Mighty Things - Provider
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This morning I want to continue in our exploration of the MIGHTY THINGS Jesus did when He walked this earth.
Things that point to how He would continue to be to people who have placed their trust in Him through salvation.
This one hits home pretty hard during our current world situation!
For we in America, it is the first time almost all of us have seen the reality of empty shelves in the grocery stores!
In our land of abundance we have been faced with the inability to get supplies that are common to our need every day!
Who would think that Toilet Paper would be the hot commodity??? You know the Europeans who use bidets are laughing at us over that one...
Things that we have always had in abundance like ground beef, yeast, powdered sugar, and even milk have now become challenges to find, and are limited when purchasing in the stores.
In addition to this, many are coming to a reality of shortage of funds as so many have been laid off at work or had their work places shut down.
Even if they could find the food, they might not have the resource to buy it!
This morning I want to talk to you about the only miracle Jesus performed that ALL 4 GOSPEL WRITERS OF THE GOSPEL RECORDED!!! (other than His resurrection)
That’s right, Jesus performed many miracles, often recorded by more than one of the 4 Gospel writers, but this miracle is the only one to appear in all 4 --- That tells you how MIGHTY and IMPRESSIVE it was!
A miracle so talked about it, we almost find it too familiar....
When Jesus fed 5000 (meaning men, plus women and children - probably 10k plus) with one kid’s lunch!
(PULL OUT A LUNCH BOX - 2 Chicken Tenders and 5 biscuits or crackers)
Mark
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.
31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.
34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.
36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”
37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”
38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.
41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.
42 They all ate as much as they wanted,
43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.
44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.
Talk about MIGHTY THINGS - Jesus provided a meal for 10k plus people - possibly 15-18k with a HAPPY MEAL!
Some of y’all are worried about feeding your families with a pantry full of stuff! Maybe because you don’t have one or two ingredients...
This account tells us a few things that we need to remember today...
1. Jesus Cares About Our Needs
1. Jesus Cares About Our Needs
That is right - Jesus cares about our needs.
(What is your need today??? - job, food, toilet paper?)
Jesus knows what you have need of…
I am fully confident that when this great crowd gathered that Jesus understood the remoteness of the place and the needs that could arise because of it...
He saw this great crowd of people and saw an opportunity for him to show His disciples just how much He can tend to the needs of His people… it was a learning opportunity!
He asks the disciples a leading question or command to go and buy food (for 10-15k people) to which they respond, that would take about 8 months wages Jesus --- something none of them had.
No need is to great for Jesus, and no need is unknown to Him.
8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
The Lord is aware of our needs and is prepared to assist us!
Don’t forget, if He takes care of the birds - how much more important are you to Him!
2. Jesus Can Do More Than Our Need Requires
2. Jesus Can Do More Than Our Need Requires
He has no limits to what He can do....
The amazing thing about this miracle was not just that he fed some 10-15k people, but that there was leftovers!
(Bring out the 12 trays for serving people)
We are told that there were 12 baskets of leftovers ----
We start with a Kid’s lunch -feed 5000 dudes and their families and have 12 trays of leftovers for tomorrow!
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
26 “Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.
Who doesn’t love the EXTRA!!!!
I grew up in an Italian house, and when you made food for company, you didn’t just make enough, you made enough for leftovers!!! The EXTRA!!!
When Jesus does something MIGHTY - it’s not just enough --- THERE IS EXTRA!!!
Say that word with me --- EXTRA!!!!
3. Jesus has Compassion for the REAL Need
3. Jesus has Compassion for the REAL Need
Hold it, He just fed 10-15k people or more and your saying the hunger was not the need???
YEP!
Look at v. 34
34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
The REAL NEED was their need to know the spiritual things of God!!!
The TRUE ACT OF COMPASSION in this act of something MIGHTY was the NEED FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW JESUS AND THE THINGS OF GOD!!!
Jesus saw the sheeple!!
They were aimless --- the thing about sheep is that they are relatively dumb!
They scatter and wander, and get into all kinds of trouble --- they need to be led!
He saw their aimlessness and need of TRUE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP...
Many people are seeking for answers these days, they are all over social media crying out for truth, they bounce from one life coach to the next or guru teacher...
They are seeking answers for peace in new age practices, fad solutions, medicines, and practices...
THEY ARE TRULY AIMLESS even when they are pointed in a specific direction --- why? They need the TRUTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD....
I have to tell you - this whole COVID 19 thing is making a lot of people aware of their need for SPIRITUAL DIRECTION and many are turning back to JESUS CHRIST TO FIND IT
Jesus was more concerned with the aimless sheep finding the TRUTH OF HIS KINGDOM than anything else, and if He had to feed them all so He could teach them --- HE WAS GOING TO DO IT ---
WHY - because HE LOVED THEM - HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM.
Right now in the midst of this crazy world - Jesus is using the circumstance (not bringing it on, but using it) to draw people’s attention to HIMSELF and HIS TRUTH--
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
He is the ONLY TRUTH, the ONLY WAY and the ONLY LIFE — we cannot meet God the FATHER unless we come through JESUS CHRIST THE SON
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
SO - what does all this say --
Let’s wrap it up in a neat package today..
Jesus demonstrated His power to PROVIDE FOR ALL OF OUR NEEDS
He is still meeting the NEEDS OF HIS PEOPLE....
He can go above and beyond our need
BUT
HE is most concerned with us following HIM as our shepherd! He wants us to know HIM and be in relationship with Him.
