Untitled Sermon

Greetings from the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob!

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Grace and peace to you, brothers and sisters in Christ!

Prayer

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me! Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me! Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me as I open Your Word. I ask You to hide me behind the cross. I promise to give You all the honor, all the praise, and all the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Main Text: Mark 8:1-6 NKJV

1. In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,

2. I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

3.  “And if I send them away hungry to their own house, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

4. Then His disciples answered Him, How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?

5. He asked them, “How many loaves do you have”?

6. So, He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

7. They also had a few small fish, and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

8. So, they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

9. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away.

Introduction

 The original Thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December 1621. The men, women, and children who sailed from Plymouth, England, on board the Mayflower in 1620.

These Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom and opportunity in America, thanked God for His provision: helping them find 20 acres of cleared land, for the absence of hostile Native Americans in the area, for newfound religious freedom, and for providing an interpreter, Squanto, to communicate with the Native Americans. With feasting and games involving the colonists and more than 80 Native Americans who contributed by bringing wild turkeys and venison, prayer, sermons, and songs of praise were important parts of the celebration.

“They blessed God who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean”, William Bradford, Pilgrim Father.

From that time on, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His gracious and sufficient provision. President Abraham Lincoln officially designated the last Thursday of November in 1863 as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent. In 1941, Congress decreed that, after 1941, the fourth Thursday of November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and would be a legal holiday.

Scripturally, we find material related to thanksgiving nearly from cover to cover. Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude in the book of Genesis. The Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were delivered from Pharaoh’s army after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15).  

Later, the Mosaic Laws designated three times each year for the Israelites to gather. All three of these occasions include the Unleavened Bread, also called the Feast of the Passover (Exodus 12:15-20).

Harvest or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21) and the Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36) involved remembering God’s provision and grace.

Harvest and Tabernacles took place specifically in relation to God’s provision in the harvest of various fruit trees and crops.

The book of Psalms is packed full of songs of thanksgiving, both for God’s grace to the Israelite people as a whole through His mighty deeds, as well as for His individual grace to each of us.

Theme: Give Thanks

Today, in the sermon, we will see how Jesus shows us in the Scripture, Mark 8:1-10, where Jesus gives thanks for the seven loaves of bread and the few fish before they are multiplied. We will also demonstrate a spirit of gratitude for what is available, no matter how small it may seem. This act of giving thanks is a crucial step in the miracle, showing that thanks are offered in faith for the blessing to come rather than just in response to it.

Mark accelerates his storytelling in the second account of feeding the multitude, highlighting the similarities between the first instance in Mark 6:30-44 and the second in Mark 8:1-9. We see the account of Jesus feeding the four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fish. The context of this passage is significant as it follows a similar miracle in Mark 6:30-44, where Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish.

In both cases, Jesus shows His divine power and compassion by miraculously multiplying a small amount of food to feed a large crowd. These miracles act as signs of Jesus’ authority and His ability to meet the physical needs of His followers. They also emphasize the importance of trusting in God’s provision and recognizing His abundance even in times of scarcity.

Furthermore, the repetition of such miracles underscores the disciples’ need to trust in Jesus’ ability to provide, even in seemingly impossible situations. It challenges them to rely completely on Him. In everything, give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and not to be consumed by worry or doubt.

Mark included the account of Jesus feeding the four thousand to demonstrate Jesus' compassion and provision for all people, specifically Gentiles, and to highlight the disciples' spiritual blindness and lack of understanding despite having witnessed a similar miracle before.

Essentially, Mark wrote this passage to affirm Jesus’ divine identity and unlimited compassion while challenging his readers and the disciples to trust fully in Jesus' ability to meet their deepest need, both physical and spiritual.

Thanksgiving:

Definition and Significance in the Biblical Context. It is a key theme throughout the Scriptures, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging God’s sovereignty and goodness. Thanksgiving is not only a response to God’s actions but also a reflection of a heart aligned with His will.

Thanksgiving is an essential part of the Christian life because it reflects a heart of gratitude toward God for His blessings and provision. The Bible teaches believers to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and to offer prayers of thanksgiving to God (Philippians 4:6). Thanksgiving is not just a holiday or a display of politeness, but a spiritual discipline that cultivates humility and joy in the believer's relationship with God.

During Thanksgiving, believers acknowledge God’s goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty in their lives, which ultimately deepens their trust and reliance on Him. It honors God and proclaims His greatness to others, serving as a witness to His grace and mercy.

Old Testament Context:

In the Old Testament, thanksgiving was often connected to offerings and sacrifices. The Israelites were asked to bring a gift of thanks to the Lord to show gratitude (Leviticus 7:12-15). The Psalms are full of calls to thank God. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name." This verse emphasizes the importance of thanksgiving in worship and approaching God. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was a time to give thanks for the harvest and God's provision (Leviticus 23:39-43). It served as a reminder of God's faithfulness during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness.

