Getting Caught in the Immediate

The Life of Jesus  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  29:48
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Matthew 16:5-12

Matthew 16:5–12 CSB
The disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected? Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?” Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Pray
Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (and Herod; Mark 8 same context also in Luke 12)

Leaven

In bread it is a good thing. It’s what makes your bread rise and not look like a tortilla or cracker. It’s what makes your pizza bread fill you up and fluffy. But in the Bible it is, over and over, used as: a symbol of evil, sin, corruption, corrupt teaching
From the story of Exodus where they had no time to let the bread rise. It became a symbol of the sin of the people.
Leviticus 2:11 CSB
“No grain offering that you present to the Lord is to be made with yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey as a fire offering to the Lord.
So when Jesus uses it as a warning, it isn’t saying beware the bread of these people. It’s poison.

What is the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees and Herod

Hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), unbelief in Jesus resurrection (Luke 20:27), and Worldliness (Herod was a puppet for the roman empire). These are all things that Come like leaven a little bit works its way in and spreads throughout the whole.
The Pharisees didn’t start out wanting to be hypocrites. They were exemplary in their sincere pursuit of doctrinal truth. But it became self-righteous.
Jesus warns his disciples to beware this false teaching that worms itself through the whole if you let it in. People who honestly believe in Jesus, but not sure if the resurrection was real or if it was just something made up. People who trade truth of the word to go along to Get along. Trade the truth for socially acceptable practices.
These are the dangers of the leaven the false teachings. Jesus was teaching/warning about false teaching. Things that effected the whole body, mind, and spirit. That would affect a big picture And have effects for years to come.
But the disciples couldn’t see past the immediate needs of bread. They thought he was upset about bread. Even though they knew the OT and knew that Passover they practiced getting rid yeast. And they knew the symbolism of the yeast.
But they were “practical people” and couldn’t see the bigger picture. They were to focused on the moment
This is how we often are. We read the bible, hear a sermon, hear God’s voice, have a since of the HS Moving in us God speaks to us. But we are to focused on our immediate physical needs. We see the small. We need it to be 1, 2, 3 or ABC.
We have become a nation of sheep. We need the direct direction. We have become to visual. Because we can’t think. We can’t see the bigger picture. We can’t imagine a world that is larger. We just follow the doctrine and the teachings of our priest. Be those priest: Scientist, Lawyers, Judges, Congress, Pastors, Church, TV, Radio, or whatever.
We don’t analyze and evaluate. We don’t meditate on things. We just want the easy answers. How do you fix this problem 123. The fast food culture. We like just having it handed to us
But the Bible tells us to meditate
Which means to think upon. Ask the hard question. Evaluate, How does this apply to me and my world. This is one of the reasons we don’t like the Bible because not all of it is easy to apply. We have to read and study and think and listen to the HS.
But more than just meditate we have to be a nation of practice it. With internet everywhere we just leave practice to someone else instead of following the direction we learned.
The Bible tells us not to just know, but to walk, and to make, Shema
Micah 6:8 LEB
He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly
Ecclesiastes 12:13 LEB
Now that all has been heard, here is the final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes fear God and obey his commandment

Next Steps

We have to be Christians that Know and experience. And then we can see the bigger picture. That God is trying to show us those things that change our lives. We have to listen to the Lord. And some times we need to see the bigger picture and not worry about the little things.
Are you tide up in the little things
Are you one of those that have to have it laid out
How good are you at meditating on you scriptures
What is God trying to tell you today?
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