"Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." And they did so, and had them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full."
Good Morning beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Your presence is greatly appreciated, and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your patience as move through the Gospel of Luke, diligently exploring all the rich and profound truths the Holy Spirit has given us. I believe it’s important for us to cover what Scripture teaches with as much completeness, as much thoroughness as possible, so that it's clear, unmistakable, unambiguous, and precise. I am aware that there may be some among you who would prefer a swifter journey, to move at a more rapid pace through these teachings, while others of you might find certain subjects challenging or prefer to just avoid certain topics all together, as most of you know that doesn’t work very well for me. I'm not fond of skipping over what the Bible teaches because it's uncomfortable to address or to deal with; regardless of the discomfort it may bring to you or to me. Because I am firmly convinced that it is essential that we confront and engage with all that the Scriptures teach, even when it challenges us or makes us uneasy.
I believe as the Apostle Paul so eloquently reminds us in his letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, that "All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work." Emphasizing the role the entirety of Scripture plays in the equipping the people of God to live a righteous life. We talk a lot about faith, saving faith, the power of faith, the transformative power of faith and what constitutes as strong faith, as I’ve said to you many times before on numerous occasions what is just as important is to make sure that your faith is being placed in the right object. I'm not talking about Roman Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses or any other false religion, we've already covered many of those in previous messages; I'm talking about a different Christ. An alternative version of Christ that diverges from the One depicted in the Bible.
There are so many people who self identify as Christians, who faithfully attend regular church services and actively do many good deeds with genuine intentions, the problem is they believe in a false God, a distorted version of Christ, that does not align with Scripture. Satan doesn't care about the specifics of what you believe, so long as what you believe deviates from the Truth. If you’re going to win the battle, I’m going to tell you now, you have to win it from teaching the purest form of sound doctrine. I've come to realize that being a light set upon a hill, you will attract a few bugs. Living by Kingdom principles in a fallen, sinful world, you're going to lose some friends. If you’re a Christian and you show no interest in reading and studying the Scripture, if you are not concerned with keeping His commands, if you're indifferent to obedience or justify your sin because of grace, you do not love God.
It is shocking to me that professing Christians who do not know what they believe. It is quite surprising to me that there are a significant number of Christians are not aware of the Nicene Creed, a defining statement of faith that forms the foundation of Christian theology, first established in 325 AD and later revised in 381 AD, that affirms the core beliefs about the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and places a strong emphasis on the divinity of Jesus Christ. Whereas, The Apostles' Creed, while affirming the divinity of Christ, does not elaborate on it. The Nicene Creed was written to combat all the heresies that surrounded the deity of Christ, such as the Arian view, which alleged that Jesus is a second, lesser god to God the Father.
There are some people who claim to be Christians, who have been around the church for years and years, whose spiritual blindness has never been eliminated, because they are unwilling give up their sin. So, when you shine a light on the darkness, they will defend the darkness that threatens to expose their sin and their ignorance of the Truth. This is why Christ commands us in Matthew chapter 5, "Let your light shine before men." Christ is the Light of the world, and in John 15:22, He said, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin." Ignorance can temporarily shield individuals from accountability, but once the light of knowledge and truth is introduced, it becomes impossible to remain blameless. Those who willfully choose to remain spiritually blind are hopelessly lost in eternal darkness. I thank God for opening my eyes, for the ability to see clearly and precisely. I can assure you, that doesn't occur within the framework of an unconverted life, is the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, because was a time when I was spiritually blind and unless the Spirit of chooses to open our eyes, we have absolutely no capacity to perceive it. The only way we can escape the darkness, is to follow the Light which is in Jesus Christ. Today, we are not the Light, but those of us who follow Christ, we bear witness to the Light, so that others might believe through Him.
Just to sort of reinforce my point, listen as I read from the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 6-13, "There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." There are many religious people who have deviated from the Truth of God, in fact, they have perverted it to the degree, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And, their hearts have become so darkened, that even when they're exposed to the Truth, and it's made evident to them, they willfully suppress it. The darkness of the human heart, cannot comprehend the Light, it cannot understand the Light, even when the Light is standing right in front of them.
