 We'll begin in chapter eight here at verse 11. I'll read verses 11 and 12 to you. I'm going to give you a little background again to remind you of a few things that are taking place and then we'll move into our study of the signs of the times. So beginning here in chapter eight at verse 11 reading verses 11 and 12 in the gospel of Mark, Mark writes, then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, testing him. But he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation. And so Jesus is in the region of Dalmanutha. This is on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It's close to a place called Magdala. Magdala is a city that Mary Magdalene came from. So it's on the kind of, it's on the western shore, little north going towards Capernaum. And he has just left the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. And we saw how he was in that region of the Decapolis and how he was ministering there to Gentiles. I mentioned to you that on the eastern shore of Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River on the eastern area, east of that portion of the nation, that's where the Decapolis was. They had the 10 cities that were pagan cities. And Jesus Christ has gone in there and had been ministering to these Gentiles. And while he was there, he's performing miracles, miracles of healing. And as he was doing so, it was revealing to those who were there his compassion for them. Jesus had healed a man who was deaf. He had a speech impediment and it had electrified the people. And so much so that they in chapter 7 verse 37 said he has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. Well, after doing that, that had drawn a great number of people and a multitude has assembled to hear him. This multitude had been with him for three days. And Jesus was concerned that if they had left, that they might faint along the way. So he commanded them to be seated. He took the seven loaves and a few fish. And as we saw last time, he fed them. There were 4,000 men not including women and children and they were fed until completely full. I pointed out that the miracle reminds us how God cares for the Jews and he cares for those in need. But the feeding of the 5,000, feeding of the 4,000 is actually a kind of reminder for us to remember how when the children of Israel were in the wilderness in the days of Moses, they had become hungry and how that God had provided for them too. In Psalm 78 verse 24, it says that he rained down manna for them to eat. He gave them bread from heaven. So upwards of 12,000 were fed and fully satisfied. And after that occurred, that's when Jesus leaves that area there on the eastern shoreline and travels across to the west. And he goes into Magdala and Dalmanutah. And again, he's ministering to the Jewish people. Now he had just left a number of Gentiles, a great number who were hungry to receive from him. But sadly, when he once again comes to the people of Israel, he's met with hostility. And that's what we're seeing here when the Pharisees came to him. So notice in verse 11 how it says, then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, testing him. And so in spite of God's compassionate love for the people, they came to argue. The grace of God is met within difference. It reminds us of the Old Testament book of Isaiah chapter 65 verse two, where God said, I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts. Well, Mark mentions the Pharisees, but Matthew gives us greater insight concerning this because in Matthew 16 verse one, he speaks of the Pharisees and the Sadducees who came. Those are the two main religious groups in Israel. And they're united at this point in opposition to Jesus Christ. Now notice verse 11 says that they came out and began to dispute with him, testing him. The word dispute simply means to reason with, but it also carries a connotation of came out to argue. The word testing means to test somebody maliciously, seeking to discredit them. So they're arguing with Jesus maliciously wanting to find fault in him. They came to argue with him, to test him. They're hoping to trap him. And that's what they're doing when they test him by asking for a sign from heaven. Now up to this point, as we've been going through Mark and you can see this, it's been recorded for us, chronicled for us that Jesus has already provided enough evidence to reveal himself to them. The lame had been healed. The blind could see. The deaf could hear. Those who were paralyzed were able to walk. The lepers had been cleansed and the sea had been calm. Food had been multiplied. The dead had been raised to life. But in spite of all of this, their stubborn hearts are refusing to accept what is obviously true. It reminds me of what God said to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 16 verse 12 when he says, you too have done evil even more than your forefathers. For behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart without listening to me. So many works have been performed, but they refuse. They refuse to believe him. Now the common belief during the time of Christ was that demons perform earthly signs, but true prophets will perform heavenly signs. They've already accused Christ of performing works by demonic power in Mark chapter 6 verse 22. We see how the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said he has the alzabuban by the ruler of the demons. He casts out demons. Well, they're now requesting a sign from