WEBVTT 00:00:39.310 --> 00:00:43.981 When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. 00:00:43.981 --> 00:00:45.106 When the crowds heard this. 00:00:45.106 --> 00:00:47.109 They followed him on foot from the towns. 00:00:47.401 --> 00:00:51.989 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 00:00:52.365 --> 00:00:57.453 When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, This place is deserted and it's already late. 00:00:57.662 --> 00:01:02.041 Soon the crowd's away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves. 00:01:02.375 --> 00:01:03.543 They don't need to go away. 00:01:03.543 --> 00:01:05.795 Jesus told them, You give them something to eat. 00:01:06.295 --> 00:01:09.215 But we only have five loaves and two fish here, they told him. 00:01:09.841 --> 00:01:11.759 Bring them here to me, he said. 00:01:11.759 --> 00:01:14.219 And he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. 00:01:14.554 --> 00:01:19.016 He took the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he bless them. 00:01:19.016 --> 00:01:21.269 He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. 00:01:21.269 --> 00:01:23.478 And the disciples gave them to the crowds. 00:01:23.478 --> 00:01:25.355 Everyone eight and was satisfied. 00:01:25.355 --> 00:01:28.109 They picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces. 00:01:28.276 --> 00:01:33.823 Now those who ate were about 5000 men besides women and children. 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:38.911 You can be seated. 00:01:43.623 --> 00:02:02.685 We have come to this miracle on this Sunday and I wanted it to be this way because I knew that our Hour One service has been lifted up to God and then torn in half. 00:02:03.811 --> 00:02:15.656 We're now in multiple services and we're really praying we did this because we believe God's going to move and we want him to nourish many souls. 00:02:15.656 --> 00:02:16.365 Yeah. 00:02:16.365 --> 00:02:18.742 Multiple homes are opening up. 00:02:19.076 --> 00:02:22.413 Multiple classes are opening up. 00:02:22.413 --> 00:02:26.250 Multiple teams and projects have kicked off. 00:02:26.459 --> 00:02:29.086 Multiple people have signed up. 00:02:29.336 --> 00:02:31.463 And we've done all this in faith. 00:02:32.213 --> 00:02:44.936 We've done all this in faith believing that that somehow crowds are going to be fed and that somehow the fame of Jesus is going to spread through our community. 00:02:45.311 --> 00:03:09.794 We're believing that people are going to be cared for because Jesus has touched our meager offerings and multiplied it and made it something that makes a difference, makes an impact that he's going to do something about the massive need that we see around us. 00:03:09.794 --> 00:03:12.420 He's going to use us to that. 00:03:09.794 --> 00:03:12.420 So for that. 00:03:12.420 --> 00:03:15.132 So let's just jump in. 00:03:15.549 --> 00:03:19.135 Yeah, the feeding of the 5000. 00:03:19.844 --> 00:03:20.763 You heard this one. 00:03:22.056 --> 00:03:23.557 I bet you have. 00:03:23.557 --> 00:03:25.433 Even if you didn't grow up in church. 00:03:25.433 --> 00:03:27.895 We're really glad you're here. 00:03:27.895 --> 00:03:31.983 Even if you didn't grow up in church, you're probably like, Yeah, I know where this goes. 00:03:32.566 --> 00:03:33.401 I know that. 00:03:33.401 --> 00:03:34.652 I know the punch line. 00:03:34.652 --> 00:03:37.320 I know what happens here. 00:03:37.862 --> 00:03:42.993 Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, they all record this miracle. 00:03:42.993 --> 00:03:47.247 It's in every gospel account. Why? 00:03:48.331 --> 00:03:50.251 Why is a great question. 00:03:50.251 --> 00:03:53.086 Why is it so legendary? 00:03:54.838 --> 00:03:59.467 Why does it live so vividly in our imaginations? 00:03:59.467 --> 00:04:01.094 This story? 00:04:01.094 --> 00:04:04.306 Why is it such a flannel grass favorite? 00:04:04.432 --> 00:04:05.307 Yeah. 00:04:05.432 --> 00:04:13.858 I mean, if people were to ask me right now, close your eyes and just picture Jesus, his arm is outstretched. 00:04:13.858 --> 00:04:15.359 What is he holding? 00:04:15.359 --> 00:04:16.693 I'd be like a fish. 00:04:16.693 --> 00:04:22.908 He's probably holding a fish in this hand and a loaf and the other. 00:04:22.908 --> 00:04:30.165 It lives so vividly in our imagination is, of course, in John's account. 00:04:30.665 --> 00:04:36.422 We find out that the few fish and the few loaves came from who? 00:04:36.922 --> 00:04:37.548 A boy. 00:04:39.258 --> 00:04:41.468 Not exactly a bread winner. 00:04:42.135 --> 00:04:43.053 Right. 00:04:43.803 --> 00:04:47.223 And we just think that he was asked. 00:04:47.223 --> 00:04:50.269 But that's just an assumption. 00:04:50.269 --> 00:04:59.278 I'm guessing that if the women and children weren't even counted on that day, the disciples probably didn't count on that boy's feelings. 00:04:59.778 --> 00:05:04.283 I bet that lunch was taken still vividly. 