Tragically, that is the spiritual climate in a significant number of churches today. If you were to survey most leaders and members of the congregations, they would say things like, "Every church has their problems. Our theology is fixed, our doctrine is sound, we're ok! However, we try to remain fluid enough to adapt to the needs of the culture, but we refuse to change the message." In a recent conversation, I was told that since "Newer believers between the ages of 18-30, do not relate as well to the old hymns, we've adapted our music ministry to fit the needs of the congregation, playing a more "modern contemporary worship music," so they’ll feel more at home in our church. Personally, I like it! It's lovely, it's beautiful, it's gorgeous." Beloved, I believe the problem is the church has been blindsided by Satan, and we desperately need someone to come alongside to help us and shine the Light of Christ, otherwise we cannot see. The church of the tares can be very effective, today those who call themselves progressive Christians, they are increasing in numbers, it can be very seductive to those who are driven by pride or popularity, nevertheless, I want you to understand that the Lord Himself is actively building His church, granting live-giving repentance to His church, ensuring that not a single soul He has predestined for salvation will be overlooked or lost. This should offer hope to true believers, that despite the allure of congregation size or church expansion, the foundation work of Christ's Church remains protected, though it is sure to face numerous challenges. Make no mistake, following Jesus will involve a radical change of perspective, living a life that is very different from the world or what the world expects of a Christian, and sometimes, different from many even within the church. Scripture is clear, God does so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He loved them enough to warn them about Hell, in ways that are explicit and repeated over and over again throughout the pages of Holy Scripture.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your Word, for the power and clarity in which it speaks to the hearts of those of us who live consistent with the teachings of Christ. Lord, I pray that by Your Spirit that You would penetrate the hearts of those who are living unaltered and unexamined lives, those who are misguided or deceived about their true spiritual condition. Help them as only You can to recognize their need for genuine transformation to align their lives with the pattern You have given us to follow. Thank You for reminding us that we need to do more than pray, we need to show compassion to those who are suffering and bring relief to those in need. May it all be for Your glory and for Christ's sake. It is in His Name we ask and pray these things.
Amen.
Today's Message: The Gracious God Who Provides
Open our Bibles and turn them to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9. Today we will be looking at verses twelve through seventeen, at the biggest miracle Jesus performed on a grand scale, commonly known as the Feeding of the Five Thousand, it's the highpoint of His three-year ministry in terms of the display of His power and though many heard His messages, saw His many wondrous miracles, only a small fraction of people have truly repented and believed, and the window of opportunity is gradually closing, as He begins to move closer to the cross, the emphasis of His time remaining will be spent immersing Himself in teaching those who will continue to spread His message after the crucifixion. This in only one of two miracles that are recorded in all four Gospels, the other is the Resurrection. Sadly, this miracle will solidify the unbelief of many more than it will affirm who came only for what He could do for them, what He could provide rather than because of Who He is. Sounds a lot like many in the "Me Centered" church today, who follow Christ for their own self-indulgent reasons, doesn't it? I believe as we draw nearer and nearer to Christ's return, we can expect things will only become worse. I invite you to follow along with me as I read, to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts for the Spirit of God is saying to each of us. Listen for the voice of our Lord. Luke 9:12-17.
"Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." And they did so, and had them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full."
Let's look at verse 12, "Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place." Luke's language here is pretty straightforward, "Now the day was ending," we can't be dogmatic, but it's probably late afternoon or early evening and Jesus has spent the whole day, preaching and teaching, instructing them in the things concerning the kingdom of God and healing. It's getting late and the twelve are beginning to recognize these massive crowds of people are going to get hungry and they're going to need some food. Since they're in a desolate place, it's going to take some time for them to go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions. Unlike today, there wasn't an open fast-food restaurant on every corner. So, they said to Him, "Send the crowd away." I must confess, I find it rather fascinating that the disciples, like many Christians today, have a sort of a certain arrogance about them, an inflated sense of their own importance, a self-exalted sense of authority that they would even imagine they can command Jesus to do anything. I believe the disciples, like most of us, are a little thick headed and often struggle to fully grasp the profound nature of the One we're dealing with, the Creator of the Universe.
The disciples, like most of us, can be a little thick headed at times, even though for over two years they've personally witnessed Jesus perform many miracles, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, casting out demons, healing the sick, enabling the lame to walk, causing the blind to see, raising the dead, one might assume that this close proximity to such divine power would naturally lead them to anticipate a miraculous resolution to address the problem, yet trapped by their limited understanding, they still don't seem to comprehend the full extent of His extraordinary divine power. I believe this encounter underscores the learning curve that many individuals experience demonstrating our human inclination to rely heavily on our own reasoning and problem-solving abilities, even when there is clear evidence of God's divine intervention present. As part of the goodness of God, by His common grace, He has intricately designed the world in such a way to provide us with an almost limitless amount of a variety of foods; there are vast fields of grains, lush orchards bearing a plethora of fruits, and oceans teeming with fish, all of which exist to nourish and sustain humanity. Of course, in many parts of the world, that doesn't happen, and food is severely limited primarily due to largescale corruption and mismanagement, leading to hunger and malnutrition. It is a complete disgrace, than many fail to acknowledge Him as the ultimate source of these bountiful gifts.
Is it any wonder why Jesus responds in verse 13, "But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." Talk about a lack of faith! How many times has our Heavenly Father met our needs in the past, yet we continue struggle to figure out where the solution to our current dilemma is going to come from. The remarkable thing here is if they had the faith they could provide enough food to feed the massive crowd. How quickly they had forgotten the divine power that had been delegated to them by Jesus for their missionary journey. In John chapter 6:3-9, he fills us in on the details. "Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He was sitting down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where should we buy bread, so that these people may eat?" And this He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive 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 these for so many people?" The fact that they responded with we don't have enough money and we don't have enough food is clear evidence of their lack of faith.
