Now, this may seem to you like a rather large chunk of text, and admittedly it is.
A little bit challenging to take a look at this and see why we should go this far.
And I've wrestled with that quite a bit over the last couple of weeks.
But they are tied together thematically by both this reality and this metaphor of bread.
As God continues in Jesus' ministry to draw people to believe that He is the Christ.
Jesus put it this way, John 6, verses 47-51.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.
So He's teaching us there that He Himself is the very sustenance, the very thing that we need for life.
And He's speaking of spiritual matters here.
He uses this example of manna in the wilderness.
Again, I've talked to you guys about typologies.
Manna being a type of Christ.
A way in which God met the physical needs of His people in the wilderness with this manna, this bread that came from heaven.
But now He has sent a greater type, the anti-type.
He has sent Christ as the bread of life to meet spiritual needs.
And so you'll see that this text is all tied together with this metaphor, even as there's some physical interaction happening with bread.
And that's important for us to see this morning.
Now we see again a feeding miracle here.
This is not a re-recording, as some people have suggested, of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.
This is a separate instance.
Some of the structure of the telling of it is similar, but it was a very similar miracle.
We get different details, different region that it was happening in, a different report.
He actually then later asked questions of the apostles about when He fed the 5 and when He fed the 4.
And so this is clearly a unique miracle, although there are some similarities with the one that happened previously.
We see in verse 1 that in those days a crowd had gathered.
And Jesus now has returned from the region of Tyre and Sidon.
He's been ministering primarily in Galilee, which is northwest of the Sea of Galilee.
He's been primarily ministering in this region.
And He has now gone off.
He's coming really rapidly, bringing to a close His ministry in this region.
And He's gone off to the coast of the Mediterranean, which is where Tyre and Sidon are located.
Kind of a bit of a retreat.
We see a couple of encounters in chapter 7 that happened.
But the point was to get away from Galilee.
And He's made this circuitous route to come around the region of Galilee and back into the Decapolis.
You'll see that in chapter 7, verse 31.
This is a region made up of 10 prominent Gentile cities.
There were other cities there, but 10 prominent ones.
Therefore, it's called the Greek Decapolis.
It was to the east of the Sea of Galilee.
A region just to the east of the Sea of Galilee.
And previously, Jesus fed the 5,000, which was primarily a Jewish crowd in Galilee.
We see that He expresses to them some of His Godhead.
The way that He's come to lead them by having them sit in groups the way Moses did.
And by having them, as Mark recorded, sit on the green grass to shepherd them.
We don't see those details here because this is a Gentile crowd.
So God orchestrates here with the life of Christ, the apostles' work in this time,
another feeding, but to a different audience, to a Gentile crowd.
And we notice here in verse 2 a unique thing that happens.
Jesus states that He has compassion on this crowd.
Now, this is a crowd that has been with Him three days.
They've likely run out of food.
They've traveled a great distance to hear Him speak.
And He states that He has compassion on them.
Now, this is the only place around this account that He says that.
He Himself says that.
Now, compassion is constantly attributed to Jesus as an observation of His actions.
The recorders of the Gospel see the things He does,
and they say He must have compassion for Him to act in this way.
But this is the only place we see Him say that He Himself has compassion.
And this is important that He declares this because it fulfills prophecy.
Isaiah 54, 7 and 8.
He is declaring Himself God.
Verse 7,
For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
So Jesus cares about the physical things.
He's primarily concerned.
His major focus is on the spiritual things,
those things that are eternal,
but He is compassionate.
We see Him not only caring about the Spirit,
but also about the stomach.
We see Him healing people miraculously.
He's upset about deafness
and the inability to speak clearly.
We saw at the end of chapter 7.
He has compassion on people.
He declares that here Himself.
And then we see in verse 4,
a rather miraculous display of unbelief.
And this is the verse that causes,
some will call them quote-unquote scholars,
to presume that this is a second recording
of the first miracle of the feeding of the 5,000,
because they just don't understand how these men
could have possibly seen Him feed so many people before,
not too long before,
and now doubt that He could do it again.
We saw before,
at the feeding of the 5,000,
this is a record of the men,
so it's likely a much larger group.
