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Shepherd of the Multitude · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  Back to the passage that we read in Mark chapter 6, that well-known account of the feeding of the 5,000.
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  I just want to spend a little time in that passage and consider it.
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  And I must confess that it's one of these passages that is so well known to me, known to most of us,
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  that we almost pass it by when we read it.
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  We see the miracle in it.
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  Rarely we stop to consider what's happening in this account.
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  The powerful miracle always stands in the forefront, that he fed so many people.
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  Christ is this supernatural power.
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  And we mustn't forget that there is supernatural elements to the goodness that we receive.
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  And also, on the other hand, the supernatural side of the evil spirits that attack us and convict us.
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  But in this passage, we see that wondrous working of Jesus Christ.
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  But below the miracle, underneath the feeding of the 5,000, there's a richness to Christ that we see of his character.
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  And I want to look at that tonight.
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  And as we dwell on Christ and the way he approached it and the way he provided for these people,
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  that we ourselves would be fed in our own soul.
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  You can look at verse 34.
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  When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd.
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  And he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
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  And he began to teach them many things.
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  It tells us there that Christ looked out over the people.
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  As a shepherd would a flock of sheep.
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  Sheep that were on the loose.
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  And I'm sure to many of us, that is a relatable image.
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  If we're travelling down the road, we may come across a flock of sheep that are loose on the road.
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  And you don't know which way they're going to go.
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  You approach them, and they fear what is approaching them.
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  Because it is not the shepherd that approached them.
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  It is not something that is known to them.
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  And you just don't know which way they will go.
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  And Jesus sees this group of people, this multitude as such.
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  Sheep without guidance.
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  Sheep that have gathered together.
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  And they're not really sure where to go.
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  But they're following after this man.
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  And Jesus, as he looks out over them, has compassion on them.
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  He can see in his own understanding that they are essentially lost.
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  He does not leave them, though, in that condition.
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  And by the implications of what Christ does in this passage, he becomes their shepherd.
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  He becomes the shepherd of the sheep that are before him.
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  And as we look at this, it will maybe bring to mind thoughts of the shepherd from Psalm 23, which we'll sing in conclusion.
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  And before we sing it, I want to maybe highlight the parallels that appear from this passage.
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  Jesus here is the shepherd of the people.
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  And he approaches them with compassion.
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  But he is the shepherd that comes to the people that provides for them.
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  He is the shepherd of compassion.
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  And he is the shepherd of provision when we come to this passage.
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  So how does Jesus become the shepherd of compassion?
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  We look at this passage here.
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  And from the beginning, it says that the apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
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  And he said to them, come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest for a while.
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  For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.
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  It tells us of the disciples that they had been away and they've returned now, expressing all that had happened to them in that day.
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  And there's an air of excitement in their return and reporting what had happened.
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  The disciples were coming and going.
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  Jesus says to them, come away.
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  Come away by yourselves to a desolate place now.
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  Take rest for a while.
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  It says that they had no leisure to eat.
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  There was no time.
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  They were that busy doing good works.
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  And you would expect them to carry on.
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  But Jesus says, no, stop and come aside.
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  Come aside and rest.
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  Come aside and review.
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  And then you'll be ready to rise again.
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  It's what we had a couple of weeks ago in church.
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  That's what we do when we come together here.
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  We take rest from our labor of our week.
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  And we consider our own ways.
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  We consider Jesus.
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  We're strengthened by gathering together and giving our praise and thanks to God.
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  Coming aside for a while prepares us to go on.
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  And we'll be ready to rise again.
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  But we see that any opportunity that they have here in the passage was taken away.
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  People had seen them in the boat from the shore.
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  They identified it was Jesus.
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  And they followed.
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  And when he reaches the shore with the intention of resting, he's met by this great multitude.
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  Now, this would probably be the moment where our compassion would run dry.
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  We had been busy, tired, hungry, wanting to take rest.
