WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.540 Well, good morning, church. Would you turn with me to Mark chapter 8? 00:00:07.299 --> 00:00:10.679 Our sermon text today is Mark chapter 8, verses 1 through 10. 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:15.740 You can find that on page 792 in the Pew Bible. 00:00:18.019 --> 00:00:22.260 Mark chapter 8. Let me pray for us, and then I'll read. 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:22.339 Amen. 00:00:28.220 --> 00:00:35.260 Our Father in heaven, we ask that as we come to your word now, your spirit would come and guide us into all truth. 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:44.760 Lord, help us to see clearly who you are and who you've revealed yourself to be and who you've called us to be in your word. 00:00:46.219 --> 00:00:48.280 Lord, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:52.939 All right, Mark chapter 8, verses 1 through 10. Let me read for us. 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:25.099 And his disciples answered him, How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:29.359 And he asked them, How many loaves do you have? 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:31.500 And they said, Seven. 00:01:32.379 --> 00:01:34.859 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. 00:01:35.740 --> 00:01:41.359 And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:44.780 And they set them before the crowd. 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:47.219 And they had a few small fish. 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:51.780 And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:54.959 And they ate and were satisfied. 00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.980 And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:03.900 And there were about 4,000 people. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:06.020 And he sent them away. 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:12.219 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 00:02:14.700 --> 00:02:20.819 Well, if you've been following Mark's gospel up to this point, his account of the life of Jesus, 00:02:21.480 --> 00:02:25.240 this particular story probably sounds familiar. 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:28.580 There's a great crowd in a desolate place. 00:02:29.219 --> 00:02:30.280 Jesus is teaching them. 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:32.080 The people are hungry. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:39.840 And miraculously, thousands are fed with just a meager amount of food. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:44.400 Very similar story to what we heard back in chapter 6. 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:50.460 Some lessons, it seems, have to be learned more than once. 00:02:50.460 --> 00:03:02.180 And so again, we see the compassion and the power of Jesus to work savingly and satisfyingly for the hungry crowds. 00:03:02.920 --> 00:03:05.560 We're told again, they ate and were satisfied. 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:11.480 But if we are careful readers of the gospel of Mark, 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:18.659 we realize that this isn't just a retelling of the same story that we heard before back in chapter 6. 00:03:18.659 --> 00:03:20.159 There are differences. 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:23.859 There, the crowd was 5,000 men. 00:03:24.539 --> 00:03:26.960 Presumably plus women and children on top of that. 00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:30.219 Here, the total crowd is 4,000. 00:03:31.079 --> 00:03:34.639 There, the disciples raised the issue of the hungry crowds. 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:37.120 Here, it's Jesus who takes the initiative. 00:03:38.300 --> 00:03:41.919 There, the leftovers filled 12 small knapsacks, 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.280 which is what the word basket means in chapter 6. 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:46.740 Here, the leftovers fill seven large bins. 00:03:46.939 --> 00:03:49.719 It's actually a different word for basket here in this story. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:58.000 But perhaps the most significant difference between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.580 is found when we consider the context. 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:04.219 In chapter 7, verse 31, remember, 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:09.699 we learned that Jesus has been ministering at this part of his ministry in the region of the Decapolis. 00:04:09.699 --> 00:04:14.060 That is an area on the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:17.060 that was known to be a largely Gentile region. 00:04:19.099 --> 00:04:21.240 And as chapter 8 begins, Mark says, 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:46.699 So consider then what Mark is showing us. 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:50.560 And it's something that's actually been brewing all of chapter 7. 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:54.759 Remember, in chapter 7, Jesus was debating purity laws with the Pharisees, 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.079 and then he was commending the faith of a Syrophoenician woman, 00:04:58.199 --> 00:05:01.579 and then healing a man in the Decapolis who was deaf and unable to speak. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.439 What we see here is the compassion and the power of Jesus 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:09.620 extending beyond the boundaries of Israel 00:05:09.620 --> 00:05:12.219 and reaching to the nations. 00:05:12.220 --> 00:05:19.000 Of course, this is just a foreshadowing of what was to come. 00:05:19.900 --> 00:05:22.040 You know, the Gentile mission won't begin in earnest 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:25.740 until after Jesus' resurrection and ascension to the Father's right hand. 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:29.440 Then the risen Jesus tells his disciples to carry the gospel, 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:31.040 the good news of the forgiveness of sins, 00:05:31.340 --> 00:05:34.280 to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:40.139 But that mission to the ends of the earth is seen even here. 00:05:42.119 --> 00:05:44.959 Jesus is the Savior for the whole world, 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:47.539 not just for Israel. 00:05:48.819 --> 00:05:51.759 The bread he came to supply wasn't just for insiders, 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:55.039 for religious people, for folks who knew their Bibles 00:05:55.039 --> 00:05:57.179 and lived what seemed to be a good life. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:59.859 No, Jesus had come for everyone, 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:02.660 for the outsiders too, 00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:06.480 for folks who didn't know much about religion or God, 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:10.080 for folks who couldn't find their way around the Bible 00:06:10.080 --> 00:06:12.740 unless someone gave them a page number, right? 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.520 For folks whose lives were mixed up and broken 00:06:16.520 --> 00:06:18.860 and in obvious need of help. 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:21.900 Jesus came for everyone. 00:06:23.020 --> 00:06:24.860 He's the Savior of the whole world. 00:06:24.860 --> 00:06:29.939 So consider what this means for us today. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:34.080 You don't need me to tell you that we live in a city 00:06:34.080 --> 00:06:36.639 where most people aren't really that familiar 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:38.379 with Christianity or with the Bible 00:06:38.379 --> 00:06:40.759 and not really familiar with what it means 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:42.860 to live a life in line with the truth and goodness 00:06:42.860 --> 00:06:44.360 of who God is in Christ. 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:46.819 And maybe that's you this morning. 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:50.240 Maybe you're just beginning to explore spiritual things 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:52.040 and maybe you're not sure what to make of God 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:53.199 or Jesus or any of it. 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:56.240 Well, if you get nothing else 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.259 from your time this morning, 00:06:58.780 --> 00:07:02.199 I hope you see this from Mark chapter 8. 00:07:03.540 --> 00:07:05.020 That Jesus sees you, 00:07:06.139 --> 00:07:06.759 loves you, 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:09.160 has compassion on you, 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.540 and is willing to feed your hungry soul 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:13.560 if you come to him. 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.000 It doesn't matter where you're from, 00:07:18.580 --> 00:07:21.100 which side of the lake or tracks 00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:24.120 or what side of the educational spectrum you're from. 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:28.400 Whether your life has been good or bad or in between. 00:07:31.500 --> 00:07:32.780 Of course, if there is a God, 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:35.139 he sees everything about you. 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:37.160 Everything that's beautiful 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.580 and everything that's selfish and petty and broken. 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:42.900 And you know, the truth is, 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:43.600 we humans, 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.920 we're actually much worse 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:47.280 than we think we are. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:50.719 But what we see in Jesus Christ 00:07:50.719 --> 00:07:52.479 is that we're also much more loved 00:07:52.479 --> 00:07:53.659 than we think we are. 00:07:56.299 --> 00:07:58.019 Jesus knew how far away 00:07:58.019 --> 00:08:00.039 some of these people had come to be with him. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:02.979 And he knows how far away you've been 00:08:02.979 --> 00:08:05.179 and how far away I've been. 00:08:06.779 --> 00:08:08.299 And how does he view us? 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:10.819 With compassion 00:08:10.819 --> 00:08:12.779 and with mercy. 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:17.219 You see, this is the great truth 00:08:17.219 --> 00:08:18.399 that every follower of Jesus 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:19.860 learns sooner or later 00:08:19.860 --> 00:08:20.939 and that all of the apostles 00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:22.360 came to learn in time, certainly. 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.420 That what puts someone right with God 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:28.959 isn't their pedigree 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:30.680 or their family history 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:32.759 or their law-keeping 00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:34.740 or their moral record 00:08:34.740 --> 00:08:36.639 or their religious fervor. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.139 It didn't matter 00:08:39.139 --> 00:08:39.980 if you were from 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:41.340 the heart of Jerusalem 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:43.240 or from the pagan cities 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:44.240 of the Decapolis. 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:46.299 None of that 00:08:46.299 --> 00:08:48.159 put them in a right relationship with God. 00:08:49.740 --> 00:08:50.980 At the end of the day, 00:08:50.980 --> 00:08:53.080 the most devout, law-abiding Jew 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.980 and the most pagan, immoral Gentile 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:00.519 were both utterly and equally lost. 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:05.100 Both had sinned against a holy God 00:09:05.100 --> 00:09:08.299 and both needed a radical rescue 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:10.319 that only God could provide. 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:15.279 Now, that's hard to wrap our minds around, right? 00:09:15.379 --> 00:09:15.659 I mean, 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:18.579 does our moral record 00:09:18.579 --> 00:09:20.799 really not make any difference 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:23.419 in getting us right with God? 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:26.879 I mean, imagine a swimming contest, right, 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.039 between me and an Olympic athlete 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:30.599 like Michael Phelps or something. 00:09:30.719 --> 00:09:31.860 I know Michael Phelps is retired, 00:09:31.980 --> 00:09:32.759 but he would still like 00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:33.579 totally trounce me 00:09:33.579 --> 00:09:34.399 in the swimming pool, right? 00:09:35.539 --> 00:09:36.459 Obviously, he would blow me 00:09:36.459 --> 00:09:36.959 out of the water. 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:40.419 But what if the contest 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:41.819 was to swim, you know, 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:43.240 not a few laps in the pool, 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:45.539 but from New Haven Harbor here 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:47.000 all the way to London, England? 00:09:48.860 --> 00:09:50.219 Well, on a good day, 00:09:50.599 --> 00:09:53.419 I might make it to East Haven, right? 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:55.579 Maybe I'd hit Lighthouse Point. 00:09:55.979 --> 00:09:56.719 Probably not. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:09:59.879 But maybe a really great swimmer 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:02.099 would go like 50 or 60 miles 00:10:02.099 --> 00:10:03.059 to Mystic, Connecticut. 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:05.860 And yet, 00:10:06.539 --> 00:10:08.240 neither of us 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:09.219 have even made it 00:10:09.219 --> 00:10:10.240 out of Long Island Sound. 00:10:12.299 --> 00:10:14.159 If the goal is getting to England, 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:16.719 we're both dead in the water. 00:10:20.099 --> 00:10:21.059 Spiritually speaking, 00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:21.759 it's the same. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:23.599 The good swimmer, 00:10:24.179 --> 00:10:25.099 the bad swimmer, 00:10:25.859 --> 00:10:27.039 everyone falls short. 