Beware of the Leaven
Sermon Summary:
- Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Herod. This "leaven" refers to the corruption, unholiness, and danger of their disbelief in Jesus as the Messiah.
- When the disciples became preoccupied with not having enough bread, Jesus rebuked them for missing his spiritual warning and having hardened hearts.
- Jesus reminds the disciples of his miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000. These miracles were meant to demonstrate Jesus' authority and ignite faith in him as Lord and Savior.
- To avoid a hardened heart, we need: 1) A new heart through faith in Christ, 2) To feed on God's Word, 3) To seek the Lord's help, 4) Wise counselors, 5) Accountability and encouragement from other believers.
- We must believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, recognizing his power and authority. Do not allow disbelief and hard-heartedness to poison our faith like the Pharisees and Herod. Turn to Jesus, trust His Word, and rely on godly community.
