Feeding: Loaves & Fish, 12 May 2019
12 05 19 Filed in: Sermons | The Real Jesus
Feeding: Loaves & Fish
Series—Mark: The Real Jesus
Mark 6:30-44
Series Big Idea: The shortest gospel is filled with good news about Jesus!
Big Idea: God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
Spoiler alert. There are few word couplets that seize our attention more than someone about to reveal the ending to a movie or a sporting match. Humans love suspense, and anyone destroying the surprise is likely to be criticized for doing so.
Recently a youth pastor made headlines for spoiling the ending of Avengers: Endgame in front of his youth group. In a few short weeks, this film has become the number two movie of all-time as it approaches the reigning champion Avatar.
Spoiler alert. If you are at all familiar with the Bible, your knowledge can be a deterrent to fully engaging with its stories. For example, the sorrow of our Good Friday remembrances is always tempered by our understanding of the resurrection. We know what happens next. This is true of most any biblical account.
So today I want you to forget what you know about today’s text, assuming you know anything at all. Pretend you are a follower of Jesus and you have no clue about the following events which are recorded in all four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. To set the scene, earlier in Mark chapter six, we’re told of Jesus,
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. (Mark 6:7)
He sent them on a mission trip!
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:8-11)
They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:12-13)
As we continue our series Mark: The Real Jesus, we’re seeking to know about and ultimately know King Jesus, the Messiah. Last week we saw Herod’s confusion about his identity as people thought perhaps Jesus was a resurrected Elijah or John the Baptist. Who is Jesus?
Jesus sent out his dozen followers two by two, gave them supernatural authority, told them to trust God for their provisions (take only a staff), and God did amazing things in and through their lives, including exorcising demons and healing the sick as they preached repentance.
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. (Mark 6:30)
I wish this on YouTube! Can you imagine their excitement?
“Jesus, you’ll never believe what happened!”
Jesus: “Try me!”
We begin every staff and elders meeting at First Alliance with “wins,” sharing stories of what God has done in and through us.
We need to celebrate God’s goodness.
I’m not very good at celebrating. I find it easy to start my prayers with wants and needs rather than praise and thanksgiving.
My mind is usually on the next thing to accomplish instead of pausing to celebrate the goodness of the past.
Earlier you heard about the upcoming events and opportunities on the church calendar, but what about last week?
Many years ago I was reading John Ortberg’s book The Life You’ve Always Wanted. It’s about spiritual disciples, also known as spiritual habits or practices. I knew the importance of prayer and Bible study. I was a little uneasy about the thought of fasting or silence or solitude, thinking they were like eating your veggies—good for you but unpleasant (I hope to do a series on these practices sometime soon; they are truly wonderful pathways to God). I was really surprised when early in the book Ortberg talked about The Practice of Celebration.
(Some of us could use a bit more celebration!)
(The book is excellent, by the way, and I recommend it.)
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. (Mark 6:30)
I’m sure there was some celebration in their midst.
I want to pause and celebrate God’s goodness at the sneak preview of Dinner Church last Sunday. Many of you served in beautiful ways—inviting, prayer, food prep, greeting—and God used our efforts to do amazing things. We had people from several continents exposed to the gospel, kids riveted to the message, adults engaging in unique ways, friendships forming, and an energy which could only be the Holy Spirit. I believe…
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
Thank you, family, for surrendering your time, talents, treasures, and energy last week. We’ll do it again on the last Sunday of each month, beginning May 26, and I can only imagine what God will do.
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)
Vance Havner said, “If you don’t come apart and rest, you will come apart.”
Because God is at work, we can—and must—rest.
Are you rested this morning? Our culture can drive us insane—literally—with its non-stop, 24/7, on-demand, bigger is better, climb the ladder of success mentality. We were not created to work seven days a week. We do not have the capability of doing great work 12 or 15 hours a day. Science has proven this repeatedly. We need rest.
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, you must rest. You must be with Jesus in a quiet place. You must be still and know that He is God.
I’m preaching to myself here, family. I don’t do this well, but I think I’m making some progress.
We need to rest daily…time with God.
We need to rest weekly…a Sabbath.
We need to rest annually…vacations and staycations.
We are human beings, not human doings.
Pastors are one of the greatest culprits of workaholism. Many of us have this strange notion that if we’re not taking care of every need of every person in the local church, the world is going to end. I’ve seen insecure, co-dependent pastors run themselves ragged and, sometimes, destroying themselves and/or their families in the process. I know God doesn’t need me to accomplish His plans. I feel very privileged to have been invited to serve in His Kingdom—as all of you have been—but He doesn’t need me.