heaven because true prophets do heavenly signs. Now we see that in another place. We see that in John's gospel, the same kind of thinking in John chapter 6 verses 30 through 33, they said to him, what sign will you perform then that we may see it and believe you? What work will you do? Our fathers ate the man in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them, most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. So they've been asking for this before. It's the same kind of thing. It's the same attitude. Give us something from heaven because we believe that only true prophets perform heavenly signs. But these people are hardened in their unbelief. They're resistant to what is being taught. They're resistant to what is true. This hardness isn't something that Jesus could close his eyes to. The hardness of their heart was something that caused him great pain. In Matthew 23 verse 37, he said, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. How often I would have gathered you, protected you as a mother hen sees the hawk that is hovering above and circling and about to come down and swoop upon the chicks. That mother hen will gather them under her wing and give her life for those chicks. How often I would have gathered you. I would do the same, but you would have none of me. You don't want me. You're not willing. So rather than yielding to Jesus, they were hardened in their rejection and that causes him grief. Notice verse 12, how it says, he sighed deeply in his spirit. He said, why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation. He sighs deeply, it says, in his spirit. And he asks the question, why you seek a sign? So what is his reaction to the unbelief, sorrow, frustration, and his sorrow and grief arises because he knew their intention was to test him, not to trust him. Now, I mentioned that Matthew records the same incident in Matthew 16 verses two and three. Matthew records that he replied, when evening comes, you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red. And in the morning, today it will be stormy for the sky is red and overcast. And he went on to say, you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. You have sayings that predict the weather. Red sky in the evening usually means good weather the next day. Red sky in the morning usually means a storm is coming. You can predict the natural, but you don't see the signs of the times. So let's share about that for just a moment, not every single thing that is going on. Can I address one message? But I will share a couple of things about this. In our day, speaking of signs of the times, we have experts. We have experts that predict trends in all areas of life. We know that. We have experts in the stock market. We have experts in the fashion world. And some of the fashions I've seen are really interesting, but we'll leave that for another study. We have experts in entertainment. We have experts in music. We have experts who are politically oriented and they all predict these new trends or things to look for. There are those who are predicting trends in medicine. There are those who predict trends in education. There are those who predict trends in a variety of things, including religion. They predict trends in ecology and various things like that, real estate even. And as a society, we can identify current trends. We sadly remain blind to spiritual truth. We the church, we who are born again believers in Jesus Christ, we the church are in a terrible battle. We know that. We're in a terrible battle right now. And yet there are many who do not see it. There's this proverbial frog in the kettle illustration that is used quite often where you take a frog and you place him in a kettle in water and you turn the heat on and the frog remains in that kettle in the water, not noticing that the water is beginning to slowly rise in temperature until it boils to death and never jumps out because it is incapable of determining the degrees of the water and how harmful it is to him. And there was a book written many years ago called simply the frog in the kettle. And the church is the frog in the kettle in many ways today. We don't see what's going on around us. And I believe in I'm speaking as a minister of the gospel as a pastor, a man who's been in ministry for a long time and perhaps has some experience in it. I believe that many leaders in churches today have lost sight of the reason for the existence of the body of Christ. Jesus gave the church what has been called the Great Commission. Normally we look at Matthew 28, and I will in just a moment, and we see what is referred to as the Great Commission. And sometimes people will say, well the Great Commission is found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 28, and it is. But the Great Commission is also found in the Gospel of Mark, in the Gospel of Luke, in the Gospel of John. It's also found in the book of Acts chapter one. That Great Commission is found in various ways and repeated in different forms, but it's all coalescing into this Great Commission. And so when we speak of what the commission of the church is, why we came into existence, we normally look at Matthew chapter 28 verses 19 and 20. And when you look at that scripture, it says, therefore Jesus says, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Surely I'm with you always to the very end of the age. Amen. And so those who are referencing the Great Commission very often