00:10:30.359 --> 00:10:31.559 You know, the real danger, 00:10:31.699 --> 00:10:32.399 the real danger 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:33.319 is that sometimes 00:10:33.319 --> 00:10:35.419 if we think 00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:36.519 we're a good swimmer, 00:10:37.099 --> 00:10:38.759 we don't realize 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:39.519 how much trouble 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:40.359 we're really in. 00:10:42.719 --> 00:10:43.439 If we think 00:10:43.439 --> 00:10:44.279 we can make it 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:45.079 across the ocean 00:10:45.079 --> 00:10:45.979 without any help, 00:10:47.439 --> 00:10:48.199 well, we're actually 00:10:48.199 --> 00:10:49.000 in worse trouble 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:49.579 than the person 00:10:49.579 --> 00:10:50.779 grabbing for the lifeline 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:51.879 the first chance they get 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:52.500 because they know 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:53.419 they don't have a chance. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:56.939 In other words, 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:57.879 perhaps the worst place 00:10:57.879 --> 00:10:58.759 you can be spiritually 00:10:58.759 --> 00:10:59.360 is thinking 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:00.379 you have it all together. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:02.299 Better to be like 00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:03.000 these crowds. 00:11:04.959 --> 00:11:06.399 Better to be just hungry 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:07.500 for the words of Jesus. 00:11:08.959 --> 00:11:10.059 Better to know 00:11:10.059 --> 00:11:11.240 you need something 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:12.519 you don't have 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:13.919 and to look for it 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:14.459 in Him 00:11:14.459 --> 00:11:16.019 than to think 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:17.000 you have to perform 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:17.759 and pretend 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:19.079 to try to be accepted. 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:23.540 real salvation 00:11:23.540 --> 00:11:24.300 is always 00:11:24.300 --> 00:11:25.160 and only 00:11:25.160 --> 00:11:26.100 by grace 00:11:26.100 --> 00:11:27.040 through faith 00:11:27.040 --> 00:11:27.680 in Jesus, 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:29.259 not by works 00:11:29.259 --> 00:11:30.600 and not by 00:11:30.600 --> 00:11:31.540 your ethnic background 00:11:31.540 --> 00:11:32.540 and not by anything. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.160 He's not asking you 00:11:36.160 --> 00:11:36.700 to come to Him 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:37.620 with a cleaned up life 00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:40.060 and a moral record. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:41.840 He's asking you 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.400 to come to Him 00:11:42.400 --> 00:11:42.920 hungry 00:11:42.920 --> 00:11:45.120 and to let Him 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:45.580 feed you 00:11:45.580 --> 00:11:46.360 with the living bread 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:47.480 that only He can give. 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:50.300 Jesus is the Savior 00:11:50.300 --> 00:11:52.039 of the whole world 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:53.899 and that means 00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:54.440 you too 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:55.800 if you'll come to Him. 00:11:59.060 --> 00:11:59.620 Of course, 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:00.500 this was God's plan 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:01.420 all along, you know. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:02.740 God's plan was always 00:12:02.740 --> 00:12:03.820 to bring His salvation 00:12:03.820 --> 00:12:04.899 to the ends of the earth. 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:06.700 So what we see here 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:07.120 in Jesus 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:08.639 is really the fulfillment, 00:12:09.100 --> 00:12:09.580 the beginning 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:10.360 of the fulfillment 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:11.600 of what God had planned 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:12.279 all along. 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:13.659 It started all the way 00:12:13.659 --> 00:12:14.340 back with Abraham 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:15.460 and Abraham's family. 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:15.700 You know, 00:12:15.940 --> 00:12:18.220 the salvation story 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:19.620 began with Israel 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:21.180 but the goal 00:12:21.180 --> 00:12:21.780 was always 00:12:21.780 --> 00:12:22.280 to rescue 00:12:22.280 --> 00:12:23.519 the nations as well. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:25.560 Consider the promise 00:12:25.560 --> 00:12:26.480 even to Abraham 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:27.379 at the very beginning. 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:28.060 Remember, 00:12:28.180 --> 00:12:28.800 God tells Abraham 00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:29.480 in Genesis 12, 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:29.940 I'll make you 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:30.660 a great nation 00:12:30.660 --> 00:12:31.680 and I'll bless you 00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:32.360 and I'll make your name 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:33.060 great so that you'll 00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:33.620 be a blessing 00:12:33.620 --> 00:12:34.940 and in you 00:12:34.940 --> 00:12:37.139 all the families 00:12:37.139 --> 00:12:37.720 of the earth 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:38.500 will be blessed. 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:42.460 And when Isaiah 00:12:42.460 --> 00:12:44.159 foresees the coming Messiah, 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:46.299 he hears God say 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:47.200 of this coming servant 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:47.600 of the Lord 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:48.360 in Isaiah 49, 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:50.860 it is too light a thing 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:52.259 that you should be 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:52.919 my servant 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:53.600 to raise up 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:54.519 the tribes of Jacob 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:55.700 and to bring back 00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:56.720 the preserved of Israel. 