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  But we are met by people who have been following us and wanting to hear new things from us.
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  How would we react?
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  Well, Jesus is our example.
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  Jesus expresses his compassion towards them.
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  The shepherd saw their need.
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  And he knew exactly how to meet the need of the people.
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  There's obviously a need.
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  Because the people are longing for something.
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  They're following after.
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  They're wanting something from Jesus.
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  They're longing to be fed.
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  Not physically.
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  But spiritually.
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  They're longing to hear things from Jesus.
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  And you may think, well, this is the parable about the feeding of the 5,000.
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  But initially, that's not the intention.
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  Initially, it's a teaching of the 5,000.
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  It was the initial intention of the gathering here.
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  And so he taught them.
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  He didn't feed them straight away.
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  He taught them.
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  That's what they needed.
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  That's what they sought after.
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  And Christ, out of his compassion, took time to teach them.
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  See the shepherd and the compassion that he has.
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  It's completely selfless in his giving.
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  In our account, he sought to rest.
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  He never got any until later that evening.
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  But regardless, he does not avoid the people.
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  He does not turn his back on the people.
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  He does not turn a blind eye to the people.
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  But rather, he goes towards them.
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  He approaches them willingly.
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  Stepping into and up to the role of the shepherd to lead the people.
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  were the sheep without the shepherd he would be that shepherd figure for them and his compassion
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  it's something it's something we can come back to again and again and i think we we gain when
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  when we do so the description of it in the dictionary is i love it it says when you
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  consider christ it says a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune
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  accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering
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  christ knew their need and he knew exactly what they needed
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  christ he knows more he knows more than we do of ourselves
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  and how our own sin has left us stricken
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  so also he knows how lost we are without him
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  and so more so he knows what is needed to alleviate us from that condition of being lost
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  of being trapped and stricken by sin in our lives he knows what is needed to alleviate our suffering
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  not only does he know but he understands and is capable of meeting the need
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  and he is willing to do what is required to alleviate it
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  this is true of the sin that is in our lives lived out and it is true even of the sin that leads to death
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  the sin that leads to death jesus knows our need
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  and is willing to provide a way that will set us free from being stricken
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  by that power of sin he sets us free by being our shepherd
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  and so each of us have the assurance of this good shepherd to meet our need
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  he knows us greater than we know ourselves and he knows how to meet our need
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  christ's life in a sense it's tied up in this word compassion
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  compassion and the word here where it expresses compassion it appears 12 times throughout the new testament
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  and every time it is an instance directly relating to the reaction or action of jesus
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  the compassion is in circumstances where the compassion is in circumstances when he meets people he has compassion on them or pity
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  or whether it's within the parables where he is expressing what he is like in the good samaritan he expressed compassion
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  compassion in the prodigal the father of the prodigal son expresses that compassion when he returns
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  every time it's reflective of christ how he acts in the circumstance of how how he would act or react
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  the other time is where a father pleads to christ that he would have compassion on his son
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  for being possessed by an evil spirit so you can see this this word compassion whether it is whether it appears or compassion or pity
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  it's compassion in a greater sense and we understand compassion
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  it is christ's compassion it exceeds our understanding of compassion with our compassion run that runs dry
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  his compassion abounds as we see in this passage he sought out to rest but his compassion abounded when he came ashore
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  and he saw the need of the people it's wondrous it's wonderful it's a compassion that we heard of in prayer
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  and there's no earthly comparison to truly what christ's compassion means
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  but his compassion although we can speak about it we don't fully fully understand what it meant for christ to
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  feel compassionate but we know it because he provides for us christ's compassion knowing our need sets out to
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  alleviate us from the pains and needs of our lives we see the results of his compassion coming to us in his provision
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  he is the shepherd of compassion but as a result of his compassion he is the shepherd who provides for us
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  and his teaching here seems to be the initial provision that he gives to the people
