In a Time of Need, There He was!

Intro:

It is amazing how God speaks through His word!

We have heard that His word is ALIVE and SHARPER THAN ANY TWO EDGE SWORD!

Meaning that even though it was written thousands of years ago.....

It is an active letter to us....

One that invites us in closer....to know the author more deeper!

It is applicable and pertinent to our lives right now and its fire will never fade!

It is one thing to know this.....but it is another to experience this!

By God’s Grace I have experienced this time and time again!

Colossians 3:23 “23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,”

Psalm 32:8 “8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

Well, in the last several years....the Lord has given me another verse....

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The author of Hebrews has just invited us into this Rest…because of the HIGH PRIEST THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST!

And then he tells us to COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE!

I have just believed God at this word!

It has liberated me as a Christian, as your pastor!

I believe that I can enter the THRONE ROOM and find GRACE!

I believe that I can go there BOLDLY!

And not only me, BUT I BELIEVE this has LED ME TO LEAD THE CHURCH TO THE THRONE ROOM TO FIND GRACE!

I believe God has allowed me to lead us there BOLDLY!

I am just a 30 year old young man, that really has no merit to lead you today!

HOWEVER, GOD HAS LIT A FIRE UNDER ME.....with knowing that we can GO BOLDLY TO HIM!

There is nothing we have to figure out on our own.....WE CAN GO TO HIM!

There is nothing that is too hard....WE CAN GO TO HIM!

There is nothing to be scared of....WE CAN GO TO HIM!

AND WE CAN DO IT BOLDLY.....

We don't have to tail tuck our way to God....WE COME BOLDLY!

We don't have to be hesitant when we approach Him....WE COME BOLDLY!

Not because of us or what we have done....BUT BECAUSE OF HIM!

PRAISE GOD.....for BOLDLY bringing our church to the THRONE OF GRACE!

But the verse doesn't stop there....Let us Come boldly to the throne of Grace....THAT we MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE IN OUR TIME OF NEED!

Mercy and Grace are two of the sweetest words that man can hear.....

YOU KNOW WHY....because there is NOT EVER A TIME THAT WE DO NOT NEED THEM.....

But GOD personally meets you in just the right time.....just the nick of time!

Have you ever had one of those moments....Where you were in a time of need....and GOD SHOWED UP IN JUST THE RIGHT TIME!

Well, that is what we are going to see in our story today....we will see two situations where God showed up in just the right time and in the right way!

The first one happened with a large crowd.....and the second happened with just a few on a boat!

IN A TIME OF NEED, THERE HE WAS!

And today, I still believe that IN A TIME OF NEED, THERE HE IS!

John 6:1–14 NKJV

1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 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?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” 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. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 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. 14 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.”

I. Jesus was there knowing what He was going to do before the situation ever came about. (John 6:1-14)

John is narrating this encounter with important details.

There was a great multitude following Jesus with some distancing....

These were the people who had watched the signs....the miracles and healings!

Jesus goes upward on a mountain and set with the disciples with a strategic vantage point....

And there it was....as they were setting.....I BELIEVE THEY CATCH A GLIMPSE OF JUST HOW BIG THIS MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE WAS.

There sitting there....and somewhere between 5,000 men possibly even 10 to 20,000 people are approaching!

And Jesus asks Philip a question..... “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat”

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE PHILIPS RESPONSE......

Ummm…uhhh…DO YOU SEE THAT CROWD!

BUT DON'T FORGET....JOHNS IMPORTANT DETAIL IN VERSE 5....

John 6:6 NKJV

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

Jesus knew all along that this multitude was following....he knew all along that He was about to miraculously feed them!

So why ask????

Well, REMEMBER....THE QUESTIONS WE HEAR FROM GOD....ARE NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW THE ANSWER!

He says why he asks in verse 6.....HE SAID TO TEST HIM!

And I think there are several things we come to learn from this encounter!

Our first response is usually to look at what we can accomplish!

John 6:7 “7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.””

Philip’s mind went straight to what he and the disciples COULD DO FOR JESUS!

Oh Jesus....200 Denarii wouldn't be enough

This would be somewhere around the equivalence of 14,000 dollars today....

And Philip says.....it wouldn't be enough.....not even for each one to have a bite.

I think we do this as well....

Our first response is to look at what we can accomplish.

We say....WHAT IS THE NEED.... then we say....WHAT DO WE HAVE.....AND HOW CAN WE MEET THE NEED!

What if our response was to first ASK WHAT GOD WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH!?

Rather than what do we have....WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO GOD.....NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE!!

