The Bread and Fish

You know, I don't think I've heard that song before, but that's a really good song. Praise the Lord, our reading is found in Mark, chapter 6. Today, we're going to be taking a look at the miraculous feeding of the 5000 called the, the bread and the fish. And so this is just a warm-up to that that great scene from scripture. Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on an on the Green Grass. And so they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties taking the Five Loaves, and two fishes. And looking up into heaven, he gave thanks and broke the Loaves and then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all, they ate and were satisfied and the disciples picked up 12 basket fools of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was 5,000. So if you can't women and children, it could have been as much as 20,000 people with Five Loaves and two fishes. Miraculous. I don't have any friend requests listed. So let's go to prayer and will ask God to bless the people here in our time. Grace's Father in Heaven, how we thank you that we can gather before you the Mighty God for, that is what you call this 2. And as we grow in our worship of you, we grow in our understanding and knowledge of you as well. And so we praise you for those things, for your, The God Who wants us to know you and a walk with you and may we do. So powerfully, father, we do have requests and one of those great requests for the hearts, in the lives of the people that don't know, you Who are wondering about life and what should happen in Father. The reality is that this is a life that we are given to make a change in our Eternal Destiny. And so we pray for those who don't know you, that they would see that there is a need in their lives and they would take that step that would lead to Eternity and Glory rather than the desperation of Hell. Father, we do pray that you would also be with the needs of the hearts of the people here. For even though they are not express openly, there are deep needs of the heart for each person here and we pray that they would be using them over to you. Trusting that you will be the guy that the director and The Giver of the things that are good for life. Father, is we continue on in this service? We pray for your spirit to be powerfully. Guiding each of our hearts to draw near to you. The Mighty God, help us to worship you and power and strength. Oh, Lord. And we ask all of this. In the name of Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

NFL.

Step. I take, I take in you. You are my way to pick up, Brayden you every step I take. I take in you. You are my way, Jesus.

You make me, take out, take in you. You are my way to Jesus.

OK, Google

Open my eyes. Let me see all you life and with you I am to worship here. I am to say that. You're my God.

So here, I am to worship him to say that you're all together with.

Here, I am to bow down here. I am to say that you're my other lovely all together where the altogether want to see.

All together. While I am loving all together with your all together. Love me all together. All together, one.

Super, super church for you youngsters.

Yes, you may go.

I maybe we don't maybe we need to haul everybody back.

Yeah, when I grab them and bring them back. Sorry.

Yeah, I can't unring the bell. All right, whoa. Thank you, King.

Let's start with a word of Prayer. Our Father in Heaven. How thankful we are that we can come before you, the Mighty God and worship you for a father, that is our future as Believers in Christ, we will worship you for all eternity. Praise Your Name. We thank you for your words, as we go to it. Now that hopefully your word such as each of our hearts, that you're powerful Spirit would be working in Hearts to help us to know you more and draw us closer to you. And father, I pray that your spirit that would humble me that I would be yielded to it and your spirit would have full control to speak powerfully through me for you or the one on the changes hearts and lives. We people are just instruments in your hands. Lita so Lord, in Jesus name, amen.

Well today is about the, the fish, the feeding of the 5000. But it's also a time to look at the priorities of our lives. And what is really important? Then what may be isn't quite as important as we sometimes think it is. So let me tell you a little bit about Mary's in my life and how we kind of moved on and we made priorities in our lives before we got married. And we look to keep those priorities in their Our Lives. As we went along, we both came from Christian homes and we grew up knowing Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. And we had a desire to serve him in our lives and as we talked, before we got married, we said, you know, I think God is going to call us to go as missionaries overseas and As I've mentioned that to marry, she said yes that's one my heart as well. That I feel like God is calling us to be missionaries overseas. And so we got married and we had two children and as time went on, we looked at different opportunities as they came along through life. And we

We started.

