Mark 8:1-9 - CONSIDER THE MULTITUDE

MARK 8:1-9

CONSIDER THE MULTITUDE

READ THE TEXT

Our text begins, In those days the multitude being very great…

In fact we also read that the multitude was about 4,000 in number. According to Matthew, that number was just the men. Women and children were also there. Jesus had quite a number to consider.

What did Jesus consider about this crowd? He had compassion on them because they were hungry.

He also had compassion because they were shepherdless.

When Jesus fed the 5,000, we are told Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

The passage we just read tells us that Jesus again taught the crowd when he fed the 4,000.

He also had compassion on the crowd because they were sick.

Speaking of the same Miracle Matthew 15:30 says, And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

So, Jesus' compassion on the multitude was more than just concerning their stomachs. He was concerned for their total well being. Jesus considered the multitude!

"Fine," you say. "But what does Jesus considering the multitude have to do with me?"

Glad you asked. J

Your life is filled with a multitude of people.

There's your family and friends.

There are your neighbors.

There are your fellow workers and school friends.

There are people you meet socially and in the world of business.

There are people who wait on you at the gas station and the store.

You know a multitude of people. And just as Jesus considered the multitude, we need to consider the multitude as well.

The multitude you know has many needs. In a sense of the word they are starving. Just as Jesus said to the disciples, I have compassion on the multitude and want to feed them, he is saying to you and I, "I have compassion on the multitude you know and want to feed them."

We probably answer the Lord the same way the disciples did, "Lord there are so many. We can't possibly feed them."

The disciples did end up feeding the multitude. It was they who brought Jesus the 7 loaves and a few fishes, and it was they who took the food to the people.

For a few moments let's Consider the Multitude we know.

OUR RESPONSE

Erwin Lutzer said: "Regardless of how we define Christ’s separation from the world, one fact is clear: he did not separate himself from human beings and their needs. Nor did he limit his concern to the spiritual part of man’s personality."

We already saw that Jesus had compassion on the multitude.

He had compassion because they were lost - sheep without a shepherd.

He had compassion because they were sick.

He had compassion because they were hungry.

Look at the multitude around you.

Many of those you know are lost. They are sheep without a shepherd because they have never been brought to the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep.

Many of those you know are hungry. Some are literally hungry. Many are Spiritually hungry. Not just those without Christ are Spiritually hungry. But those with Christ are Spiritually hungry.

They need hope. They need help. They need forgiveness. They need encouragement.

Many of those you know, saved and unsaved, are literally sick. They need encouragement and help.

"In 1975 a child named Raymond Dunn, Jr., was born in New York State. The Associated Press reports that at his birth, a skull fracture and oxygen deprivation caused severe retardation. As Raymond grew, the family discovered further impairments. His twisted body suffered up to twenty seizures per day. He was blind, mute, immobile. He had severe allergies that limited him to only one food: a meat-based formula made by Gerber Foods.

"In 1985, Gerber stopped making the formula that Raymond lived on. Carol Dunn scoured the country to buy what stores had in stock, accumulating cases and cases, but in 1990 her supply ran out. In desperation, she appealed to Gerber for help.

Without this particular food, Raymond would starve to death. The employees of the company listened.

"In an unprecedented action, volunteers donated hundreds of hours to bring out old equipment, set up production lines, obtain special approval from the USDA, and produce the formula--all for one special boy. In January 1995, Raymond Dunn, Jr., known as the Gerber Boy, died from his physical problems. But during his brief lifetime he called forth a wonderful thing called compassion."

( Larry A. Payne, Amarillo, Texas. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 3. Copied from Bible Illustrator 3.0)

My friends, if so many people can have so much compassion on one little boy who was starving, shouldn't we have compassion on those who are dying and going to hell?

Shouldn't we have compassion on brothers and sisters in Christ who have physical needs?

Shouldn't we have compassion on shut-ins and those in adult and nursing homes? I am thankful for our ladies who are compassionate enough to make lap robes and place-mats for those in the homes around here.

John 4:35 - Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

OUR RESPONSE - Compassion

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

Although Jesus worked the miracle, Jesus gave the responsibility of the work to the disciples.

We are responsible to witness.

1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

We are responsible to be sympathetic to others.

Romans 12:15 - Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

We are responsible to encourage other Christians.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We are responsible to meet the physical needs of others. In fact our treatment of others is a proof of our own salvation.

Matthew 25:31-40 - When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

OUR RESPONSE - Compassion

OUR RESPONSIBILITY - To Reach Out

OUR RESOURCES

In Verse 5 Jesus asks, How many loaves have ye?

