WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.439 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:41.560 Very good. 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:49.299 So I have, I do have some more stuff for the moms that I wanted to share, but I'm going to hold off for a minute so they get back. 00:00:49.619 --> 00:00:54.159 But I, this is actually, this is Jerry Hackworth's last Sunday in Kalamazoo. 00:00:54.219 --> 00:00:54.659 Is that right? 00:00:54.659 --> 00:01:00.000 So Jerry's going to be moving to Orlando coming up here this upcoming week, tomorrow. 00:01:00.619 --> 00:01:02.079 Jerry's moving tomorrow. 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:04.599 You guys have seen him in the fellowship. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:10.640 Jerry's just in the beginning of 2021 was baptized into Christ. 00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:14.700 He had had an existing relationship with God, existing relationship even with the church. 00:01:15.379 --> 00:01:23.719 And he just, at some point, he's been trying, honestly, since we really started planting the church, I think Jerry reached out to us early on. 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.060 And there's been struggles and there's been ups and there's been downs. 00:01:27.859 --> 00:01:40.879 But Jerry has, you've continued to fight, you've continued to persevere, you know, being on the phone with you, getting some early, Jerry, we've probably gone to more, I've gone to more truck stop diners with you than anybody else in the church. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:50.079 And so I, we pray that you just have an awesome, an awesome time, certainly that you can grow your career and get connected with people. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:56.379 But more than anything, that you grow in your relationship with God, we're super grateful for your time in Kalamazoo. 00:01:56.980 --> 00:02:00.180 And I know it's only this upward trajectory for you. 00:02:00.260 --> 00:02:00.379 Amen. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:01.200 Awesome. 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:01.939 Very good, Jerry. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:02.519 Very good. 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:06.879 You guys can open up to Mark 8. 00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:15.930 You guys know the series. 00:02:16.030 --> 00:02:19.069 We've been looking at questions that Jesus asked. 00:02:19.069 --> 00:02:24.849 Today we're actually covering a bunch of questions that Jesus asked. 00:02:25.509 --> 00:02:28.169 And the first Happy Mother's Day, you guys got that. 00:02:30.330 --> 00:02:35.909 So you guys, I think many of you know, if you don't, when I was seven years old, my mom died of cancer. 00:02:36.509 --> 00:02:38.969 My sister was five and I was seven years old. 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:47.090 And I remember growing up being extremely, I just remember being extremely jealous of people who had mothers. 00:02:47.090 --> 00:02:53.469 And I didn't know what this jealousy, I wasn't able to identify that I'm jealous of you. 00:02:53.750 --> 00:03:01.069 But I remember looking down on my friends because they didn't pack their own lunch, you know, growing up. 00:03:01.090 --> 00:03:08.590 And I remember looking down on my friends because they couldn't just bike wherever they wanted to in the summer. 00:03:10.009 --> 00:03:20.509 Really what I was communicating is I just don't have that mother to kind of tell me what to do and organize things in a way that makes things much easier for me. 00:03:22.330 --> 00:03:35.270 At some point, sometime along when I went from, kind of when I went to college and began to learn about some things, mature, I certainly grew in my faith, I moved to a different church. 00:03:35.789 --> 00:03:38.050 It was one that my mom was converted in. 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:43.469 And it was one that a lot of the members just knew me from when I was young. 00:03:43.469 --> 00:03:49.870 They knew, they kind of just, they knew me from when I was zero to five, and then we moved to Madison. 00:03:50.069 --> 00:04:00.849 And so in Milwaukee, I really, I began to identify, wow, I feel a sense of, I just, I feel, this feeling was jealousy. 00:04:01.009 --> 00:04:06.590 And when I would hear people talk about their moms, I would feel like, you don't know what you're saying about it. 00:04:06.610 --> 00:04:11.050 You know, oh yeah, we have a tough relationship, I'm like, how could you have a tough relationship with your mom? 00:04:11.090 --> 00:04:12.830 And I would get frustrated. 00:04:12.830 --> 00:04:15.990 There's been discipling times, maybe more than any other thing. 00:04:16.028 --> 00:04:19.990 When I hear somebody talk about it, sometimes I try to be patient and calm. 00:04:20.370 --> 00:04:29.029 But especially with people who I know close, I have a relationship with, when they would mention that their relationship with their mom is tough, I'm like, you got to figure out a way to not make it tough. 00:04:29.069 --> 00:04:31.370 I don't care what you got to do, but just figure out a way. 00:04:32.050 --> 00:04:34.689 And especially if I knew a little bit of that relationship. 00:04:37.009 --> 00:04:42.410 You know, I really got to experience though, none of these women were my mother on earth. 00:04:42.410 --> 00:04:48.269 But I did get to experience a lot of the motherly love from so many of them. 00:04:48.490 --> 00:04:52.110 And I feel like I'm eternally grateful for that. 00:04:52.870 --> 00:05:00.069 Truly, they played a massive role in my spiritual growth in ways that I can't even really put a finger on. 00:05:00.170 --> 00:05:01.529 I just know that it occurred. 00:05:03.069 --> 00:05:13.750 And so for all of the women in the audience, you don't have to have children, you don't even have to have your children here or have children at all to play a massive role in the church. 00:05:13.910 --> 00:05:14.670 Trust that. 00:05:15.610 --> 00:05:20.930 You know, when the disciples, the Bible talks about the disciples deserting Jesus, so they deserted him and they fled. 00:05:21.209 --> 00:05:24.709 But who didn't, were three women, two of them were mothers. 