Mark 6 verses 30 through 34.
I got four simple. Simple thoughts. Let me read the text. I remember. The Lord had sent
out his disciples. and commanded them that they
should take nothing for their journey, but they should... He
sent them forth two by two. He had the power to clean the
unclean spirits, cast out demons and whatnot, but to preach the
gospel. He sent them forth two by two.
And then we had a kind of a parenthetical Setting in the middle of this
chapter where we got talked about John the Baptist and how he was
beheaded and whatnot and Herod thought he had come back to life
and Then we just concluded that and now we really resume In the
earlier part of Mark 6 when the disciples are coming back in
our telling Christ how well how it went how it went with them
how the gospel ran its course and as they went out and preached
to people. Now we start in verse 30, And
the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told
Christ all things, both what they had done and what they had
taught. And Christ said unto them, Come
ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For
there were many, that is, many people coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as to eat. He sent them out on their
mission, And they were very active in that. They returned, spoke
with him, and he said, let us gather together and let us rest. And they departed, verse 32,
into a desert place by a ship privately. And the people saw
them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out
of all cities, and out went them, and came together unto him. 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. So Christ began to teach them
many things. So I don't know the setting,
I don't know the the geographical setting let me put it this way
but apparently what it looks like to me is they got into a
ship and then they were in a lake but it wasn't you know an ocean
to where the folks saw what was going on and as they were going
the people were just basically running alongside or running
and then when the ship came and found its place and they Went
somewhere privately to to abide for a time of rest and fellowship
and worship or whatever when Christ came out He sees all these
people that have followed them on land as they saw the ship
by sea But I have four simple things for us this morning the
first one in down in verse 30 the first part and The Apostles
gathered themselves together unto Jesus And we'll stop right there. In Matthew 18, and I'll read it to you, you don't
have to turn there, but in verse 20, Christ says, "...for where
two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the
midst of them." Now, here's my thought. As we, here at Sovereign
Grace Church in Jackson, As we gather together in this place,
it's not so much as where we gather, but unto whom we gather. Look at the text again. And the
apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus. Now, there's a lot of people
gathering today. They're gathering because that's what they're expected
to do. They're gathering because they got a nice new building.
They're gathering because they got a lot of nice things for
the kids. They're gathering for many reasons. And like Bruce
mentioned in Bible class, they're gathering because they're going
to put on a play about baby Jesus in a manger. The important thing
is not so much as where, but unto whom we gather, unto Jesus. And in that passage in Matthew,
where two or three are gathered in His name, He's there. Be it few, or be it many. His name, Jesus. And they gather themselves, in
the text, unto Jesus. The Holy One of Israel. not another,
not someone that's pretending to be Jesus, not someone who's
pretending to be the Creator and Sovereign Majestic Redeemer
of His people, but they gather themselves unto the proper, the
right, the correct, the merciful, loving, compassionate Savior. So, when we gather together in
His name, God's man, it's God's Son, it's God incarnate in the
flesh, the Redeemer, the Savior, the Substitute. Turn to Matthew
chapter 1 and verse 21. And Mary shall bring forth a
son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. for he shall save his people
from their sin. I'm sure that's going to be read
in these little Christmas pageants. They gathered themselves unto
Jesus. His name shall be called Jesus.
He's not going to try to save, but it says he shall save his
people from their sins. We gather together. Woe if we
gather together for any other reason than to honor and glorify
Christ. And that's what we when we gather
together. For us to meet in any other name is blasphemy. So these churches that are meeting
under a supposed name of Jesus or who don't preach the Jesus
of this book who shall save his people from their sins. He might
if you let him. He died for everybody. What's wrong with you? The salvation
is ultimately in the will of man. No. I was reading an article
somebody sent me the other day by John Gill, and he basically
said the problem with free will. If free will is right, then this
is what it says, and he had eight different points. Basically,
the bottom line is if free will is right, then salvation is ultimately
in the hands of man. However, I thought it was interesting
that the reference that Bruce had to Romans, I believe it was
Romans, Romans 8, no, not in Romans 8, but in Romans, in the
passage 6, what I will, Paul said, what'd
he say? I can't do. There's man's will
right there. Can't do it. You can't do it.
