To Be, or Not To Be? pt 4
Notes
Transcript
Prayer:
Prayer:
God, show me the way to the cross.
It is still hard to understand why the Son of God would let mortal men condemn Him to such a horrible death. What love you demonstrated in that act!
Show me how to demonstrate that same love to the world’s needy. Give me your power…to do your work…as I set out on your mission.
Help me to understand who you are. Help me to be and do what you want me to do. Give me eyes to see the world…to see people…as you see them.
I will take up my cross and follow you…even into death. Amen.
“To Be, or Not To Be?”
To commit to Christ, or to Commit to the world?
MP — Commitment to Christ is more than simply “believing” in Jesus, it is faith that leads us to a life that astounds normal human life, and leads us to the lowest places, for the Glory of God.
When C.S. Lewis returned from London to Oxford, where he had just married Joy Gresham, an American woman who was dying of cancer, he was met by Harry Harrington, an episcopal priest, who asked him what news there is. After a short hesitation, Lewis decided to speak of the marriage and not the cancer. He says, “Ah, good news, I think, Harry. Yes, good news.”
Harrington, not aware of the marriage and thinking that Lewis is referring to Joy’s medical situation, replied, “I know how hard you’ve been praying…Now, God is answering your prayer.”
“That’s not why I pray, Harry,” Lewis responded. “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God; it changes me.”
C.S. Lewis was speaking about prayer, but… he understood something that we need to understand.
— A commitment to Christ — to the Cross — changes us.... True change…experiencing Christ’s Power and Authority in our lives requires a commitment to the Cross… to Faith!
— which brings with it a commitment to caring for those in need....
Look at —
On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida.
This begins one of the most well known passages — miracles — of Jesus..... Jesus knows of John the Baptists death.... He knows what the people are saying about Him.... He knows Herod wants to see Him.... He is caring for the people.... ministering to them.... Healing and teaching..... And in the midst of all this, the Disciples return from their “mission” trip.....
They are tired..... possibly hungry.... but excited!!!! They can’t wait to tell Jesus all that they have done!
How many of y’all have been on a mission trip? How was it? How’d you feel when you got home? Excited? Tired? Ready to share the excitement of what you had experienced?!
That’s how the disciples were....
But Jesus knew that they needed rest....and time to process and talk about what they had experienced.....
Mark 6 tells us that Jesus said to them, “Come on, let’s go some place quiet so you can get some rest....”
Let me tell you — Jesus knows when we need rest.
So, they withdraw from the crowd, they get in a boat, and cross the sea to Bethsaida… But the crowd was having none of that!
When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
Can I tell you this? Jesus will never tell you He doesn’t have time! That He is “resting”.... That it is His Sabbath!!!
When we come to Him, He makes time!!!!
He was trying to give the disciples rest…to get some rest....to take a break from the busyness of ministering to the people, but… when the crowds came, He didn’t hesitate!
As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.”
This is kind of a funny thing! The disciples come to Jesus....after their journey....after another long day of ministry…after everything...... AND GIVE HIM ADVICE!!!
You see! They saw a need....and they had a plan!
Look at Jesus’s response:
But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”
I love it!!!! They come to Him, they have noticed a problem — a need in the people — and they do not have the physical means to fill it.... So they make a plan!
But Jesus tells them, “You take care of it!”
Think about that — You do not have enough food to feed everybody.... I mean we are talking about 5,000 men (plus women and children)! The disciples even confess that it would take “a full years wages” to feed them, but Jesus tells you to feed them!
What would you do?
This has led many to say that Jesus gave them an “impossible command”..... Do you agree?
Let me tell you — He did not! It is not an impossible command!
It just requires Faith!
To Be, or Not To Be?
To have faith, or not to....
Look at what the disciples say....
But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”
Do you hear them? “But Jesus, we do not have enough food, or money, to get food.... All we have is five loaves and bread and a couple of fish...”
And John tells us that this was simple “a small boys lunch!”
You see… they have so little to offer.... because they are looking at the physical!
How often do we do that today?!
How often do people come to the Church in need, and we send them away..... Sure we think we’re helping.....
We send them to Psychiatrists for emotional help.... We send them to “pagan” food pantries, and government agencies for physical needs..... We send them to doctors for healing.... And we wonder why they do not see the Church as a place to come to for help!!!
Church — ONLY WE CAN PROVIDE SPIRITUAL HELP!
Look at what Jesus does..... He doesn’t send them away....
For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
They did so and made them all sit down.