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  he's not feeding the 5 000 initially as we said he is teaching them to begin with that's what they needed
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  that's what they sought after till such a time that we read that it grew late and the disciples themselves
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  wanted that rest now it would seem in verse 35 they are it grew late and the disciples came to jesus and
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  said this is a desolate place that said this is a desolate place the earth is now late send them away
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  to go into the village he was wanting to send them away so they could rest themselves and they could be
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  provide they could provide for themselves they wanted to sit and eat together but jesus isn't ready to send them
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  away yet jesus has more to teach them as he does the disciples
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  and he tells the disciples you you feed them
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  and they will ask well how can we feed them do you want us to go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and
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  and give it to them to eat this cost would be near on a year's wage for one person
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  if we understand this passage correctly it's it's the number far exceeds five thousand
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  we're likely talking about a figure of uh 10 to 15 000 with all the women and children gathered
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  so so you can see the the the massive amount of money for them as we would compare it in our own standards
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  today to feed a similar number it's it's a vast need that is set before them and it's almost impossible for
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  them to meet that need
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  so jesus says to them in verse 38 how many loaves do you have go and see so they went and found out
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  and said five five loaves and two fish and he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass
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  the word there sit down
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  it's it's not necessarily just sitting down it implies to recline or lie down in preparation for a meal or a feast
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  and intentional banquet if you will a meal together jesus is saying to them get them ready for a meal
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  with what you have given me i will provide a feast for them to enjoy a banquet on the green grass
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  the people the disciples they didn't understand how jesus told them to prepare for it but they didn't
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  there's no slightest idea how they would feed such a number how is it be possible
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  but jesus blessed the loaves and the fish and then asked his servants to disperse it to the people
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  servants who trusted in his word
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  and the people received the goodness of his provision the shepherd
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  and in a sense we are like that multitude in the passage we are the sheep
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  and we gather together to hear his word
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  to be taught from scripture to be taught by the spirit speaking to us
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  this written word as he speaks to us speaks through us today
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  and he is glad that we may hear of it he is not to with he's not withholding this from us
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  he wants us to seek him out to know more about him to understand his compassion
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  and the riches that we can experience at his hand
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  and to know ultimately the riches of christ that he provides through his sacrifice at calvary
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  and is extended to each and every one of us to receive
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  he is the compassionate shepherd that looks out over the multitude
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  he loves him and we are the people who are blind to what lays ahead we don't know what is in front of us
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  and in many ways you know we must kind of confess that we don't really know our needs
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  we know our pains we know our worries we know the uncertainties of our lives
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  but in a way we don't really know our needs what we what we what we need
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  we we make our own efforts to meet that need to alleviate the the pains the worries the uncertainties of our lives
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  to do it of our own strength but we poorly we poorly judge our needs we don't really don't really know
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  what is the best thing to be administered to us in our need
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  but jesus
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  knows what is ahead
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  and through whatever difficulties and uncertainties his compassion is such
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  to alleviate the need
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  to sufficiently provide for us
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  as he extends that compassion down to us
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  and what he gives to us you know it may not be what we want
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  it may not be of our own reasoning of what we need but he he knows what we need
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  where the people that gathered here the multitude
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  did they want more than the basics of bread and fish they probably did
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  we like all the added things that aren't necessary in our lives we enjoy them they're not always what we need
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  did the multitude here sit and enjoy the best meal that they had ever tasted no
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  where they left hungry no they weren't
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  it was what they needed
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  was it sufficient for them yes more abundantly sufficient
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  jesus you know he he knows our needs
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  and he meets it it's not always the way we would want it
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  but he knows what is best for us
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  and maybe we can only at times it's when we look back in our lives and see
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  the need we had and the way he met it for us
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  us but we really see his wisdom and his hand at work his provision for us in our time of need
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  it's maybe not what we wanted but it was exactly what we needed during that time
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  how he has kept us how he has provided for us through the year maybe even in miraculous ways
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  ways we could never have imagined
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  and from these experiences as we look back we have an assured confidence
