Religion of Comfort

Is it Possible that we want more from the World than we want from God?

This is the question we are going to explore today and this is the question that kept popping up in my mind as I read through this passage.

We all know people that seem to be so focused so much on earthly pursuits that it keeps them from seeing God provide for them in incredible ways.

Its not that we do not believe in God’s ability to provide for us it is just that we are not always able to see God when he is providing for us or to put in another way we find it hard to believe the same God that has provided time and time again in scripture in incredible ways will continue to do so.

As we dig in to what God has to say about this we should not shy away form our opening question no matter how uncomfortable it makes us.

Is it possible we want more from the world than we want from God?

If we will be open to this question I believe God will show us power and blessing far beyond what we every believed possible.

Our passage is broken into two narratives so lets break them down separately so we can see what connects them.

Mark 8:11,12

11 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. 12 When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” 13 So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.

Just to give a little context Jesus had just fed the 4k. This was not the first time Jesus did something like this in fact Jesus also fed 5K in much the same way. Word had gotten out and people knew this had happened but when he got out of the boat He was greeted by the Pharisees with hard hearts, arguments and a demand he prove himself.

The Pharisees were not interested in the possiblility of Jesus being Messiah they were instead focused on power, and Tradition

They approached Jesus when he had arrived in the area not with questions designed to understand but questions designed to argue.

Mark 8:14-21

14 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?

18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said.

20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”“Seven,” they said.

21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

The disciples were so worried that Jesus would be upset becuase there didn’t seem to be enough bread that they took Jesus teaching on the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod as a criticism rather than as a teaching moment.

When we look at the Pharisees and the Disciples in this passage one cannot help but see their unhealthy preoccupation for their own material needs.

The need for power and position for the Pharisees and the need to be seen a competent and satisfied by the disciples shows a lack of understanding about who Jesus was and possibly a lack of desire know who Jesus was.

In response to this we see Jesus sigh in his spirit at the Pharisees not in contempt but desperate for them to see the kingdom has in fact come.

We also see Jesus desperate for the disciples to finally understand that constantly focusing on our material needs and wants leads to an unhealthy dependance on material pursuits.

While the disciples were at least more open to Jesus than the pharisees they were still preoccupied with temporal pursuits. So much so that they were not able to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them.

Unhealthy dependance on earthly pursuits ultimately leads good people to having trouble seeing God’s provision even when its right in front of them.

The more we desire materially the less satisfied we are with what God is providing.

This was not the first time God’s people were not satisfied with what God provided.

After Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt they were complaining that they were hungry. Remember when we were slaves in Egypt and we had pots full of meat? We should have stayed there at least we would not die from hunger.

God provided mana and quail for them. He told them to gather as much manna as they needed for the day and no more. But the Israelites gathered more to store up just in case God would forget to feed them.

The extra manna went bad…Even though they were given an abundance by God they wanted more and were angry when they could not store up more.

We also see the story of the rich man who had a bumper crop and instead of sharing it with all of those in need built bigger barns to hold the access for himself. God chastised him by saying you fool this very night your life will be required of you and who will get your food?

These stories all illustrate when we want more from the world than we want from God we will always be in a state of dissatisfaction .

When we want more from God than we want from the world there will always be more than enough. 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Lk 12:21)

Jesus is giving us a sacred invitation to be filled with something more substantial than we can feed ourselves.

Jesus is still desperate for his people to want more from him than we want from the world.

The Bread of life is enough if that is what we are truly desperate to be filled with it instead of what we can feed ourselves.

Jesus sigh in His spirit also illustrates the depth of desire that He has for us to go beyond the surface faith that has been accepted by a lot of people as deep.

Jesus still desires us as His disciples to trade the religion of comfort for complete access to Jesus and God’s plan for the world.

Charlie applying for a courier job but being offered a job with direct access to the president....This seems a no brainer accept a job as a courier or a job as a close confidant of POTUS.

The difference is a courier is a 9-5 job…but assistant to POTUS is totally committing your life to the person 24/7.

In order to achieve what we are searching for we must stop settling for a couriers job when God wants us to have direct access to God.

In so doing we find that it is not about what we consume that makes life matter…it is what we allow to consume us.

Come to the Word of God whether in your personal time, listening to you pastor or your small group with a desire to learn not negotiate.

Beware of the yeast of the world that has the potential to grow in you in such a way as to crowd out the bread of life.

Practice saying Yes to Kingdom Mission over the pursuit of Religion Comfort

So as we prepare to come to the table let us come:

Confessing times you sought to argue instead of seeking to understand.

Confess times you have allowed material/worldly concerns to push out Kingdom concerns.

Confess times when you wanted more from the world than you did from God.

Communion Liturgy: