Lunches

Faithful  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  25:36
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God always equips his people to live faithfully for him; sometimes we just overlook what it is we have been given.

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Mark 6:30–44 NIV
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
I enjoy cooking and love to spend time making things in the kitchen. Articles and magazines about food tend to catch my attention. But one of the things about food magazines that does not appeal to me is the attention to presentation. I want food that is healthy and tastes delicious; but I have to admit, I am not all that concerned about what it looks like or how it is supposed to be plated and served with some kind of decorative garnish. I am the kind of person who doesn’t give a second thought to things like place settings or centerpieces or tablecloths.
And so I have to admit that my foodie obsession has not crossed the line of becoming an Instagram theme. Pictures of my food would be nothing like the foodie pics that other people dominate on Instagram. And I don’t tend to use all the fancy language to describe the kinds of things that I cook. The other day for lunch I prepared a fantastic pureed mixed nut spread paired with a strawberry relish reduction served on sliced artisanal bakery brioche. It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Just call it what it is. Don’t try to be fancy. It was just the right balance of proteins and carbs my body needed for energy in the middle of the day; but Instagram wouldn’t care one bit. I can try to dress it up and glamorize it and make it sound all fancy. But the truth is that the only thing I needed was a plain ordinary sandwich, and that’s all I got.

A free lunch or an echo of the past?

Mark 6 — group of God’s people in a remote place who need something to eat.
also Exodus 16 | manna
This story from the gospel of Mark is striking for many reasons. It is remarkable how Jesus comes to a setting in which he is with a large assembly of people in a remote and desolate place where food and provisions are scarce. The people need to eat and somehow it would take a miracle to come up enough food out in this place for all these people to have a meal. Now let me think; where has something like this happened before? That’s right, manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel in the time of Moses after the exodus from Egypt. Mark’s description of Jesus sitting the people in groups around him echoes the arrangement of the Israelite tribes in the wilderness camp around tabernacle—the visible representation of God’s presence among the people.
OT manna - everyone is filled, ration just enough for one day
NT bread of Christ - everyone is filled, enough leftovers for all God’s chosen people (12)
Of course, the stories are not a perfect match. In the manna story of Exodus 16, there is only a rationed amount for each family (one omer per person) provided one day at a time. But still, Exodus tells us that each person was filled by what manna was gathered, and it was just enough for those people on that day. But here with Jesus in Mark 6 there is more than enough. In fact, there are leftovers. Once again, everyone who is gathered has their fill—every person is satisfied—but the disciples pick up enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. The number is significant because it is symbolic. Whenever we see the number 12 in the Bible it is almost always a reference to the chosen people of God. There are twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament; the chosen people of God. There are twelve disciples of Jesus launching the church in the New Testament; the chosen people of God. The Bible uses the number twelve to symbolically denote the chosen people of God. Twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish is Mark’s way of telling us that Jesus gave enough to provide for the needs of those people on that day and still has enough to provide for all God’s chosen people.
OT manna - Moses asks God, and God provides
NT bread of Christ - disciples ask Jesus, and Jesus says, ‘you do it’
There are other differences in the stories of manna from Exodus 16 and this miraculous feeding in Mark 6. This is where I want to focus our attention as we have been considering in this message series what it means for us to have a life that is faithful to God. In particular, I want us to spend the rest of this message looking at the brief conversation Jesus has with his disciples in this story from Mark 6. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
In Exodus, Moses comes to God and tells him that these people need something to eat. And God responds to Moses with instructions of exactly what he will provide for the people. In this story, the disciples come to Jesus and tell him that these people need something to eat. And Jesus responds to the disciples, “you do it.”
disciples: we don’t have it — Jesus: what do you have?
The disciples don’t know how to respond to the instructions of Jesus. We can’t do that. We don’t have that kind of food to feed this many people. Are we supposed to somehow come up with enough money to go buy lunch for 5000 people? It cannot be done. We can’t do that. We don’t have what is needed for something like that.
Jesus does not give up. He asks, “what do you have?” Give it to Jesus; because whatever it is you have to offer is all that Jesus is looking for. In Exodus God did everything and just gave the instructions to Moses. In this story, Jesus opens up a place in which his people are given something to offer. It still takes a miracle of God’s provision for those five loaves and two fish to become enough for a catered banquet. But it begins by Jesus asking his followers a simple question. What do you have to offer?

What is God asking me to do right now to be faithful?

