Now you find Mark chapter 6. Mark chapter 6. The title of the message this
morning, The Lord Shows Compassion to Sinners. The Lord Shows Compassion
to Sinners. And I take my title of the message
from verse 34, And when Jesus came out, he saw much people
and was moved was moved with compassion toward them because
they were as sheep not having a shepherd, lost sheep. And he
began to instruct them. He began to teach them many,
many things. I don't know about you, but I
need to be taught. And I need to be taught by the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Now in reading all three accounts,
of this story from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. About the same time
that John's disciples had taken up the body, the headless body,
of John, God's servant. For when his ministry was over,
his ministry was to declare, Behold the Lamb of God. When
that was done, when his ministry was over, God took his life. God took him away. And we see
about the same time that the disciples of John, after they
buried the body of the Lord Jesus, they came to the Lord Jesus Christ
and bearing their burden unto the Lord. About the same time
that these The disciples of John came to the Lord Jesus Christ
about the same time the apostles came back. In Mark chapter 6,
look at verse 29 and 30. And when his disciples heard
it, they came and took up the corpse, the body, and laid it
in the tomb. And then they went and told their
burden to the Lord. And the apostles gathered themselves
together unto the Lord and told Him all things. Mark 6, verse
30, and what they had taught. Now, about the same time, it
seems to me, if you read the three accounts, that these two
groups, the disciples of John and the disciples of the Lord
Jesus, they came together. They converged on Him. Some came
bearing a great burden. Their beloved John had been murdered. These others came rejoicing,
being tired in body, but they came rejoicing, telling the Lord
of all things that they had preached and what they had done. By the
sovereign providence of God, John's disciples and the Lord's
disciples came to the Lord Jesus Christ at the same time. I don't
think it was a coincidence. I don't think it was an accident.
I know by God's sovereign purpose that He brought this together,
He brought this to pass. They came to the Lord Jesus Christ,
I think maybe for two reasons. perhaps to unify their cause
to promote the gospel or to unite their hearts one with another
around the Lord Jesus Christ, around one purpose, around one
goal. Here these two groups come together
into one united purpose to promote and preach the Lord Jesus Christ. John's disciples came and described
the horrible treatment of God's prophet and the sorrow they had
experienced in the death of John and burying his headless body. No doubt they were sorrowful,
no doubt they were weeping. It says in Matthew 14, 12, His
disciples came, took up the body and buried it and went and told
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a good thing to do when
we have burdens, when we have heartaches, when we have concerns
in this life. And we do, don't we? Man that's
born of woman, few days, and full of what? Heartache, full
of trouble. But when we are at despair, when
we are at our wit's end, and even at all times we should take
all of our burdens to the Lord, and leave them there, and leave
them there. And that's what they did. That's
a good thing for us to do, is to cry out unto the Lord, have
mercy upon us. The other group, the Lord's disciples,
came to the Lord and told all things that they had done, what
they had taught, how they had labored with great zeal. And
they described with great joy the success of their ministry.
Notice, if you will, back in chapter 6, same chapter, verse
12 and verse 13. Remember they went out and preached
that men should repent. And they cast out many devils
and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. Now they had some success to
their ministry. They were so busy, so busy preaching
and teaching the Word of God, and going from house to house
and village to village, that they didn't even have time to
stop and eat. And yet, when they came to the
Lord, they rejoiced in what God had given them to do, in the
labors that God had given to them. Now, here's my first point,
found in verse 31. Notice what the Lord says to
these two groups of disciples. One with a great heavy burden,
The other with great joy and zeal, even though they were tired
in body, they were yet rejoicing in Christ. He says in verse 31, And he said
to them, Come you, come you yourselves apart. Just separate yourself
for a little while. Come apart into a desert place,
and let's rest a while together. For they were many coming and
going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." The same
message for both groups. The Lord Jesus took notice of
the fears and frights of John's disciples, and He took notice
of the toils and labors in the cause of God and truth of His
disciples going out and preaching the gospel. I love what He says
about a suitable relief for both fears and labors. Rest for those who are exhausted,
Tired and exhausted. A refuge for those who feel fearful
with anxious and anxiety. Our rest and our refuge in this
life is in none other than in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
You ever been there? Tired, exhausted, fearful, anxious? To whom do you look? Where do
you go? Our rest and our refuge in this
life at all times is in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen to these scriptures.