00:05:04.617 --> 00:05:12.875 We can hear our Sunday school teachers, or we can hear pastors saying, Will you give Jesus your lunch? 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:18.213 Will you offer him what you have? 00:05:18.338 --> 00:05:28.598 I think that this thing lives so vividly in our imaginations because we live this, we live this story every day. 00:05:28.598 --> 00:05:31.976 We know we're not in charge of the miracle. 00:05:32.435 --> 00:05:34.896 We're in charge of the surrender. 00:05:35.855 --> 00:05:39.442 That's all we've got. 00:05:39.776 --> 00:05:48.035 We know that we're incapable of multiplication, but what we can do as his followers is subtract sin. 00:05:49.202 --> 00:05:51.997 And we can offer what we have. 00:05:51.997 --> 00:05:55.834 The seemingly insignificant things that we have. 00:05:56.418 --> 00:05:57.418 Hoping. 00:05:57.418 --> 00:05:59.754 Trusting that God's going to do something. 00:05:59.754 --> 00:06:02.341 That something is going to shift. We right. 00:06:02.341 --> 00:06:04.134 We live this. 00:06:04.134 --> 00:06:07.137 This is why this story lives. 00:06:07.137 --> 00:06:08.680 This is our life. 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:14.310 Our tendency, when we've heard a story over and over again is to think we know. 00:06:14.728 --> 00:06:20.776 And I'll be honest, when I turn to this passage this week, I thought to myself, What's left to say about this? 00:06:21.569 --> 00:06:22.944 What's left to say? 00:06:22.944 --> 00:06:24.655 I already know. 00:06:24.655 --> 00:06:27.658 And I was so met by God in this story. 00:06:27.658 --> 00:06:31.536 So I just want to ask you to please suspend your pride. 00:06:32.579 --> 00:06:35.958 Please suspend your thoughts of man. 00:06:35.958 --> 00:06:42.338 I've been in church a long time, and I've heard 5000 sermons on the feeding of the 5000. 00:06:42.714 --> 00:06:51.682 I know where this goes, and I'm not going to offer my lunch. So I want to take a look at this morning. 00:06:52.473 --> 00:06:56.853 When this miracle happens, I think it's significant. 00:06:57.521 --> 00:07:00.565 I want to take a look at how this miracle happens. 00:07:01.233 --> 00:07:15.538 I want to take a look at who this miracle is for and then what this miracle means is the timing of this miracle has something to say to us this morning when it happens matters. 00:07:15.872 --> 00:07:17.374 Starting in verse 13. 00:07:17.374 --> 00:07:24.088 Now, when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. 00:07:25.591 --> 00:07:44.817 But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns, and when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them and he healed their sick. 00:07:45.903 --> 00:07:57.997 What did Jesus hear that caused him to want to withdraw what had happened that had caused him to want to be alone? 00:07:58.165 --> 00:08:00.542 Why was he trying to take off? 00:08:01.125 --> 00:08:12.429 Well, if you read what comes before this, his cousin, John the Baptist, his partner in ministry from the womb, had been murdered. 00:08:13.264 --> 00:08:17.225 More vividly beheaded by King Herod. 00:08:18.394 --> 00:08:26.901 And Jesus is is no doubt grieving the loss of who he called the greatest man born of a woman. 00:08:27.903 --> 00:08:37.037 But I bet because Jesus was human, he's also thinking about the way that John's death foreshadows his own death. 00:08:38.247 --> 00:08:47.256 Like John Innocent, Jesus will also suffer and die at the hands of political powers of the day. 00:08:48.339 --> 00:08:56.014 John spoke the truth to power, and those powers put him to death. 00:08:56.764 --> 00:09:02.812 Jesus would speak the truth to power, and those powers would put him to death. 00:09:03.062 --> 00:09:08.318 He got in hot water because he had a hot take for the authorities. 00:09:09.403 --> 00:09:18.787 And no doubt Jesus is grieving the loss of his good friend, and no doubt he's thinking about what lies ahead. 00:09:19.203 --> 00:09:24.667 When someone close to us dies, of course we grieve their loss. 00:09:25.294 --> 00:09:29.256 But then we also think about our own lives, don't we? 00:09:30.089 --> 00:09:33.134 We also think about the days that we have left. 00:09:34.595 --> 00:09:40.058 I remember early in ministry Mark Condie telling me that he'd rather do a funeral than a wedding. 00:09:40.601 --> 00:09:42.769 And I remember thinking, you're. 00:09:40.601 --> 00:09:42.769 You're sick, man. 00:09:42.769 --> 00:09:45.605 You've been in the game too long. 00:09:45.605 --> 00:09:46.647 What's wrong with you? 00:09:46.647 --> 00:09:48.817 You know? 00:09:50.611 --> 00:10:02.455 And he said to me, No one's listening at a wedding and everyone's listening at a funeral because they're not just thinking about the person they lost. 00:10:02.455 --> 00:10:09.797 They're thinking about their own lives, what they mean and what it's going to look like for them to finish this race. 00:10:10.798 --> 00:10:14.425 So Jesus is just desperate for space. 