00:05:25.509 --> 00:05:32.810 And when he raises from the dead, those three women are the ones that are the first to report that Jesus rose from the dead. 00:05:32.870 --> 00:05:37.750 And so you play an important role and you are not expendable. 00:05:37.750 --> 00:05:40.750 We, mothers, we just could not do this without you. 00:05:41.009 --> 00:05:42.529 Thank you so very much. 00:05:46.930 --> 00:06:00.550 We were looking in the Bible today and we're going to, I really want to question us and give us a chance to think about how we can get prepared and then stay prepared for God to work in your life. 00:06:01.230 --> 00:06:04.910 You know, on one level, God is going to do whatever he wants to do. 00:06:04.949 --> 00:06:07.430 And we realize that God's just, God's just going to move. 00:06:07.430 --> 00:06:11.610 And there's, there's times in your life when God's moving, you're like, I have no idea why that happened. 00:06:11.730 --> 00:06:12.910 And, and, but it just did. 00:06:14.329 --> 00:06:21.069 However, it's, it's pretty powerful that in his humility, he's decided to, to partner with us though. 00:06:21.089 --> 00:06:22.250 And he calls it a partnership. 00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:24.649 And that's, that's something that we don't deserve. 00:06:24.810 --> 00:06:25.709 We can never earn. 00:06:25.810 --> 00:06:29.069 And yet he just says, you guys are my partners in, in the faith. 00:06:29.709 --> 00:06:40.870 And so in order for us then to continue to be his partners or to be the best partners as possible, we have to, we have to ask ourselves some questions and then follow what Jesus says. 00:06:40.970 --> 00:06:43.470 We're going to ask ourselves these questions this morning. 00:06:43.610 --> 00:06:45.550 I think there's some great lessons for us. 00:06:45.670 --> 00:06:54.230 I hope that we leave more aware and better prepared at where we need to grow in order to best be used by God. 00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:56.730 There are three sections that we're going to look at. 00:06:56.930 --> 00:07:00.269 And again, these are questions for, for us to, for you to assess. 00:07:01.050 --> 00:07:02.129 We're in Mark 8. 00:07:05.449 --> 00:07:09.160 The title of the lesson today is partner with God. 00:07:14.910 --> 00:07:17.110 The first point is this initial question. 00:07:17.209 --> 00:07:19.189 How many loaves do you have? 00:07:19.889 --> 00:07:22.550 This is, this is a Jesus talking. 00:07:22.709 --> 00:07:28.829 We're going to pick up in verse one of Mark 8 says, during those days, another large crowd gathered. 00:07:29.449 --> 00:07:35.949 Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people. 00:07:35.949 --> 00:07:39.250 They have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 00:07:39.370 --> 00:07:45.310 If I send them home hungry, they'll collapse on the way because some of them have come a long distance. 00:07:46.810 --> 00:07:52.230 His disciples answered, but where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them? 00:07:52.649 --> 00:07:54.110 How many loaves do you have? 00:07:54.750 --> 00:07:55.589 Seven, they replied. 00:07:56.250 --> 00:07:58.269 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 00:07:59.410 --> 00:08:06.449 When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:07.170 And they did so. 00:08:07.949 --> 00:08:11.529 They had a few, a few small fish as well. 00:08:12.170 --> 00:08:13.610 He gave thanks for the four. 00:08:13.829 --> 00:08:16.930 He gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 00:08:17.129 --> 00:08:19.470 The people ate and were satisfied afterward. 00:08:20.189 --> 00:08:24.529 The disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken pieces that were left over. 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:26.350 About 4,000 were present. 00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:34.389 After he had sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of, good luck pronouncing that word. 00:08:37.288 --> 00:08:42.048 Jesus, we get an example of Jesus feeding, right now we learned 4,000. 00:08:42.570 --> 00:08:44.909 This is after he's already, he's already fed 5,000. 00:08:44.970 --> 00:08:48.169 So he feeds 5,000 people and then he feeds 4,000. 00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:52.730 And if you are astute at the Bible, you might be thinking, why would he do this? 00:08:52.789 --> 00:08:56.610 Well, what's the, what's the point of feeding 5,000 and then feeding 4,000? 00:08:56.710 --> 00:08:58.590 And he's, she already showed mastery over it. 00:08:58.590 --> 00:09:04.669 And even the question you might ask is how come the disciples didn't realize that he showed, he already showed mastery over food. 00:09:04.769 --> 00:09:07.129 He didn't have to, he didn't have to do that. 00:09:07.149 --> 00:09:08.190 He just decided to feed them. 00:09:08.269 --> 00:09:09.750 So when there's 4,000, it makes sense. 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:10.750 It's less, it makes sense. 00:09:10.789 --> 00:09:11.610 He'd be able to feed them. 00:09:12.009 --> 00:09:13.230 They didn't really understand it. 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:19.879 Question though is, is how many loaves do you have is what he asks them. 00:09:19.899 --> 00:09:22.840 And I think it's a, it's, it's really powerful. 00:09:23.059 --> 00:09:27.559 You realize Jesus didn't need something to create more of it, right? 00:09:27.899 --> 00:09:34.000 He didn't say, uh, with, with the water into wine, he didn't say put a little bit of wine in there and I'm going to make it overflow. 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:34.960 What did he say? 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:37.139 He just said, just put water in it and I'm going to work out the rest. 00:09:37.539 --> 00:09:42.919 Uh, it's an interesting, we're there, there's a lesson at some point we're going to go into, uh, his relationship with his mom. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:46.679 And, and, uh, there's a question he asks his mom in that, in that as well. 