Soaking in the Savior: Overcoming Spiritual Hardness

• The Feeding of the 4,000 [00:01:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes the second feeding miracle, contrasting it with the feeding of the 5,000 to highlight Mark's intentional repetition and the disciples' failure to grasp the pattern of Christ's power.
• Christ's Compassion [00:05:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights Christ's explicit statement of compassion for the physical needs of the crowd, noting the uniqueness of Christ saying 'I have compassion' and the context of a Greek crowd in a desolate place.
• Discipleship and Understanding [00:03:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor focuses on the question 'Do you not yet understand?', criticizing the disciples for their lack of spiritual perception despite witnessing miracles, and applying this to the pastor's own tendency to get caught up in details rather than Christ.
• The Pharisees' Rejection [00:12:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the transition to the Pharisees, emphasizing their hostile intent to 'trip him up' rather than inquire, leading to Christ's deep sigh and refusal to give a sign.
• Human Participation in Ministry [00:10:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the detail of Christ giving bread to disciples to distribute to explain that God does not need human help but grants the privilege of serving in His work.
• Hardness of Heart and Rejection [00:12:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the inquisitive hearts of the 4,000 with the hostile, testing intent of the Pharisees, linking their rejection of Jesus to God 'giving them up' as described in Romans 1.
• The Leaven of the Pharisees [00:18:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > Jesus warns the disciples to beware of the Pharisees' and Herod's leaven, which the pastor interprets as their false doctrine and hardened spiritual condition that spreads and infects.
• Disciples' Spiritual Blindness [00:20:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights the disciples' failure to understand Jesus' warning, focusing on physical lack of bread rather than spiritual truth, comparing their hardness to the Pharisees.
• Mechanical Ministry vs. Relationship with Christ [00:24:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor applies the text to modern ministry, warning against performing duties (like leading music or teaching) as mere motions or duty without a vibrant focus on Jesus.
• Ministry and Service [00:25:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor warns against viewing ministry as merely a set of rules or duties, urging believers to focus on Christ rather than just 'flat rules' to prevent their hearts from hardening.
• Hardness of Heart [00:27:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies a 'dangerous hardness' that occurs when long-time Christians serve out of duty rather than relationship, using Ezekiel to explain the need for a 'heart of flesh' given by God.
• Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility [00:29:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor balances the theological tension between God softening the heart (Ezekiel 11, 36) and the human responsibility to cast away transgressions and seek God (Ezekiel 18).
• Practical Spiritual Disciplines [00:32:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor outlines three practical steps derived from Mark 8: self-examination, using spiritual senses (seeing/hearing) to engage with Scripture deeply rather than rigidly, and active remembrance of God's past works.
• God's Faithfulness and Remembrance [00:40:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a personal crisis where the church lacked water and a pastor, but God provided help through other pastors, reminding the congregation to remember God's past works.
• Community and Mutual Support [00:41:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that believers need each other for help and encouragement, using the analogy of 'iron sharpening iron' and the disciples needing bread.
• Spiritual Understanding and Grace [00:42:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes the phrase 'do you not yet understand,' emphasizing that God's ongoing work is an act of grace intended to keep hearts from hardening.

• Sermon Illustration [00:00:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his preparation for the sermon, comparing his readiness to a basketball player getting ready for a game, and mentions his recent experience with hearing loss in one ear to empathize with the healing miracles.
• Sermon Illustration [00:04:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a personal struggle with ministry burnout, describing how he sometimes gets so caught up in the 'details' of church activities (guitar, music, perfection) that he loses sight of who he is doing it for.
• Sermon Illustration [00:10:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the TV series 'The Chosen' to illustrate the mystery of the miracle, wondering if the baskets literally refilled when they put fish in them, highlighting the supernatural nature of the event.
• Sermon Illustration [00:14:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the biblical narrative of the Pharisees demanding a sign to test Jesus versus the 4,000 people who were 'soaking in' who He was, illustrating the difference between hostile rejection and faithful seeking.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his own ministry struggles, admitting that there are times he gets up to lead music and feels like he is 'doing the motions' because it is his duty, using this to illustrate the danger of mechanical faith.
• Sermon Illustration [00:26:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the song 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus' to illustrate how focusing on Christ makes earthly ministry concerns grow 'strangely dim' while the ministry itself thrives.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about flying on a plane with no Wi-Fi, where he found an old file documenting a time he was ready to quit ministry due to a broken water system at church, illustrating the need to remember God's faithfulness during dark times.
• Sermon Illustration [00:35:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references John Piper's preaching style of digging deeply into single phrases of Scripture rather than reading large passages, using this as an analogy for how believers should engage with the Bible to truly 'hear' God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about a time when the church's water system failed and they were without a pastor. He describes his despair and prayer on a plane, followed by God's provision through calls from pastors in Statesville and Dan Burrell, which served as a reminder of God's faithfulness.
• Sermon Illustration [00:41:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical story of the disciples lacking bread while in Jesus' presence, using it to illustrate the need for community and mutual support among believers.

• Pastoral Charge [00:07:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to change their prayer style from asking for things to seeking God's glory.
• Pastoral Charge [00:24:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > Reflect on the distinction between Pharisaical hardness and disciple hardness during the week.
