Being apart of the miracle

Intro

Dismiss Children

Last Sunday in the gospels, the first 4 books of the New Testament this morning. Beginning next week we will be in Acts and see how the church grew after Jesus’ resurrection.

This morning I want to preach on the thought of being apart of the miracle.

We find ourselves at the final day of Christ’s time on Earth. He is about to ascend into Heaven and before He does, He delivers what has come to be known as the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:16–20 KJV 1900

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:16-20

The word commission means “an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.”

This group of people that Jesus was address was made up of more than just the 11 apostles. We know that by the comment in verse 17 that says “and some doubted.” It’s hard to believe that the apostles who ahve seen and spoke wtih him multiple times would be in that state.

For many, this set of verses is well known to you. To some of you, maybe you have never heard this great commission before. I want to approach this passage today by understanding in the most basic terms what it means, how you and I should be apart of it, and what happens when we are.

First, it means to go tell people about Jesus’ death burial and resurrection so that they may trust in Him to be saved, have them baptized by immersion, and then disciple them by teaching them what it means to live as a Christian.

And the commission is to tell everyone.

That’s a big task. It would be a miracle for everyone to hear the gospel right?

Miracles are what our God does though. The greatest part of being a Christian is getting to be apart of the miracles that God is doing.

I see the great commission as God’s instructions to us on how to be apart of the miracle.

What’s the miracle? Seeing people saved and reconciled back to Him. Will we see everyone do that? no. Did Jesus see everyone do that when He was teaching? No.

How can we be apart of the miracle? that’s where I want to spend our time today. Let’s examine a miracle of Christ that lays out being apart of the miracle.

We are going to go over the feeding of the 5000 in Mark and and see what it is like to be apart of a miracle working God and see how a biblical miracle works: When there is a need, sensed by a few, and each individual understands his or her responsibility and gives his or her all, regardless of the odds, then Jesus works a miracle.

We are going to break it down in sections and extract truth from the passages.

Mark 6:30–36 KJV 1900

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

Mark 6:30-36

PRAY

I. There is a need

In this historical account of Jesus feeding the 5 thousands it starts with Jesus seeing the people in v 34 and being moved with compassion toward them. He saw they were a sheep without a shepherd.

It didn’t start when the people had a physical need. Jesus’ compassion wasn’t moved because they were hungry, it was because they were lost.

According to the most recent demographic data we have on our community 38% do not attend church. another 38% attend infrequently, leaving 24% faithfully apart of a church. Now, with that said, this isn’t saying that 24% are apart of a gospel preaching and evangelistically minded church.

There is 76% of our community that is not faithfully committed to church and I’d be willing to bet an even greater percentage that is not saved but is apart of a tradition based religious system.

Men and women, leaders, I present to you the great need of the hour. The Gospel. People need to know the great Shepherd because they are like lost sheep.

It is this need we exist for as a church. As Christians gathered together we do not exist to promote Liberty Baptist, that is just name. We can serve God with any name.

We do not exist to promote a pastor named Dustin Alley. God can raise up a pastor with any name.

As Christians gathered together we exist to glorify God and proclaim the name above all names, the name that will one day cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He is king of Kings and Lord of Lords, the name of Jesus.

The Son of God gave us a commission to tell people about Him. There is a great need in our community to proclaim the name of Christ.

The need of the people being hungry wasn’t known by all…but sensed by a few

II. Sensed by a few

Notice in

Mark 6:35–36 KJV 1900

35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

Mark 6:35-36

The disciples, 12 men out of 5000, saw the physical need and came to Jesus with a solution. “Send them away”

Great miracles in scripture do not take place because large armies of men came together to accomplish great things. There wasn’t a large revolt or political movement that worked together for the miracle to take place. There were a few people that noticed a need and took it to a great God.

However, their solution was “let them fend for themselves” or “let someone else feed them”

God isn’t interested in our selfish solutions. He is interested in our obedience to His solutions.

His solution to the great need of the hour in Bristol, Connecticut, america, and our world..The Great Commission…telll people about Jesus.

Jesus had to teach them that being apart of a miracle means they understand their individual responsibility..

III. Understand your individual responsibility

Mark 6:37–38 KJV 1900

37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? 38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

Mark 6:37-38

Jesus said …no…you do it.

God isn’t cared about our answers or solutions, He has already prepared those. He is interested in our participation.

This is where the miracle can break down. Does that dimish God’s power…no.

Does that go against His soverignty, no.

I believe in the vision God has given for those of us that gather together here to reach 10% (6000) in our community with the Gospel of Christ.

Has this church ever done that before? no. What does that mean? That means to accomplish something different you have to do things different.

Have you ever been involved with a community of believers that by faith followed God after a miracle sized vision? No? Welcome to the club.

For a God sized miracle to take place, you and I have to understand the role we play. How do we figure that out?

Pray and ask God to reveal how He would have you involved.

Get involved before He answers. In my experience God has answered I have take action steps of faith. You are more likely to find out how you should be serving by serving than not serving.

Then Give it your all.

Because working alongside a miracle working God means

IV. Giving your all regardless of the odds

The disciples were just tasked with feeding 5000 people in a time when doordash and uber werent a thing. There wasn’t a catering service to call.

There was a boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

The boy didn’t need a miracle. Maybe you don’t need a miracle.

You already have what you need. But they don’t.

being apart of the miracle doesn’t mean you are on the receiving it, it more often than not means you are on the giving end.

When the disciples went to the boy and asked him for his lunch I doubt it made sense to him.

Think about it...”Can we have your 5 loaves an 2 fish to feed these 5000 people?”

Following God by faith means believing He can do what He says when you obey. It may sound crazy to believe God can use us to reach 6000 people with the gospel. Almost as crazy as believing God can feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Being a leader and apart of a miracle is often obeying God regardless if you need the miracle or understand how it is going to happen.

God calls us to do amazing things that can scare us and make us afraid of what the journey will be like because we don’t understand it.

We have to trust God to come through, which He always does. We will never learn to trust God if we don’t learn to obey Him.

When we trust Him and we obey Him, then we can see Jesus work the miracle.

V. Then Jesus works the miracle

Mark 6:39–44 KJV 1900

39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 42 And they did all eat, and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. 44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Mark 6:39-44

Jesus worked the miracle. God gets the glory.

While the physical needs of the people were met that day, the disciples recieved a greater blessing.

Their faith was increased and strengthened. Their ability and capacity to follow God increased. Why? Because they trusted God and acted obediently.

What does this mean for us.

The need in Bristol and New England is apparent. People are lost and need Jesus. People are gripped by religion and under bondage to false teachings of tradition. They have no shepherd or a wrong shepherd.

This need is sensed by a few. A few pastors, a few churches, a few Christians. I say a few in respect to the great number that is out there but don’t ever think you or we are alone in our desire to reach the world with the gospel.

You and I have a responsibility in the miracle. Will you participate in the work of the church? Will you fulfill your role even though you don’t know how to yet? Will you say yes by faith and buckle up for the ride..

Will you give it your all? Will you exchange your life for His will? He exchanged His life for yours. Will you give of your time, talent, and ability? Will you lead a ministry? Will you serve others even though they don’t like you and you won’t get recognition? Will you let people slander you and talk about you even though you only want the best for them? Will you be willing to meet new people and welcome them to family when they aren’t the same age as you, make the same money you do, or believing exactly as you believe?

This is the reason we exist…I”m asking you to be apart. Be apart of what God is doing in a great way. Be leader of a ministry. See the needs in the church and stand up to meet them. Don’t wait to be asked.

5. Then let’s see what miracle God will work. For us to reach 10% of our community with the Gospel would be a miracle. God is in the business of miracles and business is good!

Would you pray this next month for God to open your eyes to the part you can play? We need people to serve in children’s ministry, in making the Sunday morning experience welcoming, inviting, and God-honoring. We need people working with computers in the office and managing some things that I’ve previously held too tight to our staff. We need people to take open handed ownership of ministries and loving lead other volunteers in service to our King.

I don’t have much to offer God but neither did that little boy or the disciples. Yet they offered what they had and that’s what I’m asking of those of you here this evening....will you offer what you have to the Lord through the ministry of Liberty Baptist and let’s get ready for a miracle!

Pray

Time of Response

If you are here today and haven’t put your faith in Christ, why not?

John 3:16 KJV 190016 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 19008 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Christians what have you been focused on?

PRAY