what kind of christian are you? the Disciples
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What kind of christian are you? The Disciples
What kind of christian are you? The Disciples
After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 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?
And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Over the passed few weeks we have looked at the individuals in this story.
Jesus. Philip, Andrew and the lad and we have looked at what kind of Christian they represent by the way they responded to the request of Jesus.
We have seen that each of the individuals responded in a different way according to there personality.
So today we are going to look at the digest group the disciples.
Lets just remind us of the Question that Jesus possed.
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?
Jesus was aware of the need of the people He didn’t neeed anyone to tell him or remind him
However this was not the response of the disciples They were happy to be fed by Jesus with no thought of the other people. Here we are talking about spiritual feeding. The disciples were happy to listern to the master that their life might be changed but hey didn’t think of the people around and what spiritual need they have.
Today we are going to look at the disciples and just what it took for them to engage with the people and start to feed them.
First thing to note we do not in this story see that the disciples ate at the meal.
so lets start.
Andrew had just said to Jesus
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Here we see a statment that was just as much as a question.
In the natural as we have seen there was not enough but we are talking about a master who deals with more than enough. Not just any master but the son of God.
Jesus said to his disciples
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Make the men sit down was as much as a command as an invitation.
a command because Jesus wanted the men to draw aside from the things of ever day that were concerning them
And an invitation because jesus wanted them to be seated so that he could feed them.
Jesus wanted the people to draw aside from the world and be fed
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
When we are given that command to sit down we are about to recieve something special from God or Gods son.
The 5000 people of this story had seen the miracles and they thought that that was what they needed but the son of God Jesus knew just what they wanted
Jesus saw that thier following after him to see the miracles had made them vulnerable.
He saw that their physical need for food was needed to be met, for who knows what could have happened to them if he had sent them away without food.
We know how dangerous it is to go out into the sun without water.
we can live for 3 weeks without food but only 1 week without water.
So why was Jesus going to feed them.
He wanted to give them another Bible lesson
Jesus wanted them to know that He could feed them
I am that bread of life.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Jesus is able to meet the needs of the people without the help of the disciples
as he did in the account in john 2 wedding of cana.
But Jesus wanted his disciples to see that he can work through them as well, to see God being glorified.
Jesus has disirded to use his disciples so they can see and know how wonderful it is to be used by God.
Jesus told his disciples to get the men to sit down and they did.
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
Jesus took the offering and gave thanks
Gave the food to the disciples
Who in turn gave it to those who had obeyed the command and invitation of the master. to those who were sat down.
As a child i wouldn’t get anything to eat unless i sat down.
The disciples walked around this vast multitude of people passing out the food.
the Passage dosen’t say if the disciples kept coming back to the master when their bread and fish ran our wheather their once given gift as they gave out kept on giving.
My belief is that when Christ gave out the offering the more they gave out the more they had to give out.
The gift given by the master was and is enough to feed all that are waiting to receive.
Can you image the the feeling that the disciples felt knowing that they were being used by The Son of God.
This was one of those miracles that most people know about and it would not have happened id the disciples hadn’t taken their part.
Here were 12 men from different backgrounds all working together with the master.
Andrew, Peter and james and john Fishermen
philip
thomas
Matthew a tax collector
james son of alpheaus
thaddius
simiom
juduas
bartholamue
12 different men with different personalities but all working with the same aim to give out the bread and fish that the master had Blessed.
Can you image their excitement when after they had taken their bread and fish and given it to the first fifty people to find that there was still enough to feed some more.
Of they went feeding fifty after fifty until all 5000 had been feed and the word says
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Jesus had performed a miracle unto the people by the hands of his Disciples.
These disciples would have been to use a phrase Gob smacked. amazed
This you would say was a great miracle and all would have been blessed
But this was not the end
Jesus had the disciples perform a wonderful piece of countryside code
To take your rubbish home with you.
Jesus had the disciples went again around the 5000 men for a third time
1ST time to ask
2nd time to give
3rd time to collect or clean
Just to prove that God is the God of abundance when the Disciples who must have been tired by now went around to pick up all of the leftovers
These were still more than what they had started with
Enough for them for many days.
Jesus had taken the little and fed many
the left overs the fragments were the disciples.
So what can we see from the disciples this morning.
As i have said so many times before that the disciples are the Disciplined ones
To be a disciple is different from being a follower.
A follower is one that when things go right and the way is easy are in the place where Jesus is. But when difficulty comes or the way gets a bit hard to bare then they up and stay in the backgrounds just wanting to see the miracles that God can do.
Not through them but through others as they are not prepared to pay the price of following Hard after Jesus.
A disciple however is different is a disciplined one doing all that Jesus asked him to do. Who knows that when difficulty comes Jesus is there to carry them through. And who is willing to feed the physical and spiritually Hungry with that which the master has given them. They are not glory seekers but just want to be instruments in the masters hands bringing glory to God Knowing that God will supply for all their needs.
Which camp are you in today?
Disciple or follower.
Jesus said in
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
Jesus has said that the fields are ready now
not in a few months or years but now
We have a message to bring to the world today and its the same message that Jesus gave to his
Make them sit down
so i can feed them.
we have a good news to bring to people today
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
This Gospel or Good news
is that Christ was born of the virgin
he died for our sin and our salvation
rose from the dead for our sanctification and righteousness
and has ascended into heaven to make intercession for us.
This is the bread and fish, the good news, that we are to bring to a multitude who are following because they are hungry
This is the bread and fish that Good news that we should be sharing with those who are walking through this world aimlessly.
We who have taken of the bread of life and Jesus said that he is
I am that bread of life.
have a duty to share with others.
i wonder if you see yourself in this message this morning
Your a disciple who is giving out what God has given you too
Or maybe you were a disciple who gave out but for various reasons you have stopped
you've almost become a follower needing to be fed rather than being able to feed
God knows your heart this day and is willing to make you over again and give you again that life message to give other.
Maybe your just hear to see the miracles but you want to stop being a follower and become a disciple then christ is here for you too
lETS PRAY