• Pastoral Charge [00:24:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > Self-examine whether one's ministry has become mechanical or devoid of connection to Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [00:25:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > Recognize that ministry extends beyond church walls into daily work and life.
• Pastoral Charge [00:26:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > Focus on Jesus as the primary method for effective evangelism and spiritual growth.
• Pastoral Charge [00:30:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor calls the congregation to actively pray to God for heart softening, confessing their wrongs and asking for divine intervention to remove hardness.
• Pastoral Charge [00:34:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to pray for spiritual perception and understanding when engaging with Scripture.
• Pastoral Charge [00:43:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > Listen to God's ongoing work and allow Him to help, thereby recognizing His true nature and power in their lives.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] My name is Tom Wiggs and I'm the pastor here at Eastside and I want to say that I'm so glad you clicked on this video.
[00:00:08] We have prayed that it would be a blessing and a help to you as you grow spiritually. I also want to remind you that part of our heart here at Eastside is that you would be growing in connection
[00:00:22] with a local gathering of believers. Don't let this video be a replacement for a local church.
[00:00:30] If you're in the Mooresville area, you would be so welcome to come worship with us.
[00:00:36] And now here's the message.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:41] So this passage, we're going to be working through Mark 8, verses 1 through 21.
[00:00:48] I've told a couple of you this morning that it's awesome when I get to speak because Tom plans the whole year in advance.
[00:00:57] So I've known for months I'm speaking this message, right?
[00:01:00] And so I get to prepare for like months.
[00:01:03] And so I was telling Jim earlier this week, I felt like I get to this week and I'm getting ready for a basketball game like me.
[00:01:11] Let's just go.
[00:01:12] Let's get this thing going, right?
[00:01:13] I'm ready.
[00:01:14] And so this has been just soaking in my mind for months.
[00:01:20] And so I'm not going to keep you here all day.
[00:01:21] I promise you.
[00:01:22] But I'm telling you what, this is such an awesome passage.
[00:01:26] When I first looked at it, I'm like, it has three different sections to it.
[00:01:29] It's the feeding of the 4,000.
[00:01:31] It's an interaction of Christ with the Pharisees.
[00:01:35] And then it's Christ in a boat with the disciples that Jim just read.
[00:01:41] And when I first read that, I'm like, man, these are so disjointed.
[00:01:44] How do you fit this together?
[00:01:45] The more I read through it, and I read it over and over and over, it's like, this fits like a glove.
[00:01:54] Mark, as we've gone through it, Mark has been saying, look what christ is doing and he's showing miracle after miracle we're going to read here the feeding of four thousand here in a minute it's going to be very familiar because two chapters ago in mark
[00:02:09] six what do we read about the feeding of though how many five thousand right it's like whoa deja vu here where are we going did we skip something are we rereading it did mark stutter no this isn't
[00:02:22] of stuttering this is another event and mark is pointing out last week the the uh the syrophoenician woman comes to christ because why her daughter um was possessed and he and he took care of that
[00:02:36] we see healing after healing after healing we see people that can't hear being being um being healed of that my ear this morning by the way i woke up and i it's like this ear is like oh
[00:02:50] I can't hear out of it.
[00:02:51] I can't imagine what that would be like if I can't hear out at all.
[00:02:56] And Christ took care of that.
[00:02:57] And Mark is showing over and over and over.
[00:02:59] Look what Christ is doing.
[00:03:03] And the repetition of this, don't take it for granted.
[00:03:08] You need to look at that and say, why is He showing us this?
[00:03:11] And we see that again happening here.
[00:03:14] The last phrase that was in that passage that Jim read it's like a cliffhanger that just sits there it doesn't resolve anything in that passage there wasn't any finality of Christ speaking to the disciples and saying well yeah
[00:03:30] he didn't close that conversation he closed with do you not yet understand and that's I'm telling you my final point before we get going do you not yet understand and we can sit here and criticize
[00:03:48] the disciples and say, you dumb idiots, you are with Christ. You think about this. These 12 disciples were with Christ at every one of those events that Christ did. Every one of those miracles. You would think they got it at this point. This is God in the flesh, right? You would
[00:04:07] think they got this. They understand it. But Christ is saying, guys, do you not get it yet?
[00:04:13] But before we criticize, I read that in me every day.
[00:04:20] I mean, I sometimes, I've said it before, I come to church sometimes, I go, I get my guitar on, I get my music, we're practicing, we're playing, we're doing this, and it becomes, I just got to do stuff, right?
[00:04:34] I'm just doing it and I lose sight of who am I doing this for?
[00:04:39] And my eyes are more on me and we got to be perfect.
[00:04:43] We got to do this so it's not distracting to everybody.
[00:04:46] And I get so caught up in the details that I forget Christ.
[00:04:49] And I'm getting to the end of my message before I even get there.
[00:04:52] Mark 8, verse 1.
[00:04:54] We're going to get to do you not yet understand.
[00:04:57] But this whole passage feeds that.
[00:05:00] And listen to this as we go.
[00:05:01] Mark 8, verse 1.
[00:05:04] We're going to start here.
[00:05:06] This is where we're going to get a glimpse at the compassion of Christ.
[00:05:11] We've seen it before, but there's something unique here.
[00:05:13] Verse 1, in those days when again a great crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, 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.
[00:05:28] Now let's stop there a second.
[00:05:30] He was in the Decapolis, which is a Greek area.
