I invite your attention today to Mark’s Gospel chapter 6: 30-44. Mark’s Gospel Chapter 6: 30-44. When you have found it, let me hear you say amen. Let us stand for the reading of the Word of God. While we are standing, let us repeat the affirmation after me: I believe that God is who God’s Word says that He is. I believe that God will do what God’s word says that He will do. I believe that I am who God’s word says that I am. Thy Word O Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Mark’s Gospel chapter 6: 30-44. You may be seated thanks be to the Lord for the reading, hearing and doing of God’s Holy Word.
Mar 6:35 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:
Mar 6:36 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.
Mar 6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.
We would like to speak from the thought today, Jesus is more than enough. Jesus is more than enough. Say that to your neighbors, Jesus is more than enough. How many of you know that Jesus is more than enough. And saints and friends, when we say that Jesus is more than enough we are not just talking more than enough concerning provisions in daily life. When we say that Jesus is more than enough we are not just talking about material and earthly blessings. Jesus is more than earthly blessings. Jesus is more than material blessings. Jesus is more than money prosperity. Jesus is more than property and land assets. Jesus is about things in life that cannot be measured in money value, dollar bills and stocks and bonds. Let me tell your peace in Christ is invaluable. Your joy in Christ is invaluable. Your direction for life in Christ is invaluable. Your purpose, plan and future in Christ is invaluable. You cannot put a dollar figure on it. Your soul inside of you that was created in Christ is invaluable for in Christ and by him and for him all things were created including you and I. And our souls which are eternal are invaluable..you cannot put a dollar figure on it. Yes when we say that Jesus is more than enough we are talking about more than food, more than clothing and more than shelter, more than provisions.
Yes this story right here in our Bibles today is more than Jesus just feeding a group of 5000. This story is more than just about the miracle of feeding the multitudes. You say how do we know this? Well the text says that when Jesus looked upon the multitude Mar 6:34 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. Oh yes no doubt Jesus knew that this people were physically hungry…but he also knew that they were spiritually hungry. Jesus also knew that they werevspiritually lost. Yes they were physically hungry but Jesus also knew that they were spiritually disoriented. What Jesus saw with the all knowing spiritual eye is hey here are some people who are living their day to day lives spiritually distracted, spiritually disoriented…spiritually going in circles, spiritually lost…..and spiritually without a shepherd.
Right now today my friends, people are in the same condition. Yes there are a great many people right now in this hour that are worried about provisions, worried about jobs, worried about the economy, worried about food and clothing and shelter…but what they do not know is that they need to be more worried about their spiritual condition, and status and disposition in this life. How many you know that your spiritual life governs your whole life…it doesn’t matter if you are working on your spiritual life to be holy or unholy…either way…whether holy or unholy, where you are spiritually governs your entire life…your spirit man whether it is the new person in Christ or the old person in the devil…your spiritual man…your spiritual person…your spiritual self governs everything in this life. Your spiritual life determines if you get on track…if you stay on track..and if you complete the track….
Yes sir and Yes maam, Jesus looked upon the people and declared by his actions that they need a shepherd and I have come to be their shepherd and infact the good shepherd. How many of you know that these people had shepherds by name and by title but not by action and direction. How many of you know that these people had shepherds by name and by title but not by action and direction. Well, we know that they did because all over the gospels Jesus has to deal with the current day shepherds who held the name of shepherds and held the title and position of shepherd but they were not true shepherds and they did not lead these people to God. In fact the persons that carried the title of shepherds in those days were the rulers, the priests, the Pharisees and the Saccuceeds. And in one place in Scripture in the Gospels when Jesus was talking about these chief priests and rulers leaders of the religious houses of God of that day…he said the blind lead the blind and all fall in the ditch. Let me tell you it’s not that this multitude did not have persons who had been assigned to lead them and guide them…but even though there were shepherds with titles and positions…they were scattering the people. And right now today we even have church going folk…whom I believe that if Jesus was walking through this city he would have compassion and be moved concerning church going folk who have a shepherd in title and position….and yet Jesus would say…..they are sheep who don’t have a shepherd and they need some teaching, and some reaching. Let me tell you there is so much home wrecking going on in churches now adays unfortunately being pushed by pulpits or ignored at the least because some pastors do not want to be accountable to the word of God. The sheep is being scattered. The sheep is being led astray. The sheep is being deceived. The sheep is being taking advantage of…and God is not pleased. And I believe there is going to be some judgment issued on this matter before Jesus returns. Same thing going on now was going on during Jesus’ time….and in one place in the Gospel Jesus was so put out about how religious leaders of that day was leading people so far from God until he said to them: “Your father is the devil”. And I believe that if Jesus was the on the face of this earth in our cities and others alike today…he would say to some supposedly Christian pastors and church leaders because of the way you live and conduct your lifestyle and things you say and do scattering my sheep….you have made your father to be the devil. If you don’t believe that this is the word of God I invite you to
