More than Enough (NG)

Introduction

Looking forward to meeting with this group.

Heroes win battles but armies win war.

Desire to be an encouragement to you tonight.

As a father of three teens and a teenager. I feel like I never have enough time, energy, or resources to meet their needs.

When you give your life to serve others that feeling can feel amplified.

It is to that lie and fear that I want to speak to, tonight.

Major Premise: Not enough becomes more than enough when placed in the hands of Jesus.

Text for the night: Luke 9:10-18, we will also look at parellel passage in John 6

Passage Notes:

11 miracles in 3 Gospel Records. Only 1 (outside of the Resurrection) in all 4.

Jesus wants to make sure His disciples understand and remember it.

Matthew 16:9–10 (KJV 1900)

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Luke 9:10–18 (KJV 1900)

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

As the day would wear away so would the disciples

Luke 9:12 (KJV 1900)

12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

How did the disciples the get to this point, “send them away”

Took some drastic measures to get a break

Matthew 14:13 (KJV 1900)

13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

5 reasons Jesus crosses the sea so much.

1. Avoiding Herod / prolong ministry. He is called that fox.

2. Increasing hostility of Jewish leaders. Avoid Judea because people are plotting against him.

3. Misguided zeal of the multitude. Seen in John about this story . They want to make Him king.

4. More specialized training of the 12

5. Disciples will need rest!

These is 1 of 8 times in the next few months Jesus will cross Galilee of leave a town to help give the disciples rest.

Jesus understood and made provision for them.

Jesus took the disciples to get some rest.

Mark 6:31 (KJV 1900)

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Jesus and the disciples were in a time of mourning

Luke 9:10 (KJV 1900)

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

All that had been done was told in v.9

Luke 9:9 (KJV 1900)

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Imagine the moment when the crowd came needing something from these men.

John 6:5 “5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

Don’t misunderstand desert place. We are not talking about sand. This was near population centers, not far from the water, but the purpose was to be alone.

Disciples will be asked to minister to others when they are empty

Luke 9:13 (KJV 1900)

13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

Will Jesus ever ask you to do more than you will handle? We should sure hope so.

If He does not then we will never truly what it means to minister grace unto others.

There are many good organizations that can collect what we have and give to others.

Only God can give through us what we do not have have to give.

We just do not feel capable of being used by God to meet the needs of those around us.

John 6:9 (KJV 1900)

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

God provides more than the provision needed but His presence.

Between v.17-18 there are about 12 other major stories that are recorded in the Gospel Records

Story of Jesus walking on the water in couched in this story in the book of John.

His presence calms a storm.

Story of Carsen and my brother looking for arrowheads. It doesn matter where you hunt. It matters who you hunt with.

To minister outside of our own ability and provision is where real ministry happens

1 Corinthians 13:3 (KJV 1900)

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity requires God’s grace shown through us.

God is only pleased with what He produces in and through us!!

Those you minister to may never fully recognize the miracle it took for you to minister to them in that time.

Not an easy task

Luke 9:14–15 (KJV 1900)

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

Those who receive from us will not recognize the miracle it took.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things in the lives of others.

Where did you find this? Hopefully they were pointing to Jesus over the hill and saying “this doesn’t come from me but it comes from Him”

The crowd doesn’t

John 6:26 (KJV 1900)

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

You co-worker might hear the nice words, but they don’t know the miracle it took for you to say them.

You may sacrificially give a gift to someone and they have no idea what God has done in your life this year to keep you afloat.

You may offer forgiveness to someone and they don’t know it was only because of the miracle of your forgiveness made possible by the resurrection.

Giving of yourself will wear you out. Giving what Jesus has given to you will strengthen you.

Romans 12:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

We often forget what should precede this.

Romans 12:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

These are all filling ministries; rejoicing, waiting on the Lord, being in prayer.

Jesus fills your baskets before He asks you to go distribute to the hungry.

The crumble cake Christmas

“Ministers can never fill people's hearts unless Christ fills their hands.” - Matthew Henry

After serving the people what were they left with? A basket a piece.

You will never out give God.

When you serve me and you give and give and give until you think you can give no more, Jesus will take care of you. He will always be enough for you.

Not enough becomes more than enough when placed in the hands of Jesus.

Jesus is telling us “If you have an overwhelming ministry in front of you—to feed 5 thousand—and you feel totally inadequate, not only will I give you resources to feed them, I will be there for you when it is all over. I will not just give you bread; I will be your bread.”

What a beautiful moment of ministry for the disciples.

Contrast

Small group around Jesus, weary and mourning.

Now they must be very encouraged and God used them to feed thousands.

The simple scene of reclining together in fellowship paints a picture of the community that Jesus seeks to provide.

What is greater than knowing that Jesus has provided all you need? Knowing everyone around you knows this as well.

What is better than being surrounded by people who have had their needs met by Jesus? Knowing that God used you to meet those needs.

This miracle of provision obviously indicates how Jesus meets needs.

Jesus provides more than enough.

“Those whom Christ feeds, he fills. - Matthew Henry

There is a second key to the miracle, in that this provision comes through the disciples.

How do you evaluate the needs of others?

Jesus sees people as sheep in need of a shepherd? Mark 6:34

Jesus also knew they were people just coming for felt needs, food. John 6:26

Philip pulled out the calculator John 6:7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” What was needed was about 8 months wages.

The sensible decision would be to send them away. If Jesus was not factored into the equation.

We can trust God to serve the hungry even when believe our lunch isn’t full packed.

Will Jesus provide for you? Are you struggling to believe it, because when you do the math it doesn’t add up?

God is going to meet your needs as He works through you to meet the needs of the others.

Mark 8:17 (KJV 1900)

17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

They did not understand the meaning of the leftovers, namely, that Jesus will take care of them as they take care of others.

Lessons seen in how God provides.

1. God wants to use us to bring the Bread of Life to a needy world.

2. God can use a very small thing if it is committed to Him.

3. Jesus only works when resources are put into His hands in willing consecration.

4. God never forgets to care for His servants.

Evaluate the needs around us by the Jesus in our presence

Remember 12 stories admits omitted events between v.17-18

Why? Framing story between two questions.

Same answers given.

Who is this that provides more than enough?

Luke 9:9 (KJV 1900)

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Luke 9:17 (KJV 1900)

17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

That who Jesus is.

The one whom not enough becomes more than enough when placed in His hands.

This is a season of much coming and going.

Mark 6:31 (KJV 1900)

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

It will be really easy in this season to believe..

I don’t even have enough for me and my family how can I worry about the needs of others.

Know that what the world needs is not something you could offer anyway. God wants to provide through you.

I have nothing to give. This is how one of the greatest miracles started. “Once upon a time, some disciples had nothing to give but Jesus was in their presence”

Major Premise: Not enough becomes more than enough when placed in the hands of Jesus.