Sermons – Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

INTRODUCTION

John Piper is often quoted as saying that when it comes to missions there are only three choices for God’s people: go, send, or disobey. (I looked for some time to find the origin of that quote but could not do so. The quote is everywhere—even on DG’s website—but the original source is not.) That’s a fairly clever way of framing the issue, but it is not unique to missions. Wherever God has given us a command to bless others we will do it directly or indirectly, or we will be in sin.

This is as true, then, for orphan care as it is for missions. As I hope to make clear in this sermon, God has commanded all of his people to join him in fighting for the cause of the fatherless. For that reason we will take in, support, or disobey—take in the fatherless, support those who take in the fatherless, or disobey God. Those are our only three options.

With that, let me welcome you all once again to Orphan Sunday at Grace Church. Our primary aim is to help you see God’s call on your life to join him in fighting for the cause of the fatherless. To accomplish this aim I mean to do three things in this sermon. First, I mean to guide you through all of the major passages of the bible that address this issue. Insodoing we’ll see six main principles. Second, I mean to briefly share a bit of my personal engagement in this cause; not because I’m a great example, but precisely because I’m not. Third, then, I mean to offer five specific ways in which you might begin to or grow in your fight for the cause of the fatherless today.

Let’s pray, therefore, that God would be pleased to help us see his heart and mind for the fatherless, to see his heart and mind for his people for the fatherless, and respond in ways that are for his glory and the orphan’s good.

ORPHANS IN THE BIBLE

Once again, in order to help you see God’s call on your life to join him in fighting for the cause of the fatherless, I want to begin by taking you through a scripture-saturated journey. God’s word is the place where we find God’s mind and heart for all things, including this. By my count there are around 20 key passages in the bible from which we learn the will of God for the fatherless. And from those 20 passages we learn six main principles.

1. We Are All Orphans

This is the central principle. Everything else we might know about orphan care finds purchase in the fact that adoption is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider Paul’s words in Romans 8 in this regard.

Romans 8:14-17 …All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…

In Ephesians 1 Paul makes this even more clear.

Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Be amazed by this, Grace. Sin severed our union with God. Sin made us fatherless with respect to God. But God caused his Son to die as a ransom for our sins and his Holy Spirit to fall upon us to bring life and forgiveness and adoption. By grace through faith God welcomes us back into his family as true sons and daughters. Really consider this, Grace. Being a Christian means that you have acknowledged yourself as an orphan...

Genesis 1:11-13 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

INTRODUCTION

I really appreciated listening to John Caneday’s sermon on the feeding of the 5000. I specifically appreciated the way in which he helped us to see the much larger context of the passage.

It was also a pleasure to hear Pastor Mike and Kyle preach on different aspects of God’s heart and charge for his people regarding missions. One statement/truth/principle in particular stood out to me. It was from Kyle’s message last week. “If we lack love for God we will lack love for the people are missionaries are commissioned to evangelize and disciple. And if we lack love for the people are missionaries are commissioned to evangelize and disciple we will lack God-glorifying support for our missionaries.” I’m still not fully sure how that will end up changing my life, but I’m increasingly convinced that it will.

Kyle, missions team, we are really thankful for your long-term faithfulness in keeping missions in front of us. Our missions weeks don’t have a ton of lights and glitter—we don’t bring in big name speakers or raise thousands of dollars or have complicated programming. And yet they seem very much in line with the kind of steadiness and resolve that God-glorifying, long-term engagement in missions requires. We might not get 50 people to head to the Middle East right now (only to return broken and battered in a year or two), but we are far more likely in my opinion to have those we’ve sent and a number more over the years join them (for a lifetime of well-cared-for cross-cultural gospel engagement). It’s quite possible that you are planting seeds now that won’t reach full maturity until our kids are adults. You’re changing the air we breathe and that takes time to take full effect. Well done good and faithful servants.

