Topic: Growing by staying in God’s presence
Text: Mark 6: 7,13, 32 – 52.
Speaker: Bro. Dike Ahunanga

Our text above is an account of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus did this miracle to teach His disciples a lesson but yet they learnt nothing because their heart was hardened as recorded in vs 52 of our text

We would be looking closely at the miracle of the loaves to see all the lessons His disciples missed.

It is worth noting that before this miracle of the loaves Jesus had empowered His disciples and sent them to preach. It was recorded that they had exploits of healing and miracles while they went out to preach.

In Vs 35 and 36 of our text, when the day was far spent preaching to the multitude. His disciples meet Him and beseeched him to send the people out to go get food for themselves. Jesus’ reply was “Give ye them to eat.” He said not as a slip of tongue but in acknowledgement of what Had had deposited in them not too long when He sent them to preach. He knew they already had the capacity even to perform miracles.

In life when we are faced with helpless situations, I can hear Jesus saying “Give ye them to eat.”; “you have the capacity to turn the situation around”. “I have imparted in you the ability yo do all things”.

Just after the miracle of the loaves, they were faces with the challenge of the storm. They struggled and battled with the boisterous wind still not knowing the Storm-calming-power they carried on their inside.

• This is how many at times we struggle with situations we should stand up to.

Back to the miracle of the loaves. When Jesus asked His disciples to give the people something to eat, they quickly switched to natural mode; using logic and permutations to analyse the situation.

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

Mark 6:37

• In the midst of daunting situations do you switch to natural mode or stay in the supernatural?

Then He asked them to tell the people to sit down in ranks of 50 and of 100. This they did to 5000+ people (as women and children were not counted). This arrangement of this kind of crowd could only be possible in the presence of the prince of peace. Only if the disciples remembered that they had the prince of peace to them, they wouldn’t have been bothered about the storm.

When we know we have the prince of peace in us, we would be confident to speak to storms

After they sat down, Jesus took over the situation. He asked His disciples “what do you have”

God’s multiplication on your life would always start with what you have.

After the miracle of the loaves; according to the account in John 6:16, His disciples were tired of waiting for Jesus after they had waited for a long time. So the boarded the boat to cross over without Him.

• When God gives us a miracle, He expects that we remain in His presence and not rush out.
• God expects us to learn from every miracle He gives us.
• It is the lessons from a miracle that helps us grow and face the next challenge.

Late in the night while they struggled with the boat and the wind, Jesus saw them in their struggled and walked to meet them. He did not rush to meet them. He expected they would have learnt.

There is a need for us to grow

The only place we can grow is in His presence.

From scriptural map calculations, the normal time it should take for them to cross over would have been 1hour :30mins but it took them 6 to7 hours struggle on the waters just because they rushed out of His presence.

God has written Himself into the Bible and He wants us stuck in His word. Joshua got stuck in God’s word and God magnified Him.

1 Tim 1:18

• It is by the prophecy spoken about you in God’s word that you would war a good warfare.
• When we study God’s word, it comes alive to us.

2 Pet 1:16-20

• The written word of God is a more sure word of prophecy.

2 Kings 4:42 – 44.

This is an afore account of feeding more people with less food. If His disciples had studied this in scriptures, they would have known what to expect. That Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

In conclusion, the only way we can grow is in His presence; in His word. God wants a relationship with us. He wants you to dwell in His secret place. He doesn’t want you visiting.