will attach this particular verse, Matthew 28, 19, and 20, will attach the verse to their purpose statement for their ministry. And it's to go. And so very often what you have is you have mission organizations that will say go. And indeed Christ said, go into all the world and make disciples. That's what you're to do. But when you're looking at that verse and you're taking it apart and seeing what is the context and what is the directive he's given to us, you might find it interesting that there in language structure, you have what is called a main verb, a main verb. What is the main verb of this? And so very often people will point to the word go. They'll say go is what is called the main verb, go into the world. But the main verb is not the going. The main verb is making disciples. It's not enough, in other words, for us to go more to go and make disciples. A disciple is a lifelong learner. Somebody who is following after a master who teaches them how to pray, how to minister and everything that relates to a spiritual life. So what the church is called to do is not simply go without a message, but to go with a message and a purpose. And the purpose is to make disciples. The main verb relates to making disciples. When you go, where you go, while you go is the strength of the word make disciples. What is a disciple? A disciple is a lifelong learner. So how do you make a lifelong learner teaching them to obey, to observe all things I have commanded you, lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age. So the disciple is someone who is taught all that Christ has given them. And a lot of times the church has forgotten the commission is to make disciples. The church has sadly in many ways forgotten that our mission is to teach them to obey all things. So today many leaders fail to emphasize what Jesus taught us to emphasize. And the result is many Christians are failing to live fulfilled and Christ honoring lives. You see, it's been my sad experience, but it's a true experience to see that there are those who profess Christ who are not interested in growing spiritually. They have very little, if any, spiritual hunger at all. The idea of having personal time with God or family devotions that's simply not part of their lives. They're not in the word of God. They're not growing. They're not involved in ways to help them to grow. And listen, if we're parents, as parents, if we are not hungry to grow and to know God, then I guarantee you your children won't be either. I guarantee you because the greatest influence in a family that has a father and a mother in the home, the greatest influence in the family is not the mother when it comes to religion. Some of you may be surprised at that, but it's true. It's not the mother. It's the father. It's the father. The sons look to the father and the daughters look to the father as the spiritual leader. And so many times, sadly, mamas have been shackled the responsibility that we husbands have been given by God himself. Fathers are to teach their children. That's what the scriptures teach. We'll see that in Ephesians when we get to Ephesians, but that's what the scriptures teach, that we are the fathers. The fathers are the leaders, the leaders of the home that bring the children to faith in Christ. So listen, if the father is refusing to lead and the mama doesn't have the ability to do it the way that she'd like to, ultimately what happens is we leave our children in the hands of those very often who don't know the Lord. So they're in school and in school they're learning things that you don't believe in. They're learning that you know that I know that they're learning things you don't believe in, but because soccer is more important on Sunday than church because we have other things to do and we don't do devotions. We think that somehow by osmosis our children are going to have faith in Christ and we fail to realize that they're not. So instead of us equipping them very often what we do is we leave them to others to do that, and I guarantee you if you don't teach people to believe in Jesus there are those who will teach them not to. There are those who will teach them not to. In much of the indoctrination today hours of indoctrination occurs obviously in the schools. Lennon, not John Lennon, Lennon said give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted and we see that to be very true. Let me have your children's minds six to eight hours a day, five days out of the week from the time they're four or five years old until they're 17 or 18 and I guarantee you I can twist every good thing you've poured into their heart. I can twist it right out. That's what's happening now and therefore I want to say this I want to say every Christian teacher that we have and we have numbers of Christian teachers here I want to tell you we love you and we thank God for you and your influence thank God for you and your influence because you've had great influence and we thank God for you we really do and I also want to thank thank God for the homeschool ministry that we have here in our fellowship thank God for those who are caring for the kids and helping the parents to put within the children a mind of Christ. You see pastors are are failing to teach the whole counsel of God. They're not teaching verse by verse chapter by chapter and by failing to teach throughout the scripture the the people are not being completely equipped. The word of God has various