[00:05:34] This was not a bunch of Jews that were necessarily with them.
[00:05:38] I know there were some there, I'm sure.
[00:05:40] But this was mainly a Greek crowd.
[00:05:43] And he was there.
[00:05:45] This is out kind of in the middle of nowhere.
[00:05:48] The feeding of the 5,000 was in an area where there was a lot of cities around.
[00:05:53] There was a lot of people.
[00:05:54] There was a big population.
[00:05:55] Here, they're kind of out in the middle of nowhere almost.
[00:05:58] And these people are with him for three days.
[00:06:02] Now, we can look at other passages and we kind of think that it is generally kind of agreed that he was probably healing for those three days and of course, probably teaching for those three days.
[00:06:14] And those people were so soaking it in that for three days they stayed with him, but they didn't have anything to eat.
[00:06:20] And it says there that it said, Jesus Christ says, I have compassion on the crowd.
[00:06:27] We've seen Christ's compassion many times in Mark.
[00:06:30] It's mentioned all throughout the New Testament.
[00:06:33] This is the only point where Christ says, I have compassion on these people.
[00:06:38] We sing the compassion hymn a minute ago.
[00:06:39] it's interesting to me that christ's compassion for these people was a big part looking at the fact that they needed physical provision which is interesting right we we automatically go to christ saying they need spiritual provision and we do and everyone does but it's interesting here
[00:07:01] christ goes to they need this this physical provision he says i've got compassion on these guys. Don't let the little things go by, by the way. What is it that you have need of? Christ
[00:07:13] wants you to come to Him for that. Now, pray like a Christian. I heard this week, I heard a preacher say, you know, Christians often pray like non-Christians all the time. It's like, God, give me this. God, give me that. That's what a non-Christian would pray for, right? God,
[00:07:33] give me this. But God wants to hear that from us. But when you go to him, God, may you see the glory for this. And here he's saying, he's saying, he's saying, I have compassion on these people. Verse
[00:07:43] three. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from a firm far away. And his disciples answered him, how can one feed these
[00:07:54] people with bread here in this desolate place? Stop. Did we not just read the feeding of the 5,000. In Mark 6, we just read the feeding of the 5,000. Here they are again, 4,000 and they have
[00:08:10] no bread. And it's like, how are we going to feed these people? I'm wondering if that was one of the disciples or if some of them said, you dummy, did we not just see that he did this miracle before?
[00:08:24] I don't know, but I would love to be a fly on the wall here, right? I would love to see what the real conversation was here or getting a real conversation in scripture what we need to know
[00:08:34] but at least some of the disciples said how are we going to do this and they're thinking again what can i do to solve this problem do you feel that do you get there right god there's this
[00:08:48] problem okay here's what i'm going to do and it's like he knows everything he has the power to do everything we're speaking with the god that can do all things and yet we feel like it's in in our
[00:08:59] power. And that's kind of where these guys are. How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? Verse five, and he asked them, how many loaves do you have? I can see Christ is
[00:09:10] like, okay, how many loaves you got this time, right? How many loaves do you have? They said seven. And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and having
[00:09:20] 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 that these
[00:09:31] 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 they and there were about 4 000 people and he sent them away
[00:09:44] and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of dalmanutha now you gotta think that the disciples when christ said what you got here somebody said we got we got
[00:09:56] a few loaves light bulbs probably started to go on with the disciples it's like oh boy here we go he's going to do it again right and then then he broke that and then he said how many fish do you
[00:10:08] got and they broke that and blessed it and gave it out i would love to be a fly on the wall once again this what what a movie right you know how did that happen what did they just open a basket
[00:10:19] i don't know if anybody if anybody has watched the chosen that that series that i actually watched part of this last week to see to see their version of where they they just opened a basket all of a
[00:10:30] sudden it was full after they put a few fish in did it happen that way how did it happen i don't know but i want to point out something christ asked the disciples to point to hand this out
[00:10:40] did he need the disciples to do this no he didn't i mean he could just said boom happens and it lands in their in their in their lap right he could have done that he used the disciples why he's
[00:10:54] teaching the disciples a lesson here as well. God doesn't need you and I this morning. God doesn't need us up here singing and playing instruments for him. He does not need us to do what he needs
[00:11:08] to do. But what a privilege we have to be involved in the service of Christ, right? And he's teaching his disciples here. He's like, there is work to be done. There are things that we need to do.
[00:11:21] come along with me and we're going to see at the end of this passage that didn't register right don't worry if you're like that i am too and god is patient and he's teaching still which is an
[00:11:39] amazing thing god did not need these people did not need the disciples but what a privilege it was that he used them. So God broke the bread he gave to them. They got their sustenance
[00:11:54] and went home. Now, the last verse there said, and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Verse 11, now we're transitioning into a new scene here. He gets in the boat. They launch out. They go, him and his disciples. And now they meet up
[00:12:16] with the old foes the the pharisees it says in verse 11 the pharisees came and began to argue with him seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him and he sighed deeply we are getting a
[00:12:29] glimpse into the emotions of christ in this passage much like we don't get in a lot of places they come to him and mark tells us exactly what it what that what their intent was pharisees came
[00:12:46] began to argue or began to argue with him seeking from him a sign from heaven why to test him this wasn't a let's find out thing this was a let's see how we can trip him up let's see how we can
[00:12:59] get him let's see how we can prove that he is not who he says he is they are doing they are not inquisitive here because they want to know their minds are already shut it says he sighed deeply
[00:13:13] in his spirit and he said why does this generation seek a son truly i say to you no sign will be given to this generation and he left them got into the boat again and went to the other side
[00:13:26] if god treats you like that that's a that's a dangerous thing why did why did jesus christ not say, wait a second, let me reason with you.
