The Blessing of Bread and Water

It's good to be with you again this morning. We are continuing today in the Gospel of John in our series that you may believe because John's goal in writing. This is that we would believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Savior the Christ the son of God and so we're going to look at the beginning of chapter 6 this morning and see ways in which Jesus shows himself to be that for us. Just give you a little preview of what is coming next week. We will jump out of our series and John and I'm going to preach on a passage that we're actually going to be covering an emotionally healthy spirituality. And so that'll be a chance for you guys to start to think through those issues before we even jump into them as a church and then during the entire month of February. We will be devoting art. Time to studying missions and so will be preaching on the purpose of missions. We talked about local missions nearby emissions and global missions. And so that is something you can look forward to in the month of February. But as I said today we are here in John 6. So if you have a copy of the scriptures with you, I invite you to turn there. I'm going to read verses 1 through 21 Forex. And then I will pray and then by the Lord's Grace, we will try to think his thoughts after him in this text. John 6 starting with verse 1 says this after this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of tiberias. A large crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover the Feast of the Jews was at hand and lifting up his eyes then and seeing a large crowd was coming toward them. Jesus said to Philip. Where are we to buy bread that these people may eat. He said that's a test and free himself knew what he would do. Phillip answered him 200 denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little One of his disciples Andrew Simon Peter's brother said to him Chris Boyer is five barley Loaves and two fish. When are they for so many? Jesus said have the people sit down. And there was much grass in the place of the men sat down about five thousand and number. Jesus and took the Loaves and when he giving thanks, he distributed them to those who are seated. So also the fish as much as they wanted and when they've eaten their fill, he told the disciples gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost. So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten the people saw the sign that he had done. They said this is indeed the prophet who is coming to the world perceiving if they were about to come and take him by force to make him King Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came his disciples went down to the Sea and got into a boat and started across the sea of capernum. It was dark and Jesus and not yet come to them and assis became Roth because of strong wind was blowing in my neighborhood about three or four miles. They saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat and they were frightened, but he said to them it's I do not be afraid. And they were glad to take him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going stick moment. Pray. Heavenly father. Thank you again for this morning. Thank you for a chance to gather and sing your praise corporately and now to look at your word together. I pray you would teach us from it. How fully trustworthy Jesus is to supply everything that we need? Florida pray that you would allow me to speak truthfully and clearly and you would allow all of our hearts to be continually transformed and renewed as we look at your word and pray this in Jesus name.

And I say bread and water.

You probably don't think lavish Feast right bread and water are what the the prisoner gets as his bare minimum just a little bit of bread and water. And yet when we take something as simple and basic as bread and water And we put them in the hands of Jesus. He can transform them into something that can impact a life much more fully than any Feast that we could ever lay on for someone Jesus himself can take what is simple? And what is quite frankly ordinary? unnecessary and turn it into an example of Grace in our lives. This is what we're running into in the text this morning. We are running into two examples of Jesus being a great blessing to his people. One is a blessing that comes out of the lavishness of his grace and one is an example of the blessing that comes from his presence in the storm. And both of them are great blessings. Let's start with the first blessing the blessing of the bread.

Jesus is gone away from the people. And yet the people were following him to Jesus who's already got some people riled up cuz he's healing on the Sabbath he's doing things that shouldn't be done. Now. He's drawing a crowd in a crowd that's not willing to show up when he's there but willing to walk around find him get to wherever he is and be with him that you would think that this would be a great thing right people going after Jesus, but the problem is the text makes it very clear that why they were going after Jesus was not the best reason. They were going after him simply because they had seen him do Miracles two people that were sick.

Thomas's Jesus is like the freak Show in the circus. I ain't he can do stuff that nobody else can do everybody wants to stop and see that. Not really there because they get how amazing he is. There. They are because they want the amazingness of what he does to be given to them.

We've mentioned this before but it is always good to continue to go back and take a look at our own spiritual lives when you read a text like this and you got people shouldn't just be going after Jesus for Stuff. Check your heart. Are We There are we those who just love the fact that Jesus does really great stuff for us to follow him because he's him we just want more of him. But as an examples before even those who don't always come with the right motives are not turned away by Christ. He does not refuse them simply because their reasoning was bad instead. He sees them coming. And he uses this as an example. first disciples and for everyone else In verse 5 you'll see he he specifically says to fill up. Why fillable cuz Philip was from around there. He was the local one. He would know what stores were available in town to get them some bread. So Jesus like a how are you to feed all these people Philip? Can't stop by local picknsave and pick up enough food for 5000 people can weigh. He asked him this not because Jesus was confused. He's very clear about that verse 6. Jesus said this to test fill up Jesus already knew what he was going to do. Amazing to think the crowds are coming. And it's not like they show up in Jesus goes. Oh, man. What do I do now? He already knew. He knew they'd be coming. She knew they would be following him and therefore be so interested in tracking him down. They would not have bothered to stop and I'll get themselves food, but he knew that if they were going to be there and be taught they were going to get hungry. Now we all know we've been in church business meetings that have gone a little too long after lunch and people get a little angry, right? Jesus knew this can be an issue.

