As I shared last week, I was very recently reading Luke 9 and got so much from it. And a good thing too. When the notices came out on Thursday, I got a surprise when I saw I was down to preach ! As it so happens, my Dad is also preaching on the feeding of the 5000 this weekend so with a visit to Whangarei already planned for yesterday, I was able to come back with his message today 😊 So that scripture from John 12:49 has come true today in my life;
For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.
Just preceding the feeding of the 5000, the disciples had been sent out with specific instructions to take nothing and they went and successfully proclaimed the good news and healed the sick, surely enough to help attract the great crowds to come and listen to Jesus so they should have been filled with faith...
There are two miracles which appear in all 4 gospels….the feeding of the 5000 and the resurrection and it is important to read all 4 gospels to get the full story from the different accounts of the 4 writers. The fact that both these miracles are in all 4 gospels is significant and they both demonstrate the power of Jesus. We’re going to look at this morning the miracle of the feeding of the 5 thousand.
After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead, while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus. Luke 9:1-9
The interest was stirred from the lowest to the highest in the land. We’ll watch this YouTube video as the Preacher Robert Morris picks up the story from Luke 9:10-17
If you take the average family as around 4 or 5 then that means something like 20 to 25 thousand people were there that day to hear Jesus …almost certainly one of the largest crowds He ever taught. Try and imagine yourself as one of the disciples that day. You’d been there all day listening to Jesus teaching the crowds, healing those that came to Him and it is now getting very late. Then Jesus asks this question which we will call THE GREAT TEST. “How are we going to feed all these people he asks?” I would imagine the disciples having a chat and then they come up with 3 answers:-
- The ECONOMIC ANSWER when Philip (who was from Bethsaida so knew the local economy) said it would take more than 200 silver coins to buy enough bread to feed them. (John 6:7)
- The RESOURCEFUL ANSWER when Andrew (the fisherman) said “There’s a boy here with 5 loaves and 2 fish, but they will certainly not be enough for all these people (John 6:8-9)
- The POLITICAL ANSWER (they had a vote) when they all said “Send the people away.” (Matt 14:15, Mark 6:35-36, Luke 9:12)
Then Jesus led them on to the SIMPLE SECRET which it says He already had in mind. (John 6:6) That was simply to release the resources. Release your resources to me…. Jesus was never discouraged by slender resources….notice He didn’t say “is that all you’ve got”. He took the loaves and fish, gave thanks to God, then broke the loaves and divided the fish and then what?….. Jesus gave them to the disciples to distribute…..think about that…..they were given back the broken (but blessed) 5 loaves and 2 fish and now had to go to the crowd of 20000 plus with what appeared to be same resources. When exactly did the fish and loaves multiply? It appears to have been as the disciples served the crowd. And then the great miracle happened as the disciples did what Jesus told them to do. Everyone was fed and there was also heaps left over 12 baskets full in fact.
Churches don’t need to raise money for anything BUT we do need to RELEASE it, release the resources we have and He will do the rest…that’s the SIMPLE SECRET. Each one of us here this morning is a “picnic lunch” whom God is waiting to use. The impact of this one picnic lunch released to Jesus was to feed thousands of men, women and children. And it didn’t stop there because it’s impact has also meant that millions of others down through the years since it happened have heard the story and also in several million cases have understood the lesson that Jesus was teaching and acted on it.
The full impact of what you and I do as we release what we have to Jesus may not be known until long after we’ve departed from this life but the SIMPLE SECRET is that God will multiply whatever we release to HIM. God will take whatever you and I give Him and give it eagle’s wings to achieve much more than you and I can ever dream of….but we must release what we have. I suspect that this little boy was sitting pretty close to Jesus. When you think about it he didn’t need to be fed. His Mum had prepared a pretty big picnic lunch…5 loaves and 2 fish….but he gave them anyway…. and by releasing them they were used to feed thousands. And the UNEXPECTED result is that this local miracle has been TRANSFORMED to impact you and I today along with millions of others.