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:56.120 Anyways, uh, he just, he just, there's some, he says, fill it with water and he makes it into the best wine, uh, that, that you could ever, that you could ever drink. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.019 He doesn't need something to create more. 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:01.399 And yet he asks, how many loaves do you have? 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:03.460 And the response is, well, we've got seven. 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:05.779 Uh, and then there's some fish here too. 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:09.200 And, uh, and, and I think it's, it's pretty powerful. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:15.440 It's a, it's a great, uh, it's a great connection to our lives and that he doesn't really need, he doesn't really need us. 00:10:15.500 --> 00:10:17.860 And yet he chooses to partner with us, doesn't he? 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:25.080 Uh, because you, you, you see who distributes the food, the disciples and who picks up the food afterwards. 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:32.500 And so if I'm sitting in the crowd, I, I hear a little bit of Jesus and I'm just thinking, man, the disciples helped me out so much. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:38.360 Same thing that you and I experienced when we share our faith with somebody or share something powerful with somebody. 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:41.519 And they say, I could have never been here without Frank. 00:10:41.580 --> 00:10:49.059 And you're like, Frank's like, I'm just a guy, you know, Jesus is the one, but, but he's actually, he can glorify Jesus by, by lifting you up. 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:51.440 As long as you're, you're like, I, I'm not really anybody. 00:10:51.539 --> 00:10:53.460 I, Jesus is the one that worked all of it out. 00:10:53.980 --> 00:10:56.700 You know, it's, uh, well, that'll come up in a sec. 00:10:58.419 --> 00:11:01.139 I think that's in the wrong spot actually, but it'll, it'll still come up. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:02.519 Uh, we'll, we'll have to go back to it. 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:16.639 Uh, so it's a powerful, uh, it's a, it's a powerful illustration for our, our lives though, you know, that, that Jesus will ask for a little bit and then create something, something great with it. 00:11:16.740 --> 00:11:27.220 Uh, this, this reminds me when I was, when I was younger, uh, my dad, uh, I don't, I don't know what he, I don't know where he got it in, but he decided there was this, there was this squirt gun. 00:11:27.259 --> 00:11:28.639 Uh, well here, now we're, we're on it. 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:28.919 Okay. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:30.159 There was this squirt gun. 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:31.799 It was a super soaker 2000. 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:37.000 Um, I, you know, it's an impressive squirt gun when I still remember the name of it. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:38.580 I, I promised you guys, I didn't look up. 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:39.139 What are the pools? 00:11:39.460 --> 00:11:40.659 What are cool squirt guns? 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:48.779 I knew it was a super soaker 2000 and I'm like, I don't know how I, in, in, you know, back in the Rolodex in my mind, how I knew that, but I just knew it. 00:11:48.779 --> 00:12:00.740 Uh, it, it's right now, if you look up, um, you can read, there's like, there's like Reddit, uh, you know, Reddit forums that talk about how this was the best, uh, this was the best squirt gun of all time. 00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:03.960 Like there's no, and so did you have one Spencer or not? 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:04.779 Yes, you did. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:05.080 Really? 00:12:05.179 --> 00:12:05.419 Yeah. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:05.679 Right. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:06.960 It's pretty well known. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:10.240 I bet you in this, in that household there, there was more than a few of those at some point. 00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:16.179 Um, but, but I, I'm like, man, I want to raise some money for a squirt gun. 00:12:16.179 --> 00:12:19.440 I don't even know how much it costs, probably about $50 give or take at the time. 00:12:19.899 --> 00:12:25.860 Uh, and my dad said, if you raise half the money, I will, I'll get you the other, I'll figure out the other half. 00:12:25.980 --> 00:12:27.460 Well, I'll, I'll match you basically. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.700 Um, could I have bought the squirt gun myself? 00:12:31.820 --> 00:12:34.480 Maybe, like maybe I had to save up double the amount of time. 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:35.679 One, it's interesting. 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:50.200 I don't know how I got money outside of allowance or, you know, he's, he's giving me money anyways at any, but you know, I was seven or eight years old and I just, I, so I saved up the money and I, I, I got to $25 and he matched the other 25. 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:53.320 And, uh, and what, what does my dad asked me in that moment? 00:12:53.379 --> 00:12:55.279 He just says, Hey, you gotta have a little bit of skin in the game. 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:57.820 Uh, there, there has to be a little bit. 00:12:57.860 --> 00:13:00.899 Uh, certainly he could have just bought the squirt gun for me. 00:13:00.980 --> 00:13:01.879 I just love him. 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:03.379 I'm just going to buy it for him. 00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:04.799 He didn't love me less because he bought it. 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:06.500 He actually, in some ways, love me more. 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:10.059 It was teaching me more of a lesson that I'm, I'm going to take care of this a little bit more. 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:17.799 You know, if God were to just, just keep upon blessing after blessing, after blessing and say, just go, go for it, go for it. 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:18.299 You know what we do? 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:19.379 We probably take him for granted. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:23.120 If my dad only bought me a squirt gun, I could break this one and ask for another one. 00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:24.220 He just give it to me. 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.639 But no, God chooses to partner with us. 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:29.059 What an amazing father that we serve. 00:13:33.389 --> 00:13:36.929 Jesus partnered with his disciples to meet the needs of the people. 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:43.590 But then today though, Jesus partners with his disciples to meet the needs of the people. 00:13:43.590 --> 00:13:44.029 Doesn't he? 00:13:45.009 --> 00:13:47.049 And so what does that mean? 00:13:47.129 --> 00:13:48.250 Or what does that look like? 00:13:50.070 --> 00:13:53.490 Jesus wants to partner with you in the way that you spend your time. 00:13:54.090 --> 00:13:55.789 And you can, you can go down to this. 00:13:55.929 --> 00:14:09.490 There's another point that we're going to, we're going to be able to look at, but you can, you can go down and consider with your time, what are ways that you can partner with Jesus in order to spread his message, in order to grow closer to him? 00:14:09.490 --> 00:14:17.649 You know, with your words, you're able to partner with Jesus and you can say things that impact people for, for eternity. 00:14:17.789 --> 00:14:22.750 Not because there is an amazing speech that you say, but because it's, it's Jesus's words. 00:14:23.190 --> 00:14:27.070 With your money, you have the ability to, to partner with Jesus. 00:14:27.070 --> 00:14:29.730 And then with your heart energy, what is heart energy? 00:14:29.789 --> 00:14:30.710 What does it, what does it mean? 00:14:30.769 --> 00:14:39.830 I think it's just this, this emotional gunk that you can get into as you're giving to people and loving people and serving people. 00:14:39.950 --> 00:14:42.289 They don't give it back with your heart energy. 00:14:42.409 --> 00:14:44.110 You're able to partner with Jesus. 00:14:46.029 --> 00:14:52.450 What a, what a humble, what a humble God that we serve again, that, that he decides I'm going to partner with these people who don't deserve it. 00:14:53.970 --> 00:14:55.350 This real, real quick. 00:14:55.490 --> 00:14:58.830 So this was, this is where we're back at the same map. 00:14:58.870 --> 00:14:59.950 I was like, man, I know, I know. 00:15:00.190 --> 00:15:06.090 Anyways, anyways, one of the reasons why from 5,000 that will, it'll be in the next point a little bit. 00:15:06.090 --> 00:15:07.470 So this is in the black. 00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:10.070 If you see it, that's where Jesus fed 5,000. 00:15:10.230 --> 00:15:12.049 That's a region that's mostly Jewish. 00:15:12.809 --> 00:15:22.470 This right around, this is the sea of Galilee right around there on the other side would have been a like a, a Gentile group of people who don't, didn't grow up in the Jewish faith. 00:15:22.570 --> 00:15:23.990 And that's where he fed 4,000. 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:27.830 And so you're like, man, Jesus is opening up people's eyes wherever he goes. 00:15:29.950 --> 00:15:31.110 Let's keep, let's keep going. 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:36.610 Let's go to, uh, we are still in reverse in verse 11. 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:37.350 Now, here we are. 00:15:43.269 --> 00:15:47.049 So the Pharisees came and began to question Jesus to test him. 00:15:47.210 --> 00:15:49.169 They asked him for a sign from heaven. 00:15:50.509 --> 00:15:54.950 He sighed deeply and said, why does this generation ask for a sign? 00:15:55.210 --> 00:15:57.610 Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it. 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:03.149 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:10.460 You know, the Pharisees had heard of Jesus doing miracles. 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:13.539 And so it begs the question, why would they ask for a sign? 00:16:13.620 --> 00:16:16.960 If their, their eyes are open, they should be able to, to see a sign. 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:28.039 This in order to be, to be well prepared or in order to get prepared for, uh, for what we have going on or for it to be able to be used by God in the best possible way. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:31.919 You just, what this is saying is you just can't be super consumed with religion. 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:36.539 Um, and what do I mean when I say that these Pharisees, they're asking for a sign. 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:45.340 This isn't the first time they asked at least three times and probably, probably much more than that, but we have recorded about three interactions that, that he has and they ask for a sign. 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:49.360 Um, there's another one and it's in Matthew 12. 00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:50.759 You can turn to it if you want. 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:54.500 Uh, but we'll, we'll look at it up here because the question is, well, what do you mean? 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:56.139 What are they asking for specifically? 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:58.120 He fed 5,000 and he fed 4,000. 00:16:58.379 --> 00:16:59.879 He healed a bunch of people. 