Knew exactly how to solve it. But it before we get there. We have to hear Phillips answer because we understand what Philip is saying and what Andrew is saying then we'll understand. Why what Jesus does is even more incredible than we think Philips answer 200 denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to even get a little the need is great 200 and Aria is approximately 200 days wages for the average worker 8 months worth of Labor. Now I know lately we took our offering this morning and many of you were probably quite generous, but I have a feeling if I came around to you and said hey for next Sunday, we're doing something special. Would you be willing to give 8 months of your salary for us to help put that on? I might get some feedback in my mailbox. Why because that's a big ask Yes It All Belongs to the Lord. Yes. We understand that but a month just to give everybody a bite of bread is a big ask.

Anders response to me is even more funny because Phillips response is very logical Philip is thinking of everybody he knows and how much bread costs and he's doing the math fill. It must be the accountant in the group, right? He's got it all figured out you got this many people in 20 something 8 months wages. Andrew gives the response. That's just great. There's a boy here. He's got Five Loaves and two little fish that the fish are like a pickled fish and they would use as a side dish to go along with Brad and John even specifies here. It's barley bread. It's the it's the cheap that the commoner would have eaten. So this boy's got his his basic little sack lunch with him bread with a little something to give it flavor. Why would Andrew say that? Is he really trying to make a point to Jesus right now? Only one little kid bother to pack a lunch out of 5000 people. People of read this sort of thing and they go out. This is a wonderful story about sharing and why we should all be like a little boy and share our lunch if you think that's what this is about you completely missed the point. It's not about sharing. I think the reason Andrew breaks that up. It's because Andrew knows Jesus is up to something. He's been with Jesus long enough. He knows Jesus is up to something. And so he points this out to Jesus.

As if to say to him Jesus.

What you going to do?

I trust you. Let me show you how little you have to work with and then I'm going to step back and watch and so he points out this this young boy. Who's there with his bread and his fish?

And Jesus says have him sit down. Why because he doesn't want the Milling about thinking that they need to get involved in this he's not going to tell them all didn't even bother to bring lunch today. He just wants them to sit. Relax, I got this. They're going to run the situations where where God just calls you to say. Yes things look impossible right now, but sit down. Just just wait a little bit. Things are going to happen that aren't what you think are going to happen. But oh they will meet your need in ways. You never anticipated.

And so they sit. Do we have to call this text the feeding of the 5000?

That number is descriptive according to verse 10 of the men that sat down about five thousand in Number the actual number of people there was significantly larger than that judging from average family sizes. And so forth are very well could have been in upwards of fifteen thousand people there.

Now who in Jesus have just said bring me twelve baskets.

And said a prayer over him and said not take the baskets out and people reach in and they start grabbing stuff and they get food. Yes, he could have he could have set this up with absolutely nothing at his disposal and fed them. All God has done this before in the Old Testament of your call correctly. The Israelites were wandering in the desert and they were hungry. So what is God sent Manna From Heaven? They're like, oh, oh yay. Can I get frustrated without knowing why do we just see this dumb Brad all the time? God sends quail, and I get to eat meat to the point where they're sick of it, and it makes them sick.

God has the ability to provide for people when it seems like there's nothing around.

but in this case

Jesus Takes the Loaves and the fish the little snack bag that The Broiler boy brought with him and uses that To put on display his greatness. Imagine for your moment if you're the little boy. You are getting made to be a public example right now. You got your little yellow basket with you a little lunch box. Got your bread Scott your fish. Andrew finds out you a little basket with you. and he says can we have that?

We need it.

And you have to part with it. Then you get to watch your bread and your fish feed 15000 people. The giving up is the hard part. I don't I don't want to downplay the fact that sacrifice is often required. to see Christ work As we learned in the video we watched last night in the missions movie. The movie is called the insanity of God rarely. Is there a resurrection without a crucifixion?

Rarely will we see the power of Christ drastically put on display? If we are not willing first to sacrifice, even the last that we have to see that happen. The boy gave up his bread and his fish. He was a smart one. He brought food and now he has no food. And he is trusting that he will not go hungry just because he gave what he had to Jesus. I am sure that you see the application for yourselves.