00:12:57.639 --> 00:12:58.539 I will make you 00:12:58.539 --> 00:12:59.019 as a light 00:12:59.019 --> 00:12:59.860 for the nations 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.200 that my salvation 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:02.899 may reach 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:04.179 to the end of the earth. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:06.460 God's plan 00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:07.240 was always 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:08.139 for his salvation 00:13:08.139 --> 00:13:08.860 to reach 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:10.019 to the end 00:13:10.019 --> 00:13:10.720 of the earth. 00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:11.820 To be not just 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:12.279 for Jews 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:13.159 but to create 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:15.399 a Jew plus Gentile 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:16.480 people of God 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:17.779 around the one 00:13:17.779 --> 00:13:18.560 Savior and Lord, 00:13:18.680 --> 00:13:19.580 Jesus the Messiah. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:21.639 The bread he came 00:13:21.639 --> 00:13:22.159 to offer, 00:13:22.560 --> 00:13:23.580 the people he came 00:13:23.580 --> 00:13:24.259 to create, 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:25.220 the forgiveness 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:25.860 and new life 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:26.860 he came to purchase 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:28.039 is for everyone 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:28.759 who believes. 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:34.080 And so consider 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.019 what Mark 00:13:36.019 --> 00:13:36.759 is telling us 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:37.519 also here 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.120 about the majesty 00:13:40.120 --> 00:13:41.340 of this Jesus. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:44.819 In the ancient world, 00:13:44.899 --> 00:13:45.039 you know, 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:45.679 every nation, 00:13:46.019 --> 00:13:46.819 every people group, 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:48.019 they had their own gods. 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:50.460 You know? 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:51.939 And if you were savvy, 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:53.100 like the Romans, 00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:53.840 for example, 00:13:54.319 --> 00:13:55.279 you would be quite 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:56.480 pluralistic about it all. 00:13:57.220 --> 00:13:57.559 You know, 00:13:57.720 --> 00:13:58.259 you would say, 00:13:58.360 --> 00:13:59.039 well, that's fine. 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:00.340 You worship your gods 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:01.720 and you worship your gods 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:02.980 and just make sure 00:14:02.980 --> 00:14:03.580 you acknowledge 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:04.439 the Roman gods 00:14:04.439 --> 00:14:05.460 and we'll all be fine. 00:14:05.460 --> 00:14:09.580 But Mark is hinting 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:10.240 at something quite 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:10.840 different here. 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:14.180 Jesus isn't just 00:14:14.180 --> 00:14:15.560 one more 00:14:15.560 --> 00:14:16.940 cultural god 00:14:16.940 --> 00:14:17.600 to be placed 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:18.139 alongside 00:14:18.139 --> 00:14:19.440 all the other gods 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:20.580 that might have been 00:14:20.580 --> 00:14:21.800 worshipped in the Decapolis. 00:14:23.660 --> 00:14:24.280 In fact, 00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:25.600 those so-called gods 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:26.680 were just lifeless 00:14:26.680 --> 00:14:27.540 idols 00:14:27.540 --> 00:14:28.540 who will only 00:14:28.540 --> 00:14:29.320 leave you hungry. 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:32.360 but there is one 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:33.140 who can satisfy 00:14:33.140 --> 00:14:33.940 the hungry soul, 00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:35.879 one who is great enough 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:37.640 and powerful enough 00:14:37.640 --> 00:14:38.980 and compassionate enough 00:14:38.980 --> 00:14:40.700 to meet the deepest 00:14:40.700 --> 00:14:42.280 longings of every culture 00:14:42.280 --> 00:14:43.180 in every nation 00:14:43.180 --> 00:14:44.460 in every human heart. 00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:47.420 And this is exactly 00:14:47.420 --> 00:14:48.500 who Jesus proves 00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:49.460 himself to be, 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:50.700 majestic 00:14:50.700 --> 00:14:52.500 over all gods. 00:14:54.280 --> 00:14:55.240 Jesus is the savior 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:56.340 of the whole world. 00:14:56.340 --> 00:15:00.860 You know, 00:15:00.920 --> 00:15:01.860 it was just a few months ago 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:02.580 that many of us 00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:03.920 were glued 00:15:03.920 --> 00:15:04.879 to our screens, 00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:05.399 our TVs 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:06.080 or our phones 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:06.759 or our laptops 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:07.399 or our tablets 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:07.920 or whatever 00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:09.340 watching the World Cup, 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:09.660 right? 00:15:11.100 --> 00:15:12.100 And as each round 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:12.620 went by, 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:13.680 we eagerly waited 00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:14.580 to see who would 00:15:14.580 --> 00:15:15.440 come out on top, 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:16.700 who would be 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:17.800 the world's best, 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:19.000 who would get 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:19.639 the glory 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:21.220 of being crowned 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:22.519 the World Cup winner, 00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:23.500 who would rise 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:24.220 victorious 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:26.279 above all the rest. 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.080 But notice the difference here. 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:34.840 Notice that with Jesus, 00:15:35.060 --> 00:15:37.220 he shows his worldwide 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:38.879 majesty 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.120 not through conquest 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:44.779 but through service. 