Beatings will commence after church. Yeah, we started doing the things that normally happen. I took a job as a teacher at Norwalk High School. Those of you from Southern California, might know that name and Mary had a job at a very prestigious company and we were doing well at our jobs. I had that been at the school for about seven and a half years, I had been nominated for Teacher of the Year three times. I was chosen one time as the teacher of the year for that school district and I had been a coach. I was coaching cross-country and track for both guys and girls. And we had 119 League championships in those seven and a half years. So, we were very Successful in all we were doing, as matter. Fact. Mary was working so. Well, she was making more money than I was, but we still had that heart and desire that priority to serve the Living God. And God came to us at that time. And I revealed a possibility of a position overseas, teaching in a church, in Budapest, in a school, in Budapest, Hungary, and we thought, well, this is a great opportunity. But the thing is that, in meeting that opportunity, we essentially would give up everything that we'd accomplished so far in life, traded it all in and started all over by going to serve the Lord. But what was the priority will? The priority was that we had committed to living life has gotten called us to so rather than stay there and enjoy the show, The Wonder of what we did. We decided to go overseas and I had many teachers that came to me. They said why in the world are you giving up, what you have to do this? And I said, what because it's God's will for our lives. It was a priority for a lot and each of us has to make priorities in our lives. And so we need to be committed to those priorities for the Long Haul. And that's what Jesus was in this episode. It will look at Priorities in this episode. Yes. The feeding of 5000 men and then all those women and children by only Five Loaves and two fishes is a miraculous a count of his power and his strength but it came about because he was willing to commit to the priorities of his life. Okay, well let's start off by reading. In John chapter 6 will read just the first four verses, they're Travelers Jesus and the disciples are Travelers. This begins.

By Jesus traveling on the water because there was a need that he and his disciples had, it says sometime after this, Jesus cross to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is the Sea of tiberias and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs. He had performed by Healing The Sick. And then Jesus went up on a Mountainside, sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. You know what, one of the reasons that Jesus was out there on that Hillside was because there were struggles that we're going on around him, and he needed to get away. And one of those struggles was that they were being pressed continually by the crowds this around. They have seen how he miraculously healed people didn't even raise the dead at this time. And and this is also following the the making of the wine at the wedding feast and so he was being looked after and he knew they needed a break. Also at this time there was a rise in the opposition that are it was getting to wonder about this character that was rising up. The Roman Empire was probably wondering a little About the crowds that we're coming to see this man and what might develop out of that and one last thing was that John the Baptist had been beheaded and so there was a process of morning that was going on. And so, Jesus knew that he needed to get those disciples out of there. And that's what he did Mark 6:31 says, then, because of so many because, so many people were coming at Boeing that he did not even have a chance to eat. He said to them, come with me by yourselves for a quiet place and get some rest. You see, he went off to find this quiet place on the hillside away. So they hop in a boat and they travel by boat thinking the crowds, okay, they're not going to know where we're going, but certainly they watched the direction, he talked, when he left the shore and they were following anyway, a great crowd, comes to him, the perks of persecution that was going on was be Cuz we could see that part because John the Baptist had a huge crowd, it was following him and that. And so he was arrested for those works. And finally beheaded in book, nine nine. But Herod said, I beheaded John, who then is this? I hear such things about any. Tried to see him, okay, wants to observe, what's happening with this guy, you know, he got rid of John, the Baptist he was gone. Well, who's this guy that's coming along? Well, he was John the Baptist cousin and that's why Jesus had to get away and and think about what was happening in his life. They had shown many signs. And you wonder what, what's the difference between a sign and just a miraculous event because Jesus is going around healing hundreds. If not thousands of people from all of their different illnesses, the Bible tells us about this will assign is a demonstration of power that reveals the Living God. And, you know, all the Pharisees were coming to him and think, well, you know, I raised this person from the dead, I healed these people of leprosy. I healed people that were a hurting hurting and broken, I've even know.

