MORE THAN ENOUGH - JOHN 6: 1-15

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 6)

THE FOURTH SIGN: FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND6 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2 A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii, worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.12 When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

BIG IDEA: WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!

WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THE AREA OF GENEROSITY - OR BEING GENEROUS!

AS YOUR PASTOR/LEADER, I NEED YOU TO BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH GIVING - WITH BEING GENEROUS (((NOT JUST FOR OUR CHURCH, BUT FOR YOUR FUTURE)))!

ALL THAT WE’VE TAUGHT AND STUDIED OVER THESE SEVERAL WEEKS (GO BACK AND REVIEW THEM), HAS BEEN FOR ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF GENEROSITY - AS WE SEEK TO STEP INTO A HIGHER LEVEL OF LIVING - A NEW SEASON OF INFLUENCE - AND BETTER FOOTING IN GOD’S KINGDOM INFLUENCE...

WE ARE INFLUENCERS: WE ARE AMBASSADORS - AND WHEN FOLKS LOOK AT US, THEY SHOULD SEE THE BENEVOLENT HAND OF GOD TOUCHING THEIR LIVES...

DO I HAVE ONE WITNESS UP IN HERE...

AND IN THE SAME WAY, I KNOW THAT OFTEN TIMES, MESSAGES ON GIVING OR BEING GENEROUS, CAN BE INTIMIDATING FOR THOSE WHOSE MEANS MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY DESIRE...

TRUST ME, I’VE BEEN THERE. AND IN MANY INSTANCES, I’M STILL THERE! UH HUH, WHEN WHAT I HAVE SEEMS INADEQUATE TO HOW I WANT TO BLESS!!!

SO I JUST STOPPED BY TO ENCOURAGE YOU: WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE (AS GOD BLESSES AND BREATHES ON IT) IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!!!

LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, “MORE THAN ENOUGH!”

6:1After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).

2 A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near.

WE CAN SURMISE FROM THE CONTEXT THAT THE PASSOVER IS BEFORE THEM, WHILE THE CROWDS FOLLOW THEM...

PEOPLE WERE PRESSING, NOT BECAUSE THEY KNEW ((WHO)) HE WAS, BUT MORE BECAUSE OF ((WHAT)) HE WAS DOING - SIGNS HE WAS PERFORMING...

AWWW, THEY WERE MORE INTERESTED IN BEING AMAZED THAN THEY WERE IN BEING TRANSFORMED…AND YET, JESUS WELCOMED THEM.

JESUS HAS THE CROWD FOLLOWING HIM, AND HIS CREW WITH HIM...

HE PURPOSES TO USE THESE TWO GROUPS TO TEACH ALL OF US PRINCIPLES ON BEING MORE THAN ENOUGH...

IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS USES THIS SITUATION TO PROVIDE A REVELATION...

NOTICE WHAT THE TEXT SAYS: VS. 5 - SO WHEN JESUS LOOKED UP AND NOTICED A HUGE CROWD COMING TOWARD HIM...

YOU AND I KNOW THAT JESUS KNEW ABOUT THIS CROWD, AND YET HE STILL TOOK NOTICE.

THIS SUGGESTS A MORE DEEPER - MORE MEANINGFUL PERSPECTIVE...

JESUS IS ABOUT TO BLOW ALL OF OUR MINDS, INCLUDING PHILIP AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES:

“WHERE WILL WE BUY BREAD SO THAT THESE PEOPLE CAN EAT?” - HMMMM - HE ASKS THIS TO TEST HIM, FOR HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO… ((SOMEBODY SAY, “ALREADY))!!

JESUS WAS USING THIS MOMENT NOT TO GAIN INFORMATION, BUT TO PROVIDE A REVELATION TO HIS DISCIPLES!

WHAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEMS ADEQUATE!

VS. 7 PHILIP ANSWERED HIM, “TWO HUNDRED DENARII WORTH OF BREAD WOULDN’T BE ENOUGH FOR EACH OF THEM TO HAVE A LITTLE.”

NOTICE THE CONTRAST: EVEN IF WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, IT WOULD ONLY HAVE LITTLE IMPACT!

WHAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEMS ADEQUATE:

WHEN WE ALLOW OUR CHALLENGES TO SEEM GREATER THAN OUR CHRIST!

PHILIP IS TALKING TO JESUS ABOUT LIMITATIONS!

PHILIP IS LIMITING THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF THE LORD.

PHILIP DOESN’T BELIEVE THAT THE LORD CAN TAKE OUR LITTLE AND DO GREAT THINGS!!!

