What Do I Have?

Introduction

This is a familiar story, in fact we just studied it is Sunday School. It is a well known miracle where Jesus provides a meal for a lot of people. But there is so much more than just the feeding of 5000! Let’s look once again at this passage from John 6:5-13

Notice first the dilemma.

The Dilemma (vs. 5-6)

John 6:5–6 NIV84

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.

We all face dilemmas in life. The dilemma in this passage is that it is late and the people have been listening to Jesus teaching. Jesus recognizes the urgent circumstance.

The Urgent Circumstance

He asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” The urgent circumstance is that there are 5000 hungry people and not a grocery in site! How many times does an urgent circumstance come up in your life and there is not an immediate solution in site. This urgent circumstance brings forth an unusual complication.

The Unusual Complication

The unusual complication is that Jesus is asking Philip this to test him. Have you ever felt like you were being tested? So often we say, “Why is this happening to me?” The question should not be this but it should be, “What is it that I need to learn from this?” This unusual complication reminds me of an uncompromising concept.

The Uncompromising Concept

Do you know what that is? It is Jesus always has something in mind about what He is going to do. The dilemmas happen in our lives as opportunities to glorify God. Philip doesn’t fully understand this yet, so he remains the doubter.

The Doubter (vs. 7)

John 6:7 NIV84

7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Did you notice how Philip responds. He immediately casts doubt.

The Difficulty

The difficulty was that it was an enormous task that had never been done. How often do we doubt when the task at hand is enormous? The difficulty in the task being accomplished moved Philip to disbelief.

The Disbelief

Sometimes the disbelief comes around because we look at things through our own eyes instead of through the eyes of Jesus. This then, leads to distrust.

The Distrust

It comes down to the fact that we do not believe the dilemma can be resolved because we do not trust the Lord enough. Is there ever a dilemma bigger than our God?

The doubter casts doubt through the difficulty of the dilemma. He then leads into disbelief which ultimate exists because of our lack of faith in the One whom we have placed our trust.

But watch what happens next. Hopefully, somewhere in our mix, there is a dreamer.

The Dreamer (vs. 8-9)

The dreamer is that person that always seems to be looking on the bright side.

Philip doubted, but Andrew asked, “What if?”

John 6:8–9 NIV84

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?”

Looking for Options

When the dilemma occurs and the doubt has been casted, thank God for the one that looks for other options. The Bible says, “Andrew spoke up.” Because he spoke up, options were discovered. God has given each of us a unique capacity to think. Sometimes we have to think that which is beyond the ordinary and outside the lunchbox!

Learning from Others

Notice how the dream provided the opportunity to learn from others. Philip, Andrew, and the little boy all had to have learned something here. Philip had to see that there was hope in the dilemma. Andrew had to see that his work in finding a boy with five barley loaves and 2 fishes could mean something. The boy had to learn that if he shared what he had, God would use the smallest and yield the greatest.

Leaning Into Opportunity

All three of these guys would learn if they leaned into the opportunity God had given them, the dilemma would become a blessing! What opportunities do you need to lean into? Instead of folding your hands across your chest and leaning back saying it can’t happen, why not open your arms wide and lean into the opportunity. Look how Jesus takes the dilemma, the doubt, and the dreams then distributes them into an mighty work!

The Distribution (vs. 10-13)

Organizing

John 6:10 NIV84

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.

Jesus didn’t move the people to another location. He had them sit down. He met their needs right where they were. John mentions that there was plenty of grass. Do you think there was ever a time that God said, “You know, I will need this field one day to feed a bunch of people.” And somehow, He orchestrated a place where grass would be plenty and it would be emphasized as part of the miracle that was to unfold. Jesus had the disciples organize the people. But God had already organized the picnic grounds. Notice next what Jesus did.

Ordaining

John 6:11 NIV84

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.

Jesus ordained the moment. Ordain means to set apart. The Bible says Jesus gave thanks. He did not set apart the bread to bless the bread, but He gave thanks. Who do you think He gave thanks to? Jewish tradition holds that He would have said a prayer something like this: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God; King of the Universe, Who brought forth bread from the earth.”

He took the fish, and did the same thing. “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God; King of the Universe, Who brought forth these fish from the sea.”

From there, the distribution took place. The picnic was a great success! All of God’s blessings overflow by the way.

Overflow

John 6:12–13 NIV84

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.

Long before that boy’s momma baked bread and pickled fish, God was at work. Long after the bread and fish were distributed, the feeding continued.

I think this story continues today with our church. The spot has been created long ago. There is plenty of green grass. There are some Philips in our midst who say it won’t work. There are some Andrews that say we can look for options. There are some here that seem to have small insignificant gifts that seem inadequate. We many not fully understand how it all will be organized and carried out. But if we bring it all to Jesus, we may just witness a spiritual feeding of the masses that we have never known before.

What do you have to bring?

(insert slide from Heather’s)