❓ What do these grades mean?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Sermon Summary: Discover how Jesus' compassion meets our deepest needs—even when we feel inadequate. This sermon explores His miraculous provision and invites us to rest in His grace.
Big Idea: Jesus, the Everlasting Father, reveals the heart of God through His attention to our needs, His compassion for the broken, and His miraculous provision—even when we have little to offer. [00:25:46 ▶️ 📄]
Pastoral Analysis: While the sermon effectively communicated Christ's compassion and the Gospel's core message, it included a critical error in the prayer for salvation that risked confusing grace with ritual. Additionally, the use of coarse language undermined the pulpit's dignity. With careful refinement, this message can become a powerful tool for nurturing genuine faith and godly speech.
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Pergamum — The sermon contains a significant soteriological error where salvation was presented as dependent on ritualistic prayer, blending biblical truth with worldly practices. This compromises the purity of the Gospel message while maintaining superficial orthodoxy, reflecting the challenges faced by the church in Pergamum.
🎨 The Visual Metaphor
The empty boat symbolizes human inadequacy—nothing to offer, yet still placed where the light falls. The distant crowd represents the multitudes in need, met not by grand displays but by quiet, compassionate presence. This mirrors how Christ meets us in our scarcity, not because of our merit, but because of His faithful provision.
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Mark 6:30-44
- Usage Classification: Flawed
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: Moderate
- Pulpit Decorum: ❌ FAIL - Use of the phrase 'drunk as a skunk' violated biblical standards for edifying speech (Ephesians 4:29).
✝️ Christological Focus: Adequate
"Jesus' compassion and divine authority were clearly highlighted throughout the sermon, especially in the feeding of the 5,000 narrative."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 10 | Referenced: 10 | Alluded: 10
Passages Read Aloud:
-
Mark 6:30
[00:32:21 ▶️ 📄]
"So the apostles returned to Jesus and they told him all that they had done and all that they had taught."
-
Mark 6:31
[00:32:44 ▶️ 📄]
"He said to them, come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest for a while."
-
Mark 6:34
[00:41:18 ▶️ 📄]
"He went ashore and he saw the great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things."
-
Mark 6:37
[00:47:20 ▶️ 📄]
"But he answered them, you give them something to eat."
-
Mark 6:38
[00:49:26 ▶️ 📄]
"And he said to them, how many loaves do you have? Go and see."
-
Mark 6:39
[00:50:22 ▶️ 📄]
"So he commanded them all to sit down on the green grass."
-
Mark 6:40
[00:50:27 ▶️ 📄]
"So they sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties."
-
Mark 6:41
[00:52:20 ▶️ 📄]
"And taking the loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and he said a blessing and he broke the loaves and he gave it to the disciples to set before the people and then he divided the two fish among the people."
-
Mark 6:42
[00:53:19 ▶️ 📄]
"And they all ate and they were satisfied."
-
Mark 6:43
[00:54:05 ▶️ 📄]
"And they took up the 12 baskets full of broken pieces and fish, and those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men."
Key References: Isaiah 9:6, Mark 5:1-43, Mark 5:25-34, John 14:15-16, Exodus 16:1-36, Romans 6:23, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 139:1-24, 1 Peter 5:7
💧 Liturgy & Sacraments
Altar Call / Invitation Observed: Yes
- Theological Conditions: You need forgiveness, You need eternal life after death, The wages of sin is death, The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through Jesus, Salvation is received, not earned, Jesus has already provided the way through the cross, You must surrender to Jesus as the Everlasting Father, The Holy Spirit must awaken you to a new way of living
- Sinner's Prayer: "Jesus I want to know you like that I want to know you like that I believe what you did meant something for me I want to know you as the everlasting Father would you send your Holy Spirit to wake me up to a brand new way of living where you teach me a new life that starts right now" [00:57:22 ▶️ 📄]
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 5,648 words
📌 Key Topics Addressed
-
Jesus as the Everlasting Father
[00:25:46 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor explains that Jesus, though distinct from God the Father, perfectly reveals the Father’s heart through His actions and words, especially in compassion and attention to human need. -
Compassion of Jesus
[00:41:07 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor emphasizes that Jesus’ compassion is not passive emotion but a deep, gut-wrenching response that compels Him to act — teaching, healing, and providing for the crowd. -
Rest and Renewal
[00:32:44 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor highlights Jesus’ command for the disciples to rest, framing it as a divine model for self-care and the importance of stepping away from constant demands. -
Divine Provision
[00:47:15 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses Jesus’ command to the disciples to feed the crowd as a moment of divine instruction — revealing that God often uses human instruments to accomplish His provision. -
God's fatherly provision
[00:45:03 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor repeatedly emphasizes Jesus as the Everlasting Father who notices needs, shows compassion, and provides miraculously — both physically and spiritually. -
The cross as the shape of divine provision
[00:51:30 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor links the grouping of people in the feeding miracle to the Exodus camp layout, interpreting the pattern as a cross — symbolizing that God’s true provision for eternal life comes through Christ’s sacrifice. -
Surrender and multiplication
[00:49:34 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor teaches that Jesus does not require what we lack, but asks us to surrender what we have — no matter how small — so He can multiply it for His purposes. -
Forgiveness and eternal life
[00:55:19 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor explicitly states that the greatest human need is forgiveness from sin and eternal life, which are provided through Jesus Christ as the gift of God.
🖼️ Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:29:34 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor recounts the story of John the Baptist’s murder by Herod, contrasting Herod’s moral corruption with Jesus’ compassion, to set the emotional context for Jesus’ response to the crowd in Mark 6. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:31:39 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor compares the disciples’ return from their mission trip to a child excited to tell their parent every detail of their day, illustrating their eagerness to share their experiences with Jesus. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:39:34 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor imagines the disciples’ disappointment when they arrive at a 'desolate place' only to find 20,000 people waiting — turning their vacation into a massive ministry day. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:46:08 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor likens the disciples’ request to send the crowd away to a teenager who is 'hangry' and ready to go home after doing a good deed, highlighting their desire for rest. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:51:26 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor compares the feeding of the 5,000 to the Exodus manna, suggesting the grouping of people in fifties and hundreds formed a cross-shaped pattern, symbolizing that true provision comes through the cross. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:51:08 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor humorously compares manna to 'Krispy Kreme donut thins' and the meal to a 'golden corral feast' to emphasize the abundance of God’s provision. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:54:46 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the image of a refrigerator in heaven with the listener’s picture on it to illustrate God’s personal, affectionate love.