Today’s text has echoes of Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd. It begins,
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalms 23:1-3)
There’s nothing there about busyness, demands, schedules, or achievement. Ultimately, we were created for relationships—with God and others. I’m afraid many cultures understand this better than USAmericans.
We need rest. Life is a marathon, friends, not a sprint. You can only make it to the finish line with rest. When is the last time you were led by the Good Shepherd to quiet waters and refreshing rest?
So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6:32)
This is a beautiful, tranquil lake in Israel, known today as the Sea of Galilee. I’ve been there in a boat and I’m sure the twelve were looking forward to some quality time with Jesus.
But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:33-34)
Jesus—the Good Shepherd—can’t avoid the paparazzi! The problem with being in a boat on a lake is people on the shore can see you…and where you’re headed! Jesus invites his disciples to get rest and then turns around and starts teaching the crowds. I’m sure the twelve were upset. After all, they had all of these great stories to tell! If only Jesus wasn’t so compassionate! Remember, the Good Shepherd is willing to leave the 99 to look for the one lost sheep, or in this case disrupt the solitude of the dozen for the thousands of lost people in the crowd.
Do you see people as greedy or needy? Are people an interruption to your day or the purpose of our mission? Are you compassionate…or just comfortable?
By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” (Mark 6:35-36)
I’m sure the disciples were hungry, too, but remember they wanted that quiet time with Jesus. Send the people away, Jesus!
But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” (Mark 6:37a)
What? Jesus, we’re hungry, too! This isn’t our problem. Let’s send them away, get back in the boat, catch some fish, and have a nice, quiet dinner together. We’re getting hangry, here!
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” (Mark 6:37b)
I know that would be my answer! I can call Domino’s or Grub Hub, but I don’t know if my credit card limit will cover it!
It’s easy to fault the lack of faith of the disciples, but again, they didn’t know what followed. If we were at the Mud Hens game, they ran out of food, and I told you to feed the crowd, what would you say?
The disciples saw the problem but not the potential.
“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” (Mark 6:38)
[I have some fish. Are there any moms who would like some fish?]
We know from another account of this story (John 6:9) the twelve disciples apparently had no food at all and, therefore, they searched the crowd and found a boy with a small lunch. Imagine being the only person in a crowd with food and someone asks you for it. Would you surrender it or keep it?
What do you have to offer God?
It might be your lunch. Literally. Would you give it to Jesus? He said essentially,
“…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
When we show kindness to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we’re showing kindness to Jesus. Giving to the benevolence fund is an excellent way to offer your lunch—or your wealth—to Jesus.
What do you have to offer God?
Remember, the boy had no idea what would happen to his lunch, but he surrendered it.
If you knew by putting $100 in the offering today, you’d get an unexpected refund in the mail this week for $500, of course you’d do it. But faith is expressed through obedience without knowing the outcome. I’m not promising you $500, but can you outgive God?
If you knew volunteering your time and talents to help on church work day would result in getting an extra week’s vacation at work the next week, you’d be foolish not to invest those hours.
We don’t know how God will use our offering, but I can almost guarantee there will be no regrets.
Think of it this way: is it generally wiser to invest retirement funds yourself or have someone with thirty years of successful experience do it?
Do you trust God to do more with your time, talent, and treasures than you could ever do on your own?
The exciting things is you might not have much to offer, in the eyes of the world. Some of us are not wealthy. Some of us are not healthy. Some of us aren’t especially attractive or talented or educated, but God can use anything and anyone He chooses to accomplish His will and plans…if we’re available.
What could Jesus possibly do with a little bread and fish? Shhh. No spoilers, please!
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. (Mark 6:39-41)
There are so many layers of symbolism in these verses.
- Moses wasn’t sure how to feed all of the people in the wilderness
- Green grass: the Good Shepherd (green pastures; it is springtime in Galilee)
- Groups of hundreds and fifties: Jethro telling Moses how to delegate (Ex. 18)
- Looking up to heaven, giving thanks, breaking bread: Passover
Jesus was demonstrating signs the new creation, the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of God. Here we see God’s love and power blended together.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. (Mark 6:42-44)
We have no idea how many women and children were fed, too, but Michael Card makes an interesting observation, saying, “In every account of the feeding of the five thousand, the word used is kofinos. It indicates a small lunch-pail-sized basket.” It’s likely the crowd didn’t even realize the miracle that occurred right before their very eyes, a miracle more of perfect provision than overflowing abundance. They had enough…their daily bread (and a little midnight snack for each of the twelve disciples).
God is able to provide for our daily bread as we seek Him and surrender what we’ve been given to Him.