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  that the compassion that was extended to us in these days will continue that he will not leave us nor forsake us
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  but we are people prone to forget
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  we often forget and we often need to come back to these passages that we we know so well and remember
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  what jesus has done we forget what jesus has done for us in our lives and we must come back
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  and remember how he led us through these uncertainties we read about the disciples again in the boat
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  where they only had one loaf between them all in chapter eight
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  and they're essentially pointing the fingers to each other and disputing with one another
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  who's fault it was who was it that forgot to take the bread with them
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  jesus has to remind them of what he has done in the past in their experience and what he has done for his people
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  there's much more to this passage but they're arguing over one loaf they've seen jesus provide in miraculous ways
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  in the past in the past in the past experience and jesus is asking them when i fed the five thousand
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  what what did you bring and what did what did you leave with
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  like other kind when he fed the four thousand what did we have what did you bring to me what did you leave with
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  who did i feed was there more than enough for you did i abundantly provide for you and they were saying
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  well yes every time they were saying we had baskets full
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  my basket each of them in this account each of them were fed each of them left with a basket
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  of bread the bread that they began with was just a cup five loaves between so many would have been nothing
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  but jesus provided abundantly for them
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  now in our own lives we may feel like we have so little
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  spiritually
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  maybe we feel it empty we feel hungry
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  maybe you feel like you've got less than you ever had
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  maybe you feel like you've got one loaf you feel so bare you feel so unprepared
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  you feel so unprepared for what lies ahead
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  but he's saying remember what i've done for you remember how i've provided for you to this moment
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  you feel like you're not a good friend
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  stop reasoning by worldly ways turn and follow me
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  trust in me
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  i love you
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  i love you
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  and i extend my compassion to you which will not fail you
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  i will not leave you hungry
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  and i will sit you down
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  at my banquet in table to enjoy a feast with me
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  and ultimately this is the christian's hope
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  and though we have often failed to trust in jesus we have often reasoned by our own understanding
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  we try and figure it out ourselves he still does not abandon us
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  it is good for us to remember what he has done for us
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  and here he has extended his compassion to us
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  how he died on the cross at calvary for us
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  no greater love as any man that he would give his life for another
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  this is the self-sacrificing good shepherd
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  who stands in all comparison to all other shepherds in this world that lead us astray
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  he leads us in the right way
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  in certain ways in assured confidence
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  that if we trust in him we will be provided for
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  in this life and the one to come
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  by his hand and by his power he will meet our need
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  he will alleviate us from the power of sin
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  even the sin that leads to death
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  he will take us from that
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  and even in the experience
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  that we are all so familiar with
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  and leave such a personal scar in our hearts
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  he will be with us through that
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  and we will just have a rise to look upon the good shepherd
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  and say yes you love me and you provided for me
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  and it is beyond my understanding
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  his compassion to me is assuredly true
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  it was his desire to alleviate my needs and to alleviate you from your needs
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  to rescue us from death
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  and abundantly satisfy our souls
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  satisfy the needs the multitude we're craving something
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  Jesus satisfies us abundantly and we trust in him
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  him when we follow him you know we don't we don't understand it how he will feed us the people didn't
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  understand he said trust in me sit down i will feed you we must have that faith in his words
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  that we will receive the riches of his provision it will come to us
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  no greater riches and when we are welcomed into his presence
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  to be at peace with him
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  sing sam's version of sam 17 says and expresses that
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  but i in righteousness your face will surely see and with your likeness when i wake i satisfied will
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  be but i in righteousness your face will surely see and with your likeness when i wake i satisfied will
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  be the one who has provided for us and will satisfy us when we are in his presence
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  and in his likeness we are in heaven and eternal
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  rest with him
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  can we turn to psalm 23 together in the scottish soldier
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  that's on
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  p