt not as we sinned,

nor did we quiet our ill. We'll sing from verse 8 to 13 to God's praise.

The Lord our God is merciful, and he is gracious, long-suffering, and slow to wrath, and mercy plenteous.

He will not chide continually, nor keep his anger still.

With us he dealt not as we sinned, nor did we quiet our ill.

For us the heaven, every time, the earth surrounded by. So we to our statue and fear,

His tender mercy's high.

His tender mercy's high.

As far as he's distant from the west, so far at me, from us we looted in his love,

all our may need.

His tender mercy's high.

His tender mercy's high.

The earth is distant from the west, so far at me, from us we looted in his love,

all our may need.

His tender mercy's high.

The earth is distant from us we looted in his love, all our may need.

His tender mercy's high.

The earth is distant from us we looted in his love, all our may need.

His tender mercy's high.

The earth is distant from us we looted in his love, all our may need.

The earth is distant from us we looted in his love, all our may need.

The earth is distant from us we looted in his love, all our may need.

Melanie.

He asked the Father,

I will come to God in prayer.

Let us pray.

Our gracious God, our Father in heaven,

as we sing praise to you,

we are thankful for the wonder of these words,

of what they remind us of.

They remind us of who you are

and how gracious you are towards us.

You are a Father who pities his children

and you do not deal with us according to our ways.

You have been patient and kind with us

and long-suffering in so many different ways.

And we thank you that today and this evening

as we come to worship you,

as we come seeking your face,

we are reminded in so many ways,

O Lord, of how you have kept us,

how you have spared us,

how your favor has been upon us.

We are reminded in the Psalm 2 of who we are.

We are a pitied people, Lord,

for we have sinned and fall short of your glory

in so many ways.

But we thank you, Lord,

that we are reminded too

that as we come to worship you

in the right spirit of fear,

that we are indeed your dear children

and that you are a God who cares for us.

Even in our sin, Lord,

we are reminded that as we come to you

seeking forgiveness,

that you have removed our sin

as far as east as from the west.

And we thank you that we are reminded of that,

not because of our deserving of it.

We are reminded not because of anything

that we have done,

but we are reminded of our sin removed

through your own Son,

through his sacrifice,

through the shedding of his blood,

through his giving his life

as a ransom for many.

And so we thank you, Lord,

for your great love and compassion

towards us in these things.

And as we come today

on a day of significant and special remembrance,

we look back, oh Lord,

in so many ways.

And we remember, Lord,

in so many different ways,

things that have taken place in the past,

things that we didn't experience,

many of us ourselves,

and yet, oh Lord,

things that have left a mark upon us all,

things that have made an impression

on our lives

and indeed marked out our lives for us.

For apart from the loss of so many lives,

apart from those who were willing

to stand up to wickedness

and evil when it arose,

apart from those great sacrifices,

Lord, our world would be so different,

our freedoms,

maybe we wouldn't even have them.

And the worship of your name

could be so curtailed

that, Lord, we would have to do so

as we do this evening

in much privacy

and even hidden away.

And we know, Lord,

that we have so much to be thankful for,

for all who went,

who laid down their lives,

that we might have the freedom that we do.

We thank you, Lord,

that even to this day

there are those who serve

for that means, oh Lord,

for your people far and wide,

to give freedom and liberties

that are not ours.

Apart from, Lord,

they were given by you.

And so we thank you

for all our services,

our armed forces.

We thank you for them in the past,

Lord, how they defended our nation

on land,

at sea,

and in the air,

and in so many different ways

on the home front as well.

We thank you, Lord,

for all that was done for us.

And in our remembrance, Lord,

help us that we will indeed

give thanks for them,

but above all,

give thanks to you this day.

May we remember, Lord,

the conflicts taking place

even in our own day and age as well.

That throughout the world,

there are still these battles ongoing,

still so many lives being lost

because of the wickedness of man.

And we do pray, Lord,

for you to come

in a day of your power

to have pity upon us, Lord,

to have mercy upon us,

and to turn us once again towards you.

So, Lord, we pray that you will help us

to remember all these things,

but above all, Lord,

that we would remember you in it.

As someone said, Lord,

that the further we go from an event,

the more we forget.