Sure, Jesus could’ve had manna and quail fall from the sky to feed the crowd. God did this to the people of Israel in the wilderness, feeding them for forty years!
Jesus could’ve taken stones and turned them into bread as satan had tempted him to do in the wilderness when Jesus was fasting for forty days.
Jesus could’ve prayed a hunger prayer which instantly removed hunger from the crowd.
Instead, Jesus wanted participation. He allowed a boy to be involved. He engaged his disciples. Instead of creating something from nothing—as he has done many times before—he chose to work in and through others. I love that!
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
How do you think that boy felt at the end of the day? Can you imagine the story he told his mom when he got home? What about what he said to his dad he arrived home from work?
It is a thrill to be used by God. But first, we must surrender. God can bless and multiply whatever we give to Him. He used
- an old man named Abraham to become a dad at 100 and father the Jewish nation
- a stutterer named Moses to lead His people for decades in the wilderness
- a prostitute named Rahab was so important she is in Jesus’ genealogy
God often asks us to do the impossible…so He can receive the glory. Forgive without limit? Love our enemies? We are totally dependent upon Him…and that’s a great place to be.
Sometimes we cry out to God and say, “Do something” and God replies, “You give them something to eat. What’s in your hand? I’ve placed you there in Toledo for such a time as this.”
A man once asked God, “Why aren’t you feeding the hungry?”
God replied, “Why aren’t you feeding the hungry?”
I don’t know what God is calling you to surrender today, but I know it’s a thrill to be obedient, to be used by God to impact lives for eternity, to have a front-row seat to watch God at work. Some of you experienced this last Sunday at Dinner Church. Others were blessed by serving at the Rosa Parks Elementary Carnival. Still others were involved in Celebrate Recovery, bringing hope and healing to the hurting. I saw many of you at the TUI After School Klub banquet, celebrating another year of investment in our city’s kids. Next month you’re all invited to participate in Sports & Arts Camp, possibly our biggest event of the year.
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
What are you doing with your lunch? Hoarding it, or offering it to God?
What are you doing with your wealth? Your time? Your talents? Your life?
Prayer:
“God will you let us see people the way You see people, as masterpieces in need of love and restoration? Let us have compassion like You do. Will you take our time, talents, and treasures and multiply them for Your glory? I believe, LORD, but help me in my unbelief, that I may trust You completely with my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—Mark: The Real Jesus
Mark 6:30-44
Series Big Idea: The shortest gospel is filled with good news about Jesus!
Big Idea: God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
Spoiler alert. There are few word couplets that seize our attention more than someone about to reveal the ending to a movie or a sporting match. Humans love suspense, and anyone destroying the surprise is likely to be criticized for doing so.
Recently a youth pastor made headlines for spoiling the ending of Avengers: Endgame in front of his youth group. In a few short weeks, this film has become the number two movie of all-time as it approaches the reigning champion Avatar.
Spoiler alert. If you are at all familiar with the Bible, your knowledge can be a deterrent to fully engaging with its stories. For example, the sorrow of our Good Friday remembrances is always tempered by our understanding of the resurrection. We know what happens next. This is true of most any biblical account.
So today I want you to forget what you know about today’s text, assuming you know anything at all. Pretend you are a follower of Jesus and you have no clue about the following events which are recorded in all four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. To set the scene, earlier in Mark chapter six, we’re told of Jesus,
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. (Mark 6:7)
He sent them on a mission trip!
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:8-11)
They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:12-13)
As we continue our series Mark: The Real Jesus, we’re seeking to know about and ultimately know King Jesus, the Messiah. Last week we saw Herod’s confusion about his identity as people thought perhaps Jesus was a resurrected Elijah or John the Baptist. Who is Jesus?
Jesus sent out his dozen followers two by two, gave them supernatural authority, told them to trust God for their provisions (take only a staff), and God did amazing things in and through their lives, including exorcising demons and healing the sick as they preached repentance.
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. (Mark 6:30)
I wish this on YouTube! Can you imagine their excitement?
“Jesus, you’ll never believe what happened!”
Jesus: “Try me!”
We begin every staff and elders meeting at First Alliance with “wins,” sharing stories of what God has done in and through us.
We need to celebrate God’s goodness.
I’m not very good at celebrating. I find it easy to start my prayers with wants and needs rather than praise and thanksgiving.
My mind is usually on the next thing to accomplish instead of pausing to celebrate the goodness of the past.
Earlier you heard about the upcoming events and opportunities on the church calendar, but what about last week?