Now they're sitting down. He hands out the food. After what after he gives thanks to God for it. He takes the little he has and distributes it after having given thanks for it. And it feeds everyone till they're full. Now much like fill up the mathematician of the group Idol thinking myself about how much the average day's wage could feed a family how much of that would just be a bite and if that's 200 denarii worth how much would meals cost the lavishness of Jesus blessing is not 8 months wages. It's more like 10 years wages.

This is important to understand we so often see Christ move and we think oh, he's just doing that much.

The reality is he works this way more often than not the lavishness of his Blessing is not just meet the need. He doesn't just give everyone a bite. He gives them a meal for you and for me when salvation came to us, it did not meet us where we're at and go here have a little sample of what salvation looks like. I'll change you just enough to let you know I can change you. Instead. He lavished us with blessing. Christ is like that he is not stingy. He is full of grace and mercy. And he gives generously to his people.

The Gatherer of twelve baskets worth afterwards Did I show you the lavishness of the blessing? Not not only is everyone. Enough that we could do this again sometime?

They didn't bring enough people that Jesus Grace could not cover the situation. It's impossible for you to have so much knee but Christ cannot meet it. He has enough to do everything you need him to do and more. You say you didn't understand there's this thing in my life. It's been there for 20 30 40 years. I cannot shake it. It has me Pastor. He can meet that when we call me if she Melody when we seek Him in Repentance can meet that need fully. Does it necessarily happen instantaneously know but that does not mean that the lavishness of his Blessing is any less. He's just shows in the timetable on which it happens. Even for those arms I go. I'm good. I don't really have anything major going on you I got that little stuff in my life. I keep working through. I'm good. I'm good. trust me brother and sister when you arrive in heaven, and when I arrive in heaven, we're not going to be like at school full it'll like that where I used to live but different the lavishness of the blessing the fullness of the transformation that will happen for us is so complete that we will not even be able to Bear it in the same body if we're alive when he comes

All of us need complete transformation and all of us on God's timetable will receive it in Christ.

Jesus can take something small and make it do amazing things. Feel like I Turn to You for this example and I am so glad you said it again this morning oftentimes when Pastor Bill praise for the offering. He prays that God would multiply are giving. Now if you're just someone who thinks of this in a worldly mathematical concept, you're probably like isn't that a weird prayer when he's going to take the receipts and we're going to go in the back room and count them and magically when we put them in the bank account. They're just going to add an extra zero to that one. No, it's not what he's asking God to do. But God does multiply gifts. He takes what little we have often sacrificially some of you give out of your abundance others of you give out of your lack. And God takes all of it and says that's enough because I can accomplish what I need to do through that. He can take a small amount and multiply its Effectiveness when we use it to accomplish things for his kingdom that that much stuff shouldn't be able to accomplish. the church Can have an oversized influence on the world around it? Our church can have an oversized influence on the neighborhood and the nation's when God chooses to multiply not only our financial giving but our gifts that we bring of ourselves that the talents gifts and abilities that he's giving us and we put them to work for Kingdom purposes. He can make them effective in ways that they shouldn't naturally be that effective in this is why when we say, hey, it's a really good idea to talk to others about what's going on in your life with Christ. And you know, I'm kinda scared. I'm not very good at talking to people I get kind of flustered my face gets kind of red and I don't quite know what to say and I just don't want to scare him off and what if they don't like me and relax God gave you a voice. You can use what little you can say to completely transform someone's life because their salvation is not dependent on how perfectly you can enunciate every theological point to them. It is based off the power of Jesus Christ transforming their lives. And so if you can spit it out to them what the reality of the Gospel is he can use that to completely change them. He can multiply our offerings in tremendous ways.

People have just seen this happen. And what do they want to do? Well, first of all, he is a prophet. That's the response.

Prophet that's all you got for him. He heals sick. He provides food. He must be a prophet.

Know Jesus is much more. He is prophet. He is priest he is King. He is very Son of God. He is the Messiah the Christ who has come.

But at least they acknowledge, he's not just another guy. They say that is something unique.

And they see Jesus is someone who can do really amazing stuff. Wouldn't it be great people of Israel? If we no longer had to submit to Roman rule because we had someone in charge who could give us everything that we need and kick the Romans out. Let's make him King. And Jesus course perceives the fact that they're going to do this they're going to try to forcefully put Jesus in charge. If Jesus was here just for a power plant. He would have said yes. we have to understand this because there are people who look at Jesus and like all he was up a revolutionary was just there to to do stuff and it went wrong and that's why he got killed know he had opportunity to step into kingship with the support of thousands of people behind him and he said no and walked away because that's not the kingship he was here for He was not interested in having 20,000 people be really happy that he had come he was interested in all people's from All Nations knowing that he is the Son of God into this kingship would have been too small for what he actually had in mind.