And the further we go,

not just from the conflicts

and wars of these past centuries,

but the further we go, Lord,

from the conquest of sin at the cross,

the more we tend to forget.

When Jesus said that

he would come again to his people,

they were expecting it so imminently.

But now that years and centuries have passed,

we live as a people

who have almost forgotten

the promises of Christ.

But we thank you that your word

gives us a remembrance towards that.

And we thank you, Lord,

for every means that we have

to remember you.

We thank you for your word

and the proclamation of it.

We thank you for the preaching of it

week by week.

We thank you, too,

for the sacraments

for both the Lord's Supper

and baptism.

They're reminders to us, Lord,

of all that you have done for us

and the way that our salvation

has been purchased.

And so we pray that you will continue

to build up your church

far and wide,

that in all we do,

we do so in remembrance of him

who gave his life for us.

We thank you for our people, Lord,

our congregation,

and our communities.

We do pray your blessing on us

as a people.

We thank you, Lord,

that you are always near,

that there is never a moment

when we cannot turn to you.

We thank you that even

in this past week

as we have experienced

great needs in our midst

as a people,

with ill health,

with the passing of loved ones,

with the various trials

that come our way, Lord,

we thank you that you are a God

who is faithful,

that you are always there for us.

And we pray, Lord,

that you will surround us

as a people,

that you will uphold us

as a people,

that you will be a strength

to those who need you

in particular ways.

We think of those

who are laid aside

in their homes,

those who are in hospital,

those who are in homes

for the old age.

We pray, Lord,

for our young people,

our middle age,

for all with many ongoing issues

in our lives.

Lord, we know that our lives

are complex in so many ways

and our understanding

is so dull at times.

We think we understand

so many things

and yet so much

we do not understand.

But we thank you

that in Christ

we have one

who is a teacher,

who is our Lord.

And we pray, Lord,

that you will direct our paths,

that you will help us

to know our ways

and to walk in your paths,

to walk in your ways.

We pray, Lord,

your blessing over us

and we thank you

for our young people,

for the YF tonight.

We pray that you will bless them

in their time together

for that subject

they will be speaking upon,

the life in this world

where we think of our image

and all that that means.

We know it's such a pressure

on us as a people

and especially our young ones.

We pray for you

and as he leads them in that

and as they enjoy

that time together, Lord,

may you bless them

and give them your spirit

upon them.

And in all things, Lord,

that we think of image,

may we remember

that we are made

in the image of Christ.

And we pray, Lord,

that we will see Christ

in one another

and that we would see,

O Lord,

your image being perfected in us,

that we would see our people

as a whole,

all of us together,

seeking after him

and longing to be more like him.

So we pray your blessing on us

as we continue in our worship.

Bless your people far and wide.

Build up your church, O Lord,

and look down upon us

in these days with mercy.

Remember those who lead us

in government

and who rule over us

as a people.

May you uphold them

and give them wisdom

from on high.

Bless the nations

of the world, O Lord.

We pray again, Lord,

for all the various needs

around us,

that you will be with us

as a people.

We thank you that

in our remembrance of so much,

that you are a God

who has remembered us.

May you continue to do so,

Lord,

that you would turn your face

towards us,

shine upon us

and bless us

by the pity

of your nature

and all that you are.

Lord,

may you find us

to be a precious people,

a people

purchased at a great price

and a people

who would come

and offer up our praise

and worship to you.

So, Lord,

hear our prayers,

hear our praise,

uphold us in all we do.

Bless us as we sing

your praise.

Be with the one

who leads us in it, Lord.

And may we all lift up

our hearts together

in worship

and adoration of you.

Bless your word

to us as well

as we ask all things

with forgiveness

of our sins.

In Jesus' precious name.

Amen.

We'll again sing

to God's praise,

this time in Psalm 77.

In the Singed Psalm,

Psalm 77.

It's on page 100

of the psalm books.

We're going to sing

from verse 7

down to verse 15.

Verse 7,

it's the question

of the psalmist

where he's looking

to God

and asking this question,

forever will the Lord

reject

and never show

his grace

as he withdrawn

his steadfast love

and turned

from me

his face.

There's this searching

question

that the psalmist has.

But then in verse 10

he says,

then to my heart

there came this thought,

on this I will rely,

the years of the right hand

of power

of him

who is most high.

I rely on a dependence

upon God.

We'll sing

from verse 7

to 15

to God's praise.

Forever

will the Lord

reject

and never

show

his grace

as

he

will

turn

on

his

king

cross

and

turn

from me

his face.

For all

time

has

his

promise

failed

his

God

no

No longer kind, as he in his great proudestness, O passion from his mind.

Then to my heart, their kindness thought, On this I will rely.

The years of the bright hand of power, Off him who is most high.

I will recall the Lord's great deeds, Your words of long ago.

I'll meditate on all your acts, Your mighty deeds I'll show.

O God, for so in higher ways, What God compares with you.

You are the Lord of miracles, Whose powers that nations view.

You have redeemed your people, Lord, With your almighty arm.

Jacob, St. Joseph, children you Delivered from all heart.

We will turn together to read God's word now in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark, Mark chapter 8.

Mark 8 · chapter mention

Reading from the beginning of the chapter down to verse 21.

Mark chapter 8, the beginning of the chapter down to verse 21.

Mark 8 · chapter mention

In those days when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat,

He called His disciples to Him,

He said,

They said seven.

They said seven.

And He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground.

And He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks,

He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people.

And they set them before the crowd.

And they had a few small fish.

And having blessed them, He said too,

He said that these also should be set before them.

And they ate and were satisfied.

And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

And there were about four thousand people.

And He sent them away.

And immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven to test Him.

And He said,

Why does this generation seek a sign?

And He said,

Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.

And He left them, got into His boat again, and went to the other side.

Now they had forgotten to bring bread.

And they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

And He cautioned them, saying,

Watch out.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.

And Jesus, aware of this, said to them,

Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?

Do you not yet perceive or understand?

Are your hearts hardened?

Having eyes, do you not see?

And having ears, do you not hear?

And do you not remember?

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,

how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?

They said to Him,

Twelve.

And the seven for the four thousand,

How many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?

And they said to Him,

Seven.

And He said to them,

Do you not yet understand?

And so on.

And may God bless that reading from His Word.

We're going to sing again to God's praise, this time in Psalm 85.

In the sing Psalms on page 113.

Psalm 85, page 113, from the beginning of the Psalm.

In times past, Lord, you showed favour to your own beloved land,

the prosperity of Jacob.

You restored by your strong hand.

You forgave your people's trespass.

You were pleased their sins to hide.

You withdrew all your displeasure from your wrath.

You turned aside.

We'll sing from verse 1 to 9 to God's praise.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Let go!

Amen.

In times past, Lord, you should favor to your own beloved land.

Let prosperity of Jacob you restore values from hand.

You forgive your needless past.

You had peace as sins to hide.

You withdrew all your displeasure.

From your wrath you turned aside.

God our Savior now restored us.

All must turn away your rage.

Will your anger burn against us?

Will it last from age to age?

Will you not again revive us?

That we may rejoice in you.

Show us, Lord, your covenant mercy.

Your salvation grant anew.

I will hear what God the Lord says.

To his saints he offers peace.

But his people must not wander.

And return to foolishness.

Surely for all those who fear him.

His salvation is our time.

So that once again his glory may be seen within our land.

Amen.

Well, if we can turn back to our reading in Mark's Gospel, Chapter 8.

We're going to be looking at the whole of the section that we read from the beginning of the chapter down to verse 21.

But it's in light of the question that Jesus asks of his disciples.

The question you see asked twice of them here.

In verse 17 and then in verse 21.

In verse 17, Jesus says, aware of what they were speaking about, he said to them,

Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?

Do you not yet perceive or understand?

Are your hearts hardened?

And then in verse 21, he says to them,

Do you not yet understand?

I think it's important for us, first of all, as we think of that question,

to realize who the question was being asked of.

It wasn't of a large crowd of people.

It was of his closest disciples, those who were closest to him,

those who had experienced so much with him up to this point.

Yet in all that they've seen, in all that they've experienced with them,

he still has this question of them.

Do you not yet understand?

And it's a question for ourselves to think about too.

Do you understand?

When we think about our lives, we live as if we understand so much.

Whatever age and stage of life we are,

we always feel we know more than we actually do.

We often feel we understand,

maybe even everything that there is to know about life.

