You Aren't Listening to Me

On brain, I still, we're so glad to be together and we're so glad that we have the technology to be together. Worship sing and to know that we have nothing to fear. Even if we have some worldly things to fear, what you keep your finger from Matthew 15. We're going to be spending a lot of time. In Matthew, chapter, 15 and 16.

There's a saying that's on the screen right now. Then if you're lucky, you haven't heard it since you were a teenager. If you're unlucky or you have short attention, spans are other issues. You're like me. One too, terribly long ago, that there was a product that was very interested in and someone was explaining it to me. And it was one of those deals where it was at a convention, or in a large place, until there was a lot of hustle and bustle. So, I'm attempting to give myself, as well as this person a little bit of a past. Maybe it's not really all that big of a deal. So he was explaining to me. What was good and the intricacies about this product? And admittedly, I thought about later my second and third questions. I was asking about this product. He had already covered and he stopped and he said something to me that for a moment, really almost made me mad. and that phrase was, You are listening to me.

By the way, Pro tip. Probably isn't a good thing to say, if your salesman.

Even if it's true.

You aren't listening to me. Now, a better thing. Might have been to say, you aren't hearing me. Maybe. Do you understand? What's behind that statement? You aren't listening to me.

At its face value. It's an accusation.

It doesn't have to be. Something that is excessively cruel.

It could be born out of frustration. Perhaps, you had Parents. I guess coming from a male's, point of view, a dad or a grandfather in my case. Sometimes a father-in-law.

And nothing is more painful to be sitting in a hot garage under a car and have to ask somebody one more time. What size was that?

Where is that tool?

And hear someone say. You aren't listening to me.

How do I do that again?

You're not hearing me.

It doesn't take me to many powers of perception to know that we have. A lot of people who are parents and grandparents age. Do you use the Sprites? How do you use the sprays? Or any variation on it. If you have small enough children, you might be saying, stop listening to me. An understanding for a certain age being a certain maturity level, but when you get to that level of maturity to wear it. You're not paying attention to what I'm saying?

Are you hearing me?

Strong statement. And wise is the person that if it was accurate and used accurately wise is the person, that once they get past the initial shot, get past the initial. That's kind of insulting.

Why is this the person? Who can say? I wasn't listening. I was not focused. There was something that I'm missing that. I shouldn't be missing. I want to come back to that idea shortly. What Dave red is really enduring Arts. Scripture reading is really the introduction to one of Jesus miracles. In that is the feeding of the four thousand. Now more about two different stories and two different groups here in a little bit. But we need to remember that. What Dave read was the intro to this particular time. There are lots of differences between the Saints and actually, just for background. I'll go ahead and cover that. He is this the same Stories, the feeding of 5000. There are some people mostly Bible critics to basically say that that's what this is. Just something that there is an inaccuracy in scripture about what we see is that there are many differences in both the stories. Okay, 5000 earlier is Matthew. The audience was mostly Jewish on this occasion. The people of the 4,000 or mostly Gentile, because he saw that hinting that after Jesus was performing, these Miracles said, they praise the god of Israel. There is one of your Clues, obviously, then decide to numbers. It was in an entirely different location. It was for entirely different reasons, this miracle, the feeding of the above. The 4,000 is interesting in that Jesus didn't do it for believe. We're about to read that here in just a second. And the other time they would have happened. It was done mostly to prove who he was and I could go on. I could bore you with some backstory. See me after Services if you want more thrilling facts on. Why are these? Are two separate Miracles that pick up in your scriptures and I don't have it on the board for you to just read. Actually turn your Bibles. Now. These are High-Tech. High tactile extrasensory ways to do God's word. If he, if you don't have it on your phone, Matthew 15.

Inverse 32, Matthew 15 and pick up in the 30. Second verse, after Jesus has healed many, who are lame crippled blind healed them and said 431, the crowd, wonder when they saw them, you speak in the crippled, helping the lame. Walk in the blind, see, and they glorified the god of Israel verse 32. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now, three days and they have nothing to eat. For a second. They were so enamored with Jesus that they were with him for three days. In a remote location. Yes, I know different time. Different expectations of life, but

3 days.