There's no real way to know,
but presumably men with families,
so 20,000 to 25,000 people,
quite possibly.
Now with 4,000,
this is probably a massive group,
16,000,
20,000 people.
They've traveled away three days.
Likely their families are with them.
And the apostles say,
how can one feed these people
with bread here in this desolate place?
What an incredible display
of their unbelief.
And then we see the details of this miracle.
He asks them,
how many loads do you have?
They say seven.
They're asked to sit.
There's small fish.
It's kind of tacked on the end
as if it's not really the important part of the story,
and it's not.
It's just another way they were fed,
but the bread is the thing
that we're meant to really notice here
and to focus on.
And you'll see in verse 8
that they ate and were satisfied.
They had plenty.
In fact,
they had stopped eating,
and so there were leftovers.
The type of basket here,
is likely a much larger basket
than the previous 12 baskets
that were taken up.
The baskets that were generally carried
in Gentile region
were large baskets carried on the shoulder.
You could put a small person inside of.
So the point, though,
is there's lots and lots and lots of leftovers
that Jesus provided to them aboundingly.
It was above and beyond
what they even needed to be satisfied.
And then we get the record
that he immediately,
this is, I think, Mark's favorite word,
immediately got into the boat
with his disciples
and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Now, the district of Dalmanutha
is not mentioned much in history.
You'll see in Matthew,
it's recorded as the region of Magadan.
So we've got the district of Dalmanutha,
the region of Magadan.
It would have been kind of like saying,
I'm going to Marietta
versus saying I'm going to Cobb County.
This would have been a similar thing.
So these aren't contradictory accounts,
but these cities and this region
existing in the same place,
back again on the west side
of the Sea of Galilee.
This region was south of Capernaum
where he had kind of headquartered
his Galilean ministry.
So he's now entered into a new place.
And we see in verse 11,
the Pharisees.
Matthew's account expands that for us a bit
and says the Pharisees
and the Sadducees.
And they immediately,
they come up to him
and they begin to argue with him.
The Greek word would also mean dispute.
Argue, dispute.
Get into a debate from him.
And the record here in verse 11
is they were seeking from him
a sign from heaven,
not for the sake of belief,
but to test him.
To back him into a corner
to prove that he wasn't who he says
that he is.
That is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Now it's interesting
that Matthew's account records
that the Pharisees and the Sadducees
came together
because these two
were on the opposite ends
of the religious spectrum.
These groups of Jews.
Opposite ends
of the religious spectrum.
In fact,
they were religious enemies.
They didn't really get along.
They believed different things.
If you'll allow,
there were the conservatives
and the liberals.
Not politically speaking,
but the way they treated
the law of God.
The Pharisees were the legalists.
They were the fundamentalists.
They followed everything to a T.
At least they believed they did.
The Sadducees were a little more
loose with that.
The Sadducees were primarily
those involved in running the temple.
They were extorters.
People would bring sacrifice
to the temple.
They would tell them
that they weren't good enough
and then they would sell them
an acceptable sacrifice
at a really high rate.
Often they wouldn't accept
the money that they brought.
They would make them exchange
the money for the proper type of money.
They would rip them off there as well.
Horrible extortioners.
Didn't care too much
about defilement.
They loved the Greek culture.
The Pharisees hated it.
But here we see them
joining forces,
which is such a fascinating thing.
Because they were still those.
They were apostate.
They had built structures
for themselves,
whether it was conservative
or whether it was liberal.
They still rejected Jesus
as the Christ.
They missed the point
altogether,
together.
You've heard the old adage,
the enemy of my enemy
is my friend.
And this is what we find them,
combining forces to come
and to attack Jesus,
to dispute with him
and ask of him
a sign from heaven.
Now there's a superstition
in Jewish culture in this day
that only God could do
a miracle from heaven,
and here we're speaking of
from the sky,
but demons could do
earthly miracles.
So they're pressing him
into a position
where he either
had to do it
to prove who he was
in their thinking,
or deny doing it at all
and then therefore
deny who he is.
They think they've got him
backed into a corner
with this request.