🚀 Calls to Action (Application)
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:25:52 ▶️ 📄]
> Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher as the Word is opened. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:27:05 ▶️ 📄]
> Say, 'Jesus, I'm here and I'm listening. I want to hear from you today.' -
Pastoral Charge
[00:36:40 ▶️ 📄]
> Recognize that you never have to earn Jesus’ attention or affection. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:45:22 ▶️ 📄]
> Emulate Jesus’ compassion by noticing and responding to the needs of others, even when inconvenient. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:48:19 ▶️ 📄]
> Reflect the Father’s love to a world in need by paying attention and showing compassion. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:55:59 ▶️ 📄]
> Receive Jesus as the one who forgives sin and adopts you into God’s family. -
Pastoral Charge
[01:18:05 ▶️ 📄]
> Contact the elder on call for personal prayer or church support.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Compromised / Weak
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ✅ PASS | The cross and resurrection were accurately emphasized as the sole basis for redemption, though the prayer invitation inadvertently suggested ritualistic elements. |
| Soteriology | ❌ FAIL | Salvation was presented as requiring ritualistic prayer rather than grace alone, contradicting the biblical teaching of salvation by faith alone. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | Scripture was interpreted accurately without distortion, maintaining fidelity to the original context. |
| Hermeneutic | ✅ PASS | The preacher correctly applied sound interpretive principles to the biblical text. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | God's attributes were portrayed accurately, emphasizing His love and sovereignty. |
| Sacramentology | ⚪ N/A | No sacramental elements were addressed in the sermon. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ FAIL | The soteriological error indicates a lack of depth in articulating salvation by grace alone, which is foundational to historic Christian faith. |
⚙️ The Gospel Engine (Confessional Distinctives)
✅ The Law And Wrath:
"The Bible says that the wages of all of our sinfulness, what we have earned by the life we've led, is death. Not just physically dying, but eternal death that lasts and lasts." [00:55:32 ▶️ 📄]
✅ Total Depravity And Inability:
"we're all sinful, we're not great." [00:54:58 ▶️ 📄]
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ The Cross And Atonement:
"I want them to know how much I love that I left the glory of heaven and the worship of angels to pull on skin and be in a manger and grow up and live this life and experience every hardship they experience so that I could go to the cross in their place and take their punishment, their hell, their death that they deserve so I could give them the gift of forgiveness in life." [00:44:02 ▶️ 📄]
✅ Commendations
Gospel Clarity | Clear Presentation of Salvation
The sermon accurately emphasized that salvation comes through Christ's finished work on the cross, not human effort.
Scriptural Accuracy | Faithful Biblical Interpretation
The preacher handled Scripture with integrity, correctly applying its meaning to the context of Jesus' ministry.
Christ-Centered Focus | Effective Christological Emphasis
Jesus' compassion and divine nature were consistently highlighted, especially in the feeding of the 5,000 story.
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🟠 Synergism (The Error of Blending Human Effort with Divine Grace)
Root Cause: This error reflects a misunderstanding of salvation that has been addressed throughout church history, emphasizing that human efforts cannot earn God's favor.
"Jesus I want to know you like that I want to know you like that I believe what you did meant something for me I want to know you as the everlasting Father would you send your Holy Spirit to wake me up to a brand new way of living where you teach me a new life that starts right now" [00:57:22 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by ritualistic prayers. As Jesus taught, 'Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son' (John 3:18).
🟠 Coarse Language (Unedifying Speech)
Root Cause: This error contradicts the consistent biblical teaching on speech found throughout Scripture, including the New Testament epistles.
"He was drunk as a skunk" [00:30:33 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: Ephesians 4:29 instructs us to 'let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.' Speak with kindness and respect even when addressing sin.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
The Gospel of the Apostles
[00:06:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Amen.
[00:06:08] Our Savior is born.
[00:06:10] Are you glad to be in the house this morning, Christ's community?
[00:06:12] Can we stand together?
[00:06:14] Merry Christmas to each of you.
[00:06:15] It's going to be a great day.
[00:06:16] You believe that?
[00:06:18] Oh, come on.
[00:06:18] Y'all need to wake up now.
[00:06:19] This is 11 o'clock service, right?
[00:06:21] So we come to worship him.
[00:06:23] He's worthy of all our worship.
[00:06:25] Everything that we are, we owe to him.
[00:06:26] Yes?
[00:06:27] Yeah.
[00:06:28] All right.
[00:06:28] Here we go.
[00:07:03] Perimum And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing
[00:07:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
The Savior reigns, let all their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the song
[00:08:01] The sounding joy Joy, unspeakable joy An overflowing well No tongue can take
[00:08:32] He rules the world with truth and grace and makes
[00:09:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders, wonders of His love
[00:09:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
No time can tell
[00:10:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o'er the plains In the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains
[00:11:27] of the Holy Spirit.
[00:12:15] Let him men see Him whose birth the angels sing Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King
[00:13:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
All right, all right.
[00:13:41] Good morning, church.
[00:13:42] Are you excited to be here today?
[00:13:43] Hey, find somebody and let them know you're glad they're here and tell them Merry Christmas as you have a seat.
[00:13:54] If we haven't got a chance to meet yet, my name is Garrett.
[00:13:57] I am one of the pastors here, and on behalf of our senior pastor, Pastor David, his wife Katie, our entire staff, and our elders here, welcome to Christ Community Church for our Christmas Sunday.
[00:14:08] We get to celebrate together today.
[00:14:10] and if this happens to be your very first time worshiping with us we're honored that you would pick here to come and worship for Christmas today and we'd love to get to know you just a little bit better before you leave and so they're on the seat back pockets in front of you there is a couple of different cards the blue one is our connect card
[00:14:28] If you would just take a few seconds, fill that card out, and then at the end of service, take that card with you to the Black Connect booth right across the lobby.
[00:14:36] Somebody's going to meet you there, and in exchange for that card, we want to put a gift in your hands as our way of just saying thank you so much for joining us.
[00:14:43] So church family, could you help me welcome our first-time guest today?
[00:14:47] We're so glad that you're here.
[00:14:48] And we truly do want you to feel like you're at home here at Christ Community from the moment that you step out of your car, grabbing coffee, coming in the doors, feel at home here at Christ Community Church.
[00:14:59] And if you're curious what we're about, it's right there in our name.
[00:15:02] We exist to see people come to know Christ, to love through community, and to live as the church.
[00:15:07] That's our heartbeat.
[00:15:08] And we can't wait until January to continue that with our new teaching series.
[00:15:14] Pastor David is going to be talking about invitations from Jesus starting the first Sunday of January.
[00:15:19] It's going to be fantastic.
[00:15:20] So make plans after the holidays to come back and hear that series, be a part of that series in January.
[00:15:27] Get the year started off right.
[00:15:29] Next week we are continuing our Christmas series, closing it out, and talking about the Prince of Peace, one of the names of Jesus.
[00:15:36] And we're going to have Advent devotionals going that week as well, so you can continue celebrating the whole month of December.
[00:15:43] And then tonight we have our holiday hymn sing coming up.
[00:15:46] So come back at 6.30 and drink some wassail and sing a few songs as we continue to celebrate Christmas this year at Christ Community Church.
[00:15:57] Also, we're going to go ahead and continue our time of worship today, so would you go ahead and stand with me together?
[00:16:02] And as we continue in our time of worship, we always talk about giving because giving is an act of worship.
[00:16:08] And maybe you're in the room today and considering a possibility for year-end giving in some capacity.
[00:16:14] We pray that you would consider us as a place for year-end giving.
[00:16:18] We're a church that is really active in our community, and we like to give back to the people that call this place home.
[00:16:23] Through our benevolence ministry here at Christ Community Church, we've given over $13,000 away to folks in this area.
[00:16:30] And so we are really trying to be active in that.
[00:16:33] So as you consider your giving, we pray that you would consider us as a recipient of that.
[00:16:39] And also if you're giving your tithes and your offerings today, just know, do it as an act of worship because we give in response to what God has already done in us and through us.
[00:16:49] Would you bow your heads and close your eyes with me as we pray before we go back into worship.
[00:16:55] Father, thank you so much that we can come into this room and know without a shadow of a doubt that you are here.
