Alwways Be Expecting the Unexpected

Always Be Expecting the Unexpected

Intro

Prayer

Illustration of believing in what I have had in the past and didn’t realize it

Read Mark 6:30-44

The Importance of Being Compassionate

- The Disciples had just got finished with their first “Mission Trip” of healing and teaching in the name of Jesus.

o Spiritual High

- Yet they had Zero compassion for the crowd.

o Why?

§ They had not been spiritually fed by God. Their alone time. Was interrupted by the crowd (Mark 6:31)

§ They were not able to “Eat” the spiritual nourishment that comes from being alone with God.

- Jesus teaches them that there is never an easy time to be compassionate

o The crowd ran on foot around the sea of galilee to get to Jesus

§ We do not always see the lengths that people go to to witness Jesus.

§ Not just one person but the text says people from all the towns.

§ They ran so fast that they even beat Jesus and the disciples there.

- Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Mark 6:34)

o John 10:14-18

§ We are all God’s children, and we listen to His voice.

- HOW LIKE MANY OF GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY. FOR SOME REASON, IT IS NEVER THE RIGHT TIME OR PLACE FOR GOD TO WORK!!

The Importance of Sharing the Gospel

- Mark 6:37 – “You give them something to eat,” he responded.

- OBEY WHAT HE COMMANDS YOU TO DO

o When we receive salvation the Holy Spirit dwells in us now.

§ In doing so at that moment we are called to go spread His Gospel.

· Matthew 28:19 “The Great Commission”

o Jesus’s last command to Peter was the “Feed and Shepherd my Sheep.” (John 21:15-19)

o Feeding and Shepherding sheep is what a Good Shepherd does.

- Share the Gospel where you Are and Not where you were.

o The disciples had no desire to feed Jesus’s sheep, even though they had just come back from a healing and teaching.

o The disciples were complaing about it being deserted and being late.

§ How many times do we complain about where God places us to share His Gospel?

- We Do Not Command Jesus (Mark 6:36)

o The disciples command Jesus to send the crowd back to the towns where they ran away from to meet Jesus.

§ These peole ran and left what they knew to just witness Jesus.

§ How many times do we try and dictate what Jesus does for not only us, but also what he does for others?

o The Gospel is not something that can be bought by any dollar amount!

§ The disciples command Jesus to send them away so they can buy food for themselves.

· Even though the disciples have exactly what the people are hungry for, the Saving Healing Power of Jesus.

The Importance of Having Faith in What You Have

- Mark 6:38 – He (Jesus) asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

- BEFORE WE ASK GOD TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, LET’S START WITH THE POSSIBLE AND GIVE HIM WHAT WE DO HAVE.

- We can’t look at what we don’t have. We can only look at what we do have. What we do have is exactly what God allows us to have at that exact moment.

The Importance of Trusting in Jesus

- Mark 6:41-42

o Jesus has everyone sit down together as one body.

§ At this moment there are people from all walks of life here. However, Jesus has the disciples group them all together as one.

§ This is the Gospel, in that when we “believers” come before our King we are all on the grass that these people sat on.

§ We are one body and we all serve the same God.

o This miracle is from God above.

§ All 4 gospel writers write down that Jesus looks up to heaven, then blessed and broke the loaves.

§ Jesus receives the power from His Father and then we receive the blessing from Jesus.

o When we trust in Jesus he will continue to keep filling our plates

§ (Mark 6:41 “He (Jesus) kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people.

§ We are not the manufacturers of God’s Grace, but we are commanded to go and distribute it to all!

o All who come to and belive in Jesus will be filled and satisfied. (Mark 6:42)

o Out of the overflow of our faith we will be filled!! (Mark 6:43)

o

There is a world of Believers and Non-Believers out there that are deprived of the true Bread of Life in Jesus Christ. When God’s people begin to give God all that we have and believe in what God has given us there will never be another tear shed. We as faithful believers will always end up with more blessings than when started with and a fullfillment that only our God above can provide.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eight: A Many-Sided Ministry (Luke 9)

Before we ask God to do the impossible, let’s start with the possible and give Him what we have.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eight: A Many-Sided Ministry (Luke 9)

After Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples must often have been encouraged by remembering this miracle. It teaches us to have compassion, to look on problems as opportunities for God to work, and to give Him all that we have and trust Him to meet the needs. If we do all we can, He will step in and do the rest.

How like many of God’s people today. For some reason, it is never the right time or place for God to work.[1]

Believe in what you have and not in what you don’t have.

A hungry world is feeding on empty substitutes while we deprive them of the Bread of Life. When we give Christ what we have, we never lose. We always end up with more blessing than when we started.[2]

I WAS BLIND, AS I STOOD THERE BOASTING IN ALL THAT “I” HAD DONE. I WAS BLIND TO THE FACT THAT I WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF MY SAVIOR INSTEAD OF BEHIND HIM. THEREFORE I WAS BLIND TO WHAT WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME, WHICH WAS DEATH. PEOPLE COULDN’T SEE MY SAVOIR BECAUSE OF ME STANDING IN THE WAY. GOD’S GLORY WAS HIDDEN BECAUSE OF ME BEING IN THE WAY.

Start with what you have. Andrew found a lad who had a small lunch, and he brought the lad to Jesus. Was the boy willing to give up his lunch? Yes, he was! God begins where we are and uses what we have.

Give what you have to Jesus. Jesus took the simple lunch, blessed it, and shared it. The miracle of multiplication was in His hands! “Little is much if God is in it.” Jesus broke the bread and gave the pieces to the disciples, and they, in turn, fed the multitudes.

Obey what He commands. The disciples had the people sit down as Jesus ordered. They took the broken pieces and distributed them, and discovered that there was plenty for everybody. As His servants, we are “distributors,” not “manufacturers.” If we give what we have to Him, He will bless it and give it back to us for use in feeding others.

Conserve the results. There were twelve baskets filled with pieces of bread and fish after the people had eaten all they wanted. But these pieces were carefully collected so that nothing was wasted (Mark 6:43; John 6:12). I wonder how many of the pieces the lad took back home with him? Imagine his mother’s amazement when the boy told her the story![3]

In the crisis hours of life, when your resources are low and your responsibilities are great, it is good to remember that God already has the problem solved.[1]

[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 205–206.

[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 50. [2]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 51. [3]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 50–51.