We need a sign from heaven
because this is only a thing
that God could do
to test him.
To test him.
Now do you all remember
the story of Nicodemus?
Nicodemus was a leader
amongst the Pharisees.
John chapter 3 verses 1 and 2
records him coming to Jesus.
Now there was a man
of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus
by night and said to him,
Rabbi, we know
that you are a teacher
come from God.
We know.
Who is he referring to?
He's referring to that group
to which he belonged,
the Pharisees.
We know that you are a teacher
come from God,
for no one can do
these signs that you do
unless God
is with him.
So here you see
Nicodemus.
Nicodemus later
gets this teaching
from Jesus
that he must be born again,
must be born of flesh
and the water
of the Spirit.
This is such a beautiful thing.
I want to believe
that Nicodemus
is counted amongst the saints.
We don't see his response
to this teaching,
but he says here,
we know
that you are a teacher
come from God.
And it's fascinating
to see that there were
groups of Pharisees
that knew exactly
who Jesus was.
So what was going on
with these?
These Pharisees
and these Sadducees.
And that is that they
were just absolutely
spiritually blind.
They had no idea.
Jesus had done
time and time again
things to prove
that he was
the Christ
over and over again.
He was the fulfillment
of Old Testament
processes.
These men,
these were the men
that should have
known the Scriptures
and known who Jesus was.
They should have seen him
for who he was.
But they were
spiritually blind
and they asked
of him
this test.
And his response
to them
is first
that he sighs
deeply.
It's the only place
this compound
Greek phrase
is used
in the New Testament.
We see him sigh
previously
in chapter 7
verse 34
over the physical
effect of sin
but here we see him
sigh deeply
over the spiritual
effect of sin.
This is a
remorse.
This is a longing.
This is a sad
moment for him
that these men
are so blinded
that they would
ask this thing
of him.
That they would
come to him
in this way,
in this attitude
and this manner.
And his response
to him is
why does this
generation seek a sign?
And truly I say
to you,
no sign
will be given
to this generation.
A similar account
is found in
Matthew chapter 12
verse 38
through 41.
And some of the
scribes and Pharisees
answered him
saying,
Teacher,
we wish to see
a sign from you.
But he answered
them,
An evil
and adulterous
generation
seeks for a sign
but no sign
will be given
to it
except the sign
of the prophet
Jonah.
For just as
Jonah was
three days
and three nights
in the belly
of the great fish
so will the
son of man
be three days
and three nights
in the heart
of the earth.
There's Jonah
as a type.
Verse 41,
The men of Nineveh
will rise up
at the judgment
with this generation
and condemn it
for they repented
at the preaching
of Jonah
and behold
something greater
than Jonah
is here.
What is Jesus
saying to them?
This is a crooked,
a perverse
generation.
When he says
generation,
he's just referring
to the Pharisees,
the Sadducees
and everyone else
who wouldn't
believe.
It's a very broad
general term
to those
in that day.
They were like
Israel in the desert.
They wouldn't believe.
What is Jesus
saying about himself?
That he himself
is the sign.
That he's standing
right in front of them
and all they have
to do
is believe
that he is the Christ.
They're like Israel
in the desert.
These Pharisees
and Sadducees,
the rest of Israel
in this day.
Deuteronomy 32.5
records,
they have dealt
corruptly with him.
They are no longer
his children
because they are
blemished.
They are a crooked
and twisted
generation.
So you see here
the scribes,
the Pharisees,
the Sadducees
in their blindness
coming to test Jesus
and there's a
very thematic
dealing with blindness
to the truth of God
in the Scriptures.
Lots of language
about darkness,
the inability
to see
and I want to
take you through
some of these
together.
If you have
the stamina,
I encourage you
to flip with me
to these places
but I'm going to
move fairly quickly
for the sake of time.
John chapter 1
beginning in verse 1
In the beginning
was the Word
and the Word
was with God
and the Word
was God
speaking of Jesus.
He was in the beginning
with God.
All things were made
through Him
and without Him
was not anything made
that was made.
In Him was life
and the life
was the light
of men.
The light shines
in the darkness
and the darkness
has not overcome it.
