Sermons

Introduction

Well, grace and peace, brothers and sisters in Christ of Trinity Bible Church. It is my joy to be with you this morning and to open up God's word. Only God's word can follow up that singing, so I'm glad we're here. Would you please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 9, verses 10 through 17, Luke 9:10-17. The preacher's sermon from this text today entitled "Jesus Our Gracious Provider. Jesus Our Gracious Provider." So, as you get there, would you join me in a word of prayer?

[Prayer] Father, we pray to You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior. And through Him we boldly, confidently, and gladly draw near to Your throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And Father, as we open up Your word this morning, we are needy before You. We are needy for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Help our hearts and minds to grasp the glorious truth You have revealed to us in this passage. Open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things in Your word, most especially, Your glory, God, in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray, God, You would help us in the reading, the hearing, the preaching, the understanding in the applying of Your word. Conform us more greatly into the image of Christ. And may Your Son be exalted as Your Spirit works through the word for Your glory and our good, in Jesus' name. Amen. [End]

God's word reads, "On their return the apostles told Him all that they had done. And He took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed Him, and He welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to Him, 'Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.' But He said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' They said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.' For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, 'Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.' And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces." So reads the word of the living God.

The Bible says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, then the builders labor in vain." In other words, mere human beings who are breathing air we didn't create, who can't function without sleep, and whose lives are a mist in view of eternity, as mere human beings, we are utterly dependent on the gracious provision of God in everything we do. But the way of the world is self-sufficiency, self-sufficiency. Most people don't like being needy, and especially not feeling their neediness, so our culture fights against it fiercely. Yet since we are creatures, the allure of self-sufficiency will always remain. But any sense of self-sufficiency will remain an illusion, a smokescreen and deception; but since we are fallen creatures, self-sufficiency will remain alluring, and it will take on different forms, whether pride-based or fear-based.

Pride-based self-sufficiency is often couched as independence. Resting in a long resume of success, it sounds like, "I've got this. I am enough," or, "I'm better than so-and-so," or, "I'm self-made," which are all different expressions of pride, self-reliance, or even self-righteousness before the Lord. Fear-based self-sufficiency is rooted in fear and shame – a fear of being burdensome to others, a fear of being judged, a fear of rejection or being let down or shame for needing help at all – all of this leading to a quiet self-reliance that never asks for help, even hesitating to cry out to the Lord.

No matter what allure of self-sufficiency pulls upon you, it leads to isolation, pride, anxiety, despair, burnout, fatigue, and ultimately lack because we are never enough on our own. And if this is you here today in any measure, hear me loud and clear: you are not enough, but Jesus is always enough, and life is most delightful when lived in dependence upon Him. And because Jesus is the great provider, self-sufficiency is an enemy of receiving Him, an enemy of relying and rejoicing in His provision, power, protection, and presence.

You know by this point, Luke is writing to Theophilus to assure him of the gospel, to give him certainty that Jesus really is the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost. And in Luke 9:9 last week, I'm certain you heard about Herod, who upon hearing of the ministry of Jesus asked, "Who is this person?" to which our passage answers, showing our King in all of His beauty. This passage provides a portrait of our need for Jesus' glorious person along with His gracious provision and power. Luke 9:10-17 exalts Christ as the great and gracious provider who is all-sufficient for our greatest needs. This text exalts Christ as our great and gracious provider who is all-together sufficient for our greatest needs. This text is an invitation to acknowledge our neediness and in faith embrace Jesus as all-sufficient for our need.

Jesus Graciously Welcomes The Needy

We'll look at this text from three headings, verses 10 through 11, "Jesus graciously welcomes the needy. Jesus graciously welcomes the needy." And then verses 12 through 16, "Jesus graciously provides for our needs. Jesus graciously provides for our needs." And then verse 17, "Jesus gloriously satisfies our needs. Jesus gloriously satisfies our need." Let's look first to verses 10 through 11, "Jesus graciously welcomes the needy."

Verse 10, Luke tells us, "On their return the apostles told Him all that they had done. And He took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida." Here in verse 10, we see the twelve disciples returning from their short-term ministry trip throughout all the villages in Galilee. You seen last week in chapter 9, verse 1, Jesus empowered them with authority to cast out demons, secure diseases, and to preach the good news of the kingdom. And they were actually effective through the delegated power of Christ, and these regular guys found themselves doing things they never imagined in their lifetime. So in verse 10, they are excited to come back and tell Jesus all of what happened.