Many years ago I was reading John Ortberg’s book The Life You’ve Always Wanted. It’s about spiritual disciples, also known as spiritual habits or practices. I knew the importance of prayer and Bible study. I was a little uneasy about the thought of fasting or silence or solitude, thinking they were like eating your veggies—good for you but unpleasant (I hope to do a series on these practices sometime soon; they are truly wonderful pathways to God). I was really surprised when early in the book Ortberg talked about The Practice of Celebration.
(Some of us could use a bit more celebration!)
(The book is excellent, by the way, and I recommend it.)
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. (Mark 6:30)
I’m sure there was some celebration in their midst.
I want to pause and celebrate God’s goodness at the sneak preview of Dinner Church last Sunday. Many of you served in beautiful ways—inviting, prayer, food prep, greeting—and God used our efforts to do amazing things. We had people from several continents exposed to the gospel, kids riveted to the message, adults engaging in unique ways, friendships forming, and an energy which could only be the Holy Spirit. I believe…
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
Thank you, family, for surrendering your time, talents, treasures, and energy last week. We’ll do it again on the last Sunday of each month, beginning May 26, and I can only imagine what God will do.
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)
Vance Havner said, “If you don’t come apart and rest, you will come apart.”
Because God is at work, we can—and must—rest.
Are you rested this morning? Our culture can drive us insane—literally—with its non-stop, 24/7, on-demand, bigger is better, climb the ladder of success mentality. We were not created to work seven days a week. We do not have the capability of doing great work 12 or 15 hours a day. Science has proven this repeatedly. We need rest.
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, you must rest. You must be with Jesus in a quiet place. You must be still and know that He is God.
I’m preaching to myself here, family. I don’t do this well, but I think I’m making some progress.
We need to rest daily…time with God.
We need to rest weekly…a Sabbath.
We need to rest annually…vacations and staycations.
We are human beings, not human doings.
Pastors are one of the greatest culprits of workaholism. Many of us have this strange notion that if we’re not taking care of every need of every person in the local church, the world is going to end. I’ve seen insecure, co-dependent pastors run themselves ragged and, sometimes, destroying themselves and/or their families in the process. I know God doesn’t need me to accomplish His plans. I feel very privileged to have been invited to serve in His Kingdom—as all of you have been—but He doesn’t need me.
Today’s text has echoes of Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd. It begins,
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalms 23:1-3)
There’s nothing there about busyness, demands, schedules, or achievement. Ultimately, we were created for relationships—with God and others. I’m afraid many cultures understand this better than USAmericans.
We need rest. Life is a marathon, friends, not a sprint. You can only make it to the finish line with rest. When is the last time you were led by the Good Shepherd to quiet waters and refreshing rest?
So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6:32)
This is a beautiful, tranquil lake in Israel, known today as the Sea of Galilee. I’ve been there in a boat and I’m sure the twelve were looking forward to some quality time with Jesus.
But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:33-34)
Jesus—the Good Shepherd—can’t avoid the paparazzi! The problem with being in a boat on a lake is people on the shore can see you…and where you’re headed! Jesus invites his disciples to get rest and then turns around and starts teaching the crowds. I’m sure the twelve were upset. After all, they had all of these great stories to tell! If only Jesus wasn’t so compassionate! Remember, the Good Shepherd is willing to leave the 99 to look for the one lost sheep, or in this case disrupt the solitude of the dozen for the thousands of lost people in the crowd.
Do you see people as greedy or needy? Are people an interruption to your day or the purpose of our mission? Are you compassionate…or just comfortable?
By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” (Mark 6:35-36)
I’m sure the disciples were hungry, too, but remember they wanted that quiet time with Jesus. Send the people away, Jesus!
But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” (Mark 6:37a)
What? Jesus, we’re hungry, too! This isn’t our problem. Let’s send them away, get back in the boat, catch some fish, and have a nice, quiet dinner together. We’re getting hangry, here!
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” (Mark 6:37b)
I know that would be my answer! I can call Domino’s or Grub Hub, but I don’t know if my credit card limit will cover it!
It’s easy to fault the lack of faith of the disciples, but again, they didn’t know what followed. If we were at the Mud Hens game, they ran out of food, and I told you to feed the crowd, what would you say?
The disciples saw the problem but not the potential.
“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” (Mark 6:38)
[I have some fish. Are there any moms who would like some fish?]
We know from another account of this story (John 6:9) the twelve disciples apparently had no food at all and, therefore, they searched the crowd and found a boy with a small lunch. Imagine being the only person in a crowd with food and someone asks you for it. Would you surrender it or keep it?
What do you have to offer God?