00:10:15.301 --> 00:10:19.472 He's like in one of those moments where I'm sure he's it's all pressing in it. 00:10:19.681 --> 00:10:21.974 It's all landing on him. 00:10:21.974 --> 00:10:26.396 And he has to find a large body of water to get away from the crowd. 00:10:27.064 --> 00:10:30.567 Remember, he's got no bathroom that he can lock the door in. 00:10:30.983 --> 00:10:33.862 He's got no closet radius homeless. 00:10:34.445 --> 00:10:42.328 So he's got to find a boat and a large body of water to get some space. 00:10:39.242 --> 00:10:42.328 He's set sail. 00:10:42.621 --> 00:10:46.040 But the crowds, they don't respect the space. 00:10:46.290 --> 00:10:52.548 And as fast as he can sail, they're tracking him on the shore. 00:10:52.548 --> 00:11:00.221 And there's I mean, as I read this, I was thinking like I can just feel the frustration here. 00:11:01.640 --> 00:11:03.267 Imagine you setting sail in. 00:11:03.267 --> 00:11:12.567 That crowd knows where you're headed and they're moving faster than you are and you're thinking, I'm not going to get the space I so desperately need. 00:11:13.568 --> 00:11:15.695 You teachers know this feeling. 00:11:16.696 --> 00:11:24.538 You teachers know this feeling when you really thoughtfully explain the assignment very thoroughly explain the assignment. 00:11:24.538 --> 00:11:29.667 You sit down because you need some space and the students are to take it from there. 00:11:30.210 --> 00:11:38.384 Soon as you sit down, you look up and there's three hands in the air and you're like, No, no, I just explained this. 00:11:38.384 --> 00:11:40.929 And I just I need a second right now. 00:11:41.762 --> 00:11:45.183 You mother, so, so badly know this. 00:11:45.476 --> 00:11:47.019 You just need a break. 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:50.605 You're going to freak out and you set your child down. 00:11:50.605 --> 00:11:56.068 And as soon as you set them down, they just start crawling for you and you can't get away. 00:11:56.068 --> 00:12:01.407 And you're like, No, no, just sleep. 00:12:02.617 --> 00:12:16.507 You business owners know this when you're hanging on by a thread and the emails and the invoices, they just keep coming and you're thinking, I need a break, I'm going to freak out. 00:12:16.798 --> 00:12:18.467 And it keeps coming. 00:12:18.467 --> 00:12:24.515 It keeps coming and it's faster than I am. 00:12:29.102 --> 00:12:40.113 So on the job, you just stay in the truck or you moms, you just hide in the bathroom and you come out and your kids are like, Mom, have you been crying? 00:12:40.113 --> 00:12:43.032 And you're like, No, no. 00:12:46.452 --> 00:12:57.338 And when Jesus arrives at his destination so desperately needing space, he's met by a sea of need. 00:12:57.338 --> 00:13:08.224 When he comes ashore, he is faced with another ocean of peoples need. 00:13:08.224 --> 00:13:13.063 And when Jesus arrives, hear this again, because you need to hear this again. 00:13:13.646 --> 00:13:18.986 When Jesus arrives to a sea of need, desperate, needing space, what is his response? 00:13:20.069 --> 00:13:23.406 No, no, no, no. 00:13:23.574 --> 00:13:26.285 Just give me a sec. 00:13:26.285 --> 00:13:28.537 I just need to catch my breath. 00:13:28.537 --> 00:13:30.955 Please give me space. 00:13:30.955 --> 00:13:33.416 Is that his response? 00:13:33.416 --> 00:13:35.836 No. Is response is compassion. 00:13:36.711 --> 00:13:39.964 And so when you come to him, is his response ever? 00:13:39.964 --> 00:13:44.510 No, no, you not you again. 00:13:45.261 --> 00:13:46.846 Just give me space. 00:13:46.846 --> 00:13:51.018 We've been over this and over this and over this. 00:13:52.394 --> 00:13:57.524 When you come to him in your need, is he done with you? 00:13:58.608 --> 00:14:03.363 Now, I know we all know the right answer, especially on Sunday mornings at church. 00:14:03.363 --> 00:14:11.747 But I fear that what we really believe about him lies buried underneath a bunch of stuff you've learned to say. 00:14:11.747 --> 00:14:25.051 Because how often we come to him suggests to us that maybe we see a Jesus who's sick of our need and when he comes to shore, he doesn't want anything to do with us. 00:14:25.051 --> 00:14:28.221 What he wants is space from you and your issues. 00:14:28.638 --> 00:14:30.973 So hear it again. 00:14:31.016 --> 00:14:33.434 He wants you to come to him in your need. 00:14:34.560 --> 00:14:37.105 Answer this question for me this morning. 00:14:37.939 --> 00:14:46.823 When you come to him, Jesus is when you come to Him with your needs. 00:14:47.281 --> 00:14:50.326 Jesus is. 00:14:55.665 --> 00:15:03.214 I love this because what we see here is a contrast to love of banquets. 00:15:03.214 --> 00:15:12.766 If you read the passage that precedes this, we read about King Herod's banquet and King Herod's banquet takes place in a royal hall. 00:15:13.767 --> 00:15:15.894 It's marked by sensuality. 00:15:16.644 --> 00:15:19.355 It's marked by party favors. 00:15:19.397 --> 00:15:21.066 It's marked by scheming. 00:15:21.066 --> 00:15:22.858 It's marked by arrogance. 