A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be a Camp Pastor for Fuge Camps at Mississippi Christian University. The theme was ‘The Good Shepherd’, taken from Psalm 23.
Each session, we looked at Scriptures from the Gospel of Mark, about how Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd that Psalm 23 points to. Below are the main sermon notes, and a recording of the final sermon.
Maybe you would like to open your Bible and read these accounts as well, from the teachings and life of Jesus in Mark and be encouraged. I’m thankful that Jesus is our ultimate Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. Be blessed!
Sermon #1:
The Shepherd Who Provides (Mark 6:30-44)
1- Jesus, the Good Shepherd, provides by meeting people where they are. (v.30-34)
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
2- Jesus, the Good Shepherd, provides by meeting spiritual and physical needs. (v. 35-42)
And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied.
3- Jesus, the Good Shepherd, provides from the overflow. (v.43-44)
And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
• What could it look like for you to experience God’s provision?
Sermon #2:
THE GOOD PEACE (Mark 6:45-52)
*Only Jesus can give us peace in the midst of our problems.*
1- Jesus sets the scene for peace. (v.45-47)
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
2- Jesus clears up chaos and confusion. (v.48-50)
And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
3- The peace of Jesus overcomes our doubts. (v.51-52)
And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
• Where do you go to for peace?
Sermon #3:
THE GOOD RESTORATION (Mark 8:27-33)
1- What are people around you saying about Jesus? (v.27-28)
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea 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, one of the prophets.”
2- Who is Jesus to you? (v.29)
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
John 6:66-69— After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
3– Will you follow Jesus, even when it’s hard? (v.30-32a)
And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. 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 be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.
4- What are you doing with Satan’s lies? (v.32b-33)
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
1 John 4:4 — “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Sermon #4:
THE GOOD PRESENCE (Mark 8:34-9:1)
1) When we deny ourselves and this world, we experience the good presence that Jesus offers. (v.34-35)
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
2) When we embrace ourselves and this world, we don’t experience the good presence that Jesus offers. (v.36-9:1)
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
• What are you holding onto more than Jesus?
Sermon #5:
THE GOOD LIFE (Mark 9:2-8)
1) The good life is seeing Jesus for who He really is. (v.2-3)
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
2) The good life is being with Jesus. (v.4-5)
And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
3) The good life is obeying Jesus. (v.6-8)
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
1 John 5:2-3 — “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
• How can you strive to live the good life this week?
Final Sermon of the week:
Matthew Weaver 
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