In Mark's account of this very time, in Mark 6:31, he tells us they're also exhausted from their ministry efforts. And this shouldn't surprise us. Despite their miraculous ministry, if you have ever gone on a youth retreat, you know what ministry fatigue is, hanging out with middle schoolers for a few days. And some of you, with your absolute necessity for that afternoon church nap, know sometimes you need a little rest after a little ministry. This is where the disciples are. They were greatly used of Christ, but they're still needy for Christ and His shepherding care, so they return to Him. And Jesus not only welcomes them, but withdraws with them to Bethsaida, which is a desolate place where they can rest and recoup. He was their great and gracious provider, caring for their needs, which remained even amidst their successes.

Look with me to verse 11. Luke continues and says, "When the crowds learned it, they followed Him, and He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing." So Jesus and the disciples are heading out, the crowds catch wind of it, and they follow them, and they land at their destination as Jesus and the disciples get there. The disciples would have to wait for their rest, because verse 11 tells us, "Jesus welcomed the crowds."

Notice that Jesus, He's not frustrated or avoidant with the crowds, but compassionate and gracious, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd. Nowadays, people are slow to welcome family who arrive to their house unannounced. We're slow to answer phone calls because, "You could have just texted me." Jesus, at a very inconvenient time, welcomes them. He received them favorably with a grace this crowd certainly did not earn and certainly did not deserve, but a grace that Jesus freely bestows because He really is the great and gracious provider.

Plus, Jesus in His infinite wisdom understood their needs, just as He does yours, even better than you. In verse 11, Jesus knows their needs, particularly for divine truth. So Luke tells us, "He spoke to them concerning the kingdom of God." He spoke to them the good news of the kingdom of God. They needed the truth, so Jesus preached it. Like us, they were sinners and sufferers in a broken, fallen world. This crowd is living under the curse of God's law and suffering in the day-to-day life in a fallen world. So Jesus preached to them the good news of the kingdom of God, being God's redemptive reign through His Son the Savior King.

The gospel of the kingdom is truly good news because it tells us the King has come as a Savior full of grace, truth, and self-giving love. The King has come as a Savior to set right all that our sin made wrong. And the King has come with good news because Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords came as a Savior King who didn't come initially to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. When it comes to King Jesus, the cross is before His everlasting crown. Jesus preached the kingdom because they needed above all things the divine truth. They needed above all things the King Himself.

Verse 11 also tells us He healed. He cured everyone who had need of healing. And these are miracles once again. He welcomed the needy and met their eternal but also temporal, immediate needs. And these healings were end-breakings of His coming kingdom, foretaste of the kingdom to come where there will be no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more suffering and no more sin. Jesus welcomed the sick and needy and shows Him to be a provider like no other.

Just these two verses show us since Jesus clearly welcomes the needy, friend, you do not have to spurn your neediness. You do not have to reject or despise your neediness. Whether it's your need for eternal salvation, the ongoing battle of sanctification, practical wisdom for life, or just strength to get through your day, Christ welcomes you, friend, in your neediness. No matter where you are, individually as a Christian or corporately as a church, be assured that Jesus really means it when He says, "Come to Me, all who were weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Jesus really is gentle and lowly in heart. Though He is King of kings and Lord of lords, high and lifted up, He has come down so that we could really come to Him. He is accessible, approachable, and kind to sinners who, in repentance and faith, draw near to Him. Jesus is infinitely holy but immeasurably helpful for people like us.

Be assured the Savior will not stiff-arm you, friend. The Savior doesn't make you wait in a line or make an appointment to come to Him. You don't have to rid yourself of neediness to come to Jesus, your need is exactly why you should come to Him. He already knows your needs and graciously welcomes you when you cry out to Him, when you confess your sin to Him, and when you turn to Him again and again and again. So cry out to Him, friend. Confess your sin and your mess to Jesus, and keep going back to Him time and time and time again.

Jesus Graciously Provides For Our Needs

To put it more practically: embrace happy humility before Christ, and recognize there's no need for self-sufficiency with a Savior this wise, this faithful, and this welcoming to people like you. Jesus is our great and gracious provider who is all-sufficient for our greatest needs. We've seen Jesus welcomes the needy. Let's look now to verses 12 through 16, "Jesus graciously provides for our needs. Jesus graciously provides for our needs."

Look at verse 12. The text says, "Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to Him, 'Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside and to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.'" So the scene is all day Jesus is preaching and healing, meeting the needs of the crowds. But remember, Jesus and the twelve have gone to a desolate place. So the situation's quite simple.