00:15:22.858 --> 00:15:26.320 And it's marked by murder. 00:15:26.904 --> 00:15:29.449 And juxtaposed to that. 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:32.576 And the passages that we're studying today. 00:15:32.952 --> 00:15:42.211 We've got the banquet of Jesus marked by his compassion, his healing, his truth, and a sharing. 00:15:42.211 --> 00:15:45.423 And it takes place in the wilderness. 00:15:45.632 --> 00:15:51.221 And for sure, what Matthew is setting up here is who do you want as king? 00:15:52.096 --> 00:15:54.766 Who are you voting for? 00:15:54.766 --> 00:15:57.059 You'd be crazy to vote for King. 00:15:57.059 --> 00:15:58.310 Crazy. 00:15:58.353 --> 00:15:59.770 Trust me. 00:15:59.770 --> 00:16:01.897 You want Jesus's Lord. 00:16:01.897 --> 00:16:04.651 You want Jesus as King. 00:16:05.026 --> 00:16:10.949 Kings of this earth are fickle, thirsty, crazy. 00:16:10.949 --> 00:16:14.035 And Matthew's saying, follow Jesus. 00:16:14.035 --> 00:16:16.496 Receive Him as King and Lord. 00:16:18.123 --> 00:16:21.625 How this miracle happens is significant. 00:16:21.625 --> 00:16:23.336 Read with me from verse 15. 00:16:23.336 --> 00:16:27.089 Now, when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said this. 00:16:27.339 --> 00:16:30.801 This is a desolate place and the day is now over. 00:16:31.470 --> 00:16:37.683 Send the crowds away and send them to the villages to go and buy food for themselves. 00:16:37.683 --> 00:16:39.810 And Jesus said, Well, they need not go away. 00:16:40.228 --> 00:16:41.730 You give them something to eat. 00:16:41.730 --> 00:16:46.442 And they said to him, We we've only got five loaves here and two fish that we stole from a kid. 00:16:47.818 --> 00:16:50.279 And he said, Bring them here to me. 00:16:50.614 --> 00:16:52.406 The kid or the fish? 00:16:52.406 --> 00:16:54.534 The fish and the loaves. 00:16:54.534 --> 00:17:00.123 And then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass and taking the five loaves and the two fish. 00:17:00.499 --> 00:17:04.544 He looked up to heaven, he said a blessing, and he broke it. 00:17:05.921 --> 00:17:07.963 So here we have the disciples. 00:17:08.589 --> 00:17:13.929 And if you didn't pick up on it, here they are clearly upset with the crowd. 00:17:14.261 --> 00:17:17.015 Jesus is having compassion for the crowd. 00:17:17.223 --> 00:17:21.853 They are, by the end of the day, like you and me, done with the crowd. 00:17:22.311 --> 00:17:22.938 And I. 00:17:22.938 --> 00:17:33.531 I think this is super interesting because they don't even preface what they say to Jesus with the customary Lord. 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:36.242 This is so interesting. 00:17:36.242 --> 00:17:38.369 This is so insulting. 00:17:39.913 --> 00:17:43.541 These guys, they tell him the time of day. 00:17:44.542 --> 00:17:47.044 They tell him where he's at. 00:17:47.294 --> 00:17:51.508 And they tell him what to do. 00:17:54.385 --> 00:17:57.596 Hey, if you haven't noticed, it's. 00:17:57.681 --> 00:17:59.473 It's getting to be evening. 00:17:59.473 --> 00:18:02.226 And Jesus is probably like, if you haven't noticed, I'm. 00:18:02.644 --> 00:18:05.396 I'm healing leprosy. 00:18:05.396 --> 00:18:08.107 Of course I know what time of day it is. 00:18:09.108 --> 00:18:11.403 Of course I know where we're at. 00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:14.530 And of course, I know what to do. 00:18:15.322 --> 00:18:17.325 Don't insult me. 00:18:18.367 --> 00:18:22.163 It's like the disciples come to him and they're like, Hey, it's 455. 00:18:22.163 --> 00:18:26.333 Probably gonna have to wrap this up here in five. 00:18:27.918 --> 00:18:29.211 We're in a desolate place. 00:18:29.211 --> 00:18:31.463 You probably want to send these guys away. 00:18:31.463 --> 00:18:35.926 And anyway, I'm hungry, right? 00:18:37.136 --> 00:18:46.896 There are probably somewhere between 20 and 24,000 people there, and they're kind of like, Hey, toy, I'm hungry. 00:18:48.565 --> 00:18:55.321 One of my biggest pet peeves is my kids are getting a little bit older, but not old enough to drive. 00:18:55.739 --> 00:19:00.951 And they have thoughts about how I should go some place, you know? 00:19:02.162 --> 00:19:08.208 And I was I'm like, hey, when you can drive, then you can talk to me about how to drive. 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:10.921 Until then, you ride. 00:19:10.921 --> 00:19:19.678 And this must have been or let's just this is another installment of Thank God I'm not God because this is not Jesus's response. 00:19:20.096 --> 00:19:24.683 But my response would have been like, Oh yeah, I forgot. 00:19:21.932 --> 00:19:24.683 The sun was nearly setting. 00:19:28.145 --> 00:19:32.232 So Jesus says to him, all that I need to go away. 00:19:32.232 --> 00:19:36.988 You give them something to eat and you is emphasized in the Greek. You know, they don't got to go. 00:19:36.988 --> 00:19:46.623 You give them something to eat and you can pick up on their subtle sarcasm even to this statement. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:52.796 And it's like, Yeah, well, we'd love to feed them, but here's the deal. 00:19:52.796 --> 00:19:54.129 Five loaves to fish. 00:19:54.129 --> 00:19:55.881 So it's like, I don't know, probably can't do it. 00:19:55.881 --> 00:19:56.966 Jesus. 00:19:57.925 --> 00:20:02.137 They don't lead with what they should have lead with by now. 00:20:02.137 --> 00:20:04.098 Which is what are you got up your sleeve. 00:20:04.098 --> 00:20:08.185 Jesus, they don't lead with well mastered master. 00:20:08.352 --> 00:20:10.145 Tell us what you're thinking. 00:20:10.145 --> 00:20:13.316 Or did you have something in mind that we know, not us? 00:20:13.316 --> 00:20:15.150 This should be the case at this. 00:20:15.150 --> 00:20:17.403 At this point in the story. 00:20:17.403 --> 00:20:18.989 You're up to miracles. 00:20:18.989 --> 00:20:21.281 You've been up to miracles all day. 00:20:21.281 --> 00:20:22.450 We know our Bibles. 00:20:22.450 --> 00:20:27.579 We know that mass groups of people have been fed by the hand of God before. 00:20:27.746 --> 00:20:29.499 Tell us more, Jesus. 00:20:29.499 --> 00:20:30.958 That's not what we get. 00:20:30.958 --> 00:20:44.013 We instead get the slightly mocking five plus two doesn't exactly equal 24,000, so send them away. 00:20:44.013 --> 00:20:48.518 Who is this miracle for? 00:20:49.852 --> 00:20:53.772 He broke the loaves and he gave them to the disciples. 00:20:53.772 --> 00:20:58.694 And the disciples gave them to the crowds and they all eight. 00:20:58.986 --> 00:21:00.779 And we're satisfied. 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:05.617 And they took up 12 baskets full of broken pieces left over. 00:21:05.909 --> 00:21:09.748 And those who ate were about 5000 men. 00:21:09.748 --> 00:21:12.416 Besides the women and children. 00:21:13.585 --> 00:21:20.215 Is this miracle for the crowds or is this miracle for the disciples? 00:21:21.509 --> 00:21:30.143 You better believe that if you're 2000 in line, you have no idea where the fish and loaves came from. 00:21:30.143 --> 00:21:33.145 This miracle is not for the masses. 00:21:33.145 --> 00:21:35.022 This miracle is not for the crowds. 00:21:35.022 --> 00:21:37.649 This miracle is for the disciples. 00:21:37.649 --> 00:21:41.779 Most definitely for those disciples. 00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:43.364 And they needed something. 00:21:43.364 --> 00:21:55.292 There's no word from the crowd if we've been studying Matthew for months and months, and at the end of a miracle, a resurrection, a healing, we always read that the crowd has a reaction. 00:21:55.876 --> 00:21:57.878 The crowd was amazed. 00:21:57.878 --> 00:21:59.755 The crowd was threatened. 00:21:59.755 --> 00:22:02.133 The crowd was afraid. Whatever. 00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:07.387 There's no mention of the crowd going that Phish was perfectly prepared. 00:22:07.806 --> 00:22:10.140 That's just how I take it. 00:22:10.140 --> 00:22:13.019 There's no amazement from the crowd. 00:22:14.354 --> 00:22:24.364 This is most definitely for the disciples, because Jesus had some lessons He wanted to teach them before He launched them into ministry. 00:22:24.905 --> 00:22:34.832 The first lesson I think Jesus wants to teach his disciples If you're here and you're a follower of Jesus, here's the lessons this morning from this text. 00:22:34.832 --> 00:22:37.085 Here's the lessons that mattered for me. 00:22:37.585 --> 00:22:51.640 The first lesson you've got to learn if you're going to be launched into ministry, if you're going to be his hands and feet, is you have to know his eyes on the sparrow, his eye is on the sparrow. 00:22:52.349 --> 00:22:59.691 And this is a line from an old hymn that's taken from Scripture, and it's meant to communicate what? 00:22:59.691 --> 00:23:11.411 That there's nothing too small and there's nothing on spiritual, nothing happens that God doesn't care about. 00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:17.375 And the Him and the concept are really powerful because this is not what we believe. 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:28.595 Most of us believe that there are certain circumstances and scenarios that are candidates for a miracle. 00:23:28.595 --> 00:23:32.639 This qualifies for God to intervene in this. 00:23:32.848 --> 00:23:42.733 And there are other things in our lives and things that we've done that just simply aren't spiritual enough or do not qualify for a miracle. 00:23:43.483 --> 00:23:45.569 And we don't bring those things. 00:23:46.613 --> 00:23:56.998 There's significant and spiritual things that you can bring before God, and then there's earthy and spiritual things that you they just aren't even eligible. 00:23:56.998 --> 00:23:58.207 Think about this. 00:23:58.207 --> 00:24:08.009 The disciples don't even bother asking Jesus if He's got something up his sleeve because they don't think Jesus does dinner. 