•A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Pastor/Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
•A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Pastor/Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. SYMPATHY FOR THE HELPLESS
A. GREAT MIRACLES AMONG THE GENTILES
Matthew 15:29-31 Having left [Phoenicia] Jesus walked towards the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a hillside and sat down there. And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, blind, mute, crippled and many others, and they put them at His feet, and He healed them. The crowd was amazed to see the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and gave glory to the God of Israel.
1. CONTINUED MINISTRY
2. POWER OF THE MESSIAH
Mark then picks up the story and gives detailed report on Jesus’ actions in Mark 7:31-37
B. SPECIFIC MIRACLE
1. HEALING AN EXTREME CASE
2. REACTION TO THE MIRACLE
II. SUSTENANCE FOR THE HAPLESS
A. REPEATED PROBLEM
Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus gathered His disciples to Him and said, “I have sympathy for the crowd because they’ve stayed with Me three days and have no food left. I don’t want to send them away hungry, lest they collapse on the way.”
Matthew 15:33 And His disciples asked Him, “In such a deserted area where can we get such a great amount of bread to feed such a great amount of people?”
1. FORGOT ALREADY?
2. SPECTACULAR MIRACLE
B. REPEATED SOLUTION
Matthew 15:34a And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
Matthew 15:34b They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
Matthew 15:35-38After directing the crowd to recline on the ground, He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. And everyone ate and was satisfied. Then they gathered seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
1. ACTION OF JESUS
2. ACTION OF DISCIPLES
3. ACTION OF CROWD
John then picks up the story on the same theme as Jesus emerges after the miracles among the Gentiles and feeding 4000 Gentiles John 6:25-40
III. SALVATION FOR THE HOPELESS
A. SEARCHING FOR JESUS
Matthew 15:39 And having dismissed the crowd, He boarded a fishing boat and crossed to the shore at Magdala.
1. SELFISH MOTIVE OF THE PEOPLE
2. TRUE MOTIVE EXPLAINED
B. MISSING THE BREAD OF LIFE
1. LOOKING FOR AN OUTWARD MIRACLE
2. MISSING THE INWARD MIRACLE