But we can be assured that whatever has been released to God is being multiplied by God’s power whether we see the results or not.
The heart of Christian faith lies in this daily expectation of miracles.
Faith is not a feeling, nor is it fanaticism, it’s not an influence, a technique, a special way of speaking or an escape from reality. Faith is reckoning upon God, in every situation that life presents us with and counting upon divine direction, in every circumstance and emergency relying on divine help, with every need seeking divine resources, being conscious of God’s presence at all times. And more often than not our faith will be tested by ADVERSITY. Expect it but don’t go looking for it…remember that God is with you whatever storms come your way in life. Jesus was in the boat when the storm came to test the disciples faith. Immediately after this miracle Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and they obeyed Him and so they were in His will but then came a storm. James tells us to count ourselves fortunate when trials come our way. The truth is that you’re either in a trial right now, just coming out of one or heading towards one.
In Hebrews Chapter 11 we find that men and women of great faith are most often people who have little or no faith in themselves. Too often in life we focus on ourselves, our weaknesses and in our humanness allow them to restrict us from becoming what God intends us to be. The apostle Paul reminds us that in his human weakness He found God’s strength. When I am weak then I am strong” he says And God’s word to him was “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak’. I’m sure that God’s word to all of us is the same.” My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.”
One spiritual principle emphasised throughout scripture is that GOD TABERNACLES IN WEAKNESS. One writer highlighted some of these examples from scripture to combat the excuses we make to God regarding our weaknesses. HE said this
“You may think there are many reasons why God shouldn’t call you…..don’t worry you are in good company. Moses stuttered, David’s armour didn’t fit, Hosea’s wife was a prostitute, Jacob was a liar, Solomon was too rich, Jesus was too poor, Abraham was too old, David was too young, Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal, Elijah was burned out, Samson had long hair, Noah got drunk, Peter was afraid of death, Lazarus was dead"...
and so on. If we were chosen on our merits none of us would be called, but God calls each one of us to serve Him. Satan looks back and sees and reminds us of our mistakes, God looks back and sees the cross. Satan says, “You’re not worthy” Jesus says “So what I am”. Let God work through you and He will make mincemeat of your limitations.” The Christian life has to move at some stage from observing to serving, and looking beyond our weaknesses and slender resources. Prior to this miracle Jesus had demonstrated God’s authority and power in His teaching and healing….all this time the disciples had been observing. Now comes the test….Jesus said “You give them something to eat.”
Many Christians get overwhelmed by the size of the task God has asked them to do. They don’t see how it can be done knowing their own skill set, their meagre resources, their lack of influence. The truth is we can’t do it but what we can do is give what we have to Jesus.
So instead of worrying about something we do not possess, it is a question of letting the Spirit release from within us what we already have in Christ. Our task as Jesus tells us is to abide in Him and then trust His Spirit to work in and through us.
God given FAITH is required not FAITH in FAITH….so ask for it and it is yours. Madame Guyon a Frenchwoman who lived back in the 16th century said “If knowing all of life’s questions is absolutely necessary to you, then forget the journey. You will never make it. For the Christian journey is a journey of unknowables, of unanswered questions, enigmas, incomprehensibles, and most of all, things unfair.
What is my response today to Jesus saying to me “You give them something to eat.” I think of the little corner of France I’ve been called to and it’s easy for me to think it’s impossible ! I’m sure you can feel like that too.
If He is speaking to any of you here today ask the Holy Spirit to help you as I am doing in my situation and He will.
It should not be a surprise that God is calling you to step out of your comfort zone and beyond the economic, resourceful and political answers we all tend to come up with. The call is to give our slender resources to Him and leave the multiplication to Him.
This is the verse that jumped out at me from Luke 9:17
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
I want to conclude by saying that nothing we do in obedience to the Lord will ever be wasted even if it costs us everything.