Lessons from the Loaves {Mark 8:1-9}

Introduction:

Jesus had great compassion on the Gentiles; and the Jews, including His disciples, just couldn't understand this because they had always been taught that the Gentiles were nothing more than worthless dogs.

This miracle {The Feeding of the 4 Thousand+} mustn't be confused with the former Feeding of the 5 Thousand+ miracle in Mark 6. These are two entirely different feedings. They were to a different crowd and had different purposes. The first crowd had been mostly Jews but this crowed was mostly Gentiles. The first miracle ended with 12 small lunch pails, if you will, of leftovers. This time there was 7 large baskets full of the leftover scraps. 

1.) The Captivated Crowd (v.1)

"In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat..."

These pagan people were so enthralled with Jesus Christ that they came from far away to go see and hear from Him in the wilderness, listening to all He had to say for three days, forgetting their need to eat because they were so drawn to the Son of God.

These are pagans and they are sacrificing their comforts because they are so captivated with Him. We are the children of God, certainly not pagans, and yet how seldom are we so entirely captivated with Christ that we do not think about eating, drinking, and how far we have to travel to hear the Word of God preached!

2.) The Compassion of Christ (v.2)

"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:"

Though this was a crowd of pagans, Christ felt for them and wanted to supply even their simplest need to eat. These were Gentiles who knew little or nothing of His commandments but Christ had compassion deep in His heart for them. This was a lesson for His apostles to not ignore people simply because they are ignorant about the decrees of God. He wanted them to know that mercy, grace, love, and compassion are attributes of Himself that He desires us to imitate.

"He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion." ~Psalm 111:4

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." ~Micah 7:18-19

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23

com-: with, together

-passion: to suffer, feel deeply

So Christ suffers and feels deeply with us! Those that the multitude looked on with pride and disdain, He looked on with humility and felt compassion in His heart.

Our God sees our physical and spiritual weaknesses and He immediately feels for us. That is our God and that should be us towards our brethren: friends and enemies.

3.) The Callused Disciples (v.4)

"And His disciples answered Him, 'From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?'"

Jesus had just recently feed a large crowd miraculously. They had already beheld His power and compassion. And yet they looked right at Him and asked how they could possibly satisfy this crowd's hunger. They should've known that He was willing and able to do what He had already done before. How could they be so blind?! That's a good question. Why are we so blind?! Why do we doubt God even when we have experienced and seen such great displays of His miraculous grace in our own and other's lives?

4.) The Commanding Lord (vs.5-9)

"And He asked them, How many loaves have ye?" And they said, Seven." v.5

a. How many loaves? 

This is almost humorous. It's as if He's saying, "Here we go again...Ok guys, we had 5 loaves last time when I miraculously fed a large crowd, how many do we have this time?" He doesn't need them to tell Him that because He, being omniscient  already knows how many loaves there are. He was only reminding them of how little they had and how powerful He is. Who is sufficient to do such great things? Only Christ.

b. Sit down.

"And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground:..." v.6

The people were to be passive and He would be active. The people were not synergistic partners in this miracle. They were to sit in a submissive position and receive from Christ. 

c. From His hands

"...and He took the seven loaves,..." v.6

Christ asks His disciples to give Him the loaves. Everything must be put into His hands. Nothing will be blessed or increased until it rests in His palms. They have and He took. This is a picture of Christ making us willing in the day of His power to release our grip, give everything to Him and let Him do the rest.

d. He gives thanks.

"...and gave thanks..." v.6

This teaches us that, no matter how small a thing, we should give thanks. It is all of Him and He deserves all our praise and gratitude.

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Better is little with fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith." ~Proverbs 15:16

e. He broke the loaves

"...and brake,..." v.6

He broke once and kept on giving. He did not break these small biscuits into 4 thousand+ little pieces so that each person could have a crumb to put to their tongue. He was creating a feast from nothing. And so it was out of the fullness of Himself that He satisfied them. He is God. Only He can do this. Every person needs a miracle of grace to do away with humanity's greatest common problem: sin. And God is the only way to supply this need and the only One to perform this miracle.

f. Jesus involved the disciples.

"...and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people." v.6

He gave them the job of distributing the results of the miracles from His hands. He could've easily made it fly over to these people or immediately fill their bellies with this bread and fish. But He desired for His disciples to be apart of the delivery. He did not require them to cook or prepare -- He only needed them to deliver what He had already made perfectly. It is not our job to spice up God's message. We should humbly and thankfully give it to hungry souls straight from His hands.

g. They ate and were filled.