[00:13:46] Why did he not say, let's sit down and talk about this.
[00:13:51] Why did he say, you don't deserve a sign and left?
[00:13:55] Why was that?
[00:13:57] Mark gives us their intention.
[00:13:59] It was not a, who really are you?
[00:14:03] It wasn't like the 4,000 people at the feeding of the 4,000 that were there because they were soaking in who he was.
[00:14:10] they wanted to know more about who he was they wanted to hear from him they wanted to be taught but here they came to him to do everything in their power to trip him up so that they could
[00:14:23] do what do what eventually happened put him on a tree and kill him that's exactly what was going on here there is a point and there it is a dangerous point i want to go over to romans
[00:14:34] one i don't remember if i have this on screen or not if not just go to romans one with me Romans 1, there's a point here.
[00:14:42] And as we go through this, you need to identify with these groups of people.
[00:14:46] Am I these people that are feeding the 4,000?
[00:14:49] Am I the Pharisees?
[00:14:52] Am I the disciples?
[00:14:53] Maybe a combination of a couple of them.
[00:14:56] Romans 1 verse 24 says, Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their heart to impurity.
[00:15:04] Anytime it says God gave them up, It's a serious thing.
[00:15:10] Gave them up to their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.
[00:15:15] Go down to verse 26.
[00:15:17] For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions.
[00:15:22] Go to verse 28.
[00:15:23] And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, listen to that.
[00:15:28] Sounds like Pharisees, right?
[00:15:30] Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
[00:15:39] What's going on here is, you might want to say, well, where's His mercy?
[00:15:45] Where's His grace?
[00:15:46] God has given so many of us, everybody, so many chances, and there's a point where these Pharisees got to where they said, I ain't turning.
[00:15:57] I want nothing about you.
[00:15:59] I don't care.
[00:16:01] And God gives them up.
[00:16:02] That's scary.
[00:16:05] Is it not?
[00:16:07] Boy, it's their heart condition that changed the response of Christ there.
[00:16:14] So be aware.
[00:16:15] Who are we?
[00:16:16] Is this me?
[00:16:18] Is this me where I go to Christ?
[00:16:20] I could care less.
[00:16:22] I'm listening to the world that says He may not have even existed.
[00:16:26] If He did, He certainly wasn't God.
[00:16:29] Right?
[00:16:29] He certainly didn't rise from the dead.
[00:16:31] There are so many that fall for that and believe that without ever looking at that.
[00:16:36] Without ever truly looking at Christ.
[00:16:38] Don't let it be read of you that God gave you up to a debased mind or whatever, right?
[00:16:47] This is a scary thing.
[00:16:48] He gets back in the boat at that point.
[00:16:51] Verse 13 said, and He left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
[00:16:56] He's like, I'm done here.
[00:16:57] And He gets in the boat, takes off.
[00:16:59] Now we get into a scene where He is in the boat with His disciples.
[00:17:04] Get in the mind of Christ here.
[00:17:08] He had this interaction.
[00:17:10] He just had 4,000 people that it's like, they are dying to be here.
[00:17:16] 4,000 people for three days.
[00:17:18] They're dying to be there.
[00:17:20] They're soaking it up.
[00:17:21] He goes, he has the Pharisees, the exact opposite.
[00:17:26] And he sighs deeply.
[00:17:28] That is a point of anguish where he is just, it's not an anger, it's a it's a disappointment but he feels that so deeply that says he sighs deeply in his spirit and he gets in the boat with his disciples with that despondency on him and it says in verse 14
[00:17:52] now they had forgotten to bring bread and they had one loaf with them in the boat okay very important point they had no bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat christ is
[00:18:03] sitting over in the corner and he says, he speaks up and he cautioned them saying, watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and leaven of Herod. Now leaven goes into the bread and it spreads and affects the whole thing, right? That's what we know of
[00:18:23] as leaven of bread. He says, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. This is still weighing on his mind he still has this conversation in his mind about what he was talking about with with the
[00:18:38] pharisees and he and he i can just see him over there on the side of the boat the the the guys are over there the disciples are over there they're like we didn't bring you bread and he's
[00:18:49] like beware of the living of the pharisees in other words what he's saying is beware of their doctrine and their teachings. Because once it gets in there, it can start to spread and infect and change who you are. And Jesus Christ is warning them, guys, we've just been with the
[00:19:11] Pharisees. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. I want you to think of something. Twelve disciples there, right? Who was one that was there that would eventually fall to the leaven of the Pharisees?
[00:19:23] Judas, think through that.
[00:19:26] Was Christ saying, beware, because they're there.
[00:19:30] There's one of you, right?
[00:19:32] He says, beware of the living of the Pharisees.
[00:19:35] Don't get to that point where you have to be given up to your own devices, your own choice.
[00:19:42] You made your choice.
[00:19:44] And He's warning them right here.
[00:19:47] And what happens?
[00:19:49] He says, watch out.