Before bringing everyone back up to speed on Genesis I’d like to say one more thing in the way of introduction: you all are a strange bunch. As best as I can tell, the vast majority of those associated with Christianity in the U.S. today are interested in three things: 1) quick fixes to felt-needs, 2) a not-too-demanding means of gaining access to transcendent things like purpose, significance, hope, belonging, love and the like, and, of course, 3) conscience appeasement. In general it seems that people are not all that concerned with how they get these things (Jesus is, for some, the option de jure). It also seems that people in general are not all that concerned with living lives of consistency. As a result the typical spiritual diet often includes 1) feel-good bible passages bent to fit well into whatever else people may believe, and 2) highly-accessible sermons about already interesting things. I realize that this is an extremely broad generalization, but unfortunately it’s probably more true than not.

You all however are different. I’ve preached on some easier-to-swallow passages and books of the bible, but the ones I’ve gotten the most consistent and encouraging feedback from (stories of real conviction, repentance, and new obedience to King Jesus) seem to be the hardest passages and books. I started to notice this towards the beginning of Hosea and now it’s unmistakable at the beginning of Genesis. I know that I’m not the most charismatic person, gifted orator, or engaging preacher. I don’t have the mind of Lloyd Jones or the passion of Piper or the dec...

Genesis 1:11-13 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

INTRODUCTION

I really appreciated listening to John Caneday’s sermon on the feeding of the 5000. I specifically appreciated the way in which he helped us to see the much larger context of the passage.

It was also a pleasure to hear Pastor Mike and Kyle preach on different aspects of God’s heart and charge for his people regarding missions. One statement/truth/principle in particular stood out to me. It was from Kyle’s message last week. “If we lack love for God we will lack love for the people are missionaries are commissioned to evangelize and disciple. And if we lack love for the people are missionaries are commissioned to evangelize and disciple we will lack God-glorifying support for our missionaries.” I’m still not fully sure how that will end up changing my life, but I’m increasingly convinced that it will.

Kyle, missions team, we are really thankful for your long-term faithfulness in keeping missions in front of us. Our missions weeks don’t have a ton of lights and glitter—we don’t bring in big name speakers or raise thousands of dollars or have complicated programming. And yet they seem very much in line with the kind of steadiness and resolve that God-glorifying, long-term engagement in missions requires. We might not get 50 people to head to the Middle East right now (only to return broken and battered in a year or two), but we are far more likely in my opinion to have those we’ve sent and a number more over the years join them (for a lifetime of well-cared-for cross-cultural gospel engagement). It’s quite possible that you are planting seeds now that won’t reach full maturity until our kids are adults. You’re changing the air we breathe and that takes time to take full effect. Well done good and faithful servants.

Before bringing everyone back up to speed on Genesis I’d like to say one more thing in the way of introduction: you all are a strange bunch. As best as I can tell, the vast majority of those associated with Christianity in the U.S. today are interested in three things: 1) quick fixes to felt-needs, 2) a not-too-demanding means of gaining access to transcendent things like purpose, significance, hope, belonging, love and the like, and, of course, 3) conscience appeasement. In general it seems that people are not all that concerned with how they get these things (Jesus is, for some, the option de jure). It also seems that people in general are not all that concerned with living lives of consistency. As a result the typical spiritual diet often includes 1) feel-good bible passages bent to fit well into whatever else people may believe, and 2) highly-accessible sermons about already interesting things. I realize that this is an extremely broad generalization, but unfortunately it’s probably more true than not.

You all however are different. I’ve preached on some easier-to-swallow passages and books of the bible, but the ones I’ve gotten the most consistent and encouraging feedback from (stories of real conviction, repentance, and new obedience to King Jesus) seem to be the hardest passages and books. I started to notice this towards the beginning of Hosea and now it’s unmistakable at the beginning of Genesis. I know that I’m not the most charismatic person, gifted orator, or engaging preacher. I don’t have the mind of Lloyd Jones or the passion of Piper or the dec...

3 John 1:5-8 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

The aim of this sermon, at the end of missions week, is to help you see the indispensable, vital role all of us play in supporting workers of the truth in other places of the world. If you are lacking in a desire and in an effort for the gospel to spread to Asia, North Africa, Thailand, Guatemala, Panama, Germany, Haiti; our missionaries will be lacking in their ability to effectively get that gospel to those who need it. You play an indispensable part in supporting fellow workers of truth. I hope that desire burns in your heart, and if it doesn’t, may God use his Word this morning to fan a spark that would ignite fire in your soul to be a faithful sender and supporter here at Grace Church.

As a cop, I respond to all kinds of emergencies. Whether it is a car crash, an assault, or a medical; we go where things are the most urgent and serious. In that moment when I am at that scene, providing help to the injured, sick or victims of a crime, how many people have helped me get to that very moment to render aid?

There are the people on the assembly line that put together my Ford Interceptor SUV. If I didn’t have an engine, tires, a steering wheel, brakes, and a gas pedal, I couldn’t even get to the scene to help. There are the people that put together my computer in my squad, the light bar on top of my squad and the siren box inside my grill so I can get to the scene fast. There are people who made my clothes as I am standing there in uniform. There are people who machined my Glock pistol and made my handcuffs and created all the other equipment I carry on my belt. There are people who designed and built the roads that I can drive on to get to the call. And finally, let’s not forget the tax payers who are forced to pay my salary to do the job in the first place.

Very quickly we can see that there are hundreds, if not thousands of people, who are supporting me in that very moment I get to an emergency call. They are indispensable to the work of law enforcement. If they don’t do their jobs, I can’t do my job as well or even at all.

Grace Church, we are an indispensable support to fellow workers of the truth; to our missionaries. The emergency they respond to is a lack of access to the gospel. The greatest emergency we have as human beings. We send our missionaries out to translate the Bible so people can hear it in their heart language. We send them out to create businesses so they can be in countries that are hostile to the gospel. We send them out to islands where it is hard to just live. We send them out because the emergency is eternal. People are heading to hell and they need to hear about the good news that saves from sin and brings them into right standing before God. If we are lacking in that support, our missionaries will be lacking in their ability to meet this urgent need.

The epistle of 3 John is a brief, situation-specific letter to a man named Gaius, that helps us see the importance of supporting these types of workers. I pray and hope you would get this. Guilt-driven missionary support is a waste of time. I am not imploring you to feel bad about any past failures you may have in your lack of missionary support. Gaius, and his local church, supported these workers because they loved them and had a desire for the church to be strengthen and the gospel to spread. That is the mark of people who will do the hard, faithful, effort-filled, generous and worthwhile work of supporting fellow workers in the truth for decades.

What we see in this very brief letter written b...

3 John 1:5-8 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

The aim of this sermon, at the end of missions week, is to help you see the indispensable, vital role all of us play in supporting workers of the truth in other places of the world. If you are lacking in a desire and in an effort for the gospel to spread to Asia, North Africa, Thailand, Guatemala, Panama, Germany, Haiti; our missionaries will be lacking in their ability to effectively get that gospel to those who need it. You play an indispensable part in supporting fellow workers of truth. I hope that desire burns in your heart, and if it doesn’t, may God use his Word this morning to fan a spark that would ignite fire in your soul to be a faithful sender and supporter here at Grace Church.

As a cop, I respond to all kinds of emergencies. Whether it is a car crash, an assault, or a medical; we go where things are the most urgent and serious. In that moment when I am at that scene, providing help to the injured, sick or victims of a crime, how many people have helped me get to that very moment to render aid?

There are the people on the assembly line that put together my Ford Interceptor SUV. If I didn’t have an engine, tires, a steering wheel, brakes, and a gas pedal, I couldn’t even get to the scene to help. There are the people that put together my computer in my squad, the light bar on top of my squad and the siren box inside my grill so I can get to the scene fast. There are people who made my clothes as I am standing there in uniform. There are people who machined my Glock pistol and made my handcuffs and created all the other equipment I carry on my belt. There are people who designed and built the roads that I can drive on to get to the call. And finally, let’s not forget the tax payers who are forced to pay my salary to do the job in the first place.