In verse 10, Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Matthew adds besides women and children, which further clarifies that this figure of five thousand only accounted for the men present and did not include the women and children who were also in attendance. The presence of children is evidenced by
the significant detail that Andrew found a boy with a meager lunch of five barley loaves and two fish. The five loaves were barley cakes or "maza" was more like a cracker, or rice cake today. You could eat them plain or put honey on them. Sometimes they would put picked fish or vegetables on them. Barley was a staple food of the poor for many centuries, indicating the young lad's humble origins.
Obviously, they already knew they didn't have what they needed, I love the way Jesus forces them to acknowledge that apart from Him, they were unable to do anything about the current circumstances. It's important to note, that this humble offering ultimately played a crucial role in the feeding of the multitude, underscoring the unexpected ways in which God meets our needs when we're willing to offer Him what little we have and pray, asking Him to provide a solution to our problem.
Verse 14, "(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." Why would Jesus command this massive crowd to sit down on the grass, below that gently rolling hill on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee? The obvious answer is it created aisles, making it easier to serve them. As I was studying this passage, preparing for our message, I began to reflect on the countless number of times I have faced substantial challenges, with little or no resources sufficient to handle the seemingly daunting issues before me. Yet, remarkably, He not only addressed my problems with boundless grace and efficiency but also left me with an abundance that allowed me to extend help to others who were also in need, when I entrusted Him with whatever meager resources I possessed. His boundless generosity and endless love extends far beyond our understanding, filling our lives with blessings in abundance, sufficient enough to meet our own needs and share with those around us. A true testament to what an amazing God we serve!
Verse 15, "And they did so, and had them all sit down." I believe this small, seemingly insignificant detail clearly underscores the importance of obedience. When we're obedient to His commands, and selflessly bringing Him whatever modest resources we have at our disposal, offering them in unwavering faith, that He will ensure our needs our met, providing everything we need, regardless of how insurmountable our situation may appear, and through divine intervention, we can witness our meager offerings can lead to abundant outcomes, with plenty for everyone, when placed in His hands. You have to wonder when the disciples were following His instructions, they must have been curious just how this was going to happen. It's worth mentioning that Mark says, "He sat them prasia, prasia," meaning garden bed by garden bed with aisles in between, so they could serve them. This must have been a beautiful sight from God’s perspective.
Verse 16, "Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd." In this most remarkable event, by offering what they had to Jesus, a miraculous multiplication occurred, this is not some magic trick, there isn't anything mystical going on here. Jesus looking up to heaven, thanking God for the food. Isn't that what we do when we are about to eat a meal? We bless the food and give thanks to God for provision. Notice the end of the verse, "He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd." You couldn't break five crackers and two fish small enough to feed five thousand men plus women and children. You might be able to feed a dozen or so people at best. Jesus miraculously multiplied the bread and fish so that everyone present was able to eat and be satisfied. Interestingly enough, there’s no indication that the crowds were aware that a miracle was taking place, this incredible miracle is almost being hidden in plain sight. However, the disciples were fully aware and they actively participated in it. It's important to note, Jesus didn’t just merely provide just enough, He provided far more than was needed. I am convince this is a true testament to how our faith and His provision coincide. May we never underestimate the divine power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That brings us to verse 17, "And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full." These profound words are words to live by, "Bring Me what you have, and I will provide more than you need." The Greek verb used here is "chortazó" it means foddered up. A term often used to describe feeding a domesticated livestock who through the feed trough so the animal can eat all he wants. Luke is saying they all ate as much as they wanted and were completely satisfied. They literally gorged themselves and couldn't eat another bite. While many of us struggle just to provide the daily needs of our families, but for God to miraculously create enough food to feed five thousand men, it was no challenge at all. After all, He created everything that has been created in just six days.
Notice, the supply He created was not only equal to the demand, it exceeded it, look at the end of the verse, "and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full." By the way, this is not about littering and taking care of the earth as some have suggested. This is about our loving Heavenly Father providing for the needs of His children, there were exactly twelve baskets full with nothing more left over. Feeding the multitudes of people was an act of His common grace. One would imagine that they would have fallen to the knees and thanked God for His generosity, abundantly meeting their needs but it's unlikely. He can not only provide for our bodies, but more importantly for our souls, He wipe away our sins and satisfy our every need, more than you can ever imagine. He can comfort you in the midst of your suffering, give you hope in midst of your struggles, He can provide the love you need to love that difficult family member, that co-worker, and even that disagreeable church member. Nobody can do what God can do, He can satisfy you better than a big country breakfast on a Sunday morning, if you're willing to surrender your all to Him.
That's why Paul says in Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Anyone can promise you anything, but only the One True Living God can deliver. If you already belong to Christ, you have already experienced the greatest miracle. If you do not yet belong to Christ, I strongly encourage you to repent, confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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