Verse 9
The true light
which gives light
to everyone
was coming into the world.
He was in the world
and the world
was made through Him
yet the world
did not know Him.
He came to His own
and His own people
did not receive Him.
We see evidence
of that happening here
in verses 11-13
in chapter 8
of Mark.
Further on
in the Gospel of John
chapter 3
verse 18-21
Whoever believes in Him
the Son of God
is not condemned
but whoever does not believe
is condemned already
because he has not believed
in the name
of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment.
The light has come
into the world
and people loved the darkness
rather than the light
because their works
were evil.
For everyone
who does wicked things
hates the light
and does not come
to the light
lest his works
should be exposed.
But whoever does
what is true
comes to the light
so that it may be
clearly seen
that his works
have been carried out
in God
or from faith.
So here we see
this metaphor
this analogy
for those who are
in the dark
are those who produce evil
those who have evil hearts
and that is humanity
apart from Christ.
But those who are
in the light
who have been carried
out their works
in God
by faith
are those who are
found in Christ.
The darkness
hates the light
because light
destroys darkness.
Darkness doesn't exist
when the lights flip on.
So it hates it.
It abhors it.
And people who live
in the darkness
want to avoid
the light.
This was certainly true
of so many
vast, vast numbers
of the Jews
in Jesus' name.
This is why we see
in Luke 19
verse 41
Jesus drawing near
Jerusalem
and he weeps
over it.
Verse 42
saying
would that you
even you had known
on this day
the things that make
for peace
but now they are
hidden
from your eyes.
You are
spiritually blind.
You are in
the dark.
This is also true
of the Gentiles.
Paul gives us
record of this
in Romans chapter 1
beginning in verse 18
for the wrath of God
is revealed
from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness
of men
who by their
unrighteousness
suppress the truth.
Now this is an address
to Gentiles
because
verse 19 says
for what can be known
about God
is plain to them
because God
has shown it to them.
They don't have the law
but it has been made
evidenced in the creation
for his invisible attributes
namely his eternal power
and divine nature
have been clearly perceived
ever since the creation
of the world
and the things
that have been made
so they are without
excuse.
For although they knew God
they didn't honor him
as God
or give thanks to him
but they came futile
in their thinking
and their foolish hearts
were darkened.
Claiming to be wise
they became fools
and exchanged the glory
of the immortal God
for images resembling
mortal man
and birds
and animals
and creeping things.
Dwelling in the darkness
rejecting God.
This was true
before the days
of Jesus.
Psalm 82.5
says the wicked
have neither knowledge
nor understanding
they walk about
in darkness.
Proverbs 4.19
The way of the wicked
is like deep darkness.
They do not know
over what they stumble.
Isaiah 44.18
They know not
nor do they discern
for he has shut their eyes
so that they cannot see
in their hearts
so that they cannot
understand.
This is true
after the days
of Jesus
leading right up
to the days
in which we now live.
Paul writes
in Ephesians 4.17-19
Now this I say
in testifying the Lord
that you must
no longer walk
as the Gentiles do
just meaning
those outside the faith
in the futility
of their minds.
They are darkened
in their understanding
alienated from
the life of God
because of the ignorance
that is in them
due to their
hardness of heart.
They have become callous
and have given themselves
up to sensuality
greedy to practice
every kind of impurity.
Again you see
the darkness
they are darkened
in their understanding.
Paul writes again
in 2 Corinthians
verse 4
excuse me
chapter 4
verse 3-4
And even if our gospel
is veiled
that is hidden
it is veiled
to those who are perishing
in their case
the God of this world
being Satan
has blinded the minds
of the unbelievers
to keep them from seeing
the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ
who is the image
of God.
So here we see
all these different things
at work
individuals
we see God at work
we see Satan at work
and these people
are darkened
and they are blind
to the reality
of Christ.
And here in this text
there seems
to be a turning point
as Jesus deals
with the Pharisees
and the Sadducees
moving on
in the gospel of Mark
he doesn't show
much mercy
to them
he doesn't seem
to put up with them
much at all
he doesn't really seem
to entertain their questions
he's very forward with them
he speaks boldly out
against their sin
it seems here
that they as a group
have made it evident
that they never intend
to leave the darkness
and Jesus treats them
as such
as those who have
spiritual influence
over their communities
he begins to call them out
and tell them
exactly who they are
moving forward
in the gospel of Mark
he turns his attention
away from the crowds
he turns his attention
away from redemption
of Pharisees
and Sadducees
he begins to really
pour his energy
and his efforts
into the apostles
and he just
doesn't hold back
it seems up to this point
some punches were held
now he lets them fly
there seems
to be expressed here
by the Pharisees
a degree of unbelief
with finality
an unbelief with finality
all of us
didn't believe
at one point
none of us
were born in belief
we were all born in sin
we had to believe
at some point
they seem here
to express
that they will never
believe
and Jesus then
treats them
as such
now we move
beyond them
and we see them
again
hopping in a boat
and moving
they get back in a boat
probably heading
back again
to the other side
although
they don't arrive
right
this story takes place
in the boat
and we see the
apostles
unbelief
the poor
pitiful
apostles
this group of men
that's just
confounding
when you look at them
on the surface
and then when you
actually begin to apply
the way that they act
and the way that they
respond to your own heart
you'll find that you're
so much like
these men
and I am
certainly
much like
these men
they have now been
with Jesus
for approximately
a year
they have seen him
do first hand
accounts of him
do just some
incredible things
healings
in the thousands
it was said
that Jesus
eradicated
illness
in the places
that he went
we just get
some particular
records of that
all of these stories
that are meant
to point us
to the reality
of who he is
but he healed
far and wide
remember they're
on the sea of Galilee
and there are
ten foot waves
coming
and Jesus speaks
and it's calmed
he's done
incredible things
in their presence
now for a year
and they get into
a conversation
about bread
they only brought
one loaf
with them
in the boat
and they're concerned
about their
hunger
Jesus had just
fed
sixteen to twenty
thousand
as an approximation
with seven loaves
and here we have
a group
we don't know
exactly the number
in this case
but a much
much smaller group
with one loaf
and they're
concerned
about this
oh we forgot
to bring
the bread
and Jesus
cautions them
with an interesting
statement
watch out
beware of the
leaven of the
Pharisees
and the leaven
of Herod
now this
obviously the
encounter that
had just
happened
is still fresh
in Jesus' mind
should have been
fresh in theirs
as well
as he has
encountered
the Pharisees
and the Sadducees
in this question
that they
had
now leaven
if we're going
to beware
of something
leaven we must
understand
was
like yeast
was the thing
put in bread
to have it
rise
it was a bit
of bread
a bit of dough
from a previous
batch that had
yeast in it
and if you don't
know yeast
is a bacteria
that gives off
carbon dioxide
I think
I hope I'm getting
that right
and causes our
bread to rise
which makes
those little
air pockets
inside
our bread
I think I hear
whispering from
our chemistry
teacher
it doesn't
matter
this is what
happens to
bread
and they
in this day
they would
save a little
bit of dough
because they
didn't have
a little
yellow packet
of yeast
that they
could rip
off the top
and mix
in water
to add it
to the bread
so they
would save
a little
bit back
and they
would add
it to
the bread
so he's
been doing
miracles with
bread
he's been
talking a lot
about bread
he's saying
that he is
the bread
of life
and here he
says
watch out
beware
of the
leaven of
the Pharisees
and the
leaven of
Herod
now this
this idea
this metaphor
of leaven
is used
all throughout
the scriptures
used throughout
the Old Testament
as well
and it's most
commonly used
as a metaphor
for sin
not in every
case
it doesn't
unilaterally
represent sin
but it is
most commonly
used as a
metaphor for
sin
this is why
the Passover
feast
that you
