This morning's second. Ok. Yeah, we're good. We're good. All right. If you saw
me searching for something, I think you've all had that experience because this
morning's message is entitled. Did you forget? How often have we gone to the
store or gone to the workplace or just left the house on a trip? And you're
like, wait a second, wait a second, I'm missing something. Maybe you've been
sent to the store, hypothetical situation by your spouse to pick up one thing
and as a diligent loving spouse that you are, you pick up so many things you
might have just forgot the one thing that you were supposed to go to the store
for. But again, that's hypothetical. Uh, that's not ok. It's very realistic. And
I've done that many times. Uh, have you ever forgotten something out of the
house? Have you ever forgotten? Or maybe you've, you've given your kids a task.
Don't forget. Blank. Right. And you go and you go somewhere and there was like,
are you kidding me? Right. We've had these moments even make songs about that. I
think about the eighties song. Right. Don't you forget about me? Don't, don't
OK. Some of you are ready to sing. I know my father in law was because that's
his go to karaoke, karaoke song. Just a fun fact. Everyone needs not part of the
sermon, but everyone needs a go to karaoke song. Ok? You just gotta be ready for
me. I want it that way. Backstreet boys. I'm ready to go at the drop of a hat.
After church service. You wanna go? I'm ready to jump up and sing. OK. So here's
the thing I was thinking about that song when it's my father in law's favorite
two. Don't you forget about me? And you know what? I forgot, I forgot who it's
by. Can you know, can you name the artist? Simple minds, simple minds. I did.
The one thing they asked me not to do, I forgot who they were. They were like,
don't you forget about? I totally forgot about them. My bad, my bad. I forgot
about them. Well, what have you forgotten in your life? What is it in your life
that you meant to bring with you and take with you and you get to where you're
supposed to go and just forget. So we're going to talk about that day and we're
going to talk about how that's such a human thing to do that in reality. When we
forget, we tend to forget the good stuff. But that negative comment. Oh,
negative negativity and negative comments have a long shelf life. Don't they?
Compliments? Good. Things often have the shelf life of like a fresh piece of
fruit. I think about being in Hawaii and, and getting this fresh pineapple from
the island and taking a bite. Oh, it's so good. But fresh fruit has an
expiration date on it. Right. Versus you take a negative comment or a thought
something someone said to you, it's got a shelf life of like a mcdonald's fry.
Right. If you take a mcdonald's fry, you set it on the counter, you come back a
year later, it's going to look exactly the same, right? So why is it that we
forget the good things in life and we hang on to negativity. We hang on to
anxiety. You never have to tell yourself when you wake up in the morning. Oh,
now, don't forget to worry about that today. Don't forget to feel stressed out
and overwhelmed like that just comes naturally, right? Don't forget the one
negative comment you heard 10 years ago that's still ringing in your ears. But
we do that. So why? Well, today we're gonna talk about what happens when we
forget and how can we respond? And I'm really excited to share this passage. And
the reason is is that today might be one of the greatest passages centered
around the humanity of the disciples. We think of the disciples as these great
men of God. And they are you think of it on a pedestal or on a Mount Rushmore of
like, wow, these are saints and this is incredible. But there are moments in
scripture that remind us that they are just as human as you and me. And I love
that. I get a little too excited for that because I think, oh man, they're so
incredible and I'm not. But today we're gonna read a passage whether or not and
that's OK. You see if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down that
forgetting the goodness of God thankfully doesn't stop the goodness of God.
Forgetting the goodness of God doesn't stop the goodness of God. We're gonna be
walking through Mark chapter eight. Today we're going through our series as we
discussed, the most, talked about figure in history. Jesus through our study of
the least talked about gospel account in scripture, the Gospel of Mark. And so
far we've seen miracle after miracle after miracle. And today we're gonna see an
intimate interaction Jesus has with his disciples or somehow they forgot. Like
if you think it's bad to forget the sermon or the message or what God told you
in a devotional later in the week, imagine being with Jesus and forgetting in
front of Jesus. See, here's what happened. Let me set the stage for it. So Jesus
feeds the 5000, which we talked about how that's really even more like 18 to
20,000 people. And then he walks in the water and he's doing all these miracles.
If you're newer, a church, you might not have known that Jesus then feeds 4000.
So he does another miracle like he could have lived off that one hit wonder.
That's a pretty cool miracle to multiply bread and fish and feed all those
multitudes of people. But he does it again this time, he feeds 4000 and he uses
the seven loaves of the bread of the disciples and a few fish and then gives
them seven baskets of leftovers. Now, some have said that the baskets represent
the completeness of God as the number seven represents, that others have written
that potentially the baskets were larger. And so it takes two people to lift
them. So if you picture 12 disciples and seven baskets, it would require 14
people to lift those. And so it's like you got baskets for all the disciples and
more. And I don't know that the size, I don't know the size of the baskets. I
don't know if it had that symbolic meaning. But what I do know is that there are
seven baskets of leftovers and that Jesus fed all these people again and had
enough for his servants again. And so they go, they get in the boat and they go
to another spot, the Pharisees challenge Jesus and they say, give us a sign.
He's like, really, really you wanna sign after all of this, it's like you're not
gonna get it. You're a crooked generation. You're not gonna get it. He tells his
disciples, come on, let's get in the boat. Let's go. And he gets in the boat.
Now again, remember he's healed people. Blind people can see lame people can
walk, walks on water, feeds the 5000 then feeds the 4000. They got baskets of
leftovers. I don't know if it was hours or days or what, but you're within this
week time frame, right? You're within this little period. And she says, come on,
let's go. Let's get back in the boat. And then I'm telling you, if you get this
verse for 14, it's gonna give you a little bit of a smirk. Or you're gonna feel
so connected because man, the, the disciples mess up here. You ready for it
here. Let's read this verse verse 14. And now they had forgotten to bring bread
and they only had one loaf with them in the boat. They forgot the bread. Jesus
miraculously provides for thousands upon thousands upon thousands and gives
enough baskets of leftovers for the disciples to do it. He's all right. Let's
get on the boat and they left it on the shore. You got one job, right? And they
left it and now they're stressed. I, they don't say who left it. My guess, Peter
just throwing that out there, but they can't get past it. They're like, oh no.
Did you leave it? No, you, you're supposed to grab it what are you doing? You
were supposed to grab it right now, Jesus having just challenged the Pharisees
is gonna begin to try to teach them something. Notice here the next verse verse
15 and he cautioned them saying, watch out beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
and 11 of Herod. So le often times represented sin. And so when it goes into the
dough and, and expands and goes within that. And that's why oftentimes Jewish
culture had unleavened bread for things like communion and passover and things
like that. And so he's trying to teach them, watch out for the Pharisees don't
be like this and then the disciples just can't get it like their, their mind is
elsewhere, right? If you've been in a classroom and your mind is just gone or
you're giving orders to a kid just gone, right? They can't move on. And so
they're sitting there in the boat with the guy who's done miracle after miracle
after miracle, Jesus is turning, having his intimate Bible study. Can you
imagine going to Bible study with Jesus like a 12 in a boat? Just you and Jesus
Savior of the world, right? And they're worried about snacks. The teacher, the
greatest teacher of all time is happy to own moment. Verse 16 and they began
discussing with one another. The fact that they have no bread, Jesus in the
Greek goes seriously OK. It doesn't say this, but it says verse 17, Jesus aware
of this said to them. Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do
you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Have your eyes?
Do, do you not see having ears? Do you not hear? Do you not remember when I
broke the five loaves for the 5000? How many baskets full of broken pieces did
you take up? I just picture them responding with their head down 12 and the
seven loaves for the 4000? How many baskets full of broken pieces did you take
up? And they said to him seven and he said to them, do you not yet understand?