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:01.740 What sign are they asking? 00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:08.480 And they're really, they're, they're pointing to, I want to see a very specific sign from heaven and a proof that you are who you say you are. 00:17:09.059 --> 00:17:13.180 And, uh, and, and what he's saying is it's going to come in a different fashion than you're expecting it. 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:22.380 Uh, this is in Matthew 12, uh, in verse 38, uh, then some Pharisees and teachers said to him, teacher, we want to see a sign from you. 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:22.578 Okay. 00:17:22.578 --> 00:17:23.720 So this is thematic here. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:31.160 He answered a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:34.880 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish. 00:17:35.380 --> 00:17:39.619 So the son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:48.160 The men of Nineveh will stand up at judgment, stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it where they repented at the preaching of Jonah. 00:17:48.299 --> 00:17:51.119 And now something greater than Jonah is here. 00:17:51.660 --> 00:17:55.859 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it. 00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:58.839 For she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom. 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:02.480 And now something greater than Solomon is here. 00:18:04.269 --> 00:18:16.910 So this, if you'll recall, we just looked at an example of a group of people who didn't grow up in the Jewish faith, deciding to, to hear Jesus' teaching as he's feeding them. 00:18:17.109 --> 00:18:18.809 And they decided to follow him. 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:26.250 It, Jesus is pointing to this, this happened, uh, in Matthew 12, it happened before this, but he's, he's pointing to hate Jonah. 00:18:26.250 --> 00:18:35.690 When, when Jonah preached to people who didn't grow up in the faith and they repented, that's a sign in and of itself that God is powerful and God is working. 00:18:35.869 --> 00:18:36.710 God is for us. 00:18:38.589 --> 00:18:43.410 So Jesus says, Hey, if you want to see a sign, then look at, look at your life. 00:18:43.609 --> 00:18:44.789 Look at the lives of the people. 00:18:44.869 --> 00:18:45.650 This is impacting. 00:18:46.029 --> 00:18:47.250 That's your sign enough. 00:18:47.369 --> 00:18:49.069 This is, it's the proof is in the pudding. 00:18:49.170 --> 00:18:49.630 If you will. 00:18:51.430 --> 00:19:01.930 Jesus saying, don't be so consumed with your religion and the way that you think he's going to work that you, that you miss all of the greatness that he's doing in the lives of the people around you. 00:19:03.670 --> 00:19:09.710 You know, as you think about the, in these Pharisees, they have, they had every opportunity and they just, they just missed it time and time again. 00:19:09.950 --> 00:19:11.490 We don't want to be like those guys. 00:19:13.109 --> 00:19:23.250 You know, I was, I was thinking that, you know, religion or maybe some of even what the Pharisees were doing, it might be, it might be similar to mandating a family dinner. 00:19:23.690 --> 00:19:26.170 Every, every evening at let's say 6 PM. 00:19:26.410 --> 00:19:26.630 I don't know. 00:19:26.730 --> 00:19:27.869 Maybe you eat a little bit later than that. 00:19:27.910 --> 00:19:34.190 Maybe a little bit earlier, but saying every day, six days of the week, whatever you figure, we're having a family dinner guys. 00:19:34.250 --> 00:19:35.970 You gotta be, you gotta be there. 00:19:36.009 --> 00:19:36.630 You gotta be ready. 00:19:36.730 --> 00:19:40.869 I know some people that I grew up with who, who just, it was, it was mandatory. 00:19:40.990 --> 00:19:42.130 I gotta, I gotta be a family dinner. 00:19:42.170 --> 00:19:42.910 I gotta just go there. 00:19:44.450 --> 00:19:47.269 Everybody knows it's built into the culture that you've got your family. 00:19:47.369 --> 00:19:48.910 They have to be there on time. 00:19:48.910 --> 00:19:51.089 6 PM, we're going to eat food together. 00:19:53.009 --> 00:19:56.549 And, and you know, the expectation, we're going to talk about our days. 00:19:56.829 --> 00:19:58.569 We are going to create connections. 00:19:58.569 --> 00:20:04.809 This is, this is a great idea, but you can mandate a family dinner and still not be close to one another. 00:20:04.910 --> 00:20:05.029 Right? 00:20:06.410 --> 00:20:09.829 Because you see Johnny's on his phone and he's not paying much attention. 00:20:10.569 --> 00:20:12.089 Cindy doesn't want to be there at all. 00:20:12.609 --> 00:20:14.170 No one's really eating their food. 00:20:14.690 --> 00:20:16.069 They've already eaten beforehand. 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:20.390 Nothing consequential is, nothing consequential is ever communicated. 00:20:21.009 --> 00:20:28.609 And so, although you're, you're, you're in this practice of sitting together, although you can actually point to that, I'm, I'm sitting, I'm sitting here. 00:20:28.730 --> 00:20:29.730 I'm, we're, we're together. 00:20:29.809 --> 00:20:30.369 We're doing it. 00:20:30.630 --> 00:20:31.950 We're, we're doing it the right way. 00:20:32.009 --> 00:20:33.710 This is, this is going to help build a culture. 00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:35.269 It's, it's fake. 00:20:35.329 --> 00:20:38.930 It doesn't have the result that you want it to have because, because the hearts are not in it. 00:20:40.470 --> 00:20:44.670 This is, as I was thinking about, this is one of the things that moms are actually really good at. 00:20:44.670 --> 00:20:47.990 They're, they're really good at identifying that it's not just the action. 00:20:48.150 --> 00:20:49.609 It's the, it's the heart behind it. 00:20:49.650 --> 00:20:53.190 Maybe I'm sure it's women in general, but I know I can speak specifically to moms. 00:20:53.210 --> 00:20:57.589 You can do a lot of, you can do a lot of things for your mom, but if your heart's not in it, it's like, yeah, thanks son. 00:20:57.750 --> 00:21:05.789 You know, but if you, you give to your mom in a, in a special way, even if it's just nonchalance, I guess you're the most amazing in the world. 