blessings in it that it benefit that we are benefited from if we were to understand that God's word is what makes spiritual growth possible. God has given us his word but we need to hunger in our hearts for it. 1 Peter 2 verse 2 says it like this as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that he may grow thereby. One of the ways that any parent in this room or is listening to this message one of the ways that we know when our children aren't well is when they're not hungry that's one of the ways you know and I can still remember coming home and Marie saying to me you know baby's not feeling well she's not she's not hungry well that's true spiritually too. One of the ways evidence that we have a real life in Christ is as a newborn baby to desire the sincere the pure milk of the word why because it's by that word that we may grow. You see as you read the word of God God's word as applied begins to work transformation in it's in Romans 12 verse 2 it says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed how by the renewing of your mind then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is is good pleasing and perfect will. Do not be conformed but be he transformed how by the renewing of the way that you think. You see it's God's word rightly divided that gives us the ability to know what truth is and what error is and that's why the pastor is called by God commanded by God to teach the word of God. In Ephesians 4 11 and 12 Christ himself gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up he went on in Ephesians 4 verse 14 and he said then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming and so through the word of God our minds are transformed and we have discernment it's God's word and the proper study and the application that gives us wisdom it gives us discernment and Psalm 119 105 it says your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path so pastors and teachers and I speak to myself and those who teach the word of God we're to teach the whole council of God white so we can equip the saints for works of service but over the years a consumer mentality has invaded many churches there's something today we're all familiar with it's thrown around an awful lot this term cancel culture we're all familiar with that and sometimes we act as if cancel cultures and you think it's not there's always been peer pressure somebody was he had just reached his hundred and second birthday and somebody asked him what do you think the greatest benefit of becoming 102 is he says well I don't have peer pressure anymore peer pressure peer pressure it's been around for as long as I can remember cancel culture is very similar to that it's not new but that's something that cancel culture kind of mentality if you say something I don't like we'll join together to disapprove of you well that that cancel culture has been around a long time the apostle paul as an example endured that and it came through interestingly enough infiltrators in the church in Corinth the canceling of paul came through the church in Corinth when you read second Corinthians there are no less than 25 accusations that are lodged against paul in an attempt to cancel him when you read your bible and I've given studies on this before when we go through second Corinthians and I'll point these things out they say things of him he's a hypocrite he changes his mind easily he's self appointed he's an unemotional intellect he's ugly he's unqualified they say things about him read second Corinthians you'll find no less than 25 accusations lodged against him intending to silence him well we're aware of that every pastor every teacher is aware that people don't like some things that are being said and so they don't say certain things because they're afraid to offend the pastors to teach God's word as it is given without apology and without fear of man and that's true in Jeremiah chapter one verses six through nine Jeremiah it reads then said I oh Lord God behold I cannot speak I'm a youth but the Lord said to me do not say I am a youth for you shall go to all to whom I send you and whatever I command you you shall speak do not be afraid of their faces for I am with you to deliver you saith the Lord don't be afraid of their faces well because they're all ugly no no don't be afraid of the faces because when you're speaking and those of you who do public speaking know exactly what I'm saying is you will see people you see one person here I see all of you and there are people sometimes we're giving giving me that look and I tell my wife honey you can disagree with me but not in church because I can see you but it's true because when you're speaking the people will give you we used to call it vibes they'll give you bad vibes you can feel it he says don't be intimidated by them you speak the truth as I gave it to you because you have someone to answer to and it's not them it's him so you speak the truth that's what pastors are intended to do but a lot of times the pastors are afraid to give that gospel and because they're afraid they're they're not seeing the signs of the times the rejection of the things of God for the word of God teaches us very clearly then in the last days they will no longer endure healthy teaching but they will heap unto themselves teachers having 18 years and will be voluntarily turned aside from the truth to fables which is what we're seeing even on our day where people can't put up with healthy doctrine