Sermon Tone Analysis

Introdcution: Jesus’ question (v5-6)

the common perpective when we look at this passage - the miracles itself on how Jesus has fed the five thousand.

This morning, we want to look for a very different perspective, by focusing on the boy.

who is this boy? the common understanding of a little boy.

the truth of this boy - long for Jesus, thirst for His word, willingness to give his limited resources to the Lord. he took initiative and wanted to offer what he had.

He was with the crowd listening to Jesus’ teaching until very late ().

Jesus’ question: Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? (v5) the underlying need is the problem of hunger.

At the sight of the crowd, Jesus’ sympathy was kindled.

They were hungry and tired, and they must be fed.

However, Jesus did not only fulfill their physical hunger, but spiritual hunger as well.

Today, God is asking us the same question.

When Jesus asked the question he already had ini mind what he was going to do.

He was going to use a little boy to fulfill his plan.

This might be shocking for many of us.

How could a little boy be part of God’s work and plan?

What would be our response when we are asked?

There are three possible responses.

first response: Philip’s response (v7) - unbelief/no faith

“It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite”.

/ “are you going to spend that much for them to eat?”

Problem bigger than God.

do not understand God’s heart

do not see the boy at all.

Sometime, we even discredit the children.

“we have here only five loaves of bread and two fish”.

They do not even bother to mention the boy, where these food came from.

perhaps, they want to kept them for themeselves.

Philip’s response betrays the fact that he can think only at the level of the marketplace, the natural world.

He was too materialistic and secularistic in seeing God’s kingdom.

Philip thinks only in terms of the immediate reality of limited resources and makes his calculations accordingly

Sadly, our response to the Lord’s testing is too often the same as Philip’s.

We measure the need, quantify our inadequate resources, and resign in hopelessness.

It is all beyond us; the need cannot be met

Philip thinks only in terms of the immediate reality of limited resources and makes his calculations accordingly

Milne, B. (1993).

The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (p.

106).

Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

it has nothing to do with our years in following Christ.

Sometimes, we just still no confidence in what God is going to do with the kids.

Philip, who had been his disciple from the first, and had seen all his miracles, and particularly that of his turning water into wine, and therefore it might be expected that he should have said, “Lord, if thou wilt, it is easy to thee to feed them all.” the most likely person to understand God’s heart, can sometimes be the most likely person who do not see God’s plan.

Philip was of Bethsaida, in the neighbourhood of which town Christ now was, and therefore he was most likely to help them to provision at the best hand; and probably much of the company was known to him, and he was concerned for them.

Now Christ asked, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_child_saints

Philip

Second response: Andrew’s response (v8-9) - doubt/little faith/weak faith

“here is a boy with five small barley laoves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

solution bigger than God

partially understand God’s heart

see the boy but do not believe that God will use them.

with limitation/reservation. do not think what the child has can make a difference.

Andrew’s contribution is to introduce a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish (v.

9).

Only the Fourth Gospel specifies that these were barley loaves, the inexpensive bread of the poorer classes.

something that is inferior.

The ‘small fish’ (opsaria) were probably pickled fish to be eaten as a side dish with the small cakes (scarcely ‘loaves’) of barley bread (though cf.

notes on 21:9, 10, 13).

Andrew’s point, of course, was that this tiny meal was ludicrously inadequate to the need.

ikan bilis, sometime we see our children as such as well.

The ‘small fish’ (opsaria) were probably pickled fish to be eaten as a side dish with the small cakes (scarcely ‘loaves’) of barley bread (though cf.

notes on 21:9, 10, 13).

Andrew’s point, of course, was that this tiny meal was ludicrously inadequate to the need

Andrew’s contribution is to introduce a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish (v.

9).

Only the Fourth Gospel specifies that these were barley loaves, the inexpensive bread of the poorer classes

Carson, D. A. (1991).

The Gospel according to John (p.

270).

Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

however, he at least did something better than Philip.

that was he went to look for this boy, while Philip never thought of looking for the boy who has his limited resources.

It was Andrew who brought that young boy to Jesus, and by bringing him made the miracle possible.

No one ever knows what will come out of it when we bring someone to Jesus.

If parents train up their children in the knowledge and the love and the fear of God, no one can say what mighty things those children may some day do for God and for others.

If a Sunday School teacher brings a child to Christ, no one knows what that child may some day do for Christ and his Church.

There is a tale of an old German schoolmaster who, when he entered his class of boys in the morning, used to remove his cap and bow ceremoniously to them.

One asked him why he did this.

His answer was: ‘You never know what one of these boys may some day become.’

He was right—one of them was the founder of the Reformation, Martin Luther.

Andrew did not know what he was doing when he brought that boy to Jesus that day, but he was providing material for a miracle.

We never know what possibilities we are releasing when we bring someone to Jesus.

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Take Edward Kimball, for an example.

Never heard of him?

Rest assured – most people have never heard of him.

Kimball was a Sunday school teacher who not only prayed for the hyper boys in his class but also sought to win each one to the Lord personally.

He decided he would be intentional with every single last one of them.

Surely he thought about throwing in the towel.

If you have ever taught the Bible to young boys, you know that the experience can often be like herding cats.

One young man, in particular, didn’t seem to understand what the gospel was about so Kimball went to the shoe store where he was stocking shelves and confronted him in the stock room with the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That young man was Dwight L. Moody.

In the stockroom on that Saturday, he believed the gospel and received Jesus Christ as his Savior.

In his lifetime, Moody touched two continents for God, with thousands professing Christ through his ministry.

Third response: Jesus’ response (v10-11) - complete faith

“have the people sit down”

God is bigger than every problem and solution

completely understand God’s heart

see the boy and believe that God will use them.

gave thanks - for the boy? (v11)

our responses determine the outcome of what a child can contribute.

if we do not believe them, then they cannot do anything great for God’s kingdom.

If we trust them, equip them, enrich them, empower them, then their contribution is greater than what we could imagine.

Our responses

who has taught this boy so well that he was willing to give? that was his lunch prepared by his mum. it could most probably be his mother.