So, those who are preaching a Christ who cannot save, gathering in
the name of a Savior who wishes people would be saved, but cannot
do it, says He loves everybody, but not everybody is loved because
there's numerous and multitudes in hell, Then I'd say for us here are
those who gather and meet in any other name is blasphemy.
It's not close, it's blasphemy. They're not, well, they mean
well, it's blasphemy. It's either the gospel or it's
another gospel. For us to meet for any other
reason is vanity or useless. Well, it kept them off the street.
We have recreation departments to do that. We have the internet to do that.
Well, they weren't out stealing or robbing or whatever. We have
law enforcement officials take care of that. But when we gather
and at this place or wherever the place is, We need to take
the heed of this verse here and be as the brethren of old to
gather themselves together unto Jesus. And obviously he's not
with us, but he is with us because where two or three are gathered
in his name, he's there. We don't have a physical Jesus.
We don't have statues. but we gather together, open
this book, and in this book, that scarlet thread from stem
to stern, from start to finish, is about Christ Jesus. For us to meet, to worship anyone
other than Jesus is really idolatry. Oh, we don't have, we're not
Catholics, we don't have the Virgin Mary, we don't have these
idols. Oh, but there's idols in different ways. There's idols
in many other ways than we saw that a couple weeks ago. And
for us to gather and spend precious time exalting any other is simply
a waste of time. You might as well be at home,
working in your yard, and that's what a lot of people do. Because
they see the folly of gathering together and gossiping, or backbiting,
or talking about a baby Jesus who can't do what He's supposed
to be doing. They at least see the folly of
that. But we say, come and gather with
us. Not that we're any better than
anybody else. We're the chief of sinners. Christ died for the
ungodly, so you're going to find sinners gathered here. However,
we gather not in our name, and not in the denomination's name,
but we gather His name and we speak of Him, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious, sweet, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing
Redeemer. Indeed, there is no better reason
or person or object to glorify than that name, Jesus. And we
know that the Scripture says when Christ is spoken of and
He's preached, even the angels desire to hear and to behold
what's being said. Because they don't understand,
they don't experience, put it that way, they don't experience
redemption. They're not fallen. But we who
are fallen and sinful and vile from birth and nature and practice
need to hear of Christ. For Christ is our only hope.
So may we Like these of old, the apostles gathered themselves
together unto Jesus. Secondly, they came together
to tell Him all things. The apostles gathered themselves
together unto Jesus and told Him all things. Now, I don't
think they're telling Him what He already knew. I think, I agree
with one of the writers of the book, I think when they were
telling him, they were basically thanking him for giving them the power,
the authority. They were thanking him as the
things that took place. But what I see in here is something
that I need desperately and you need desperately. Whether it's
yesterday, it's today or tomorrow, if God gives us grace. Look with
me again, and they told Christ all things, what they had done
and what they had taught. But they told him all things. The Christian, the believer,
is a person of prayer and supplications. Tell Christ everything. We don't talk to, we don't communicate
as we should. We don't pray as we should. It
seems like, you know, like I say, again, I'm speaking mainly from
experience. It seems like we allow the day to slip away. We
allow the problems to arise. We allow the struggles to overwhelm
us. Go to Him and tell Him. Tell Him. Go to Him often and
regularly. Ask, tell Him all your cares
because the scripture says He cares for you. He wants to hear
from His people. You're not going to tell Him
anything He doesn't already know. But you're going to tell Him
that, Lord, I'm thankful for Your grace. Lord, I don't understand
this situation. I don't understand that situation.
Nothing, whether it's things done or things taught like they
did here, they told Him all things that they had done and all things
that they had taught. Nothing of those things for you and I,
it's too insignificant for His ears. Spend... Spread it all out before him,
lay it out bare unto him. Turn to James chapter one. Was that song said, oh, what?
We often forfeit needless care, needless. We bear all these burdens.
