Disciple Making

Problems with the Dykstra North if you would Mark chapter 6 and we will start all fell versus 3332, the apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that it they had done and taught. He said to them, why by yourself to a desolate place and rest a while for many were coming and going. We had no leisure even to eat. They went away in the boat to a desolate place, sales that with me as we get our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we want to lift up J Chris started day as he has been called to preach in the absence of the pastor at Goshen Presbyterian Church in Belmont the day we would ask Lord that you be with Jay anointing and help him, Lord, that he might feed that congregation we father.

We continue to pray for our sick. We pray for Fran, releasing suffering with esophageal cancer helper through the radiation and chemotherapy.

Pray for Nicole loves to help her to heal completely from the vertigo. We thank you Lord for Jean voices healing and we pray for Bob Reynolds as he mourns the death of his wife, Jean, heavenly father. The passage that we are looking at today teaches us a lesson at the modern-day church needs desperately that, is that Jesus is not calling for decisions is calling for disciples. He wants us to grow up spiritually. He wants us to so mature that we can train up others order also looking at a miracle that you did for 5000 men with five loaves and two fish.

That should build our faith should make a stand with Paul he said in Philippians 419 for my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.

All the uses passage today to make us hungry to be true disciples.

What is the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. The most effective attacks against the modern-day church in America today are surprisingly not just coming from communism in the culture. The most effective attacks that are coming against the church today are coming from within Google forms of progressivism and liberalism folks in the name of Christianity.

These movements are doing all that they can do to try to to create damage in the faith that we have in Scripture and to cripple our witness as believers, RC Sproul, in his commentary on the Gospel of Mark was sharing some things that helped us understand what the liberals are doing and explain how they are trying to discredit the miracles of Christ and the miracle of Christ that were looking at today's the feeding of the 5000, you realize that's one of the most important miracles in the Scripture it's listed in all four of the of the Gospels, but he was sharing sprawl was sharing in and what they do to try to explain those miracles away and own a share with you to the things that were said one so-called theologian said Jesus carefully prepared for this event by deviously filling the cave near the Sea of Galilee, with a large supply of loaves and fishes. Jesus had a flowing road loose sleeves such as you might see on a magician when it came time to feed the people. The disciples formed a bucket brigade pass in loaves and fishes to him through the back of his road which he then distributed to this mass of humanity was gathered in front of him. So the fading of the 5000 was merely a hugs perpetrated by fraudulent preacher. The other explanation was that when Jesus finished his teaching that day. The people were tired and hungry but very few of them had thought ahead. They brought food for their nourishment. Jesus asked his disciples to go around and find what who had brought food and it turned out that some had brought Lowe's in Sunfish. So Jesus address the multitude said share what you have with one another. Thus, everyone was able to eat because those who had brought food shared with others who would not so sure miracle that took place was an ethical miracle.

It was the miracle of human being sharing their provisions with one another. RC Sproul said it well when he declared that these explanations manifest nothing short of unbelief.

They do not reflect the straightforward testimony of the text that Mark sets before us.

I think we need to understand what's going on. I think that needed to be said.

Folks, the Bible is not a fairytale. We can trust it implicitly. Jesus Christ is not devious. He is not a fake magician Jesus Christ is Lord and the miracle of the fading of the 5000.

We can trust that it happened exactly as the Scripture lays it out for us. I have three points that I will share with you today .1 his disciple making. Look with me again versus 33, 34, the apostles returned to Jesus and told him all the way all that they had done and taught, and he said to them come away by your sales to a desolate place and rest a while for many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat and they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves, and many saw them going and recognize them and they ran they are on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them when he went ashore he saw a great crowd. He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things to remember the disciples have been sent out by Jesus and they had gone they'd been out ministering for probably 23 months and what had they done they done the same thing.

Jesus did, they went out they taught the word of God.

They healed the sick, and they cast out demons. But now, the Scripture says that they were back with Jesus that in verse 30. The Scripture says that they were apostles. This is the first time in the Gospel of Mark that there called apostles. Up to this time there always call disciples.

A disciple is a student a learner. He is a a a follower with the word apostle means one who has been sent.

I shared with you. Just a few weeks ago at the apostolic age is over is over. When did it. We did it in apostolic age ended when John the apostle, the son of Zebedee, died when John the apostle wrote the. The last word in the book of Revelation is the word amen in the canon of Scripture was closed and so we have no apostles today are apostolic authority today is what it is the word of God.

