The Good Shepherd Provides in Surprising Ways Mark

The Good Shepherd Provides in Surprising Ways Mark 6: 30 -44

The Good Shepherd Provides • 30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while. ” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. (Mark 6: 30 -32)

The Good Shepherd Provides • 33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd… (Mark 6: 33 -34)

The Good Shepherd Provides • There were five thousand men who ate the loaves. (Mark 6: 44) • There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. (Matthew 14: 21)

Sheep without a Shepherd • When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. (Mark 6: 34) • When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14: 14)

Sheep without a Shepherd • 15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep which have no shepherd. ” 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him…” (Numbers 27: 15 -18)

Shepherding • When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. (Mark 6: 34) • 1. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways – through teaching

This is a Test • 35 When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. ” (Mark 6: 35 -36)

This is a Test • 5 …Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat? ” 6 This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little. ” (John 6: 5 -7)

This is a Test • But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat? ” (Mark 6: 37) • “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ” (John 15: 5)

He is Sufficient • 2. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways – by first stripping away our sense of self-sufficiency

He is Sufficient • 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. ” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12: 9 -10)

Focus on What You Have • And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish. ” (Mark 6: 38) • 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people? ” (John 6: 8 -9)

Green Pastures • 38 And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish. ” 39 And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. (Mark 6: 38 -39) • The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23: 1 -2)

A God of Order & Sufficiency • 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. (Mark 6: 40 -41)

Bless God • 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. (Psalm 103: 1 -2)

Count Your Blessings • 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food [GOD] and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied… (Mark 6: 41 -42) • 3. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways because He can turn a little into a lot

Instruments of Grace • 41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food [GOD] and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. (Mark 6: 41 -42) • 4. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways because He often provides through other people.

Miracle within a Miracle • When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost. ” (John 6: 12) • 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. (Mark 6: 42 -43) • 5. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways – He blesses us personally and specifically, maybe when we least expect it

A Servant’s Heart • 6. The Good Shepherd provides in surprising ways – He often asks us to pour out before He pours in

The Bread of Life • 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world. ” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread. ” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. (John 6: 32 -35)

The Bread of Life • 47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. ” (John 6: 47 -51)

The Lord is My Shepherd • Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 6)

The Lord’s Prayer • 9 …“‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 May Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. ’” (Matthew 6: 9 -13)

The Good Shepherd Provides in Surprising Ways Mark 6: 30 -44