Very quickly we can see that there are hundreds, if not thousands of people, who are supporting me in that very moment I get to an emergency call. They are indispensable to the work of law enforcement. If they don’t do their jobs, I can’t do my job as well or even at all.

Grace Church, we are an indispensable support to fellow workers of the truth; to our missionaries. The emergency they respond to is a lack of access to the gospel. The greatest emergency we have as human beings. We send our missionaries out to translate the Bible so people can hear it in their heart language. We send them out to create businesses so they can be in countries that are hostile to the gospel. We send them out to islands where it is hard to just live. We send them out because the emergency is eternal. People are heading to hell and they need to hear about the good news that saves from sin and brings them into right standing before God. If we are lacking in that support, our missionaries will be lacking in their ability to meet this urgent need.

The epistle of 3 John is a brief, situation-specific letter to a man named Gaius, that helps us see the importance of supporting these types of workers. I pray and hope you would get this. Guilt-driven missionary support is a waste of time. I am not imploring you to feel bad about any past failures you may have in your lack of missionary support. Gaius, and his local church, supported these workers because they loved them and had a desire for the church to be strengthen and the gospel to spread. That is the mark of people who will do the hard, faithful, effort-filled, generous and worthwhile work of supporting fellow workers in the truth for decades.

What we see in this very brief letter written b...

Exodus 19:1-6 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Good morning, welcome to Missions Week 2019. If you are a visitor or haven’t been at Grace Church longer than a year, we set aside a week every year to focus and emphasize Missions. Kyle gave us a good introduction to what’s coming up this week.

When we talk about Missions at Grace church we are distinguishing between the mission of the church, which is to make disciples. When we talk about Missions in relation to Missions Week it’s a more specific part of making disciples. We define it this way: biblical missions is crossing a significant cultural or language barrier to make disciples because we love God and others.

I want to do a few things this morning. I’m using Exodus 19 as our text and the main points of the sermon, but I want to use the passage to also look at missions throughout scripture. How do we get from Abraham to Israel to Jesus and the Great Commission and beyond? Think of it as a biblical theology of missions. I hope that this will be not just an overview of missions, full of nice information, but give us a greater understanding and burden for sending and going. And then next week Kyle will preach on more practical ways that we as a church can be a sending church.

As the biblical story unfolds, the shape changes, but the purpose remains the same. God saves people, sets them apart from the world, but then sends us forth to the world as representatives for God. My hope this morning is we would hear again the story of salvation, and we would feel both the privilege and weight of representing God to the rest of the world. As we enter into Missions Week, may we have a greater desire to represent God’s Name to the world.

Would you pray with me?

Father in heaven, we gather this morning because you are worthy of worship. You have revealed your Son to us and delivered the gospel to us. Help us to see what you have done. You routed our enemies. May we desire to see your glory and as a result for others to see your glory. As we focus this morning on Missions, may we not miss the glory of salvation. Will you remind us afresh of what we have been saved from?

Our lives are a vapor. They are like the morning fog that quickly disappears. Would you convict us this morning and give us a newfound burden for the lost? People are dying here and around the world. Help us as a church body to keep missions at the forefront of our thinking and our prayers. Guard us against laziness and complacency. Please speak to us this morning through this broken vessel. Please show us your glory today. Stoke our desire for Missions. And more than anything may these words reveal more of Jesus and his gospel this morning.

Here’s another way to summarize this text: God saves us and makes us his treasured possession. Then we represent God’s name to the nations.

If you have the sermon notes, the sermon breaks down like this:

* Seeing God’s Salvation

* Hearing God’s Authority

* Blessings to the World

* The Great Commission

Background

We will spend the bulk of our time in verses 4-6,

Exodus 19:1-6 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Good morning, welcome to Missions Week 2019. If you are a visitor or haven’t been at Grace Church longer than a year, we set aside a week every year to focus and emphasize Missions. Kyle gave us a good introduction to what’s coming up this week.

When we talk about Missions at Grace church we are distinguishing between the mission of the church, which is to make disciples. When we talk about Missions in relation to Missions Week it’s a more specific part of making disciples. We define it this way: biblical missions is crossing a significant cultural or language barrier to make disciples because we love God and others.

I want to do a few things this morning. I’m using Exodus 19 as our text and the main points of the sermon, but I want to use the passage to also look at missions throughout scripture. How do we get from Abraham to Israel to Jesus and the Great Commission and beyond? Think of it as a biblical theology of missions. I hope that this will be not just an overview of missions, full of nice information, but give us a greater understanding and burden for sending and going. And then next week Kyle will preach on more practical ways that we as a church can be a sending church.

As the biblical story unfolds, the shape changes, but the purpose remains the same. God saves people, sets them apart from the world, but then sends us forth to the world as representatives for God. My hope this morning is we would hear again the story of salvation, and we would feel both the privilege and weight of representing God to the rest of the world. As we enter into Missions Week, may we have a greater desire to represent God’s Name to the world.

Would you pray with me?

Father in heaven, we gather this morning because you are worthy of worship. You have revealed your Son to us and delivered the gospel to us. Help us to see what you have done. You routed our enemies. May we desire to see your glory and as a result for others to see your glory. As we focus this morning on Missions, may we not miss the glory of salvation. Will you remind us afresh of what we have been saved from?

Our lives are a vapor. They are like the morning fog that quickly disappears. Would you convict us this morning and give us a newfound burden for the lost? People are dying here and around the world. Help us as a church body to keep missions at the forefront of our thinking and our prayers. Guard us against laziness and complacency. Please speak to us this morning through this broken vessel. Please show us your glory today. Stoke our desire for Missions. And more than anything may these words reveal more of Jesus and his gospel this morning.

Here’s another way to summarize this text: God saves us and makes us his treasured possession. Then we represent God’s name to the nations.

If you have the sermon notes, the sermon breaks down like this:

* Seeing God’s Salvation

* Hearing God’s Authority

* Blessings to the World

* The Great Commission

Background

We will spend the bulk of our time in verses 4-6,

Mark 6:30-44 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘rest’? If you’re like me, you might picture a comfortable chair and a good book. Some of you might think of a beach vacation, or a long weekend away somewhere. Or maybe you just think of your bed and a good night’s rest.

Many years ago, my family was able to stay with some friends at the cabin home belonging to some church friends of theirs. We were told that they often allowed others to stay at the cabin like we were. The cabin was really much more than a cabin. It was a nicer house than our own home, set on a small lake. Along the sidewalk approaching the house there was a prominent sign that read, “Rest, that you may run.” I’ve often thought of that sign, over the years since we last stayed there, because it is a biblical idea. In Hebrews 12:1, we’re encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 9 as well. This morning I hope that you’ll see that this race is not an endless one without rest. God gives us rest each week, and our passage this morning is a picture of how the church is to live that out.

As we prepare to turn to our text this morning, I want us all to see there, that Jesus is our faithful Shepherd who gives rest to his flock. In the words of Psalm 103, “he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.” In other words, he knows that we must rest, that we may continue in our mission to the world. For us, this rest is found in the Word of the Lord and the Lord’s Table. Jesus models this in this morning’s passage, by preparing his disciples to be his under-shepherds, who will then establish the church to carry on this rest for the people of God.

The Context

We’re going to look at several texts throughout the Bible as they relate to our primary text this morning, but don’t feel like you need to flip to every text. Before we go directly to our text this morning, we must briefly set the context of the first five chapters in Mark. By chapter six, Jesus has already begun his ministry, gathered his twelve disciples, performed miraculous healings, cast out demons, and begun teaching in parables. Toward the end of chapter five, Jesus has even raised a girl from the dead. Let’s pick up the story in Mark 6:7. It reads:

Mark 6:30-44 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘rest’? If you’re like me, you might picture a comfortable chair and a good book. Some of you might think of a beach vacation, or a long weekend away somewhere. Or maybe you just think of your bed and a good night’s rest.

