The Hand of Sovereignty (Part C)

I want to just emphasize to us all the sovereignty of God, what would it mean to us without description would be so confused. Sweet basil scout would be making would be like the Jews in the days before Moses gave them the law, there were those that just believed and knew better.

There were many of them that were there houses were idle infested and they just could add a hard time letting it go. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. The title of today's message is called the hand of sovereignty. Pastor Rick will be teaching in Mark chapter 6, I'm right there with them because there are times when I'm not getting it. You know what I have a flashback of Nicodemus and the Lord saying to him, are you the teacher of Israel and you don't get it. I heard God say that to me are you the pastor. The Bible teaches. You don't get it, but I don't get it. I don't want it. I don't want the circumstances, I know what you want me to do. I always know what you want me to do just always want to do it my flash and he tells us, you know, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Okay, so what are you telling me are you telling me faster that that you're out every time you just week just you know you don't want to do it. Not at all. I will still grab from my sword and I will swing it nonetheless.

Whatever weaknesses I have still have enough to hold the word he knows that and it has.

I all I can say is I'm still standing and it is because of him.

And so when he says you give them something to eat and they counter with what you want us to take a lot of money in town and buy bread for these thousands of people.

Please bring them face-to-face with their own inability to meet human needs without him and I'll see you at the moment they going to get in full force. Eventually mean in a harsh way again. John's Gospel in his parallel account but this he said to test him when he asked disciple, for he knew what he would do. He knew what he was going to the whole time a dinar is a day's pay and to have 200 dinar is about 800. I'm in about eight months of wages which money that they don't have Judas might have. It may have stolen enough from everybody else. But anyway, well, that's what you doing still something that's from everybody else. Verse 38 and he said to them, how many loaves do you have go see and they went and found out and said five for five loaves and two fish. You can hear the tone like you know okay his how much we have, we have a boys lunchbox. That's what that little basket. Mom said them okay you gonna go wrong with the disciples and see Jesus fine you make sure you get your bread and fish basket and you go and he does and Andrew is the one that bloodied up with the kid Nina Andrews is everybody's body. We got tickets and and you know so he brings word back.

Verse 38 but he said to them, Emily loves you have go see and they found and said five and two fish. Verse 39 then he commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass green grass chloro's will beget our English word chlorine from it is a green yellow and the Greek is what is that the do with the story was Passover season. The grass is beginning to still raining and starting to turn brown up as it dries out the seasons.

John's Gospel again. Chapter 6 now the Passover feast of the Jews was near since March April just a timestamp for us. Verse 40 of me pause there. Of course peters telling the story more than likely.

John may have drawn Mark may have been there also.

Somebody remembered this little detail to someone. This was a vivid memory and it enters into the Scripture and is a very human touch. It is, is God saying these eyewitnesses.

These are men that were there and just quite natural. Of that I can remember us.

The grass was green and yellow kind of just you know, and if it finds its way into Scripture.

This if it were creative right-of-way writing we have pages more of this kind of stuff but we don't we just have these little bits every now and then, as these men were so focused on what was going on. I think they had the identity of many people fearing that they would be persecuted. I think they also left out some facts because of various good reasons. I think the way we have the gospel presented to us with the three synoptic Gospels and one independent gospel. I think it is an act of God.

How it is given to us.

It forces us to think through the challenges to see if there's contradictions are not will come to that trust in the word little bit coming back to this verse 40 so they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in 50s now that kind of organization will make distribution go a lot more smoothly and the coming miracle of fish sandwiches that everybody's going to get it does not need to be hampered with chaos very, very smart and this would also help identify how many people were there break them down into ranks just to the multiplication verse 41 and when he had taken the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them and the two fish he divided among them all. So he says grace before the meal does this at the Passover to we are to do the same thing. First Thessalonians. Our little background here. The Thessalonian church when Paul writes this first Thessalonian letter is a new church.

He and Silas established his church while still bleeding from the beating in Philippi and so these people that were attracted to their message knew about this beating knew what they were getting into their pretty solid believers early on and not just months after he establishes his church. He writes to them. This Thessalonian letter and so he is. He treats them.

He gives them end times information he gives them how to be disfellowshipped if you have to somebody on and who to be with and who not to be with.

As far as fellowship goes and he says this in everything give thanks for it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you and everything you know, we all know the Philippian be anxious for nothing, but in all things with Thanksgiving prayer and supplication.

Well, here it is straight out.

This is the will of God. We see Christ giving us that example he takes the food and he blesses I try not to let even in our bed, anything go into my mouth without saying thank you Lord ate the you know you could be fruit, vegetables, candy milkshakes are very grateful for God feeding me, and I don't mean to say that I am you haven't been not being preaching down at you.

