I can't get no...

I’m going to play an intro to a song, and I want you to tell me what it is. Just shout out when you think you know what it is. Bonus points for the artist.

[Play song]

This was of course the Rolling Stones with their famous double negative song, ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’. And I’m not sure if that means that they can’t get any satisfaction or, due to the double negative, they always get satisfaction.

[Show Intro Slide]

The Rolling Stones couldn’t get satisfaction... and for many people neither can they. It seems that the more we try to get satisfied the more we want. And the more want, the more we get, and the more we get, the less satisfied we become.

It’s like quicksand - the more you try to wriggle free the more you sink.

And so we try and try to get satisfied. We think to ourselves, if only I could have that bigger house, then I’ll be satisfied.

If only I had that better, faster car - THEN I’ll be satisfied.

If only I could have a prettier wife - THEN I’ll be satisfied.

And so society strives for the bigger house, the faster car, the prettier wife…and it turns out that none of that satisfies.

“I thought the bigger house would make me happy and content, but it’s just not right. The living rooms aren’t big enough - the kitchen isn’t right.”

And so we upscale even more, or we knock down the kitchen and do it up again.

Pause

Now there’s nothing WRONG with this. I’m not having a go at moving house or buying cars…but there seems to be something in all of us that looks for satisfaction, and when we try to find satisfaction in the wrong places then we are never satisfied.

For me it’s technology. When I was big into photography, I wanted the bigger and better camera. Every time I went on holiday I was looking at the duty free shops to see what’s available. I used to drive Kate insane - and every time I got a better camera, there was always a BETTER model that I then wanted. I wasn’t satisfied until I got the best camera money could buy at the time when I started to take wedding photos.

And even when i had that, I needed…or so I thought…bigger lenses, faster lenses, better glass, better flash… And it never ended.

Fast forward about 15 years and while I sold that camera when Naomi came along, if I still HAD it, it would now be almost obsolete. Cheap cameras today have a bigger sensor than it. My phone almost has a bigger sensor than that camera (although not as good).

Point is, we strive for satisfaction or contentment and we think it’s within our grasp, but it’s not…at least not if we try to find satisfaction in our STUFF.

And so we are like sheep without a shepherd - running around after what we THINK will feed our desire for satisfaction and it turns out we’re not feeding on lush green grass, but we’re feeding on dust.

Wouldn’t you like to feed off something that actually satisfies? Wouldn’t you like to eat food that sustains and enhances your life rather than feeding of junk food?

Sheep need lush green grass to feed, to be healthy, to be satisfied - not dust…And in 1st Century Judea, dust was all they had for most of the year. Yet around springtime, close to passover, grass started to grow in some areas, and it was a shepherd’s dream - “bring the sheep to the green grass and let them feed. Let them have their fill.”

But sheep need LED to green pastures - what they need, IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE FILLED and satisfied…what they NEED is a shepherd, to lead them to the green pastures and beside the still waters so that they can eat until they’re full and drink until they are satisfied. And we read that earlier from Psalm 23, when we read of the GOOD shepherd, the Lord who is our shepherd…and as verse 1 says, when the LORD is our shepherd we can be satisfied - we want for NOTHING.

Pause

Jesus, in Mark 6 takes his disciples to a desolate place - a wilderness place for rest, but a crowd see where they’re going and run ahead of them. So they don’t get their rest - instead Jesus has compassion on them because they are like sheep without a shepherd.

Mark 6:34 ESV

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

And so Jesus fed them…spiritually - he taught them many things. What those things were, we do not know, but it was food for the soul, I’m sure.

So these people, who are running aimlessly like sheep without a shepherd, eating dust are being led and fed by the GOOD SHEPHERD.

[Jesus leads and feeds]

But because they are human they get hungry. The disciples want to send them away - there’s no need for a miracle here. There are surrounding villages where people can buy food, but that wouldn’t fill them…that wouldn’t SATISFY them - Not like Jesus could.

So what does Jesus do?

He leads them…he leads them like a good shepherd does…he organises them beside the water (cos they went by boat) and he made them sit in groups…where???