00:24:09.469 --> 00:24:11.553 Jesus does disease. 00:24:11.887 --> 00:24:13.639 Jesus does death. 00:24:13.639 --> 00:24:15.557 Jesus does forgiveness. 00:24:15.557 --> 00:24:17.268 Jesus does storms. 00:24:17.268 --> 00:24:18.936 Jesus does demons. 00:24:18.936 --> 00:24:21.480 Jesus doesn't do dinner. 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.440 Send them away. 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:24.900 They don't even bother to ask. 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:24.900 This is earthy. 00:24:25.192 --> 00:24:27.694 This is on spiritual. 00:24:27.694 --> 00:24:29.905 And Jesus's eyes on the sparrow. 00:24:30.822 --> 00:24:37.955 He cares about empty stomachs as well. 00:24:37.955 --> 00:24:40.707 And this is us. 00:24:42.335 --> 00:24:47.423 You're deciding right now that Jesus does or doesn't care about certain things. 00:24:47.798 --> 00:24:51.677 You're deciding what's in and out, what's spiritual, what's on spiritual. 00:24:51.927 --> 00:24:59.851 And of course, he cares about the spiritual things, but the the little things like what we're having for dinner or the physical needs we have in our body. 00:25:00.185 --> 00:25:03.146 Jesus can't be bothered with those things, right? 00:25:03.815 --> 00:25:07.109 I grew up in a house with a mom who prayed for everything. 00:25:07.652 --> 00:25:13.323 I hated it. Mom, I need a red pen for this assignment. 00:25:13.323 --> 00:25:15.909 I can't find a red pen anywhere in our house. 00:25:15.951 --> 00:25:17.912 Let's. Let's pray. 00:25:17.912 --> 00:25:19.121 Well, pray. 00:25:19.121 --> 00:25:22.708 We'll ask God for a red pen, Mom. 00:25:22.708 --> 00:25:26.044 That that is not eligible for a miracle. 00:25:27.297 --> 00:25:28.255 Rather than pray. 00:25:28.255 --> 00:25:30.633 Mom, why you clean out that junk drawer? 00:25:30.674 --> 00:25:32.844 Because it's gnarly. 00:25:32.844 --> 00:25:37.557 There's so much in it that even if there was a red pen in it, and so she would pray. 00:25:37.557 --> 00:25:40.350 Lord, we come before you asking for her red pen. 00:25:40.350 --> 00:25:42.602 You know, my eyes are not closed. 00:25:42.602 --> 00:25:44.730 I am not agreeing with her in prayer. 00:25:45.063 --> 00:25:46.857 This is ridiculous. 00:25:46.857 --> 00:25:48.067 And then what happens? 00:25:49.027 --> 00:25:54.323 What happens when mom spray red pen, you know? 00:25:54.323 --> 00:26:01.955 And I'm like, hey, you know, we're back to school shopping, Mom. 00:26:01.955 --> 00:26:04.166 They don't have the vans in my size. 00:26:05.250 --> 00:26:06.793 Let's pray. 00:26:07.086 --> 00:26:08.879 No, let's not. 00:26:08.879 --> 00:26:10.339 Like Jesus wore sandals. 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:12.591 He can't be bothered about vans. 00:26:12.591 --> 00:26:13.425 We're going to pray. 00:26:13.425 --> 00:26:15.927 Sure enough, the guy comes out from the back. 00:26:15.927 --> 00:26:25.145 Well, there was one pair left, you know, when it comes to prayer. 00:26:25.562 --> 00:26:28.732 Here's the thing that I think is so powerful and important. 00:26:29.107 --> 00:26:32.861 Ask for the really big things and ask for really small things. 00:26:33.904 --> 00:26:45.375 I find people who have a healthy prayer life have not stopped asking for really big things that are completely out of their control and really small things, trivial things. 00:26:46.792 --> 00:27:06.520 And you may sit back and judge the person praying for a parking spot, but I can tell you that that person's talking to God way more than you are as you sit there and try to qualify and try to figure out what he wants to hear about. 00:27:08.063 --> 00:27:10.607 Talk to him about anything and everything. 00:27:10.857 --> 00:27:15.028 Pray for really big stuff like an awakening in our nation. 00:27:15.278 --> 00:27:23.245 And don't stop and then pray for really, really small, specific stuff because his eyes on the sparrow and he cares about it all. 00:27:23.453 --> 00:27:30.752 And the disciples needed to know that I care about their bellies to. 00:27:30.752 --> 00:27:37.844 The second thing that these guys needed to learn is that they lead from their needs. 00:27:37.844 --> 00:27:40.804 That's how this works. 00:27:40.804 --> 00:27:42.807 You don't lead from your abundance. 00:27:42.807 --> 00:27:45.143 You lead from your need. 00:27:45.143 --> 00:27:48.145 This is how this goes in my life and in yours. 00:27:48.604 --> 00:27:50.313 We don't have enough. 00:27:50.313 --> 00:27:51.691 We're not enough. 00:27:51.691 --> 00:27:54.443 God meets us in our not enough ness. 00:27:54.443 --> 00:27:56.903 And this overflows to those around us. 00:27:57.446 --> 00:27:59.823 That's how this goes. 00:27:59.823 --> 00:28:01.783 Some of you are sick. 00:28:01.783 --> 00:28:03.869 Jesus is going to heal you. 00:28:03.869 --> 00:28:12.961 And then when he heals you, you're going to have this great gift of faith to pray for others and to see healing flow through your life for others. 