2024.03.10 Non-Communion Service
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 29:46
0 ratings
· 5 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open your Bibles to Matthew Chapter 15
Jesus Has just fed another crowd of thousands of people, assuring them, and us, that He is the one who provides, who sustains, who gives. Not just once, but again and again!
He is the one who takes care of our physical and spiritual needs. He is the one who saves, He is the one in whom we trust and who we depend on! Not just here and there, but always and for everything!
And after another long campaign of healing and delivering and feeding, It’s time for Jesus to move on.
And that’s where we pick back up. At the very last verse of chapter 15:
Text
Text
And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Map of Galilee | We don’t know exactly where the region of Magadan is, but we know it is still somewhere around the sea of Galilee, where Jesus has conducted nearly all of His ministry.
And in typical fashion, once Jesus arrives somewhere, someone finds Him. And Oh, look! it’s the religious leaders!
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
who are the Sadducees?
They are religious leaders, like the Pharisees. But are less spiritual and more political.
Now, at first this might seem pretty standard.
Most people who approach Jesus do so because they need to receive some sort of miracle, from healings to driving out demons, people approach Jesus non-stop!
So is that what these leader want?
Absolutely not! They are here to test Jesus. To cause Him to Stumble.
They want to put Jesus on the spot, prove that He is a fraud! They want proof!
In fact, they have asked Jesus for a sign before?
And do you remember what a sign is?
It is a special kind of miracles that confirms what God said was true!
In other words, Jesus, if you have come to bring the kingdom of God, tell us something that is about to happen, and when it does happen, it will be proof!
The birth of Jesus is one of the signs God promised. That when You see Him born, you know the savior is here!
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
There is one huge difference between when other people ask for a miracle and these leaders ask for one: Faith.
Al of Jesus miracles are done in response to someone’s faith. Like the Woman from Tyre and Sidon two weeks ago. Like the people last week who were so confident in Jesus that they carried their crippled friends up a mountain just for the chance to be healed!
But these Pharisees and Sadducees have no faith in Jesus. They don’t believe He is the one. They are demanding He do a trick for them, so He can prove to THEM that He is the savior.
But that’s not how this works!
Jesus does miracles to bring the Kingdom of God to people, not to prove Himself!
So, as usual, Jesus response is not going to be very positive. In fact, He makes fun of them:
He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Jesus us using a pun. Since heaven and sky are the same word in the original language.
You want a sign from heaven? You already know how to interpret the sky!
So it seems like you are all able to analyze the weather, but you have no idea what to make of my ministry?
You are supposed to be the teachers of God’s people!
How are you better meteorologists than you are religious leaders?
An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
Last time the leaders demanded a sign, He gave them the same answer.
Jonah was swallow up by a fish and underground for three days before safely returning to land!
In the same way, Jesus will be swallowed up by death and be buried for three days before He is raised again to life!
The sign of Jonah is the resurrection. And it is the ultimate sign. It is the only sign they will get.
These religious leaders have a big problem. And most people have a similar problem.
it’s the way we approach Jesus.
With faith
like a myth buster
we should all be approaching Jesus with pure faith! But in reality, we are either skeptics, or somewhere in the middle
Maybe it’s your personality. I know I’m that way.
I have never been to a magic show. But I know exactly what kind of audience member I would be.
Hannah would enjoy the illusions and think, wow, cool, neat trick! and have a really good time
Not Me. I would be so obsessed with how they’re doing it that i would not be filled with wonder.
I would even ruin it for Hannah, every 30 seconds, leaning over, whisper shouting, “it’s gotta be magnets. He’s using magnets”
And I would talk about where those magnets must be mounted on the drive home.
But I don’t approach Jesus hat way, and Here’s why.
Jesus does not owe me any answers.
He is the King, He is the savior, not me.
Jesus is beyond me. His ways, His identity, His work is so far beyond my understanding that I could never understand.
But Here’s the other thing. We are not called to faith.
We are not called to proof. We are not called to 100% without a shred of a doubt empirical fact.
And faith is difficult. it is hard to believe in something you cannot prove. It is hard to trust in someone who promises you what you cannot yet fully see.
But you cannot be a Christian without faith.
And I say this to everyone. Maybe some of us are not Christians yet here today. Welcome if you are here! But understand, that faith is not a negotiable, it is a requirement, as hard as it is, and it will never go away.
which brings me to those who already are christians! You still need to have faith!
No matter how many times you come to church, no matter how deep you dive into the bible and learn it cover to cover, or how much doctrine you study, no matter what philosophies you learn.
You will never ever get to a point where faith is not needed.
We are not saved by grace through proof. We are saved by grace through faith!
These leaders obviously had none. So they have no part in God’s kingdom. We should also be weary of this sneaking into our own lives.
That’s one of the reasons they always push being perfectly obedient to the law
Because they want proof, assurance, and control.
They want total certainty and therefore only trust in their own good works and traditions.
No faith, no hope, just a heavy burden and control.
And this is exactly what Jesus warns us about next!
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.
Aw, man. Here we go with the disciples and the bread again… Let’s just keep reading.
Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
remember, leaven is the old word for bread yeast.
Here, leaven means the teachings and opinions of the religious leaders.
the things they say and demand, the rumors they start, the claims they make.
even though they are not true, they spread, and the more time goes by the more people are fooled and filled with false teaching.
But the disciples are not getting it.
And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
“What does Jesus mean? The pharisees and Sadducees didn’t give us any bread!” We don’t have any bread with us, by the way!
But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
Stop worrying about bread! I just fed thousands of people bread, and thousands before that! Everything you need I will give you, not just bread, but healing, salvation, all of it!
It’s not about the bread, it’s about having faith in me. Real faith that actually trusts, actually depends on me, actually submits to me. Not just knowledge or sight. But faith!
How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Finally, now, the disciples understand what Jesus means. That this leaven, this teaching, this way of life, is dangerous.
The leaven of the pharisees is to doubt jesus, to reject jesus, to test and tempt Jesus, to lie about Jesus. To push people to trust in themselves and their laws.
The leaven of Jesus is life in God’s kingdom. Their leaven brings nothing but death.
Application
who are you spending your time with, what are they saying about Jesus, and how much do you listen to that?
Remember, the pharisees were not just some quacks that people dismissed.
They were respected and influential. that’s like telling someone to disagree with their parent or mentor or politician.
It doesn’t mean you have to cut people out. We are called to live with others and love them!
But Jesus’ warning is a sobering reminder to us that helps us evaluate how seriously to take people’s words about faith and spirituality.
And if someone’s confession of Jesus is different than yours, beware. Because we do not want anything to lead us away from our faith in the savior.
And as He has made very clear. His is the only name by which we are saved. He is the only Son of God. There is no other. So we continue to trust in Him alone and confess Him as our only savior!
Reading
Reading
And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Transition Slowly for the camera
Confession
Confession