00:21:07.650 --> 00:21:09.269 Moms also know that it's not about routine. 00:21:09.369 --> 00:21:10.130 It's about the connection. 00:21:11.990 --> 00:21:14.470 Same thing is true in, in religion. 00:21:14.470 --> 00:21:16.289 I'm not condemning going to church. 00:21:16.349 --> 00:21:17.150 Don't hear me say that. 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:18.930 I'm not condemning, uh, reading the Bible. 00:21:19.049 --> 00:21:19.750 Don't hear me say that. 00:21:19.769 --> 00:21:24.269 I know you guys, you guys know that I'm not saying that, but, but it's about more than that though. 00:21:24.349 --> 00:21:26.170 It's about more than just showing up. 00:21:26.230 --> 00:21:29.549 It's about more than just getting in your word a little bit. 00:21:29.549 --> 00:21:31.730 It's, it's about this, this connection to God. 00:21:31.769 --> 00:21:33.089 Are you still trying? 00:21:33.230 --> 00:21:35.190 Are you still looking for God to work in your life? 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:46.279 If you're so concerned with, with the old, you know, there's a, the idea of the old way, there's back then, or we did this back then. 00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:54.720 Or if you're so concerned, uh, with that, then you're just going to miss how Jesus is working in your life right now and how he wants to work in your life in the future. 00:21:57.099 --> 00:22:01.859 So then we, we get to this series of questions that I think are, are, are very challenging. 00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:08.740 Um, we're going to pick up now we're back in, in Mark eight and we're going to be in verse 14, man. 00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:09.559 I'm sorry about that guy. 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:10.799 It's going to be tough for you guys to see. 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:11.119 Yeah. 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:12.099 Just focus on that stuff. 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:19.480 It says the disciples had forgotten to bring bread except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:21.799 Jesus just feeds 4,000 people. 00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:23.660 They already saw him feed 5,000. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:27.920 They literally picked up more food than he already, than, than he, than they had at the beginning. 00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:29.299 They know he's, he's king. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:29.599 Okay. 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:32.099 But they just, they forget to bring a bread. 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:34.099 Jesus says, be careful. 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:37.400 Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. 00:22:38.539 --> 00:22:42.619 They discussed this with one another and said, it's because we have no bread. 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:47.279 You love the disciples, don't you? 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:53.200 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them, why are you talking about having no bread? 00:22:53.460 --> 00:22:55.599 Do you still not see or understand? 00:22:56.180 --> 00:22:57.599 Are your hearts hearted? 00:22:58.279 --> 00:23:01.980 Do you have eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear? 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:09.779 And don't you remember when I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets basketfuls of pieces did you pick up? 00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:10.640 12, they replied. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:17.099 And when I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many basketfuls, how many basketfuls of pieces? 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.579 That's right. 00:23:17.660 --> 00:23:17.799 Wow. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:18.839 Did you pick up? 00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:20.559 They answered seven. 00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:24.059 He said to them, do you still not understand? 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:33.480 You can feel the frustrations, the, the wrong word, but it must've been a long day for Jesus. 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:39.380 Right before that, or a little bit before that, you see that he sighs deeply is what, is what, is what Matthew records. 00:23:39.539 --> 00:23:45.140 And you, you know, you don't, you can sigh, but sighing deeply, like it means something, right? 00:23:45.460 --> 00:23:49.359 And then he's asking them, don't, don't you understand what's happening right now? 00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:50.519 Don't you, don't you get it? 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:58.259 On the topic of partnering with Jesus, isn't that actually incredible that he still decides to partner at any point? 00:23:58.319 --> 00:23:59.279 He's like, Hey, I'm done with this. 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:02.079 And these people, they're not going to get it. 00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:02.960 And I'm, and I'm gone. 00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:03.920 He could have done that. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:08.220 And actually he would have been justified in doing so, but he kept bearing with them. 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:13.480 And, and later on here in just, just a little bit, he, Peter declares, you're the Messiah. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:14.900 You are that guy. 00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:19.980 Jesus asks them, uh, some, some questions. 