I worked the waves from happening on the see, you know, I've done these things. These are signs that reveal to you. Who I am. Why don't you believe the signs that you've already been given? Why do you need more? And that's what signs are for. The first sign, we saw a couple of weeks ago when we took a look at that Jesus making water out of wine, the very first sign. It says, in John 2:11 what Jesus did die here. In Cana of Galilee was the first of signs through which he revealed his glory, is he and the disciples believed in them. It showed his disciples came to believe because of the miraculous events. The signs that he showed to tell them, I am the Messiah. I am the Living God, I've to bring Redemption to the world. And of course, there are feasts in the continual facing. Jesus, went to many of these feasts. There's some, he avoided, but many of them. He went to and John 11:55 when it was almost time for the Jewish Passover. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem for the ceremonial cleansing before the Passover, and John 11 is leading up to that last ass over that he will be in involved in and that Passover is when he was taken and crucified, So we have these events that are that are happening and leading a Jesus along and that's why he is out there on that Hillside. He wants refreshment for his disciples so he takes them out there, they're sitting on the hillside and all of a sudden these giant crowds show up. Okay, the feeding a giant 65211 when Jesus looked up and saw the great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, where should we buy bread for these people do eat. He ask this only to test him for you. Already had in mind, what he was going to do. Feel have answered him, and it would take more than half a Year's wages to buy enough bread. For each one, they have a bite. In other words, he was taking a look at the finances. Why do you want us to go out? It's are working now to buy the bread. No way. We'd have to work too long. And as any way, or another of his disciples Andrew Simon Peter's brother. Spoke up here is a boy with five barley load, small barley Loaves and two fish. But how far will they go among so many? In other words, this is what we've got. This is all. We've got Jesus said, have the people sit down there? Were there was plenty of grass. In that place and they sat down about five thousand men were there. Jesus then took the loaves gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Here's the point. Jesus had priorities, one of the priorities was to get refreshment for the disciples and for himself to have some communion time with them, to teach them about who he was and and what he expected of them as time goes along. And he also wanted a time of refreshment with the Lord where he could spend some time with God. Imagine God, wanting to commune with God, to find strength and power. And so he's out here, but he has another priority that is even greater than those. Think about that. Okay. Sometimes we think there's things in our lives. We just have to do. And God says here. I want you to do this rather than that and we go. What? That seems kind of necessary for my life but there are other things that God says Are more powerful needs in here is Mark going back to Mark, Mark, 6:34 when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them. Okay. He's looking at this crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

I think about that all these people coming they didn't really have a Shepherd, they didn't have somebody that was leading them that was helping to find the ways to truth. You know, and that was a greater need than what he wants to do with his disciples and even with himself he knew that there was a great need here and so he has compassion on them and teaches them and helps them to find the truth that way. But then he reveals himself even greater in through this. Through his work. He actually been what he had planned to do with the disciples anyway, the teaching of them. So he gives this test of the disciples, OK? Google to have them here alone, so I'm going to give them this test. What are we going to do it? We have these 5000 plus people. We have nothing to feed them with or little to feed them with. What are we going to do? And of course, they start thinking the Natural Things, isn't that? What we do when we have to solve a problem in our world? We think okay, well, the natural thing is, I need this and I don't have it. So You know, I'm not going to get this done. Okay. And that's what Phillip responds. Okay, there's no way. Lord, we're not going to feed these people. So send them all home. There's nothing to do, but Andrew come stop. And he says, here's what we've got. Here's what we've got the test. Luke at 9 3. Jesus sending the disciples and the 70 out. He says, he says them, he told them take nothing for the journey. No staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Imagine if God came here today, and he said, I'm going to send you all out to start ministering out in the world here. I don't want you to take anything with you. You just take what you have on your back and go out and go to the different towns in Oregon and tell them about Jesus Christ. But don't take a anything with you not even money. What would you think?