"So they did eat, and were filled:" v.8

He gave them a meal that they would never forget. Not necessarily because it  was the most delicious thing they had ever eaten, though it may have been. But because He satisfied their hunger like no one ever had or ever could. We all have a gaping void in our souls and we can attempt to fill it with anything in this world and it will never satisfy. In fact, it will only widen the void. But just a taste of Christ and that void will be filled to overflowing for all eternity!

h. Baskets of leftovers

"...and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets."

Even when we have exhausted ourselves serving the Lord and delivering His message to hungry souls until they are more than satisfied -- there will still be a full storehouse left to give from. We cannot exhaust the goodness of and blessings of God. He will always have baskets full even after the feast.

i. He dismissed the crowd.

"And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away."

This seems like an impossible task to ask a multitude who have just feasted from the hand of the Son of God to leave. But nothing is impossible for Jehovah. With a word, He caused this multitude to obey Him.

Conclusion:

And so they were filled. Christ had felt deeply for their needs and He did not stop until He had perfectly satisfied their needs. 

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:19

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." ~James 1:17

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:8

"Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." ~Hebrews 2:17 

It is one thing to satisfy a crowd's 3 day hunger. It is quite another things to sacrificially atone for the sins of a whole host of sinners. And yet He is all-sufficient for both. Only One can satisfy thousands of hungry stomachs at once and thousands of hungry souls as well. And His name is Jesus Christ. He is the Bread of Life.

~My notes from today's sermon by Bro. Greene~

 --Allix--

Poem about...

Silence.

Not even a pin drop or whisper.

Just a hollow dull hush surrounded by

White walls and empty halls.

It’s deafening itself to not hear a thing,

Not the slightest hum or ring.

No voice to break the nothingness

All is blank and quietness.

My own voice cries out in the midst

But it seems to bounce off the blanks and disappear

As if there was no one to hear

Or worse yet, I fear,

That this silence must mean

He doesn’t care anymore.

But I know that can’t be true

Because He said, “I will never leave you

Or forsake” and that’s a promise

That He did make for times

Like these when everything feels

Empty and deserted.

So since He isn’t answering me

And I know He continues to hear and see

Because He is not indifferent

But compassionate, He must be choosing

To hesitate to teach me

Something large and great.

Dear God, is it the white spaces that

Give the world its meaning? Is that

What I should be gleaning from this test?

Because now that I think about it,

The blank page is what prepares the writer to start

To pour out the feelings caught up in their heart.

And the pauses in a song

Are what takes each note and beat

And turns them into something complete

And we call it music.

Otherwise it would run together

And just be noise to us.

Is that it Jesus?

Do You want me to see

That it is the empty spaces on the wall

That makes those paintings in

The artist’s hall stand out?

For surely if they were all fused into one

It would just be colors and confusion.

Are you silent to let me ponder on

The promises you have already given?

Is that what I’ve been missing and postponing

In the midst of all my whining and moaning

And giving up on You?

Lord, teach me in the silent times,

While I’m surrounded by white blanks,

To pour out my heart in praises,

Gratitude and thanks.

Make my heart stronger,

Deepen my weak faith, lift up my head

And let me feed on more than bread,

Instead let it be all the precious words You have said.

Let me get more out of it than

Assuming Your cruelty or neglect to me.

Try my soul in the fire of

Silence.

©Allix Brunson 8/6/11


This poem was inspired by excerpts from this sermon my pastor preached last Sunday.

I Will Follow

Dear Lord, how I used to wander!

How often I carelessly strayed!

I rambled down Sin’s darkest highways

And took paths You had forbade

But then, oh the Light You shined Lord!

So bright and glorious and true

It lead me out of the Pit of Destruction

Through the Vale of Death it brought me through

You founded my footsteps in Righteousness

You showed me the paths I should take

You promised to walk ahead and behind

Protecting me, whether asleep or awake

Yet still I found myself stumbling

Dazzled by the Worldly Way’s charms

  That’s when You lovingly sheltered me

Carrying me, at times, in Your arms

You knew all along my weak frame, Lord

You knew, by myself I would fall

 And so You watched over me Faithfully

Hearing each pitiful call

The years have taught me to trust you

To follow Your steps that You’ve shown

And it’s when I’ve gone with those footsteps

That I have drastically grown

So here’s my pledge to devotion

To follow wherever You lead

Depending on Your given Guidance

And You supplying my every need

Though they go over mountains or hills

 Or valleys so low and so deep

I will set my eyes on Your footsteps

And Your promises, in my heart, I will keep

©Allix Ryan Brunson

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Power and Pity of Christ {Mark 5:22-43}

Funerals are the most desperate and sobering of all human occasions. 

Death is so final and everyone, to some extent, fears it.

 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

|Hebrews 2:14-15|

My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

|Psalm 55:4-5|

So can anyone overcome death? And, if so, how can we get in on that victory?