[00:19:50] Beware of the living of the Pharisees and the living of Herod.
[00:19:52] verse 16 and they began discussing with one another the fact that the leaven of the pharisees might in fact no that's not what it says and they they began discussing with one another the fact
[00:20:05] that they had no bread are you getting this the disciples are over there like he says he's trying to teach them he's saying look where we just were beware of the leaven of the pharisees don't let
[00:20:18] that happen to you? We got no bread, guys. What are we going to do? And they just came from the feeding of the 4,000 too. Why would you care, right? Where are these people? You know, it's
[00:20:28] kind of like the Pharisees. They're looking for a sign. How many signs do you need, right? Christ is just like, boom, throwing this out there. I am God in the flesh. You see, how many signs do
[00:20:40] they need? And he says, beware of the lament of the Pharisees. He is trying to teach them. And they are like, we got no bread. What are we going to do about lunch here? Yeah, it's like, it's like
[00:20:50] it's a comedy of errors here going on. And it's like, guys, really? And so in verse 17, and Jesus aware of this, obviously aware of this, said to them, why are you discussing the fact that you
[00:21:04] have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? By the way, Have we heard about the hardened hearts of the disciple anywhere recently?
[00:21:17] Do you remember when Christ was walking on the water and He got in the boat and it's like, wow!
[00:21:24] Can you imagine them seeing Christ walking on the water and He gets in the boat?
[00:21:27] Do you remember what it said at the end of that scene?
[00:21:30] It said, but some of them were hardened.
[00:21:32] I don't get that.
[00:21:35] I'm with Christ and I see Him walking on water.
[00:21:38] My heart's hardened.
[00:21:40] That's what it says about Him.
[00:21:41] By the way, this can get deep.
[00:21:46] When you go to the resurrection of Christ, when He is heading back into heaven, He's saying His parting words to everybody.
[00:21:55] It says at that point, some doubted.
[00:21:57] And they're looking at a man that just got raised from the dead.
[00:22:00] It says that some doubted.
[00:22:02] Don't think I could never do this because you could.
[00:22:06] Don't think I could never do that because you do it.
[00:22:09] I do it.
[00:22:10] this stepped on my toes so bad for the past two, three months and I'm just, it's oozing out of me right now, right?
[00:22:18] Don't think this can't happen to you.
[00:22:20] He says in verse 17, why are you discussing the fact you have no bread?
[00:22:25] Do you not yet perceive or understand?
[00:22:27] Are your hearts hardened?
[00:22:29] Having eyes, do you not see?
[00:22:31] Having ears, do you not hear?
[00:22:33] Haven't we heard of Him opening eyes and ears?
[00:22:36] And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves for the 5,000? How many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to him, 12.
[00:22:45] And the seven for the 4,000. 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 the scene closes. Leaves that
[00:23:01] hanging out there. Can you put yourself in the place of Christ once again? Feeding of the 4,000.
[00:23:09] You've got the Pharisees that come out and Christ has compassion on those people and feeds them.
[00:23:18] He had been feeding them spiritually for three days.
[00:23:22] Then the Pharisees come and it says that He sighs deeply.
[00:23:25] And He's agonizing over the fact that these people have rejected Him.
[00:23:30] The religious elite.
[00:23:32] The ones who were supposed...
[00:23:33] Think through that.
[00:23:34] The Pharisees were the ones that they had Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy all memorized, right?
[00:23:39] They were devoted people, but yet they had not the spiritual insight to know who He was and they rejected Him.
[00:23:45] And He's here in the boat trying to teach the closest to Him, the ones that had seen every one of these miracles.
[00:23:52] And He's like, they're talking about physical bread.
[00:23:57] And He's like, guys, do you not yet understand?
[00:24:02] Take the time when I'm teaching to listen and perceive and remember what happened.
[00:24:09] Now, we can get like this, right?
[00:24:17] The next slide is, I want you to take this home with you.
[00:24:24] I want you to think through this.
[00:24:25] A Pharisee's hardness looks like a closed fist, right?
[00:24:30] Aggressive, hostile, demanding.
[00:24:31] That's the Pharisee.
[00:24:33] I'm going to get you, right?
[00:24:37] But a disciple's hardness looks like faithful ministry.
[00:24:44] Ask yourself this question, is this me?
[00:24:46] I get up here every single week, except for the last two weeks.
[00:24:50] I get up here every single week, play the guitar, sing, lead you.
[00:24:56] I'll be honest with you.
[00:24:57] There are times I get up here and it is I'm doing the motions because this is my duty.
[00:25:03] This is what I'm supposed to do.
[00:25:05] And I'm sorry.
[00:25:07] Christ here is saying, don't be faithful in ministry without looking at who you are serving.
[00:25:19] Nursery.
[00:25:20] You sit in the nursery and you're changing that kid's diaper.
[00:25:24] Don't forget that this is for God so that their parents can sit up here and soak in the Word of Christ, right?
[00:25:31] Don't forget that if you're teaching a Sunday school class, that those little kids are the biggest ministry opportunity in this church.
[00:25:41] You're teaching them about Christ.
[00:25:44] And we want to grab them before they get off into the Pharisee world, right?
[00:25:51] Don't miss also that your service is not just at church.
[00:25:56] When you leave here today and you go to the restaurant or you go to work, you're probably not going to work tomorrow because it's holiday.