It's easy to look at these folks and say well that's just silly. Why would you go and do that when you least want to ask Jesus what he was going to do first?

You would never do that, right you you would never try to force Jesus to do anything for you.

We're guilty of it. We're no different we struggle with that at times. We we so want what we want but it's easy at times to treat Jesus more like a Genie in a Bottle and less like the creator of the universe.

It's easy to say so much of what I want could be fulfilled. If Jesus will just do what I tell him to do that. We forget that what it's about is Jesus telling us what to do.

If you struggle with the authority of Christ, this is your sticking point. Because the moment you get past being willing to say I want Jesus to conform to my standards and say I want to submit to whatever Jesus Calling on me is that is a complete flip flop a complete change of your mindset towards everything. You no longer approach life the same way if you see Christ for who he really is.

So we have this lavish blessing. The gracious Christ as an example not only to them but to us. But he can provide. And not just the bare minimum. The lavishly provides for his people.

I pray that we wouldn't respond the wrong way.

But then evening comes he's gone away. He's by himself. His disciples go down to the Sea they get into a boat and they start crossing the sea. Now first of all, you might ask why wasn't Jesus with them. Why would they leave without him? Will the reality of it is they probably understood that Jesus often took Time by himself, and it's not like he was going to be lost. He could find them they could find him it would be okay. They had probably eight miles or so to get acrost. You could always go around if you really had to I could probably come back for him. Later. He may very well have sent them away when he went up and said I need to be by myself. Go do what you guys need to do. I'll catch up with you later.

And so they go.

But it's interesting because they go out at night.

Night often gets associated with the lack of Jesus if he pitches read through the gospels bigly. That's what John you'll notice. Like when people come to Jesus to find out about him. They come at night disciples. They go away from Jesus may leave him at night and oftentimes night time is one of the times that Jesus shows his light the strongest until they're gone away. They got on this boat and I got about halfway across in the storm is blowing what type of storm was this what was fairly common in that region that because the water would get cold or warm and then an air mass would come through that was either cold or warm and the temperature difference would be great. There be a lot of wind on this particular Lake and it often stirred up the waves in a pretty big play going out at night. What's not the smartest idea because that's when the Cold War shift happened and so the storms would often come in the evening. And so they're out there fighting the storm. They got about halfway across.

And then Jesus. Here's where the blessing on water differs. Sometimes we think of the blessing of God merely coming as the receiving of stuff.

Say that again. Sometimes we only think of the blessing of God as the receiving of stuff. You're sure this a lot call the Prosperity Gospel. If God loves you. He gives you stuff health wealth prosperity.

Jesus is not solely about blessing us through stuff if he was. We would have to say that the majority of our brothers and sisters in the world that are Christians aren't really loved by God.

Are you willing to say that cuz I'm sure not. The persecution and the suffering for basic needs that many of them undergo simply because they have followed the name of Christ. They are submitting their lives to him shows me that the primary way God blesses. His people is not by giving them stuff.

Sometimes and arguably most of the time the blessing that comes from Christ most commonly. Is his miraculous presence? In life good bad ugly. His presence with us is the blessing. You can see it in them. They get in the boat with a circle and cross. It's dark. Jesus hasn't come the storm comes they were there about 3/4 mile in and Jesus starts walking toward the Pope.

And then they're frightened to come. Obviously fairly confident Sailors because they're out in the middle of the storm and that's not what frightens them. Jesus walking towards the boat on the water frightens them and rightfully, so

True is took place in Israel. I could not take place is easily in January in Wisconsin. It's fairly easy to walk on water. It's all Frozen. But he was not there. So this is not just ice skating for Jesus. This is walking on water stormy water and he comes out to the boat. Why?

Because they need his presence. They don't realize how much they need it but he's going to use the storm that they are in to teach them how much they need him. Sometimes the blessing is the miraculous presence of Christ in the storms of life.

first night dasheen shows us that fear comes When we don't think things are possible. Nerf

Why are we afraid what makes us fearful? It's usually because we don't see a way that things could be different than the direction. They're heading now.

You're afraid because you no longer have the ability to control what's coming next that unknown. ghetsis that I think it's going to happen this way and that's not going to be good frightens us. The moment you give up the possibility that Jesus could intervene in any situation and completely transform it.

fear and hopelessness settle in

another fear came from seeing Jesus coming. Because they had not considered the possibility that someone could walk on water and they didn't yet know it was him. All I know is we're going to storm and now something crazier than the storm is happening. This is frightening. but he comes and says it's I don't be afraid.