The disciples are saying, "There's nowhere for them to get food. There's nowhere for them to find lodging to sleep tonight." And this leads the apostles to actually commanding Jesus. When they say here, "Send the crowds away," that's an imperative command. The apostles are actually commanding Jesus to send the crowds away. These disciples were very high off their ministry success, exhausted by their ministry efforts and seeing no way they could solve the problem before them. But this led them to assume that there was therefore no solution.

One of my favorite words, my son Paul IV, 18 months, has learned to say is, "Help. Help." It's one of my favorite words he has learned to say. I delight in him knowing that when he comes across problems he can't fix, which is often throughout the day, he doesn't have to break down emotionally and throw a fit because he can ask us for help, and we're more than happy, willing and able to help him with whatever little problem in his little world he's encountering. But Christian, how often amidst life's problems do you forget to look for Christ's provision, do you forget to cry out to Jesus for help, and break down? But Christian, also think about how much more willing and able is Jesus to help you than we are to help our own little one.

Thus far in Luke, the apostles seen Jesus miraculously heal, cast out demons, calm the sea in the storms, and even raise the dead. But it seems here their ministry success created a ministry self-sufficiency within them and a forgetfulness within their hearts, such that commanding Jesus, in verse 12, to send the crowds away was the only solution they could come up with rather than seeing Jesus as the solution.

Look at me to verse 13. Luke continues, "But He" – Jesus – "said to them, 'You give them something to eat.' They said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.'" Jesus rejects their command and solution, essentially saying, "The crowds aren't going anywhere," and in return Jesus gives them a command when He says, "You give them something to eat." Jesus gives them a command, and with this command, Jesus aims to undo their sense of self-sufficiency and to show them He is the solution, and He is all-sufficient for the problem before them.

The apostles' response is quite simple: "We can't do it. We can't feed this crowd with five loaves of bread and two fish." That amount of food wouldn't feed the amount of people in this room, let alone five thousand men. And their comment about traveling back to buy food was sarcastic at best. But Jesus, He knows these things. And He's telling them, and us, we are insufficient for the task God has set before us in and of ourselves, no matter what talents, gifts, or resources we have.

In telling them, "You give them something to eat," Jesus is challenging them to recognize their insufficiency and to come to the conclusion of, "We need to trust Him," just like they did in chapter 9, verse 1. Remember, Jesus sent them out telling them to bring no food, no clothes, or no money. And He's teaching them here, "If you depended upon Me then, you can depend upon Me now."

In Exodus 16, Israel, numbered in the millions, grumbled because they had no food in the wilderness, and God miraculously provided with and through Moses. In 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elijah showed his servants that the Lord could feed one hundred men with only twenty loaves of bread and have some leftovers. And the disciples are about to see here that someone greater than Moses, someone greater than Elijah was in their mist, because the Lord Jesus is God, and He is the solution. He is the great and gracious provider.

Let's look at verse 14. Luke continues and says, "For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, 'Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.'" Here we see there wasn't a hundred men like Elijah's situation, there was five thousand men. And Luke very specifically says "men." This isn't counting the women and children who were there, so there was upwards of twenty thousand people here. And twenty thousand people is like a full American Airlines center. Think about how many employees, security guards, and food it takes to host a Dallas Mavericks game. And now think about this situation, because here it's twenty thousand people and just Jesus with five loaves and two fish in a desolate place.

But I want you to see, in verse 14, Jesus is not overwhelmed. Jesus is not anxious. Jesus is not scrambling for a plan. In verse 14, Jesus looks at this five thousand men, twenty thousand people, knowing He is the great provider, He has a plan, and He even brings order to the situation, telling the disciples to organize these thousands of people into groups of fifty.

And then look at verse 15, Luke continues and says, "And they did so, and had them all sit down." So the disciples' faith and obedience here actually comes before their understanding. At this point, the disciples have no idea what Jesus is about to do. They're probably looking at Him like, "You're telling us to organize this crowd. We still don't have enough food, but we're just going to do it." This is Proverbs 3:5 in real time, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding." It's like those times, I'm sure, when you said, "God, I don't know what You're doing, I don't know how this is going to work out, but I'm going to trust and obey You anyway." And friend, if I could just say trusting and obeying God is far better than not trusting and disobeying God with some sense of clarity. Their faith and obedience came before their understanding.