Psalm 46, verse 1. God is our refuge and strength
of every present help in trouble. Present help. He is our refuge
and He is our strength. Psalm 62, verses 7 and 8. In
God is my salvation and my glory. The rock of my strength and my
refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you
people. Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. He is. He's a refuge in a time
of storm. Psalm 91 verse 2, I will say
of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. He is my God
and Him. In Him, I'll trust. In Him. You remember this from Isaiah
28, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation
of stone, a tried stone, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
He's a sure foundation. He that believeth on Him, shall
not make haste, will never be forced to flee, will never be
pushed out of that refuge. Those who seek mercy and salvation
in Christ Jesus will never be pushed off that rock, that foundation. It's a solid rock. Not sinking
sand. It's a solid rock we have in
Christ. Now listen to this. Let's turn
and read this together. I think it will be a blessing
to you. Find Matthew chapter 11. All those who are troubled,
laboring, heavy, carrying burdens. You know anything about it? Convicted
over sin, convicted over guilt, weary in body, troubled in mind,
troubled in heart. Look what the Lord says here
in Matthew 11, verse 28. Matthew 11, verse 28. Come unto
me, come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden with
guilt, the guilt of your sin. And I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me. I am meek and lowly in heart,
and you shall find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light. Come to me." Isn't this exactly
what he says over here in our text? Mark 6, verse 31. Come ye yourselves apart, into
a desert place and rest a while. You see, our rest in our refuge
in this life is in Christ, in the Lord Jesus Christ, Him alone,
Him alone. Now, Psalm 37 says this, Rest
in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. And then it says this,
fret not fret not fret not because fret not thyself because of him
that would do you wrong but rest in the Lord and wait patiently
for him and don't be anxious that's one thing to say that
it's quite another story to rest in him and not be filled with
anxiety But that's the instruction. Rest in the Lord and do not fret.
Now, these words we see in verse 31. Come yourselves apart into
a desert place. In a desert place? In a wilderness? And rest. Rest a while. Now,
three things here. These words are full of tender
sympathy. Tender sympathy. He knows our
frame, doesn't he? He knows our heart. The Lord
doesn't look on the outward countenance. The Lord looks on the heart.
He knows our frame. He knows the weakness and the
infirmity of our flesh. He knows what it is to be in
the flesh. For God was manifest in the flesh. Let's turn and read this. Find
Hebrews chapter 4. You see, He identified with us
in humanity. In our humanity. Apart from sin,
but he was a real man. Notice in Hebrews chapter 4,
these are words full of tender sympathy, for he knows us. How? By experience. Hebrews chapter
4, look at verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched, with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He knows our trouble. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need. Now read on, a couple more verses.
For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men
in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts
and sacrifices for sin." Look at verse 2, "...who can have
compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way.
For that he himself is also compassed with infirmity." He knows our
needs. For He was the God-Man Mediator. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. Psalm 103. I like this verse.
Verses 12 and 11 of Psalm 103. Like as a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities them that fear Him. For He knows our frame,
and He remembers that we are but dust. These words are full
of tender sympathy. Come yourselves apart into a
desert place and rest. Rest for a while. Secondly, these
words are full of deep wisdom. Deep wisdom. Come apart. Come to me. Now we're not able
in this flesh to serve our Lord without ceasing day and night
at all times because We're just flesh. We're weary in the body. The Spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak. One day we will, for we read
in Revelation 4, the four beasts, typical there of God's servants,
had each of them six wings about, and they were full of eyes within,
and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. In that glorious
day, when we're through with this old sinful flesh, we'll
never rest worshiping Him, honoring Him, glorifying Him. But in this
life and in this flesh, there are times of refreshing and there
are times of weeping. Weeping. There's times of great
strength resting in Him, and there are times of failure and
weakness. These words are full of deep
wisdom. Come ye selves apart into the desert place, Rest. Rest a while. Full of tender
sympathy. Full of deep wisdom. He knows
we need our rest. I think of this verse often.
Over there in the Psalms somewhere. Have you ever had one of those
nights when you just can't sleep? I mean you just roll and roll
and roll and you can't sleep. I often think of this verse.
He giveth his beloved sleep. And I think, Lord, do you love
me? Do you love me? And I find comfort that the Lord
knows my weakness and He knows what I need. He giveth His beloved
sleep. Thirdly, these words are full
of genuine concern. For He cares for the sheep and
He leads them into green pastures where they can be refreshed.