I'd like to think that if we saw somebody performing Miracles that we couldn't explain that, maybe we would stay with him that long, but I'm not even

But this is that this is the situation. They have been with me now 3 days, and I've had nothing to eat and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest. They think on the way. And the disciple said to him, where to get enough bread in such a desolate, place to feed. So great. Crowd. Here again.

Where are we going to get bread?

Where are we going to get food? This is one of the reasons why some Bible Skeptics instead. There's no way. There's no way the apostles would have done this again. There's no way.

In some ways. I don't have a real good answer for that. But there are some clues that will get you in just a minute. Once again, for the second time in his life or 34 Jesus said to them, how many loads he have? They said, seven and a few small fish and directing the crowd to sit on the ground. He took the seven Loaves and fish having given things he broke them and gave them to the disciples. Disciples gave them to the crowds and they all ate. We're satisfied and then pick up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over from, what if mad for what? It's worth the word basket that is used here is not typically in the original Greek, something that we would understand like a small communion baskets. This was the same words that was used for the basket that let Paul off of the city walls on the times. When he had to ask a, not a small basket there for the amount of food that was left over a small amounts. Not a small amount at all.

438 those, who wait for 4000 men besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

You got to remember something about this crowd, what we just said earlier. They're primarily Gentile. The apostles never had problems with the Gentiles. Did they?

It is quite likely.

That the apostles were not expecting Jesus to perform a second Miracle to feed a group of gentiles.

It was also in a different region and in a different area. And this was a miracle again, that was not about belief that people had already believed, they were praising God.

The first time the P. He, Jesus is still proving that he's the son of God.

Or maybe we're bending over backwards to give the apostles break. There's evidence. Did, I could go both ways?

Because in both the cops will count. By the way, this takes place. This is also recorded in Mark, chapter 8 and we're going to read something else again in Mark. Chapter 8. Why don't we do that now?

It's worded slightly differently, but in both accounts of the feeding of the 5000.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees are quick on the heels of Jesus. Mark 8 beginning and verse 14, right after Mark's account of the very same.

Bristol Lebanon, so I should say, I go back to verse 11. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him, a sign from Heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in a spirit and said, why does this generation seeketh fine? Truly, I say to you. No sign will be given to this generation. I need a left them with Donna. The boat again and went to the other side. So, Jesus was willing to perform a miracle. And feed thousands of gentiles. But when the Pharisees and Sadducees came seeking a sign.

Jesus said, no. To read from one of my favorite commentaries about this. This is the way that the commentator writer put it Jesus had just performed a miracle for people who hadn't even asked for it. Yet then refuse to make a miracle happen. For people who ask him for one, why the different groups of people had different motives in their minds. While the hungry crowd was seeking to learn from Jesus. The Pharisees were trying to test Jesus. The hungry people approached Jesus with faith, but the Pharisees approach, Jesus with cynicism. Jesus makes it clear throughout the Bible that using miracles to test God, corrupts the purity of their purpose, which is to help people develop genuine faith. The Gospel of Luke. When Jesus fights off Satan's attempt to tempt him to send Jesus quotes. Deuteronomy 6, 16, which says do not put the Lord, your God to the test. The Bible makes it clear that it is important for people to check their motives before asking God for miracles.

What Jesus was essentially saying to the Pharisees and the Sadducees was? Are you even listening to me at all?

Are you listening? Are you hearing? but, This is not going to be the last time, and what we're looking at that Jesus is going to have to say this. Now, the 14th verse of Mark chapter 8, and this is in Matthews account as well. Elliott forgot to bring bread and they had only one love with them in the bow and he cautioned them saying, watch out Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, in the Lebanon. And they began discussing with one another the facts, but they had no bread. A Jesus aware of this said to them. Why are you discussing the fact that you have? No bread. Do you not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not here? And do you not remember? When I broke the lows for the 5000, how many baskets full of broken pieces, did you take up? They said to him 12 and the seven for the 4000 how many baskets full of broken pieces, did you take the dogs? And they said to him 7 and he said to them. Do you not yet? Understand?

