Matthew 16:5-12…..Ready

Matthew 16:5-12…..Ready

16:5 When they went across the lake (Possibly to prevent the disciples from being influenced any further by the religious leaders-(New) the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Herod-(Mark 8:15 worldliness, secularism) 7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” (Or as warning against using their own special yeast.-(New)) 8 Aware of their discussion, (Jesus uses their lack of understanding as an object lesson and teachable moment.-(New) While Jesus may have overhead them, the idea seems to be that in His omniscience He knew what they were really thinking.-(New) Jesus asked, “You of little faith (Expresses a lack of spiritual perception.-(New) Notice Jesus doesn’t stamp out what little faith we have. But being a compassionate God, He wants to kindle and grow that faith.-(New) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered. {14:15-21} 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard (vigilant, alert) against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching false doctrines, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(For additional Expository Notes see Book)

Extended Sermon Notes

“Warns how being preoccupied with physical needs can cause us to miss the spiritual lesson God is trying to teach us.” ⇒  We often live on the physical level rather the spiritual level. Why am I hungry, why is that person irritating me, why is that guy looking at me like that, why does my boss hate me, I want to do what I want, no one’s going to tell me different, I can make my own way. We live down here when Jesus wants us to live up here. We need to get out of this natural life and start seeing things from God’s perspective.

“Warns how quickly we can forget what God has done for us in the past and only focus on the present.” ⇒ How easy it is to forget what God has already done for us and to doubt what he promises to do for us in the future as well. Often we are just like these disciples. The Lord has done so much for us, but when the next crisis arises, we react in fear and doubt instead of faith. Even more so when there’s seems to be a urgent and extreme need before us. How often have we seen the providence of God working in our life, yet fail to believe that He will come through again in our time of great need and desperation when we lose our job, get laid off, or the car breaks down. How often do we allow that reality trump the spiritual reality of how awesome and providential our God is to us as His children. And as a result we end losing memory of our former deliverance and start to mistrust God for our present deliverance. As believers we need to stop playing the mind-games of doubt and remember that what God has done for us before, He will do for us again. We need to do what the Lord was trying to get these men to do. We need to take the time to reflect on what He has done and remember His power in our lives.

“Teaches how we don’t need to worry about our needs, as Jesus can super abundantly provide for us.” ⇒ Like the disciples we can easily get preoccupied with the problems, needs, and worries of the present moment, and forget the most important reality of all –  God’s abiding presence with us! Jesus is not saying we shouldn’t work and support ourselves, but we shouldn’t worry as to how were going to feed ourselves, how were going to pay the rent, how were going to make the car payment, etc. Jesus is not saying that hard times won’t happen. Bad things are bound to happen as a result of living in fallen world. But rather Jesus is saying we need not worry about the next thing, because He will provide for us. When the people of Israel wandered in the desert homeless and helpless for forty years, God was with them every step of the way. And he provided for them shelter, food, water, and provision, as long as they trusted in Him. Each day He gave them just what they needed. Jesus teaches us to trust in God’s abiding presence with us and in His promise to provide us what we need each and every day to live as His sons and daughters. Do you pray with joyful confidence, “Father, give us this day our daily bread”!

“Displays the Lord’s patience, that despite our forgetfulness and lack of understanding He teaches us all over again.” ⇒  The Lord doesn’t leave us in our ignorance. He will go on teaching us the things He means for us to learn. Whether on this side of heaven or eternity to come. Let it be a rule with us never to despise the weakness and dullness of young Christians. Wherever we see a spark of true grace, however dim and mixed with infirmity, let us be helpful and kind. Let us do as we would be done by. Let us also remember what is here recorded, in dealing with young Christians. We must not expect perfection in a New Convert. We must not set him down as graceless and godless and a false professor, because at first he sees but half the truth and commits many mistakes. His heart may be right in the sight of God, and yet, like the disciples, he may be very slow of understanding in the things of the Spirit. We must bear with him patiently, and not cast him aside. We must give them time to grow in grace and knowledge.