00:15:47.680 --> 00:15:49.519 He shows up on foreign shores 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.540 amidst Gentile cities 00:15:51.539 --> 00:15:53.360 and how does he demonstrate 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.279 his majesty 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:54.899 and greatness. 00:15:55.779 --> 00:15:57.159 Is it a military campaign? 00:15:57.879 --> 00:15:59.539 Is it a political takeover? 00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:01.539 No. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:03.899 He has compassion 00:16:03.899 --> 00:16:04.579 on the crowds 00:16:04.579 --> 00:16:06.159 and he feeds them. 00:16:07.459 --> 00:16:08.439 He demonstrates 00:16:08.439 --> 00:16:09.299 his glory 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:10.919 through service. 00:16:12.319 --> 00:16:12.699 Of course, 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:13.699 the service he renders 00:16:13.699 --> 00:16:14.879 is miraculous. 00:16:16.139 --> 00:16:17.059 Thousands are fed 00:16:17.059 --> 00:16:18.379 with just seven loaves 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:20.019 and a few small fish. 00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:22.159 But even the miracle 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:23.079 is surprising 00:16:23.079 --> 00:16:24.220 by its simplicity. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:26.720 He doesn't wow 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:27.279 the crowds 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:28.759 with a fiery display 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:30.179 of cosmic power. 00:16:30.579 --> 00:16:30.819 I mean, 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:31.399 come on. 00:16:31.819 --> 00:16:33.139 If you had 00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:34.340 the kind of power 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:35.419 of the living God 00:16:35.419 --> 00:16:36.360 and you showed up 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:36.860 on earth 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:37.779 and you wanted 00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:38.360 to demonstrate 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:39.000 your greatness, 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:40.139 you'd find some 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:40.879 pretty awesome ways 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:41.419 to do it. 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:42.600 Right? 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:43.939 I know I would. 00:16:46.579 --> 00:16:47.559 And how does Jesus 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:48.019 do it? 00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:50.740 He serves them 00:16:50.740 --> 00:16:51.500 their daily bread. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:55.960 And if we can start 00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:56.779 to see this, 00:16:57.759 --> 00:16:59.720 then we're starting 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:01.120 to see the biblical Jesus 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.399 in all his majesty. 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:04.420 The one Lord 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:05.579 of all the nations 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:06.879 powerful enough 00:17:06.879 --> 00:17:08.220 to make kingdoms rise 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:09.759 and kingdoms fall. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:11.339 And yet he comes 00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:14.319 not to be served, 00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:15.480 but to serve. 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:17.799 And as Mark 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:18.279 will go on 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:18.759 to show us 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:19.420 in his gospel, 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:21.339 to give his life 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:21.860 as a ransom 00:17:21.860 --> 00:17:22.400 for many. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.039 Jesus is the Savior 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:27.039 of the whole world 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.779 who came to display 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:29.539 his glory 00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:31.160 in compassionate 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:32.140 service. 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:35.120 And if this is true 00:17:35.120 --> 00:17:35.519 of Jesus, 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:36.680 then it ought to be true 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.059 of his followers. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.339 Our glory 00:17:40.339 --> 00:17:41.059 as the people 00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:41.819 of Christ 00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:43.480 will not be seen 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:45.319 in acts of power 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:46.279 and deeds 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:47.160 of conquest. 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:49.339 No, 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.259 our glory 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:51.079 is shown 00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:52.519 through Christ-like 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:53.279 service 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:54.500 and compassionate 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.460 love. 00:17:57.420 --> 00:17:58.220 And notice, 00:17:58.339 --> 00:17:58.920 this service 00:17:58.920 --> 00:17:59.900 is not just 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:00.559 for those 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:01.420 who love us 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:02.620 and who are like us, 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.460 but compassionate 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:05.299 service also 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:05.799 for those 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:07.059 who do not love us 00:18:07.059 --> 00:18:08.420 and who are not like us. 00:18:09.299 --> 00:18:10.059 Many Jews 00:18:10.059 --> 00:18:11.200 consider the Gentiles 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:11.819 their enemies. 00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:14.579 And yet, 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:15.359 even to our enemies, 00:18:16.159 --> 00:18:17.179 we must show 00:18:17.179 --> 00:18:17.839 compassion 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:19.019 and mercy 00:18:19.019 --> 00:18:20.259 and service. 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:21.839 This is greatness 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:23.819 in the kingdom of God. 00:18:24.679 --> 00:18:26.079 That is real 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.720 glory 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.700 and majesty 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:31.679 because this is what 00:18:31.679 --> 00:18:32.299 no other God 00:18:32.299 --> 00:18:32.720 has done. 00:18:34.299 --> 00:18:35.220 Plenty of gods 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:35.879 tell a story 00:18:35.879 --> 00:18:36.519 of conquest 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:37.079 and victory, 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.139 of enemies slain 00:18:38.139 --> 00:18:39.220 and campaigns won. 