Take it to him in prayer. We don't do that. You know, well,
you know, It's pride, it's sin, it's unbelief. You know, you
say, well, the man provides for his wife and then, you know,
we don't say, we don't talk a whole lot and we just bear it. No.
Don't do that. If that's the way how you run
your family, your life, that's fine. But this is not the believer.
Tells him everything. I just love how these things
are worded in the Scriptures. They gathered themselves together
in Jesus and told him all things. James chapter one and verses
five and six. What does the book say? If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Now, right there. Stop
right there. That's why I say the problem
is a pride thing. The problem is us. It's sin, because you
can't tell me that you and I, you know, the problem is we think
we're wise in so many situations, so we don't need to ask him anything.
We know how to handle it. We've handled it before. Oh,
it just takes one little, one little gram. one little speck of dust to make
the whole cog just, you know, you put one little thing in the
gears, and you can stop it like that. It's amazing how, every
now and again I'll watch this, the How Things Are Made, or the
History Channel, they talk about mega movers and these huge, these
huge pieces of equipment, and sometimes they come down to one
wire got crossed, and that whole thing is shut down. It doesn't
take much to shut us down. If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and upbraids
not, and it shall be given unto him. But let him ask in faith
nothing wavering for he that wavers is like a wave of the
sea driven with the wind and tossed for let him let that man
not or excuse me and for let not that man think that he shall
receive anything of the Lord. Ask in faith. Turn to Philippians
chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. And there's
a whole lot of these passages, but I'll just, we'll go to three.
Three passages. Philippians chapter 4 verses 6 and 7. Be careful for
nothing. That means basically spread it
all out before them. Don't pick and choose what you
think you need help on. May God show us that we are sinners
in need of much, much grace. Be careful for nothing, but in
everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request
be made known unto God. And guess what happens? And Bruce
and I have been talking about this for months and months and
months, and I guess maybe the older we get and the grayer our
hairs get or the less of our hairs we have, we realize that
one of the most precious things in this world is peace in your
heart. peace, because there is, I mean,
and I'm not trying to discourage the younger believers here, because
you got, you know, it's it's it is different. It's just it's
a growing process. It's an all that. But I'm telling
you, there's not a whole lot of peace. There's not a whole
lot of peace out there. Let your request be made known
unto God and the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. And
basically, what do you have? Because this flesh is going.
What do you have? You have your hearts and your
minds. That's probably the most precious
things that we have. As you know, the older we get,
you know, I keep fighting it. Every time one of you guys come
up and read the scriptures, I thought, I just need to get out those
reading glasses. You know, the body is just, you
know, it's frail. We're vapor. The mind and the
heart Because you know the struggles you have are in mind and heart. I know we have aches and pains,
and the older we get, that's a struggle too. But I guarantee
you, your mind struggles and your heart struggles are the
complicated ones and are the hard ones. You can be laying
flat on your back. And you see with a single eye
and a single heart and a single mind that Christ is over every
situation and all things are working together for good when
He takes those passages of Scriptures that you know and really gives
them into your heart and mind to know, you say, let it come. I've got peace, you can't move
me. Well, it's coupled in with prayer. Look at Matthew 7, Matthew chapter
7. They gathered themselves unto
Jesus and told Him all things. Look at Matthew chapter 7. And again, I, you know, tomorrow
I've got to go right back at it again. And I know the guy
I'm running with is not going to be fun. He's going to start
complaining the first thing I see him. Because he asked me to do
something and I tried to do it and it didn't work. So I had
to go back and do it the old way. He ain't going to like it,
but you know what? I'm not going to let it bother
my peace. Matthew 7, verse 11. If you then, as a believer, 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? Ask. Him. Now again, we're not
asking to get and we're not asking to gain favor because He's already
graced us with these things, but we ask Him because we love
Him and He desires to hear from us. You can't weary Him down. You can't wear Him down. You
will not annoy Him and you certainly won't bore Him. Tell him all
things. Let me read you this passage.
I never saw this before, but let me read you this passage.