So here's the thing is those, those stories, those miracles were actually much
more than just physical provision. So in the other gospel accounts, we hear the
words that he said and the sermons he preached, Mark's Gospel tends to show you
the actions of the story and then moves on. But the other accounts telling the
same story we have Jesus then preaching a message. And in John chapter six verse
33 it says for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life
to the world? And they said to them, sir, give us this bread always. So they
still don't get it. They're like there's bread that will save your soul like
well, I want that give me the premium bread. You know, I didn't know there's
different levels of bread here, right? I mean, there's like red Lobster
biscuits, right? There's like Long Horn, like there's Olive Garden breadsticks
with Alfredo just saying, get the boat. It's bottomless. And then you go
through, not that I love bread or obsessed with it but you go through it's like,
wait a second, there's better bread. What come on, Jesus, what do you guys like?
No, you're missing it. Verse 35 Jesus said to them. I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never
thirst. He says, do you not get it? I'm healing. All these people lame, walk
blind, see feeding thousands to make the claim to you that I am the bread. How
can you be in the boat and say you have no bread, you have meat. I am the bread.
I provided all those things. I brought it all. You can't even bring it on the
boat and you forget. Do you not get it? I've done all these miracles in a
physical reality to show you in a spiritual reality that I can save your soul. I
am the bread that your soul needs. I am the one that you need. Why are you
forgetting? Here's the reality. Forgetting the goodness of God thankfully
doesn't stop the goodness of God, but it does impair our experience of His
goodness. God is good whether you want to trust Him or not, but it does impact
your walk. Imagine going to a theme park, you enter the gates, you have to use
the restroom real quick. If you've already used the restroom at a theme park
right inside the gate, it's disgusting. All those thousands of people, right?
You walk in, it smells, it doesn't matter how nice Disneyland Six Flags,
wherever you wanna go, it stank right now. What would happen if you never left
there? You just stayed in the restroom. One that would be weird. But two imagine
going home like, hey, how was your day? How was the theme park? It kind of
smells. It's kind of dark, it's kind of gross. The park was there. All those
things were there, all the rides, all the awesomeness and adventure and
everything there. But you missed it a more real example. Now let me preface this
one Coronavirus pandemic. Very serious clarifying that. Ok, on the other side
though, let me just say if you've ever been on a cruise post Coronavirus cruise.
Awesome. Here's why I got on the boat and they only had the boat at 25%
capacity. So we had the entire boat to ourselves. How it felt like we had
multiple workers per person, the workers out know, outnumbered the passengers.
You got to eat what you want, gil worth you want. It was awesome. I was loving
my life until I made a little big mistake and I asked for some cough medicine
and they they threw me on lockdown. They were like code red, code red, like,
like all this stuff like, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, you just said ask it. You were
so friendly. They just asked and the lady was like, can you go to your room
right now? We're sending people all this stuff like it was intense and going
like, whoa, ok, I guess I'll go and then no joke. The lady goes, security stand
down like I was being treated like a combative passenger. They were ready to
lock me up and go in and so they had me in, in lockdown until I got clear of all
the tests and everything. And so I eventually cleared all the tests and went
down and I'm glad they took things serious and, and I was cleared out and I got
to enjoy the rest of the trip. Now, what if my entire boat experience was that
lockdown experience? Right. No windows. It isolated. Don't get to enjoy the
food. Don't get to enjoy the sights. Don't, don't get to enjoy the sounds
technically on the boat, but I'm not experiencing the things that everyone else
is experiencing. There are some people that claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, they
claim him. They, they think back to a belief they had when they were younger or
whatnot, but they forget what they have access to. They have the maker of all
things, the one who provides of all bread and then He himself is our bread and
yet we're hungry. We are surrounded by spiritual blessing and food and access.
And yet we find ourselves starving because we forget to eat. We forget to look
around. We forget the goodness of the God who has provided for us time and time
again. You know, I was reminded of this because I'm not really an anxious
person. Loud, obnoxious, sarcastic. Yes, anxious, not typically. But lately I've
just been feeling the last two weeks here just a little bit of the weight of
everything of life, family church plan like you to start feeling pressures. And
I and I wasn't identifying what was going on. It wasn't like I don't, I didn't
have this big acting out experience, but I started eating a little more, start
scrolling a little more. Mine are racing a little more. I started doing things
that are normally relaxing to me but then not settling down. Have you had that?