00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:21.779 Do you still not see or understand? 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:24.740 And then he says, are your hearts hardened? 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:26.920 Do you have eyes that fail to see? 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:28.880 Do you have ears that fail to hear? 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:32.480 And don't you remember these are, these are all great questions. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:42.759 For you to ask yourself and your, in your day-to-day, uh, times with God, um, you, you, you see that he's asking, are your hearts hardened? 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:46.019 You know what, what he's saying is, you know, what's happened in the past. 00:24:46.299 --> 00:24:49.339 And you know, what happens when people follow what I say? 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:52.759 Why are you wondering if you should follow what I say? 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:54.339 Why are you worried at all? 00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:55.640 You, you've seen what happens. 00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:57.519 I take care of my people. 00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:58.940 So why are you worried? 00:25:02.339 --> 00:25:04.019 And he, and he's drawing them back. 00:25:04.099 --> 00:25:04.759 This question. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:06.019 Don't you remember? 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:20.039 I, I want to, I want to take a moment because the devil is going to do everything he can, uh, to convince you that, that, that your, uh, your ability to be used by God is, is, is gone. 00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:26.460 If the devil can do anything and he, if he just convinces you that you're, you're not able to be a partner with God anymore, then he's going to win. 00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:27.339 You can show up to church. 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:29.599 And if he convinces you, you can't really be a partner with God. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:32.220 It's just, you're, you're going to keep trying to impress him. 00:25:32.259 --> 00:25:33.920 And he's, he's not going to be impressed by you. 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:35.759 Then he's actually the devil's one. 00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:39.619 Uh, so, so let's, let's, let's go ahead and stop him out right now. 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:43.359 So think about right now, just consider, uh, just trust what I'm saying. 00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:50.720 And then I'm going to prove to you that it's true, but I'm going to, I'm telling you that God has used you in some powerful ways in the course of your life. 00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:51.019 Okay. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:56.640 So think about a conversation you had that positively impacted someone's life. 00:25:56.660 --> 00:25:57.559 Just think about it. 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:01.200 One conversation that doesn't have to be five. 00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:03.819 There's probably about five or there's probably 10, or there's probably more than that. 00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:10.599 If you take some time, just think about a conversation with your words, how you impacted somebody's life positively. 00:26:19.109 --> 00:26:25.609 Think about a time when you shared out of your, out of your wealth, it could have been, it could be money. 00:26:25.730 --> 00:26:30.869 It could have been a sandwich, it fill in the blank, but you shared something that, that costs you financially. 00:26:31.269 --> 00:26:34.349 Think about a time that you shared that helped someone. 00:26:34.349 --> 00:26:36.309 And I'm not talking about giving contribution. 00:26:36.470 --> 00:26:44.309 I'm talking about when you physically handed it to somebody or did it behind the scenes that nobody saw, but, but you knew that it cost you something to give to that person specifically. 00:26:44.829 --> 00:26:45.690 Think about that. 00:26:53.990 --> 00:26:58.490 Then think about a time that you did something without anybody asking you to do it. 00:26:58.529 --> 00:27:04.349 But out of the goodness of your heart and God working in your life, you decided I'm going to serve this person. 00:27:04.430 --> 00:27:07.369 I'm going to meet any, just consider one time that you did that. 00:27:11.289 --> 00:27:16.329 You're not able to convince me that God is not using you even right now. 00:27:17.890 --> 00:27:21.210 God is, God is using you and all of those instances. 00:27:21.369 --> 00:27:25.690 And if you would take a moment to consider it, the list goes on and on and on. 00:27:25.789 --> 00:27:29.470 The devil wins if he convinces you that you can't, that you can't partner with God. 00:27:29.490 --> 00:27:31.410 But if you decide, no, I can. 00:27:31.750 --> 00:27:35.990 And I remember the times that I did, then God's going to be able to use you for the future. 00:27:36.109 --> 00:27:36.250 Amen. 00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:46.539 God is, God has given so much to us and a lot and given us so many blessings and he still decides to use us though. 00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:49.779 There's a, there's this, uh, this quote. 00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:50.579 I don't even know. 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:52.980 I, I'm not even sure where it came from and I didn't look it up. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:53.519 It's be ready. 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:54.500 So you don't have to get ready. 00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:54.940 Okay. 00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:58.299 Uh, and I think I, I've heard it in basketball a lot of times. 