Fear leaves when we listen to Christ. Here comes when we don't see the possibility of change fear leaves when we listen to how Christ speaks into that situation. Think of your own life right now. What is it that you are most fearful of what is it? That causes you to not sleep. Well at night sometimes what is it that preoccupies your mind? Have you let Christ speak into that do you see that? There's a possibility that if Jesus were to miraculously show up in that situation that situation can change. And not just change a little bit change drastically change completely.

It is I do not be afraid.

Then they were glad to take him in the boat.

When they trusted him that it was possible. When they heard his voice and believed it. It changed their whole attitude towards the situation.

Sometimes I think we get afraid when we see the possibility of Jesus showing up because we're afraid of what we're going to lose if he changes us. We're so comfortable. with the storm But that's not what frightens us anymore. The frightening part is what if we lose it. What if that thing that's wrong for me, but I've been clinging to it for so long. I'm comfortable with the sin has to be changed now because Jesus is showing up and he's going to change it. And now I won't have that to turn in and go back on and say well that's why everything's the way it is in my life because of that because now Jesus is transform that and I can't lean on that as an excuse anymore instead I have to lean on him. And now I don't know where my life is going. I just know he's in charge of it.

But when we hear his voice in the process, and we trust it, we do not need to be afraid. We can take him into every situation we find ourselves in the blessing comes from his presence in it. He didn't give them any stuff. He just gave them him.

And then you have a half a sentence here that says Jesus did something else amazing in the process and immediately the boat with the land to which they were going. So he comes out all the water in the storm. They're like, hey, okay, it's you hop in the boat. Oh, we're here. We just spent three and a half miles of rowing against a huge wind in a storm you walk in the boat and were there.

Comparatively speaking. Most of you are not Sailors, but all of us have at times put such hard work into rowing against storms in our lives that when Jesus shows up. He takes care of it like that and all that struggling working you put in Hugo. Why did I just ask him to come sooner?

Why didn't I ask him to come sooner?

I do not want to say that this always happens. Sometimes he does this sometimes he takes us out of the storm there in the storm. He gets in the boat boom there on land again. They don't need to worry about the storm. He can do that in oftentimes he does.

But if you call upon Christ and he meets you in the situation the moment you say Jesus get me out of this situation you've switched now from wanting him back to wanting the stuff he can do for you. That was it wrong to ask to get out of the situation. No, but how you ask it matters and think of it if you if you have kids or if your kids think of how your parents have taught you to ask questions that time there is a big difference if you come up to your parents and go give me this.

And if you say may I have that please? The heart attitude behind those two questions are very different one is I want it's about me you give me stuff the other is you know, what's best and I want to know for me if you and I are on the same page cuz I feel like this is what I would like. But I'm asking you because you get to decide. The same is true with Christ. We come to him and there's a difference between saying get me out of this and saying please be with me in this. And getting me out of it is the way you're going to be with me right now. I'd love to hat.

But even if it's not the you instantly arrived on the shore, but she's just with you in the storm through the whole thing and that sufficient you sang this morning. His grace is enough for me. Is it really enough? It's just his being there in unmerited favor towards you his ability to come alongside. You say I got this you're okay. You don't need to be afraid anymore. Is that sufficient for you to be able to endure any storm that you're facing? My prayer is it increasingly the answer to that would be yes. And amen that we would be willing to say regardless of what comes our way. I'm okay. As long as Jesus is with me in it. As well as we go to work time of response. I want us to pray some very specific things. I want you to pray about where it is in your life right now that you are not trusting him fully that you need to where is it that you need to lean on him to be able to to trust him? And then hoping we are going to sing or have song a song concealed work it in. Okay. troll song Turn down the response time. We're going to sing a song called. It Is Well with My Soul and the reason we're going to sing that is this if you know the lyrics to it, you'll understand why it fits in but if you know the history of it, you'll even more understand why it's such an appropriate song. The man who who writes the song has lost his family at sea.

when Sorrows like sea Billows roll Whatever the cost that has taught me to say it is. Well it Is Well with My Soul and so that's the mindset we need to have as Believers going into things. So so pray that God would help you see where it is. You need his help most and pray for that. If you have something specific, you're like Pastor surprise with will all be here up front will take a few minutes to pray now, but something is going to take longer. Schedule time to come into the office and sit down with us and pray. We would love to be able to pray and counsel you through whatever storms are going through cuz what you're going to hear from us as we're in point you to Jesus where to help you connect with him in a way. That'll get you through it. In a few moments will I'll close this in prayer and then we can sing and then we'll close our service altogether. Let's take a moment and pray.