Come yourselves apart into a desert place. Lord into a desert? This is our Good Shepherd. Psalm
23, remember, the Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not want. He leads me into green pastures
of His Word, besides still waters. Now listen, He calls them to
rest apart in a desert place. How can a desert place be green
pastures? His presence turned the desert
place into a paradise. They were with the Lord. That's
paradise. That's paradise. When we are
assembled in the Lord's name to worship Him and to preach
His gospel, our Lord said, where two or three are gathered in
my name, I'm in the midst. In the wilderness of this life,
when we come apart, come ye apart into a desert place, When we
come together in His name to worship Him and to preach His
gospel, this is a paradise that we have in this desert place
right now. It's a time of refreshing and
rejoicing. It's where the sheep feed upon
the Lord Jesus who is the bread of life. Come ye yourselves apart into
a desert place. Now notice what he says here
in Isaiah 32. A man, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-man, shall be a hiding place from the wind, a cupboard
from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place. Rivers
of water! He's the living water! In a dry
place, in a dry and thirsty land, a shadow of a great rock in a
weary land. How many of you remember the
song Amazing Grace? How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me. You remember who wrote it? John
Newton. John Newton was a great preacher
in England many, many years ago, back in the 1700s. But he also
wrote this song. The title of it is, How Tedious
and Tasteless the Hour. And one phrase of that song goes
this way, Content with beholding his face, My all to his pleasure
resigned, No change of season or place, would make any change
in my mind. While blessed with a sense of
His love, a palace a toy would appear, and prisons would palaces
prove, if the Lord Jesus would dwell with me there. I forget the preacher years ago
that was in prison for the gospel, and he was in prison in a place
called Aberdeen. May have been Bunyan. But when
he addressed a letter to a friend, he would say, from the Lord's
palace in Aberdeen. And that's what Newton was saying.
A prison. And prisons would palaces prove
if the Lord Jesus would dwell with me there. And you know what
he does? He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll no, no never, no never leave you nor forsake you. Lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of this earth. Now, here's
the second point. In verse 32 and verse 34, the
Lord demonstrates that He is merciful, that He is long-suffering
to His people. Let's read verse 32 and down
through verse 34. And they departed into a desert
place by ship privately, the Lord and John's disciples and
the apostles. They gather to this ship, and
he's going to take them on a cruise, a place of rest, to a desert
place. And the people saw them departing,
and many knew him, and they ran afoot there, ran at a foot race
out of all cities, and out went them, and came together unto
him. Now look at verse 34. So here
they land on the other side of the shore, and when the Lord
comes down out of that ship, here's this, A crowd of 10, 15,
20,000 people waiting on Him. What are you going to do? Verse
34, And when He came out and saw 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, many things. The Lord demonstrates that He
is merciful, that He is long-suffering, that his compassions do not fail. Instead of being grieved with
this crowd that followed him, he had pity on them. Instead
of being moved to displeasure, he is moved to compassion on
this multitude of thousands and thousands of men, women, and
children. And he says, because they're
like sheep having no shepherd. The Lord is long-suffering. It is true He will have compassion
on whom He will have compassion. He will have mercy on whom He
will have mercy. But my friend, He delights to
show mercy. My friend, He is compassionate
toward His people. His love does not fail. 2 Peter 3.9 is what we read. The Lord is not slack. concerning
His promise, as some man counts slackness, but He is long-suffering,
He is long-suffering to usward, to His elect, to His chosen,
not willing that any of His people would perish, but that all should
come to repentance." Repentance, that change of mind, that change
of heart, that change of will to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 9, verse 36, We read
these words. When he saw the multitude, he
was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and
were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherds. You see,
these people, as they ran toward him, they came to him. They were destitute of God sent
teachers. They had no guides but the blind
scribes and Pharisees. They had no spiritual food but
that of man-made ceremony and tradition of the Jews. No shepherd
to lead them in the way of righteousness. No one to guide them in the way
of truth, in the way of salvation in Christ Jesus. These thousands
stood before our Lord ignorant, helpless, and needy of salvation. What's He going to do? He's moved
with compassion on those who are in need. You know He's able
to meet all our need according to His riches in glory through
Christ Jesus. You have a need, mercy, forgiveness,
pardon? Look to Him. He's able to meet
all our needs. The Lord has compassion. We've
seen this several times. Take your scripture there and
turn back to Mark chapter 1 verse 41. When that leper came to him,
covered in leprosy, in Mark 1 verse 40, there came a leper to him,
beseeching him, kneeling down to him, and saying unto him,
If you will, you can make me clean. He was a man who was in
desperate need. He was dying with this terrible
disease. He had a great need. He came
to the right person. He came to the great physician.
