Sermon Series: Getting to Know Jesus 

Guarding Our Faith 

Mark 8:1-21

PSBC May 12, 2002

In a nutshell: Jesus wants our faith to be sharp, not dull. We hone that faith by honestly answering four questions that's found in our text, today. That's what's involved in guarding it.

I. Introduction

A. Story

I read an old newspaper article this week about a man named William Stammer, who lived in Baltimore, MD. Mr. Stammer was a retired school teacher, who didn't trust banks, back in the 1930's. So, he hid his entire life savings of $1200, in a pair of old shoes. He felt that this would keep it safe from burglars and disreputable bankers. But what he didn't count on, was the fact that it would not be safe from him.

One day, without thinking, he saw an old pair of shoes under his bed, decided he didn't need them anymore, and threw them into the trash. But, those were the shoes in which he'd stashed his money. And by the time he realized his mistake, the garbage had already been collected and was on it's way to the city dump.

So, he hurried to the city dump, and searched frantically for hours through all the trash that had been dumped that day. And finally he found the old shoes, and they still contained all $1200 of his life savings.

B. Transition

When I read that story, my mind started thinking about taking care of my treasures-the things that are most important to me. There are things I do to take care of my family. There are things I do to take care of my tools. There are things I do to take care of my clothes. There are things I do to take care of my motorcycle. There are things I do to take care of my house. But what about the most important possession I have? What about my relationship with Jesus Christ? How do I take care of that possession? How do I take care of my faith?

C. Guard the Good Treasure

Well, the apostle Paul, evidently thought that this was an important thing to do, because he wrote in his letter of pastoral advice to his young disciple, Timothy, the following thought…

1 Timothy 6:20 20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.

And in the context of what Paul was addressing in that chapter, the thing Timothy was to guard, was his faith. In other words, Paul was saying, keep away from things and circumstances that will dull your relationship with God to the point where it loses its vitality and loses its meaningfulness to your life.

Well, how do you do that? How do we guard our faith? Because the reality of things is that if our relationship with God is not given proper attention, our faith can become dull, lose its vitality, and lose its meaning. Well, in the passage we're going to be looking at this morning, Jesus is going to teach us how to keep our relationship with God…vital, vibrant, and meaningful throughout our life. Turn in your Bibles to Mark 8…

II. The Encounter with the Pharisees

A. The Feeding of the 4000

Mark 8:1-10 1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." 4 His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" 5 "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The events we're going to be looking at this morning all take place in and around the Sea of Galilee. This first miracle of feeding the 4000 is going to come into play in a heated discussion that we'll read about in a few minutes. But before we continue, I want you to understand, this miracle of feeding the 4000, is a different miracle than what we studied a few weeks ago, when Jesus fed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish. But the circumstances are similar. Both miracles involved feeding a large group of people with just a few provisions. And at the end of each miracle, there were leftovers. -In the case of the feeding of the 5000, there were 12 baskets filled with food that were left over. The word for basket that's used in chapter 6 with the feeding of the 5000, literally means a hand basket-or a sack lunch. -But in verse 8 of this chapter, the word for basket is another Greek word. It doesn't mean a sack lunch, it means a large basket, similar to what a fisherman would carry his catch of fish in and take to the market. There were 7 of these large baskets left over at the end of this miracle. Now, I want you to file that information away, because it's going to come in handy, later on.

Then, after this miracle, Jesus encounters yet another group of Pharisees who want to question Him. And this starts in verse 11…

B. Pharisees want a sign

Mark 8:11-13 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Folks, understand what the Pharisees are asking. Let me put it into context…

Illustration: What the Pharisees are asking would be similar to me walking up to Michael Jordan, and saying, "Hey Michael, People say you're the greatest basketball player whose ever played the game. Prove it to me. I'm going to raise the standard basketball rim from 10 feet to 15 feet. Let me see you do a slam dunk at that height. If you can do that, then I'll believe that you're the greatest player of all time."

But folks, Michael Jordan doesn't have to perform a spectacular feat for me, in order for him to be considered the greatest basketball player of all time. All you have to do is look at his record-look at what he's done. Look at his past. Look at his accomplishments.

And that's all the Pharisees had to do. They just had to reflect back to the calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee that was witnessed by several other boats; just look at the feeding of the 5000; just look at the healing of the demon possessed people over the past several months; just look at the blind who received site, the deaf who could now hear, and the mute who could now speak. And then look at what happened just a few hours earlier-Jesus feed the 4000.

But these Pharisees wanted more. They were looking for a higher kind of sign directly from heaven that would validate Jesus' ministry. And at their unbelief, Jesus sighs. The Greek word in verse 12 literally means a deep heavy sigh from deep within his person. In essence, He said, "Oi Vey!"