I don't hear a bible study I want to hear current events I want to know what's going on why why why why aren't we interested in what God has to say why are we more interested in people's opinions why is that because very often people's opinions appeal to something we already believe whereas the word of God sometimes cuts against the grain and exposes our heart for what it is and the heart is deceitful desperately wicked who could know it God goes on to say I know it I test the hearts I know what's going on and see so that's how it works when you read your bible and when you hear the studies there are things that you'll learn you'll learn for example that the that the path to heaven isn't always what people might make it seem to be I have discovered this the path to heaven is very often is very lonely in Matthew 10 34 through 36 Jesus said it like this he said think not that I'm come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foes shall be they of his own household the path to heaven is not always filled with a bunch of people just slapping you on the back and walking with you sometimes it's lonely sometimes you go through opposition John 16 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace Jesus said in this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world the path to heaven can be filled with trials in first Peter 4 12 and 13 beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed the path to heaven is a path of self-denial in Luke 9 23 he said to them all if anyone desires to come after me let them deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me that's Christianity that's what we've been called to and all of this is built on one thing his resurrection we believe that Jesus Christ died was buried but on the third day rose from the dead we believe that it's called the doctrine of resurrection that Jesus Christ died for our sins he was buried the third day arose we believe that and he was resurrected and ascended into heaven and it's the belief in his resurrection that makes life worth living because if Christ remained dead we have all men Paul said are most miserable but with Christ being raised to the right hand of the Father we have life because he lives we also will live because of his resurrection Psalm 16 verse 11 you make known to me the path of life in your presence there's fullness of joy at your right hand our pleasures forevermore so that's what Jesus is pointing the Pharisees and Sadducees to he's pointing them to his resurrection they said I want a sign from heaven and he's saying that sign will be my victory over death in Matthew 16 verse 4 Matthew records a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah well in Matthew 12 38 38 to 40 it says certain of the scribes and the Pharisees answered saying master we would see a sign from you but he answered and said to them an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign there shall and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the Wales Valley so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth what sign do you want show us a sign from heaven show us proof that you're a prophet come from God I'm not going to give you a sign the sign you're going to get is this my resurrection that's what he's saying I'm giving you the sign my resurrection and they is they will not receive that sign they're going to reject it and because of that and they reject his resurrection they ultimately die in their sins well as this has taken place verse 13 he left them and getting into the boat again departed to the other side so instead of coming to faith in him they turned and they ran back to their customs they ran back to the traditions no sign would convince them there's no reason to perform a miracle so he leaves them he leaves them in their unbelief he goes across the lake to the northeastern shore well as they're now arriving verse 14 the disciples had forgotten to take bread and they didn't have more than one loaf with them in the boat well as they arrived the disciples become aware of the fact that they don't have any food they had forgotten to bring food they they had a long day of ministry they're exhausted they're hungry they went across the the lake it seems that the only thing that occupied their minds at that time is their hunger but they only had one loaf of bread and that's what they're concerned with feeding themselves and so verse 15 says in the midst of this as they're going through their hunger pangs he charged them saying take heed beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod and they reasoned among themselves saying it's because we have no bread they're thinking of their hunger but Jesus is thinking of their needs their spiritual needs after dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees he's concerned with the influence of the Pharisees and the Sadducees you see it only takes a small amount of leaven to leaven an entire loaf of bread so in much the same way it takes a small amount of influence to undermine truth so Jesus tells him take heed verse 15 when he says take heed keep your eyes open be on the alert beware beware of the pervasive influence of the Pharisees Sadducees and Herod now the pervasive influence of the Pharisees was seen in their legalism in hypocrisy in Luke chapter 12 verse 1 Jesus said to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and he said which is hypocrisy their way of thinking and their way of living does