And yet the more we go on,

the more we realize just how little we understand.

What's your favorite school subject?

It could be a question for the young people here,

but it's also a question maybe for every one of us.

When you look back over the years to your days in school,

what was your favorite subject?

Some maybe would excel in maths,

some in English,

some in sciences,

some in geography,

some in history.

You'd all have maybe different strengths and weaknesses.

But if you went into the class the first day

and you were expected to understand

everything about that subject there and then,

how would you fare?

If you were to sit an exam,

that's actually a higher exam for sixth year

when you went into primary one,

do you think you'd pass?

Do you think you'd understand trigonometry?

You'd understand algebra?

You'd understand how everything goes together.

You wouldn't

because you haven't reached that stage.

But your teacher wouldn't say to you on primary one,

do you not understand?

Do you not understand

how algebra and trigonometry works

when you haven't been fully taught?

You wouldn't be expected to know it

or understand it at that point.

But yet as our lives go on,

we begin to understand more and more.

But I could ask hands up

if anyone now understands algebra.

And it doesn't matter what stage of life you're at,

some people still don't understand.

But it doesn't mean that that's it.

You're pushed away.

There's certain things

that we should seek to understand.

Maybe we're not interested in certain subjects.

We've got other areas we'd like to focus on.

But when Jesus is asking us this question,

he's asking us for a different reason.

He's asking a more searching question.

A question that we really need to think about ourselves

because it's not something we can just put away

and say, well, I'm not going to need that in life.

I'm not really interested in learning about that.

I've got other areas I'm more focused in.

When Jesus is asking this question,

do you understand?

He's asking it because it is an important question

for every one of us.

As believers or as seekers

or wherever we are in life,

Jesus is asking this question of you this evening.

And he's saying,

do you not yet understand?

In all your experience in life

and all the understanding you feel you have

and you may be starting to think,

oh, I know so much in life now.

I'm understanding everything.

But when Jesus asks us,

do you really understand?

Do you understand what's important?

Do you understand what's vital for your life,

for death, for eternity?

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

We realize we don't.

But we have a great teacher.

We have one who gives us instruction in his word,

saying to us,

you maybe won't understand it all.

You won't understand everything.

But I will give you what you need to know

and what you need to take hold of.

So this question that Jesus has for his disciples,

it's in light of having been with them

for some time together now,

having seen so many miracles and healings,

having heard the greatest teaching they would ever hear.

He's asking them,

do you understand?

And so tonight, that's your question too.

Do you understand?

Or what do you understand

of what Jesus is asking here?

Whatever situation you're in,

if you're a believer,

do you understand what that means?

Are you confident in what you know?

If you're a seeker,

do you understand what you're looking for?

Do you understand where to find it?

If you're a doubter,

do you understand what that means?

Do you understand the danger you're in

of just pushing Jesus away?

Or if you're rejecting the truth completely,

do you understand what that means?

Do you understand what a rejection of Christ means eternally?

Do you understand is the question.

And with this evening,

we're going to look at different things

that can hinder our understanding,

that can become a barrier to our understanding.

Circumstances we see in this passage,

things that come between the people

and their understanding of who Jesus is

and what he can do

and see how they speak to ourselves as well

and how they remind us

that even though we will not understand fully,

Jesus has made himself known in a way

that we can understand to the way of salvation.

So the three things are this.

First of all,

there's circumstances that can prevent us

from understanding.

Secondly,

there's conflict that can hinder our understanding.

And then thirdly,

there's confusion that can hinder our understanding.

So the first thing is circumstances.

If you look at,

first of all,

verse 1 to verse 10,

here we have the account of the feeding

of the 4,000 as it is in this part.

And it's important to note

that this is not the same

as the feeding of the 5,000

because that's made clear for us

later on in the verses that we read

because Jesus asks them about the two incidents

when these miracles happened,

the feeding of the 5,000

and the feeding of the 4,000.

So this is the second time

this great miracle has happened.

And the question that he asks of the people

is really,

this is the main aspect of it,

it's in light of the miracle

that they've seen here

in the talk about bread

and how Jesus is able to understand it.

They're questioning where the bread

is going to come from.

So he's asking,

do you not yet understand?

Do you not understand who I am?

You see as you read through the Gospel of Mark,

many miracles that Jesus has done.