[00:17:01] Your word tells us, Jesus, that where two or more are gathered together in your name, you are in the midst.
[00:17:06] And so we know that you are in this room.
[00:17:09] And Jesus, we read stories about how you showed up on the scene all throughout the Bible and things changed.
[00:17:15] People's lives were different.
[00:17:17] And so God right now, for every single person that walked through these doors needing to encounter you in a real way, I pray that they would today because you are a living God.
[00:17:27] The Bible says that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
[00:17:31] And if people in the Bible encountered you because they needed to receive something from you,
[00:17:37] they left receiving that God I pray that every single person here today would receive something from you that they need that we would leave changed people lighter that you would open the eyes of the blind heal the bodies of the sick and lift the heads of those who might be discouraged today we thank you so much for what you do and are continuing to do in our midst in Jesus name and everybody said
[00:18:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Lord Jesus, you're worthy of all praise, all honor, all glory.
[00:18:10] We're here for you this morning.
[00:18:21] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
We sing to you.
[00:18:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Behold, the King has come And divinity incarnate
[00:18:32] Creator of the world Breathing our air Behold what light has come And the dark cannot contain it The Savior of the world Is finally here Whatcha think?
[00:19:02] Oh come let us adore Him Come let us adore Him For He alone is worthy Christ the Lord Worship Christ the Lord
[00:19:50] Jesus Christ the King of Heaven, O come, let us adore Him
[00:20:25] We give you all the glory We give you all the glory We give you all the glory Christ the Lord
[00:21:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
and Resurrection.
[00:22:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Yes, he is.
[00:22:22] Thank you, Jesus.
[00:22:23] You are here in this place.
[00:22:24] Your presence is with us.
[00:22:26] And Lord, as we continue to worship you, as we open your word, God, we ask that you continue to move.
[00:22:32] God, where the spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom.
[00:22:36] And so today, we ask that freedom take place in this house.
[00:22:40] Lord, over any addiction, any chain, Lord, would you break it in the power of your name, Lord Jesus.
[00:22:47] Your Word also tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there's joy.
[00:22:52] So Lord, even in this season when some of us have experienced loss and grief, Lord, we come with joy knowing that our hope is in You.
[00:23:04] Lord, You came so that we could have life.
[00:23:08] and Life More Abundantly.
[00:23:10] Lord, we thank you for that gift.
[00:23:12] Lord, we give you our undivided attention right now, right here.
[00:23:16] Lord, speak to us through your word and all God's people said.
[00:23:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:23:22] We can be seated.
[00:23:23] As you are, tell your neighbor, I'm really glad you're here today.
[00:23:28] Let's go ahead and open our Bibles to Mark chapter 6.
[00:23:33] We're in week 4 of our Christmas series and we've been talking about Jesus because he's the greatest gift.
[00:23:39] Amen?
[00:23:40] He's the greatest gift there is.
[00:23:41] So many times we make it through the Christmas season and we focus on our to-do list and shopping list and all the stuff.
[00:23:47] We've been looking at the prophecies that were mentioned of him in Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
[00:24:06] In Isaiah chapter 7 it says that his name will be called Emmanuel because he's God with us.
[00:24:12] And so in week 1 of our study we looked at Jesus coming to a man that other people wanted to be isolated from.
[00:24:19] A man who was controlled by sin and by darkness and Jesus rushes towards him to be God with him to deliver him and set him free.
[00:24:28] And we said that that's who Jesus is for us.
[00:24:30] He's Emmanuel, God with us, who came to deliver us from sin and to deliver us from death.
[00:24:36] and in week two we looked at Jesus as the wonderful counselor and how there was the woman with the issue of blood and she came and she believed that she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be made well and in the midst of that moment Jesus he's the one who has the answers that that other people don't have he's the wonderful counselor he has supernatural wisdom and
[00:24:56] Supernatural guidance and supernatural healing available to us.
[00:25:00] That's part of who he is and we're celebrating him this Christmas.
[00:25:03] And then last week we talked about how Jesus is the mighty God.
[00:25:07] He's the mighty God.
[00:25:08] He's not just a mighty man.
[00:25:09] He is the mighty God.
[00:25:11] And with him there's no such thing as an impossible situation.
[00:25:15] We looked at Jairus and the little girl in Mark chapter 5 who dies, who passes away.
[00:25:20] And we said you can accept the reality of your situation.
[00:25:24] But you never have to accept the finality of the situation as long as you believe Jesus is the mighty God.
[00:25:30] He's still able to come in an impossible situation and bring transformation in life.
[00:25:34] And so today we are looking at Jesus in one of my favorite ways to look at Him.
[00:25:39] And I think it's a way that our culture really needs to see Jesus, especially during this time.
[00:25:46] And it's Jesus is the everlasting Father.
[00:25:49] He's the everlasting Father.
[00:25:51] Would you pray with me?
[00:25:52] This morning would you just ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher?
[00:25:56] In this moment as we open the Word of God, the Bible says it's alive, it's active, it's sharper than any two-edged sword.
[00:26:03] It pierces through to divide between the thoughts and intentions of our heart.
[00:26:07] So we don't have to do anything to make God's Word come alive.
[00:26:11] We just open it.
[00:26:12] It is alive.
[00:26:14] But today would you pray that the Holy Spirit would be your teacher?
[00:26:18] John 14, 15, 16, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit's going to come and he's going to remind us of everything Jesus did and everything Jesus taught.
[00:26:26] He's going to guide us into all truth.
[00:26:28] And so today, pray that I wouldn't be your teacher, but that the Holy Spirit would take the words that I'm saying and would translate them to your heart, to the exact thing that you need to hear.
[00:26:42] You need to hear from the Holy Spirit.
[00:26:44] He would wash over your mind, over your life, whether it's calling you home to be with Jesus when you've been running away from Him, whether it's a lie that you believe that the enemy's whispered in your ear and he needs to speak truth to today, whether it's conviction or whether it's salvation, whatever it is, would you just say, Jesus, I'm here and I'm listening.
[00:27:05] I want to hear from you today.
[00:27:07] I believe He will answer every one of those prayers.
[00:27:10] In the name of Jesus and all God's people said Amen.
[00:27:14] I love this image of Jesus.
[00:27:16] His name shall be called Everlasting Father.
[00:27:20] Everlasting Father.
[00:27:22] It sounds confusing because we talk about the Heavenly Father and Jesus isn't the Heavenly Father, right?
[00:27:27] The Heavenly Father is the Heavenly Father.
[00:27:28] Jesus is God the Son, right?
[00:27:30] So we have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
[00:27:33] and so he's not the father but but what this means when it says he shall be called the everlasting father just jot this down here's what it means it means that Jesus is the everlasting father who continually and completely reveals the heart of God
[00:27:50] If you've ever wondered what God is like, all you have to do is look at Jesus' words and Jesus' actions.
[00:27:58] If you've ever wondered what does God think, just look at the thoughts of Jesus.
[00:28:03] If you've ever wondered what does God care about, just look at the things Jesus cares about.
[00:28:07] The Bible tells us in the New Testament that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
[00:28:12] He's the stamp on earth to show us exactly who the Father is.
[00:28:18] And in every situation, Jesus always displays the Father's heart.
[00:28:23] Perfectly, completely, continually, He always is revealing the heart of God to the people around us.
[00:28:30] And I love this story that shows the heartbeat of God.
