Bible Text: Mark 6:31-44 | Preacher: Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne | Series: Special Occasions | In this sermon on our harvest of abundance, we are challenged that in God's multiplication economy, we should share with those who don't have enough.

In this short Bible message for our Harvest Cafe Church, we are reminded that every day, people in the world go hungry. We are tempted to think there are not enough resources to go around. We fall into the trap of thinking we don't have the resources to solve global problems, and so we do nothing.

But as we see in this sermon on harvest abundance, there are a number of "multiplication stories" in the Bible, such as this one from Mark 6, that remind us the economy of the Kingdom of God is one of abundance:
Mark 6:31-44 NCV
31 Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest.”

32 So they went in a boat by themselves to a lonely place. 33 But many people saw them leave and recognized them. So from all the towns they ran to the place where Jesus was going, and they got there before him. 34 When he arrived, he saw a great crowd waiting. He felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

35 When it was late in the day, his followers came to him and said, “No one lives in this place, and it is already very late. 36 Send the people away so they can go to the countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “We would all have to work a month to earn enough money to buy that much bread!”

38 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus told his followers to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and, looking up to heaven, he thanked God for the food. He divided the bread and gave it to his followers for them to give to the people. Then he divided the two fish among them all. 42 All the people ate and were satisfied. 43 The followers filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of bread and fish. 44 There were five thousand men who ate.
The End of our Human Resources
In this passage, both Jesus and his disciples seem at the end of their human resources. Jesus is exhausted. He's grieving, he's fearful and he's tired, and yet the crowd still insist that he heals them and teaches them. The disciples, probably routinely delegated the task of providing food for the group, have no idea about how to provide food for such a vast crowd in such a remote area. Jesus' response to their impractical suggestions must have seemed like a joke: "You give them something to eat".

It must have been either an act of reckless obedience or one of confident faith not shown by the disciples to this point (or beyond it!) to hand over the meagre meal of five loaves and two fish and expect Jesus to solve the problem. But as in the Kingdom of God, Jesus takes what his servants give him and multiplies it. This has always been God's pattern.
Showing Compassion
We may look at the problems faced by our world, particularly when it comes to its natural resources, and feel the task is too much. That there’s nothing we can do. But God needs us to show compassion. To selflessly love those around us. To do what we can. As we celebrate Harvest, and all God gives to us, God trusts us to act in faith with whatever we have to hand.
Your Response
If you found this podcast sermon on a harvest of abundance helpful,