On the green grass - in the green pastures... Like a good shepherd would do with his sheep. They are led in the green pasture, beside the water. And after Jesus feeds them they shall not WANT for anything.

This is the Good Shepherd in action right here…The one that David wrote about hundreds of years before.

And he’s about to feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Could this be Elijah - people are asking...

Mark 6:15 ESV

But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

Cos Elijah did something like this where he fed 100 men with 20 loaves of bread.

But this is NOWHERE NEAR that - this makes Elijah’s miracle look like a party-trick. Jesus is NOT Elijah, he’s not just some other prophet - he’s so much greater than Elijah.

So who is he? Of course, this is what Mark is trying to tell his readers.

Pause

And so Jesus takes the bread, he looks up to heaven where his Father is seated, and he gives thanks to the Father - he gives HIM the glory for the provision of bread, he breaks the bread and he gives it to the disciples and has them distribute the bread among the people.

And what happens?

5000 plus people are fed…but not just fed - they are satisfied…and not just satisfied. The Greek word used for satisfied is Choratzo and it means that they were FULL.

It’s the difference between going to Clenaghan’s and going to Cosmo.

For those who don’t know, Clenaghan’s is a fancy restaurant that has just been reopened. It’s on the way to Aghalee - it has amazing food. Or if you haven’t been there, think Wine and Brine in Moira, or anywhere that does really good, but gourmet food.

When you’re at that restaurant, you go home fed…but you’re not generally full. At least not me.

When I see a recipe or a label on a packet that says, ‘serves 2’ I think - that’ll serve 1 of me.

So I’m never full coming back from there - don’t get me wrong, the food is awesome and the tastes are fantastic. I’m fed, but I’m not full - and I couldn’t call myself satisfied…I wouldn’t call myself Choratzo.

But Cosmo, for those who don’t know, is an all-you-can-eat buffet with Chinese, Indian, American, British, Japanese - food from practically all around the world. And you can eat as much as you want…or in my case, I can eat as much as I’m able.

Now, when I go there it is practically sinful, cos I stuff myself…to the point where I’m almost sick…and when I come away from there, I’m not satisfied…I’m FULL - I’m STUFFED TO THE GILLS.

That’s the difference....

When Jesus fed these 5000 people they were Chortazo - they were FULL - FILLED…Satisfied because they could eat NO MORE.

And interestingly, the word Chortazo which means fill, comes from the root word Chortos, which means grass - These sheep without a shepherd had been led and fed of the lushest grass in the world, because Jesus was the one leading and feeding.

Pause

Now, back to Psalm 23...

This is reminiscent of Psalm 23, isn’t it....

Psalm 23:5 NLT

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

With the LORD as my shepherd, I am satisfied - he leads me beside still waters and green pastures where I can have the lushest grass. In fact, he feeds me before my enemies, such is he provision and protection, and he gives me MORE than I need that my cup overflows.

Now, if ANYONE is this good shepherd that David writes about in Psalm 23, it’s JESUS!

Pause

My cup overflows...

Which means that Jesus leads and he feeds, but he also exceeds.

[Jesus leads, feeds and exceeds]

Cos Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd and so he became their shepherd - the GOOD shepherd. He fed them until they were overflowing, but in John’s account Jesus says something that we need hear today.

After Jesus feeds the 5000 he says this...

John 6:35 ESV

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

And he continued...

John 6:49–51 NIV

Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Pause

In the wilderness - in the desolate place, God gave gift-miracles… He performed miracles through Moses as a gift to sustain the Israelites…Remember Moses struck the rock and water poured from it? And God also gave a gift of manna in wilderness - bread from heaven which they ate, but it didn’t give them life.

Now, connect the dots here...

These people are in a desolate place (verse 32) and God is giving a gift to them - he’s feeding them through the 5 loaves and 2 fish - and he’s filling them to bursting with more left over.

“Is Jesus Moses?” people might be thinking…No, Jesus is even greater than Moses.

Because Jesus is better than manna, because when the Israelites ate the manna in the wilderness, they died - it didn’t give them LIFE.

