Sermon July 18-19, 2015

Title: Followed, fed and forgiven!
Text: Mark 6:30-44

 41 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. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied.

Dear friends in Christ,

The passengers were sitting quietly in the subway car, when a man entered with children who were extremely noisy and active. To the passenger’s surprise, the man (who was obviously the father) sat down and closed his eyes, ignoring the loud and rambunctious children. He sat as though he were oblivious to them! The subway car was ringing with chaotic noise. The children's behavior was way out of line, and everyone was getting agitated - except the father.

Finally, a passenger leaned over and spoke to the man about his children. The father opened his eyes and seemed to finally grasp the situation.

"Oh, you're right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don't know what to think, and I guess they don't know how to handle it either."

Many times we too become agitated before we show compassion.

Thankfully:

JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!

31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:31

The news that His disciples brought to Jesus in the verses preceding this text was the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod. Hard news for anyone to hear especially if the news involves someone we know or are close to that has lost their life.

Jesus needed to get away and be away from the people. So He gets into a boat with his disciples and goes across the lake to a place that is quite – to a place that is desolate.

32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Mark 6:32

When you think of desolate you might think of a place devoid of inhabitants and deserted. A place that is joyless and sorrowful - as if separated from a loved one. A place showing signs of abandonment, dilapidated, devoid of warmth, comfort or hope. But what does Jesus find?

33 Now many saw them going and recognized them and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, Mark 6:33-34a

He went to get away; to be by Himself; to collect His thoughts; to pray and here he finds not a desolate place at all, but one filled with a very large crowd of followers. I believe that even this crowd would have given Jesus a pass had he became agitated and told them to go away. But what does Jesus do?

… and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:34b

JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!

We too fail to see and reflect God’s compassion in our daily lives. Many times agitation - seen through the eyes of sin - become the first reaction we have before – by the power of the Holy Spirit – we see through the compassionate eyes of faith given to us by our loving savior Jesus.

Compassion would show for a Christian the wonderful evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. To think of someone else and their needs first and foremost is a Christ-like virtue.

Ill.

There is a story of great compassion in the face of tragedy from a news story a few years ago:
What started as a family camping trip turned into a tragic tale of loss and heroism for one [doctor and his family.]

Dr. Alex Constantinides (Con-stan-tin-ides) has been a ringside physician and active in the mixed martial arts community, primarily in Colorado, for several years.

He, his wife, and their three adopted daughters were on a camping trip recently in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. They were evacuated from their campsite when heavy rains poured down in the area.

As they drove away, their van plunged into a nine-foot-deep chasm in the road and into a rising creek. Alex’s wife, Laurel, and their daughters, Hannah, 8, Zoey, 5, and Lucia, 2, did not survive.
Somehow, Dr. Alex Constantinides escaped the raging waters.

Making his way back up the creek, he came across Saratoga, Wyo., Mayor John Zeiger, whose truck fell into the same chasm in the road, landing in the creek.

Constantinides, just shortly after losing his own family, pulled Zeiger out of the truck to safety, likely saving his life.

“I am surrounded by family and friends, Constantinides said. I am safe. Your prayers are felt and appreciated. Please continue to pray for my four angles that they find peace in God’s presence.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/fighters-mma-community-rally-around-colorado-ringside-doctor-who-lost-his-family

In spite of the tragedy of losing his family in this sad and unexpected accident, Dr. Alex Constantinides was able to show compassion and help save another from a similar fate. He thought of another, in a time of need, just as Jesus did in our text today.

As I drove to the church on Saturday, I arrived at 4:00 PM to prepare for the two baptisms for Mayla and Lanna Graves. As I prepared to pull into the drive I had to wait for a lady who was in the drive to pass. As I pulled into the parking lot and got out of my truck she was coming up the driveway. “Sir, she said are you the pastor?” I answered yes and she proceeded to tell me she was out for a walk and just didn’t think she could make it to her car and asked if I could drive her over because it was so hot.
I had compassion on her and drove her to her car. As we rode she said, “I not as young as I think I am saying she was celebrating her 50th High School class reunion this year. I told her I understand as I was just at my friends 60th birthday party on Friday.

My friend Jeff’s son called me last Sunday and asked if I would be willing to play some music with his dad at a surprise birthday party they planned for Friday the 17th, his birthday. While I’m rusty at guitar and find little joy playing songs I remember half of I agreed to do this.

We played from 7:00 PM to 9:00 Pm and I said, “Guys, I’m done so we finished and went to get a bit of food. As we sat talking my friends wife Laura came up and said that her friend was coming and couldn’t get here earlier and really wanted to hear the band and would we play a few more songs? We said sure and began playing again at 9:30. Into our third song, Peaceful Easy Feeling, we got the cut sign from Jeff’s son Gordy as the police had arrived! They were chuckling a bit when they saw the ages of the “kids” that were disturbing the peace! They had compassion of us as well.

JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!

Jesus’ showed compassion to the crowd of people gathered at this place and His compassion extended to their physical need as well. These five thousand men, women and children hungered and were fed in a miraculous way by Jesus, but the miracle was probably not even something they were aware of. God’s great blessing filled their hunger, showed the disciples the compassion and power with which Jesus was sending them out. Each had a basketful of leftovers [12] to testify to what Jesus has done and will continue to do through them.

God would be with them as they went forth. His miraculous work would be worked through them. Jesus would speak as they spoke.

All that Jesus is and does would be with them as they walked in His place with His word, bringing freedom to those in need of the saving knowledge of Christ in a fallen world.  The compassion that Jesus has would be the compassion they share with sinners so that they are healed of their sin, fed by our precious Lord’s word and satisfied of all their wants and needs.

Jesus has compassion. 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)

Jesus has compassion. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

Jesus has compassion. 8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

Jesus has compassion. 9Because, by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Rom. 10:9-10)

Jesus has compassion. 13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom. 10:13)

Jesus has compassion … on you! Because, He heals your sin and covers you with His righteousness so that you are by faith, free of your bondage to sin, fed by his holy word as well as His very Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper that is given and shed for you! And all who are satisfied and found in Him … Christ gives you simply out of His compassionate grace, mercy and love for you.

JESUS HAS COMPASSION, SO THAT SINNERS ARE SATISFIED!

Finally, I leave you with a few of the wonderful words from our Sermon Hymn today.

God Loved the World So That He Gave

God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.

God would not have the sinner die,
His Son with saving grace is nigh,
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.

Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To Thee, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!

We are Followed by God as he by his Spirit draws us to Christ. We are fed by his word and sacrament that call us to faith and sustain us unto his call home and we are forgiven – in Christ, being rescued from sin, death and the power of the devil!

May the Love of God the Father who made us,
the Compassion of Christ our Lord who redeemed us,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who sustains us,
be and abide with us now and forever more.

Amen