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Yes sir and Yes Maam, Jesus is more than enough and it’s not just about the food. It’s not just about the clothes but it’s about souls in danger…it’s about hearts that need to be fixed. It’s about minds that need to be made up in Jesus Christ, directed and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Just one other thing we want to say today as we get ready to close out on this text Jesus shows us in this group scriptures that he is Lord over nature. How many of you know that Jesus being Lord over nature is not just about him telling the winds and the waves and the storms to be still. But Jesus being Lord over nature is also about automatically producing without going through the normal process of nature. I mean it was in Jesus in the first place that the whole world, earth, the ground, the sky, grass, the trees, the star and the moon and the sun..it was in Jesus that the whole world was created including humankind…and so Jesus didn’t have to wait for those two fish to come together and produce some eggs and watch the little fishes grow….now….those fish begin to multiply automatically because they had blessed by the hands of the one who created all the fish and all the swimming creatures…not only that..those two pieces of bread were automatically multipled…didn’t need for any wheat seeds to be planted in the field nearby….and wait until a harvest…Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest both spiritually and physical harvest…in fact one place in Bibles say that if God not only withheld the rain, and the wind and the sun..but if God withheld the dew of the morning there would not be any produce…some plants are literally watered by the dew of the morning…not just the rain but the dew of the morning…and Jesus is showing us right here in this story that he is the waymaker…and the origin of all good things…don’t need to wait on time and process…all Jesus has to do in your life and my life is bless it and speak it and watch it come to past sometimes immediately and automatically, just as he did in this story…as soon they gave one piece of fish away more and more begin to multiply…as soon as they gave one piece of bread away, more and more begin to multiply.
Let tell you one other thing about this story….Jesus wants you and to not ignore those who need a shepherd and those who need a blessing…both spiritually and physically. See if we do not watch it, we will ignore the goals, the vision, the tasks that God is putting right in front of us..not because we do not want to do what God has assigned but because we feel like we are not able to do…we have arrived at a place of inability…we do not have the ability to minister in this way.. Is this not the message in this text as well. You see this story is not just about 5000 folk who were hungry and did not have the ability to feed each other all together….but this story is also about some followers of Christ like you and I who wanted to send some people away because of limitations…the disciples said look we are limited Jesus. We cannot help this people. These people are hungry but we can’t do anything to solve their problem…How about sending them on their journeys back home so they can buy food where they live. Sounds like something we would be tempted to do today…We see a need but the need is overwhelming…and you better believe I see some needs all around us and they look overwhelming..I see some young boys who are raising boys and have a father who is still acting like a boy and the need looks overwhelming. I run into married couples on a regular basis even outside of this church and they want to strengthen their marriages and the job looks overwhelming…It almost to the point that you could have a church that all we do year around is strengthen marriages…some churches have gone that route…but the point is the work seems to be overwhelming…same thing for so many single folk who are striving to live a fulfilled life and maximized all they are suppose to be in God and it looks like the ministry to so many single folk could be overwhelming…and you and I are tempted to say to these ministry opportunities and so many other opportunites…ministry for the addicted…ministry for the broken…ministry for the seniors….ministry for little bitty children…..it’s so much, in so little time..but God wants us to know that Jesus is more than enough…that Jesus supercedes our inability with his supernatural capability that he wants to put on the inside of us…notice notice notice…that Jesus did not say…okay disciples I take care of this…this is too much for you…no, no, no, Jesus said you feed them…you give them something to eat…..what Jesus was saying..is that you make the effort to minister unto to them and I will bless your effort…I will multiply your effort…I will strengthen your effort…I will make your effort to minister to become successful. We cannot any longer my friends shrink back from the great mountains of task that are before us we are going to literally have to start taking our little bit and giving it to Jesus and when we do so, Jesus will take our little bit and make it into much. Jesus works beyond our ability. Jesus is the master of assigning things to us that we cannot do because Jesus wants us to learn that he has come to do the work through us. Jesus wants us to learn how to lean on him. Jesus wants us to learn how to trust in him. Jesus wants us to learn how to rely on him. Jesus wants us to learn that he wants to glorify himself through us. And Jesus assigns us a task that only he can do through us not something that we can jump up and do and say I did this myself….let me tell you Jesus wants you and I to be involved in ministry that is beyond our limitations because it’s not about our limitations…it’s about Jesus unlimited, unlimited, unmeasured, beyond comprehension ability to move in our lives personally, in our families and in the church. Jesus is more than enough.