Look at verse 16. Focusing back on Jesus, Luke says, "And taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd." So Jesus took the little food they had, said a blessing over it, and miraculously began to multiply this food, feeding the thousands. Imagine the disciples walking around the arena in this town with a little bit of food that's just multiplying, and everyone is being fed.

The text doesn't meticulously explain how He multiplied the food besides Him just continually breaking it up. But it doesn't explain it because this is a miracle. Just like in Genesis 1 when Christ created all things from nothing, just by the power of His word, all things by Him, through Him, and for Him. And besides the resurrection of Christ, the feeding of the five thousand here is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels, most likely because it was accomplished before so many people and was known and so widespread, plainly showing Jesus was different, and not just different, but Jesus is the God-man, the great and gracious provider who really is altogether sufficient for our greatest needs in any circumstance.

Also notice in verse 16, as Jesus multiplied and broke the loaves, but it was the disciples who were receiving the food and giving it away. Luke tells us, "He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd." Jesus is the great provider, but He desired for His disciples to be mediators of His grace. He desired for His disciples to be mediators of His grace. And this is beautiful, friends, not to be quickly read over, because the disciples' momentary lapse of faith into self-sufficiency did not disqualify them as Jesus' disciples. The disciples' momentary lapse of faith into self-sufficiency didn't disqualify them from being instruments of Jesus' mission in the world.

And I want you to actually picture the scene. The disciples have organized these thousands upon thousands of people into groups of fifty. And now picture the awe in their hearts as they are returning to Jesus to feed the next fifty; and every time they come back, miraculously Jesus has more food; and every time they kept seeing, they kept beholding. Jesus really was the solution the whole time. Jesus really is the great and gracious provider. Jesus is so clearly teaching He is our provider, He will supply our needs, He is our solution, and we never graduate from needing His grace, and He never tires at providing for our needs.

As it was said in the introductory prayer today, there are plenty of needs in this room, both individually and corporately. And if you are here today – and no one may know it – wearied by life, burdened by sin, and overwhelmed by the circumstances you find yourself in, Jesus welcomes you to come to Him and to trust Him to graciously provide for you. Be assured by this text that Jesus is a trustworthy provider. Jesus is strong and kind. Jesus is willing and able to help you in His faithfulness in the past, going back to this very text when it actually happened, along with His faithfulness in the past in your life, where He has provided for you, friend, where He has come through for you. His faithfulness in the past is His resume for the present in your life right now.

And since Jesus really provided food for twenty thousand people, what can He not provide for you: forgiveness for the worst sins that plague your conscience, comfort and hope amidst the worst grief, endurance amidst some of the worst trials, faith in the face of that terrible diagnosis, strength to keep serving your family even when it's difficult, practical provision for real life needs that have become immediate, wisdom for the worst situation, church unity, even joy in the face of death. If Jesus provided in this situation, what can He not provide for you, friend? No matter what it is, Jesus is a great and gracious and all-sufficient provider for His people.

You can pray to Him today, "Lord, I've never seen myself in this situation. I don't know what to do, and I don't know how this is going to work out. I don't know how I'm going to get through this, and I don't deserve anything from You. I have merited nothing from You, Lord. But You are gracious, infinitely gracious, and You are a great provider. Help me in my need." Friends, send your needy heart up to Christ, it shall be welcomed. He is not overwhelmed by your needs, whatever it is today. Reject the self-sufficient advice of dig deep. deep and just do it.

Better than that, trust Jesus deeply, and depend upon Him whatever it is God has called you to today. And as a disciple of Jesus, you never graduate from receiving His grace, the same grace that saves you, sanctifies and sustains you all the way to glory. You never graduate from receiving His grace. And the Lord wants to use you to be a mediator of that grace, to be a means and instrument through which Christ provides for others that He has providentially placed around you. But whether it's receiving His grace, walking empowered by His grace, or being a mediator of His grace, You never move on from needing the all-sufficient grace of Jesus. So serve Christ, dear saints, delightfully dependent upon Him, knowing apart from Him, we can do nothing; but with Him, we have no lack.

Jesus Gloriously Satisfies Our Needs

Jesus is our great and gracious provider. He's all-sufficient for our greatest needs. Jesus graciously welcomes the needy. Jesus graciously provides for our needs. And let's look, lastly, to verse 17, "Jesus gloriously satisfies our needs. Jesus gloriously satisfies our needs." Verse 17, Luke tells us, "And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces." Very plainly, Luke tells us in verse 17, Jesus not only supplies, He satisfies.