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:41.000 but what other God 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:42.680 sends his only son 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:45.000 not to destroy 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:45.500 his enemies 00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:47.100 but to die 00:18:47.100 --> 00:18:47.480 for them? 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:50.220 What other God 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:51.279 lands in outsider 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:52.140 enemy territory 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:53.440 and gives himself 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:55.000 to be broken 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:55.640 so that those 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:56.380 very rebels 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:57.500 might be made whole? 00:19:00.140 --> 00:19:01.240 Behold the majesty 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:02.539 of the one true God 00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:03.480 in Jesus Christ, 00:19:04.180 --> 00:19:04.600 the Savior 00:19:04.600 --> 00:19:05.380 of the whole world. 00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:10.600 And so we see then 00:19:10.600 --> 00:19:11.060 that the feeding 00:19:11.060 --> 00:19:11.800 of the 4,000 00:19:11.800 --> 00:19:12.680 isn't just a repeat 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:13.840 of an earlier story 00:19:13.840 --> 00:19:15.680 but a demonstration 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:16.700 by Jesus 00:19:16.700 --> 00:19:18.580 that he is the Savior 00:19:18.580 --> 00:19:19.600 not just of the Jews 00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:20.960 but of the Gentiles too. 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:23.660 He's not just Israel's king 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:24.920 but also the world's 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:26.000 true Lord. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.539 And yet how often 00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:32.519 are we like the disciples 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:33.880 in Mark 8? 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:36.799 We look at the size 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:37.460 of the crowd, 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:39.779 the depth of the need, 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:41.180 the limitation 00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:42.599 of our own resources 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:44.740 and we think 00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:45.819 there's no way 00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:47.440 we can feed this crowd. 00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:50.660 How could we possibly 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:52.900 see spiritual renewal 00:19:52.900 --> 00:19:54.779 in our day? 00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:57.819 How will our friends 00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:58.480 and our neighbors 00:19:58.480 --> 00:19:59.359 and our co-workers 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:00.539 ever come 00:20:00.539 --> 00:20:01.839 to know Christ? 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:03.740 I mean look at 00:20:03.740 --> 00:20:04.759 how far away they are. 00:20:05.700 --> 00:20:06.799 Look how stiff 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:08.519 the cultural headwinds 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:08.940 blow 00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:10.859 against the biblical gospel. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:12.139 After all, 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:12.700 a lot of people 00:20:12.700 --> 00:20:13.759 don't just think 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:14.700 Christians are weird, 00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:16.160 they think Christians 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:16.859 are the problem. 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:20.500 How could we ever hope 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:22.240 to see our city 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:23.500 one for Christ? 00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:26.700 How can one feed 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:27.299 these people 00:20:27.299 --> 00:20:28.119 with bread here 00:20:28.119 --> 00:20:30.940 in this desolate place? 00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:34.899 We shake our heads 00:20:34.899 --> 00:20:35.579 at the disciples 00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:37.539 because just a couple 00:20:37.539 --> 00:20:38.420 chapters earlier 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:40.039 Jesus had done 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:40.639 just that. 00:20:41.420 --> 00:20:42.220 You read the story 00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:42.579 and you think, 00:20:42.940 --> 00:20:43.940 come on guys. 00:20:45.700 --> 00:20:46.359 In fact, 00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:46.940 Jesus fed 00:20:46.940 --> 00:20:47.879 an even bigger crowd 00:20:47.879 --> 00:20:48.759 with an even smaller 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:49.339 amount of food 00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:50.379 just two chapters ago. 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:52.880 How could they be 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:53.700 so forgetful, 00:20:53.780 --> 00:20:54.180 we think? 00:20:55.120 --> 00:20:56.140 Don't they remember 00:20:56.140 --> 00:20:56.960 who they're with? 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:01.140 Don't they remember 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:02.600 who they're with? 00:21:04.340 --> 00:21:04.920 And in fact, 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:05.540 this is exactly 00:21:05.540 --> 00:21:06.460 what Jesus will ask them 00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:07.280 in the coming verses. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:08.940 Pastor Matt will 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:10.880 take a look 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:11.660 at this next week. 00:21:12.300 --> 00:21:12.860 But if you look ahead 00:21:12.860 --> 00:21:13.560 at verse 18, 00:21:13.660 --> 00:21:14.120 Jesus says, 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:15.219 do you not remember 00:21:15.219 --> 00:21:17.459 when I broke 00:21:17.459 --> 00:21:18.259 the five loaves 00:21:18.259 --> 00:21:19.099 for the 5,000, 00:21:19.199 --> 00:21:19.879 how many baskets 00:21:19.879 --> 00:21:20.859 full of broken pieces 00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:21.739 did you take up? 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:23.819 And they said to him, 00:21:23.959 --> 00:21:25.099 12. 