[00:26:04] You go to work Tuesday.
[00:26:06] Ministry has only started.
[00:26:08] Don't think this is the only place you serve Christ.
[00:26:12] When you go, don't get so caught up in just the flat rules and the things that I have to do and that this is what I'm told to do.
[00:26:23] And I read this morning and said, do this and don't do that.
[00:26:26] Don't get so caught up in that that you forget Christ.
[00:26:31] That song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, I've always loved.
[00:26:35] Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.
[00:26:37] Things of earth will grow strangely dim.
[00:26:39] The things of ministry will grow strangely dim because we're looking at Christ and our ministry just thrives because of that.
[00:26:45] Do you want to reach others for Christ?
[00:26:48] Look at Christ.
[00:26:51] Now, how do we do this?
[00:26:52] It's easy to say that.
[00:26:53] Don't have a hardened heart.
[00:26:54] Okay, cool.
[00:26:55] Good, we're done.
[00:26:56] Let's pray, let's go.
[00:26:57] Don't have a hardened heart.
[00:26:58] How?
[00:26:59] How do we really do that?
[00:27:01] Let's get practical now.
[00:27:02] How do we really do that?
[00:27:05] The heart can be so hardened just by us not looking at Christ.
[00:27:11] It is the most dangerous hardness there is, in my opinion.
[00:27:15] That hardness in ministry, the hardness of our heart when we're serving, the hardness, I've been a Christian for 25, 30 years, some of you 50 years.
[00:27:25] You can get so hardened, it is the most dangerous hardness that there is because it looks like ministry.
[00:27:33] What a faithful person.
[00:27:34] They're here every week.
[00:27:36] Absolutely.
[00:27:37] But are you really looking at Christ?
[00:27:39] It can be so dangerous.
[00:27:43] I want to point out this morning in Ezekiel.
[00:27:45] I'm going to go to the book of Ezekiel.
[00:27:48] Ezekiel 11.
[00:27:48] I can't remember if I have it on screen.
[00:27:50] I do.
[00:27:50] Ezekiel 11, 19, and 20 is where I want to go on this.
[00:27:54] Ezekiel, the people of Israel are in captivity in Babylon.
[00:27:59] And Ezekiel here is prophesying to them.
[00:28:02] He says here, I want you to notice this.
[00:28:05] Why were the people in captivity?
[00:28:06] because Israel left Christ.
[00:28:10] They left God.
[00:28:11] They said, okay, you know, this was a pattern of theirs, right?
[00:28:14] It's our pattern too, by the way.
[00:28:16] It was a pattern of theirs.
[00:28:17] They would serve another God.
[00:28:18] They'd fall away from God.
[00:28:20] God would punish, bring them back, and then they would serve Him faithfully, and then all of a sudden they'd fall away.
[00:28:27] More punishment, right?
[00:28:29] This is the falling away.
[00:28:31] This is the punishment that happened.
[00:28:33] They got taken into captivity.
[00:28:35] Ezekiel says, And I will give them one heart.
[00:28:38] Speaking about God, God is saying, I will give them one heart and a new spirit I will put within them.
[00:28:45] I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.
[00:28:51] Verse 20, That they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them and they shall be my people and I will be their God.
[00:28:58] Who did the work in that passage?
[00:29:01] God did.
[00:29:02] He said, I will give them a new heart.
[00:29:04] You want to soften your heart?
[00:29:07] It starts with God because He does the miraculous surgery there.
[00:29:12] If we go into Ezekiel 36, it says, and I will give you a new heart.
[00:29:16] I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you.
[00:29:22] And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
[00:29:26] And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
[00:29:33] So, the divine work is that God is the one who softens the heart.
[00:29:42] Now, God does that.
[00:29:45] What's my responsibility?
[00:29:46] Well, you say, wow, okay, God, just do it, right?
[00:29:49] There is responsibility on our part as well.
[00:29:53] God has to do the surgery, yet we act within that.
[00:29:59] We have responsibility.
[00:30:00] Ezekiel 18.31, it's interesting.
[00:30:03] and Ezekiel is prophesying.
[00:30:05] Here's what God says.
[00:30:06] I will give you a new heart.
[00:30:08] But then Ezekiel 18.31 says, cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
[00:30:19] Why will you die in the house of Israel?
[00:30:21] There's responsibility there too for us in this.
[00:30:25] God, I see it.
[00:30:27] I get it.
[00:30:28] The disciples, I see that in me.
[00:30:31] God, soften my heart.
[00:30:32] He's ready. He's got the scalpel. He's going to cut that away. Go to God saying, God, get, please.
[00:30:41] I'm so sorry for what I've done. I come to you. I have wronged you. And God softens that heart more and more and more so that we have a heart that is ready for him. Four things Jesus calls
[00:30:56] the disciples to do here that we can enact here. I was going through this. I'm like, we got to make this practical. Okay, good. God does that softening of the heart. I go to him asking,
[00:31:11] does Jesus give any indication in the passage about what these disciples were to do? And he does. I'm telling you what, Jesus here in this passage was the ultimate therapist. He sits there and he's patient with them. And he says, all right, guys, let's think through this. You're sitting
[00:31:33] here talking about physical bread and I'm sitting here talking about something that you need to learn. Let's walk through this. I'm going to walk back through this passage. You guys follow along because it will not be on screen. I'm going back to Mark here. And in Mark, when we go back to this
[00:31:52] in verse 17, let's start there. Jesus aware of this said to them, Jesus aware they were talking about physical bread. He said, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?
