There's One Place and It's Jesus

A Certain Place

Certain items that we buy come from certain places. As a child I remember grocery shopping with my mother and it was truly an all day affair. Certain things she went to Sam’s to get because of bulk. Certain things she went to Sack n’ Save, by the way I hated this store because you saved money but that meant me and my brothers had to bag groceries. Certain things she went to Jerry’s meat market by my grandmother’s house to get. Certain items require a certain location. We all have preferences, certain things we like from certain places and we can typically tell the difference when it comes from somewhere else. Similar to the help of Jesus. Help from people will never measure up to the help that God gives. God gives a perfect help, an abundant help, a help that is perfect for all situations and all instances of life.

In John 6 we are introduced to a different type of situation. I look at it in remarkable fashion. I want us to look at the nature of being responsible to feed 5000 people. It’s a very challenging situation when you withdraw to a lonely place but the multitude or the crowd follows because the giftedness you possess is what they are in need of.

It Takes Faith

Understand the magnitude of this situation from the people’s perspective. We constantly talk about Jesus and His ability to provide at this level. Let us focus for a second on the people. They followed Jesus not knowing what they were going to eat. They had no idea how long they would be with Him. All they knew was liberation and the ability to follow a Jesus that was on His way to changing the world.

I know they were hungry for more than just the word because even Jesus recognized their human nature.

No matter the essence of the ministerial obligation Jesus always meets a need.

John 6:4-6 “Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.”

I want us to understand the situation. Jesus is tasked to feeding over 5,000 people with approximately 1,600 hundred dollars.

If we were doing a catering event today and had 5,000 men to feed and then to top that off with women and children at approximately 18 dollars a person we are looking at about 90,000 dollars. These people did not let hunger or the lack of resources keep them from following Jesus.

Vision Suffers When...

When we see the mission of the church through the paradigm of money we miss the point!

Ministry can have the biggest budget but if faith is lacking it won’t be impact.

We can have the biggest givers but if we don’t have the faith to follow Jesus when times are rough we will miss the point.

Phillip thought the answer was money, Andrew saw the answer in a little boys lunch but the only way to solve major problems is looking toward Jesus.

When we have a problem that seems like there is no solution we have to give what we have to Jesus.

John 6:6 “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.”

The problem is we think that we have the capacity to tell Jesus was we have the ability to do, but the ability was never with us in the first place. The only way we will do world changing things is by trusting in the Jesus that can do things beyond our imagination.

Vision suffers when we see our ability through our capacity rather than seeing the magnitude of our ability through what Jesus has the ability to help us do.

Turning a Little Bit Into a Lot

I know you are looking at what you have right now and probably thinking what am I going to do with this. You might not be able to do anything with what you have, but what we have in the hands of Jesus has the ability to be life changing.

Liberation is not just about Egypt, it’s understanding that God has the power to free us from every oppressive situation. Passover was near but understand that Jesus is not just handling a physical need but He’s helping the people understand the source of every need that we have.

In effort to get what we need we have to go back to Jesus. He distributes our needs accordingly. The disciples couldn’t do anything without coming to Jesus. As Christians, we need to understand that no matter the task Jesus has a solution but we have to come to him first!

Sit Down and Let Jesus Get to Work

John 6:10 “Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.”

Sit back and watch Jesus work! The problem is we try to help Jesus help us, Jesus doesn’t need any help.

His Blessings Have Excess

John 6:12-15 “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

When we remain patient and sit back and watch Jesus work! The disciples only saw what they had, Jesus saw what God blessed Him with the ability to do.

Jesus shows us that if we depend on God He can turn a shortfall into excess. Create a path to serve, when we serve we make room for Jesus. If we want to serve and help we have to have a clear path for the people, and a clear path to Jesus.

Making things complex was never in the equation for Jesus. We make things complex because we think we are the solution rather than Jesus.

“Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said. This is truly the Prophet who is come into the world”.

We want the church to grow, we want people to be fed, we have to make room for Jesus to work! Get out the way and let Jesus do His thing!