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:27.159 And the seven 00:21:27.159 --> 00:21:28.000 for the 4,000, 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:28.779 how many baskets 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:29.619 full of broken pieces 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:30.439 did you take up? 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:31.639 And they said to him, 00:21:32.459 --> 00:21:32.859 seven. 00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:34.739 And he said to them, 00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:37.239 do you not yet understand? 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:41.140 Is any mission field 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:42.180 too hard for the Lord? 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:45.240 Is any cultural moment 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:46.240 too irreligious 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.740 for the gospel of grace? 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:51.279 Brothers and sisters, 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:52.720 when the apostle Paul wrote 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:53.839 that the gospel 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:54.880 is the power of God 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:55.519 for salvation 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:56.500 to those who believe, 00:21:56.620 --> 00:21:57.420 to the Jew first 00:21:57.420 --> 00:21:58.500 and also to the Greek, 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:00.019 he was not writing 00:22:00.019 --> 00:22:01.599 to a comfortable church 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.500 in a nice moral city 00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:04.779 where everyone held 00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:06.220 mostly Christian beliefs. 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:09.799 The city of Rome 00:22:09.799 --> 00:22:10.660 in the first century 00:22:10.660 --> 00:22:12.000 celebrated violence 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.740 and sex 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:14.319 and power and greed 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:15.359 in ways 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.240 that would make 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:17.859 even the most libertine 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:18.539 among us 00:22:18.539 --> 00:22:20.039 more than a little uneasy. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:23.000 And yet, 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:25.839 did that stop the gospel? 00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:30.359 As those Christians 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:32.460 prayed and preached 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:34.039 and took bread 00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:35.579 Sunday after Sunday 00:22:35.579 --> 00:22:37.200 and gave thanks 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:38.000 and broke it 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:38.940 and shared it, 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:42.279 could even the Roman Empire 00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:43.240 stand up 00:22:43.240 --> 00:22:44.700 against the Savior 00:22:44.700 --> 00:22:45.880 of the whole world? 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:48.559 Could all the armies 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:49.100 and the wealth 00:22:49.100 --> 00:22:50.000 and the decadence 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:50.460 of Rome 00:22:50.460 --> 00:22:51.440 stand a chance 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:52.980 against the risen Lord Jesus 00:22:52.980 --> 00:22:54.799 whose power 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.500 is made perfect 00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:56.200 in weakness 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:58.120 and who's made known 00:22:58.120 --> 00:22:58.460 to us 00:22:58.460 --> 00:22:58.980 in the breaking 00:22:58.980 --> 00:22:59.600 of the bread 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:01.080 and in the proclamation 00:23:01.080 --> 00:23:01.860 of the cross? 00:23:01.859 --> 00:23:06.439 how quickly we forget. 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:09.639 How quickly we forget. 00:23:10.639 --> 00:23:11.959 Time would fail 00:23:11.959 --> 00:23:12.839 to tell us 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:15.379 of great awakenings 00:23:15.379 --> 00:23:16.799 and revivals 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:18.319 and movements 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:19.219 of the Spirit 00:23:19.219 --> 00:23:21.000 that God has done again 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:21.899 and again 00:23:21.899 --> 00:23:22.839 and again 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:23.799 and yet how quickly 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:24.519 we forget. 00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:28.000 do we not remember 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:30.000 who we are 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:30.879 with? 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:32.299 The Savior 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:34.220 of the whole world. 00:23:34.220 --> 00:23:37.720 And so Jesus 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:38.779 is asking us again 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:39.500 how many loaves 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:40.079 do you have? 00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:42.680 Show me 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:43.680 what little you have. 00:23:44.380 --> 00:23:44.779 Give me 00:23:44.779 --> 00:23:45.500 all your weakness, 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:46.380 all your failures, 00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:47.160 all your fears 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:47.799 and doubts. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.299 Surrender it all 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:49.779 to me 00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:51.620 and then 00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:52.880 like those loaves 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:54.660 I'm going to bless you 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:55.880 and break you 00:23:55.880 --> 00:23:57.339 and send you out. 00:23:57.339 --> 00:24:00.159 And then you'll see 00:24:00.159 --> 00:24:01.959 in the words of Zechariah 00:24:01.959 --> 00:24:03.319 that it's not by might 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:05.220 and it's not by power 00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:06.740 but by my Spirit 00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:07.799 says the Lord of hosts. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:10.000 And then that verse 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.579 from Isaiah 00:24:10.579 --> 00:24:11.799 that spoke first and foremost 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:12.519 about the ministry 00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:13.199 of the Messiah 00:24:13.199 --> 00:24:15.000 now it will become 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:16.279 true of you as well 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:17.139 just like it became 00:24:17.139 --> 00:24:17.959 true of the disciples 00:24:17.959 --> 00:24:18.639 in Mark 8. 