5000 men + women and children. Jesus did a lot and taught a lot through 5 loaves and 2 fish. This story was recorded in all 4 Gospels.
John 6:1-15 (ESV) "After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with the disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?' He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.' One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?' Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down.' Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then 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. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.' so they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, 'This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!' Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself."
I. Jesus has compassion for the multitudes
When we see Jesus, we see God as a person. Through Jesus we see God's heart.
Matthew 14:14 (ESV) "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."
Mark 6:34 (ESV) "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things."
Compassion led him to meet their physical, but also their spiritual needs. Jesus doesn't just love us to meet our physical needs. He wants to meet our spiritual needs as well. He draws from the Old Testament especially Psalms 23. He healed the lame, the blind, he raised the widows son, he touched and cleansed the leper, but he didn't stop there.
Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Jesus demonstrates great love... Do we?
In Luke 10 Jesus describes the story of the good Samaritan. A Priest, a Levite and a Samaritan, the one who showed great mercy was the Samaritan.
II. God can do a lot with a very little
5 loaves and 2 fish...5000 men had "Eaten their fill" "All ate and were satisfied" It started with a boys lunch and ended with 12 baskets of leftovers.
Proverbs 28:20 (ESV) "A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished."
We will not out give our faithful God.
III. God gives good return on our investment
Malachi 3:10 (ESV) "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
This is tied to financial giving, but God blesses all of our giving...time, talents etc. Sometimes we don't give our best to God. All that we have belongs to God. God can use what you can give.
IV. God wants to work through his people
Mark and Luke Jesus passed out the bread through his disciples. God doesn't need us. He wants us. God does love you and He wants to work in and through you.
Philippians 2:13 (ESV) "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
Edward Kimball lived in the 1800's. Through his ministry hundreds of people have come to know the Lord. He was a school teacher, a carpet salesmen and a volunteer Sunday school teacher. He volunteered for youth ministry. He taught a boys Sunday school class. Mr. Kimball had a 18 yr. old Sunday school student who was kind of rough. He went to visit the boy's uncle's shoe store where he worked and led him to the Lord. This young man was Dwight L. Moody...who became the founder of the Moody Bible Institute and has educated thousands of students. In his early ministry Moody did children's ministry in a one time saloon teaching and reaching the most destitute in Chicago. He also ministered to both sides of the civil war. He also had a preaching tour in England where 7 men, known as the Cambridge 7 took the gospel to inland China. Another man in England touched by Moody was Frederick B. Meyer. Meyer played a key role in the life of a man named J. Wilbur Chapman while preaching on American campuses. Chapman employed Billy Sunday (a former baseball player) at the YMCA. At a Sunday evangelist meeting in North Carolina a man named Mordecai Ham. Ham led a revival in Charlotte that where a young man heard the gospel and yielded his life to Christ....Billy Graham. How many millions came to Christ through the work of Mr. Kimball?
What are we doing with the gifts God has given us?
V. Jesus used the physical to get to the spiritual
John 6:14-15 (ESV) "When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, 'This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into world!' Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself."
"The Prophet" was like Moses in Deut. 18:15...He wasn't doing it their way. He was the savior they were looking for, but not what they expected. In John 18:36 Jesus said to Pilate "My kingdom is not of this world."
Jesus was not just a Savior for the Jews, but as Samaritans would in John 4:42 "Savior of the World"
What are you doing to bring others to Christ? Jesus will use the bread to point to a spiritual truth. Are we using the physical gifts given to bless others and to point them to Christ? How can we do it more and better?
Closing Scripture
John 6:25-40 (ESV) "When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you come here?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.' Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' So they said to him, 'Then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'' Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.'"
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