00:28:12.961 --> 00:28:16.131 You're going to bring your marriage to him and in your need. 00:28:16.131 --> 00:28:24.682 He's going to meet your needs, in your marriage, and then through you he's going to use you to multiply that effect, and you need to have faith for that. 00:28:24.682 --> 00:28:27.559 He's not just going to heal what's happening in your life. 00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:29.604 He's going to meet you and your need. 00:28:29.854 --> 00:28:34.274 And then from what he's given you in that place, he's going to give you something to give away. 00:28:34.274 --> 00:28:36.359 You lead from your need. 00:28:36.610 --> 00:28:38.695 You bring your need before him. 00:28:38.695 --> 00:28:42.782 He meets you and it overflows to those around you. 00:28:42.782 --> 00:28:46.369 So we learn in this, this really important thing. 00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:48.538 Hear it, hear it, hear it. 00:28:50.040 --> 00:28:57.130 Jesus is in charge of the miracle, but you're in charge of the surrender. 00:28:57.130 --> 00:28:58.798 You bring what you have to him. 00:29:00.175 --> 00:29:10.769 The last lesson that these guys needed to learn in order to be launched into ministry is this Jesus is teaching these guys how to count to eight. 00:29:10.769 --> 00:29:12.521 So they count what they have. 00:29:12.521 --> 00:29:21.239 One, two, three, four, five loaves, one, two fish, and then that's it. 00:29:22.531 --> 00:29:24.658 That's the end of the story. 00:29:24.658 --> 00:29:28.620 But Jesus could touch the same loaves and touch the same fish. 00:29:28.620 --> 00:29:30.873 But he didn't stop at seven. 00:29:30.873 --> 00:29:34.501 He factored in the Lord of all creation. 00:29:35.586 --> 00:29:40.173 So he just kept counting. 00:29:40.173 --> 00:29:50.433 And you need to know that if you're going to serve Jesus, you can't just be in touch with what you can touch and you can't just have what you can see. You. 00:29:50.643 --> 00:29:58.900 You have to understand how to factor him in and how to keep counting when you've come to the end of what you can see and what you can touch. 00:29:58.900 --> 00:30:00.986 That's what ministry is. 00:30:00.986 --> 00:30:03.739 I was at a volleyball game the other day. 00:30:04.781 --> 00:30:10.620 A man came up to me and started having a conversation with me and Tiff asked, You know who? 00:30:10.620 --> 00:30:11.371 Who's that guy? 00:30:11.371 --> 00:30:20.630 And I said, Remember, we were in Morro Bay, we were eating at dockside, and some guy came up to us and said, I listen to the podcast every week. 00:30:20.630 --> 00:30:22.340 And then we left. 00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:24.884 And he had paid our bill at dockside, remember that guy? 00:30:24.884 --> 00:30:26.511 And she was like, Yeah, I remember that guy. 00:30:26.511 --> 00:30:28.638 I said, That's that guy, you know? 00:30:28.638 --> 00:30:39.649 And what it did was remind me of how frustrated I was on that day, because when you've got seven people in your family, it's like a goal of mine to go out to eat and for it to be affordable. 00:30:39.817 --> 00:30:42.153 So everyone splits everything. 00:30:42.360 --> 00:30:43.903 You know, you don't get your own. 00:30:43.903 --> 00:30:46.948 It's like, No, we're going to get that one big thing of clam chowder. 00:30:46.948 --> 00:30:54.999 We're going to divide it up and you're going to float as many of those free saltines in your clam chowder as you can. 00:30:55.165 --> 00:30:57.751 So this is how I did the order. 00:30:57.751 --> 00:31:03.381 I mean, based on what I knew was in my account, I placed the order. 00:31:03.715 --> 00:31:11.848 Then I figured out that my account was not paying for dinner and I wished I would have ordered based on his account. 00:31:12.849 --> 00:31:20.523 And I was thinking I would have had lobster. 00:31:20.523 --> 00:31:24.778 But we don't order based on our account. 00:31:25.403 --> 00:31:26.989 That's not what this is. 00:31:26.989 --> 00:31:35.373 This can't be like bass, drums, guitar keyboard equals seven. 00:31:35.373 --> 00:31:43.505 No, there has to be the like plus Jesus, the one who meets us, who promises to be present when we praise Him. 00:31:43.713 --> 00:31:51.513 There has to be that we don't place orders based on our resources and what we can do. 00:31:51.681 --> 00:32:06.153 We count to eight and we factor in what he has as the Lord of all creation, what this miracle means, and we'll respond. 00:32:06.820 --> 00:32:10.657 This miracle does not mean that God, I don't know. 00:32:10.865 --> 00:32:11.616 You know, I. 00:32:11.616 --> 00:32:15.745 You tempted to leave here and go well through God, we can do great things. 00:32:15.745 --> 00:32:19.625 That is not the point of this story. 00:32:19.625 --> 00:32:23.962 All things are possible for those who believe maybe that is true. 00:32:23.962 --> 00:32:25.923 It's not the point of this story. 00:32:27.841 --> 00:32:32.512 Remember, Matthew is writing predominantly to a Jewish audience, right? 