Seeking true satisfaction in this world apart from Christ is like digging into snow to find a warm fire, you're just not going to find it. But the Lord Jesus is the great and gracious provider who not only supplies, but satisfies. And because Jesus is God, He is infinite in His perfections. He is infinite in His perfections, therefore immeasurable in His grace, in His kindness, and in His wisdom as He provides. Jesus not only satisfied everyone's hunger, but supplied twelve left over baskets, presumably for each disciple, emphasizing, "I was always the solution," because He really is the great and gracious provider.

And this also tells us Jesus knows what you need. He also knows what you don't need. He knows how much you need or how little you need. He is wise in His provision as a loving Lord. And John 6 tells us this same crowd the next day came back to Jesus for more food. They weren't very concerned about their souls, they just wanted to satisfy their stomachs. And Jesus told them, "Don't be so concerned about the food that spoils, but with the food that endures to eternal life." And He went on to tell them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Friends, the greatest provision God has ever given us is not wheat bread, white bread, corn bread or gluten-free bread. The greatest provision God has ever given us is the bread of life in Jesus Himself. Christ Himself is the only provision that never spoils, that can't be stolen, and that brings eternal salvation along with everlasting satisfaction. And if you are here today and have never tasted and seen that the Lord is good, friend, you can't just look at or be around the bread of life any more than you can look at or be around some food but not eat it and somehow get full. You have to partake of the bread of life through faith.

And the good news of the gospel, friend, is that God has created you. You are made in the image and likeness of God. You have intrinsic dignity and value that no one can take away. But because of the fall, you are a sinner by nature and by choice. And the Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And if you are to save yourself, you would need to keep the law of God, namely, loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving your neighbor as you love yourself, personally, perfectly, precisely, and entirely. That's what you would have to do to save yourself.

Conclusion

But you cannot and I cannot. We are sinners. And the law of God is a lamp that shows us the holiness of God, a mirror that shows us our sin, but a tutor that teaches us our need for a Savior. And in the fullness of time, God has sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, and He was born with flesh like us. And Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law and the prophets in a way that you or me never could. And Jesus laid down His life on the cross, dying for sins not His own, in our place and on our behalf. He loved us and gave Himself for us. He suffered once for our sin, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God. Jesus on the cross was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. And Jesus, on the cross, said, "It is finished," paid in full. On the third day, He rose again, defeating sin and death, showing He really is not only the great and gracious provider, but the Son of God and the all-sufficient Savior. And whoever comes to Him in repentance and faith, receiving and resting in His finished, saving work, you shall have eternal life.

You can be saved, friend, forgiven, redeemed, and brought into the family of God, adopted, justified, clothed with the righteousness of Christ, forgiven of your sin in such a way that it's separated from you as far as east is from the west. This is the glorious salvation of Jesus Christ. This is the good news of the gospel. Would you come to Christ today? Why wait? Today is the day of salvation. The Savior, through His word, is calling you to come. And whoever comes to Him, He will never cast out. Receiving the provision of Jesus, eternally saves, along with supplies, you strength for today, no matter what you're feeling or going through, but also bright hope for tomorrow, because there's an eternal day coming where we will no longer hunger, no longer thirst or have any need in this fallen world, but experience everlasting satisfaction with Jesus in the renewed one.

So I encourage you, brothers and sisters, towards gratitude for our great and gracious provider, Jesus. I encourage you towards hopeful thanksgiving, hopeful thanksgiving. No matter what's going on in your life, leave today thankful, hopefully looking forward to all that Christ has promised to provide for us in glory, and let that embolden your faith now, that He will be faithful to provide for you in His love, with His grace, in His wisdom. Self-sufficiency is not needed since we have Jesus, the great and gracious provider who is all-sufficient for our greatest needs.

And He is also the head of His church. Nothing will stop Jesus from building and providing for His church. So in this time, in this church, as it's been well said, go forward in the strength of the Lord and in the sufficiency that comes from Him alone, and thank Him for your conscious insufficiency; for when you are weak, then He can be strong in you with His grace, for our good, and His glory. He would love to meet you. Would you join me in a word of prayer?

[Prayer] Father, we thank You, the greatest provision of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior to the uttermost. We are so thankful for Your Son and the salvation and satisfaction and provision we know in Him. Lord, would You encourage these saints. Bless them and keep them. Make Your face shine upon them, and be gracious to them. Turn Your face toward them, and give them peace, a peace that surpasses understanding found in Christ alone, in His incomparable name, we pray. Amen.