If you will, he said, Lord, you can make me clean. Look what
the Lord said. The Lord was moved with compassion,
pity, mercy. He put forth his hand and touched
him and said, I will be thou clean. As soon as he had spoken,
immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
I'll give you another example that we've looked at. Turn to
Mark chapter 5. Mark chapter 5. Remember the wild Gadarene? He was wild and crazy and out
of his mind, and no one could tame him, no one could help him,
until he met the Master, until he met the Lord. In Mark chapter
5, when the Lord healed him, verse 15, they come to Jesus
and see him that was possessed with the devil and had a legion
of demons sitting and clothed in his right mind And they were
afraid. They didn't understand. And they
that saw it told them how it befell him that was possessed
with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to
pray to ask him to depart out of their country. That's what
the unbelievers said. But this wild Gadarene that was
healed, verse 18, when he was coming to the ship, he that had
been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with
him, howbeit Jesus suffered him. not, but said unto him, You go
home to your friends, you tell them how great things the Lord
hath done for thee, now watch it, and how he had compassion
on you. And he departed, and he began
to publish how great things Jesus hath done for him, and all men
did marvel. You see, the point I'm making
is this, the Lord does show mercy to sinners. He had compassion. Let us never forget, the Lord
is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He said, I am the
Lord, I do not change, therefore you sons of Jacob, you are not
consumed. The Lord who showed mercy in
that day, It's the same one who has compassion and mercy on sinners
today. He's the same. He does not change.
The Lord still delights to show mercy to those who are in need.
Do you have a need? Are you a sinner? Are you guilty? I've got good news. Turn to Matthew
chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9. When the Lord
called a publican named Matthew, He said, follow me, Matthew 9. He saw a man named Matthew sitting
at the receipt of customs. And he said to him, Follow me.
And he rose and followed him. And it came to pass that Jesus
sat at meat in the house. The whole many publicans and
sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when
the Pharisees saw it, that's the self-righteous crowd, they
said to his disciples, Why does your master eat with such notorious,
wretched publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard that, He said
to them, They that behold don't need a physician, but those who
are sick. Go ye and learn what that means.
I will have mercy. I will have mercy. Not sacrifice. I don't need your contribution.
For I have not come to call the righteous, but I come to call
sinners to repentance. Are you a sinner? I've got good
news. God saves sinners. He saves sinners. Now, the Lord
demonstrates this in three ways. Now, you turn back to Mark chapter
6, and notice the last part of verse 34. Because they were a
sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many
things. Now, I want you to find this
scripture with me. Turn to Luke chapter 9. Over
here in Luke chapter 9, we have a little bit further
explanation how the Lord demonstrated mercy toward these people. In
Luke chapter 9, look at verse 10. The apostles, when they were
returned, told him all that they had done, and he took them and
went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called
Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew
it, they followed him, and he, now watch this, Three things.
He received them, He spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and
He healed them that had need of healing. I have never read
one time in God's book of a needy mercy beggar being turned away
from the Lord. It said there, He received them. You see that? That's the first
point here. He receives them. Here is mercy
demonstrated. He receives them. Luke 15. Don't turn. Let me just
read this to you. Then drew near unto him all publicans
and sinners. For to hear him, and the Pharisees,
and the scribes, they murmured, Say! Here's what they said. They said this in a way of derision. Here's what they said. This man
receiveth sinners. And he eats with them. Thank
God that's true. This man does receive sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ is called
a friend in Matthew 11, 19. He's called a friend of publicans
and sinners. This man receiveth sinners. I'm going to look to him. How
about you? We read this in Psalm 138, Though the Lord be high
and lifted up, he still has compassion on the lowly. Though the Lord
be high, yet he hath respect unto the lowly, the proud he
knoweth afar off. He received them. Christ receiveth
sinners. Secondly, it says in Luke 9,
verse 11, that he not only received them, he received them just as
they were. just as they were. Secondly,
it says, he spake unto them of the kingdom of God. And Mark
it says, he taught them. What did he teach them? Of the
kingdom of God, the salvation of the Lord. He taught the same
blessed gospel message everywhere he went, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom. Here's what we read. We studied
this in Mark chapter 1. After John was put in prison,
Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom and
saying, The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe the gospel. That's the message of the kingdom.