Just kind of a side note in Job. I didn't even know it was in
here, and one of these writers said something, and I, oh, that's
good. Job chapter 16. Job was in a miserable state
and he was in a hard state and he talked to friends. He had
friends come in and was talking to them, was trying to find comfort
with them, trying to find peace and they were going back and
forth and they were telling him, you know, there's something wrong
with you. You're doing something wrong. God wouldn't have you here. That's
what people think. You're not, you know, I'm blessed.
I got all these material things so God must love me. They don't
understand God can give you certain things and be a curse to you.
But Job, after he listened to them, and then he answered, he
said, I've heard many such things. And Job says, miserable comforters
are all of you. You go to the world, you go to
your pocketbook, You try to find peace and comfort in your job,
or you try to find it in man, and don't put your trust in man,
is what the Scripture says. You try to find your comfort
and your peace in anyone or anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ,
that blood-bought pardon that cleanses your heart, that cleanses
your mind, that cleanses your soul, and you'll be like Job. Miserable comforters are you
all. But it's a process. It's a process. The third thing, look at verse
31. Verse 31 of Mark 6. He said unto them, Come ye yourselves
apart to a desert place, and rest a while. For there were
many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to
eat. The third thought is here. Don't
neglect your own soul. Now, listen to me, listen to
me good. I'm not saying that you don't
come to hear the gospel. I'm not saying when you have
every opportunity to gather yourselves that you don't drop everything
and separate yourself because this is a time of rest. Because
if you're working Monday through Friday or if you're working even
Saturdays or whatever it might be, this is needful. This is needful. We come in here
and rest in Christ and what he's done in here, what he's done.
And there's no better place than amongst the other brethren. But what I'm saying is don't
neglect your own soul. There are times when you must
be refreshed and rested and recharged. Attend the word. At your house,
attend the word, the scriptures. at a break time or whatever it
might be, and feed yourself. Attend the preaching of the gospel
and be fed. It's a time of rest, it's a time
of refreshing, rejuvenating. Spend time alone in meditation
and in thought of the things concerning Christ and His wonderful
grace to such sinners as yourself and myself. Think often on what
He's done for you. May it not be like He says in Songs of Solomon. Chapter one in verse six, look
not upon me because I am black because the son hath looked upon
me. My mother's children were angry with me. They made me the
keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept. They made me the keepers of vineyards,
but my own vineyard. Have I not kept? And specifically
those, you know, the charge would be to myself as pastor to feed
the flock, but I can't neglect to feed myself. But that goes
with every believer. The more time you spend in this
world and the less time you spend with the brethren are in this
book. You're opening yourselves up for some trouble. For some
trouble. Don't be like Martha. In a sense,
she was covered about, what did our Lord say? She was covered
about with much serving, but she neglected that better part. And that was Mary. She got mad
at Mary because Mary just sat at Christ's feet. She gathered
herself unto Christ and listened to what he said. Remember, he
sat there at his feet and Martha was getting, preparing for lunch
and supper, things that had to be done. But even those things which we
think are necessary, oftentimes, are not. Bruce, we've come to the conclusion
that people are going to do what they want to do, but I'm telling
you, I'm telling you as your pastor, I agree with these old writers,
the first step to apostasy is the forsaking of the assembly
of the saints. And I know we have many tools,
But they are no substitute. They're no substitute. Don't be like Martha. Well, Martha
was a believer. So I'm not I'm not trying to
say, you know, I have to be careful because I don't like to draw
lines and say of things within the gospel, which is more important.
I just I don't see that yet. But I know what Christ said.
Christ gently exhorted his sister, Martha's sister. And gosh, she
was a believer. He said, you're covered about with many things.
And each thing is important in its own situation. But when it
comes to sitting and hearing and listening or whatever it
might be to the gospel or worshiping and reading. You can't you can't
substitute that we have to guard. These things we have to guard
these things when the scriptures are being read, you're reading
at home. I was trying to study something
the other day and I got a phone call and, you know, you feel
like you get in that mode where you got, it's just me, I'm just
using this example, you feel like you got to pick it up. Well,
I don't know anybody here or most anybody here that doesn't
have some kind of voicemail or answering. Let it do its thing,
especially if what you're looking at is so very important to you.