But notice how Jesus is continuing here is to his discipling of them.

Jesus takes these apostles under his wing and he nourishes them that matter. If there apostles are not. He teaches them. He feeds them whether they need that is Jesus trying to just get them spiritually fattened up so be better bowel jeopardy. No knows Jesus is teaching them anything them under his wing so that they can learn how to take others and put them under their wing years ago into a pastors conference that was entitled trying and faithful man in the lee of the speaker in that and in that particular conference looked at us as pastors. He said there many views are pastors right now they're spending an inordinate amount of time in an administrative duties. Each of what you need to do is this.

You need to find people in your church that are gifted to do that and let them do it and then you need to do this you need to be making disciples in your church, and the key verse that he is with second Timothy 22 things which sales heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, what shall be able to teach others also. He said fine faithful man who are committed to Christ and committed to the church, fun, faithful men, who love the Lord and and care for his people, and then put those men under your wing. Train them one on one meeting with him at least once a week and teach them the principles of God's word might make memorization and meditation on Scripture daily practice and then teach them to do. This might take a year might take two years but teach them to be trained up in the word of God in such a way so that they can take someone a faithful man put them under their wing and teach them and train them so they can teach others. Folks, I have watched the Lord use this principle and I watched in people and in the men that I see that happening the end, there has been unbelievable growth. Spiritual growth man to develop this program started a church out in Washington state and eight he started with 4 million faithful men, and he took them and he train them, put them up under his wing and train them and worked with them for a year and then after year.

Those 4 million look for other million and they train them and that Multiplied in a period of five years that church had moved from five faithful men to a thousand disciples and and he said people Coming to him and telling him this is taking too much time we don't need to do this. It's too much trouble and he said look I don't have time to take shortcuts anymore. He said this is what I've learned you don't grow trees overnight the principles of discipleship that Jesus is laying down from the apostles leader cannot be overlooked is the process of multiplication we give example, consider checkerboard how many blocks are only checkerboard 64. All right, what if you took one grain of wheat and put on the first lot on the second block you doubled it and put to the third block you doubled it put for the fourth lot you doubled it and got eight in the in the fifth block you doubled it got 16 how much weight would you have on the 64th block enough to cover the entire country of India but that's multiplication that's what we are being called to do. That's the key to carrying out the great commission Jesus didn't say to go get decisions.

Jesus said to make disciples.

I think the greatest translation for the for the great commission would be the us as you were growing make disciples will a very wise Jesus knew the disciples were tired like John MacArthur said it. Listen to this.

The Lord recognize their need for rest and responded with tenderness. Following his instruction. The disciples went away in the boat to a secluded place by them sales the boat likely belonged to some of the former fishermen among the 12 such as Peter and Andrew were James and John.

Even the trip across the lake, provided the disciples with an opportunity to enjoy a short reprieve from the pressure of the crowds interesting thing here Jesus and the disciples get the boat there going to their destination and in the boat straight across the water is their destination and it takes them 4 miles to get there after on the shore where they were. There was a huge group of people desperate people who desperately wanted to see Jesus and for them. They didn't have a boat so they can go as the crow flies. They can go across the water they have to go the land route in the land route is 10 miles so they would like take off many of them are running and they go all the right around where Jesus is going to go and they actually beat Jesus to where he's coming to Jesus is coming in on the boat. He looks out there and he sees this mass of people, some of them are sick. Some of them are diseased. Some of them are infirmed.

Some of them are depressed, some of them are tortured by demons in the Scripture says that Jesus was moved with compassion that that these people were like sheep without a shepherd in a sheep are some of the most helpless animals in the world and when they found anything to fight with it on a sharp claws and all have sharp teeth. They they can't run very fast. I can't see very well that they are, just a bloated with the heavy wool and besides all that there dumb and you know that's the picture of a class and so we are without Christ guiding and directing in our lives what what drew Jesus to these sheep what drew Jesus to the sheep he was moved with compassion. One of the great gifts of the spirit of God is the gift of mercy. You know every true Christian has been given at least one spiritual gift. Some have more than that sum of 23 but every body has one and that one particular spiritual gift permeates the personality of that person. My gift is expectation and that particular gift is helping people took to move up the spiritual ladder. It permeates my personality affects my thinking we say what Jesus hand Scripture says that the spirit of God was given to Jesus without measure. Didn't have one spiritual gift. He had all the spiritual gifts I'm telling you something. I praise God for his justice and I praise God for his holiness when I really praise God for his his mercy. I praise God for the mercy of Jesus.