not reflect my kingdom and my principles and when they convert somebody to their way they do not produce true followers of God what they produce is those who look good outwardly it's easy to it's easy to deceive people and make them you know through outward appearance you can hide certain things like this t-shirt I'm wearing right now underneath this sweater it's wrinkled I confess it's wrinkled I usually iron everything because my wife won't know I iron things I've been doing that all my life since I could hold an iron it's not because my wife won't it's because I I do it myself so I thought I'm gonna wear a sweater I don't wear sweaters very often very often so I don't have to iron my t-shirt all you gotta do is pull all you guys know this you just pull it down a little looks like it's I don't know if I took it off it's all wrinkled like that you can look good on the outside but it's what's underneath and the Pharisees were able to look good outside listen when when I got saved at the age of 20 and I was still a hippie and and our society at that time had very strong dislike for for these unwashed masses of kids barefoot kids long-haired kids and all of that they they especially couldn't stand the fact that that there were these beards and and and all of that and those girls had some real thick beards but at that at that time I was so jealous of them but they didn't they our society rejected outer appearance rather yeah they rejected the outer appearance they didn't like if you're really a Christian you'd have a very very short haircut if you really were a Christian and and that's the way it was you know because but you can you can you can dress a pig up as nice as you want it's still a pig you know because the character's not changed right because by nature that's what it is pretty pig but a pig nonetheless and and and I can dress up this this this this profane person that I am and and appear righteous it's not hard too all you need to do is pray all you need to do is give all you need to do is is fast that's what the Pharisees in the time of Christ did you have the three outer markings of a religious person prayer fasting and giving but you do those things to be seen by men and Jesus spoke of them you said you're like white washed tombs you appear beautiful on the outside but inside you're filled with decay dead men's bones you're rotten on the inside you look beautiful on the outside you pray well you fast while you do all those things well but though you espouse to believe the commands of God in fact your hearts are far from him and that's hypocrisy that's acting one way when in fact there's something else the word hypocrite was actually used in reference to actors during the time of Paul the hypocrite was an actor they would wear a mask tragedy or joy and that's what they would do they just put the hypocrite mask on and so that's what hypocrisy is it's it's appearing one thing but being something else and so the Pharisees were models I mean you know unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees you you have no hope and the people would say then who has any hope because they're the most outwardly righteous people in our in our nation how can we if we well that's because they had hearts that were far from God they they looked on the outside like true religious people but the hearts are far from God therefore he says you beware of the leaven of the Pharisees it's hypocrisy because that thinking doesn't reflect my kingdom and those who follow after them well they don't produce true followers of God again they they travel throughout the world to to make one convert and make them twice the child of hell that they themselves are they may request the supernatural sign but in reality they're just hard towards me now Matthew includes in chapter 16 verse 6 he includes the beware of the leaven of the Sadducees now the Sadducees had been influenced by Greek thinking the Sadducees were were actually had a heritage that and there's there's a lot of argument over this but much of much of the Sadducees fame in the nation and all came around the time of the Maccabees and all in and the Sadducees had been influenced by Greek culture that was in the nation of Israel and so they rejected elements of the scripture and and they didn't believe in the supernatural that they they rejected scriptures that that taught about the immortal soul the afterlife they didn't believe in in the reality of angels they didn't believe in a resurrection Jesus is saying beware that you don't get influenced by materialism you need to remember that life is more than the material you need to remember that in Matthew 6 verse 25 therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing don't worry about what you eat what you drink what you wear these are the things Jesus says that the heathen pursues you have a heavenly father he takes care of the sparrow why won't he take care of you seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you that's what Jesus taught his followers today we understand the the the strength of of commercials of promoting certain products we understand that we know that if we get a message out to people and it's repeated often enough people will believe it's true no matter what whether it is or isn't doesn't matter they begin to repeat it as common wisdom we know that and so there'll be a football game today when the Super Bowl comes they're going to be spending all kinds of money for 30 