[00:28:34] It's something that the world needs to see in our culture today.
[00:28:37] So in Mark 6, verse 30, let me give you the context of what's happening in this moment.
[00:28:43] So Jesus has raised this little girl from the dead.
[00:28:47] and now he sends his disciples out on their very first missions trip anybody ever been on a missions trip before yeah like it's it's fun it's amazing like it's scary it's like all these things wrapped into one and so all these guys that have been learning from Jesus for multiple years now following Jesus as he's been teaching them about this new kingdom that he's
[00:29:07] The Holy Spirit has responded and people have been healed.
[00:29:18] That's going to happen for some of your prayers.
[00:29:20] And you're going to teach people and you're going to say things that I've taught you.
[00:29:25] And so this is what they do.
[00:29:26] They come back and they're super excited.
[00:29:28] But during this time while they were away on a missions trip, Jesus gets some really bad news.
[00:29:34] Maybe you've gotten some bad news this Christmas season too.
[00:29:37] It's not always the season where it's great news, right?
[00:29:40] And in the midst of this season, Jesus gets some information that one of his best friends, John the Baptist, who happened to be his cousin, had been murdered.
[00:29:49] It talks about this scene where this king, he was the king of the Jews, but he wasn't Jewish.
[00:29:56] He was part Jewish, but he was like a national ruler.
[00:30:01] And so he had established great relationships with the religious leaders because he helped rebuild the temple.
[00:30:06] And he was a master builder, but he wasn't a very great guy.
[00:30:09] He didn't have good character at all.
[00:30:12] And so he got the religious people to support him, but he had no moral character whatsoever.
[00:30:19] And so this leader, Herod, he throws a big birthday party.
[00:30:23] And so once everybody is drunk as a skunk, he ends up deciding he's gonna get his stepdaughter to come out and do a little dance for everybody.
[00:30:33] This guy's a sick individual.
[00:30:36] And in the midst of this, he tells her a promise.
[00:30:39] He says, I'll give you anything you want, even up to half my kingdom, if you entertain everybody the right way.
[00:30:44] At the end of it, she does, and he says, what do you want?
[00:30:48] I want the head of John the Baptist's
[00:30:51] John the Baptist had spoken truth to power to Herod.
[00:30:55] He said, it's really not a good thing when you take your brother's wife and make her your wife.
[00:30:59] That's kind of like a no-no.
[00:31:02] In the midst of that, he threw him in jail.
[00:31:04] Well, Herod respected John.
[00:31:06] He didn't want to kill him, but he didn't want to lose face in front of the crowd at the birthday party.
[00:31:11] So he orders John the Baptist to have his head removed and brought on a silver platter.
[00:31:18] and Jesus has just gotten the news so I want you to imagine the disciples are coming back from their very first mission strip and they're so excited anybody have a kid when they get home from school maybe like a kid in elementary school that still wants to talk to you about their day like when they get in the car they just want to tell you every single detail of exactly what happened that day
[00:31:39] This is exactly what happens.
[00:31:40] The apostles come back from the first mission trip, and they want to tell every... Well, we were walking on this road.
[00:31:45] It was 3.2 miles an hour.
[00:31:47] It was a sunny day.
[00:31:48] It was 76 degrees.
[00:31:50] I was a little sweaty, and then I came upon this crowd.
[00:31:53] Like, they want every detail of everything that's happened on the trip, and they can't wait to share it with Jesus.
[00:31:59] And Jesus is grieving over the loss of...
[00:32:03] His friend.
[00:32:04] And in the midst of this Jesus in this story in Mark chapter 6 shows us this perfect picture how He always completely and continually reveals the heart of the everlasting Father.
[00:32:18] Look at what he says in Mark 6 verse 30.
[00:32:21] So the apostles returned to Jesus and they told him all that they had done and all that they had taught.
[00:32:25] They're giving him the rundown.
[00:32:26] We went to this village.
[00:32:27] We went to this place.
[00:32:28] We prayed for this person.
[00:32:30] Here's how somebody was healed.
[00:32:31] Like this is incredible.
[00:32:32] Like they've got all these stories, right?
[00:32:34] Look at what it says in verse 31.
[00:32:37] He looks at them and he looks at them as a caring, loving father.
[00:32:43] Look at what he says in verse 31.
[00:32:44] He said to them, come away by yourselves to where?
[00:32:48] What does he say?
[00:32:49] This is the interactive portion of the service.
[00:32:51] Come away to a what?
[00:32:53] A desolate place.
[00:32:54] I don't know if you've ever looked for an Airbnb and checked a selection desolation.
[00:32:58] But that's not a common occurrence that people click.
[00:33:03] But he wanted a desolate place.
[00:33:05] Come away to a place away from everybody else.
[00:33:08] Let's do a little Jet 2 holiday.
[00:33:09] Just us.
[00:33:10] And look at what he says.
[00:33:12] And come and rest for a while.
[00:33:13] Here's why they needed rest.
[00:33:15] Look at what it says.
[00:33:15] It's the explanation.
[00:33:16] For many people were coming and going and they had no leisure even to what?
[00:33:22] So here's what happened.
[00:33:24] See, before the missions trip, when Jesus would show up into a town, the entire town would flood with people.
[00:33:31] Because they had heard about what Jesus did.
[00:33:33] They had heard how Jesus had touched a leper and then he was made well.
[00:33:38] They had heard how Jesus had touched this woman with the issue of blood and she became ceremonially clean.
[00:33:44] And what the doctors couldn't do for 12 years, now she was healed.
[00:33:47] They had heard these stories about how Jesus had raised a little girl from the dead and how he had cast demons out of people and set people free from bondage.
[00:33:57] Like all of these stories.
[00:33:59] So whenever Jesus would come into a town, everybody would flood in.
[00:34:02] Anybody with any sickness, anybody with disease, anybody that was being oppressed by the enemy.
[00:34:07] They would come in so that Jesus could help them, right?
[00:34:11] So now the disciples have gone out and now people know that the followers of Jesus have access to the same power that Jesus does.
[00:34:20] And they prayed for people.
[00:34:22] and God did things and they had words to share that were truth like a new way of living that they could teach people and so now it's not just when Jesus rolls up in a village it's when his followers roll into a village as well now everybody is coming for them too
[00:34:41] Everybody with a problem, everybody with a sickness, everybody with a relationship issue, right?
[00:34:49] And from morning until night, their schedule is packed with people who have unbelievable problems.
[00:34:56] People who are going through marriage difficulties, people who have a sick child, people who need provision and help that are financially destitute, people that are mentally and emotionally depressed and drained and all this stuff.
[00:35:10] So this is what's happening for them so much so that they don't even get a break to have a meal.
[00:35:16] They make it through the whole day and they're like, I didn't even eat anything.
[00:35:20] Have you ever felt so busy, so needed by other people that you just don't even have a moment to take a breath?
[00:35:29] Jesus is the everlasting father.
[00:35:32] He continually, completely reveals the heart of God.
[00:35:36] And he's an attentive dad.
[00:35:38] He looks at his followers and he says, you're doing too much.
[00:35:43] You're not taking care of yourself.
[00:35:44] You're not taking a break.
[00:35:46] Just jot this down.
[00:35:47] Jesus is the everlasting father.
[00:35:49] One of the ways he shows himself to be that is...
[00:35:52] Through his attention.
[00:35:54] He's an attentive dad.
