Sermon Central
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We Must Rely On God Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Aug 10, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: As Jesus encounters more people one thing becomes perfectly clear: They (and we) must rely fully on Him to provide everything we need. We cannot do it alone, nor should we ever think we can. This is sinful, and where He teaches us to turn from!
We Must Rely on God
Introduction
- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant”
-- Key verse: Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- IMP: What God says to us here is critical application for living for Him
- Encouragement: When we encounter God’s truth, it should cause a change
-- We should feel uncomfortable in some areas of our life
-- Sometimes however, it IS our entire life that needs to change
-- The Gospel is not for the weak at heart, so count it an honor to be included
- Continuing in our study, we see Jesus performing more miracles/healings
-- His approach is direct, but sometimes the “why” is hidden from us
-- Let’s explore these passages and see if we can discover the “why” for ourselves
- Today we will look at three different events that happened as they were traveling
-- APP: They travel intentionally, and they minister to whomever they cross
-- It’s a great encouragement to us to SEEK ways to reach other people
- Read Mark 8:1-13
∆ Point 1 – Feeding another 4,000 (1-13)
- This feeding is different than the first feeding of 5,000
-- Later in v19-20 we see that He mentions the two events so we know this is new
-- We also know that His reaction to them is the same He shows all
-- The bible says, “He has compassion for …” (v2) Jesus looks at us the same
- What I’d like to ensure you see that this is also happening in a diff location
-- The first time was along the Sea of Galilee; this is in the Decapolis area
-- More importantly, the first feeding was primarily Jewish people (Jewish region)
-- Here, Jesus is outside and more than likely there are LOTS of Gentiles here
- Why is this important? Because Jesus is showing that what He offers is for all
-- Continuation of Wed night: See Mark 7:28: He comes for ALL!
- Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
-- The kingdom will be made up of Jews & Gentiles; this is demonstrated here
-- After three days (v3) of travel, Jesus is compassionate on all who are with Him
- What happens here is just like the miracle with the woman in Ch. 7 and her faith
-- IMP: Solidifies that only God can judge who is clean and who is unclean
- Jesus’ asking them to determine the food available is the same as before
-- The total is woefully inadequate, again showing need for Divine intervention
-- APP: In this remote place, where only God can provide … He does!
- After they ate their fill, Jesus continued onward to region of Dalmanutha (v10)
-- And once again … cue the party poopers who wish to cast doubt on Jesus
-- By refusing to see what happened, they turn their back on God and deny Christ
- This becomes clear in v11 where all they want is a sign (prove you are real …)
-- Perhaps they wanted fire from Heaven, or something else, but not Christ
-- It cannot be Him, because He doesn’t fit our mold … therefore He’s a problem
- This is where we need to see ourselves as well. Do we test God on who He is?
-- Do we demand that He prove Himself to us in the face of His righteousness?
- Here’s an opportunity for self-examination …
-- The Pharisees spiritual radar was 100% off-kilter: prayerfully ours is not also
- In v12 Jesus clearly shows His frustration with “this generation’s attitude”
-- Let me see if I can paraphrase this and attempt to show Jesus’ disgust
-- “I am not a magician & I am not here for your amusement or to do parlor tricks”
- TRANS: His departure is clearly a sign of Him dusting off His feet; it’s abrupt
- Read Mark 8:14-21
∆ Point 2 – The Yeast of the Pharisees (14-21)
- As the disciples are leaving, once again, they forget to take food with them
- Yeast was normally a bad thing in the Bible; it leavened (raised) the bread
-- Paul writes in Galatians 5:9, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
-- APP: Once it is inside the dough, it cannot be removed
-- It is an infector of everything it touches and is not to be used
- Why does Jesus talk in this way? Well, look how He says it in v15