I'm just enjoying the moment because I remember when I wasn't that way. So he looked to heaven because that's where everything comes from. That is good, but what we see in this. Also on this is kind of standard and preaching on this verse. What he takes he blesses and what he blesses, he breaks and what he breaks, he distributes that is very good preaching. I just don't want to be the one broken, but there's no way to really have the Lord distribute through you and Lester some breaking going on and Lester some hardships in facing life suffering of various sorts. You know you can you can go through life.

You know healthy in really unscathed by many things but still internally there's that struggle. You can't put your finger on why it's there. As David said why you cast down all my soul.

Why trust in God. David goes is that I didn't need all visitation. Well, what you've got is it any know that he just trusted in God.

Verse 42 so they all ate and were filled these of the apostles.

Now they ate. First, everybody also saw a gathering, wondering was going on. Christ is enough momentum through his healings and teachings for them to be patient enough. But before we can be used to feed others. We ourselves must feed on the great work and truth of Christ personally kind of annoyed at someone who acts like a know it all and they know nothing, we identify the burden on the what he's talking about John's Gospel Peter said to him. Chapter 13. This is when he's washing the apostles feet. Peter said to him you should never wash my feet Jesus answered, if I do not wash you, you have no part with me if I don't feed you I don't wash you if I don't fill you. What can you do first Corinthians, Paul says, for I delivered to you.

First of all that which I also received first receive. Then he goes on to say this, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures to see is always the word of God. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God and Satan is notorious for coming along and saying okay, enough with the Bible. Now now is time for something practical.

While we doing practical things as best we can, but that can get away from us to. I mean, you start give we just open the bookstore and gave just gave everything out. People would take books away that they would never would read just because they're free.

Just how people are. We have to learn how to manage the blessings that God gives us. I remember as a relatively new believer, I was just following God's word and I want on our church camping trip and I'm lying there in a tent and Satan said I think you putting just too much of them into crisis. Too much Bible reading just way too much and almost instantly, the Lord spoke to me.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. You need to throw everything you've got into me best you can and that's were largely my struggles a bit in my life not been able to do that, according to what I want demeanor walk around this really holy man that's what we all want. We come to Christ and we find out it's it's a fistfight, bare knuckles, very ugly thing is not choreographed doesn't come out the way we planned.

We have to be swift to make adjustments on the move and still be obedient to Christ. So all the Gospels record this but I wanted just emphasize to us all that the sovereignty of God, what would it mean to us without the Scripture would be so confused we be so Scott would be making it would be like the Jews, and with in the days before Moses gave them the law, there were those that just believed in knew better, but there were many of them that work.

The houses were idle infested and they just could add a hard time letting it go.

So John even he records this miracle and John wasn't in the habit of loading up with the miracles as the Synoptics were but anyway fish sandwiches for everyone energy rich proteins and carbohydrates.

I know some of you think cards evil, but you gotta have them, and if you have read verse 43. Then they took up 12 baskets full of fragments and of the fish when you get the baskets basket depot was right. First off, the boat is one place.

These are smaller baskets here. The Greek gives us that. And that means that they could. They like lunchboxes like you know today you have backpacks well some of you still here so the baskets was 12 baskets. They have 12 apostles on the boat.

Each one would have his own lunchbox kind of the thing is like a construction site.

Everybody brings a lunchbox that plus they were those that had carts bringing the sick those cards would've had baskets only have one kid at least that new enough to have his basket of lancets is not big thing, but I like these kind of questions you know you get dizzy and everybody's out there store the blows where they get the basket well there. The thus very easy answers for that. But this multiplying of the bread and the fish were God, who gave a whole nation out in the desert.

40 years of manner.

This is just not hard to believe he turned water into wine already and that seemed to go over the apostles heads.

John's gospel chapter 1 verse three.

All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made sovereign Colossians chapter 1 little background on the Colossian church ball probably never visited that little church. But of course the Gnostics were messing with the believers so Paul took to Penn and and wrote of the Colossian letter to them to say you don't need all that stuff you will complete in Christ. Nevermind these philosophies and these endless ideas you have enough in Jesus Christ a lesson that many Christians all seem to get what he says. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth he's talking about Jesus Christ, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or power principalities or powers.

All things were created through him and for him. Now what part you not doubt about that. Your believer, you have to accept his power to create. It is exactly what we would expect from God walking the earth the ability to take fish and bread and multiply them from one lunchbox to feed a multitude of thousands. Nobody was there with her camera to take pictures of these things, but they did have writing instruments and so they eroded them. Verse 44 now those who had eaten the loaves were about 5000 men again. The apostles are very busy.

Look at verse 52 of Mark chapter 6 with me please. He says they had not understood about the loaves because their hearts were hard and you see that's the point of trying to make throughout that this was going over the disciples heads.

Some of them saw the miracles that the miracle at Cana. They saw the other miracles and still the sovereignty of this Jesus Christ wasn't taking root in them enough because they said what was either taken are in the down by one of the silly answers that you said and untidy. On them up in a tree because he would never do that I would if I had the power not but it's fun to think about where was I okay verse 244. Those who had eaten the loaves were about 5000 men. The Greek word for men is strictly meant males. It is no way to introduce anything else to it.