The last few weeks we have been working through this series by considering what it means for us to have lives that are faithful to God. I have to admit, when I think about faith in God I immediately go to those big stories. Hebrews 11 gives us the faith hall of fame. Those are the men and women who provide the model and the example of a life that is faithful to God. It’s Noah, it’s Abraham, it’s Moses, it’s Elijah. Those are the pictures of a someone who is faithful to God. Those are the Instagram moments. Moses would totally post a selfie parting the Red Sea. Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t any of us?
am I always looking for the big moment of faith?
parting waters | facing giants | burning alters
When I think of a life that is faithful to God, I have to admit, those are the moments I am looking for. I’m waiting for God to set me up with a part-the-waters kind of moment. I am waiting for God to hand me a slingshot with five smooth stones that have the names of my worst enemies on them. It’s time to take those giants down just like David did with Goliath. I am waiting for that mountaintop reveal party where I get to call down fire from heaven just like Elijah did on Mount Carmel to show the entire world the power of the one true God.
God, I want to have a life that is faithful to you; and I want it to look like that.
In my world of being a pastor, maybe that shows up in a desire for a huge church with a whole bunch of new Christians coming to Christ and professing faith. Or how about the mom who desires to have kids who are all perfect well-behaved angels who gratefully participate in crafty little home projects. Or how about the student who aces every class and is the model that everyone else looks up to and aspires to be. Or maybe the desire is to be that guy at work who can always support and build up the team and rally the troops to see the project through and land the big client.
Yes, we have all been called and gifted by God to be people at work in this world faithfully making a difference in the lives of other people and making a difference for God in the world. I’m ready. Give it to me. Give me the big stuff. Is there a crowd of hungry people out there? I’m going to totally Gordon Ramsey this thing and put out a banquet spread that Instagram will enshrine forever in the faith hall of fame.
am I missing the small ordinary moments of faith?
But that moment never seems to come. I have all these hopes and all these dreams for what I desire a faithful life to be. But instead it looks like the moments and opportunities of faithfulness are small and ordinary. I’m so busy looking and waiting for the big things of faith, that sometimes I completely miss the ordinary everyday things of faith that are right in front of me.
We need to reframe this quest of faith and faithful living into something that doesn’t miss what God is placing into your life right now. So maybe I want to lead this hugely successful Bible study that invites new people to come to Jesus for the first time; when instead the thing that is right in front of me is the one neighbor who seems disconnected and struggling and simply needs one friend to come along side. Maybe I want to volunteer in a ministry that touches thousands of lives; when instead the thing that is in front of me is one person who needs a mentor right now. Maybe I want to be the captain of the team at school, the one who encourages and lifts up everyone else; when instead the thing that is in front of me right now is one other student who feels like no one wants to be her friend.
how do I find moments of small ordinary faith?
What is God asking you to do right now to be faithful? It’s probably not something huge. In fact, it’s probably something pretty ordinary. A life that is faithful to God is filled with little ordinary everyday moments.

What has God given me right now to be faithful?

Do you need help seeing and identifying what those little ordinary moments of faithful living might be? Could it be that the answer lies in what God has already given you? When I think about the faith of Moses and wish I could part waters like that, if only I had a staff like Moses had. You know, the staff that could do anything—turn into a snake, part the sea. If only I had something like that. If only I had a slingshot like David, then I could face giants and take on the evil of this world. If only God would give me something like that.
those who God calls to part seas and attack giants are equipped by God to do that
There are so many hungry people. What can I do? I don’t have what it takes to rise to a task like that. And it is in that very moment when Jesus responds with the same question. What do you have? Go and see. I was kind of hoping for a Gordon Ramsey Instagram feast, but all I have is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Alright then, how can I be faithful to God right now with what God has given to me right now?
sometimes I wish for things I don’t have, so I can do things that God has not called me to do
How about you? What do you have right now? It might be small and it might seem insignificant. But in a moment of faithfulness to God, what you have to offer becomes huge. I’ll take care of getting up if the baby fusses tonight so that you can get a full night of rest. It’s not much, but it is what I have to offer right now. I’ll empty the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen and go get the kids from school so that you can meet a friend for coffee this afternoon who you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s not much, but it is what I have to offer right now. I’ll watch the grandkids tonight so you can go out for a quiet evening of some adult conversation. It’s not much, but it is what I have to offer right now.
God has supplied me with everything I need from him to be faithful right now
A life that is faithful to God right now begins by taking what God has given to you right now. Find ways to faithfully share with others the love and grace God has shared with you. You can do that right now this week. God has supplied you with everything you need from him to be faithful right now.
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