That's what he was asking him to do. Pretty big test ethanate. Yeah. How would we respond? How would we respond? But you know.

When God wants to do something, it's not what we have. It's important. It's what we have that is given to him. That is important. You see, when we give it to him, it makes a difference. When we try to use it for ourselves, it makes no difference. You see those Five Loaves and two fishes didn't make any difference for the disciples. They couldn't do anything with it. They had no power and no strength to be able to do anything different with it.

But they pointed out, they had it and that's what we need to do. We need to point out that this is my life. This is what I have and I give it over to you and you can use whatever way you want to use it.

We have a similar scenario in the Old Testament. Did you realize that Elijah went through this process as well? Back in 2nd Kings 4:34, we have a similar scenario.

And it says in 2nd Kings 4:34, how can I set this before? A hundred men is servant to ask, but Elijah answered give it to the people to eat for. This is what the Lord says, they will eat and have some left over. So even the process, the whole idea was not just there on that amount, but it's kind of taken back to the Old Testament where it happened. Elijah, trusted, God, and God provided. They rely on himself. He relied upon the Living God and, you know, we need to do that in our lives. We need to, as we talked about in Sunday school this morning, step out of the boat and start walking on the water. Can you walk on the water?

But Peter did why? Because he was willing to do what God called him to do and we need to be willing to do that. We need to be willing. But he also wants the disciples to be participants in the activities that he is doing because he is teaching them. He's training them to trust him. And we need that we need to come along with it, and we need to trust him to guide us in the circumstances of our lives. And so, here he is. Matthew 14:14, 19. Jesus is involved in this whole process and he directed the people who sit on the grass, taking the Five Loaves and two fish and looking up into heaven, he gave thanks and broke the Loaves and then he gave them to his disciples. You see, I want you to know that you're involved in this and you're seeing what's going on and how I'm making a difference in life as you trust in me. And they gave it to the people, you know, and we need to want to be participants in ghant activities in this life. You know, it's really easy to come to church and to enjoy the fellowship here and enjoy the word and enjoy rejoicing in him. But there are times when he might ask you to step up your comfort zone and give him more than you, think you can give him because he likes to take you beyond where you are in this life. That's what he did with Mary and I, we gave him all. We had not knowing what would happen while here. 27 years later, I'm standing before you preaching, when I never thought I would be ever be a preacher. That would have never happened except it. God brought me this far in time. Well, that's look at the provider. The last part of it is the provider John 6:12 through fifteen when they had had enough to eat. He said to his disciples gather, the pieces that are left over, let nothing be wasted, and so they gathered them and field twelve baskets with a pieces of five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Now, think about that 12 disciples twelve baskets. You think God wasn't planning things. Okay. Each of you is holding a basket full of Brad. Five Loaves, and two, fishes. And it's full of bread and fish. Think about it. Anyway, continuing on Shirley, this is the proper and all after the people, saw the sign Jesus performed. They begin to say, surely this is a prophet who is to come into the world, Jesus knowing that they intended to come and make him King by force with Drew again, to a mountain.

Jesus is continually revealing himself to the people. He wants them to know who he is, and these people saw who he was, they realized it was a messiah, but they didn't have the whole understanding of scripture. And so they wanted to make him King now and he will be king eventually, but he had to work to do before he became king becomes king, and that work was the Redemption of mankind and he did so at the cross because Jesus knew he had to die, he couldn't be king at that point because he had to die. So that your sins in my sins are covered. So that I can go before the Living God, righteous and pure, because I'm washed clean in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and that couldn't have happened. If he'd have been proclaimed King and taking over the world at that time. You know what every single person on the face of the Earth would have died and gone to hell. Because of work and not been done. We needed that work done.

John 19:25, Jesus is talking with the other people because they're coming to him and they're asking for signs and whatnot. And so he says to them. Jesus answer. I did tell you but you do not believe. Remember this is after he's done all these things that we've looked at the works. I do in my father's name testify about me. Have you not seen me raise the dead? Have you not seen me heal all these people? Did you not see me on the Mountain Feed five thousand men with Five Loaves and two fish. Did you see all these things and yet The people didn't see that, they didn't take recognition is not amazing. Sometimes, we think we know the right way, and we choose our path is not the right path. The only good path is the path that God lays before us. That's the only good one. There has to be an understanding in the understanding comes here in scripture. God gives us the way. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:18, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know, the hope to, which he has called you the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, you know, God wants you to know. He wants you to know, and it's all found here. It's all found as we truly consider the word of God, and all it has to say for our lives. Every single book of this big book is important for us to understand and know Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and know that God has a plan for our lives. That isn't Eternal plan. Assessing

Jesus revealed that he is the prophet to come. Moses, 1500 years before Jesus came on this Earth. Predicted is coming in Deuteronomy 18:15. The Lord your God will raise up for you. A prophet like, me from among you, from your fellow Israelites, you must listen to him and hear Jesus is talking and telling the people listened to me and so many ears are like pain, and they don't hear nothing, but the word is there. The word is there? The kingdom is coming.

And it wasn't ready to establish the kingdom them and that's why I listen to the crowds. He walked away from them will see and other passages next week, as we take a look at the, at the walking on the water next week is the last of the series in this sermon. But Jesus speaking to Pilot at, they're preparing to crucify him and he's asking about his kingdom here and ask him if he's truly a king. And Jesus said to him, my kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. John 1838 scuse me but now my kingdom is from another place. In other words, his kingdom is in glory and that's where he want to bring each and everyone of us. He wants to bring us into that Kingdom. You see, he was fulfilling his priorities. Remember what you had to do? First off, he wanted to teach the disciples, right? Did he teach the disciples in this episode? He certainly did. He showed them. If he wanders didn't they then he sent them off in a boat. It will read about next week.

Did he get refreshment for himself? Yeah, because you sent them away and what he actually did, was he sent them away and then disappeared from the crowd. So they couldn't crown him King, and he went off, and he had for the night in the wilderness all by himself and had time with the Living God. So, he met the left knee to the grave of a loss of a dear cousin, John the Baptist. So I fulfilled all that he needed to do. But he took the priority of meeting the needs of the people, and that's a priority for each and everyone of us. We all have that incredible need in our lives. The need to know Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. It's the difference in your eternity. You have no eternity apart from Jesus Christ at least. No good. Eternity is so pretty bad eternity apart from him. And so the call is always to know Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and that's the priority. And Jesus recognize that is a priority for the people. And so he had compassion on them and he fed them and he spoke with them and tried to show them the pathway that they needed to take. And that's what he does to each. One of us as we search the scriptures during the week as we gather together for Bible studies during the week as would come on Sunday to Fellowship together and to hear is word, we're learning to know Jesus Christ as our companion, who goes through life with us. if he becomes the priority of Our Lives, anyway, remember that as you go through the week that he is a priority we're not going to dismiss right now. I am going to take a few minutes to go change and I'll be right back and we'll get a hold of Daniel and he'll meet me out back here and we'll have a baptismal service. One of those great things that happened in life, you know, this is a commitment by Daniel because he was Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. And he wanted everyone to know that and that's why he came forward and asked me the baptizing and I am so excited for Daniel and for the life he's going to live because he has a heart, a committed hoppert, I just love that. And this is a day of rejoicing for him, so join with us and let's be excited for him and what he's doing. Okay, let's pray. Gracious. Father in Heaven, how we thank you that we can know you the Living God that you love us enough to reveal yourself to us in so many ways. Help us did not have ears that are just Melting and bouncing off but help us they have open ears that are willing to listen to you and to who you are so that you will guide and direct our paths. Thank you for these incredible stories from scripture that help us to know you close to you, may you do so that it do that in our lives as we go along, bless us now, in this time in Jesus name, amen.

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