"Every religious leader in history has an occupied tomb, except for One. The difference between Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad, and Christ is that Jesus' tomb is empty. He is no longer dead." 

|G.B. Hardy|

 Everyday is a day closer to our death. Are we ready? Do we have a covering for ourselves? Because God dwells in light and He cannot tolerate darkness. 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

|Romans 6:23|

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet, And besought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

|Mark 5:22-23|

We cannot run away from death anymore than Jairus could lock the door of his daughter's bedroom to keep death out. Jairus was doing all he could do to get Jesus to his house as fast as possible. He knew that without Christ's help, death was coming to take his daughter. And yet Jesus is all calmness.

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
|Mark 5:25-34|

He stops, in fact, to heal a woman of a chronic disease all the while knowing that this little girl was dying of an acute illness. If a doctor would have had his priorities in the same order as Jesus, no doubt he would be sued for malpractice! But Jesus is the Son of God and He is the Great Physician. 

God's timing will rarely line up with our schedule and His timing will often confound us. His ways are not our ways. 

Jairus probably was frustrated with Christ because he was having to wait on Him. Yet, the Lord will not be hurried. 

Waiting is the very tool to sanctify us and teach us patience.

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

|Mark 5:35|

These men came and told Jairus four daunting words: 

"Your daughter is dead." 

His thoughts were most likely that of Martha when her brother, Lazarus died: 
"You're just too late, Jesus." 

But Christ Jesus is never too late.

Jesus' response is, "Do not be afraid, just believe." 

More waiting. 

More patience. 

This wan't Jesus being harsh or not having compassion for Jairus. He gave Him these words as a comfort.

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

|Mark 5:36|

"Be not afraid (literally: Stop fearing!) Only believe (literally: Keep believing!) If he believed that Jesus was sufficient when his daughter was dying, Jairus needed to keep believing that Jesus was sufficient even when she was dead. He could not see the solution clearly but that is where trust comes in. 

Trusting that God knows and has control over what is going to happen next in our lives should comfort us even when we don't know or have control. 

When I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

|Psalm 56:3-4|

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

|Isaiah 26:3-4|

Jesus can help when there's only a little hope and He can help when there is 

NO HOPE.

And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn...

|Mark 5:38-40a|

No one can break up a funeral like Jesus because no one can wake up the dead like Jesus can! Because of who Christ is, death does not have the final say. Therefore He can call true death nothing more than sleep. Sleep is a temporary state. And Christ, knowing He was to raise her, called it just sleep, not death. But she really was dead. All the mourners could see that. Only Christ had the power to call it otherwise. 

...She was of the age of twelve years...

|Mark 5:42|

The girl was only 12 years old. This lets us know that no one is too young to die. This means

 no one is too young to be made alive by Christ!!

And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

|Mark 5:41|

 Jesus takes this little girl by the hand and pulls her up out of the greatest and final enemy. If Jesus has you by the hand, He can pull you out of death so gently and easily that it seems like sleep!

And straightway the damsel arose, and walked...And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

|Mark 5:42|

She immediately got up and started walking around. She was fully alive, no longer dead or even sick!

And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

|Mark 5:43|

He exhorts her parents to give her something to eat. He has immeasurable power to defeat and deliver this girl from her biggest problem (death) and also immeasurable compassion for her smallest needs and makes sure she gets something to eat.

So...is there anyone that can overcome death?

Yes.

Christ did so...time and time again. He raised people from the dead and He rose from the dead Himself. 

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible!

|Matthew 19:26|

And since He conquered death, how can we get in on that victory?

Stop fearing. Keep believing.

When He saves us...death is but sleep.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

|2 Timothy 1:7|

 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

|Revelation 1:17-18|

{These are my sermon notes from today's sermon by Bro. John Greene. Check out our church's site on Sermon Audio...this sermon should be posted soon. :)}

Adoption

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. -John 8:44

I was born into this world as the daughter of a father. A father that cared nothing for me but only wished to use me as a weapon against his Enemy. 

And for many years I was that weapon. 

I served my father Satan and ran as far away from God as I could. 

I loved my sin because my father loved his sin.

I disobeyed all of God's commandments and disregarded His holiness. Satan was my haven of rest and it took me many years to notice that my haven was actually a pit. A pit of despair, and wickedness, evil deeds, and misery. When I finally realized I was in that dark pit all alone I felt hopeless. No one would care for a pitiful, abandoned sinner that was left here to be swallowed up by my own transgressions.

But Someone did care.

He cared infinitely more than my first father ever could or would have. He was the Only One able or willing to pull me out of that pit and make me

His own.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
-Romans 5:8

I have a new Father now. The Lord adopted me and now I am a new creature. I have been given a new name and a new heart. He made me His child because He loved me more than the Devil ever did. It is so wonderful to know that my new Father has once and for all conquered my first father.