“Warns of the dangerous influence that others can have in undermining our faith and pulling us away from Jesus.” ⇒ As followers of Jesus Christ we need to guard ourselves against skeptic attitudes that can be toxic to our faith and relationship with God. We need to be aware of the company we’re hanging out with or they can have a negative influence on our walk with the Lord. The disciples at this time were still trying to work out who Jesus is. Even young Christians and new converts are especially venerable and can be tossed about by every wind of doctrine.-(Eph. 4:14-16) We need to be careful of the ungodly culture and society we live and the things that are being thrown at us, be it on the internet; social media, You tube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. or it can start to lead us away from Jesus. We need to be aware of the friends we keep or they can start to corrupt our faith and morals.

“Even today, the Yeast of the Pharisees & Sadducees can be found in our own lives. The sins we once thought of as bad, we now see as harmless and no big deal. Or we discount certain scriptures to feel more comfortable with our lifestyle. Even questioning whether God’s word really said that. Or we water down the Gospel so as not to offend and reach more people.”⇒  We often end up making a laundry list of excuses and justifications. We explain a way certain verses of scriptures as outdated and only applied to that time and culture. We adopt a universal approach to Salvation; that a loving God doesn’t send people to hell. Once we allow things into our hearts, we never know how far it may lead us astray. The beginning of departure from the pure truth is like the letting out of waters–first a drop, and then a torrent. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.  As believers there’s two ditches we need to watch out for in our own walk with God. If our religion is too liberal or too progressive will end up looking like the rest of the world. If too conservative, formal, and legalistic in trying to preserve and protect the truth it will eventually take us away from the Lord to having a cold heart and a callus religion.

Additional Notes & Applications

Calls for recognizing the weak spots others might be susceptible to by reminding them what the bible say on those issues.

Calls for making the most of every opportunity that presents itself to provide a spiritual blessing and lesson. Every moment in life presents us with unique opportunities to make a meaningful impact on others. As believers, it is crucial to seize every chance to encourage and deepen the faith of others, to serve others, and reflect God’s love in all we do. By doing so, we can transform ordinary encounters into extraordinary experiences that glorify God and enrich the lives of others. Whether it’s a conversation with a stranger, a challenging project at work, or a moment of quiet reflection, each opportunity holds the potential for growth and transformation. Let’s be vigilant and intentional in making the most of every opportunity, trusting that God will use our efforts for His greater purpose.

Reassures believers as slow as were are at times were in good company for Jesus’ own disciples didn’t get it at times either.

Warns how we can be on mission with Jesus and yet miles away from His heart. It is possible to be engaged in numerous activities, even those that seem religious, and yet find ourselves distant from the true essence of our faith. We may be performing all the right actions, attending church services, participating in ministries, and even sharing the Gospel, but without a genuine connection to Jesus, our efforts can become hollow and devoid of meaning. It is easy to become so caught up in the busyness of doing God’s work that we neglect our personal relationship with Him. We must constantly evaluate our motivations and ensure that our actions stem from a deep love for Christ rather than a sense of obligation or the desire for recognition. Our mission with Jesus should be driven by a heartfelt desire to draw closer to Him and to reflect His love to those around us. Ultimately, being on mission with Jesus is about more than just outward actions; it is about an inward transformation that shapes our character and aligns our hearts with His. When we are truly connected to Jesus, our mission becomes an outpouring of His love, mercy, and truth, impacting the world around us in profound and meaningful ways.

Calls for guarding our hearts against the negative and corrupting  influence of others in creating disbelief in Jesus.

Warns against leaning to heavily on our presuppositions, that we’re filtering everything through our conclusions, life experiences, or what we’ve been taught before, rather than what the word and promises of God!

This is not saying believers can be lost due to the influences of dangerous teachers, since the Lord has already Saved us forever. But we can be spiritually harmed in leading us astray.

Yeast/Leaven is a live culture/fungus used in baking to make bread rise. Yeast has been present in the world for hundreds of millions of years. Humans “domesticated” yeast through bread and beer-making. Yeast can also be used for beer, wine and other tasty foods thanks to its ability to enable natural fermentation. Yeast or Leaven is normally taken from another loaf of bread and mixed into new loaf. The yeast then begins to ferment, releasing gases that causes  the bread to expand and rise.  A small amount of yeast is sufficient to transform a dense ball of dough into a loaf of light and fluffy bread. It works its magic by spreading throughout the dough and impacting all it comes into contact with. Yeast/Leaven is commonly, although not always, used in a negative sense for the corrupting influence of evil and sin. Yeast/Leaven can also be sued in a positive sense as in Jesus’ parables of the kingdom of God as compared to yeast working its way through a ball of dough. In this passage, it is being compared to the teaching of the primary religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Teachings that they are to be on their guard against.

