Here We Go Again

Mark (NLT) — 1 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” 5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” “Seven loaves,” they replied. 6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7 A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 9 There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. 10 Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

MAIN POINT- The greatest acts of God’s provision will be seen in your greatest times of hunger and need - not just once but over and over.

I want to draw out to you tonight this phrase we read in verse one… “again”

POINT- God’s provision is not a get out of jail free card, it is a keep you out of jail free card.

DEFINE- This word again is the greek word palin it means once more, it means like it use to be.

KEY- The enemy can use this word again to try to torment you.

again you struggled.

again you didn’t have enough.

again you failed.

again you ran out.

again you couldn’t

KEY- But God uses this word again to remind us of this simple fact… God is infinite.

KEY POINT- God in his very being is the essence of the greek word palin; once again.

Again God supplied

Again God restored

Again God healed

Again God put it back together again

I want to shed some new light on this word again…

Some of you have been in your struggle and you have said here we go ____again. Someone is going to learn to say that phrase with joy busting forth from the depths of your heart. HERE WE GO AGAIN.

QUESTION- Before we get too deep into this message we need to ask ourselves, why? Why were these people out in the wilderness? Why did they run out?

(NLT) — 1 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them,

POINT- The hungry people went where Jesus was.

Is there anyone in this house tonight that is so hungry for more of God that you would be willing to move wherever he leads even if it means entering a place that is not comfortable… a place that appears barren… a place that hurts… a place that seems broken…

I would rather pastor 10 desperate for God teenagers than a whole auditorium of fake hype.

(NLT) — 4 His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

DEFINE- The greek word for wilderness is this word “eremia” which means an uninhabitable, uncultivated wilderness. It means desolate, abandoned, lonely place.

I want you to look closely at verse 1… And the people ran out…

POINT- It takes you running out to expereince God’s provision running in.

KEY- If God could accomplish his plans with your strength alone it would be natural not supernatural.

KEY- If God could accomplish his plans with your strength we would not need God, we would be our own Gods.

MAIN POINT- The greatest acts of God’s provision will be seen in your greatest times of hunger and need - not just once but over and over.

Mark chapter 8 demonstrates to us the “here we go again” nature of God’s awesome power.

1. Here we go again - For You.

KEY- When the bible says, “once again the people ran out of food.” That statement in the context of the bible was not about the people… It was about Jesus.

KEY- These were not the same people from the previous time Jesus fed the crowd.

KEY- If you read the previous chapter you will learn that Jesus was in the region of Decapolis a region occupied by the gentiles. The first time Jesus feeds the multitude it was in a region near Jerusalem which was occupied by the Jews.

If you were not a Jew (One of God’s chosen people) then you were a Gentile, you were considered to be lesser - It didn’t matter how well you kept the law, it didn’t matter how hard you worked you were not a Jew.

ILLUSTRATION- Trying to build the best pine wood derby car

POINT- God’s power and provision isn’t just for the religious. It’s for the hungry! Its for those who follow Christ even into the wilderness.

I know I am talking to someone here tonight and you have seen everyone else get fed, be filled, see their miracle and you have wondered to yourself… Is this for me?

POINT- It is all about Jesus who gave everything for me.

(NLT) — 7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

CHALLENGE- Start finding yourself in God’s word.

2. Here we go again - What I have (God’s provision can work with whatever you have)

(NLT) — 6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7 A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.

QUESTION- Why did he bless the bread and the fish separately???

POINT- The fish were not blessed originally likely because they were never put into the hands of Jesus until someone saw what he did with the bread.

KEY POINT- Only what is in Jesus’s hands can be blessed.

Some of you are sitting in this place and you have been in a position this week when you said, “Here we go again” What I have is not enough… PUT IT IN GOD’S HANDS

(NLT) — 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

3. Here we go again - Where I am (God’s provision meets me where I need it.)

(NLT) — 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.

(NLT) — 6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.

DEFINE- This word ground means dust of the earth understood as the land where people walk.

(NLT) — 39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

I want to contrast these 2 verses for just a moment…

The first time Jesus does a mass feeding miracle he does it in the wilderness but yet some how there was green grass for everyone to sit on, not burned, not dead, not hay, green grass…

Now he tells everyone, sit in the dust…

In the first miracle the disciples said we don’t have enough money to buy the food in the second they say we don’t even have anything to start with…

(In reference to the first point) Some people say I know God can do it for others, but can he do it for me.... But there are some people who say God did it in that scenario but my scenario is different…

QUESTION- Why would Jesus have them sit in the dust???

POINT- Location matters, not as far as your miracle is concerned but as far as your understanding of the miracle is.

You see I know God to invite my enemies to my feast, David wrote…

(NLT) — 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies…

(NLT) — 8 They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.

Some of you need to get ready, cause you are going to eat up God’s goodness is the presence of your enemies…

In the presence of that anxiety

In the presence of that depression

In the presence of that loneliness

Those who are hungry sit down where you are - even in the dust and watch your feast come out to you…

POINT- I am thankful for the miracles in the grass, but I’m even more thankful for the miracle in the dust. In both I get what I need, but its in the dust I see an even greater demonstration of God’s power!

Conclusion…

Some of you feel that you are here again…

You think I’ve been over this over and over and over again…

KEY POINT- Because God is infinite he has no problem with here again.

MAIN POINT- The greatest acts of God’s provision will be seen in your greatest times of hunger and need - not just once but over and over.