WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:09.359 Good day, and welcome to North Raleigh United Methodist Church Behind the Scenes Podcast, where we sit down weekly and talk about this week's scripture and sermon. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:10.800 My name is Kevin Van Hall. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:12.960 I serve as your host and moderator. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:16.960 And joining me today is one of the senior pastors here at North Raleigh, Laura Johnson. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:17.519 Hi, Laura. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:18.480 Hey, Kevin. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:19.440 Welcome back. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:20.559 Glad to be here. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:21.839 Glad to have you. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:35.679 Last week we had Kevin, as you guys tag team and switch off as to which one is going to preach this week for the sermon, is the one that comes on our podcast, hence the sense, and a chance for us to sit down in a podcast. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:43.840 And I get to try to ask maybe some tough questions that people that are in the congregation might be hearing the sermon, might be thinking. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.039 And it gives us an opportunity also to give them a little bit of heads up and think about what they might see or hear on Sunday. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.280 So that's the purpose of this podcast, and this is why Laura is uh joining us today. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:09.439 And just to recap, like I said, Kevin and I were uh talking about last week about the latest series that was launched, and it's called Small Things, Big Impact, and we're going to be in uh Matthew's Gospel. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:16.239 Uh before when we were talking about the I am statements, we were in the John's Gospel, but this is lectionary, we're back into Matthew. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.760 So we're caught up with the rest of the uh Methodist churches out there. 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:20.719 That's right. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:21.680 That's right. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:39.760 So we talked about uh last week, Kevin and I did the kingdom of heaven is like, and where Jesus compares it to a mustard seed or yeast or even a hidden treasure, that once you find it, it is so great and valuable that you hide it away and you give up everything you have for it. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:41.359 This is a little bit different. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:44.159 This is uh we're still in Matthew chapter 14. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:48.159 We're not talking about necessarily a parable like so often we do. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:50.560 We're actually going to discuss one of the miracles. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:55.120 And this miracle appears in all of the gospels, does it not? 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:55.760 That's right. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:57.280 It's the only one that does. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:59.359 In all four gospels, it shows up. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:05.359 Okay, so we're leading you into Jesus feeds the five thousand. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.280 Now, in other gospels, also talks about a case when Jesus feeds four thousand. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:09.919 That's right. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:10.400 As well. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:16.800 But this, like Laura said, this is instance, this miracle is in all five gospels. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:24.159 And we're going to sit down and maybe you can explain to us just why this is such a small thing that has a big impact. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:25.120 You got it. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:26.000 Absolutely. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:26.879 Well, perfect. 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:29.120 Well, thank you very much for uh joining us today. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:32.479 So before we get into the meat of the subject, how about a word of prayer? 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:33.840 Let's pray. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:40.319 Oh, Lord, we ask that you would open our hearts and minds to hear you speaking to us through these words of Scripture. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:47.039 We ask that you would help us to consider all the ways that you nourish us and that your word would nourish us today. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:47.919 Amen. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:48.879 Amen. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.039 So a little background. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:58.240 In chapter 13, when we were talking last week, um, we were talking about all some of the different parables. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:04.639 There was quite a few parables in Matthew, and it was a huge section of parables in Jesus preaching. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:09.520 He's is he in the beginning of his ministry here or in the heart of his ministry here? 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:09.840 Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:32.719 He's in the heart of his ministry, and Matthew is an interesting book because in a lot of ways Matthew presents Jesus as a new Moses, as as this leader sent by God to lead people through the wilderness into the promised land, which of course is eternal life. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:56.560 And so here we see Jesus, this image of Jesus wandering the wilderness, so to speak, with the people and providing miraculous food for them, just like God did with the Hebrew folks in the wilderness after they escaped Egypt and on their way to the promised land, God gave them quail and manna to make sure they had enough food to eat, this miraculous provision. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:05.280 And here we see Jesus taking that to the next level, that he's offering this miraculous meal to these wandering folks. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:05.759 Yeah. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:06.879 Great comparison. 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:09.680 I mean, the manna you think of is the flat bread bread. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:11.199 We often think of manna is bread. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:16.800 It's not necessarily says it was like white flaky cake stuff. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:22.800 And is and unleavened bread was always for served at Passover for this. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:27.360 We don't necessarily know for sure if this is flat bread or if it had yeast in it. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:32.000 The parable just beforehand, we talked about yeast, so we know that they did cook bread with yeast. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:33.360 It was there. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:44.240 Um, but in like uh the yeast that can double or triple in size, Jesus does the same multiplication for them and to help feed them. 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:46.079 Uh something else to mention here. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.800 Jesus also, just before this happens, Jesus learns of some terrible news. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:51.839 Yes. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:58.720 So the book of Matthew begins with conversations around John the Baptist, who is the forerunner to Jesus. 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:03.839 He's the one that God sends to prepare people's hearts to receive the coming of their Messiah. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:10.480 And in John 14, the very beginning of this chapter, Jesus learns that John has been beheaded. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:14.800 And John had been a leader of the people for so long. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:25.600 So this was a big blow to the Jewish folks who followed after John, and of course to Jesus, who was baptized by John. 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:26.959 Well, John was his cousin. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:40.800 But also he was such an instrumental leader in the kind of religious movement that Jesus was working in and working towards. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:43.839 And so this would have hurt him to hear of John's death. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:44.079 Trevor Burrus, Jr. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:44.399 Yeah. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:57.120 So Jesus, uh, in a sense of hearing this bad news slips away from everyone, the crowd, separates himself, and then when he comes back, after he goes out on the boat, comes back, the people never left. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:58.160 The people are there. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:05:58.800 That's right. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:05:59.680 They're waiting for him. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:01.120 And that's where we're going to pick up the story. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:08.000 Laura's going to read for us again, chapters 14, uh, chapter 14, 13 through 21. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:19.040 Now, when Jesus heard this, and in this case, this is talking about John's death, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:24.879 But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:32.560 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, and cured their sick. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:40.399 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:45.120 Send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:50.959 Jesus said to them, They need not go away, you give them something to eat. 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:55.600 They replied, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:58.720 And he said, Bring them here to me. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:28.160 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and all ate and were filled, and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full, and those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:30.959 Well, it's a beautiful story. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:41.920 Uh strikes me right off the bat in verse 14, when Jesus sees all of them right away, he has compassion over them and he begins to heal them. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:47.439 So often we think of just the feeding of them, but he starts off with healing them first. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:48.639 That's right. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:57.600 And there's there's references in the Old Testament of God having compassion on God's people like a sheep for his shepherd. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:20.720 And that's kind of how I envision this is Jesus sees all these people who have traveled great distances trying to find Jesus, and they find him, and he just sees them as a sheep who've lost a shepherd, like John the Baptist, and he has this immense amount of compassion for them and wants to heal them, nourish them through his teaching, and then of course through physical bread and fish as well. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:21.279 Yeah. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:25.920 So after all day of being with them and healing with them and speaking with them, it's late. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:27.759 You can't send them away. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:28.879 There are no stores. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:29.839 What are you going to do? 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.639 Just send them out into the darkness and say, okay, go away now. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.240 Go walk your 20 miles home without your food. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.840 So the compassion that Jesus has for us isn't just momentarily. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:40.639 It's always. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:45.840 He's like, not only did I have compassion with before Naomi, I still have compassion for them. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.759 They need to eat. 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:53.840 And it's not just spiritual compassion, it is compassion for their actual physical needs. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:54.879 Right. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:09:01.360 And the disciples, again, not having a plan or usually don't know what Jesus wants to do. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.519 They are just in the follow mode. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:04.559 What do you think? 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:05.039 I know. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:12.240 I can totally I can totally picture them pulling Jesus aside and being like, Jesus, you've been teaching for four hours. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.320 It's about to set the sun's about to set. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:15.840 Come on, you gotta send them away. 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:21.360 Like I can see them getting antsy and probably hungry and being like, you know, we got to eat dinner. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:22.960 I know they gotta eat dinner. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.000 And Jesus is he had other plans. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:27.039 Yes. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:31.279 So he's here to serve, as Jesus said so often. 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:32.879 He is not to be served. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:35.600 He is here or came to serve. 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:39.039 And it's a great example of that exact ministry. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:40.399 He came to serve them. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:41.840 Do not send them away. 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:42.960 We're gonna serve them. 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:43.440 That's right. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:47.120 And like you set out the emphasis, you need to feed them. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:48.080 That's right. 00:09:48.399 --> 00:10:00.240 Yes, I love that line that Jesus doesn't only tell the disciples, no, no, no, no, they're gonna eat here, but then he gives the disciples the command to figure out how to feed them. 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:02.320 He says, you give them something to eat. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:03.600 This is your responsibility. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:14.000 And in a lot of ways, I see that as preparation for the ministry that Jesus is going to carry on to the church, that he's gonna hand over to the church after he ascends into heaven. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:17.840 It's gonna be the church's role to carry out Jesus' ministry. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.320 And so this is him preemptively saying, No, this is your responsibility. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:24.399 You figure out how to how to feed them. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:32.080 Aaron Powell Well, I think there's some lines here that might have not have made it into Matthew's gospel, like in uh doubting Thomas, going, How? 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.000 How how are we gonna do this, Jesus? 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:37.679 Where wait a minute, all we have are a couple loaves of bread. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.720 This is I think a little bit of that didn't make it. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:49.279 I think you can if you if you like read with a with a mind of panic of verse 17, I think you can hear the panic in their voice. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:52.559 We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:54.960 Like, come on, Jesus, look at the logic here. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:55.919 We've only got this. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:57.600 What are we supposed to do? 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:01.840 But yeah, you I imagine there were some other choice words involved in that too. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:14.080 Yeah, but again, but they follow, and Jesus first gives thanks, praise, blessings, the food, and then he instructs them to hand it out, and they just do it. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.600 And just miraculously, the basket's never empty. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:21.600 And even after they're done, there's more left over than when they even started with. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:22.639 That's right. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:23.360 That's right. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:31.840 That goes along with the Jesus always telling us beforehand, almost in the Beatitudes, in the area when he's preaching to us, don't worry. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:35.440 God feeds the sparrows in the area, will he not feed you as well? 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:36.320 That's right. 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:37.440 That's right. 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:48.399 And and I think it's it's showing to I mean, the people standing around there have no idea what's happening in the inner disciple circle. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:56.240 But they they see that the disciples suddenly have food, and and you have to imagine what's going on through their head as they're watching the disciples with these five loaves. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.639 And the people are gonna be like, well, that's not gonna be enough. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:00.320 We're not gonna get enough to eat. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:04.480 But then miraculously, as things are passed around, they all do. 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:17.759 And so you can just thinking about it from the the crowd's perspective always blows my mind to think of what that must have felt like to have that feeling of it's never gonna, I'm hungry, but it's never gonna reach me. 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:20.960 And then it reached them, and they're like, wait, there's even more to share. 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:27.840 And how how what a witness that is for how God's kingdom works and how God works of this abundance of grace. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.120 Great, great ex of God's how the God's kingdom worked. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:35.120 If that happened today or in the past, you think of there'd be a fight. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:43.200 Oh my god, there's not enough food, I've got to get mine, versus just patiently sitting and and and just waiting. 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:48.480 You just sit and wait and hope and pray that there'll be you'll get some. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.960 And you see that it all is and it all works out. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:57.279 If we would just stay peaceful and cared about one another, quit worrying about whether I'm gonna get mine. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:58.240 Yeah. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:01.679 And look, miraculously everybody gets some. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:02.720 That's right. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:16.080 Well, and and I that language that Matthew uses that is actually not only in Matthew, it's in all of the stories of the feeding the five thousand, is the Eucharistic language when Jesus, it's exactly what he did at the Last Supper. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:20.240 He took the bread, he blessed it, he broke it, and he gave it. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:29.919 And so there's a there's a lot of it in a lot of symbolism and theology behind Jesus' action here of him saying, This is what I'm gonna do for my body. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.879 This is how what I'm gonna do to my very life for you. 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:37.200 And there's always gonna be enough of me to cover anything you need in your life. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:42.879 And so he is, you know, as we look at the story, we can also picture Jesus in the very bread itself. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:49.600 And when we sometimes worry, like maybe his grace is not enough, maybe his forgiveness isn't big enough, maybe his love doesn't cover this. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:54.159 And in this story, we're reminded, no, it is, it's always enough, it's always multiplying. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:56.399 All right, and it meets the needs. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:58.080 All of our needs will be met. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:03.440 Bread is also the typical staple that's in every it's always there. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:06.240 I and Jesus even talks to I am the bread of life. 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.919 I'm what you need to sustain yourself for life. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:14.000 Where this bread on earth is gonna sustain your physical body right here. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:16.399 Um so he's literally both. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:23.919 He's giving you the bread that you need in your physical presence right now, and he's gonna be the bread of the life that you're gonna need after this. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:24.879 That's right. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:25.759 That's right. 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:36.480 I think one interesting interpretation I've heard of this parable that I don't fully buy, but I think this podcast is a great time to tell this interpretation. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.120 Sure. 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:46.080 Is some say that maybe the miracle was not necessarily Jesus multiplying these five loaves of bread. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:58.080 Maybe the miracle is Jesus and the disciples offered to share what they had and everybody else pulled out what they had and shared it around their own circles so that there was enough for everybody plus leftovers. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:08.080 This idea that like the generosity of the disciples and Jesus and the faith that it would be enough inspired the generosity in the others who then shared what they had, and it was more than enough. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:21.679 And and the question that has been asked is which would be the greater miracle of people freely sharing what is rightfully theirs, their own food to eat, or Jesus multiplying, Jesus who's the Son of God, multiplying bread. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.120 Like that's like commonplace. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.240 Like, of course, it's Jesus. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:25.759 He can multiply anything, right? 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:31.440 But people freely giving what they have to make sure there's enough for all, maybe that's also a miracle. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:32.799 Well, I don't put it past you. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:40.000 I couldn't see being just walking around in that in that time of day, not carrying around a provision, a little food. 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:47.840 I do it right now, I keep a snack, and I got a car and I got a grocery store two seconds down the road, and I got a granola bar in my car. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.639 So I I don't find that hard to believe at all. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:59.120 And that fits perfectly into the small things have been that simple small gesture of sit down, we'll try to feed you, we'll share what we have. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:15:59.679 That's right. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:00.720 Was contagious. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:04.080 It spread just like we talked about last week, like the yeast. 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:20.799 How that that sense of sharing and caring and compassion for one another spread throughout the whole crowd and turned into a big impact, and everybody was fed, and nobody had to go hungry, versus I'm not gonna let anyone see what's in my bag because then somebody else is gonna want it. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:25.440 Someone's gonna want my favorite type of bread or but isn't that what we do today? 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:34.399 Don't we have don't we have these ultra, ultra rich billionaires that don't want anybody else to have just a little bit and they'll let other people just go hungry and starving? 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:37.360 Well, yeah, and I think it's not just the billionaires, I think it's everybody. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:48.720 We all have like a sense of ownership of what is rightfully ours that i it's hard to be generous with it because we've earned it or it's been given to us, right? 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:55.600 Um and if we shared it, what would it actually cost us, right? 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:57.759 And what kind of miracles might it produce? 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:09.680 Well, I've often heard the um you see you hear the stories and you hear the the comparisons and tales and people know people that were waiters and waitresses, the biggest tippers are the ones that have the least. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:22.880 You give a sandwich to a homeless person, and that person is more likely to break that sandwich in half and give it to their other friend who is also homeless and share that versus just and that's their only meal a day, keeping it for themselves. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:23.359 That's right. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:26.160 Or or even it to their animal or to their pet or their dog. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:32.000 You hear about uh senior citizens that would uh go hungry and feed their their pets. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:38.000 So I I wish you know, you think that is what the kingdom of heaven is like. 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:42.720 And if if it was just a little bit more like that here on earth, you know there's enough to go around. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.200 Mm-hmm. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:43.680 There is. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:44.480 That's right. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:44.960 That's right. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:52.720 How much food just ends and other things just end up getting thrown away or wasted that we just had a better way of doing things. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:04.720 I think a church potluck or a covered dish supper, as it's often called in parts of North Carolina, is a good example of a modern day feeding the 5,000. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:14.880 Because every church covered dish supper I've been to or putluck, someone there are several people who bring great food, large amounts of it. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.680 There are some who bring small amounts of it, because that's all they have. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:23.119 And then there are the those who forgot, or those who showed up for the first time, or those who can't afford it. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:26.799 And the invitation to them is always, we'll have enough, we'll have enough. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:28.400 Come on, you can eat. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:37.119 And the first few years of ministry, whenever we'd have one, because at my first church we had one quarterly, I would always be like, We're gonna run out of food this time. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:42.079 There's not gonna be enough, because there's a lot more unexpected people here that didn't bring anything. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.200 And would you believe we always had leftovers? 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:45.759 Always. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:47.440 And everyone had enough to eat. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:19:00.480 And then I feel like that's for me a modern version of the feeding of the 5,000 is that when it things are given in faith and in community to one another like that, and all are oh welcome, it works out. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.039 So it sounds like that might be part of the lesson to learn, learn here. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:17.839 It's not just counting on Jesus to provide for all of our needs, even though he provides what it's what we need, but we can help one another and to provide for one another. 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:18.960 That's what he said. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.039 You give them something to eat. 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:23.119 Excellent, excellent point. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.200 You give them something to eat, yes. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:33.599 So God Laura, now I gotta open up my wallet and give all my money away to the church and everybody I see. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.240 You gotta talk to your wife first. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:39.680 She would not mind. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:42.480 Not to a good cause. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.200 There's no no argument to a good cause. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:50.160 And all were satisfied, and twelve basketfuls of broken pieces were left over. 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:54.880 And everybody, so after this, it doesn't end. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:07.119 The ministry continues, and I guess the people finally do go home, and the disciples go on their way and get on the boat, and then we get the great instance of uh when Jesus walked on the water. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.880 So the miracles are just beginning. 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:10.319 That's right. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:11.359 Just beginning. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.000 That's right. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:16.160 So your sermon this Sunday, what do you think you'll focus on? 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:19.519 I think we'll all just have to find out. 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:25.519 Well, uh that's that yeah. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.039 You can come on Sunday. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:29.119 I will say that the Lord knows. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:34.720 I uh so I'll let everybody in on a little secret. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:38.720 Laura, like most of the pastors here I know, write the sermon on Thursdays. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:39.680 That's correct. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:42.319 And it's Tuesday today, so I got some time. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:43.440 It's got some time. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:45.839 Hopefully this inspires her, lights a spark. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:46.640 That's right. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:47.759 I don't know. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:49.359 I don't know what it does. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:58.079 But we're gonna continue this uh discussion here with small things and big impacts, and this continues on for the rest of the month. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:00.720 It brings us all the way up to September, does it not? 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:02.400 Um correct. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:03.039 Yes. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:04.319 Well, almost. 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:07.599 It brings us almost to the end of August. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:08.880 Yes. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:09.839 Okay. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:16.240 So what other small things had a big impact here? 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:22.960 I mean, we can think behind the scenes here in this podcast. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.960 I bet this miracle had a huge impact on the disciples. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:28.799 Absolutely. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:35.759 Either trusting in Jesus, believing in Jesus that he is the Messiah, we've made the right decision. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:37.839 It also probably had a huge impact. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:43.759 And the people that left here could walk away with a story and tell others of what happened. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:44.799 That's right. 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:56.480 And thinking about the disciples, the act of them handing over the little food they had had to have been very scary because, like you said, there were no suit there were no supermarkets. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.759 They could not just run down to the store and pick up some more bread. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:07.680 Like that had been handmade for them by somebody before they left someone's village or house, and there wasn't an easy way to replenish it. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:13.119 And so it had to have been very scary to hand that over to Jesus of like, okay, what's he gonna do with it now? 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:26.400 And and I think that does have an impact when someone takes a big leap of faith and trusts in Jesus with something that is very valuable to them, it always has an impact, especially when it leads to something as enormous as this. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:27.279 All right. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:34.559 So in this instance, it was just food, but and it can apply to many other different areas of our lives as well. 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:37.759 Giving it over to Jesus, trusting in Jesus, believing in Jesus. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:38.720 That's right. 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:40.400 That's right, exactly. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:41.200 Exactly. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:58.480 And then I think the um, you know, the the crowds who saw it, they'd already been healed, they'd already been taught, and then for this to be the crowning moment of their time together, I mean, the stories that they would have told about this man who could make this happen. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:00.319 Oh, excellent. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:01.119 Yeah. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:18.559 Well, I look forward to the sermon on this Sunday, and if you're unable to attend church on Sunday, we do post the uh sermons now on this webpage along with this podcast, and you can also live stream the service and sit in uh at home and listen to it as well and watch the uh service. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:24.160 Next week we are going to be off or gone. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:29.119 The pastors, both Kevin and Laura, will be gone that that weekend of the ninth. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:38.720 So there will not be a podcast um next week, but the following week they'll be returned and back to preaching, and that would be on back on August 16th. 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.359 So But there will be a sermon on August 9th. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:42.799 So there is a guest pastor. 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:43.680 Yes. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:45.440 Her name is Beth Hood. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:50.079 She is the assistant to the bishop in the Office of Clergy Life. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:51.119 She's fantastic. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:56.240 You guys are going to love her, and she'll be here to talk about Peter and Jesus walking on water. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.640 So it'll be a great Sunday on the ninth. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:23:59.759 That's the ninth. 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:07.759 So this Sunday, just to clarify, this Tuesday, uh this is Tuesday, the 28th of July, August 2nd, Laura is preaching. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:10.400 It's the following Sunday after that we have the guest. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:13.680 So hope for hope that's clear as much. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:22.799 I'd like to thank everybody for listening for uh to this podcast and supporting us and supporting uh the ministry here at North Raleigh. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:26.640 And if you have any uh questions or comments about the uh podcast, reach out to Laura. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.920 Send her an email and let her know if you liked what you heard or didn't like what you heard. 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:31.440 I'd love to hear from you. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:35.680 So so again, next week we'll be gone and then we'll return the week after that. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:37.440 But until then, goodbye. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:39.359 May the love of Christ be with you always. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:40.319 Bye.