Different Kinds of Faith (4)

Scripture Reading: John 6:1-4

King James Version (WordSearch Edition) (Chapter 6)

1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 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? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 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. 11 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. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 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. 14 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.

Introduction:

You know, sometimes when we read the stories of the bible, they can almost seem surreal because they give witness to the miraculous and divine workings of God. Why would they seem surreal? I believe it is because we sometimes live our lives with out expectation of the divine or the miraculous. Even as followers of Jesus Christ there are different responses, different kinds of faith if you bear with me.

Today I want us to consider this BIBLE STORY and how some “REAL PEOPLE” - people like you and me responded during an encounter with Jesus during a “REAL SITUATION” in life.

After these things…vs1

This is time marker in the word of God. It refers to specific timing or sequence of events.

After these things refers to what had transpired in the preceeding chapters (4&5). Jesus had been in Samaria where he encountered the Samartian woman at the well. The result of which let the entire city a buzz as this woman spread the good news of Jesus Christ - the promised Messiah and many of the city believed on Him. It also left his disciples in a bit of a confused state because Samaritans were despised by the Jews, but there was Jesus ministering God’s love to them.

After that he left for Galilea. We are told that “the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.” He then went to Cana of Galilea where if you remember Jesus had performed his first miracle of turning the water into wine. While in Cana Jesus encounters a Nobleman from Capernaum whose son is very sick and at the point of death. He begs Jesus to come and heal him but Jesus simply tells him to Go Home your will live. He believed Jesus and began travelling home and was met part of the way home by his servants who told him his son was now well and upon asking he discovered he became well about the time that Jesus had told him to go home your son lives.

After this happened there was a Jewish feast so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He passed by the pool of Bathesda and has a conversation with a man laying beside the pool who had been sick for 38 years . Jesus heals this man completely. This of course caused a stir because he healed him on the Sabbath day.

So it was after “these things” that we are told in verse 2 of our text that “a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did.”

Jesus Sets the Stage for a Lesson:

And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

Not only did Jesus disciple go up the mountain with him, but they were followed by a HUGE crowd of people. From verse 10 we know that there were 5000 men who sat down. We don’t know how many women and children but you can imagine how BIG the crowd would likely have been. Some have estimated it may have been 10-15 thousand.

Of course Jesus always has a plan

Jesus has a lesson plan

vs. 6 tells us that Jesus already know what he was going to do

Jesus was going to teach his disciples and at the same time take care of the people

Jesus is going to put them to a test

so, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

Philip responds that “ Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.”

It was like saying, Master even if we worked for months we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them all. Phililp saw the overwhelming size of the need.

So “Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many”

Andrew was a little bit like his brother Peter. He sometimes would say things before having thought it all through

Philip just finished saying even if we worked for months we could buy enough food, then Andrew chimes in Yes, but master there is a young boy here and he has 5 loaves of barley and two fish............... but.....I guess what would they be with so many people

“AMONG THE PEOPLE OF GOD YOU OFTEN ENCOUNTER PHILIPS AND ANDREWS”

Philip had Pessimistic Faith

it sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it

A pessimistic faith professes God and Christ to be the Son of God. It professes faith that Christ has the power to meet the needs of man. It has even wittnessed incidences of where God worked the miraculous.

But when a problem arises the person of pessimistic faith is overwhelmed by the “enormity of the problem” rather than the Greatness of God and His power

A person with pessimistic faith when confronted with a problem, a challenge, a need that is TOO BIG… they often suffer “Memory Loss” and forget that God has demonstrated his Glorious Power in the past!

A pessimistic faith fails to think of God and God’s Power because its focus is on the “earthly situation” / earthly things

Rom 8:5-6 says For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

A pessimistic faith FEELS the problem is too big for God’s Power Matt. 19:24-26

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

A Pessimistic Faith fear’s God’s Power will fail

But James 1:6-8 tells us, “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways..

