God Will Provide

Sermon Notes

Mark 6:33-44 - Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

After a very short reprieve, Jesus and His disciples once again find themselves in a huge crowd. 

Main Idea: Turn to Jesus for all your needs and be willing to be used by Him to meet other people’s needs. 

I: God will provide truth for those who are seeking it.

We live in a time where truth seems to be illusive. But there is an ultimate source of truth, and He is generous with it. Jesus wants you to know the truth and isn’t going to hide it from you. In fact, He has always been very willing to be put out in order for others to know the truth.

Mark 6:33-34 - Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

A. After looking to get away, it became clear their rest would be short-lived.
B. Some of the people likely beat the boat to the shore.
C. Jesus and His disciples were likely tired, but Jesus was moved with compassion and gave the crowd His time.  
D. Even though they were weary, Jesus offered them the truth – “He began to teach them many things”…
E. The thing is, the truth isn’t always what people want… In Thomas A. Kempis’ “The Imitation of Christ”, he writes: “…men are moved by curiosity and by the novelty of fresh sights, and little or no fruit of amendment is carried home, especially when they go so lightly from place to place without true contrition.” -Thomas A. Kempis
F. This is what evidently happens here – as we see in Luke’s account of the event in Luke 10:13-14 - “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
G. This miracle that we are studying today happened, likely in the outskirts of Bethsaida – meaning, even after people heard the truth, and witnessed a miracle, they didn’t believe…
H. You don’t need a sign, the truth is available to you…

Main Idea: Turn to Jesus for all your needs and be willing to be used by Him to meet other people’s needs.

II: God will often provide through His disciples.

Mark 6:35-38 - And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

A. The disciples came to Jesus with a problem and their solution…
B. Jesus invited His disciples to be a part of His provision. Hebrews 13:16 - "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
C. Do you know that you may be the answer to someone’s prayer and the Lord may have given you what you have to steward for someone else?
D. God has the ability to take our meager offerings and multiply them for His glory and the good of others… 

Main Idea: Turn to Jesus for all your needs and be willing to be used by Him to meet other people’s needs. 

III: There is no situation in which God can’t provide all that you need.

Mark 6:39-42 - Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied.

A. God is a God of order – He makes order in the chaos.  This is true in our lives, if we submit them to His Lordship. He can make order out of our chaos…
B. Look again at what God does with a meager offering! He takes it and multiplies it in an unfathomable way! 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread fed 5,000 men – so as many as 20,000 people and there were leftovers!
C. Paul taught the Church in Corinth about God multiplying the gifts of the faithful – 1 Corinthians 9:10-15 - He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!  
D. Be faithful with the little God entrusts you with.

Main Idea: Turn to Jesus for all your needs and be willing to be used by Him to meet other people’s needs. 

IV: God’s provision is abundant.

Mark 6:43-44 - And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

A. They started out with five loaves and two fish. Not enough to feed the apostles alone…
B. There were five thousand men there – so again, as many as 20,000 people fed and guys, there were leftovers…
C. So many people are afraid to talk about giving in the Church – I’m not worried about you giving so we can have more here at Berean – I want you to generously give so you can see God do so much more with your obedience. It’s good for you to give what you have!
D. Malachi 3:10 - Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
E. Luke 6:38 - Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 

Conclusion: God provides out of love like a Father – And His love isn’t transactional… Many people who received His grace, His teaching, and in this case His miraculous sustenance would choose not to follow Him. And He knew it all along…

People often ask God to give them some sort of sign so that they can know He is there – even with the sign, many, perhaps most will not follow Him… 

This week’s challenge:

• Spend some time thanking God for His provision.
• If you haven’t been giving sacrificially – start today! Someone gave up their fish and bread…
• Ask how He might use you to meet someone else’s needs (consider giving to the Deacon fund).
• Matthew 6:19-34 - Read the text – reflect on the text – respond in prayer – rest in silence.