Why, because I know that I'm nothing but a vile center and if it hadn't been for him going to the cross I beheaded for hail right now that's exactly what I deserved. But because of Jesus because of his mercy because he shed his precious blood for me. I know that I'm on my way to heaven because I know him and he knows me first Peter chapter 5 recital of what Peter said.

He said to the church cast all your cares upon him Jesus, for he cares for you. Well disciples all that compassion, they saw that that gift of mercy in Jesus and one of the steps in them being discipled was so that they could develop that mercy in them and they were watching Jesus leave it out right here.

So what did Jesus do for this crowd.

Scripture says in verse 34 that Jesus taught them many things taught them many things and and they saw that and and and what they were coming to understand is this Jesus had a priority of feeding the sheep very interesting.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 21 is my or my favorite chapters in the Bible. Peter has denied Jesus three times. His heart is broken is discouraged. He hates himself easily. He's thinks Jesus will never have anything to do with him ever again.

And then Jesus in his resurrected body appears they are on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is as Peter come only I start walking down the shore of the Sea of Galilee by yourself, Jesus imagine put his arm rampaged her shoulder subpoena. When asked a question Peter do you love me yes Lord you know all of you is if a mushy walked on little further. Peter you love me yes Lord you know I love you feed mushy walked on a little further. Peter even like me do you love me as a friend. I'm sure with tears in his eyes. Peter said yes Lord's admin fee. My sheep, Simon Peter never got over that 35 years later, peters in a prison cell in Rome get ready to be crucified. He writes two letters we: first and second Peter in the fifth chapter of that first letter that he is talking to the pastors to the elders and he says this the very first thing feed the flock of God, folks, that's the pastors greatest responsibility over and above everything else we can let something slide. We don't have to be great and everything, but we better be serious about teaching the people of God. The word of God, how important that is will that's what Jesus was doing there huge multitude of people in the Scripture says that Jesus taught them many things. Disciples learned a lot that day, as they were watching Jesus they learned a lot about compassion learned a lot about mercy. I think primarily they learned the importance of feeding the sheep on the second point that I want to share with you is disciples with the little look at verse 35 through 38 and when it relate his disciples came to him and said this is a desolate place and I was 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 I said to him, shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat. He said to them, how many loaves do you have going. See they found out they said five loaves and two fish.

Martin lays out some very sweet detail here. John feels the sin and some of say something do not see in the Gospel of Mark, but you go in the Gospel of John. You you'll see what I'm talking about the Lord's teaching was so powerful and so captivating that that huge multitude was absolutely mesmerized and Jesus Teaching all day and I didn't even realize how long it'd be in until all of a sudden the sun started going down and the disciples begin to realize we're in trouble is of huge crowds of people they're hungry they're thirsty and and they don't have time to go home now is not a restaurant is not a grocery store anywhere around what in the world are we going to do and they come to Jesus and said Jesus currently have a deal with is how you feed all these people. Jesus looks over to Philip and he says to Philip you feed them if they how much money is it going to take to feed all these people. Philip Phillips analytical disciple. He thinks like an engineer very rational in his thinking. I think it's also very interesting that this is the only place in the Bible that Jesus ever asked for anybody's advice and John says he did this on purpose to test Philip because he knew exactly what he was going to do well here's Philip, and Philip has heard what Jesus has had to say. And now Phillip's mind is pouring like a calculator haze, looking at all this huge crowd is trying to figure a family, or they are and then he comes up with a figure for Jesus. He said we could get 200 denarii so the lower that's coming from, but if we could get it. He said then we could give every body at least a little bit little insignificant bit of food. Philip calculated the calculated without Christ looks when we do that wiser vision some small while we take the blinders off and see the grandeur and the majesty and the power of our Lord Scripture says in and Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 that the Lord can do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or even more than we can think while Philip is contemplating all this glorious story breaks out the crowds enormous five 5000 people lien that that include the women and children could been 20,000 layer little boy there that morning and he's probably around eight or nine years old his mom is making the little sack lunch five loaves and two fish. He does know the disciples even though Jesus he's probably there.