In other words, Jesus is saying, "Consider your resources!"

It was discovered that they had seven loaves and a few SMALL fishes.

They didn't have much but they had something that was to be given to Him to use to feed the multitude.

My friend, the God that wants you to have compassion on the multitude and the God who tells you to reach out to the multitude, is the same God who has given you resources to do what he wants you to do.

The disciples had 7 loaves as a resource. Let me suggest to you that God has given you at least 7 "loaves" as a resource to reach the multitude.

· Loaf #1 is a tongue.

Now I realize that this is pretty basic and pretty obvious, but no matter how shy you may be, God has given you a tongue, and you know how to use it!

God has given you the physical ability to communicate your faith.

God has given you the physical ability to encourage other Christians.

God has given you the physical ability.

All you have to do is use it!

You might be thinking, "How will I ever overcome my shyness, or my backward speech?" That leads to loaf #2!

· LOAF #2 IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

Romans 8:9 - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

God, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you.

In reaching the multitudes, what is the thing we need more than anything else? It is power! That's what the Holy Spirit provides!

Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We can not measure the effectiveness of our witness by the number of people who make profession of faith. A better measure of our effectiveness is the amount of conviction that comes on people.

Jesus, Paul and Peter did not see every person they talked to come to salvation. But even those who didn't were convicted.

Sometimes conviction results in anger and even persecution of the person being convicted.

By the way, it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to reach out to the multitudes in other ways.

It is the Holy Spirit that provides the fruit that allows us to touch the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike.

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

· LOAF #3 IS PRAYER

God has given us this wonderful resource of prayer and He has also given us some wonderful promises.

Matthew 7:7-11 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Prayer is a resource God gives for us to reach the multitude. God is more concerned than you are about people, but God has also determined that He is going to act in response to His people.

Prayer should be given for the unsaved.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 - I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Prayer should be made for the saved.

Ephesians 6:18 - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

"God’s greatest movements in this world have been conditioned on, continued and fashioned by prayer. God has put Himself in these great movements just as men have prayer. Persistent, prevailing, conspicuous and mastering prayer has always brought God to present. How vast are the possibilities of prayer! How wide its reach! It lays its hand on Almighty God and moves Him to do what He would not do if prayer was not offered. Prayer is a wonderful power placed by Almighty God in the hands of His saints, which may be used to accomplish great purposes and to achieve unusual results. The only limits to prayer are the promises of God and His ability to fulfill those promises." - E. M. Bounds

· LOAF #4 - THE WORD OF GOD

When you witness and when you give comfort or advice, what you have to say is really not that important or all that powerful.

It is what God has to say that is important.

It is the Word of God that is key to salvation.

1 Peter 1:23 - Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

It is God's Word that is effective in the life of the believer.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

God's word is effective whenever it is presented accurately.

Isaiah 55:10-11 - For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

· LOAF # 5 IS SPIRITUAL GIFTS

God has given you a supernatural speaking or serving gift with which to serve the Lord. Whatever Spiritual ability God has given you, you need to use that gift!

2 Timothy 1:6 - Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Check out the lists of gifts as found in the Scriptures, especially the list found in Romans 12. As God to show you your gift, and stir up your gift by asking God for strength and using the gift!

· LOAF # 6 IS GOOD WORKS

Please don't think for one minute that our ministry to the multitude is limited to words. The way we reach out to others will speak be a silent testimony to the glory of God!

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Next week after my daughter's wedding, I plan to be at the Dayton Fair in a food booth working as a volunteer. Why? So I can get to know more people in our area, and hopefully so I can shine forth as a good testimony for Jesus Christ.

· LOAF # 7 IS OUR MONEY

We have money to invest in God's Work.

Sometimes we invest in missions.

Sometimes we invest in the needs of others.

God has given us resources so we can be a blessing.

Matthew 6:19-21 - Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

So in considering our outreach to the multitude around us, we have resources.

The Tongue

The Holy Spirit

Prayer

The Word of God

Spiritual Gifts

Good Works

Money

What do we do with these resources?

WE BRING THEM TO JESUS LIKE JESUS DID

That's OUR RELIANCE

Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes and multiplied them!

There was enough for everyone to eat with plenty to spare.

As we bring our resources to Jesus, submitting them to Him and then using them, Jesus will bless, and we will reach the multitude around us!

CONSIDER THE MULTITUDE:

MY RESPONSE - COMPASSION

MY RESPONSIBILITY - FEED THEM!

MY RESOURCES -