He shows his power again and again

in remarkable ways.

He's healed many people already to this point.

He's calmed a storm

that the disciples were in with him.

He made the sea just to be still

at the power of his voice.

And now this is the second miraculous feeding

of a large group of people.

And you would think to yourself at this point now,

surely, well, the disciples,

they'll be understanding who this man is.

They'd asked in the storm,

who is this?

That even the wind and the waves obey him.

But surely now,

they're understanding who he is.

Having seen all these miracles

again and again,

that Jesus has done so much

that is impossible.

And yet, when this challenge arises,

you'd think, well,

the disciples will know

Jesus can help.

So again, as you see in this section,

they're gathered together,

a large crowd.

They've got nothing to eat.

In verse 1,

and he says,

he called his disciples to him

and said to them,

I have compassion on the crowd

because they have been with me now

three days and have nothing to eat.

And he explains that if he sends them away,

they'll faint on the way.

So his disciples answered him and said,

how can one feed these people with bread here

in this desolate place?

They've seen it done before.

And yet, the question they have immediately here is,

how can anything be done?

And Jesus is asking them later on,

do you not understand?

They've seen it,

but they maybe don't believe

it can happen again.

They've had that

wow factor in the past

when they've seen so much

of the power of God,

and yet here they are

just a short time later

asking,

what can we do?

How can anybody help us

in this situation?

Sometimes it's good

when things are going well,

when we're tuned in

and trusting God the Lord

and seeing blessings around us.

But when our circumstances change,

we can so easily doubt

and begin to look away from God.

Circumstances can affect us

so much,

but should they?

Not so much

that we wouldn't have God

in our vision at all times,

but the reality is,

they do.

And we ourselves

go into circumstances,

and even though we've seen

the Lord's hand in the past,

we've seen many ways

where he's helped his people,

whether we're looking at scripture,

whether we're looking at history,

whether we're looking at

our own personal experience

of the past,

where God has helped me,

God has been with me,

and yet we come to another trial,

another event,

well, what can God do?

He can't help me here.

We take our eyes away from him.

Just like that psalm

that we were singing,

Psalm 77,

where the psalmist saying,

whatever will the Lord reject

and never show his grace.

This is the psalmist

who's known it in the past.

And yet he's saying,

you know,

can God do it now?

And maybe that's so much

our attitude as well.

Circumstances eat away at us,

and they dictate

the way that we see God

when really it shouldn't.

Because even the psalmist

says in that psalm,

then to my heart

there came this thought,

on this I will rely,

the years of the right hand

of power of him

who is most high.

I will recall

the Lord's great deeds,

your works of long ago.

He begins to look back

and say,

well, actually,

in all my questions,

God's done it before.

And he goes on to say,

oh God, most holy,

are your ways

what God compares with you.

You are the God of miracles

whose power the nation's view.

What makes the difference?

It's to look to God

and to remember who he is.

And circumstances here,

the disciples are saying,

who can help us?

There's nothing here for us.

They've forgotten already

what God can do,

what Christ has done

in the past.

But he reminds them again

how he is able to do

the things that are impossible.

This is no ordinary event.

It's a miracle.

It's a miraculous event

that Christ has shown his power

once again.

He is the God of miracles.

But have we lost sight of that?

Are we forgetting who he is?

Do we really understand?

When he asks that question,

do you not yet understand?

Is that a question of ourselves?

Even though we've seen his favor,

even though we've seen his blessing,

we still doubt.

What have we got?

And what can Jesus do with it?

Is how we should look at it.

That should have been the response

of the disciples here.

Instead of saying,

nothing can be done.

Jesus points them

in the right direction.

He begins to say,

what have we got?

What can we give

to these people?

He asked them,

how many loaves do we have?

They said,

seven.

Now again in their eyes,

this would never be enough

to feed them.

Or the fish,

just a few small fish,

never would that feed this crowd.

But through the Lord's blessing,

it does.

And there's seven baskets full

left over.

Their circumstances

made them look away from God

and look at the situation

and think nothing can be done.

And for ourselves today,

it's a time maybe to ask,

what have we got?

And what can we do?

What can God do

with what we have?

Not we ourselves.

What can we achieve?

But what can God do for us?

In our circumstances,

we think everything is low.

Everything is hard.

Everything is difficult.

And they are at times.

But are we trusting God?

Do we understand

who He is?

And do we understand

what He is able to do?

Our circumstances

are no different

to the circumstances

of those in the past

who trusted God.

And that's what we pray tonight,

that God will revive

our trust in Him.

We need an urgency

for Him.

So we don't let our circumstances

dictate our view of Jesus.

Instead, we look first to Him

and then to our circumstances.

And see,

He is able

to do abundantly more

than we ask or imagine.

The second thing we see here

is the conflict that comes

between mainly Jesus

and the Pharisees.

And how again,

this hinders

an understanding

of who Jesus is.

You see this with the Pharisees

in verse 11.

The Pharisees came

and began to argue with Him.

seeking with Him

a sign from heaven

to test Him.

And He sighed deeply

in spirit and said,

Why does this generation

seek a sign?

Truly I say to you,

no sign

shall be given

to this generation.

And He left them,

got into His boat again,

and went

to the other side.

Here's the Pharisees.

And their attitude

towards Jesus

is an immediate barrier

to their understanding

because they're straight away

into conflict

with Jesus.

The Pharisees came

and began to

argue with Him.

Straight off.

As soon as He comes their way,

they begin to argue with Him,

seeking for a sign

from heaven.

They would have known

all about the miracles.

They would have heard

about everything

that Jesus was doing.

It's almost like

they're mocking Him here.

Show us a sign.

Do another miracle

as if it's just a show.

But Jesus

is rebuking them.

Why does this generation

seek a sign?

They refused to accept

anything

that Jesus did.

It didn't matter

what He did,

they would still have

something

to argue with Jesus about.

Something that would

make Him

pushed away.

It's as if to say,

we don't need you.

The Pharisees,

just like so many of us

today as well,

they understood

everything.

They always had

an answer.

They always had

something to show

the people

how superior

they were,

how they had

this greater

understanding

than anybody else.

So few could

silence them.

But Jesus did

on many occasions.

He always had

a rebuke

or a challenge

for them

that made them

to be silent.

But here they kept

coming back,

kept coming back,

seeking after a sign.

Can we not be like

that ourselves too?

We've got all

the answers.

We understand

everything that we

need to know

about life.

But maybe,

maybe if Jesus

just gave me a sign,

maybe if He showed

me something,

then I would believe.

If God

maybe did another

miracle today,

then I would believe

that He is real.

But would you?

Would you believe

even if you saw

another miracle?

two things

to ask yourself

if this is

your attitude.

First is,

why should you

get a sign

just for yourself?

Are you

deserving of it?

The second thing is,

has He not

given you

all the signs

that you need?

Has He not

shown you

everything you need

to know about Him?

think about the signs

that you have

all around you,

the things that

point you

towards God,

and the kind of

questions that you

maybe have.

Oh, if only Jesus

would do this,

when so often

He already has.

Just think about

the creation

around you.

on a night

like tonight

when you go out

and there's a

clear sky,

you lift up

your eyes,

you maybe

see the moon,

you see the stars,

does that not

speak?

Does that not

show you

that there's a

creator behind

it all?

As you watch

a sunrise

and a sunset,

as you watch

this week

the torrents

of rain we had,

you think to yourself,

well,

where should it all

come from?

He has made

all of these

things.

Is there not

a creator

behind them?

He has given

so many signs,

the signs all

around us

in creation.

There's a story

told about

Sir Isaac Newton

and you think

to yourself,

well,

there's someone

who had

such a great

understanding

of so many

things in life.

But perhaps

the greatest

understanding

he had was

that he knew

that there was

someone else

behind everything.

And he had

a miniature

model made

of the solar

system that he

had in his

study.

And apparently

it was quite

an amazing

thing to see.

It had the

sun in the

middle and

revolving around

the sun

were all the

planets and

it would move

around,

you could tell

what was what.

And another

scientist entered

his study one

day and was

amazed by

this model.

And he was

just taken

aback by it,

how exquisite

it was.

And he started

to ask questions.

One of the

questions he

asked was,

who made

it?

And Isaac

Newton replied,

nobody.

Well,

the other

scientist said

to him,

you must think

I'm a fool.

Of course

somebody made

it, and

whoever made

it is a

genius.

Isaac

Newton

apparently replied

by saying

this, he

said, this

thing is

but a

puny

imitation of

something much

more grand

and marvelous.

And I'm

not able to

convince you

that this

mere toy has

no designer.

Yet you

profess to

believe that

the great

original which

this design

comes from

was made

without designer

or maker.

Now tell

me, he

said, by

what reason

do you reach

such a

conclusion?

Amazed

by the

model, but

unamazed by

the real

thing.

And how

many things

are we

amazed with

today?

How many

things do

we see

that take

our breath

away?

Whether it's

some kind

of technology

or something

else that we

see around

us, we're

just like

blown away

by things

that we

see have

been made.

And yet we

fail to be

amazed by

the creator.

Jesus

says to the

Pharisees,

why do you

seek a

sign?

God is

saying that

to ourselves,

why would

you seek

after a

sign today?

When all

the signs

are there

for you,

whether it's

looking at

creation,

whether it's

looking at

his word,

whether it's

looking at

history,

whether it's

looking at

everything goes

on around

us, God

is reminding

us again and

again and

again that he

is the God

of miracles.

miracles.

And yet

still we

don't believe.

Consider

the marvel

of the

human body.

When you

read in

Psalm 139

that we

were fearfully

and wonderfully

made, formed

in the womb,

no two people

alike in the

world, no two

fingerprints

alike.

When you

consider the

marvel of

DNA and

how all of

that works

together,

and yet you're

unique.

Every one

of you.

You are

different from

every other

person in

this world.

Is that not

something that

should leave us

amazed and

thinking, how

is that?

Where did we

come from?

How are we

made?

Well the Bible

tells us we

are made in

the image of

God.

We are made

by him and

for him.

All these

signs are

there for us

and yet we

push God

away.

we are

amazed by

him.

All of

these things

scream at

us saying

there is a

God.

He has

made us,

he has

given us

all of

this.

And still

you ask,

show me a

sign.

well the

greatest sign

of all was

given by

Jesus himself.

When he

replied to

the Pharisees

in another

place, in

Matthew 12

Matthew 12:39

verse 39,

he said,

a wicked and

adulterous

generation asks

for a

miraculous sign,

but none

will be given

it except the

sign of the

prophet Jonah.

For as

Jonah was

three days and

three nights in

the belly of a

huge fish,

so the

son of man

will be three

days and

three nights

in the heart

of the earth.

He has

given us

the greatest

sign of

all.

Three days

and three

nights in

the heart

of the

earth.

Christ

Jesus came

to lay

down his

life for

sinners.

when we

think about

remembrance

day to

day, do

we understand

the significance

of it?

Do we

understand

back further

the significance

of the one

who laid

down his

life for

us?

Greater

love hath

no man

than this,

that he lay

down his

life for

his friends.

This is a

text we'll

hear oft

quoted today,

as we give

thanks for

the sacrifice

that so many

made.

But are we

amazed by the

sacrifice of

Christ, his

love that he

laid down his

life for us?

The Pharisees

are not the

only ones in

conflict with

God.

We all are.

Every one of

us is in a

conflict.

Through sin,

we are in

rebellion against

God.

And yet Jesus

came to

defeat that

enemy, to

bring peace

into our

lives.

Do you

understand?

Do you

understand the

conflict you're

in?

And do you

understand the

way to victory

is through

Christ Jesus?

Because when you

look at verse

13, there's a

great warning

there for us.

It says,

he left

them.

He left

them, those

who are asking

for a sign.

The danger we

are in today is

if we keep

asking for a

sign, we

keep asking for

something else,

Jesus will

leave us.

Nothing he

can do for

us.

Do you

understand that

conflict?

Do you

understand your

need to turn

to Christ?

We're in

conflict.

The final

thing we see

here is the

confusion.

The confusion.

In verse 14

to 21, the

disciples are

just in this

confused state.

And again, it's

just a reminder

to us of the

world in which

we live today.

Everyone is so

confused.

Everyone is

looking for

answers but

doesn't know

where to turn.

So much that

just brings

confusion into

our life day

after day,

week after

week.

And the

confusion comes

down to

this.

You do not

understand

Jesus.

If we

understood him

more, there

would be so

much less

confusion.