And this is just a small thing, but I'm just saying that I get
carried away with a lot of things and I can't do a lot of things
at once. I can't have the television on when I'm trying to study.
The spoken word interrupts and I can't concentrate. And I know
some pastors, when they get in their study, And I could mention
them by names, Lynn and I were talking about it, I thought it
was kind of funny. Even their grandchildren, they will not, when that door's
closed, and of course, we don't have a parsonage, and we don't
have a, I don't have a study, you know, like that, we're in
the church here, but they said when they close that door, they
know nobody, nobody interrupts them. And it might only be for
five or 10 minutes. It might be five or 10 minutes
before service or whatever. But they don't, they said they're
getting ready. Well, how important? is the preaching of the gospel.
How important is the reading of the gospel when this book
is open? Don't neglect your own soul.
Don't neglect your own soul. Lastly, look at the compassion
of our Lord. You and I get weary. And Lynn
and I were talking about this coming in. The scripture says
don't get weary in well-doing. Well, if it says that, obviously,
we probably do. We think, well, I've done enough.
or I've said enough," or whatever. No, be weary not in well doing.
He told them to come aside and rest a while. And they departed,
verse 32, into a desert place by ship privately. And the people
saw them, and so they followed them by foot. And in verse 34,
when he came out, out of whatever space, wherever they were in,
and he saw the people, much people, he was moved with compassion
toward them because they were as sheep, not having a shepherd,
and he began to teach them many things. We get short, fused or
whatever, but never forget our Lord's compassion. It was
His compassion that saved and rescued our souls from hell. It is His incredible compassions
that fail not. Therefore, we are not completely
annihilated. You could look at sometime at
Lamentations chapter 3 verse 20 and 21. Great is Thy faithfulness.
His compassions fail not. His eternal decree in saving
his people from their sins, choosing them before the foundation of
the world, God the Father choosing the Son being sent and accomplishing
redemption, the Holy Spirit enabling us to see the gospel and to believe
and lay hold by faith upon Christ. In God's eternal decree, it is
seen in its fullness towards the church as God's compassion. Look yonder on Calvary's tree
and you'll see our Savior's absolute compassion on his people there.
You look at the empty tomb, mark it down, compassion was found
there as well. By faith, know for certain that
he is right now interceding on our behalf, the believer, the
elect's behalf. Why? Because compassion played
out for all to see in heaven as He's
interceding for us. Compassion is found there. And
when one day we close these eyes in death, death's sting will
be mute because compassion won the day. And Jesus, when He came
out, saw much people and was moved with compassion. Blessed, wonderful, and sovereign
is the compassion of Emmanuel. I got two more things. He says
here in verse 34, I think it's an interesting statement, because
they were as sheep not having a shepherd. Now, you remember
where he's at. Now, this is not, we're not in Acts, we're in Mark.
He was in Jerusalem. And just like there is today,
Israel and Jerusalem is the most religious, staunchly religious,
people full of zeal, but they ignorantly don't understand what
they worship or who they worship. But I mean, it's religious. It's
just like this country is nuts with religion. Every denomination
is on every street corner. Christ was moved with compassion
because even though they were so religious, they were like
sheep not having a shepherd. These people had priests. Did
they not? They had the high priest. But they didn't have an intercessor.
Just like the Roman Catholics today. They got priests. There's
priests everywhere. Father this, Father that. But
that's not what they need, and that's not what people today
need. They need an intercessor, a great high priest, not made
with hands, who can intercede for us at the right hand of God. They were like sheep with no
shepherd. They had many instructors. There was more religious teachers
in Jerusalem probably per square inch than anywhere else. So that
wasn't a problem. Nathan, that wasn't a problem.
