Faith Baptist Church Blog

 

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 BACKGROUND

·         These events happened one year before the cross

·         Jesus would spend six months preparing His disciples

·         His focus turned from the nation to His disciples

·         Four times they would withdraw to the mountains

·         Jesus was preparing His disciples for difficult days ahead

Where did 15,000 people come from?
²¹ Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.                                                                                                                                                Matthew 14:21 (NKJV)

• Passover was near and crowds were traveling to Jerusalem

• The followers of John the Baptist now turn to Christ

•   The crowds actually could see the boat carrying Christ

¹³ When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.                                  Matthew 14:13 (NKJV)

Jesus was concerned about their physical need as well as their spiritual                             And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. ¹⁵ When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." ¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."                                                                                                                  Matthew 14:14-16 (NKJV)

1.  True ministry comes from a heart of compassion

2.  God will sometimes ask us to do things that go beyond our abilities

3.  Give what you have and God will supply the rest

4.  God uses human instruments in His work

¹⁷ And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."
¹⁸ He said, "Bring them here to Me." ¹⁹ Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. ²⁰ So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.                                          Matthew 14:17-20 (NKJV)

1.  DEFEND THE TRUTH

For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

                                                                                                                                    Matthew 14:3-4 

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?                                                  Matthew 3:7

2.  DENY THE TRUTH

For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.                                                                                                                Matthew 14:3

3.  DESTROY THE TRUTH

But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with an oath to give her anything she wanted.  At her mother's urging, the girl asked, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!" The king was sorry, but because of his oath and because he didn't want to back down in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

                                                                                                                        Matthew 14:6-11 (NLT)

Truth will stand the test of time

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus                                             Matthew 14:1

Our conscience recognizes truth even if we choose to deny it

and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."                                                                                                            Matthew 14:2

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.                                Psalm 51:3

Truth will set us free from guilt 

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Truth will also set us free from false guilt

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1 Tim. 4:1-5

Our mission: patiently share the truth

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.                                                                                               2 Tim. 2:24-26

 "Temptations are like gnats; there are hundreds fighting for your attention."