[00:35:55] Like he's a noticer.
[00:35:57] Anybody married to a noticer?
[00:35:59] Anybody married to it?
[00:36:00] Like they just see things and details that other people don't see.
[00:36:03] Like you can go to a party and at the end of the party, like you walk away and you're like, wow, what a great party.
[00:36:09] And then your noticer person was like, not for this person it wasn't.
[00:36:13] And you're like, what do you mean?
[00:36:15] You didn't see what was happening?
[00:36:18] This person was all alone.
[00:36:20] Nobody even spoke to them the whole night.
[00:36:22] I went over, I sat down, I talked to them, but this person was ignored by every other... Oh, I didn't even notice, right?
[00:36:31] But Jesus is a noticer, and he pays attention.
[00:36:34] You know that you never have to do anything to earn Jesus' attention or his affection.
[00:36:40] He's the perfect father.
[00:36:42] He has the heart that reveals the everlasting father.
[00:36:46] And so he looks at his disciples with attention.
[00:36:48] He says, guys, you're going to burn out.
[00:36:50] You can't keep this up.
[00:36:51] The schedule's not sustainable.
[00:36:53] You need to rest.
[00:36:54] Come away with me to a desolate place.
[00:36:57] Like, you need to just take a breath.
[00:36:59] Just have some time.
[00:36:59] Just us, like the good old days were before everybody needed you for every moment of every day.
[00:37:05] Like, just come and get away.
[00:37:07] Right?
[00:37:09] Let's take a look at what's going on here.
[00:37:32] By themselves, right?
[00:37:35] They're like, yes, we're getting away.
[00:37:37] Nobody's going to need anything.
[00:37:38] Nobody's going to ask me for anything.
[00:37:40] Nobody's going to need my attention.
[00:37:42] Nobody's going to need anything.
[00:37:43] Like, Jesus is the perfect illustration of an everlasting Father.
[00:37:49] He reveals the heart of God.
[00:37:51] He paid attention to my need.
[00:37:52] Man, I really needed this break.
[00:37:54] I needed this rest.
[00:37:55] I needed this breather just where he could pour back into us for just a little bit, right?
[00:37:59] Now, look what it says, verse 33.
[00:38:01] I love this.
[00:38:02] Now, what's the next word?
[00:38:04] It says, now what?
[00:38:06] Many, many saw them going, and they recognized them.
[00:38:10] They're like, Peter, your disguise ain't fooling nobody, bro.
[00:38:13] Right?
[00:38:13] Like, this is, they knew who they were by this point.
[00:38:17] Look what it says.
[00:38:18] They recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all of the towns, read this out loud, and they got there...
[00:38:26] All right, so Jesus and his disciples get into the boat and they point this direction.
[00:38:32] Everybody sees which way they're going.
[00:38:34] Now, they're on the Sea of Galilee.
[00:38:36] The Sea of Galilee is really a lake, okay?
[00:38:38] But like in the Holy Land, they make everything a little bigger.
[00:38:41] So if it's a lake, they call it a sea, okay?
[00:38:44] If it's a hill, they call it a mountain, right?
[00:38:46] Like it's just how they do, okay?
[00:38:48] And in this, you can see a cross, right?
[00:38:51] The Word of the Lord.
[00:39:11] and so Jesus and his disciples depart for a day of desolation and time away just by themselves and in the midst of this they they say well it looks like he's going that way and they all just run around the outside edge of the lake and then when they get to the shore the disciples can you just imagine the scene with me for just a second they're in the boat and they're rowing up and they're like oh
[00:39:34] Man, I can't tell you what a relief this is going to be.
[00:39:36] A day off.
[00:39:37] This is so amazing.
[00:39:37] I filed PTO and everything.
[00:39:39] This is great.
[00:39:40] They're rowing in and they're like, nobody's going to ask me for anything.
[00:39:43] Nobody's problems.
[00:39:45] I'm not going to pray for anybody.
[00:39:46] It's going to be amazing.
[00:39:47] Just a day to kick back on the beach and relax and maybe just, you know, sip a little cold beverage.
[00:39:53] This is going to be great.
[00:39:54] Just time with Jesus, right?
[00:39:58] And they look and there's people waiting for them.
[00:40:04] I thought you'd never get here!
[00:40:08] Can you imagine how they felt?
[00:40:10] Now it's not just a few people, it's thousands of people.
[00:40:17] Later in the text it tells us there were 5,000 men, so if you add the women and the children, there's probably 20,000 people waiting on the hillside.
[00:40:26] I want you to imagine 20,000 people waiting to talk to you.
[00:40:33] There's 13 of you.
[00:40:36] 20,000 people.
[00:40:38] Because they have issues and problems and heartbreak and loss and trauma and hurt.
[00:40:44] And what you thought was going to be a day off just turned into a mega work day, right?
[00:40:50] And in the midst of that moment, I'm sure the disciples had this collective, oh, are you kidding me?
[00:40:56] But that's not Jesus.
[00:40:58] Jesus is the everlasting Father.
[00:41:03] And He reveals the heart of God in every situation.
[00:41:07] And look at how Jesus reacts to them.
[00:41:09] Look, He's not just the Father who pays attention, but He's also the Father who has compassion.
[00:41:16] Look at what it says in verse 34.
[00:41:18] So He went ashore and He saw the great crowd and He had what?
[00:41:21] What does He have?
[00:41:22] Compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things.
[00:41:30] He's not just a God who gives attention.
[00:41:32] He knows every one of your needs even better than you know your needs.
[00:41:36] He knows the number of hairs on your head.
[00:41:38] He knows everything about you.
[00:41:47] He knows your heartbeat.
[00:41:49] He knows what makes you tick.
[00:41:51] He knows your needs.
[00:41:52] He knows your physical needs, your emotional needs, your spiritual needs, your financial needs.
[00:41:56] He knows you better than you know yourself because He pays attention.
[00:42:00] He's a God who notices you and He cares.
[00:42:04] He doesn't just notice.
[00:42:05] He has compassion.
[00:42:07] He's the everlasting Father that continually and completely displays compassion.
[00:42:12] Did you know that you can never exhaust the compassion of Jesus?
[00:42:17] I don't know what it is in our culture today, but there's like this circle of Christianity.
[00:42:23] There's this circle of pastors, and they talk about something called toxic empathy.
[00:42:28] And I think that it's absolute baloney.
[00:42:32] Like, have you...
[00:42:33] I don't know that they've ever read about the heart of Jesus.
[00:42:37] Did you know that you can never exhaust the compassion of Jesus?
[00:42:43] He doesn't look at you and say, you had 82 chances, but the 83rd?
[00:42:47] Nope.
[00:42:49] He's a God who is full of compassion that every morning you wake up with brand new mercies.
[00:42:55] It's not, well, you know, last year was the year of mercy.
[00:42:58] This year is the year where you get none.
[00:43:00] He has this heart of compassion where he looks at people and he loves them.
[00:43:07] He feels, his first thought is, I told you so.
[00:43:11] His first thought is compassion for every one of these 20,000 people on the side of the shore.
[00:43:17] He looks at them and he says they're like sheep without a shepherd.
[00:43:21] He's thinking about their national leaders.
[00:43:23] This leader Herod who only has interest in himself.
[00:43:26] He's thinking about the religious leaders who only care about lining their own pockets and having a lavish life.
[00:43:32] He's like, does anybody care about these people?