You see, God's people, when He receives them and He draws them
unto Himself, you know what He does? He teaches them. He teaches
them who they are. sinners. He teaches them what
they need and who they need. They need mercy. They need forgiveness. They need pardon. In the Lord
Jesus Christ, He teaches us this lesson of who we are and who
He is and how He saves sinners by His sovereign grace. They
shall all be taught of God, that righteousness is of God in the
gospel. That's what He teaches us. When
He receives us, He teaches us these lessons. These lessons
are taught. These lessons we are taught.
The lessons that salvation is all of grace. Salvation is all
dependent, accomplished, and applied by the sovereign power
of God. Their righteousness is of me. That's what He teaches us. He
receives them. He teaches them. And then thirdly,
look what it says there. In Luke 9-11, He received them,
He taught them the gospel, spoke to them the truth, and then He
healed them that had need of healing. He healed them that
had need of healing. It says in our text there, He
healed their sick. Salvation is for those who are
in need of mercy. He came to seek and to save that
which is lost. Now stay with me here for just
a moment. Mercy is for who? Who needs mercy? Mercy is for
the miserable. Do you know anybody who is miserable
over their sin and guilt before God? It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us. Mercy is for the miserable. Secondly,
grace, grace, that unmerited favor of God. Grace is for, who's
it for? The guilty. Those who are not
guilty don't need grace. Those who are not guilty, who
are not centered, don't need a Savior. Mercy is for the miserable. Grace is for the guilty. We're
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is for who? Who is
salvation for? Salvation is for sinners. This
is the faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that the Lord
Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Sinners. You know there is no
qualifying word before that word sinner. It does not say old sinner,
young sinner, poor sinner, rich sinner, black sinner, white sinner.
It just says plain old sinner. That's me. Paul said, I'm the
chief one. I'm a sinner. You see, salvation
is for sinners. Sinners. Righteousness is for
who? Those who are in need of righteousness. Righteousness is for those who
are rotten. You know any rotten folks around? Now that's me by
nature, by birth. All my righteousnesses are as
filthy rags in God's sight. I can say with the Apostle Paul,
I count all things but loss, ruin, and dung, that I might
win Christ and be found in Him, having that righteousness of
God in Christ Jesus. Redemption is for who? Turn over
here and let's see. Luke 19. Redemption is for who? Who is it for? Luke 19. Look at verse 10. The Son of
Man. He said this is Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus,
come down. I must abide at your house. This
day salvation has come to your house. You are a spiritual son
of Abraham. Verse 10. Luke 19. For the Son
of Man has come to seek and to save his lost sheep. And my friend, he won't lose
one of them. All that the Father hath given
to me, they will come to me, and those that come to me, He
said, I will, and know why, cast out. This is why the Lord came. He came to call out His sheep.
He came to call out His people. Now look back to the text. Mark 6, verse 34. When Jesus,
when He came out, saw a much people, was moved with compassion
toward them, because they were as sheep, not having a shepherd.
And he began to teach them many, many things. Now here, in closing,
let us ask ourselves this question. Are we, like the Lord, tender
and compassionate and concerned about those who are in need,
those who are lost, or do we go unconcerned? Are we, like
the Lord and His disciples, zealous to spread the gospel of God's
grace? Zealous to go and preach the
gospel into all this world? We ought to be. It's the very
means that God uses and He's put at our disposal to go into
all the world and preach the gospel. By all the means that
He has given us. And He has given us so many means.
Printed means. Preaching the Gospel. Sending
out messages on cassette tapes and CDs. Preaching the Gospel
on the radio. Through the internet. Whatever
means and the media outlets that we have. Go and preach the Gospel
everywhere. God help us to be zealous to
do that. He has ordained the preaching
of the Gospel salvation of his people, to the calling out of
his people. Knowing the Lord has ordained this to call out
his sheep, let us be serious minded about preaching the gospel
to our family, to our friends, to our neighbors, and submitting
ourselves unto the preaching of the gospel. God help us. God help us. I want to, don't
you? I want to have that compassion
and concern in my heart. for those who are lost, for those
who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to have that compassion
and concern for those who He has called by His grace, those
to whom I minister the gospel to each week. I'm concerned for
your salvation, for the salvation of your children. God help us
to have that compassion and commitment compassion and commitment to
the Lord for the salvation of God's people.