[00:32:08] He tells them, he says, do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
[00:32:13] He takes them to a place of self-examination. First thing, step number one, examine yourself.
[00:32:20] Is this you? That's why you're here this morning, right? Self-examination saying, is this really me?
[00:32:27] when I serve Christ, am I doing it from duty?
[00:32:34] Am I doing it to try to earn something from Him?
[00:32:37] Am I doing it just to, I don't want Him mad at me?
[00:32:41] Or am I doing this because it is God who through the power of the cross saved my soul?
[00:32:50] Self-examination.
[00:32:51] He takes them and says, why are you discussing that?
[00:32:55] Do you not yet perceive or understand?
[00:32:57] Are your hearts hardened?
[00:32:59] Think through this, folks.
[00:33:00] Are your hearts hardened this morning?
[00:33:03] Do you not perceive?
[00:33:06] And then point number two, he takes them and says, make a tent of use of what God has given you.
[00:33:13] And that's in verse 18.
[00:33:15] Having eyes, do you not see?
[00:33:18] Having ears, do you not hear?
[00:33:20] And do you not remember?
[00:33:21] We'll come back to that.
[00:33:22] Remember, having eyes, do you not see?
[00:33:25] Having ears, do you not hear?
[00:33:26] What does he mean?
[00:33:27] He's not talking about literally my eyes and they're all blind and they all can't hear or he wouldn't be talking to them, right?
[00:33:34] He could take care of that too, but he's obviously demonstrated that.
[00:33:38] But he's saying, you've got eyes to see, but you're not seeing.
[00:33:42] You've got ears to hear, but you're not hearing.
[00:33:46] Do you ever sit down and read your Bible because you have a Bible plan and it says I have to read these three chapters this morning and it's like, okay, it's my duty.
[00:33:57] Sit down and read my three chapters.
[00:33:58] I have no clue what I read.
[00:34:00] right? I am one of those that if I do that, if I get on this plan that is very rigid, I do it out of, I just, I read it, I see it, my eyes are open, my ears hear it, I'm perceiving it as I'm reading
[00:34:17] it, but I can go through that and not even register nothing. Or when I sit down, do I take a passage of scripture. And I'm like, God, show me. Open my eyes so I can see. Open my ears so that I can hear.
[00:34:33] And God gives that to you. He's saying, guys, listen to me. Disciples, have you been walking around with me hearing the teaching that has been happening? 4,000 people for three days. Are you listening to what's happening? Or are they sitting in the background thinking of their next duty that
[00:34:52] they have to do where they're going to go pick up baskets or whatever, right? What's their next duty they have to do. They got crowd control. So my job is I got to be back here. I got to be
[00:35:00] Christ's bouncer today. Are they thinking of their next duty or are they listening to what Christ is saying? Are you hearing what God is saying this morning? Are you listening? Do we really stop and examine and say, God, what do you have for me today? It is so much better if you would take
[00:35:20] one phrase of scripture and dwell on that than reading a whole book of the Bible without having a clue what you're really reading i was listening to um john piper some of you know that i listen
[00:35:33] to him quite a bit i i just register with his speaking uh you got you've met him you've been to his church um he was saying this week he hit the way his mind works is he can't do big passages
[00:35:45] of scripture he he he grabs a phrase and then just digs it tears it apart digs into that word what does that mean where else is it used and he's just digging digging digging digging digging if you if
[00:35:56] you've ever listened to his preaching you can see why why his preaching is that way and i'm kind of that way as well dig into that don't i won't tell you too i this wasn't where i was going but some
[00:36:07] of those some of those reading plans are not reading plans they are a phrase and then it then it gives you five pages of a very weak devotional. Be sure you're in Scripture listening to God.
[00:36:25] I'm not saying the devotionals are bad. I'm not saying that. But listen to God and be in Scripture.
[00:36:31] So he says, open your eyes, open your ears. And then he goes on in verse 19. Point number three, we need to have active remembrance.
[00:36:42] He says at the end of verse 18, do you not remember?
[00:36:47] When I broke the five loaves, and He now walks them through helping them remember.
[00:36:52] He says, when I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?
[00:36:58] He asked them.
[00:36:59] He made them a participant in this so He could help them remember.
[00:37:02] They said 12.
[00:37:03] He said, and the seven for the 4,000, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?
[00:37:07] They said seven.
[00:37:08] he walked them through helping them remember what God has already done this hit me like a ton of bricks Friday night and I'll tell you how I'm on I'm on an airplane flying back home I'm on this
[00:37:18] little airplane usually when I'm on it on an airplane I've got wi-fi access and I'm working and whatnot I didn't have wi-fi access a little tiny plane so I have my computer open and I'm
[00:37:28] just cleaning things up in my computer I'm just trying to find something to do to waste the hour and a half of them on there. And I run across this file on my computer. I forget what it was
[00:37:38] named, but it was like, what does this file do? I needed to delete it. I opened it up. It was from October, the year before Pastor Tom came to speak here, or became our pastor. I'll be honest with
[00:37:51] you. During that time, I was ready to quit. I'll be quite honest with you. I was like, I had enough, you know, and there came a point, and some of you will remember this, that we're here at that time. We had one Sunday where all of a sudden, this was shortly after
[00:38:10] Pastor Steve had left. He might even be in the next week. I don't remember. And the water quit working on Saturday morning or Sunday, I mean, Saturday night or Sunday morning or something.
