Feeding the 5000

Has anyone ever been to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade?

Anyone have it on their bucket list?

Well (maybe no one else has it on their bucket list) but for a lot of people this parade is a huge deal!

In fact every year they have about 3.5 million people show up to the event. (apparently that number does not make up anyone in this room)

There are so many people there that they say you have to get to the route by 6AM and not move until the parade starts.

Each year they have over 4500 volunteers helping with the parade

and overall there are 25 million people that watch it on TV every year.

But you know one of the things people say why they want to go each year is because there is just something special about the parade.

And let me tell you why I am telling you this because where we are in our series today there are a ton of people who have begun following Jesus around

And its not because He has this 10 million dollar parade route that everyone wants to see,

But there is something about Him that is drawing people,

And really today we are going be looking at what that is, and how we can be a part of what Jesus was and still is doing today

And so we are going to be in Matthew 6:1-15 but like I mentioned earlier we are in this series called “Around the Table” and really we have been looking at different meals that Jesus has with different people.

And if you have been with us we have seen Jesus at a wedding, Jesus at a Well and today we see Him providing a meal for a huge group of people.

And so we will be starting in just the first few verses, Matthew 6:1- part of verse 5 It says this:

John 6:1–5 (NIV)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

6:1–13pp—Mt 14:13–21; Mk 6:32–44; Lk 9:10–17

6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him…

So Jesus at this point in His ministry has been teaching and working miracles which is really neat but, Jesus is not just doing this to get a ton of followers,

in fact at the end of this passage He actually says He runs away because These people were about to make Him their king.

But really we see Him doing it because part of building the kingdom of God, means working in areas that are not as God desires it.

Because a lot of times we associate building the kingdom of God as building the church, (which can be true),

but really when we build the kingdom of God it is anytime we are making the world closer to the way God created it.

A lot of us know the Lords prayer- It says Your kingdom come, your will be done, (and then there is that last part) on earth as it is in heaven.

And really in our walk with God we need to ask what are areas in our world, in our community and in our lives where if we compared how they are now verses how we imagine the kingdom of heaven, how different would they be? I mean think about it …

Does the kingdom of God have people going hungry

Does the kingdom of God have people alone

Does the kingdom of God have kids who cannot read

Does the kingdom of God have sex trafficking

In the kingdom of God are their people who steel

In the kingdom of are their people who lie

And I dont know about you but when I start to look at the world, our community and our lives through this idea of “is this what the Kingdom of God is like” it really convicts me.

And we might not see all of these issues everyday, but what would it look like for God’s kingdom to come to my neighbor who is going through Chemo right now or stuggleing financially.

What does it look like for thy kingdom come into this addiction I have

What does it look like for thy kingdom to come into the refuge crissis

How can I give them a taste of the kingdom of heaven?

You will notice there is a bad at each table and it has what in it?

Little pink spoons, we love these things right, because they are ice cream sample spoons

And when we see these we get a sample of what the flavor is going to taste like

And thats not the best part is it? No because the best part is getting the full thing

And let me just say this, because what Jesus is doing in this passage and really what we are called to do is He is giving them just a taste of what is to come where all will be made right

And this is what we are called to as the body of Christ, give a taste of the kingdom of God.

And look at this next part, because look at verses 5-8 and ill read the first part of verse 5 again, but it says:

John 6:5–9 NIV

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

So this crowd is coming to Jesus and in other areas in the Bible that tell this story from a different point of view we see that it is getting late and one of the disciples actually tells Jesus we need to send these people away, because its getting late and we do not want to have to feed these people

And here is what I want us to get, because one of the first part of building the kingdom of God is understanding and knowing the needs around us.

This is not that crazy of a point right?

I mean have you ever had a flat tire? what happens your car goes Budup, budump budump.

And then you walk out and the tire is flat

But really when you are a Christ follower yeah we see the issues we face, but its really important for us to see the issues others face.

Because a lot of times we might recognize that there is a problem but then we end up doing kind of what the disciple did in another Gospel did where he says send them away… lets push this issue away, because its not really our problem.

But what I love is in this passage Jesus sees the need, and without skipping the beat He says “what are we going to do?”

And look what happens next because you can picture the disciples getting together and going okay we have this much money, but even if we spend every dime, we are not going to be able to feed every person, (because we are told later there are 5000 men which probably did not include kids and women that were there were there

So a lot of scholors actually believe there were at least 10,000 people).

And so they are going okay that option will not work.

And then one of the other disciples named Andrew comes up and He goes guys here is a boy I found and he has 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish.

And you can just picture them all thinking Andrew, you have had some bad ideas, but this one takes the cake.

Because this will feed 3 people not 10,000,

But I want you to notice what they are doing because they see the need, and now they are saying what do we have that can meet that need?

Because the truth is God has gifted us in different ways, for some it might be time, others its our talents, and others its financially

But God’s gifted each of us differently, and its important to know the ways we are gifted.

I mean is there anyone here who is really big into football?

When the NFL does their draft they usually get different positions right?

They do not just get a million quarterbacks right?

Because in order for the team to function they need people gifted in all areas

And really for the body of Christ to function and give a taste of the kingdom of God, we need to recognize our God, given gifts.

Whether you are a handy man

Whether Gods gifted you financially

Maybe God has given you wisdom

Maybe you are an amazing prayer warrior

But its important to understand thew ways God has gifted you.

And then this next part is the difficult part (are you ready), because once we recognize our gifts we have to give the things we have been gifted with to God.

In fact in this passage whenever I read this I always think how much faith this kid with the bread and fish had.

Because He probably has this food for him and his family, and He is giving it to Jesus to feed a group of 5000.

I mean he is probably thinking I am giving this and probably not getting anything back.

I better start planning on what I am going to tel my parents.

And this is kind of the scary part because sometimes we might look at what we have and the issue is huge compared to what we have,

But here is the beautilful thing because look what happens when they give it to Jesus. Look at verses 10-15, it says:

John 6:10–15 NIV

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

You know they give the little they have to Jesus, and whats amazing is Jesus ends up multiplying the little to feed the many.

And as I read this I think about how it is so easy to look at the resources we have (in life or even as a church, or wherever) and get discouraged, but what would happen if instead of looking at the problem we face, we looked at the God we serve.

Because the truth is the God we serve is bigger than the problem we face.

And the amazing thing is the God we serve is bigger than the problems we face.

And really we even see Jesus and the disciples going around picking up leftovers so that nothing is wasted.

And all toghether they have 12 baskets of bread leftover out of the 5 small loaves of bread they had.

That is really kingdom math right there.

But its so important because Jesus tells them make sure it doesn’t go to waste.

And as we close I have said this before, but I really believe God has gifted each person in this room.

And sometimes we look at the mountains we face, whether its an addicition, or parenting or maybe somthing we feel like God is wanting us to start.

And we look at these things and go how am I going to do this?

Because the Mountain is big and I feel ill equiped.

But here is the beautiful thing, its not how big the mountain is, but how Big our God is.

I believe we have a God that can multiply the gifts we have.

And this morning as we close we are ending on a song called oceans.

I have talked about this but in Biblical times the oceon was a place of uncertanty, a place that was scary,and chaotic

but throughout the Bible we see God making order out of the choas and even in the New Nestement He actually calls us peter out on the water.

And maybe today you feel like Gods is calling you out to a place that looks scary,

What would it look like to say yes,

Because whether it is in our life, community and world, I believe we can be praying for God’s kingdom to come in our life, in Buchananan and in this world as it is in heaven.

Amen? Lets Pray!