John 6:1-15, The Starving 5000, Sermon

-Children’s Church

-My dad’s progress

Read John 6:1-15

Pray

Opener - One of the signs of a spoiled child is that they want the gift that you give them, but they don’t want you.

They want what you have to give to them, but they have no desire for you.

-They love the gift, and they tolerate the giver.

-The question for you today is this, Do I seek Jesus for what He gives me, or do I seek Jesus - to know and gain more of Jesus?

-Do I treasure the giver more or less than I treasure the gift.

-There is a fundamental difference.

-This question lays bare the intentions of our heart.

As a Christ Follower, It is ok to love the gift, but it is never ok to treasure the gift more than the giver.

-To love the gift more than the giver is no different than a child who loves their Christmas bicycle more than they love their parents.

Transition - What is happening in our passage today?

Jesus is in Galilee,

Hilly grassy area on the east side of the Sea of Galilee.

Huge fresh water lake.

People have seen his healing and heard him teach.

His popularity has soared.

In our passage we think 20,000 people are following him.

5,000 men plus women and children.

Transition - The First thing we see in our passage today is...

I. Jesus Compassion

A. Jesus Heals

Vs. 1-2, A lot of people were following Jesus because he was healing the sick.

Matthew 14:14, Jesus had compassion and healed the sick.

The People, the crowd is following Jesus because they’ve never encountered someone who could work miracles and heal the sick.

In Bible times

-No modern medicine.

-No correct diagnosis to problems.

-No understanding of how pathology took place. The body was not understood at all.

-No Prescriptions, No X-Rays, No MRI, No IV bags of fluid.

-If you were sick, injured, or handicapped you were in trouble.

-This was a day when an infected cut or a bad cold turned to pneumonia would slowly kill you.

-It was a sad and desperate time. People were cursed with illnesses that are so easily treated today.

-People were desperate for healing.

-An individual who could actually deal with disease & heal - heal instantly - would be a headliner.

As a Side Note

-There is something important I want you to see about Jesus miracles.

-Notice in the scriptures that no one - not even the religious leaders who hated Jesus claimed that the miracles did not take place.

-Those trying to discredit Jesus and kill him DID NOT deny the miracles happened. (x 2).

-Why? Pause.

-The answer, There were far too many miracles. Too many people who witnessed the miracles. Too many people who’s lives had been personally changed by a miracle.

-There was no denying Jesus miracles.

-Limbs grew back, the dead were raised, those blind from birth could see, the paralyzed who laid on the street corner for years could walk.

And in today’s passage Jesus has great compassion and is healing many.

Transition - We see Jesus compassion in a second way.

We see Jesus’ compassion with His teaching.

-Mark 6:33 tells us that before Jesus fed them that He taught the people.

-One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to share with them truth about their Creator.

-Who God is and how He works.

-It’s a very loving and compassionate thing to do.

-In Bible times, knowledge was scarce. It was hard to come by.

-Today, fewer and fewer people, know and understand the Bible.

-Jesus gave away knowledge freely.

Jesus met a physical need with healing and that opened up a door for a physical need to be met.

Illustration - On almost every mission trip I’ve led, in the morning we meet a physical need. Paint the houses of the poor, dig a latrean, pick the trash up in a ghetto.

In the afternoon we come back and share the Gospel or have a VBS.

-Any time you help someone physically you open a door to talk about spiritual things.

Here is a challenge - Every time you bring a meal, pay a visit, help with a lawnmower ... also take the opportunity to share about spiritual things.

-Jesus did not just minister to the physical with healing, but He ministered to the soul as well. He taught them about God’s Kingdom & Himself.

Transition - and then we see this enormous miracle take place.

II. Jesus Creation Miracle, vs 5-13

vs. 5-6, Testing Philip - How are we going to feed all these people?

-They were on a grassy hillside side near the Sea of Galilee.

It was a desolate place - no towns near by. No grocery store, no restaurants, to Sprint Foods.

-There were thousands (Probably 20,000 plus), 5,000 men plus women and children.

(A football field with about as many metal folding chairs as you could fit would sit approximately 20,000 people worth).

Storytell - The book of Mark tells us that Jesus tells the disciples to “go and see how much bread was in the crowd” after going through a crowd of over 20,000 people they find a boy with 5 barely crackers and 2 pickle fish.

-The word for loaves really better fits our description of crackers. Fried bread.

Storytell

-Jesus takes the loaves & Prays giving thanks.

vs. 11 is the most understated verse in this passage.

This is the miracle verse.

“Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.”

-In that one verse is the miracle Jesus kept breaking the bread and fish and causing more and more to appear in his hands.

-There were conservatively 20,000 people.

-A lot of food went through Jesus hands.

-Easily at least 5 thousand pounds of bread.

-Plus 5 thousand pounds of fish.

-He broke and broke and broke

....and it kept appearing.

.... The disciples and the people in the front would have seen this quick work taking place.

..... Breaking and dropping probably into a basket for distribution.

..... Hundreds of times breaking, dropping, more appearing in his hand, over and over again.

....... breaking, dropping, creating more, breaking dropping, creating more....

-This was a creative miracle.

-There were atoms & molecules created out of nothing into bread and fish.

-I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this was the best bread and fish anyone has ever had, because it came from the miraculous hands of Jesus.

.....Jesus made so much until 20,0000 Plus people “had their fill”.

-And people didn’t just conserve and have a little piece.

-Everyone had their fill.