God was with them the whole time, just as He was in the wilderness when He gave them.

The story of Mark 8:1-9 feeding of the 4000, has similarities with the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6:30-44.

Similarities

1. Both miracles involved huge crowds who were hungry.

2. Jesus used a small amount of bread and fish to feed a large crowd.

3. The disciples doubted the Lord’s ability to provide but were also involved in distributing the food.

4. In both miracles, Jesus took the little they had, gave thanks, and multiplied it.

5. The crowds ate and were completely satisfied, leaving a large number of leftovers.

Differences:

1.  The first miracle involved feeding 5,000 compared to 4,000 here

2. The amount of bread is different: five loaves versus seven loaves

3. The leftovers from the first miracle go in 12 small baskets, and in the second, seven large baskets are used

4. There are two Greek words- small baskets kophinos and larger baskets spuris.

5. The first meal came after a day of teaching, and this one follows three days of teaching

6. One prayer in the feeding of 5,000, two prayers in the feeding of 4000.

7. The first miracle took place among Jewish people, and this one happened in the Decapolis, a Gentile community.

Point Number 1.

Giving thanks before the Multiplication

Jesus fed the four thousand, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew 15:32-38 and Mark 8:1-9, to demonstrate His compassion for the people's physical needs and to show His divine power and provision. Just as Jesus had previously fed the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44), He again proved His ability to provide for a large crowd with limited resources. This miracle clearly illustrates God’s care and concern for His people's well-being.

Furthermore, feeding the four thousand also signified Jesus' identity as the Messiah and fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about providing food during the Messianic era (Isaiah 25:6). It pointed to the spiritual nourishment Jesus offers as the Bread of Life in John 6:35 and His ability to meet the deepest needs of humanity.

Ultimately, the feeding of the four thousand demonstrated Jesus' love, power, and provision, emphasizing His role as the Savior who cares for both the physical and spiritual needs of His followers.

Point Number 2.

Gratitude for Limited Resources

The compassionate heart of our Lord Jesus Christ is evident in these words. He shows mercy even to those who are not His people—the faithless, the graceless, the followers of this world. He cares tenderly for them, even though they do not realize it. He died for them, despite their indifference to what He did on the cross. He would graciously accept them and freely forgive them if only they would repent and believe in Him. Let us always be cautious not to judge the love of Christ by any human standards. He has, without doubt, a special love for His own believing people. But He also has a universal love of compassion, even for the ungrateful and the wicked. His love “passed knowledge.” (Ephes. 3:19)

Point Number 3

A Model for Own Lives for Given Thanks

Expressing gratitude should be a constant mindset and habit for a believer, as outlined in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." This verse highlights the importance of gratitude in every situation, whether positive or negative, acknowledging that God is in control and working all things for our good, as stated in Romans 8:28.

Colossians 3:17 reminds us, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”. This verse urges us to make thanksgiving a central part of our daily routines, offering praise and gratitude to God in everything we do.

Therefore, a model for our lives in giving thanks involves cultivating a grateful heart, recognizing God’s goodness and faithfulness in every situation, and showing our thankfulness through prayer, praise, and worship by keeping Him at the center and nurturing a spirit of contentment and joy in our lives.

Personal Experience Share your story.

In my experience, I thank the LORD for waking me up, providing food on the table, and taking care of me, my wife, and my children. I also thank Him for being in His presence.

One Thanksgiving, my family decided to go around the table sharing what we were thankful for. My little cousin, barely old enough to understand, chimed in with, 'I’m thankful for ice cream!' It made us all laugh, but it reminded me that gratitude can start small. Like David in Psalm 136, who thanked God for His goodness in every little detail, we should embrace every reason—big or small—to give thanks, even for ice cream!

Illustration

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Conclusion:

Today, as we give thanks, let us thank God who gave His only Son for us.

The Christian’s pilgrim life is often compared to a path without tracks and untouched land. Throughout this challenging journey, we can hear the gentle words of the Savior, “I have compassion.” He who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” understands all our needs and will not let us grow faint along the way. Just keep following Him, wherever He leads—in the busy city, in the suffering chamber, or in the lonely wilderness—each setting will present its own unique trials and difficulties. But if we stay close to Jesus with faith, each of us will receive a special blessing. The promise is certain; even if it takes time, we must wait because it will surely come. In our darkest moments of loneliness and longing, Jesus assures us, “I have compassion.” How vast that compassion is, and what marvelous things it works for all of us, we will only fully understand when we see our life reflected in God's light. As our Lord once told Peter, “What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.”