A Pessimistic Faith fails to see God’s love and care over everything that happens to us

Matt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Matt 10:30 tells that every detail is important to God.... nothing is too small or unimportant. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Pessimistic Faith gives thanks for what one has, but fails to trust God for miraculous resources so they can better serve and help others. (Be it healing, health, finances, material goods, etc.)

Matt 17:19 -20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Pessimistic faith looks to others for help instead of God and depending on Him

Phil 4:6 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Isaiah 2:22 (NIV) Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Pessimistice faith fails to see God is glorified when he provides for and meets our needs.

Phil 4:19  And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Then there are the Andrews - those who are Optimistic, but questioning faith

An optimistic questioning faith:

Loves the Lord

Is committed to the Lord

See Like Andrew did - the Lord’s concern for the need (he went among the crowd searching for food)

He was proactive and gathered all the resources he could

An optimistic questioning faith lays what if fcan find before the Lord

no matter how little quantity, or diminished in quality it is all laid before the Lord

Barely loves was the cheapest bread that you could make or purchase

2 fish was a pretty meager lunch for one person

Nevertheless he presented everything he found before he Lord, the loave, the fish and the boy!

An optimistic questioning faith does question

What are they among so many?

Questioning faith can deteriorate into”

complaining about the problem

being anxious about the lack of resources

bemoaning the quality or quantity of resources

Questioning faith looks as the size of the need, compares it to the lack of resources and their diminished quality and leads to questioning GOD instead of believing to take care of the rest.

The NEED might be as in this real life encounter for food, or it could be for health, or for finances, for work, deliverance, or any myriad of human needs.

But Jesus HAD a plan. Even before He presented the need to his disciples, He knew what he was going to do.

Jesus was going to model True Faith - in a practical daily need and in doing so Teach them the reality of True Faith in God at work.

True Faith - The Jesus Kind

Begins with being thankful to God

He wasn’t overwhelmed by the enormity of the need

He didn’t focus on the lack of earthly supply or meagerness of its quality

He simply look UP and gave THANKS

What mattered was a sacrifice was being offered (this little boys lunch)

So Jesus received it with thanksgiving and offered it up to God

Then trusting God to meet the need of the hour he broke it and gave it back to them to distribute to the needs

He gave all he had to the Father in heaven and did all he could (he prayed) and putting in the hands of those who would serve he left it up to God to meet the need and multiply it accordingly.

Jesus used other to help Him serve the needs

He gave the resources to those whom he had called to follow and serve - his disciples

They were a vital part of His plan and provision

You are a Vital part in God’s Economy. In His Plan and Provision to meet the needs of man

Jesus instructs them after everyone had eaten and was FULL - to gather the leftovers

When God supplies He satisfies

When God supplies He supplies abundantly - look at what happened when they gathered up the leftovers

They filled 12 baskets with the left overs

one basket for each who served

God’s supply is always sufficient and more than enough to meet the need

God supplies for ALL his children - he plays no favorites

God makes sure those who serve are cared for from what He supplies

Then it says the people seeing the miracle were ready to take him and force Him to be their KING

but Jesus slipped away into the hills

it was not God’s timing

Jesus would not allow himself to fall into the temptation to take a short cut to power and glory (The devil already tried that once and failed)

Jesus method to deal with this kind of temptation was simply to walk away from it. (Sometimes you need to know when it is time to walk away!)

A number of years ago, Francis Chan took a decision to leave the church he was pastoring

Not because of any problems or difficulties, actually the church had grown phenomenally.

But Francis Chan felt that it had become too much about Francis Chan rather than about Jesus

So he walked away.

These people wanted to force Jesus to be their King

He had the power to provide

He will serve us well as Kiing

Jesus just walked away...

When we seek God and Pray, always remember it is WE who SERVE GOD, not GOD who serves US!

Conclusion

In your encounters with Jesus, in your daily walk today, which faith best represents you?

Pessimistic Faith - Philip

Optimistic faith - Andrew

True Faith - as Modelled by Jesus

a faith that seeks to serve God’s will and God’s purposes in God’ way

What are you needing to trust him for today?

What ever it is let us be men & women of True Faith in God