second spots we know this and yet we have intellectuals who will tell us people are not influenced by what they see on the screen they're not influenced but what they hear by what they hear over the airwaves or what they're reading they will say that to us and then they'll spend so much money for 30 seconds to tell you what to eat what to drink or what to put on that's what they do you know it in Idaho but it's true that's what they do oh it doesn't make you think any different really then why are you spending so much money and what's interesting to me i've said this before but i always think of it when i when i say something like this i think you know you'll see these commercials i'll be watching today for a while depends on who's winning but i'll be watching for a little while today there'll be commercials what are the commercials going to be beer alcohol you know some kind of alcohol alcoholic beverage alpoya local there's going to be food commercials they're going to be beer commercials right that's what you're going to see we'll we'll see it in one form or another you know and i've often wondered why don't you show the results of that you always show these good-looking young people college types of nice nice hair and and nice bodies why don't you show them 30 years later with their pot bellies you know they never do like i would no teeth they never do it's always good looking people and and that's just nonsense you know that and i know that but then again maybe we don't if it's repeated often enough people begin to blindly follow after it and if they tell you that you're not really successful if you don't wear this brand have your hair cut in this way drive this car you just haven't made it so you need to follow materialism call yourself religious if you want i mean it's it's unfortunate that you have to work Sundays to achieve these things but after a while when your wife leaves you you'll have it all to yourself because that's basically what happens right you pursued something that didn't last he says beware of the leaven of the leaven of the sagacy the materialism the hedonism the rejection of that which is spiritual and then he said beware of the leaven of hered the influence of hered now hered was a worldly he was a worldly man a king they call him king of tetraarchy he had a political power he was but this is a man who was power hungry he was worldly power hungry immoral and this kind of person has no business leading god's people and jesus saying watch out for the influence of the world of hered beware of legalism beware of outward righteousness beware of materialism beware of the rejection of the word of god beware of worldliness none of these have any part in a believer's life especially the life of a spiritual leader you see these Pharisees didn't come to jesus for wisdom for the teachings for the truth they came to find fault with him they came to dispute with him they came testing him and jesus saw through this he exposed a hypocrisy and the danger that they posed and jesus had told them they can discern the weather but you're not aware of the times you're able to discern the natural but you're blind to the spiritual if they would have taken the time to seek scripture they would have seen who he is he was born of a virgin he was born in Bethlehem he had john who went before him he opened the eyes of the blind he healed the deaf he made the lame to walk the good news was proclaimed to the poor those are all signs of messiah that they were missing and so he says beware of this you find me in scripture and how did the men respond verse 16 they reasoned among themselves is because we haven't brought any bread we forgot to bring food that's why he's so bad they took him literally we only have one loaf it's not enough for all of us but he could have created more food out of that one loaf he just did that he'd done it twice well you see their spiritual maturity is still developing so their eyes are yet to clearly see and so he addresses that verse 17 Jesus being aware of it said to them why do you reason because you have no bread do you not yet perceive nor understand is your is your heart still hardened having eyes do you not see having ears do you not hear do you not remember now when he asked about them having eyes and ears not seeing or hearing that reminds us of something he had said earlier when he was giving his parables and in mark four verse 12 he was speaking of those who didn't know him and he said seeing they may see and not perceive hearing they may hear and not understand so you're not understanding because you're not applying faith to my teachings that's why you don't understand some of the lessons you learn from the Lord come through the experience of obedience as a matter of fact I would say the majority of not almost all of them I'll go further than that all of them come from obedience putting into practice what you say you believe God shows up God shows up there are those men who sat in the boat well another man climbed out and walked on water the apostle Peter and his cheerleaders in that boat were probably saying you can do it you can do it we believe in you Peter you can do it then you got Thomas saying I doubt if he will but that's a different story your lessons in your spiritual life are going to come through just applying these things to your life my god shall supply all your need really well we learn that by trusting him to supply you're going to learn these