I AM CONVINCED THAT THE ENEMY ALONG WITH OUR OWN MINDS ATTEMPT TO KEEP US IN INADEQUATE FEELINGS.

WHAT I HAVE ISN’T ENOUGH.

WHAT I CONTRIBUTE DOESN’T HAVE VALUE.

WHO I AM IS NOT EVEN ENOUGH.

JESUS OVERRIDES OUR FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY!

JESUS DOESN’T ASK HOW MUCH IT’LL COST, HE ASKS WHERE DO WE GET IT FROM!

JESUS KNOWS THAT BY THE TIME WE SHOW UP AT THE STORE TO GET WHAT WE NEED, THE MEANS WE NEED TO PURCHASE WILL BE FULFILLED!!! DO I HAVE A WITNESS UP IN HERE?

HAVE YOU EVER JUST SHOWED UP, WITH YOUR INADEQUATE SELF, ONLY TO WATCH GOD MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE?

WHAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEMS ADEQUATE....

THE TEXT IS MOVING:

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

WHAT WE COLLECT ALWAYS SEEMS TO FALL SHORT!

ANDREW GOES THROUGH THE CROWD - COLLECTING - ASKING - GATHERING...

AND THE RESULT OF HIS LABOR IS FIVE BARLEY LOAVES AND TWO FISH...

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE MOTHER PACKING THIS CHILD’S LUNCH (NOT FOR THE CROWD, BUT FOR HER SON), AND THAT SAME LUNCH BEING ULTIMATELY SUFFICIENT TO FEED A CROWD OF 5,000? CAN YOU IMAGINE?

THIS (AGAIN) IS WHY WE KEEP OURSELVES DEFEATED WITH WHAT WE HAVE:

WHAT WE COLLECT ALWAYS SEEMS TO FALL SHORT!

NOTICE, JESUS DOES NOT RESPOND TO ANDREWS FINDINGS.

HE SIMPLY INSTRUCTS THEM TO HAVE THEM TO SIT DOWN...

THAT’S IT: JESUS, WE’VE GOT FIVE BARLEY LOAVES AND TWO FISH...

JESUS RESPONDS: HAVE THE PEOPLE TO SIT DOWN!

WIDEN YOUR GAZE BELOVED...

WHEN WE (EACH OF US) CONTRIBUTE WHAT WE FEEL GOD LEADING US TO CONTRIBUTE...

WHEN WE DO SO CONSISTENTLY BY PRIORITIZING OUR CONTRIBUTIONS...

DOING SO CHEERFULLY AND NOT OUT OF COMPULSION...

WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE MORE THAN ENOUGH… MORE!!! MORE!!!

REMEMBER THE WOMAN WITH TWO MITES?

SHE MADE HER CONTRIBUTION OUT OF WHAT SHE HAD, REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE!

JESUS NOTICED HER CONTRIBUTION AND APPLAUDED HER...

CHURCH, WHEN WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE COLLECTION...

WHEN WE SACRIFICE FOR THE KINGDOM...

WHEN WE DO OUR PART TO INVEST AND TO SOW, WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THE LORD TAKES NOTICE....

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

THE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY AND SEATED...

THE DISCIPLES HAVE COLLECTED A MEAGER MEAL...

JESUS IS ABOUT TO BLOW OUR MINDS:

WHAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEMS ADEQUATE!

WHAT WE COLLECT ALWAYS SEEMS TO FALL SHORT!

WHEN WE GIVE IT TO JESUS, IT’S ALWAYS MORE THAN ENOUGH!

BELOVED, JESUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!!!

NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TEXT:

LITTLE BECOMES MORE THAN ENOUGH.

INSUFFICIENCY BECOMES ABUNDANCE.

INADEQUACY BECOMES EXCESS.

AWWW, IF JESUS CAN TAKE THAT BOY’S LUNCH AND FEED 5,000, JUST IMAGINE WHAT HE DO WITH OUR MEAGER OFFERINGS - WITH OUR WILLING LIVES...

IT’S ABOUT PLACING THEM IN HIS HANDS...

JESUS TAKES

JESUS THANKS

JESUS DISTRIBUTES...

THE TEXT IS CLEAR, THE MIRACLE OCCURRED AFTER PASSING THROUGH JESUS’ HANDS!!!

Week 1: Changing Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)

Week 2: Healing the Royal Official's Son (John 4:46-54)

Week 3: Healing the paralytic at the pool (John 5:1-18)

Week 4: Feeding over 5,000 with fish and loaves (John 6:1-14)

Week 5: Walking on the water (John 6:15-25)

Week 6: Healing a man born blind (John 9:1-41)

Week 7: Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46)