And finally this, this week I realized I was experiencing some anxiety and as
I'm thinking and as I'm preparing, it's almost like this thought like John, when
is God not provided for you? I started listening through all the different
phases of this church plan and in my life and in my family, my kids lives and
growing up and I'm like, oh yeah, God, you are good and it's the same God. Now I
forget, I mean, how crazy is the disciples in a bible? Study with Jesus in his
boat right after the feeding of the thousands for getting the bread. He says,
why are you focused on no bread? I am the bread, I'm with you. And I had that
moment. See chapter eight and Mark is really a hinge chapter. The way the gospel
is written. Chapters one through eight really is the identity of Jesus. We call
that the crown. He's the king of kings. He has the power to heal. He spoke in
storms, wind and waves obeyed him. He touched and the deaf could hear, the mute
could speak. He did miracles in crowds. He did miracles, one on one. He did it
in boats, he did it on the shore, he did it in city marketplaces, he did it in
the countryside. Miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle to show who
he was. But when the disciples start to miss it, it changes tone here at the end
of chapter eight. And it moves from the identity of Jesus to the mission of
Jesus of why he came, which is for the cross. And so here's the reality. Not
only do we forget the goodness of God, we forget his sacrifice. And so if you're
taking notes, you can write this down that, that the road to redemption is paved
with sacrifice. The reason the tone of Jesus gets a little more serious here
after the reality of this bread situation, he says, I don't want you to miss
this because you need to know why I came, why I can do these things, why I do
these things and even the greater thing that is to come, I do not want you,
you've missed the bread, but I don't want you to miss life and I don't want you
to miss this here. And so same chapter verse 27 here. And he, he reads, he says,
and Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Cesarea, Philippi. And
on the way, he asked his disciples who do people say that I am? And they told
him John, the Baptist and others say, Elijah and others say one of the prophets
and he asked them, but who do you say that I am? And Peter answered him, you are
the Christ. The word Christ is a title meaning Messiah. So it's not the name,
it's not like Jesus Christ. And then you got James Christ, right? The brother.
It's, it's, it's Jesus the Messiah. And that's important to know because he says
he strictly charged him not to tell anyone why because it wasn't his time yet.
But then the very next verse verse 31 it says, and he began to teach them that
the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the
chief priests and the scribes and to be killed. Then after three days would rise
again. He's saying guys, it's about to get real. It's about to get serious. He
says, you need to take up your cross and follow me. In chapter nine, they have
this incredible experience, the trans called the transfiguration. Then he
predicts his death again. In Mark chapter nine, verse 31 it says for he was
teaching his disciples saying to them, the son of man is going to be delivered
into the hands of men and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three
days, he will rise the second prediction. And in chapter 10, he says it again in
verse 33 and 34 he says, saying, see that we are going up to Jerusalem and the
son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they
will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the gentiles and they will
mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. And after three days, he
will rise so three times to his disciples. After this whole bread incident, he
predicts his death. And there's four common things that he says all three times.
He says he's going to die. He says, it's going to be intentional. He said it's
not gonna be suicide, it's gonna be murder, he's gonna be killed. But then he
says, he will rise again and again, the disciples aren't ready to hear it. They
miss the bread again. But when he does rise again, they think back on this. And
I said, wait a second, he told us this. He told us this, that this was going to
come. And the reason that we can remember the goodness of God is because of the
sacrifice of God is how far will he go? How much does something cost if you have
something valuable in your house, maybe it's a piece of technology. Maybe it's a
piece of art or a lamp or a vase or a musical instrument or maybe you have a
nice car or something and, and you got your kids and they start playing around
with it. You whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. Careful. That's valuable.
Hey, see, value is often time described on are based upon what someone will pay
for it. And so when you think, how valuable are you to God? Well, what, how far
is God willing to go? And how much did it cost him to save you? It cost him
everything. It cost him his son. The reason you can say I'm provider, I am good.