things you know this many of you already know this i'm speaking to people who know perhaps some of you are yet learning and you will continue to learn that's the truth that's how it works you learn over time God shows up God shows up and instead of it getting easier oftentimes it gets difficult even more difficult at the beginning and then you grow I was a brand new Christian we were I was in the army we were in basic training at Fort Ord some friends of mine and I are driving home we got a weekend pass I grew up in Norwalk I had a friend of mine who was from Huntington Beach and some of the other guys we had several guys in this this car broke down outside of Santa Maria to the north of Santa Maria as we broke down there we are on the side of the road and that was a time when there was it wasn't built up like it is now this is over 50 years ago there was nothing there we were out in no man's land really and and my friends who owned the car and some of them stuck around to try and get it running and the rest of us decided well we're going to hitchhike and see if we can get home and so we walked up to the side street it was only a tune leaner at that time and I began to stick my thumb out in case a car might go by and my friend Bill says to me he says you know what we should do and I said what is that he said we should pray and ask God give us a ride and I'm a brand new Christian why not God God answers prayer I'm a brand I'm two and a half months old in Christ I said let's see God move he said God will move so we don't we don't stick our thumbs out here comes a Volkswagen and it's a young lady and her little brother pulls over now there are like six or seven men on the side of a road and the little girl who's maybe 16 pulling over with a little brother and he was a little nervous looking and so my friend Bill and I walk up to her the the passenger side and we looked in and she says I don't do these kinds of things she says but I'm a Christian and God just told me to pull over and give you guys a ride so I go wow you know amazing and then my stupid friend says okay you guys you go and they left us on the side of the road because he was more mature to me and Christ he was like three months older than me and the Lord he says isn't this great see what God could do what you're gonna do next and we just started walking we hadn't walked uh more than 50 yards and a Volkswagen van a hippie limousine pulls over and the guy driving says hey you guys need some help and we said yeah we could use a ride so he opened up the side there's this hippie in the back just kind of laying there you know and he turns out to be a Christian so my friend Bill and I talked to him and the driver is a pagan but he talks to my friend Mike who was a pagan too they got along we got along we fell asleep and he drives us all the way to Norwalk and drops us off within a half mile walking distance from my house and then he drives to Huntington beach where my friend Mike lived and drops him off at his doorstep and so that was the beginning of my walk with God where he says ask of me and I will show the great and mighty things that thou knowest not and those are the things see so you begin your walk with the Lord as as as a you know you're an infant and God that it seems that he spoon feeds you at first here son we'll get you home here son and then later on you're saying God you're not hearing me God you're not hearing me have I not taught you I'll take you a little bit further and you want have you ever said God I want to be on fire for you I want to be deep right I've prayed you pray that you want to be on fire fire burns you want to be deep you go through deep things the one who resists that will stay immature the one who says all things work together for the good of those who love God who are called according to his purpose they grow and the Lord Jesus wants them to grow so he says be aware of be aware of be aware of and then he reminds them and he says to them when I broke the five verse 19 the five lows for 5000 how many baskets full of fragments did you take up they said 12 when I broke the seven for the 4000 how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up they said seven and he said to them how is it you do not understand how is it so recently I performed these miracles you participated you distributed the food when I multiplied it you gathered the remnants that filled the 12 baskets the seven baskets you're not learning your lessons how is it that you're not putting these things together that you might understand so he says in a review you're not learning you need to not only hear and see but you also need to understand because in the future and it's not that far from now I will entrust my ministry to you learn your lessons well now at that point it dawns on the Matthew chapter 16 verse 12 says then they understood that he did not tell them to be aware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees be aware of the hypocrisy and the doctrine of these men they will undermine the work of God in you and that's the same warning we have to this day be aware of that doctrine hypocritical lives and the call for materialism trust the Lord and watch what God will do and then you're going to be able to say I really didn't know but now I now I do I didn't see clearly but now I see because the Lord you are faithful to everything you have promised you always will be and that's why I trust you and father we would ask