OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS (Outline)
August 8, 2010 -
Pentecost 11 -
MATTHEW 14:13-21
INTRO: Everyone likes to get gifts. It rarely makes any difference at all if the gifts are big or small, ex-pensive or simple. Gifts come from people who care for us. Family and friends honor us with gifts that we often do not expect. Gifts are given out of love for those whom are loved. Our heavenly Father is no different except for the fact that He is perfect. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (JAMES 1:17). Our gracious God makes promises and keeps his promises. Our gracious God gives gifts: gifts we do not deserve, cannot earn, or buy. The good gifts of God are great gifts because they provide all that we need.
OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS:
I. with compassion, II. more than enough.
I. OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS WITH COMPASSION
A. Verse 13a. Jesus was told the news about the death of his cousin, John the Baptist.
1. John the Baptist was the way preparer for Jesus. Herod beheaded John (verses 6-12).
2. Jesus wanted time alone with his disciples. They needed to learn of the wisdom of God.
B. Verse 13b. The crowds believed because of Jesus’ parables (seed, sower, weeds, wheat, pearl, net).
1. The crowds also wanted to learn more. Jesus and his disciples would not be alone.
2. Verse 14. Though physically exhausted Jesus still takes time for the people. Compassion.
C. Verse 15. The disciples are very practical. They know the people will soon be hungry. “Send away.”
1. The disciples also tried to send away people bringing children to Jesus.
2. Jesus reminded them that a child-like faith was needed to enter God’s kingdom.
3. When Jesus set out to be crucified the disciples tried to stop. They thought like men, not God.
D. All too often we are not very different from the disciples. Our thinking is very practical and just maybe not as spiritual as it ought to be. We live in a time when every option for every decision can be programmed and calculated. Rational reasoning rules rather than faith filled confidence. A disturbing fad (at least to me) is the “What would Jesus do?” bracelets. Really!?! It is very difficult if not impossible (personally speaking) for me to think that I would really know what Jesus would do. Can we really, ever actually say that we know the mind of God? Such thinking seems to be very arrogant. "’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’" (ISAIAH 55:8,9). On the cross Jesus died for the sins of the world. This is foolishness to unbelievers.
E. With divine compassion our gracious God gives good gifts. One gift of God to believers is the fact that our Father reminds us constantly of his mercy, love, and forgiveness. Day in and day out, year after year, and generation upon generation the Lord God Almighty has not once forsaken his children. In his great love our gracious God reminds each one of us of his divine compassion. "And the LORD said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion’" (EXODUS 33:19). The Lord God Almighty reminded Moses of his compassion for his people. Each day God’s great goodness passes in front of us in order for us to rediscover his great mercy.
F. One key in our Christian life is not being so arrogant as to think we can always know what Jesus would do. But the key in experiencing God’s compassion is to know WHAT Jesus DID! Jesus lived on this earth. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and the sins of the world. Jesus rose again to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life. What great comfort this is for us in this wicked world of sin and suffering. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 COR. 1:3,4). Jesus saves us that we may comfort others.
OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS freely with divine compassion, love, and mercy.
II. OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS THAT ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH
A. Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd are in a desolate are on the Sea of Galilee. Darkness approaches.
1. Jesus is busy healing. Jesus is showing compassion that the disciples may learn of mercy.
2. The disciples want the crowd to leave and find food. Verse 16, Jesus has other plans.
3. Verse 17. Jesus asks them to provide. Five loaves and two fish seemed too little for everyone.
B. Verse 18. Boldly and confidently Jesus trusts his heavenly Father to be able to provide. Jesus knows!
1. V. 19a. Mark says they sat down in groups of 50s and 100s. Moses did the same in Exodus.
2. Verse 19b. Jesus thanks his Father for what they have not what is lacking. Thankfulness.
3. Verse 19c. The distribution begins. Jesus blesses and gives to the disciples to give to others.
C. Verse 20. All were completely satisfied. They all ate until filled. Still there were leftovers.
1. The disciples gathered up 12 basketfuls. There would be plenty for tomorrow. Miraculous.
2. Verse 21. The crowd numbered more than 5,000. God gives good gifts – more than enough.
D. Notice the actions of Jesus in what seemed to be hopeless. At least this is what the disciples were thinking. “Send the crowd away”; “we have only five loaves…” How often do we throw our hands up in moments of frustration or feelings of hopelessness? Notice the calm confidence of Jesus. Jesus is our ultimate example of Christian living. Our gracious God invites us to come to Him at any time in any place for any reason. We can always approach God’s throne boldly and confidently. Never, ever come near with fear or doubt. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (HEB. 4:16). God invites, hears, and answers.
E. Our gracious God gives more than enough gifts for every one of us to enjoy a comfortable life of rel-ative ease. Such is the compassion of our loving Lord. More than that our gracious God gives us gifts that truly, really matter. The precious blood of Christ saves us. God freely gives forgiveness to us poor, miserable sinners. Why does our God forgive us? Is it because we are so good? Do we earn God’s mer-cy? Hardly. God’s forgiveness is a gift. It is undeserved, unearned, and freely given.
"Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy" (MICAH 7:18). This is what Jesus does. Mercy is not always what man thinks. Rejoice that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
F. We would like to think like God. We want to live Christ-like lives. On this side of heaven we are still connected to our sinful nature. How can and do we learn to appreciate the gracious and good and great gifts of our loving Lord? We stay close to our heavenly Father by hearing, reading, and studying the very living and active word of God. "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (COLOSSIANS 2:6,7). Thankfulness helps us to focus on all things good from God.
CONC: OUR GRACIOUS GOD GIVES GOOD (GREAT) GIFTS. Our gracious God gives us good and great gifts out of compassion for us poor, miserable sinners. Our gracious God gives good and great gifts that are more than enough for this life and for eternity. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (EPHESIANS 3:20,21). Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENT. 11 rdgs:
ECCLESIASTES 2:1; 2:18-26;
COLOSSIANS 3:1-11;
LUKE 12:13-21;
(PSALM 34)
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