It might be your lunch. Literally. Would you give it to Jesus? He said essentially,
“…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
When we show kindness to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we’re showing kindness to Jesus. Giving to the benevolence fund is an excellent way to offer your lunch—or your wealth—to Jesus.
What do you have to offer God?
Remember, the boy had no idea what would happen to his lunch, but he surrendered it.
If you knew by putting $100 in the offering today, you’d get an unexpected refund in the mail this week for $500, of course you’d do it. But faith is expressed through obedience without knowing the outcome. I’m not promising you $500, but can you outgive God?
If you knew volunteering your time and talents to help on church work day would result in getting an extra week’s vacation at work the next week, you’d be foolish not to invest those hours.
We don’t know how God will use our offering, but I can almost guarantee there will be no regrets.
Think of it this way: is it generally wiser to invest retirement funds yourself or have someone with thirty years of successful experience do it?
Do you trust God to do more with your time, talent, and treasures than you could ever do on your own?
The exciting things is you might not have much to offer, in the eyes of the world. Some of us are not wealthy. Some of us are not healthy. Some of us aren’t especially attractive or talented or educated, but God can use anything and anyone He chooses to accomplish His will and plans…if we’re available.
What could Jesus possibly do with a little bread and fish? Shhh. No spoilers, please!
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. (Mark 6:39-41)
There are so many layers of symbolism in these verses.
- Moses wasn’t sure how to feed all of the people in the wilderness
- Green grass: the Good Shepherd (green pastures; it is springtime in Galilee)
- Groups of hundreds and fifties: Jethro telling Moses how to delegate (Ex. 18)
- Looking up to heaven, giving thanks, breaking bread: Passover
Jesus was demonstrating signs the new creation, the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of God. Here we see God’s love and power blended together.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. (Mark 6:42-44)
We have no idea how many women and children were fed, too, but Michael Card makes an interesting observation, saying, “In every account of the feeding of the five thousand, the word used is kofinos. It indicates a small lunch-pail-sized basket.” It’s likely the crowd didn’t even realize the miracle that occurred right before their very eyes, a miracle more of perfect provision than overflowing abundance. They had enough…their daily bread (and a little midnight snack for each of the twelve disciples).
God is able to provide for our daily bread as we seek Him and surrender what we’ve been given to Him.
Sure, Jesus could’ve had manna and quail fall from the sky to feed the crowd. God did this to the people of Israel in the wilderness, feeding them for forty years!
Jesus could’ve taken stones and turned them into bread as satan had tempted him to do in the wilderness when Jesus was fasting for forty days.
Jesus could’ve prayed a hunger prayer which instantly removed hunger from the crowd.
Instead, Jesus wanted participation. He allowed a boy to be involved. He engaged his disciples. Instead of creating something from nothing—as he has done many times before—he chose to work in and through others. I love that!
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
How do you think that boy felt at the end of the day? Can you imagine the story he told his mom when he got home? What about what he said to his dad he arrived home from work?
It is a thrill to be used by God. But first, we must surrender. God can bless and multiply whatever we give to Him. He used
- an old man named Abraham to become a dad at 100 and father the Jewish nation
- a stutterer named Moses to lead His people for decades in the wilderness
- a prostitute named Rahab was so important she is in Jesus’ genealogy
God often asks us to do the impossible…so He can receive the glory. Forgive without limit? Love our enemies? We are totally dependent upon Him…and that’s a great place to be.
Sometimes we cry out to God and say, “Do something” and God replies, “You give them something to eat. What’s in your hand? I’ve placed you there in Toledo for such a time as this.”
A man once asked God, “Why aren’t you feeding the hungry?”
God replied, “Why aren’t you feeding the hungry?”
I don’t know what God is calling you to surrender today, but I know it’s a thrill to be obedient, to be used by God to impact lives for eternity, to have a front-row seat to watch God at work. Some of you experienced this last Sunday at Dinner Church. Others were blessed by serving at the Rosa Parks Elementary Carnival. Still others were involved in Celebrate Recovery, bringing hope and healing to the hurting. I saw many of you at the TUI After School Klub banquet, celebrating another year of investment in our city’s kids. Next month you’re all invited to participate in Sports & Arts Camp, possibly our biggest event of the year.
God is able to do amazing things in and through our lives if we truly surrender.
What are you doing with your lunch? Hoarding it, or offering it to God?
What are you doing with your wealth? Your time? Your talents? Your life?
Prayer:
“God will you let us see people the way You see people, as masterpieces in need of love and restoration? Let us have compassion like You do. Will you take our time, talents, and treasures and multiply them for Your glory? I believe, LORD, but help me in my unbelief, that I may trust You completely with my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.