00:27:58.299 --> 00:28:01.319 I think it probably fits with parenting as I'm thinking about it. 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:06.740 Uh, but it's the idea that if you, if you're, if you're just ready, then you don't have to worry about getting ready. 00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:09.380 If you got to worry about getting ready, then you're going to be in trouble. 00:28:09.579 --> 00:28:12.180 You, you moms, you understand this dad, you understand this too. 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:14.640 Uh, do you want to go with me to the store to run an errand? 00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:15.599 Yes, I do. 00:28:15.940 --> 00:28:16.299 Okay. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:18.440 Be ready next time. 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:25.880 So you don't have to get ready, but the getting ready part takes, you know, getting shoes on, putting a jacket on, you know, drinking some water, using the bathroom. 00:28:25.900 --> 00:28:29.339 If you're all ready for that stuff, when I say let's go, you just run and go. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:32.259 Uh, husbands maybe know that with their wives too. 00:28:32.259 --> 00:28:37.019 Um, I, I'm not saying more than that. 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:41.500 Yeah. 00:28:48.309 --> 00:28:51.890 How are you going to be a great partner with God? 00:28:51.970 --> 00:28:57.430 How is, how is, how is somebody's life going to be changed by, by just us? 00:28:57.589 --> 00:28:57.750 Wow. 00:28:57.809 --> 00:29:05.349 It's, it's a, not just us, rather by, by us acting on God's behalf, it's a difficult process, but what I would say is we can follow this. 00:29:05.690 --> 00:29:06.890 You got to give God something to bless. 00:29:06.950 --> 00:29:08.250 There has to be some skin in the game. 00:29:08.309 --> 00:29:09.869 Uh, how many loaves do you have? 00:29:09.869 --> 00:29:12.049 Jesus could have said, everyone's full, snapped his fingers. 00:29:12.329 --> 00:29:13.150 Everyone would have been full. 00:29:13.250 --> 00:29:14.690 He didn't even have to physically consume food. 00:29:14.750 --> 00:29:18.190 And yet he said, how many loaves pick it up, hand it out. 00:29:18.329 --> 00:29:20.009 And then he's drawing them back. 00:29:20.130 --> 00:29:22.150 Think about how, how the hell it worked. 00:29:23.329 --> 00:29:24.170 Don't consume. 00:29:24.309 --> 00:29:26.789 Don't consume yourself with empty religion. 00:29:27.569 --> 00:29:28.890 Don't just show up to church. 00:29:28.950 --> 00:29:30.089 Don't just read your Bible. 00:29:30.509 --> 00:29:31.549 Don't just talk to people. 00:29:31.549 --> 00:29:33.289 Don't just get open about your sin. 00:29:33.349 --> 00:29:34.690 Don't just do those things. 00:29:35.970 --> 00:29:38.130 Decide to connect with Jesus. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:42.440 Then you have to look through the eyes of spirituality. 00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:49.380 And Jesus is saying, Hey, if I took care of those people in that moment, then I'm definitely going to take care of you. 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:54.599 And you can look back at all the times in which he did it and understand he's going to do it again. 00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:54.920 Amen. 00:29:56.660 --> 00:30:09.940 You know, as we, uh, as, as we transition and, and take communion, uh, just consider, consider these questions, make a decision, uh, whatever you've got to do to get, to be ready. 00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:12.680 So you don't have to get ready when the opportunity presents itself. 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:15.460 Um, let's, uh, let's, let's pray right now. 00:30:16.970 --> 00:30:21.190 Dear God, Lord, um, Jesus, we come before you. 00:30:22.230 --> 00:30:31.349 I I'm just struck by your patience, Lord, in just this, this, this text, uh, you, you sigh deeply and you continue to give, and you are so patient. 00:30:31.430 --> 00:30:38.829 You ask questions, uh, you, you just, it seems like you just walk people through that, that you've seen amazing things happen. 00:30:38.829 --> 00:30:45.809 You've heard amazing things, amazing things said, uh, how do you still, you know, do you, don't you understand? 00:30:45.930 --> 00:30:47.769 Don't you understand Jesus? 00:30:48.029 --> 00:30:54.150 I realized that, that for, for us, that was, that was our lives, Lord, we'd heard about you. 00:30:54.369 --> 00:31:15.660 We had seen you even work in our lives and, and, uh, all of us at one point or another, maybe we're, we're in that spot right now, have not fully bought in or sold out that we are, we are going to embrace, uh, your death and your resurrection as being that all the evidence we need to then live a new life and then to turn away from, from our sin. 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:19.660 Uh, we, we realize there's no, there's no hope outside of the cross. 00:31:19.740 --> 00:31:22.460 There's no, there's no great things we can do. 00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:24.140 All of this stuff is so futile. 00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:31.819 If not for you dying on the cross, we can talk about all this, that we can do good things and we can say good things and God, you great. 00:31:31.819 --> 00:31:36.119 But if you didn't die for our sins, then this is pointless, Lord. 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:44.559 And so we are just so grateful that you went on the cross, that you decided that we were worth it and that you did it for the joy set before you. 00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:45.680 Lord, we love you. 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:47.460 This is in Jesus's name that we pray. 00:31:47.579 --> 00:31:52.859 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:56.519 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:31:56.519 --> 00:32:04.160 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:06.779 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.