And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
I love Jesus’s response!!!! He doesn’t get on to them..... He doesn’t go ahead and send the crowd away.... He tells them to give him the boy’s lunch, and to tell the people to “sit down”.....
Then He performs a miracle and feeds over 5,000 people and has food left over!!!
Did you notice how much was left? 12 Baskets.... That’s enough to continue feeding each of the disciples for quite a while!
But, that is not the point...... God’s abundance of provision is not the point..... The point is that God can and will provide!
The disciples should have known this!
We already talked about their “commissioning”.... back in verses 1-6....
They had been given Christ’s authority....
They were to rely on the hospitality of others.... on God’s provision for them.....
They were sent out on a mission.... to preach the Kingdom....
…to heal the sick....
…to cast out demons....
And that’s what they did!!!!
We already talked about this..... As followers....as disciples…they were given the power and authority of Christ..... And so have we!!!
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You do realize that this power and authority was given to them BEFORE the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?!
They didn’t have to wait for it.... and neither do we!!
So.... Why don’t we “see” that power today? Why don’t we “see” miracle healings.... miracle provision.... demons cast out....?
The disciples “saw” that power..... They healed people..... They cast out demons..... They experienced God’s provision when they had nothing..... So, why don’t we?
For the same reason they didn’t on that day....
Receiving the power of the Holy Spirit — the Power of Christ — being able to work within it — requires commitment..... it requires Faith!
This is something we struggle with! It is not easy to look at the physical needs of life, and KNOW that God is going to provide.
We all struggle with this.....
I remember a pastor — early in my walk with God — we were discussing “end times” (I know, dangerous right?!), and the “mark of the beast” came up. He said to me, “How will you provide for God’s people if you don’t take the mark?”
You see.... He struggled with the same thing the disciples did that day....
I confess, I have struggled with it!
About a month ago.... I was struggling.... I was looking at the condition of the church…the finances…the concerns I know the district leadership has.... and I was struggling....
I prayed… asked God.... How?! How are we going to make it? How is the church going to pay its bills…provide for people…? How can we minister when we have no financial means?
Do you know what God’s answer was?
“When are you going to trust me?”
Kind of the same thing Jesus said to the disciples..... “You feed them.”
It is not easy.... When we are faced with the “lack” of life....with the questions of provision....with the “needs” of our families…our church....and people.... It’s not easy to step back and believe that God will provide!!!
But He Will!!!!!
We just have to have faith!!!!
Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
To Be, or Not To Be?
“To believe, or not to believe?”
I want you to notice something here...
There is no break in the narrative…or the lessons for the disciples…
They were sent out with the requirement to rely on God…to proclaim the Kingdom…to heal people of everything that prevented them from entering the Kingdom..... (literally everything Christ commissioned them to “heal” prevents people from entering the Kingdom), and they are still on that mission!
So, what happened? After they had “seen” and “done” so much.... what happened? Why didn’t they do the same things here?
Have you ever noticed that it is easy to “commit to the mission”.... to have faith in God, and do amazing things… while on a “missions” trip?
But.... what about at home? In our comfortable, normal, everyday place?
This is what the disciples experienced.....
Jesus wasn’t challenging them with an “impossible task,” as many people and pastors think — as if to prove to them that they needed “humbling” (I’ve actually heard pastors teach that!) — NO! That wasn’t His purpose!!!
He had empowered them..... He had commissioned them..... He had sent them out to do the very thing He was telling them to do here!!!!
“You feed them!”
This is exactly what they had been doing!!! They had been doing the work.... they had been providing for the people.... they had been healing..... teaching.... proclaiming the Kingdom and power of God..... They had even been casting out demons!!!!
What was this in comparison?!?
So..... What happened?
The same thing that happens to us..... Their faith…their focus…returned to the physical....
There is a strange thing that happens with Youth.... with Kids.... (camp example — at camp vs returning home)
It is easy to place our faith in God, when we are outside of our normal routine.... When we are on a focused mission trip…service activity.... or ministry focus..... But....at home....we begin to think I can’t.....
That is why our home is not supposed to be in this world!
Our Home is in the Kingdom, because in the Kingdom is the power and authority of God! And we have access to it!
Through Faith!
The enemy tells us “You can’t .....,” but God says, “You can..... I have already given you the power to.....”
Church — Being “on mission” for God is a “daily” activity.... it requires a commitment… to placing our faith in Him.... to living in the Kingdom and not in this world.... AND to relying on Him, on His power — KNOWING that He will take care of us AND those He sends us to!
“You Feed Them”
To Be, or Not To Be?!
God has commissioned and empowered us for His mission in this world….to “Feed Them”…. Will we?
(prayer)