00:24:19.259 --> 00:24:20.339 I will make you 00:24:20.339 --> 00:24:21.000 as a light 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:21.879 for the nations 00:24:21.879 --> 00:24:23.339 that my salvation 00:24:23.339 --> 00:24:24.000 may reach 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:24.740 to the ends 00:24:24.740 --> 00:24:25.259 of the earth. 00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:27.400 And if you think 00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:28.119 that's a stretch 00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:29.039 in applying that verse 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:29.480 that way 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:30.720 the Apostle Paul 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:32.099 does the exact same thing 00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:33.420 in Acts 13. 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:36.240 That he sees 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:36.859 that in and through 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:37.480 the church 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:38.839 we're extending 00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:39.940 the mission of Jesus 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:40.680 to be a light 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:41.420 to the nations. 00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:46.160 Are we forgetful? 00:24:47.539 --> 00:24:48.059 Yes. 00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:49.640 We must confess 00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:50.879 that too often 00:24:50.879 --> 00:24:51.519 we are. 00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:53.579 We are forgetful 00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:55.539 but the Lord 00:24:55.539 --> 00:24:56.460 never forgets. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:58.740 The Savior 00:24:58.740 --> 00:24:59.480 of the whole world 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:00.359 will not forget 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:01.059 his promise 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:01.819 or his word 00:25:01.819 --> 00:25:02.819 and he will not 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:03.639 forget his people. 00:25:05.139 --> 00:25:05.659 For as the Lord 00:25:05.659 --> 00:25:06.220 said to Paul 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:06.779 in Corinth 00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:07.779 so he says to us 00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:08.059 today 00:25:08.059 --> 00:25:08.839 I have many 00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:09.720 in this city 00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:11.240 who are my people. 00:25:13.559 --> 00:25:14.539 And so as we look 00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:15.099 at the crowds 00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:15.879 in this seemingly 00:25:15.879 --> 00:25:16.960 desolate place 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.500 friends let us 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:19.799 remember who we are with. 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:21.439 The Savior 00:25:21.439 --> 00:25:22.220 of the whole world 00:25:22.220 --> 00:25:23.860 the crucified 00:25:23.860 --> 00:25:24.960 and risen Lord Jesus 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:27.480 and let's pray 00:25:27.480 --> 00:25:28.120 that what was true 00:25:28.120 --> 00:25:28.740 that day 00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:29.720 in the Decapolis 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:31.180 might be true 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:32.539 in ours too. 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:34.839 That they all ate 00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:36.799 and were satisfied. 00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:38.740 Let's pray. 00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:38.779 Let's pray. 00:25:38.779 --> 00:25:51.639 Our Lord Jesus 00:25:51.639 --> 00:25:52.359 we pray 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:55.279 that by your Holy Spirit 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:56.000 you would come 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:58.519 and you would encourage us 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:00.599 with this text. 00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:03.420 Lord for those 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:04.160 who feel like 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:05.099 they are far off 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:06.240 would they be encouraged 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.359 by your compassion 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:09.740 and your love 00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:11.359 to draw near. 00:26:13.019 --> 00:26:14.000 Holy Spirit 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.939 for those of us 00:26:14.939 --> 00:26:16.119 who are feeling 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:16.819 weary 00:26:16.819 --> 00:26:17.819 and weak 00:26:17.819 --> 00:26:20.039 and battered down 00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:20.759 by the battle 00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:22.459 Lord would we remember 00:26:22.459 --> 00:26:23.259 who we are with. 00:26:25.059 --> 00:26:26.259 The mighty one 00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:27.639 who can feed crowds 00:26:27.639 --> 00:26:32.479 and who can bring 00:26:32.479 --> 00:26:33.039 renewal 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:35.779 and who can bring 00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:37.339 deep and lasting change. 00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:40.079 Lord Jesus 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:40.799 we pray 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:42.399 that you would be known 00:26:42.399 --> 00:26:43.399 in our midst 00:26:43.399 --> 00:26:46.440 as the Savior 00:26:46.440 --> 00:26:47.220 and as the Lord 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:48.579 and we pray 00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:49.700 that many would come 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:52.279 to taste and see 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:52.920 that you Lord 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:53.420 are good. 00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:55.599 We pray this 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:56.519 in your holy 00:26:56.519 --> 00:26:58.200 and mighty name. 00:26:59.079 --> 00:26:59.299 Amen. 00:26:59.299 --> 00:26:59.440 Amen. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:26:59.500 Amen. 00:26:59.500 --> 00:26:59.519 Amen. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:26:59.559 Amen. 00:26:59.559 --> 00:26:59.579 Amen. 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:00.099 Amen. 00:27:00.099 --> 00:27:00.159 Amen. 00:27:00.159 --> 00:27:00.180 Amen. 00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:00.220 Amen. 00:27:00.220 --> 00:27:00.259 Amen.