[00:43:35] I do!
[00:43:38] The heart of the Father does.
[00:43:40] He says they don't know how to go about their life.
[00:43:44] Nobody's taught them how to have real life, real connection with God.
[00:43:50] And he looks and he says, my heart just breaks for them because I want them to know God as their Father.
[00:43:58] Not that they have to perform and do these religious rules and all this.
[00:44:02] I want them to know how much I love that I left the glory of heaven and the worship of angels to pull on skin and be in a manger and grow up and live this life and experience every hardship they experience so that I could go to the cross in their place and take their punishment, their hell, their death that they deserve so I could give them the gift of forgiveness in life.
[00:44:26] He says, I just...
[00:44:28] I want them to know the love of the Father.
[00:44:32] He has an ending compassion for them.
[00:44:34] He steps out.
[00:44:35] He's like, they're like sheep without a shepherd.
[00:44:37] And so his compassion, this word in the Greek, it literally is only used of Jesus.
[00:44:43] It's a compassion that moves.
[00:44:45] It literally, like this sounds weird, but I don't mean it to, but it's like in the bowels and it moves.
[00:44:51] Like this is, it moves you to action.
[00:44:54] This is Jesus.
[00:44:55] He doesn't just feel something.
[00:44:57] His feelings compel him to teach and show them a different way to live.
[00:45:03] And in the midst of this deal, he looks at them and he says, I love you too much to leave you where you are.
[00:45:11] I'm coming to you.
[00:45:12] You couldn't come to me.
[00:45:13] I'm coming to you.
[00:45:14] And I'm going to show you the way into relationship with God as your father.
[00:45:20] And so he has this compassion.
[00:45:22] He has attention for them.
[00:45:23] He has compassion on them.
[00:45:26] and then he teaches them all day long he speaks to their needs he speaks to their needs about marriage and he speaks to their needs about parenting he speaks to their needs about life and what really makes life life and about all of these things he talks about how the father loves them and wants to know them all of these things he teaches them because he has compassion he's he's the father the everlasting father that showcases the attention the perfect complete
[00:45:52] And when it grew late verse 35 I want you to picture your teenagers who have been somewhere a little too long
[00:46:08] They're done.
[00:46:09] They're over it.
[00:46:10] They've done the good deed for the day.
[00:46:12] They're ready to go.
[00:46:13] They're hungry, maybe a little hangry.
[00:46:16] Look at what it says, verse 35, at the disciples.
[00:46:19] Here's what it says.
[00:46:20] And when it grew late, that's about 3 p.m., through late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, This is a desolate place, or it was supposed to be.
[00:46:29] Look at all the people.
[00:46:33] And the hour is now late.
[00:46:35] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Right?
[00:46:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Why don't you send them away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to be able to eat.
[00:46:46] Jesus, 20,000 people, we're in the middle of nowhere.
[00:46:49] Remember, it's supposed to be our vacation day at sea.
[00:46:52] But now everybody's here and you've given them what they need.
[00:46:55] But now, isn't it time just for us to have a little time of our own?
[00:47:00] Isn't it time just to spend a little time together?
[00:47:03] Isn't it time to just send them away, let them get food from the surrounding towns, and then we can maybe still harvest the rest of the day that we intended, right?
[00:47:13] And look at what Jesus tells them.
[00:47:15] I love this.
[00:47:15] This is so great.
[00:47:18] Verse 37, read this out loud with me.
[00:47:19] What does he say?
[00:47:20] But he answered them.
[00:47:21] What does he tell them?
[00:47:23] You give them something to eat.
[00:47:26] I'm sorry, what?
[00:47:28] You give them something to eat.
[00:47:34] What do you mean, Jesus?
[00:47:36] How am I gonna give them something to eat?
[00:47:38] Well, how did you pray for people when you were on the mission trip?
[00:47:42] Well, how did you teach people?
[00:47:43] Well, by your power, by your authority, by your blessing.
[00:47:49] You give them something to eat.
[00:47:51] Here's what I love about Jesus.
[00:47:53] He shows them the attention of the Father.
[00:47:55] He shows them the compassion of the Father.
[00:47:58] He's getting ready to show them the provision of the Father.
[00:48:01] He's our provider.
[00:48:02] And in the midst of this, He looks at this situation and He says, You do it.
[00:48:13] You show them the heart of the Father.
[00:48:16] Do you know that's His message to us?
[00:48:19] He's like, do you notice needs?
[00:48:22] Are you paying attention?
[00:48:23] Do you have a compassion on people?
[00:48:27] Or is your first thought, they blew it.
[00:48:32] You show them the heart of the Father.
[00:48:35] You give them the picture of the perfect provider.
[00:48:39] In the midst of this situation, they look at him and they say, Jesus, where are we supposed to go?
[00:48:46] We're going to buy 200 days wages, 200 denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?
[00:48:53] Who has the purse for the group?
[00:48:56] Oh, what's his name?
[00:48:57] Oh, Judas.
[00:48:57] Judas, do we have 200 days wages?
[00:48:59] I thought we had 200 days.
[00:49:00] Oh, we're missing 200 days wages?
[00:49:02] We don't even have that money.
[00:49:03] Where did that go?
[00:49:05] That's weird.
[00:49:06] Another time for another day.
[00:49:07] Okay, here's what we're going to do.
[00:49:09] We don't have enough money to feed everybody.
[00:49:13] 20,000 people, everybody's going to get a snack.
[00:49:16] They're not going to get a meal.
[00:49:17] They're going to get a little snackle box.
[00:49:19] We don't even have enough for a little bagel and a schmear.
[00:49:22] What are we going to do?
[00:49:24] And look at what Jesus tells them.
[00:49:26] I love this.
[00:49:26] It says, verse 38, And he said to them,
[00:49:31] How many loaves do you have?
[00:49:33] Go and see.
[00:49:34] This is what I love about Jesus.
[00:49:35] It's never a focus on what you don't have.
[00:49:38] He's like, just surrender whatever you do have to me and I'll multiply it.
[00:49:44] It's not about what you don't have.
[00:49:45] I'm just asking for what you do have.
[00:49:49] Just surrender it to me and I'll take and make miracles out of that.
[00:49:53] What do you have?
[00:49:55] And it says they went and they found out they got five bow angler biscuits.
[00:49:59] They've got five loaves, little barley loaves, and two sardines, two fish.
[00:50:05] Well, what is that for 20,000 people?
[00:50:08] And then Jesus does what every good Jewish father would do at mealtime.
[00:50:14] He shows that the Lord is the provider.
[00:50:18] He shows the heart of God the Father.
[00:50:20] So look at what it says, verse 39.
[00:50:22] So he commanded them all to sit down on the green grass.
[00:50:25] Read this out loud with me, verse 40.
[00:50:27] So they sat down in groups by what?
[00:50:29] Hundreds and by fifties.
[00:50:31] Now, I love the Bible because it's so intricately woven together, okay?
[00:50:38] So do you know another time that they were told to sit down in groups of fifties and hundreds?
[00:50:43] In a desolate place, it was during the Exodus.
[00:50:48] During the Exodus, as they were leaving the 12 tribes of Israel, they're going through the desert for 40 years.
[00:50:55] And they're in a desolate place.
[00:50:57] And they would camp out.
[00:50:58] And each tribe had a specific place that they had to camp.