Many years ago, my family was able to stay with some friends at the cabin home belonging to some church friends of theirs. We were told that they often allowed others to stay at the cabin like we were. The cabin was really much more than a cabin. It was a nicer house than our own home, set on a small lake. Along the sidewalk approaching the house there was a prominent sign that read, “Rest, that you may run.” I’ve often thought of that sign, over the years since we last stayed there, because it is a biblical idea. In Hebrews 12:1, we’re encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 9 as well. This morning I hope that you’ll see that this race is not an endless one without rest. God gives us rest each week, and our passage this morning is a picture of how the church is to live that out.

As we prepare to turn to our text this morning, I want us all to see there, that Jesus is our faithful Shepherd who gives rest to his flock. In the words of Psalm 103, “he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.” In other words, he knows that we must rest, that we may continue in our mission to the world. For us, this rest is found in the Word of the Lord and the Lord’s Table. Jesus models this in this morning’s passage, by preparing his disciples to be his under-shepherds, who will then establish the church to carry on this rest for the people of God.

The Context

We’re going to look at several texts throughout the Bible as they relate to our primary text this morning, but don’t feel like you need to flip to every text. Before we go directly to our text this morning, we must briefly set the context of the first five chapters in Mark. By chapter six, Jesus has already begun his ministry, gathered his twelve disciples, performed miraculous healings, cast out demons, and begun teaching in parables. Toward the end of chapter five, Jesus has even raised a girl from the dead. Let’s pick up the story in Mark 6:7. It reads:

Genesis 1:6-10 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

INTRODUCTION

This morning we’ll continue to work our way through the six days of creation by looking at days two and three (the first half). In these next two days we continue to see the omnipotent word of God going forth and bringing about its effect perfectly. “And God said…And it was so” continues to be the banner over the creation account. Likewise, God’s assessment of the goodness of his ongoing work continues to sound. God’s highest power—to name things—is still a central part of these days of creation. And the days of creation are, once again, about forming, filling, and illuminating the heavens and earth.

What’s new in our text for this morning is its emphasis on forming—giving shape to and establishing boundaries for—the waters on and above the earth. God determined (for reasons we’ll consider at the end of the sermon) that the formless waters need to be gathered and restrained.

My aims this morning are: 1) to try to continue to paint a clear picture of what exactly is going on in these verses, 2) to try to continue to explain how they fit in the larger story of the bible, and 3) to try to continue to explain how all of this relates to the Church (including our church) today. Please pray with me that these things would be so and that God would be glorified in them.

DAY TWO

In the beginning God spoke and created a universe that was originally good, but formless, orderless, and dark. Immediately, on that first day of creation (which we considered last week), God created light to overcome the and divide the darkness. Again, this week’s text/sermon focuses on God’s forming work; particularly his forming of the waters (providing shape, structure, and meaning to them).

Let there Be an Expanse

It seems that originally, as we noted earlier, God made the universe as a watery formlessness. It’s seems as if water was everywhere and without restriction. (As we’re about to see) there was no dry land and no meaningful distinction between earth and sky. While it is somewhat hard to picture what this would have looked like had we been present at this point in creation (some have suggested that it may have been like a “dense fog,” completely surrounding an entirely flooded globe), what isn’t hard to picture is what God did in this passage to begin bringing form to that original condition: God created boundaries for the waters of his creation. The text—our passage for this morning—names two specific boundaries that God created and named. The first named boundary we find in v.6. The second we find in v.9.

God’s first forming act, his first water-boundary, was to create an expanse (or a firmament or a vault or a dome) between the waters on the earth and the waters above the earth.

And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

But what does that mean? For life to be able to exist on earth—especially human life, which (as I’ll mention later) is what all of this is moving toward—water needed ...