-Many of these people had not eaten all day.

-They made up for the meals they missed. They got full.

-So full they were stuffed and had food left over.

Funny

I’ve seen some of you eat when you are hungry. You eat a lot.

-Mr. Bill Toulsen when he was still with us, during covered dish dinners, was the first one downstairs in line after service. He’d beet all the kids down to be first in line. Like his pastor, he enjoyed eating.

I’ve seen a few of our deacons eat when they are really hungry.

There’s one or two, it’s an embarrassment how much you eat in one sitting. Your wives know who you are.

-Jesus created a feast for 20,000 people out of a pack of crackers and a slim jim.

This was a miracle of epic proportion.

This miracle immediately impacted more people than any other miracle Jesus did while he was on this earth.

-The religious leaders couldn’t dispute it happened.

-20,000 eye witnesses.

-It happened because Jesus is The Son of God.

Jesus cared. He cared about their physical needs.

He loved them.

He cared about their spiritual needs. He taught them.

-Jesus knew they needed a Savior. - They Needed the Messiah.

-He proved He was The Savior, The Son of God to their face.

John 1 tells us that Jesus spoke the world and universe into existence.

-Jesus effortlessly handled creating food for 20,000 people.

-His ability to handle your problems, especially your sin problem … is no problem for Jesus.

Transition - What was the ultimate purpose of Jesus’ miracles?

We find this in Jesus’ Calculation.

III. Jesus Calculation

John 20:30-31 reveals the fundamental purpose of Jesus’ miracles

John 20:30-31 “30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Jesus did these miracles so that…

You may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God & that you may have salvation.

You can trust that His teaching is from God, because Jesus has proven Himself to be God.

Friend can I ask you, Have you trusted Jesus?

Transition - What about the little boy? What about The Child’s Contribution.

IV. The Child’s Contribution, vs 9

THE BOY - His 5 crackers (fried bread) and 2 fish

Did Jesus need the little boys lunch feed 20,000 people?

Did Jesus who spoke all the world and universe into existence need this food? NO

Can I tell you, The fish & bread did Jesus little good.

Here is the beauty of the boys lunch.

-The boys willingness to give, opened the door for the boy to be included/invited into Jesus supernatural ministry.

-The boy made himself available and got to be a participant in a supernatural event.

-He was Faithful, Available, & Teachable.

-Jesus took an average, everyday child, and marked his life forever.

-In God’s mercy and grace , He uses the common and ordinary to work supernatural wonders through.

-God doesn’t need you to change the hearts and lives of others - but He invites you into ministry with Him.

-If you are willing, Jesus will do supernatural things with your life.

-Jesus will mark your life forever - If you will hold your life with an open hand and allow Him to have it.

Transition - After all the healings, after Jesus taught the people and after this great feeding miracle, what was the response?

There had to be a revival right?

V. Response - Competition to Caesar

Read vs. 15

vs. 15, Tells us that Jesus could see into their hearts.

They desired him to be their King and to free them from Roman oppression.

They wanted Jesus to fix the government.

Here is the tragedy.

One thing is really clear - the people did not see any need for Jesus to fix them.

-The people loved the gift of healing and food, but didn’t love the giver.

Earlier in the Jesus life - Jesus calls some fisherman to follow him.

Peter was one of them.

Jesus does a great miracle.

After fishing all night and catching nothing, Jesus has the fisherman let down their nets on the other side.

A miracle catch was so big it damaged nets and almost sunk the boat.

What was Peter’s response to this miracle.

Peter fell on His face and said to Jesus, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man.”

Peter realized he was in the presence of holiness.

Peter realized he was not holy and confessed His sin.

Peters life was spiritually changed forever.

But here on a grassy hillside with full stomachs, healings, and a monstrosity of a miracle there is no confession of sin.

-There is no realization that they are in the presence of holiness.

-Out of 20,000 people there is not a single account of repentance or spiritual change.

-The best the people can do is think Jesus is a prophet or should be an earthly king.

-AND SO THE PEOPLE CONTINUED TO STARVE.

Their stomachs were full, but their souls were empty.

Hear me - They deflected their spiritual need.

They said, The problem is the government, He can fix the government.

-They would not see that Jesus came to fix and change them.

I wonder if this is you this morning?

Illustration -

I have a dear friend that lives in Appling.

We don’t get to see each other often.

I got to spend about an hour with him on Friday.

He said, How are things going in your church.

-We’ve got a great core group.

-There are some mature people leading.

-We don’t have drama.

-I’m so blessed as a pastor.

-I said to my friend,

One of my biggest challenges is this. In my church we have way too many people who think they are spiritually ok just as they are.

Way too many who think they don’t need to spiritually change or grow.

My friends, Many sitting in this room have seen God working and have said,

“He Jesus, I’m OK - Go fix that problem over there.”

“Go fix that other sinner. Go fix the government.”

“But don’t interfere in my life.”

“I’m comfortable spiritually where I am.”

My friend - Is that your heart attitude?

-Jesus’ immediate concern isn’t fixing governments.

-He didn’t fix the Roman government.

-He didn’t die on a cross to fix the American Government.

He came to change you.

-To give you life abundant life.

-He came to fix you...

Closer

The little boy said to Jesus, Here is my meal - Do whatever you want with it. It’s yours.

Would you do that with your life today?

-Would you say to Jesus. Jesus, here is my life.

-It is all yours.

-Do whatever you want with it.