There's more seminaries in this country than you can shake a
stick at. There's more doctorates of divinity, master's degrees
of theology, and bachelors of religious ethics than there
is in probably any other country. They had many instructors but
they had no spiritual leader. They had many so-called guides,
but they were blind leading the blind. They had no spiritual
food, only man-made tradition, which Christ called husks. They had form and shadows, but
no real eternal substance. Christ said, I am. You search
the scriptures. You think in them they have eternal,
they are they which testify of me. But they had the form and
they had tradition, just like churches around here today. They had a zeal, but not a true
heart, hunger and thirst for God. They had many laws and regulations,
but no grace and peace. But in Christ Jesus, we have
all things necessary to satisfy the holy God and make peace by
the blood of his cross. We have in him everything God
requires and we get in him what we did not produce or could not
merit ourselves. People say, well, this church
has been here and this church has been here 200 years. We saw
some remarkable things in Boston. The history, if you're into that,
it was just incredible. But everything, you know, Linda
and I, as we were taking these tour guides and stuff, everything
we kept, you know, our thought is, I wonder if the gospel was
preached there. I wonder if the gospel is preached
there now. They were as sheep not having
a shepherd. Lastly, And I think this is very
interesting and profitable to our souls today. Because this is exactly opposite
of what would be of the religious people of today and the pastors
of today. Armenian, free will, works religion people would do.
He did exactly opposite. Look at it. Look at this. I didn't
even see this until I was looking at it and looking at it. I was
going to close even before I got here, but I just, it's interesting. It's just beautiful. It's wonderful.
Okay, he comes out from his abode and he sees the people and he's
moved with compassion. Marvelous, wonderful compassion.
The love of Christ that passes knowledge and understanding.
Because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. So what did
he do? What did he do? What did he do? And he began to teach them many
things. Today's goody-two-shoes religion
would have said, we don't want to teach them doctrine. That's
not what the people need. They don't need teaching. They
don't need doctrine. Look at these people. No teaching such
the things as what you call the doctrines of grace. Let's just
help them by doing something for them. Let's have a super
Sunday. Let's show the public our good works. Let's have a
random acts of kindness week. Let's feed the hungry. Let's
give to the poor. Let's make people feel as in
eyes as in in her stomach Let's make them feel good Look now
our Lord had compassion he came out here and he had compassion
like you and I don't understand and He saw that they were like
sheep not having a shepherd and he does feed them because they're
in a desert place now Then we'll get to that next time But the
first thing he does is he teaches them many things. What do you
think he taught them? I'd say he taught them about
grace. I'd say he spoke of free substitution, blood-bought redemption. I bet he talked about man's utter
depravity, the need for forgiveness. I bet he taught them that no
man could come unto me except for the Father which brought
them and draw them and drew them unto himself. I bet he spoke
of the doctrine. He taught them doctrine. He taught
them the gospel. He taught them the grace of God. Today. Oh, no, we we're going
to put on a big show. We want to have food drives,
we would have all these things. Now, I tell you this, do all
you can for people physically, you better believe it. But we must do good to the ear. Tell them of Christ. Tell them of Christ. I'm not saying somebody comes
to you and they need... James tells us about that. They're
hungry and they need something. Don't give them words and then
send them away empty. Have compassion. But I think
it's very wonderful that our Lord has this compassion and
He's going to take care of their physical needs. But He's going
to tell them the truth which actually is the most important
thing that they need. And Jesus, when He came out,
saw much people and was moved with compassion toward them,
because they were as a sheep, not having a shepherd. And He
began to teach them many things. Salvation is of the Lord. I am that I am. No man cometh to the Father but
by Me. There's no salvation in any other name given among men whereby they must be
saved." That name is Christ. They gathered themselves together
unto Christ. He told them all things. Don't neglect your own soul. I don't care if it comes between
you and your folks. It's whatever. And again, if
you're believers, it shouldn't, it won't. It won't. And the compassion of Christ.
We tell people about Christ. Come in and be warmed and filled.
and tell them of Christ. And if they need something else,
that's fine too. You can't ever go wrong. It's not a bad thing.
Don't be weary in well-doing. But I guess my point is the well-doing,
because this religious world has got it backwards, the well-doing
must start with, if you love them, tell them the truth of
Christ and Him crucified, and then feed them. Bruce, would
you close us? I feel the farther I don't think
we truly realize it.