[00:51:03] And every morning they would wake up to what on the ground?
[00:51:06] They would wake up to?
[00:51:08] Manna.
[00:51:08] You know what manna is?
[00:51:09] It's bread.
[00:51:11] It's Krispy Kreme donut thins.
[00:51:13] That's what it is.
[00:51:14] But every morning they would wake up to manna, right?
[00:51:18] And so here's the shape of how the tribes were organized by 50s and by 100s as they went through the desert.
[00:51:26] I love this.
[00:51:27] This is a picture, a diagram.
[00:51:29] What shape is that in?
[00:51:30] The shape of a cross.
[00:51:33] The provision that comes for the way to the promised land has to go through the cross.
[00:51:40] And as Jesus gathers this group of 50s and 100s, 20,000 people on the hillside that day, he's showing them a new way, a new provider, a new bread, a new entrance into a different promised land, a land that lasts forever, times forever, times forever, that he's the one who provides the way.
[00:52:01] and in the midst of this he takes this bread and he does what every Jewish dad would do at dinner time he sits down and he takes the bread and and then he would pray a prayer look what it says verse 41 and taking the loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and he said a blessing and he broke the loaves and he gave it to the disciples to set before the people and then he divided the two fish among the people here's the prayer that they would pray that that that showcase the heart of the father as the provider here here's what they would pray
[00:52:31] They would hold up the bread and they would say, Praise be to you, O Lord our God, King of the world, who makes bread come forth from the earth and who provides for all that he has created.
[00:52:45] And so as Jesus prays this prayer, Father, you are the one who's the provider.
[00:52:49] And so we surrender everything that you've put into our hands and we say it's yours and we're asking you to take it and multiply it and make more out of it.
[00:52:59] and so as he does he breaks it and then he gives it out to the people and he showcases the father's provision he showcases just take what little you have and surrender it into his hands and look at how he'll multiply it look at what it says verse 42 would you read this out loud with me and they all ate and they were
[00:53:19] They all got a little moose boosh.
[00:53:21] Like, did they get like a little appetizer course?
[00:53:24] Was it just charcuterie?
[00:53:25] No, it wasn't just charcuterie.
[00:53:27] It was a golden corral feast, okay?
[00:53:29] I mean, well, let's not go that far.
[00:53:31] But I'm just saying, like, they pushed back from the table men, women, children, every person who was there, and they all were satisfied completely.
[00:53:42] They have been out all day long under the hot sun.
[00:53:45] Anybody ever like spend all day under the sun?
[00:53:48] And then afterwards you worked up like a powerful hunger.
[00:53:50] These guys, 20,000 people eat off the little that was provided because Jesus takes and multiplies.
[00:53:57] He shows the heart of the Father.
[00:53:59] The Father is the one who provides.
[00:54:02] Look what it says, verse 43, I love this.
[00:54:05] And they took up the 12 baskets full of broken pieces and fish, and those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.
[00:54:12] I love it.
[00:54:13] Only with Jesus do you end up with more leftovers than what you had for startovers.
[00:54:21] I love this story, it's so great.
[00:54:23] He's the everlasting Father who continually and completely reveals the heart of God.
[00:54:30] Let me ask you, do you know Jesus this way?
[00:54:33] Do you know Jesus is the one who looks at you and gives complete attention and affection?
[00:54:40] He loves you, the Bible says, with an everlasting love.
[00:54:44] The Bible says that you're the apple of his eye.
[00:54:46] If there was a refrigerator in heaven, God would have your picture on it.
[00:54:52] He loves you with an everlasting love, not because you're so great, because let's be honest, we're all sinful, we're not great.
[00:54:58] But he loved us enough to come for us and adopt us into his heavenly family.
[00:55:05] He wants you to know him as the everlasting Father.
[00:55:11] The one who gives attention to notice your need.
[00:55:14] And the greatest need that every single one of us have is the need for forgiveness.
[00:55:19] The need for forgiveness and the need for life that lasts after we die.
[00:55:24] The Bible says that the wages of all of our sinfulness, what we have earned by the life we've led, is death.
[00:55:32] Not just physically dying, but eternal death that lasts and lasts.
[00:55:37] but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord that's the whole reason of Christmas that's why he came he came to show you that he has paid attention and he loves you and he shows compassion it doesn't matter if it's the first time or the hundredth time that you've blown it he loves you so much
[00:55:59] and he wants you to learn his way his way of connecting with God as the father he's provided the way through the cross so that you could have a relationship with God that lasts forever one where all of your sins are forgiven and your slate is wiped clean and and where you have a relationship with God as your heavenly father right now have you ever done that do you know him that way
[00:56:25] if you haven't today is your day of salvation would you pray with me this morning if you've never started a relationship with Jesus would you just tell him that's what I want I want to know you like that as the everlasting father the one who who sees me and has great affection for me and has provided the way of salvation so that I can be forgiven
[00:56:52] And I can have a relationship with you that lasts even after I die.
[00:56:55] Would you just tell him, Jesus, that's what I want.
[00:56:58] I want to know you like that.
[00:57:00] He's not a God that you have to perform for.
[00:57:03] It's not about keeping a set of rules and earning your way.
[00:57:06] Jesus earned your way.
[00:57:07] He's the provider.
[00:57:09] He provided the way to God.
[00:57:11] The Bible says he's the way, the truth, and the life.
[00:57:14] Nobody comes unless you go through him.
[00:57:17] So it's not about you earning it.
[00:57:19] It's about you receiving it from him.
[00:57:22] and so if you've never met Jesus in that way would you just say Jesus I want to know you like that I want to know you like that I believe what you did meant something for me I want to know you as the everlasting Father would you send your Holy Spirit to wake me up to a brand new way of living where you teach me a new life that starts right now
[00:57:53] Just with every head bowed, every eye closed, if you prayed that for the very first time, would you just lift up your hand?
[00:57:58] I want to celebrate with you.
[00:58:01] Would you make sure you fill out that little response card and then turn it in at the welcome desk in the lobby?
[00:58:07] We have a book that we'd love to give you now that you start this journey with Jesus.
[00:58:11] But for those of you that are believers in the house today, let me just ask you this question.
[00:58:16] Are you running around so busy, so overwhelmed with the list of stuff that you're feeling like the disciples that you don't even have time to eat?
[00:58:25] Jesus, your everlasting Father, is saying to you, can we just spend a little bit of time together this week?
[00:58:31] Just away from everybody else.
[00:58:33] I just want you to show some attention to the everlasting Father who showed you perfect attention and perfect affection.
[00:58:46] Maybe there's some of you in the house today that you've blown it.
[00:58:50] You're a believer, but you've run from God.
[00:58:52] You've run from Him so many times.
[00:58:56] And you say, does He still have compassion for me?
[00:58:59] 100% He does.
[00:59:01] He's the everlasting Father who shows perfect, complete compassion.
[00:59:06] He longs for you to come back home to Him.
[00:59:10] so would you just run back home to him maybe there's some of you in the house today that you're facing a terrible financial situation or you need God to provide relationally whatever it is he wants to show you he's the provider and you're saying I don't know how in the world right he's not he's not focused in on what you don't have but whatever you do have your time your talents your treasure would you just surrender it into his hands it's amazing how he will multiply it
[00:59:37] He'll show Himself to be the one who provides.
[00:59:40] It's not up to you to just make it happen.
