Jesus Teaches And Heals

Todays sermon takes a look at Mark chapter 6 verses: 30-34; and Mark Chapter 6 verses: 53-56.

We will begin by looking at how Jesus talks about resting and getting rest from the crowd.

We read in Mark chapter 6 verse 30 that the Apostles had been sent out by twos and they returned to tell Jesus all they had preformed miracles and taught.

The primary mission of the apostles was teaching. They were called apostles and we have the idea that after the last of the 12 apostles died there were no more apostles. What does the word apostles mean? It means, “one sent forth.” Who are the apostles today? We are!

Brian Stoffgren writes, “Apostle is not primarily a technical term…but a descriptive term. It is related to the verb, apostello, which means to send out with a message…As a descriptive term it is one that applies to us. Like the first twelve, we are also ones who are sent out with a message. It is not an activity or title that is limited to the first twelve disciples.”

We are apostles!!!

Isn’t that kind of cool? You come to church as a normal person, and you leave as an apostle. What a deal. Amen!

But we are sent to reach people for Jesus Christ and Jesus has sent us to this place and time to reach people for Him.

A man approached Horace Greeley one day to ask for a donation for foreign missions. Greeley turned him down but the man continued his plea and Greeley again said “no”. Finally the unfortunate one said: "Why, Mr. Greeley, wouldn’t you give $10 to save an immortal soul from going to hell?" "No," shouted Greeley, "not half enough people go to hell now!"

Unfortunally that is the attitued of many churches. They don’t care about the community around them. It is more important the type of worship they have and the theology than reaching the lost. And the mission of the Church is still the same as it was 2000 years ago. To make Christ known so that people do not perrish. That is the pourpose of the church, that is our mission.

Our mission = here & now!

Next we look at verses 31 – 33. “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

The people ran, they ran ahead to get to where Jesus was going to be. They realized that there was something special about this man.

In ministry there are many times when we say, “Give me a break.” And for those of us who were working Vacation Bible School this week, Give me a break, Lord, was a common prayer.

What can we expect from God?

1. To be used.

2. To be hounded by people until we are tired.

3. To be revived and used again.

When we pray to the Lord and say, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Guess what? He sends us.

I had an incident yesterday and yesterday was my day off. In the afternoon after I had finished a couple of chores I got a call from my son and his van had broken down and he had a trencher that he had to return and called me and wanted me to get the van squared away and the trencher returned. And I was angry and I really didn’t act the way I should have, and I’m sorry for that. There are times when God uses us and there are times when we want a break. But we can’t let the here and now get in the way. When we are tired Christ is going to use us and we have to be open to that. Amen?

Maybe some of you are feeling the way I was feeling yesterday, burtned out burned up and overwhelmed. Well turn to Jesus.

Former professional American football player and now Coach of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League Tony Dungy’s 18-year-old son James died of an apparent suicide. Many newspapers and magazines wrote about Dungy’s courage and strength in the wake of his son’s death. Dungy stated in a post-practice interview, "My faith in Christ is what’s gotten me through this."

TURN TO JESUS TODAY!

We look at verse 34. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”