Hunger For God Acted Upon

Loaves and Fish… A familiar story, where do you see yourself in it? Bumper Sticker: ‘Do you follow Jesus this close?’

In our passage today about 7000 people followed Jesus. Not figuratively but literally followed Him around a lake, for miles over rough terrain because they were spiritually hungry…and they found the bread of life!

We are going to see faith in action. What they believed about Jesus was drove their feet and calmed their doubts. We’re going to see honest, active faith rewarded; spiritually, physically & emotionally! We’re going to see how true pursuit of God, AKA Jesus Christ, puts you in places… (deserted places) where you will see God do miracles and it will grow your faith and your depth of relationship with Our Lord.

Two weeks ago Jesus The Christ sent out the 12 ‘Disciples’ that He called to be His 1^st :And He called to Himself the twelve and began to send them out two by two… ~ Mark 6:7a (MOUNCE)

While the disciples were sent to proclaim that people should repent (The message of John the Baptist) We have the story that was our text from last week… The story of a leader (Herod Antipas) who was so corrupted by the evil he surrounded himself with that on a vow he had someone killed… someone he ‘feared’ because he knew he was a holy and righteous man… John the Baptist was indeed what Herod Antipas believed he was: set apart for God and great in the Kingdom, as declared by our Lord Himself! And then the disciples return…

Mark 6:30-44 (MOUNCE)

30 The apostles rejoined Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to some deserted place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they did not even have a time to eat.

• Jesus knew what they did and knew they needed to be ‘refreshed’
• Jesus models and recommends this approach to intense ministry
• The idea of work then rest is behind creation & the sabbath
• ‘Go to the Father for more bread to share’

32 So they left in a boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Many people saw them leaving recognized them, and hurried together on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them.

• It makes sense Jesus was near Capernaum waiting for the twelve to return
• The closest ‘deserted place’ was due east across the sea of Galilee
• People who wanted to follow Jesus trekked along the top part of the lake
• Their faith was so intense they got to the deserted place before JC & the 12
• Hunger!

34 When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw the large crowd, and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

• He didn’t see the crowd until He exited the boat, perhaps Jesus was napping..
• Christ could sense their spiritual hunger, they were desperate for God
• Christ knew they needed guidance to add to their desire
• To guide them He teaches them how to think different (Romans 12:2)

35 As the hour grew late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place and the hour is already late. 36 Send them away so they can go into the surrounding hamlets and villages and buy for themselves something to eat.”

• The disciples say, since you went too long teaching, here is what you should do
• It is crazy how the disciple are telling Jesus how it should go…
• ‘Ok Jesus here is what we think you should do…’
• Did they forget the demonstrations of power over the natural & spiritual realms?

37 But He answered them, saying, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out they said, “Five and two fish.”

• Jesus is like; ‘You want to be in charge, you give them something to eat’
• Jesus had fed them what they really needed all afternoon: ‘The Bread of Life’
• The Words of Christ are a precious gift, might we appreciate them!
• He basically was challenging them to share what they had
• Did they have bread to share? Didn’t they realize they were with the supply?
• They asked it they should empty the treasury to feed everyone they could?
• Jesus was like: What have you got? (they seem to have brought a meal for 12)

39 Then He ordered them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass . 40 So they sat down in orderly groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples so they could distribute them. And He divided the two fish among them all.

• He gets the supply info and go right to organizing the meal
• He takes what was shared and blessed it…and then He broke them
• Miraculous things happen when Christ breaks bread!
  • Last Supper
  • Road to Emmaus
• He was showing them the power was from above / heaven
• The Disciples reward: They got to be the hands and feet of the miracle!

42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 Then they picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and what was left of the fish. 44 And those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

• They didn’t need a basket to carry what they started with…now they need 12!!!
• The whole crowd that walked about 5 miles, everyone ate and was satisfied
• It turned out that the Disciples had bread to share…even bread to spare!
• They had the unlimited resources of the God of the Universe
• Faith of thousands & faith of the 12 allowed them to experience God’s provision

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be fully satisfied.” ~ Jesus @ Matthew 5:6 (MOUNCE)

Have you ever experienced a miracle that was undisputedly the hand of God?

Have you ever tried telling God what to do, but then a Word from Him changed you?

Have you ever hungered to be in God’s presence like those people?

Have you recognized YOU need to get away with God regularly if you want to serve Him and see Him move?

How many of those people who were there that day were eternally changed?

5 NUGGETS:

Jesus Christ’s way of doing The Fathers will and work was to regularly get alone with Our Father. He needed to recharge, process, listen & rest (spiritually, physically & emotionally).

Hunger for God makes followers do things that are out of the ordinary. Faith that honors God results in action. True faith is action not words, this is a consistent theme of OT & NT Scriptures.

Those who hunger for God need the teaching of Jesus like sheep need a shepherd. We all need our daily bread. Christ provides in both ways.

Following Christ by faith, not sight, puts you in places where your spiritual, physical and emotional needs are met by Christ.

Mature disciples & apostles give what they have to Christ’s work and trust it will be more than enough. Having experienced Christ, they trust He knows how to use them.

APPLICATION TRUTH OR DARE

2 TRUTHS: Ask a person you trust to honestly evaluate your level of spiritual hunger.

Identify one thing you have been telling Jesus how things should go and instead listen to what He says.

2 DARES: Schedule an ‘A Time Away With Jesus’. Plan it before you go to bed tonight.

Go out of your way to listen to Jesus’ teachings this week: (past sermons / podcasts)