Let our first response not be WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH....BUT WHAT GOD WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH!

Our means will never be Sufficient for all that Christ wants to do!

This doesn’t mean that you will never be able to solve issues or meet the needs of others!

It means that you will MISS OUT ON SO MUCH…if you just work in YOUR OWN MEANS!

God desires to do abundantly more than we could ask, think, or imagine!

And that WORK TRULY BEGINS WHEN IT IS OUT OF OUR MEANS!

Within our means, we can accomplish what we can see....

Out of our means, Christ can accomplish more than we could ever see....

That is what happens in this story.....

Within their means, they had 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish that would feed a young lad....

Out of their means, Christ had 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish that would feed 5,000 men,

Could we have 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish in our own lives used within our own means....and God is wanting to do something miraculous with them.

Let’s lean into Christ even if that means leaning further than our means will take us!

For only then will it be Sufficient for all that Christ wants to do!

There is preparation done before the Supernatural Comes!

We see this in our story today.

Jesus them to set the people down.....Says it was a even a nice and grassy area....Mark says that they were divided in groups of 100s and in 50s.

It is only then that Jesus gave THANKS for the 5 barley loaves and 2 fish that would be distributed to more than 5,000 in number!

There is a need for us to make preparation in FAITH!

We all want to be the farmer that receives RAIN.....

But lets make sure we make preparations for when the rain comes!

What is God calling you to PREPARE IN FAITH!

Will you do it even if you only have 5 barley loaves and 2 fish in front of a great multitude!

Jesus desires nothing to be lost!

John 6:12 “12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.””

SO THE MIRACLE HAPPENS!!!

They are all fed and FULL IT SAYS!

Now, I think the temptation here might be....

Well, we only started with 5 loaves and 2 fish....PRAISE GOD…AND MOVE ON!

It went further than it was supposed to go anyways!

However, Jesus says to GATHER THE FRAGMENTS....SO NOTHING IS LOST!

I don't want to look into this too much....

But Jesus says that HE CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST!

Some of my favorite parables are about the LOST COIN, the LOST SHEEP, and the LOST SON....in which all are found and great celebration occurs!

What if this may be a reminder that JESUS WASTE NOTHING!!!!

That there is no one in here that is WASTED GOODS....you were fearfully and wonderfully made!

That there are no years that are WASTED BEYOND HIS REDEMPTION!

That there is no one in here that is too LOST....for HE DESIRES NOTHING TO BE LOST!

Something else we see here is the amount of baskets that are taken up!

How many!??.....12 baskets!

I do not think that this is a random number.....

Again, remember John record important details in his Gospel!

It seems as if this 12 would have served as a message toward to 12 Tribes of Israel.

Basically, could Jesus be saying....

NOT WITH YOUR MEANS....

BUT THROUGH MY MEANS....through my DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION....I WILL DO A SUFFICIENT WORK FOR MY PEOPLE!

I am not sure if that was His message with the 12 baskets....but THIS I KNOW....

HE IS SUFFICIENT FOR US TODAY....HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!

Jesus is here knowing what He is going to do before the situation ever came about.

Let us Lean into what CHRIST WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH!

He will do MORE THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE!

May we prepare NOW IN FAITH!

Jesus desires nothing to be lost INCLUDING YOU!

In a time of Need, There He was!

And there is one more time of need immediately after....and guess what....HE WAS THERE!

II. Jesus was there, even when they didn’t know it! (John 6:15-21)

John 6:15–21 NKJV

15 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. 16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Side note here......Jesus wanted more.... to be alone with His Father…than to be surrounded by the praise of MAN!!

This would do us well, if we could seek to be like Christ in this!

Back to the Disciples though....

Here they are on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.....It was DARK.....and verse 18 says a GREAT WIND WAS BLOWING!

Dont miss the details....this was a scary situation...

BUT IN A TIME OF NEED, HE WAS THERE!

As a matter of fact....HE WAS THERE.....WALKING ON WATER!

They are afraid as he is approaching....and He says, “IT IS I, DO NOT BE AFRAID”

Invitation:

Is this something you need to hear today!

It may be dark and there may be a great wind on your life right now....WOULD YOU HEAR, “It is I, Do not be Afraid.”

Even if you haven't noticed, JESUS IS HERE!

HE HAS KNOWN WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO BEFORE THE SITUATION HAS EVER COME UP!

Would you call out to him today, and recognize His presence here!

I believe He want to do more than you could ever imagine!

Don’t be one in the multitude who missed the worker of the miracle for the work of the miracle!

Look unto Jesus this morning!

Call on His name....

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.