By the way, the Skeptics who saved these are two different miracles. Have you read Mark and he verses 14 through 21?

Are you listening?

Earlier in Mark's gospel. He will chords Jesus whenever they were not understanding Parables as saying this, and this is comes down to why this matters I Philippines between you and me.

A mark for 12. It was said about the about the, his disciples and apostles at weren't understanding The Parables so that they may be ever seen. But never perceiving and ever hearing but never understanding otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven. And this idea is repeated. By the way, in the Bible. It said in the Old Testament and it's repeated in the New Testament for additional time. the whole idea that

are you hearing anything I'm saying. Are you hearing anything that God is trying to tell you?

Are you listening? At all.

What we learn? From the miracle of Jesus, feeding the 4000.

Are some of the following sometimes the lost when God has a retention. Listen, more than believers.

With the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They were still constantly caught up on, show me a sign of your Authority, prove that your God prove that you're doing something for me.

Sometimes unbelievers when they're coming with open heart and truly searching.

They're the ones that don't need any more proof. They see what he has already done.

Another thing we learn. Don't put God to the test.

Sometimes there are well-intentioned people that say things like well. If Jesus would just appear again today cuz the Bible even talks about that idea. If, if the evil just wouldn't win as many times as, as good people lose.

But sometimes, it's individually. We get angry. If God doesn't do what we ask. We get angry is the answer to some of our prayers is no, we get angry. Sometimes if the answer to our prayers sometimes is wait.

and then of course, the big thing, what I want to leave you with today is Are you listening what God is trying to tell you? Now, don't run with this more than you ought to. I'm not saying or nor suggesting that God is opening the clouds and speaking to you verbally, although, again, at putting the god to the test would be, I'd love to hear it. But, look, what happened to Joe.

Folks, I don't care if you're 14 or 40 or 80.

We can stop paying attention to God.

We can stop paying attention to the Bible. We can stop. Thinking about maybe God wants to do something with me. And I am close to retirement or I am retired.

I'm not as healthy as I used to be where I'm not healthy at all. And we stop listening to God. We stop listening and can we stop considering what God's will for our wife. Mike be?

Everything is possible with him.

Are we listening?

Have we already decided that we've gone as far as we can go? I mean, this comes down to something very simple. I'm doing my, my daily Bible reading the whole read the Bible through the year, which is almost every year. And the other day. I had a verse stop me in my tracks. I don't know how many times I've read through the Bible. And if her stopped me in my tracks, what is it is coming to a sermon near you very soon. Never waste a good verse.

Are we even open to God anymore?

Or something worse. Had we allowed what happens? Right here within these walls. BT. Full determination of who God is. I know that sounds crazy. I don't have any sound critical, but folks, let's face it. Romans 3:23 God didn't stutter. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We're not always what we ought to be.

More often than not, God takes the blame for that.

Are you listening to him?

Are you reading him?

Are you talkin to him? Do you see him working in your life? Because He Lives. I'm confident in saying that he is. All things work together for good. For those that love the Lord, not everything. That happens is good. But all things work together for good. For those of lip that low, is that love the Lord.

Father God.

I can only speak for myself.

Help me to listen. Shake me from my malaise. Shake me from my jaded attitudes.

Thruway from me, my negativity. About myself. About other people.

Help me to read you. Your word with a clear conscience. And holy spirit. We thank you for providing that.

Where Jesus? Help me to learn from your walk in your example, how to live.

And God the Father, the sustainer of all things.

Help me to hear your voice. Even whenever I don't hear your voice.

And I got a feeling, there's a lot of people here this morning that would pray that same prayer. We love you. We praise you. We thank you. And help us to listen to you. In Jesus Christ name we pray. Amen.