Then, in exasperation, He says, "No way are you going to get this kind of sign from me. You are the people's religious leaders. You have had a very good synagogue education. Of all people, you should know what the Scriptures teach. You should know the things the Messiah would do. I am doing all those things! You don't need anything more, and so nothing more will be given to you." Don't expect the heavens to part, and a bright neon sign to come down and say, "He's the one; He's the one!" It just isn't going to happen that way.

Then in disgust, Jesus tells his disciples to get back in the boat, and they leave.

C. The Bread

But in their haste, the disciples forgot to bring the seven large baskets of leftover bread from the feeding of the 4000 with them. Remember I told you to file that information away in your mind? Well, bring it back. Because now it starts to figure into the conversation…

Mark 8:14 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

Obviously, the disciples were feeling guilty, and maybe even a little hungry. It was getting to be dinner time, and it was their fault that they had nothing to eat. They had leftovers from the miracle, but they left the 7 baskets of leftovers on the shore. So the topic of discussion among these hungry men was about food.

Well, after a while on the lake, Jesus, calms down from His anger and disgust with the Pharisees, and He decides to use that confrontation as a teachable moment. So He says…

Mark 8:15 15 "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

Now, in Jewish tradition, yeast or leaven not only referred to bread…, but in a moral sense it referred to evil. And that's what Jesus meant in verse 15. "Be careful of the evil of the Pharisees and of Herod." But the disciples were so caught up in their escalating thoughts about bread and food that…

Mark 8:16 16 They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."

In other words, they missed Jesus' point all together. They heard yeast and thought bread. Jesus said yeast, and meant evil. They were thinking, "See, even Jesus is hungry, and wants to know where the leftovers are."

Like a teacher in a class of unruly kids, Jesus had to direct their line of reasoning from bread and food to what He wanted to teach them about faith and the pitfalls of evil…

Mark 8:17a 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread?

In other words, "Guys, get your minds off your stomachs and food. I'm talking about EVIL here! Beware of the EVIL of the Pharisees and the EVIL of Herod."

D. Guard Against

What Jesus was trying to get through to His disciples, and to us…, is that there are two kinds of attitudes that can dull our faith. Two things can creep into your life and suck the vitality and vibrancy right out of your faith in God. Watch out for these two things. Don't let them into your thoughts, your lives, or your actions. Herod and the Pharisees represent two attitudes that we need to be aware of, and avoid at all costs. Because these attitudes will dilute our faith. Let's look at them.

1. Pharisees

The Pharisees believed that God was only interested in what you did-in other words, they thought that what matters most to God, is your performance of good works. These guys were sticklers about keeping the letter of the law. But keeping the law never affected what was inside. You see, as we saw a few weeks ago in chapter 7, these guys would keep the letter of the law, but twisted it so much that they found loopholes that would get them out of taking care of their parents in their old age. They kept the law on the outside, but inside they didn't have a heart that cared about what was really important to God. They legislated their own brand of religion.

That still happens. Groups of Christians still try to legislate faith. Let me give you some examples of laws that are still on the books, that are a result of Christians in specific communities, trying to legislate true faith. -Young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it's in a church. -In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she's in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail. -No one can eat unshelled, roasted peanuts while attending church in Idanha, Oregon. -In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except a policeman. -No citizen in Leecreek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment. -Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia. -Turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana. (Robert W. Pelton in The Door. Christian Reader, Vol. 33, no. 5).

The evil of the Pharisees is thinking that correct performance, outward obedience, proper conduct, and following a specific list of do's and don't's is what God's interested in. But friends, if the substance of your faith is: do's and don't's; rules and regulations; and performance and accomplishments… it will eventually become dull and lifeless. It will lack excitement. And eventually your faith will become lethargic, apathetic, dull and lifeless. And you will have no hope to offer anyone, including yourself. (Which is the reason God has left you here, after you became one of His followers.!)

2. Herod

Then there's Herod. Herod cared so much about his reputation, that he had John the Baptist beheaded simply because he couldn't find a graceful way to get out of a drunken oath that he made to a stripper.

Friends, if you're more interested in doing what makes you acceptable or popular to others, than what makes you acceptable to God, you are guilty of the evil of Herod. You've taken the place that the creator God deserves in your life, and you've given it to created human beings. God is no longer the leader of your life. That leadership has been given over to people who matter more to you than God. That makes your faith irrelevant, secondary, and boring.

So, because Jesus recognized these two faith-dullers, in the next verses, He asks a series of questions. These questions are really designed to help us examine ourselves and make sure we are in a right relationship with God. Look at the next verses…

Mark 8:17b-21 17b Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

III. 4 Key Questions

In these verses, Jesus asks four key questions to help us examine our faith to see if we're in danger of becoming like Herod or the Pharisees.

A. Do you still not see our understand?

The first question is in verse 17. Do you still not see or understand? In other words Jesus is saying, "Use your mind". Consider how much you know about God. Stop and think about how little you knew when you first began following Jesus, and now how much more you know. Because of worship attendance, Sunday School and Enrichment classes, small group Bible studies, and books you've read… you have a broad knowledge base when it comes to God. So use it during the course of your day. Apply it. Don't be intentionally ignorant. Draw upon the knowledge you have so far. And if that's not enough, get more, by going to the Book!