[00:38:22] And we couldn't have church.
[00:38:25] In some ways, I was like, okay, I don't have to do that duty now.
[00:38:28] But in other words, I'm like, what else is going to happen, you know?
[00:38:32] And it was awesome.
[00:38:34] I think Jake and some other guys jumped in.
[00:38:36] They fixed it, and we had pictures of it.
[00:38:38] It was awesome.
[00:38:38] But there was this dark cloud over me.
[00:38:40] And what I was reading on the plane was where I documented this stuff.
[00:38:45] I don't know why I did it.
[00:38:47] I don't know why I wrote this down or typed it out on my screen.
[00:38:51] But I typed this story out of what God did.
[00:38:55] And I'm like, I had this dark cloud over me at that point.
[00:38:58] I'm like, I went to God on, if you don't know my job, I leave on Sunday nights.
[00:39:05] I usually fly someplace in the country.
[00:39:07] I'm there all week.
[00:39:08] I come back Friday night.
[00:39:09] Sunday night, dark cloud, couldn't have church.
[00:39:13] And I'm praying on the plane.
[00:39:15] And I'm like, God, why?
[00:39:18] Why do you put us through stuff like this?
[00:39:22] Why couldn't we have church this morning?
[00:39:25] Why are we without a pastor?
[00:39:28] Why do we got to go through it?
[00:39:29] God, what are you doing?
[00:39:31] Do you have a clue what you're doing?
[00:39:33] I'm praying.
[00:39:34] I'm probably arguing with God.
[00:39:38] The next day too, same thing.
[00:39:40] I got a call Tuesday morning.
[00:39:42] I got a call from a pastor in Statesville.
[00:39:46] And he's like, Ricky, here you're without a pastor.
[00:39:49] How can we help?
[00:39:51] Can we send people to speak for you?
[00:39:52] Those of you that were here, you know, you follow the Statesville sent us some people to speak.
[00:39:58] Cool.
[00:39:59] God says, I'm still here.
[00:40:02] The next day, I got a call from another pastor, Dan Burrell in that Life Fellowship.
[00:40:09] He said, Ricky, how can I help you?
[00:40:11] He heard from, I kind of knew Dan Burrell, but I didn't really know him.
[00:40:16] I couldn't call him up or anything.
[00:40:18] He was talking with Pat Patrick of all people.
[00:40:21] And Pat said, these guys are without a pastor and Dan Burrell hits me up and says, Ricky, how can we help you?
[00:40:27] And you got, those of you that were here kind of know the story.
[00:40:31] And I won't, I got to finish, I'm sorry.
[00:40:36] But Friday night, I had that documented.
[00:40:41] And it was like God was saying, remember, remember.
[00:40:45] Do you remember?
[00:40:46] Do you remember what I did there?
[00:40:48] I wouldn't have ever remembered that had I not typed that out, I don't think.
[00:40:52] Isn't it awesome to sit back and say, look what God did.
[00:40:58] Look at how He moved.
[00:41:01] Look at what He's doing.
[00:41:03] My God is real.
[00:41:05] My God is working.
[00:41:07] My God is doing it.
[00:41:08] And He reminds us of that.
[00:41:10] I know some of you keep a journal.
[00:41:13] Here's what God did.
[00:41:14] Here's God's answered prayers.
[00:41:16] I won't point out who, but I know one person in here keeps a little jar of stuff that says, here's what God has done, and goes back and reads it. God is amazing. God says, remember,
[00:41:30] fourth point, and I'm done. Community. I want you to think about something. The disciples are over there, and they are saying, what? We don't have any bread. Christ, who is in their presence, fully man, fully God, brings them back and says, guys, think about this. My point here is,
[00:41:50] one reason you should be in church and be here and interact with others, do table talk, do all these other things is because we need each other's help.
[00:42:02] Ricky, you're up here playing.
[00:42:05] I can't tell that anything is happening to you in your heart this morning.
[00:42:09] Bring you back.
[00:42:11] We should be doing this to each other.
[00:42:12] We should be helping each other.
[00:42:14] Iron sharpening iron as it were.
[00:42:17] And we should be helping each other.
[00:42:18] Look, come back.
[00:42:20] look at what God's doing. Look at that. Isn't that amazing? The reason we've had testimonies on screen over the past several months, Pastor Tom was doing that, is to say, God is working.
[00:42:32] Look what God is doing. Look what God is doing. Don't ever lose sight of that. And because of that, your hearts will not be hardened. So I'm going to leave you with that question that we were left
[00:42:45] with in the passage. Do you not yet understand? Yet is a matter of grace. He didn't say, do you not understand? He said, do you not yet understand? He's like, I'm working on you. Are you listening?
[00:43:00] I'm working on you. And he's working on you and me as well. He's saying, let's do this. Let me help you. Let's go. And I want you to see who I truly am and what I can do in your life. And if you'll
[00:43:13] led them. It is the most amazing thing in the world to see God working, is it not?
[00:43:19] It's an awesome thing. Let's close in prayer.