00:32:32.971 --> 00:32:35.432 Think back to the Old Testament with me. 00:32:36.015 --> 00:32:40.730 Think back to divine food provisions, heaven dropping bread. 00:32:40.730 --> 00:32:49.363 Can anyone remember a story where crowds are fed cause the manna story? 00:32:49.739 --> 00:32:50.740 It's Israel. 00:32:50.740 --> 00:32:54.409 They're in the wilderness and God feeds them with bread from heaven. 00:32:54.993 --> 00:33:04.002 This is a really important story to understand what this miracle means and what Jesus is saying as he performs this miracle. 00:33:04.211 --> 00:33:24.063 There is another less known Old Testament food provisions story that comes from Second Kings for and it's the story of the Prophet Elijah feeding 100 men with 20 loaves and a bunch of things coincide with that story that they would have known and what happens on this day. 00:33:24.355 --> 00:33:26.524 The first is that there was a crowd. 00:33:27.192 --> 00:33:35.033 The second was that a man brings the prophet an insufficient amount of food, 20 loaves. 00:33:35.533 --> 00:33:38.287 And then Elijah says, Great, that's all we need. 00:33:38.537 --> 00:33:40.873 And then a man says, Hey, Elijah, do the math. 00:33:40.873 --> 00:33:42.415 20 loaves, 100 dudes. 00:33:42.415 --> 00:33:43.875 That's not all we need. 00:33:43.875 --> 00:33:46.836 And then Elijah answers, Let God do the math. 00:33:47.462 --> 00:33:48.838 You do what you're told. 00:33:50.215 --> 00:33:53.469 Snap. 00:33:53.469 --> 00:33:54.803 He does it. 00:33:54.803 --> 00:33:57.347 Lastly, they all eat and they have some left. 00:33:57.807 --> 00:33:59.224 So what's happening here? 00:33:59.224 --> 00:34:01.351 What's the meaning of this miracle? 00:34:01.351 --> 00:34:03.812 What is Matthew saying as he records it? 00:34:04.062 --> 00:34:06.397 One greater than Moses is here. 00:34:06.397 --> 00:34:08.525 That's what he's saying. 00:34:08.733 --> 00:34:10.903 The bringer of the New Covenant is here. 00:34:11.737 --> 00:34:14.280 One greater than Elijah is here. 00:34:14.657 --> 00:34:17.367 The great miracle worker of the Old Testament. 00:34:17.367 --> 00:34:18.619 Remember Elijah? 00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:20.996 One greater than Elijah is here. 00:34:21.121 --> 00:34:27.043 Behold, Jesus, God's anointed one, God's Messiah is here. 00:34:28.003 --> 00:34:31.632 See the one who didn't just come to give bread? 00:34:31.798 --> 00:34:34.092 See the one who came to be bread? 00:34:34.385 --> 00:34:40.014 That is the point of this story, not Jesus who's come to give bread. 00:34:40.182 --> 00:34:42.643 Jesus who is come to be bread. 00:34:42.643 --> 00:34:46.146 In John six, he said, I am the bread of life. 00:34:47.105 --> 00:34:48.565 I'm it. 00:34:48.565 --> 00:34:52.695 I'm the one greater than Moses, greater than Elijah. 00:34:53.612 --> 00:34:58.909 I am the bread that came down from heaven. 00:34:58.909 --> 00:35:16.969 And as he broke bread that day, shared it with the crowd, it foreshadows his body being broken to meet mass need Jesus not just giving bread but being bread. 00:35:16.969 --> 00:35:20.847 He was broken so that we could be eternally satisfied. 00:35:20.847 --> 00:35:23.016 Would you stand with me? Worship team? 00:35:23.016 --> 00:35:32.735 Would you come as you come to the table? 00:35:32.735 --> 00:35:35.820 Would you remember Jesus, the bread of life? 00:35:36.779 --> 00:35:43.202 Would you remember his body broken so that we could be whole, his body broken, so that we could be eternally satisfied? 00:35:43.286 --> 00:35:45.831 Would you him in as you come to the table? 00:35:46.039 --> 00:35:54.088 Don't salt God by counting to seven as you come to this table, by adding up what you've done and what you haven't done. 00:35:54.088 --> 00:35:55.257 That's not the point of this. 00:35:55.257 --> 00:36:01.679 As you come to the table, you factor in number eight, you don't count. 00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:08.645 So I know I know some of you are facing mass things in your family and you and you've counted to seven in your family. 00:36:08.645 --> 00:36:13.400 You've counted to seven at work, you've counted to seven with your kids. 00:36:14.067 --> 00:36:16.320 You've counted to seven with your addiction. 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:18.614 You've counted to seven with your mental health. 00:36:18.864 --> 00:36:22.742 As you come to this table, count to eight. 00:36:22.742 --> 00:36:40.385 Factor in what Jesus can do when we surrender what we have and receive Him as the bread of life who can eternally satisfy as you come to the table, make your way back to your seat because we're going to finish declaring who he is together as a body. 00:36:41.344 --> 00:36:50.186 Come Come with your areas of need, the places that you've counted to seven and factor him in. 00:36:50.186 --> 00:37:01.322 Factor what he's done, factor what he's capable of, factor his resources into your areas of limit into your areas of lack.