B. Are your hearts hardened?

The second question is also found in that last part of verse 17… Are your hearts hardened?

Friends, honestly look at your heart-that part of you that controls your emotions and feelings. Is that center core of your being dull to the things of God or is it excited about what He's doing?

One of my mentors, the late Ray Stedman, said the words that are on the front of your copies of "This Week", that you were handed when you came in. In one of the classes he taught, he said… "If the heart does not respond to what the mind has understood, it's because you have not really believed it. You may have recognized mentally that it is true, but you have not acted upon it. You do not really believe God is going to do what He has said He will do, that is the problem."

-Do you get excited when someone is baptized? -Do you get excited when new people come to our church and want to join? -Do you get excited when you hear of children and adults making a decision to follow Jesus Christ as the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their life, through the people and ministries of our church? -Did you get excited when you saw children, youth, younger adults and older adults all participating in our Praise and Worship Jubilee last Sunday night?

Friends, if you don't get excited about things like these-I mean…the praising God-talking about it-smiling about-praying about it-kind of excited … then your heart is hard! Your intellect knows these things are good, but your heart hasn't grabbed a hold of them. One of the things the Bible suggests we do for a hard heart is to pray that the eyes of our heart would see, and that our hearts would become soft again to what really matters to God, and what He's doing in our midst.

C. Do you have eyes that fail to see or ears that fail to hear?

The third question is in verse 18. Do you have eyes that fail to see, or ears that fail to hear? Jesus used very similar terminology in just about every teaching opportunity He received. And each time He means the same thing. Don't simply look at things with blinders around your eyes and ear plugs in your ears. That leads to selfishness and only thinking about yourself. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were giving up being at the center of things-God wants that place. As His follower, your values, goals and desires are not what's important-God's are.

The experiences of your life and the people in your life are there for a purpose-God's purpose. He is superintending those things and those people for His purposes. Wake up. Open your eyes.

Illustration: Some of you read my Pastor's Heart this week. Art came to our CMA meeting, looking for a cruiser club, instead he found our Christian Motorcyclist Club. When the six of us at that meeting spiritually opened our eyes, we saw that Art came to the CMA group to find Jesus. He came to our meeting by mistake, and he left having a personal relationship with God.

Friends, God superintended the events that led Art to Denny's two Friday night's ago. A dull faith wouldn't recognize that. A faith where the eyes and ears are open to what God is doing around us, did. Sharp faith will recognize opportunities. Dull faith will miss them.

D. Don't you remember?

The fourth question Jesus asks is, Don't you remember? He goes on to say, "I fed 5000 and there was more than enough. I fed 4000 and there was more than enough. Haven't you learned anything?"

Folks, remember! Remember what God did in the past. Then realize He's still the same God. He's the God who parted the Red Sea. He's the God who won battle after battle for the Israelites. He's the God who healed the sick and raised the dead. He's the God who, Himself, conquered death. He's the God who saved you from eternal Hell. He's the God who provided all our needs last year, and then some, when we thought our budget was going to be in a deficit.

Jesus' point is that a person of dull faith forgets what God did in the past, and that dooms him or her to a lack of abundance in living. The lessons of the past have not left an impression.

However, -when you recognize that God says that He will, and that He will… supply all your needs through His riches in Christ Jesus…. -When you recognize that when you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are in the hands of a loving heavenly Father…. …Then you're remembering.

Illustration: I have a friend, Mark Senter, who now teaches at Trinity Seminary in Illinois. But when we were younger, we served together on the pastoral team at Wheaton Bible Church. Mark used to introduce himself at gatherings by saying, "Hi I'm Pete. Pete Moss. I'm here to help you grow."

Well, that's something like Jesus is saying to us in the midst of our circumstances. "I'm here to help you grow. I'm the one superintending the events of your life, causing them to happen, so that you will grow in your faith and love for me." He asks us to remember what He's done in the past. And trust Him for the future. Do you remember?

IV. Conclusion

So, there you have four key questions designed to guard your faith from becoming dull: 1. Do you understand? 2. Is your heart hard? 3. Are you paying attention to what God's doing? 4. Do you remember what He's done in the past?

Friends, as we're getting to know Jesus in this book of Mark, this year. I hope you're seeing a theme that keeps coming up over and over again in His teachings. Our faith in Him is a very important thing. It is an item of central and crucial importance.

And there's a very simple reason for that. A dull faith leads to ineffectiveness, discouragement, bickering, disunity, backbiting, hate, evil, and misery. But a sharp faith, honed on an honest evaluation, using Jesus' questions, will produce a life of abundance, and a life of usefulness.

Dull faith reflects the pagan world around us. Sharp faith reflects a relationship with God that can truly make a difference.

Friends, guard your faith from becoming dull!

Amen.