And so the bread that Jesus gives us is different...Jesus is the bread of LIFE - of a different kind of life - an eternal kind of life…and if you feast on him you will have this life and you will be bursting - you won’t just be satisfied, but you CAN BE stuffed to the gills WITH LIFE. Your cup will overflow.

Pause

But in the wilderness all there is is dust. And when we’re striving for that bigger house, better car, prettier wife, what we’re doing is eating dust. We’re like sheep without a shepherd - eating dust thinking that it will satisfy us.

It’s like a scene in the Three Amigos where they are riding in the desert…sun beating down on them…and they’re thirsty. Watch the clip...

[Show clip]

That’s what we’re like without Jesus. That’s what society is like. We are empty, we are thirsty - hungry - longing for something to fill us and bring us satisfaction.

And some people are empty - they’ve nothing. They’ve been brought down due to tragedy or sickness and their water bottle is empty.

It’s like they’ve lost the motivation for living.

And then there’s those people who, like I said earlier are striving for the bigger house, faster car, prettier wife - and they are thirsty and hungry too, but they’re trying to find satisfaction in all the wrong places - they’re eating dust, like Ned in our video.

But What Jesus offers is like what happens to Dusty - the guy at the end. He was thirsty too, but he had water and he drank until he was filled and there was plenty left over...

That’s what Jesus does for us. THAT’S what it means to feed of Jesus - a satisfaction - a FILLING that will never go away…In fact it’s a filling that leads to life.

WHY?

Because when we come to Jesus and place our trust in him we are feeding off the bread of life and Jesus is the life giver - the one who gives LIFE in all abundance - Life to the FULL.

Feed of Jesus - he will satisfy. Nothing else will.

Pause

One last thing before we close...

I said that Jesus leads, feeds and exceeds…but Jesus also bleeds.

[Jesus leads, feeds, exceeds and bleeds]

This event in Mark 6 occurred after the disciples went out and called people to repentance. And more likely than not it is THESE people who recognise them when they try to get away (verse 33) - and it’s THESE people whom Jesus leads and feeds. It’s these people whom Jesus shepherds and feeds - people who have been called to repentance.

Now, we don’t know if they actually repented…but here’s my point...

Last week Paul talked about repentance - about turning away from the old way of life and turning towards a new way of live - a different kind of life - a life that Jesus enables us to have by giving up our own lives and living for him.

But this new way of life is only possible because Jesus gave his life for us when he shed his blood on the cross. And it’s Jesus’ shed blood that purifies us, that cleanses us from our sins.

And when we repent and put our faith and trust in Jesus, he asks us to remember that he shed his blood for us. He asks us to remember that he was broken for us.

And we remember that in the Lord’s Supper.

Pause

Jesus when he fed the 5000, took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples. After which he said, “I am the bread of life,” and that we must feast off him if we want to live a life of abundance - if we want to be SATISFIED.

And at the last supper, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples - see the similarities??? And as he gave them the bread he said, ‘take, eat...this is MY body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

Pause

The feeding of the 5000 came after a call to repentance.

We can only remember Jesus in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper if we have repented.

And so this is a call to everyone who is in a wilderness place - anyone who is in a desolate place in their lives…

it is a call to anyone who isn’t satisfied with life…

it is a call to anyone who is like a sheep without a shepherd...

who is eating dust and they know it, but they’re longing for lush green grass...

REPENT - and turn towards a new kind of life, an eternal kind of life - a life in abundance that starts the minute you turn to Jesus. Give up your old way of living and enter into a new way of living for Jesus.

And then in four weeks, come to the table as we break the bread and we drink the wine and we celebrate what Jesus has done for you - celebrate the Good shepherd...

Who causes you to be satisfied - you shall not want.

who leads you beside still waters, who leads you to green pastures.

Who prepares a feast for you in abundance - your CUP will overflow.

So feed of Jesus, for he is the bread of life.

Be led by Jesus for he is the Good shepherd....he leads his sheep, he feeds his sheep and he will exceed your expectations - all because he bled and died and rose again to give us life in all its fullness.

So...

Come, all who are lost in the wilderness... and be led.

Come all who are thirsty and drink of the living water.

Come all who are hungry and feast on the bread of life.

And...

Psalm 23:6 ESV

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.