celebrate
is done
with unleavened
bread
it's intentionally
meant to
represent that
in fact
we probably
more accurately
should have
unleavened bread
during the
Lord's Supper
it'd probably
be a better
picture
of that
we won't
be too
concerned
about it
the gluten
free stations
I think
a little
more holy
than the
other ones
because I
don't
I don't
think
there's
any yeast
in that
maybe there
is
I don't
know
Galatians 5
7-9
Paul writes
to the
Galatian
church
which was
dealing
with
taking on
circumcision
they were
replacing
this gospel
of grace
with the
gospel
of works
and Paul
says to
them
you were
running
well
who hindered
you from
obeying
the truth
this
persuasion
is not
from him
who calls
you
being God
a little
leaven
leavens
the whole
lump
Matthew
16-12
the same
account
that we're
studying
in Mark
it
ends
with
verse 12
then they
understood
that he
did not
tell them
to beware
the leaven
of bread
but of
the teaching
of the
Pharisees
and the
Sadducees
so he's
warning them
as they
are not
believing
that he
is who
he said
he is
that he
is the
son of
God
he's already
evidence
that he
can feed
them
to plenty
to overflowing
there's
way more
available
for them
right
he asks
them the
question
later on
does he
not
he says
how many
baskets
did we
have
left over
we had
twelve
this time
we had
seven
this time
don't you
think
I can
feed
you
right
don't
be
like the
Pharisees
and the
Sadducees
don't be
like
Herod
who was
afraid of
what people
would think
of him
so he
put John
the Baptist
to death
don't let
that
untruth
that unbelief
work in
you
because here
we see
these men
are still
apparently
in darkness
let's say
there's a
dawning light
they've
obeyed
they've
followed
they've
left things
behind
for Jesus
they've
seen
miraculous
things
happen
but yet
they still
respond
in these
bizarre
ways
Jesus
asked
them
scathing
questions
do you
not yet
perceive
or understand
are your
hearts
hardened
and I don't
think Jesus
asked these
questions
are your
hearts
hardened
but in
what is
wrong
with you
guys
have I
not
displayed
for you
the power
of God
have I
not shown
you
that I
am
the
Christ
and he
asked them
questions
that they
would know
the answer
to
how many
baskets full
of pieces
did you
take up
they said
twelve
and the
seven
for the
four thousand
how many
baskets full
of pieces
did you
take up
and they
said
seven
and he
says
do you
not yet
understand
now there
are a number
of again
quote unquote
scholars
that play
around with
the significance
of the
numbers of
baskets
twelve
times of
Israel
seven
represent
something
to the
Gentiles
I don't
remember
what it
was
but there's
absolutely
no way
to prove
that it
meant
anything
at all
and I
don't
think
it
means
anything
at all
for this
text
I
really
don't
think
that
Jesus
is
trying
to
teach
them
anything
other
than
I
provided
beyond
because
there
was
a
lot
left
over
to
them
abounding
provision
to
them
see
the
apostles
were
always
so
concerned
with
physical
things
physical
provision
as
they're
traveling
around
Jesus
was
primarily
concerned
with
the
spiritual
things
the
account
of
the
same
story
we
see
in
Matthew
prior
to
that
Jesus
preached
a
sermon
that
we
call
the
Sermon
on
the
mount
in
which
he
said
do
not
be
anxious
saying
what
shall
we
eat
or
what
shall
we
drink
or
what
shall
we
wear
for
the
Gentiles
again
meaning
those
outside
the
faith
seek
after
all
these
things
and
your
heavenly
father
knows
that
you
need
them
all
but
seek
first
the
kingdom
of
God
and
his
righteousness
seek
first
those
things
that
are
spiritual
those
things
that
matter
most
those
!
things
that
are
eternal
and
all
these
things
these
temporal
things
will be
added
to
you
do
you
not
yet
understand
and
it
hangs
there
for
us
today
at
very
least
I
hope
you
will
read
on
eagerly
waiting
for
Peter's
declaration
of
verse
29
of
chapter
8
you
are
the
Christ
as
the
spokesman
of
the
apostles
we
know
they
didn't
all
come
to
believe
in
him
Judas
betrayed
him
right
but
as
the
spokesperson
for
the
apostles
you
are
the
Christ
the
anointed
one
!
of
God
so
we
see
these
two
stories
really
of
unbelief
following
this
miracle
of
the
feeding
of
the
four
thousand
and
the
tying
together
of
all
that
with
Jesus
being
the
bread
of
life
the
source
of
sustenance
the
very
thing
that
sustains
us
to
the
end
as
well
as
the
one
who
provides
the
temporal
stuff
for
us
right
let's
go
hard
after
those
things
that
are
spiritual
!