I was once a child of the Father of Lies.

Now I am a child of the Father of Truth.

My first father is the King of Hell.

My new Father is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and reigns forever in Heaven.

My first father could give me nothing but temptation and doubt.

My new Father has given me His Son, and an incorruptible robe of righteousness!

My first father is the defeated.

My Father is the Conquerer!

My first father only dreams of being as Magnificent, Lovely, and Powerful as my Father is. 

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. -2 Corinthians 5:21

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. -Galatians 3:25-26

As an adopted child I can never be disowned. I have the assurance of an inheritance. I have a family that has the same goal and purpose which is to serve our Father. 

And I have a home. 


The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. -Revelation 3:21

I don't have to worry about that pit anymore. Even when I feel like I'm falling into it again, I realize that it isn't a pit of despair, and wickedness, evil deeds, and misery; its the hollow of my Father's hand where I am forever safe and loved. He will never let me fall.

We are the saints

We are the children

We've been Redeemed

We've been Forgiven

We are the sons and the daughters of our God!

-"Children of God" by Third Day

Thoughts on a Dear Sweet Hymn

Jesus! What a Friend for sinners! 

Jesus! Lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me, 

He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Does it not overwhelm you sometimes (because I know it does me) that Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith and the universe itself, can be a friend to us? A friend is someone we sit next to, talk with, laugh and cry with. Someone we tell all our secrets to and who we want to be near when we're happy or sad. Jesus is a friend to those that love Him and keep His commandments! He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother, that has love for us that is greater than all other love because He laid down His life for us....His friends. When I fully realize the grotesque nature of my sin I feel like Christ's enemy...like I am the farthest thing from His holiness...something so foreign to His nature that all I can do is cower and hide myself from Him. But here is where the beauty of it all begins...He is a friend of sinners. Even when others desert me....people that I think are irreplaceable and unchangeable that would never disappoint me...there He is. He is my dearest friend who truly is, without a doubt, irreplaceable and unchangeable!!

Jesus! What a strength in weakness!

Let me hide myself in Him;

Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,

He, my strength, my victory wins.

How hard we try in this life! It seems, even when everything is easy, there is such struggle attached to every action. We strive to be better, to gain more, to be more like Christ, to stop being like ourselves in our sin nature. But God has not made us perfect for a reason. Because when we are weak, He is strong. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He delights to pick us up when we fall. He rejoices to finish the battle for us when we are battered and bloody. He desires for us to find our all in Him. He wants us to be hopeless so that we can find that He is the only hope for us!

Jesus! What a help in sorrow! 

While the billows over me roll,

Even when my heart is breaking,

He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Another thing this life is full of is heartache. Tears run like rivers and sorrow tugs at our very being half the time. Our darkest hours come when we least expect them and stay much longer than we would like. But it is in these times, when gloom shades us like a large oak tree blocking the sunshine, that Christ comes to give us Light and comfort. God has sent us the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter, but Jesus is the comfort. Nothing can soothe the heart that is broken like He whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. He has gone before us, suffering many things so that He may not encourage us with sympathy only, but instead He may be empathetic. He knows firsthand what we are dealing with. 

Jesus! What a guide and keeper!

While the tempest still is high,

Storms about me, night over takes me,

He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Good times are such a joy to the Christian's heart! One can feel God's love so deeply and warmly and find so many things to be thankful for. Yet, it is in the storms, when His love is needed the most, that His goodness is even deeper and richer than ever before. Knowing that He keeps us and protects us from the storm like a mother hen with her chicks under her wing is such a precious thought! When winds are wailing, lightening clashing, and thunder roaring; our cries for help sometimes are swallowed up and it seems that they are never heard. But we may rest assured and know that Christ, though He may be sleeping down below in the bowels of the boat, has the power to immediately calm the storm in His perfect time. 

Jesus! I do now receive Him,

More than all in Him I find,

He hath granted me forgiveness,

I am His, and He is mine.

Being someone's friend is a great joy and privilege. Having ownership over a person is something infinitely more intimate altogether. When a man and a woman are married, they belong to one another and they become one flesh. So it is with Christ's children. When we receive His forgiveness we become His and He in turn becomes ours. It is so glorious to know that He belongs to us but I find it even more wonderful that I belong to Him. The fact that He has cleansed me so greatly that I am worthy to be owned by Him is overwhelming and unbelievable. And yet I believe it. I believe it with all my heart because it is true. It is the dearest truth that I have ever known and will ever know as long as I shall live on this earth. I cannot say forever because I know that everlasting life with Christ awaits me and I may learn things so much higher and greater that cannot be imagined here on earth. For of course you know, "more than all in Him I find."

Therefore I can say:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Hallelujah! What a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

He is with me to the end.

AMEN.

All italicized text by J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910