Mark chapter 6, we have a lot that goes on. Jesus sends out his disciples. He sent them out in verse 7. He called unto him the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two. He gave them power over unclean spirits, commanded them, yada yada, went on from there. They go out and all this happens, you know, with Herod and all of this. And then you get into verse 30. And the apostles come back, they come back to Jesus. Now, I'll warn you, I've preached this before, so if it sounds familiar, it is. But the Lord brought it to my mind and laid it heavily on my heart, so we need to hear it again. If nobody else, I do, okay? And so, this is going to be familiar territory. But let the Lord speak to you in this don't just sit there thinking. Oh, yeah, I remember this and this was okay. Yeah, but Hopefully the Lord can use it tonight brother Dale. Would you ask the Lord to bless it though? Amen. Amen. And verse 13, it says, and they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. And so they were quite busy. They'd been out serving the Lord, preaching the kingdom. Any preacher that has ever preached understands just the... The affliction it really is on your physical body to preach. It's not a vexation. It is a physical affliction. It's physically exhausting to preach. And the disciples had gone out and not only had they preached, they'd cast out devils, they'd healed many. I mean, all these things. They come back and they give their report and all. And he says in verse 30, and the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told them all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And he said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." So they were in a pretty busy point of their ministry right now. They had spent quite a bit of time with the Lord Jesus, and he had given this charge, given them power over those devils. And of course, the other counts, you know, they're rejoicing that they were able to cast out devils. And he says, no, rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven. So there is that aspect of it, but they come back to him and he says, all right, you've done well. Come apart and let's rest a while. We're going to go to a desert place and rest a while. Now a desert place to me has nobody around. It's deserted. There's a bit of desolation. Okay, it had just having driven across America across the Midwest states and down around the south and all always did see a lot of desert. We saw a lot of places that were just deserted. There was just nothing there. We didn't see one ghost town. I can't remember the name of it right off hand, but it was in Wyoming, and it was right along a railroad track. It would have been a place where they would have either refueled or given water to those trains going through, those steam engines and such. And just in the course of time, 2016 census, there were eight people that lived there. 2020 census, there were zero. Okay? And now there's absolutely nobody lives there at all. And so it was deserted. There was just absolutely nothing there. And Jesus is calling his disciples out of the busyness, out of the fray of ministry, out of the hardship of life. And he says, come apart with me. Let's rest a while. We're going to go to a desert place. And of course we know what comes up next. It's anything but rest. And I don't find any kind of irony in the Bible. I don't find any kind of just happenstance and say, oh, well, that's ironic that it says this and it also has that. Not at all. Very clearly at the end of verse 31, it says they had no leisure so much as to eat. They didn't even have time to eat. They were so busy. Now, a lot of men in here may understand that. A lot of ladies in here probably understand that. Just being so busy in your day, you just don't even have time to eat. Sometimes it completely just slips your mind that you haven't eaten and you get to the end of the day and you're famished and you don't realize why until, oh, I never stopped to eat at all today. And so these things, you know, aren't new. This isn't any temptation that hasn't taken every man, all right? There's no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. So what I'm telling you tonight isn't... I'm not telling you about the disciples. I'm telling you about what you've done. I'm telling you about where you have been. This is where I have been. Maybe this is where you are at right now. Okay, let's keep going. It says, and they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing and made known him and ran a foot thither out of all cities and out went them and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people and was moved with compassion toward them because they were sheep not having a shepherd. He began to teach them many things. Now, of course, we know later on, first they followed him because of the miracles, then they followed him because they knew where to find bread, and he rebukes them for those things. They had found a shepherd, but they still didn't even know why they needed a shepherd. They found some place where they could find bread, where they could find entertainment and miracles, where they could find healings and miracles, but they didn't know why they needed Jesus. And there's a big difference there. And we're not going to delve too much into that tonight. Verse 34 says and when Jesus and Jesus when he came out saw much people was moved to compassion toward them because they were Sheep as having not having a shepherd. He began to teach them many things And when the day was now far spent. Oh, isn't that beautiful though, you know a mark of a bishop that overseer that shepherd He's the apt to teach You find Jesus every time he gets with people he's teaching or rebuking or preaching. One way or the other, he is instructing in the things of God. You find the conversations with the Pharisees and you find conversations with the lawyers and, you know, with the sinners, with the beggars, with the lame, whoever it is. As I've said before, he is always showing them what they need to believe. He takes them, puts them toward the law, under the law, and shows them what they don't believe about him. It is able to deal with these things mostly with the Pharisees because there was so much they didn't believe about him, because all they saw in the law was the law. They couldn't see that the law was a witness pointing to Christ. What they saw in the prophets were the prophets. They couldn't see that those prophets were prophets pointing to Christ. Not only pointing to Christ, but that Christ must needs die, and that Jesus is the Christ. And so, as