the
temporal
will
come
along
beside
so
what is
the
application
of
this
text
well
if
you're
not
a
believer
if
you
don't
have
a
confidence
that
you
have
placed
your
faith
in
Christ
if
you
don't
have
evidence
of
the
spirit
working
in
you
to
bring
about
righteousness
to
hate
sin
to
love
the
ways
of
God
do
not
a
believer
do
not
be
like
the
Pharisees
and
the
Sadducees
do
not
wait
for
a
sign
from
heaven
it
has
been
given
to
you
do
not
be
like
Voltaire
the
French
man
that
did
not
believe
in
God
he
said
that
if
a
thousand
people
witnessed
a
miracle
he
would
be
more
likely
to
doubt
their
senses
than
to
believe
that
a
miracle
had
actually
happened
do
not
be
darkened
like
the
Pharisees
and
the
Sadducees
do
be
like
the
apostles
there
was at
least
a
dawning
light
here
in
their
story
they
still
got
into
the
boat
with
Jesus
they
weren't
his
enemy
at
this
point
they
weren't
seeking
his
death
as
the
Pharisees
and
the
Sadducees
were
and
finally
make
the
declaration
you
are
the
Christ
be
like
the
apostles
to
the
end
follow
him
wherever
he
takes
you
and
even
to
the
point
of
death
on
his
behalf
so
do
be
like
the
apostles
if
you
are
a
believer
hope
and
pray
that
everyone
in
this
room
is
can
say
that
with
confidence
see
evidence
in
their
life
of
that
you
have
the
light
you're
not
in
darkness
do
not
be
like
the
apostles
in
this
case
we
can
take
an
example
because
our
hearts
are
fickle
in
this
way
we
have
been
brought
into
the
light
we
have
had
hearts
made
new
we
are
different
now
in
status
we
are
no
longer
enemies
of
God
we
are
children
of
God
we
don't
differ
in
degree
but
in
type
we
are
new
creations
and
yet
we
so
often
don't
function
out
of
that
reality
I
am
a
child
of
God
how
then
should
I
live
in
response
to
that
reality
in
the
power
of
that
reality
but
we
drift
back
to
that
old
self
we
have
dark
corners
of
our
hearts
that
we
want
to
hide
away
and
not
expose
to
the
light
we
are
ashamed
by
our
flesh
there
are
so
many
things
that
we
need
to
improve
there
is
so
much
sin
that
we
need
to
cast
off
I
know
this
of
myself
I
know
this
of
you
we
have
so
far
to
go
and
in
that
shame
we
hide
away
we
keep
the
darkness
in
those
moments
it's
the
same
it's
unbelief
we
forget
the
gospel
we
forget
the
reality
of
it
if
you
hide
away
from
God
and
shame
for
dark
parts
of
who
you
are
you
forget
that
you
have
been
redeemed
in
Christ
it's
not
your
righteousness
it's
his
there
is
therefore
now
no
condemnation
for
those
who
are
in
Christ
song
that
we
sang
!
or
!
haven't
!
sang
it
at
some
point
this
morning
when
God
sees
us
he
sees
Christ
what
a
beautiful
truth
that
is
for
us
so
we
can
bring
it
all
out
into
the
open
and
let
the
light
expose
it
and
chase
it
away
Jesus
is
the
Son
of
God
and
he
was
given
on
our
behalf
this
is
where
we
operate
from
this
is
who
we
are
and
beloved
we need
to live
that
way
we
need
to
give
evidence
in
all
aspects
in
all
arenas
of
our
life
that
is
who
we
are
we
don't
need
to
put
it
into
a
segment
Sunday
is
my
holy
day
the
rest
of
the
week
I
go
off
to
work
everything
that
we
have
everything
that
we
are
should
be
permeated
by
the
reality
that
we
are
now
found
in
Christ
we
are
in
him
!
and
!
he
you
pay
attention
to
the
unbelief
ask
that
God
would
apply
it
to
your
own
heart
let's
pray
together