The way to guard against the Yeast of the Pharisees & Sadducees is by knowing the Word of God. When we know scripture and it’s context we are less likely to be taken in by smooth talkers and false prophets. There are several ways to identify false teachings, but the primary way to spot them is to compare their teachings with the Word of God. If what they are saying does not line up with what the Bible teaches, they are false teachers. In order to recognize when something is not lining up with the teachings of Scripture we must know what the Scriptures teach.-(Gal. 1:6-10) We must be rooted in the word of God and rooted in a church community or our faith can divert elsewhere. We need to be in a church that teaches sound doctrine, who will help us when our thinking goes astray. If your still wondering how to identify false teachers. A good rule of thumb is that any preacher who makes little of Scripture and much of anything else is not to be trusted. They may use good language and sound convincing, but they are not to be trusted. Another way of guarding against the false teachings of the Pharisees & Sadducees is to be rooted in church community where biblical teaching and principals are being taught. A good practice to adopt is, before joining a church find out what they’re statement of faith is. As an example “Do they believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. Do they believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Do they believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth. Do they believe in Jesus’ vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, and His bodily resurrection from the dead.” [Note: It is important to point out the difference between false doctrine and denominational disagreements. Different congregational groups see secondary issues in Scripture differently. These differences are not always due to false doctrine on anyone’s part. Church policies, governmental decisions, style of worship, etc., are all open for discussion, since they are not directly addressed in Scripture. Even those issues that are addressed in Scripture are often debated by equally sincere disciples of Christ. Differences in interpretation or practice do not necessarily qualify as false doctrine, nor should they divide the Body of Christ.]

HOW TO IDENTIFY YEAST OF THE PHARISSES & SADDUCEES 

• False teachers are carnal driven

• False teachers are power and control driven

• False teachers are money driven

• False teachers are popularity driven

• Fales teachers are acceptance driven

• False teachers are greed driven

• False teachers are pride driven

• False teachers are prosperity driven

• False teachers are unscriptural

AVOIDING THE YEAST  OF THE PHARISEES & SADDUCEES 

• Avoid anything that contradicts the nature, character, and holiness of God.

• Avoid anything that encourages in taking the easy way out.

• Avoid anything that tries to turn our hearts from Jesus.

• Avoid anything that appeals to the sinful nature.

• Avoid anything that contradicts the bible and doctrine.

• Avoid anything that makes wrong seem right.

• Avoid anything that sounds spiritual but isn’t.

• Avoid anything that elevates man made traditions over the God’s word

• Avoid anything that puts reception over realty

• Avoid anything that encourages self-indulgence

• Avoid anything that puts outward image above inward reality.

• Avoid anything that is driven by culture & world view

YEAST OF THE PHARISEES & SADDUCEES IN THE CHURCH TODAY

• Jesus Christ is not God or divine

• The Holy Spirit is not a person but a force

• The Trinity is not biblical (It is not found in scripture)

• Salvation is based on works not just faith

• Godly living brings wealth & prosperity

• God does not judge or condemn people

• Repentance not needed to be Saved

• Baptism Saves a person

• Sabbath observance is still required

• Altar Calls and saying the sinner’s prayer Saves you

• Once Saved always Saved (deliberate/wanton sinful behavior)

• Satan is just a myth

• God will never give you more than you can handle

• God helps those who help themselves

GUARDING AGAINST THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES & SADDUCEES 

• Am I seeking a life that is living for God or the approval of men?

• Are my attitudes and religious beliefs keeping me from loving God and other people?

• Is my adherence to church traditions keeping me from trusting and knowing Christ?

• Am I am putting rules over a relationship with God?

• Am I devoted to the Bible but not Christ?

• Am I embracing the whole counsel of God’s Word?

• Am I looking to God’s power or my power?

• Do I try to impress others with my own goodness but not God’s goodness?

• Do I ignore or exclude large portions of Scripture?

• Do I pride myself in not being like “those other people” that I disagree with?

• Am I using my stated beliefs about social issues to excuse my own moral failures?

• Am I attending fellowship or using the Bible to promote my own agenda and not Christ’s?