What God Can Do With Small Things Series

(Play Chris Tomlins’s version of “Take my Life” (recorded from YouTube) during the offering)

It is amazing sometimes what the brain remembers and why! I don’t know why but I can remember what I had for lunch on a Boy Scout hiking trip when I was in jr high. Our Scout troop was going to go to Shiloh Battlefield about an hour drive from our home town. We were going to hike five miles over various parts of the battlefield filling in information from monuments or signs. When mother was making my lunch that morning she asked me if I wanted a ham sandwich. I didn’t. Did I want a bologna sandwich? I didn’t. What do you want for your lunch then? I wanted Vienna sausage and crackers, a Baby Ruth candy bar and Coke. She let me carry it along with an apple. Why I remember that meal I have no clue.

My lunch on that day would be similar to what the little boy gave to Jesus that He used to feed over 5,000 people. He gave to Jesus five loaves and two fishes. Isn’t it amazing what Jesus can do with what we give Him?

Please turn in your Bible to John 6 and stand in honor of the reading of the Word of God. READ verses 1-9.

We dealt with the details of this miracle last year. This time I want to focus on the little boy and what he did.

I. Little Boy

A. Who was he?

We do not know much of anything about this little boy --- we don’t know his name, his age or where he is from. What we do know is what he did --- he gave his lunch to Jesus.

John’s Gospel is the only one of the four that tells us this lunch came from a little boy or lad. We don’t know for sure his age, but some historians believe 6 to 12 years of age.

At that point this little boy didn’t know that Jesus was going to perform a miracle and feed over 5,000 people. He gave his lunch to Jesus probably thinking it was for Jesus Himself. Here is my main point --- essentially he gave everything he had to Jesus. What about you? What do you have that you will give to Jesus?

All we have to give is our life. Listen to this testimony from 3 teenage girls trying to serve God. (Making a Difference from Bluefish)

B. We must reach teens and children

This little boy gave his lunch to Jesus drives home the point that it doesn’t matter what age you are --- you can do something for Jesus. His parents obviously were teaching this child to know and worship the Lord and this was why he was at this event.

It is absolutely essential we reach children and teenagers for the Lord. We must do it while their heart is still tender and open to the Lord. We have got to make sure the ministries to these age groups are the best we can do. From my observation, if a child has not made his decision for salvation by the age of 16 the chance of them doing it drops dramatically. I can remember twenty years ago when I would have told you age 21.

While we are on this subject, the reality is we must examine how we do church. The way we are currently doing things are not reaching teenagers. We need to make some changes in how we do church.

Transition, we have talked about the little boy, now let’s talk about his lunch.

II. His lunch

Jesus didn’t need the little boy’s lunch to perform this miracle. He could have fed these thousands of people without it. Yet, God allows us to have a part in His miraculous work.

A. Five loaves and two fish

His lunch would be more like small dinner rolls and the fish would be more like sardines. The fact the rolls were made of barley tells us he was from a poor family. Wealthy families made bread from wheat.

B. God will use what we give to Him

Some people have lots of money; some have lots of time; some have lots of talent. Most of us don’t have those things and we feel we have little to nothing we can give to the Lord. This little boy only had a lunch and look what God did with it. Your little is a lot with God. The main thing is --- are you willing to give it to Jesus?

Francis Havergal did just that --- she gave her life in ministry to other for Jesus.

1. Take My Life, Let it be

Please get the hymnal and turn to hymn 277. This hymn was written by Francis Havergal. The daughter of a minister, she mastered Greek and Hebrew to read the scriptures in their original languages. Having grown up in England, she traveled in Europe and enjoyed skiing in the Swiss Alps –– an unusual recreation in the nineteenth century. She was also an accomplished singer who sometimes sang with the Philharmonic.