[00:59:43] Maybe for some of you that are in a really bad season, maybe the church is here for you, to help you.
[00:59:48] Maybe you can't pay your bills.
[00:59:50] Maybe that's a way we can help you this Christmas if you're part of this church family.
[00:59:56] Maybe there is something that could be of help that way.
[00:59:59] Or maybe He wants to provide supernaturally in a different way.
[01:00:03] But some of you need to look to Him as the Everlasting Father who will provide.
[01:00:08] He'll provide all of your needs according to His riches and glory.
[01:00:13] But let's surrender to Him what He's put into our hands to show Him we trust He's going to take and multiply it.
[01:00:21] And then let's do what Jesus told the disciples to do.
[01:00:24] I love this image.
[01:00:26] He said, you feed them.
[01:00:27] You give them something to eat.
[01:00:29] You showcase the heart of the Father.
[01:00:31] So the way that we're going to close out our service today is I'm going to invite every person to stand.
[01:00:37] Would you just stand right where you are?
[01:00:39] Let's pray.
[01:01:03] And what you're going to see is it starts up here and then it spreads through the whole place as we sing, as people light off of each other's.
[01:01:10] And I want this to be a symbol for you that Jesus is calling you.
[01:01:14] You have the attention of your Heavenly Father.
[01:01:17] You have the affection and compassion of your Father.
[01:01:20] You have the provision of the Father, right?
[01:01:24] He wants us to go and show that to other people.
[01:01:28] If you've received it, it's time to go and show it.
[01:01:31] And so this Christmas season, as you light your candle, would you make it your prayer?
[01:01:35] I want to showcase who the Everlasting Father is to a world that desperately needs to see Him.
[01:01:42] I'm going to be a noticer.
[01:01:44] I'm going to have compassion and I'm going to reflect the provision.
[01:01:47] of our Heavenly Father.
[01:01:49] So as we light it up, let's go out and shine brightly for Jesus and showcase the love of our Everlasting Father.
[01:01:56] Would you sing with me as we light these candles?
[01:02:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
The promise was delivered unto a virgin bride The one who would be called Immanuel
[01:02:53] Your name stands above them all In all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name
[01:03:32] and Holy Forever In the humble town of David A Savior born today The One who would be called Immanuel Behold the Host in heaven
[01:04:07] Our God is with us now and the angels cry Holy, all creation cries
[01:04:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Let's pray.
[01:05:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all And all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all Jesus Your name is the highest
[01:05:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Holy is Your name that stands above them all And the angels cry holy
[01:06:37] You will always be Holy, Holy forever You will always be Holy, Holy forever
[01:07:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all And all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all Sing that out.
[01:07:37] Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all And all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name
[01:08:05] Jesus, your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all And all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all
[01:08:35] Holy, all creation cries Holy, you are lifted high Holy, and holy forever And hear your people say
[01:09:09] Yes, beautiful.
[01:09:31] May that be a sweet aroma to you, Lord Jesus.
[01:09:34] I'm so thankful that Christ came to rescue us.
[01:09:37] And He came in the form of the meek and the lowly.
[01:09:42] As we celebrate Him this morning, can we continue to worship?
[01:09:46] He's worthy of all of our praise, all of our honor.
[01:09:49] Everything that we are, we lay before His feet this morning.
[01:09:52] Amen.
[01:10:05] Away in a manger No crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus Laid down His sweet head The stars in the sky
[01:10:31] Look down where He lay The little Lord Jesus Asleep on the
[01:11:04] The little Lord Jesus No crying He makes I love Thee, Lord Jesus Look down from the sky And stay by my cradle Till morning
[01:11:53] Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever and love me, I pray Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
[01:12:21] And take us to heaven to live with Thee there Worthy is Your name Jesus You deserve the praise Worthy is Your name Worthy is Your name
[01:12:53] Jesus, You deserve the praise Worthy is Your Name Worthy is Your Name Jesus, You deserve the praise Worthy is Your Name
[01:13:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Jesus, you deserve the praise, and worthy is your name, and worthy is your name.
[01:13:42] Jesus, you deserve the praise, and worthy is your name.
[01:13:53] You deserve our praise Your worthy is Your name Your worthy is Your name Jesus You deserve our praise Your worthy is Your name Your worthy is Your name Jesus
[01:14:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
You deserve praise, worthy is your name There is a name I love to hear I love to sing its words
[01:14:50] It sounds like music in my ear The sweetest name on earth And oh how I love Jesus And oh
[01:15:16] How I love Jesus, oh How I love Jesus Because He first loved me Can we sing that to Him, just you and your Lord?
[01:15:38] And sing, oh
[01:15:42] How I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Because He first loved me
[01:16:11] Worthy is Your Name Jesus You deserve the praise Worthy is Your Name Jesus You deserve the praise Worthy is Your Name Jesus You deserve the praise Worthy is Your Name
[01:16:41] Holy is your name Jesus You deserve the praise Holy is your name Holy is your name Jesus You deserve the praise Holy is your name
[01:17:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Father, we're so grateful for the love of Jesus.
[01:17:19] Today we worship you, not just in this Christmas season, but always.
[01:17:25] We're so grateful that you came, Jesus, to display the full extent of the Father's love for us so that we could be forgiven and adopted into the family of God.
[01:17:38] I pray that you'd help us reflect this light this week to a world that desperately needs to know the love of the Father.
[01:17:45] And all God's people said, Amen.
[01:17:48] Would you join me as you blow out your candle?
[01:17:51] Let's say that we're gonna be shining examples of the Father's love as we go into our communities this week.
[01:18:00] I'm going to invite our elder of the week, Matt, to come and pray us out with a benediction prayer.
[01:18:05] He'll be at the fireplace at the end of the service if you'd like some individual prayer over anything that you're walking through or any way that the church can help.
[01:18:14] We would love to be able to do that.
[01:18:16] And so if you need him this week, he's the elder on call.
[01:18:19] Go to the church center app, click elder on call and you'll get in touch with him or you can call the church office and it'll auto prompt you there.
[01:18:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
but we hope you come back tonight 6 30 for some wassail and cookies and hymn sing and then we'll see you next sunday as we talk about the prince of peace as we wrap up the names of jesus series so let's pray together i still think we should have done trick candles lord we thank you for this day we thank you for sending your son i heard a pastor today say this morning he said that um
[01:18:56] I lost it.
[01:18:59] Hold on.
[01:18:59] He came from eternity for humanity so humanity could have eternity.
[01:19:05] We thank you for everything you've blessed us with in our lives.
[01:19:08] We pray as we go forward this Christmas season that those that don't know you, Lord, come to know you.
[01:19:15] And we just thank you for just this church and everything you've given us.
[01:19:19] In your son's name we pray.
[01:19:21] Amen.
[01:19:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
As you go today, make sure that you grab your devotional and then also put your candles in the baskets and then we're taking family pictures in front of the big Christmas tree and then see Pastor Michael.
[01:19:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
That's awesome.
[01:19:35] Yeah, if you do not come tonight, you are a cotton-headed mini-muggins.
[01:19:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Is that right?
[01:19:39] That's right.
[01:19:39] Cotton-headed ninny-muggins.
[01:19:40] Ninny-muggins.
[01:19:41] There you go.
[01:19:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
All right.
[01:19:42] So be here tonight, 6.30.
[01:19:43] We'll see you then.
[01:19:44] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
God bless you.