I am loving this because I will give it all for you. And so if you're
struggling, I don't, I don't know what your battle is. I don't, I don't know
what you're walking into on Monday. I don't know if it's a sinful addiction. I
don't know if it's anxiety. I don't know if it's overwhelmed. Maybe it's a
stressful situation. Maybe it's a relationship. Maybe it's, it's a ripple effect
of something that was said or done to you years ago. All I know is that if
you're walking through life with something, it's because you're human. I didn't
actually say this first service. So a little bonus thing for you guys here. But
it pops in before. Think about something for a moment. Ok? We don't actually
need God because we're sinners. Oh, wait a second, John, we do. Yes, we do. But
sin actually came into play in Genesis three. And you know what Jesus did with
Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis, one and two, you walked with them. That
means that you don't need God because you're a sinner. You need God because
you're human. That the deepest craving of your soul can only be met by God and
then sin has separated. You has made you forget, has pulled you away and it's so
easy to focus on the problem in front of you. This message is like receiving
bread right now and anything good is from God. Anything weird is from me, my
apologies, but whatever you're taking out, ok. How easy is it to forget? You
might forget on the car right home, right? You might forget on Monday. You might
forget. I don't know but we forget because that's human. The most common command
found in scripture. Number one is the fear not, but number two is to remember
why because God is good and that goodness cost Him everything. And so as you
walk into this week, I invite you to do three things. Number one, remember the
goodness of God, think back to a time where God spoke to you and God provided
for you a time where God comforted, you gave you courage, gave you peace,
answered your prayer. Maybe it was through someone else. Maybe it was in a time
of devotion. Maybe it was on a walk. Maybe it was that moment that that light
bulb moment. I don't know. But think back to when you experienced that and if
you're sitting here like John, it's been a long time since I've experienced
thick goodness. The good news is we have his word and we have story upon story
upon story of where God provided miracles for people in need. And it's not based
on gender, it's not based on race, it's not based on how much religious activity
you take part in. It's based on His grace, his mercy, his goodness, his love and
why? Because He gave everything for you. If you can walk through life tomorrow
with a with a stance of gratitude for all that God has done and who God is,
that'll help you understand that whatever storm you're facing, you got Jesus in
your boat, whatever your soul is craving, he provides the sustenance and you
have the bread of life available to you. So number one, you gotta remember His
goodness. But number two, you gotta remember his sacrifice. He loved you so much
that he gave up everything. Second Corinthians five. He who knew no sin became
sin so that we could become righteous. And then he turned around to those
disciples says, look, I'm giving you everything because I'm asking for
everything, take up your cross and follow me. It's not easy but it's worth it.
You're not perfect but I am, you're thirsty. I give you living water, you're
hungry. I give you the bread of life, you're dead and your sin. But I am the
resurrection and the life. I am the way I am the truth. I am what you need. And
I know you've forgotten, but I didn't. God has not forgotten. And so if you
remember His goodness, you remember the sacrifice that leads you to the last
thing that you can do, which is that to then trust and obey as you head into
this week. I want to give you a collective sigh, a breath to trust that God is
in control. And if God has asked you to do something that you can walk in a
manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called. And you can take that
step of obedience. You can walk by faith, not by sight because you know that God
is good and you know that God has sacrificed and that is enough, whatever you're
walking through, whatever you're wrestling with this week. Remember His God,
remember that He is God. I remember that He gave it all for you and for me,
let's pray. Do you have any father? Gotta think about the disciples and how
stressed they were, Jesus fed the thousands and they couldn't even bring it on
the boat. But what he was really saying to them is that they do not have to
fear. They do not have to worry because he was the bread and he would predict
his death, burial and resurrection to show to them that he is savior. He is God
and he is enough. So may we remember in all the ways he provided in the past?
May we remember your sacrifice 2000 years ago that you rose again and that if
you defeated death itself, whatever, I'm stressed about, whatever I'm worried
about I can give to you, I can trust you with. And God may I walk and what you
have called me to do and who you've called me to be. And we walk with trust and
obedience today. Thank you for being good. We love you and your sins and we pray
amen.