Matthew chapter 14. Now those who had eaten were about 5000 men, besides women and children. Typically, the women and children in public gatherings H separately from the men. So when they were dividing them up is very likely that the women were in their groups in the men and women and children, and the men were in their groups of separate. This would help them be able to say here's how we know there were 5000 men and in that time the women were not. You know the love you have figured out you know wives and children with them. You could again have triple that number to 15,000. Some say 20,000 I don't dispute either number what's a few thousand months, miracles when he repeats this type of miracle and he will later for 4000 men will anybody there was lucky just was just lucky that time.

So here's a point for this morning.

Some who profess Christ are terrified about admitting miracles. The just uncomfortable with the miracles of Christ. They don't mind when Charlton Heston does a miracle just as Moses open it really comes down to real life. They're not comfortable with these things.

Why is why is that I think one reason is because they think they have to answer to the overlords of human reason they feel like if somebody real smart away from Christ doesn't agree with them that they might be right in the Bible is wrong or panicked by the thought that science may prove the Bible wrong instead of emboldened by the fact that science and the word of God are always in unity together that here we have nothing to fear these people, these overlords are telling us, you know, everybody needs to wear a mask of your ugly writer thou I'm assuming that's why they're doing it. Me I just system with seeing this now, which seemed overlords of science rolling like despots and every body lining up to it. This been happening in the minds of some people long time before this when they came to their Bible. That's why you have these liberal theologians. These liberal authors in Christ name Bill use the Scripture here and there, but the other one smart enough to know when the Scriptures right.

You're not. And they make the bestsellers. Let me give you a little hint. If the book is a bestseller.

It probably doesn't agree with Christ. I mean, is not 100% every now and then one comes by to keep us on our toes, but it is the way it is a W torturous books should be bestsellers Vance Hafner's books should be bestsellers Charles Spurgeon sermons should be bestsellers you not going to find anything like this that's better vein is coming out theology today. You will not find better than those three men just for an example that I just mentioned.

Why is that I think it has something to do Tower of Babel. The passage of information, the joining of the world to the church always been a struggle but what's different from any other time in history is the ability to pass information at speed that we can even measure. I mean you just send an email to someone in another country. They've got it all soon as you percent.

Anyway, I kinda went down a rabbit trail because this fun sometimes better than going on a rabbit trail. The Alligator Trl., Hebrews Chapter 11. This is for those who are panic at the thought that science may prove the Bible wrong. Hebrews 11 three by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Your other things at work. We don't know what all but God does. But we do know enough and what we do know is not wrong. Today's media would not have reported this event, or they would've corrupted it, they would've said he fed thousands, but then we found trailer loads of food and and and they just would try to take it away from him.

Verse 45 immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side to beside a always sent the multitude away. So here's why this is so important. He's in John is the one that tells us well go right to a John the same when Mark says immediately he means, and then the next thing that happened throughout his gospel. But here it is actually an urgent call. So when he says immediately. He made his disciples get in the boat there were something forcing the moment there was an urgent need. John tells us what it is. In chapter 6 of verse 14 and 15, after Jesus had fed everyone then those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said this is truly the prophet who is to come into the world.

Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he departed again to the mountain by himself alone so he feeds them. He understands okay that they gonna try to force me to be their king slickest to the deposit. I want to get in this boat and want to get out of here. I don't want this to be any part of of what we're what I'm doing and what is happening with you and so he's getting them out of the area. Keep he will leave and likely as I believe Gore top of Mount Arbel that is there on the shore of Galilee. You have no kingship based on selfish satisfaction and that's what it is they wanted to enslave the miracle worker so that he could be like a peds dispenser. They just push the button all the bread comes out. That's what they saw their Messiah to be messianic fervor was in the air. They figure they could force him to be king, then they could rally Galilee. Then they could march on Jerusalem. This is the kind of thoughts that were going to these carnal men's minds, what about the teachings he was giving them when he stepped off the boat he began to teach them well.

Those teachings about God only good if the subject to what men need. That was their approach.

They did not want to crown him because of his person or his teachings for his goodies. Mark's gospel chapter 8 Jesus said get behind me Satan, for you are not mindful of the things of God. We got to remember these, versus this comes out of expositional teaching. It comes out of your devotional time wanted bread and miracles to become a permanent thing and no more Gentiles. That was another part which makes the book of acts so incredibly powerful computer goes the house of Cornelius and he brings the Gentiles into Christianity because they become filled with the spiritual being dies of the baptizer him right now who can deny them. So Jesus did not believe the voice of the people is the voice of God said some of the ancients, Jesus sides Jesus really is the voice of God that is lineup then and that is his sovereign right. We know him because of his Holy Spirit love that it is so move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time.

As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Rocky on cross reference radio