Out of curiosity, like a lot of these people were all sunny looks out and he sees the disciples run around in a panic, wondering how the world to feed all these people say goes over to Andrew starts tugging on his toga. Andrew looks over there at them and I'm sure he's kind of aggravated support. He will little boy little boy looks up and he takes that luncheon hands that Andrew he said Jesus can have my lunch and I'm sure Andrew smiled soon as a sweet, kind thing, but what what's what's this little lunch is not enough men entry things well at least it's something and so he takes a little boy by the hand and they start going to the crowd, making their way through that throng of people any texting right up to the feet of the master right up to the feet of Jesus in a handwritten have to do it that way. Peter have to do it that way at all. He could have very easily taken that bag out of the hand of that little boy and just take it up to Jesus himself. He didn't do that one, not because he wanted that little boy to be part of the experience to share the experience.

Danny's limitations something your kids need to be part of your Christian experience. If you share the gospel with somebody in your kids are old enough that they'll sit still and listen and take them with you when you're sharing the gospel, let them hear their day tell somebody else how sweet Jesus is and how desperately they need Jesus's salvation usually take some food to a hungry family take your daughter with you. Take your little boy with you.

Let them see the Christian experience, let them share in that themselves so that huge crowd looking on Jesus looks at that little boy and smiles and he says will boy can I have at lunch that will boy is excited, he reaches up and hands it to Jesus and he says yes sir, here's my lunch and Jesus takes it from me.

Andrew looks over Jesus, I'm sure. Probably apologetically shrugs his shoulders and said all we have here Lord is is too little fish and five loaves, but one is that among so many Andrew didn't see much hope he's already written across that little lot lunch sack insufficient funds pieces little boy you got a little but we need a lot me ask you something any of you here saying that about yourself is a man I'm just insufficient. I'm insignificant. I just don't have the talents of the gifts of the abilities to really be used of the Lord nobody will ever asked me to teach Sunday school.

Nobody will ever asked me to sing in the choir.

Nobody will ever asked me to help figure out the church budget. Nobody will ever asked me to be on the mission committee.

Don't worry about it because if you're a true child of God and you stay ready and you stay available and you stay open before the Lord in the in in God's perfect timing. Jesus is gonna lift you up and he is going to move you to the forefront the providence of God is going to single you out and he's going to use what you have. So Doug, I don't have much with God to be more than five was in two fish, but this little boy did note a bakery. He didn't own stock in Chick-fil-A.

All he had was a little snack lunch that was it that he took it in the put in the hands of Jesus. Jesus said, I'll take it and wouldn't so conditioned by society. We try to apply the world's system to the Christian faith.

We shouldn't do that.

The world tells us Biggers is better, always better know it's not is not always better. We need to understand that several years ago I preached a series of reliable services in Milford, Saskatchewan, Canada. I met a missionary layer who had been a missionary to Saudi Arabia. Very tough, tough mission work and shared with me about a young man 20 years old that he had a chance to share the gospel with.

He said this man.

I had a father who was a wealthy oil sheet and this father was at his 21st birthday a son's 21st birthday was can give them $150 million to start his life with.

And the men the missionary when you share the gospel with any did a tolling that the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. He told them about the power of the resurrection. He told him that the love of Jesus as he became the substitutionary atonement for his people and called him to a radical repentance that boy's heart was broken by the spirit of God right there. He trusted Christ as his Lord and Savior repented of his sin turned away from Islam, and in all of this just happened just very very quickly. The boy's father found out about it and disowning said you never get a penny from me.

Then the father got so angry they put out a contract have his son keeled the voice went to the missionary and he said have to leave the country. I know I'm going to another country right now you pray for me.

I believe the Lord might use me, I'm just going to give the Lord what I have. I don't have much, but I think the Lord might use me and went to Turkey. Nothing in his hand. For the Bible close on his back.

For here. He lives in a cardboard box and all he did was look for food. Read the Scripture and pray after a year of the us. The Lord called them to preach this missionary friend of mine told me he said I have never seen anything like it before.

He said there was a power and an anointing that was unbelievable. He said that man just ripped the heart right out of the fall.

Truly the religion of Islam.

And he called the Moslem people to a radical repentance and he said there was hundreds and thousands of people came to Christ. But God didn't need that daddy's hundred $50 million. He just took this one young man who was consecrated to him. He filled them with the spirit, multiplied his resources and then send him into the Moslem world to penetrate that world with his testimony.

