2018-07-25 Mark 6 Fishes and loaves.

Mark 6:30–44 CSB

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.” “You give them something to eat,” he responded. They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

I. God provides for all who follow.

(CSB)

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

32 So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, 33 but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.

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

35 When it grew late, his disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”

(CSB)

37 “You give them something to eat,” he responded.

They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

A. God created a world where we would need. He created us a needy beings.

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

35 When it grew late, his disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”

37 “You give them something to eat,” he responded.

They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

Illus: Generally around 30 muscle naturally begins to decay. From that point forward people get weaker and exhaust easier with every year of life.

As I age, every year my body communicates more and more of my limitations.

God designed it that way. God designed our bodies to show us that we are mortal.

One of my favorite pastors calls this ripening for eternity.

He created our bodies to hunger, he created our bodies to be weak.

Often we see our weakness, frailty, and sickness as a means to gripe.

God intends for our weakness to show us our need for him. Hunger should lead us to God. Thirst should lead us to God. Ripening for eternity should lead us to God. Weakness, frailty and sickness should lead us to God.

God created us as needy creatures so that our neediness would lead us to Him.

(CSB)

(CSB)

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

B. God often places us in “impossible” situations so that we would see that He alone the provision of our needs.

37 “You give them something to eat,” he responded.

They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

Illus: When I was in seminary I paid my way by serving as a janitor and serving as a senior adult minister.

My janitor’s wages were around 400 a month and I got paid about 3000 a year to be the senior adult pastor at my church.

My rent was 400, and then life expenses. You can probably figure out that the numbers didn’t add up.

To save money I would often buy a pizza on Saturday, and then cut up the pieces so that It would last me the entire week for meals.

I would get to the end of months many times and worry about how I would make ends meet.

Do you know what would happen. Many times a senior saint would come up to me telling me that God had placed me on their heart. They would hand me a check for EXACTLY what my bills would be that I owed.

I was faithful to where God called me, and God was faithful to provide what I needed.

(CSB)

11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.

II. God is not limited by what we bring.

(CSB)

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 Everyone ate and was satisfied. 43 They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

A. We are completely insufficient in our offering.

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

Illus: Have you ever wondered why the God who owned the cattle on a thousand hills still asks us to give both of ourselves and of our resources?

THat said, one of our daughters overheard our discussions about finances and thought we were in financial distress. She got really worried.

As she heard us speak, she went into her room, emptied out her piggy bank and walked in with the money. She placed about $30 dollars in front of us and said we could use it to help with the bills.

If God could create the world out of nothing, surely he could have created a fried fish plate for 5000 without the little boys food. Right?

Truthfully, those 30 dollars would not have made a dent in our budget. That said, It was all she had. It was the greatest sacrifice she could have made.

I believe he did it for 2 reasons.

1. He wanted the disciples to see their insufficiency.

2. He wanted them to see a picture of what God regularly does through us.

God wants us to see that the power does not belong to us. He wants us to know that we are incapeable. He wants us to see our weakness.

He also takes our obedient weakness and uses it for his glory. We are the child in this passage. We bring the little we have, and God works wonders through us.

The question becomes, are you willing to admit you weakness and are you willing to give the little you have to God.

It was

(CSB) 39 Can you hunt prey for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of young lions 40 when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait within their lairs? 41 Who provides the raven’s food when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

39 Can you hunt prey for a lioness or satisfy the appetite of young lions 40 when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait within their lairs? 41 Who provides the raven’s food when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

or satisfy the appetite of young lions

40 when they crouch in their dens

and lie in wait within their lairs?

41 Who provides the raven’s food

when its young cry out to God

and wander about for lack of food?

(CSB)

The Lord answered Job:

2 Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?

Let him who argues with God give an answer.

3 Then Job answered the Lord:

4 I am so insignificant. How can I answer you?

I place my hand over my mouth.

5 I have spoken once, and I will not reply;

twice, but now I can add nothing.

B. God still asks us to give in an act of faith.

38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 Everyone ate and was satisfied. 43 They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

Illus: A few months back, Jenn and I sat down to look over our books and work through our budget. We are strict budgeters, and it allows us to live on a single income.

THat said, one of our daughters overheard our discussions about finances and thought we were in financial distress. She got really worried.

As she heard us speak, she went into her room, emptied out her piggy bank and walked in with the money. She placed about $30 dollars in front of us and said we could use it to help with the bills.

Truthfully, those 30 dollars would not have made a dent in our budget. That said, It was all she had. It was the greatest sacrifice she could have made.

(CSB) 41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

III. Don’t miss the giver because you are focused on his gifts.

A. The people left completely missing the true treasure.

Illus: There is a rest to this story. God intended for the miracle to magnify Jesus. Instead the people just wanted more food.

Is God the true prize of your life, the joy of your miracles, or is he just the means to an end.

Watch what happens...

John 6:22–27 CSB

The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw there had been only one boat. They also saw that Jesus had not boarded the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone off alone. Some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

(CSB)

60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”,