And he

gives them

this insight

into just

where this

confusion is

coming from.

He says,

watch out,

beware of the

leaven of the

Pharisees and

the leaven of

Herod.

He's warning

them about this

kind of sin

that comes in.

This just

pushing Jesus

to one side

and saying,

we understand.

We've got it

all sorted.

We've made so

much advancement

now.

We don't need

the word of

God.

We don't need

the spirit of

God.

We don't need

anything of

that.

Because we've

got all the

answers.

But Jesus

is saying,

beware the

leaven of

the Pharisees.

Beware the

leaven of

Herod.

Beware this

kind of

attitude that

says, we

don't need

God.

So often in

the scriptures,

yeast, this

leaven is the

picture of

sin.

And how sin

so easily

corrupts.

A little

leaven leavens

the whole lump,

as 1 Corinthians

says.

And the

idea here

that Jesus

is saying,

beware the

little sin.

The yeast

in your

life just

escalates and

permeates

throughout all

your life,

infiltrates into

every part,

and leads you

to say,

we don't

need Jesus.

We don't

need anything

to do

with him.

The Pharisees

were religious

men, but the

religion was

external.

It didn't

change their

hearts.

Their hearts

were hard.

Do you

not yet

perceive or

understand?

Are your

hearts hardened?

He's asking

the disciples.

Is this the

danger that

you're in

as well?

Do you

not yet

understand?

You've

been coming

for so

long to

hear the

word of

God again

and again,

but the

leaven of

this world

is still

there,

still pushing

out God,

still this

barrier,

this confusion,

this conflict,

these circumstances

still going on,

that Christ is

still being

pushed out.

But Jesus

is saying,

do you not

understand?

Do you not

understand what

this means?

Do you not

understand who

I am?

And if

he's saying

this to

them,

he's saying

it to us

as well.

Even as a

believer, we

have to be on

our guard

against this

leaven,

against this

confusion that

so easily

comes in and

things have

become acceptable

that should

never be.

To be on

our guard

against this

leaven and

our hearts

hardening so

much that we

feel we've

got a greater

understanding

now than

we ever

did before.

And the

answer today

is so often

seen by

looking at

our own

wisdom.

Throughout

these last

few years,

throughout

everything that's

going on in

our world

today, there's

always an

answer.

Science

will get us

through.

Our military

power will

get us

through.

Our resources

will get us

through.

Our money

will get us

through.

But there's

no thought

that God

is the one

who will

get us

through.

Do we

not

understand?

Do we

not understand

that apart

from him,

we are

nothing?

Do we

understand that

apart from

him, we

are lost?

If the

disciples who

were so close

to him and

saw so much

could be asked

this question,

do you not

yet understand?

What was he

saying to

them?

He was

saying to

look to

him and

to trust

in him.

They

couldn't

understand what

could be

done in

the midst

of this

famine of

4,000.

They didn't

know where

to turn

when the

answer was

there before

them, to

be their

trust in

Christ.

Christ.

And for

ourselves

today, in

all the

circumstances

that we

have to

face up

to, in

all the

conflict that

goes on in

our lives,

in all the

confusion that

surrounds us,

when Jesus

is asking,

do you not

yet understand?

Do we not

know where

to go?

And will we

not turn to

him, the

one who is

able to do

so much for

us?

And yet

we just

neglect him.

We push

him away.

We'll get

through this

by ourselves.

The danger

is, just

like the

Pharisees,

where he

said, he

left them.

Our prayer

today is,

Lord, will

you not

again revive

us?

That we

would see

your blessing

on our

land.

That we

would recognize

once again

that you

are the

God of

miracles,

and that

the nations

of this

world would

view this

God and

turn to

him.

Our

circumstances,

our

conflicts,

our

confusion,

the teacher

is there

for us

to help

us understand

and to

give us

understanding

in his

ways,

the ways

of life

and the

ways of

peace,

if we

will but

turn and

thrust.

in him.

Let us

pray.

Our

Father in

heaven, we

do thank

you for

the peace

that you

are able

to give,

but it's

a peace

that we

so often

neglect or

turn away

from.

And we

do pray,

Lord, your

blessing on

us as a

people, that

you will

again revive

us, that

you will

show us

your mercy,