Folks there's nothing scriptural about this idea that bigger is always better. It's not think of Gideon God said to Gideon, I was she going to think the Midianites getting so be right back and went out and got 22,000 troops brought back sad about this, Lord, Lord's and the next way to be. And so we went out to the Trixie salmon if you're scared 12,000 said we are and so he cut it down to 10,008 took that back about this. Lord Larson and I way to be cutting down the 300 and then the 300 when out in the 300 defeated the, the Midianites defeated them just like that and what happened. Everybody knew this was not Gideon that did this is was God did this and guess who got the glory out of that… The glory but we can't take the good old American way and try to apply to our faith it will hold water. The success formula for the world doesn't fit into Jesus plans the church is not a business it's family is not so much an organization as it is an organism and we air greatly when we try to copy the world's agenda, but what we need to do is this. We need to quit looking at our smallness. We need to start looking at God's greatness has a K and Z of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10.

Zechariah said that we are not to despise the day of small things Jesus said he that is faithful in that which is least will be faithful in that which is much we tell you something, little is much when God sent it all right .3 a Lord with a lot versus 39 to 44. Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass so they send any grief by hundreds and by 50s and taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven and set a blessing and breathalyzers and gave them to the disciples to set for the people, they divided the two fish among them all and they all ate and were satisfied and they took up 12 baskets full of broken pieces of fish. Those who ate the loans were 5000 men early loser said the following is that I can't prove it but I believe the miracle took place in the hands of Jesus, the disciples could only give it away what they had received only Jesus could keep given beyond what he had his hands imagine this Peter came to Jesus for a bit of fish. He was amazed there was enough for him and for others to ace disciple came to Jesus and asked where I can't came away with enough room for dozens of people sit on the ground. No matter how often the disciples returned their arms are always full. If they came expecting to receive what he was waiting for them.

The people received as much as they wanted and if there had been 20,000 on the hillside.

They too would have been fed a big miracle is no more difficult for God than a small one. Omnipotence has unending supply with picnic. I guess the best way to describe this situation would be resources in the hands of omnipotence. What this little boy held in his hands was nothing but just a greasy little bag lunch in it. Five roles and two sardines.

That was all there was. When that little bag was placed in the hands of Jesus and the possibilities were unlimited. Picture this if you can. Jesus standing there. He takes the bread and the fish and he starts to break it starts multiplying his hands. The cycle start coming one by one they hold their tug is out to get filled up with bread and fish they take it off and start distributed among the crowd and then the next one comes at the Jesus and the next one and the first one goes back and gets back in line that goes on until an entire group of people are completely and totally failed. Scripture says not only did they eat, but they ate until they were about to pop.

They ate everything I wanted and there were 12 x 12 basket filled fools left over but is that not God's way, does God not love doing that blameless to use the insignificant in order to confound the world and first Corinthians 127 through 29 Paul said, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things are not that are not to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God just is nothing wrong got to dust and mold it into million donkeys jawbone seems fairly insignificant within the hand of God is given over to Samson and he used it to kill a thousand Philistines. What can our church do we can put our resources into the hands of Jesus folks when we do that the possibilities are unlimited.

Thousands of people's all these fish multiplying off the hands of Jesus.

I'm sure that they praise God, and I'm sure that they thought in their minds. This is gotta be our long-awaited Messiah people that little boy gave his lunch to Jesus and Jesus use it to glorify himself will boy didn't have to do that. He could've taken that logic of the got off by himself he could bring his own personal legal and you know what Estefan was in two fish when he gave it to Jesus. Then it fed thousands and thousands. I can imagine a boy going home that day. His mom is probably worried sick somewhere in the world have you been up and scared to death worrying about you is mom you angle believe what that preacher did with your biscuits.

Let me close with this. The question we need to ask today. Once again it's one of my among so many deal movie was over in England and heard a street preacher's name was Henry Varley in the street preacher made a statement and that statement was this, this world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is completely and totally yielded to Jesus Christ and DL Moody said, by the grace of God, I'll be that man and he shook two continents for Christ. What are you among so many. What about you what about me who can God do with us. We take our resources are DSR abilities, the money we have the things that that that the Lords has has given us. We put them in the hands of omnipotence happens then God can use us in mighty ways spray heavenly father.

This story teaches us that little as much when God seen it story also teaches us that true disciples trust you for provision. We too often miss your provision because were so enamored by this world. One apply all the worlds tricks and techniques rather than just trusting you as we leave this building today. May we leave trust in Luke 137 that with God all things are possible for us in the precious name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen