Taking a Bite Out of Hunger

TEXT: Matthew 15:29-39

TOPIC: Taking a Bite Out of Hunger

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Sunday morning, August 28, 2022

Global Hunger Emphasis (This is the 3rd time I have used this sermon at Northgate)

We live in a hungry Global.

· As many as 1.5 billion people live in absolute poverty, one of 6 people, 8 billion in the world today

· 100 million people are homeless

· 852 million people across the world are hungry.

· Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes – 1 child every 5 seconds

· 15 million, approximately 20% of children in the U.S. live in poverty.

(Continue to share hunger-related statistics from the PPT)

For those of us who have rarely, if ever experience hunger pangs, statistics such as these can be shocking. We might wonder what we can do as Christians to help alleviate such hunger problems. May I say to you today that all we need do is that which our Lord Jesus Christ did when he walked upon this earth?

In the Gospel according to Matthew, in the 15th chapter we have a typical account of our Lord’s daily ministry. First, He performs miracle after miracle healing those with physical diseases. Then He performs one of His most amazing miracles when he multiplies the loaves and fishes feeding the four thousand. This miracle of feeding the multitudes is captured in all four Gospel records, the only miracle Jesus performed to be recorded in all four Gospels.

Matthew 15:29-39

29 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” 34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” 35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

I. OUR LORD JESUS IS MOVED OVER THE NEEDS OF THE HUNGRY, 15:32

32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

“Compassion” - to be moved in one’s bowels, the seat of one’s emotions, (i.e. love & pity)

II. OUR LORD JESUS IS CAPABLE OF FEEDING THE HUNGRY, 15:33-34

33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” 34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

A. The disciples’ question reveals their inability

B. Jesus’ question always reveals His information

III. OUR LORD JESUS WORKS THROUGH US TO FEED THE HUNGRY, 15:35-36

35So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke themand gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

So what are Southern Baptists doing to take a bite out of hunger?

100% of Southern Baptist gifts goes to Global Hunger offering 50% to International Hunger Needs 25% to Domestic Hunger Needs thru NAMB 25% Remains in South Carolina Over $1 million in domestic hunger funds was distributed to 1,800 hunger ministries in the U.S. last year. Over 7.2 million meals were fed to the hungry in the U.S. There were 2,772 professions of faith in the U.S. through hunger relief efforts of Southern Baptists. In SC, 62,315 were fed In SC, 22,560 households were served

And here at home, I want to use one-half of our total offering received for Global Hunger Relief to help support an amazing organization here in Florence. It’s called the “My Brother’s Keeper Shelter” or MBK.

(Read a portion of the letter I received in July from MBK and close in prayer.)