he's instructing, as he's teaching, as he's going through all these things, he's just bringing the Word of God to people. And anytime you get with Jesus, that's exactly what he's going to do. That's one way you know you've been with him. is if he's taught you. You know when you've been taught by Jesus Christ himself. You know when you've sat at his feet, when you've smelled the myrrh, okay? When you've smelled that alabaster box of ointment. You've smelled those things. You've been in his presence and you've smelled his fragrance. You just know him. And you recognize those things and it's precious. And that's what gives you those goose bumps up all and up and down your spine. When you get alone with him, in the secret place, in that desert place, Well, let's keep going. Verse 35. When the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him and said, this is a desert place, and now the time is far past. Stating the obvious, they were in a desert place. And again, a desert, what do you picture? You picture, you know, dirt, you picture dead grass, you picture, you know, cactuses in America, obviously, but where they were at, it would have just been a dry, barren place, okay? Let's keep reading though. It says, send them away, these are the disciples speaking, that they may go into the country roundabout and into the villages and buy themselves bread, buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat. And he answered and said to them, give ye them to eat. Now you remember, they were hungry. They themselves didn't even have time to eat. And so they go off into the desert to rest. And now Jesus tells them, give them to eat. and say unto him, we shall go. And he answered and said unto them, give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, shall we go and buy 200 penny worth of bread and give them to eat? He saith unto them, how many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, five and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by the companies upon the green grass. You see, where Jesus said, come into a desert place, he had already prepared that rain. to fall in that desert place, to water that herb of the ground so that there was green grass where the companies could sit. Remembering over there in the Psalms where he even commands in the desert place, even where he sends his rain, maybe, boy, I can't, if my wife was here, I would just tell you, but she's up at the house. My better half of preaching is not here. Austin, do you remember where I'm talking about? He doesn't at all, see? But in the Psalms, it says that sometimes he gives his rain for rebuke. Sometimes he gives it for mercy's sake. Sometimes he gives the rain just for the sake of the land, just to water the herbs. Where there is no people at all, he'll send that rain, he'll distill the dew, and he'll send just the right thing for that blade of grass way out in the desert place where no one will ever see it. And here he had done that a four time and prepared green grass for these companies of fifties and companies of hundred to have a place to sit in this desert place. I just find that beautiful. I find that beautiful. He led his disciples there so they could have green grass to sit on. Let's watch. And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven and blessed and break the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before them. And the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat and were filled. And they took up 12 baskets full of fragments and of fishes. And they did eat of the loaves. And they that did eat of the loaves were about 5,000 men. Very familiar, very familiar passage. A lot of preaching has been done out of here. A lot of good preaching. A lot of preaching that we need. A lot of preaching on that miracle, that breaking of those miracles. And it's been said that this is one of the few miracles that is mentioned in every one of the Gospels. All four of the Gospels have this thing recorded. So it's a very important miracle in God's eyes. But I want to tell you that miracle was not for the people. Jesus Christ did not perform that miracle so that 5,000 men and their women and children could eat bread and fish. That's not why he did it. Because there was a storm coming. And his disciples needed to know the power that he had. Let's keep reading. Straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship. and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. When even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling and rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he cometh unto them walking upon the sea. It would have passed by them, but when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out. For they all saw him and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them and saith unto them, be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship. and the wind ceased. And they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered. To be amazed, a maze is a labyrinth of corridors, hallways, turns, dead ends. You go in one side and there is a way out, but there's so many dead ends and you can get so mixed up and turned around and confused. So much so, it's almost as if you had a blow over the head and there's just no clarity there. It's what it means to be amazed. It's not just, oh wow. No, they were flat out just blown out of the water. They couldn't understand this thing. They wondered. They had toiled all night. All right, one of three places that I can think of, four places, where those disciples toiled all night on that sea. Two times they toiled all night and didn't take any fish. Two other times they were in a boat and toiled. All four times Jesus steps in and does a miracle. And how many miracles have we seen? We still don't trust him. Still amazed when we see him work. Still amazed when we see him change the course of nature. just to help a slimy, glorified mud ball like me. And we stand amazed. Let's keep going. They were amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered, and here's the key. This is really what I want to focus on tonight. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened. as they had been made partakers of that miracle. They had literally distributed with their physical strength so much bread and so much fish that it fed 5,000 plus people. So much so that it was probably physically exhausting to do that. And then to take up the 12 baskets full Then he sends them off and then they have to toil all night in rolling against this wind. And they were bitter against Jesus. Who tells you that? Their heart was hardened. Why was their heart hardened? Well, because Jesus had just sent them out. Jesus had just sent them out to work. And then he says, come apart with me and we're gonna rest a while. And as I've said it before, Jesus' idea of rest in this case was for his 12 disciples to feed more than 5,000 people while they were hungry. And every bit of bread that they saw break off, it just kept coming and coming and coming and coming, and there was more to distribute and more to distribute and more to distribute. And with every breaking of that bread, there was a hardening of the hearts of those disciples. Every time they saw more bread on that loaf that was just broken off, there was more hardening and more hardening and more hardening of that heart. So much so that when they were in the middle of that sea and that wind was contrary unto them and they were rowing and toiling all night and Jesus was just gonna walk by. He was going to pass on by them. They cried out, and he came, got in the boat with them. The wind ceased immediately. Another miracle. And they wondered at the thing, for they considered not the miracle of the loaves. Jesus had everything all set up for them to have exactly what they needed in the middle of that sea, in the middle of their weakness, in the middle of their tiredness and exhaustion, but their heart was hardened against the miracle maker. And so have ours been also. When he's done mighty miracles for us, when he's done mighty deliverances for us, when he has provided meals for us, when he's provided clothes on our back for us, when he has, let me, I've been young and now I'm old, and have not seen the righteous forsaking nor his seed, whose seed? The righteous's seed, nor his seed begging bread. Did anyone have to go out and beg for bread this morning? Who had toast this morning? Okay? Couple. Do you have to beg for that? It's a miracle you had it. When God promises something, He's going to fulfill it. He's going to provide for His own. And the next time He tells you, come apart and we're going to rest a while, don't harden your heart against Him when it's not the rest you were expecting. It's hard to say what it might be. It's hard to say what might be there that he'll have you in the middle of. Three years ago this week, we began a 19-day stay in Geisinger Medical Hospital in the children's wing with Trevor, who had his appendix burst on the verge of death a couple of different times. You know what he told us? Come apart and rest a while. Come apart and rest a while." Driving up to preach and then driving back down, driving up to administer at the church picnic and then driving back down. I had a three-hour drive one way to spend time with God. You know what he told me? Come apart and rest a while. Be very careful. with how you look at what comes in your life. It might just be God saying, come apart and rest a while. Be careful you don't harden yourself against him. You remember how you harden your heart, right? Turn from him. You stiffen your neck. That thing which is supposed to make you soft all of a sudden begins making you calloused to the where you don't feel the pricking. Had they not hardened their hearts against him when they were in the middle of that storm, they would have considered the miracle of the loaves. They would have seen that there was power there and that Jesus had told them, go to the other side. Jesus tells you to go to the other side. He's not going to let you die halfway. So They could have had strength. They could have been rejoicing in the boat. Just as Paul and Silas were rejoicing in that prison. But see, there's coming a day in the life of Peter, there's coming a day in the life of James, coming a day of life of Andrew, of Bartholomew, of Matthew, of Judas, not Iscariot. There's coming a life in all of these men, all 12 of them, where there was going to be rest presented to them. The way he presented it to Peter was, when you were young, girded yourself, did what you want to, but when you're old, somebody else is going to gird you, take you where you don't want to go. I believe it's at the end of Luke, where he says that this spake he, signifying what death he should glorify the Lord. There remaineth a rest for the people of God. So when he calls you, come apart and rest a while. Don't fear that. Remember who has the power of death now? Do you remember who had it and lost it? Satan no longer has that power. Hebrews 2.14 very clearly tells you that in the King James Bible. Because of that fact, There is coming a day for the saints of God that he is going to say, come apart and rest a while. And you're going to take your last breath and you're going to enter into that rest. It's going to be glorious. But just consider the miracle. That whole miracle of the breaking of the loaves and the breaking of the fishes, that was for those 12 men. Because Jesus knew there was a storm coming that was contrary against them. There's stuff coming this week. Stuff coming next week. There's emergency room visits. There's midnight phone calls. There's unexpected bills. There's unexpected health issues. There's uncertainties. There's an election coming in November. Don't harden your heart against the miracle worker. Consider the miracles he is working in your life. Can I tell you, God is still in the miracle working business. Salvation is a miracle. You can know all the doctrine, you can know inside and out exactly what the Word of God says about it, be able to explain it perfectly, have everything all laid out doctrinally, what it is to be drawn by God, what it is to be put under the law of God, what it is to be given faith, what it is to be given belief, what it is for Him to bring you to that point of repentance, what it is for Him to give you repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, what it is for all of these things to lay out. You know what it boils down to? Salvation is a miracle. The new birth is a miracle from God. I can think of one miracle that was an absolute answer to prayer. It was a few weeks ago, there was a young man that walked through those doors that we had been praying would walk through those doors for years. My brother-in-law came in this church. He sat under the preaching of the Word of God. And his heart was pricked. That's a miracle. You know what that shows me? God's not done with him yet. He's got a diagnosis and he needs heart surgery. And what that shows me? God's not done with him yet. Who have you been praying for? You've hardened your heart against God because he hasn't answered that prayer. Don't miss your miracle. Don't miss it. That's all I've got.