Feeding The 5000

Spud Web Video

Explain how absurd and outrageous it is for Spud Web to win the dunk contest by using a volunteer to try to jump as high as Spud Web.

It was amazing what a basketball could do when it was put into Spud Web’s hands. When I hold this football in my hands, it’s merely a football, but if this football where in the hands of Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning, it has a lot more potentials. Put a golf club in any of my hands, and it’s merely a golf club, but when you place that same golf club in the hands of Phil Mickelson, it becomes a golf clubs that can accomplish a lot more.

KEY:

How is it that the same instruments and the same tools can bring about such different results?

KEY:

Quite simply, potential depends upon who is holding it and how it’s being used.

We’ve launched a series where we’re going to look at the absurd and outrageous commands God made – commands that at the beginning seems ludicrous, but at the end, they led to saved lives and restored relationships.

An absurd and outrageous command is a ridiculously unreasonable command that exceeds the limits of what is usual…folks, that’s the kind of Savior we have.

So, here’s the approach – each week, a different story from the Bible is being told. Each story reveals a command from God. Out of these commands, our faith is challenged – our understanding of God is challenge – our approach to life is challenged.

Today’s absurd and outrageous command: Feed everyone.

Open up to John 6…either look in the table of contents (which is totally okay) or stick your thumb in the middle of your Bible and going to the right. You’ll run into a book called “John”.

As you’re turning, let me give you some back-story:

o Jesus has obviously been born…grown up…and is now a man.

o Jesus has gathering 12 guys that He can teach…He calls them “Disciples or Students”.

o Jesus had been going everywhere He can to teach and His disciples have joined Him.

o For this story, Jesus has been doing miracles and teaching…and, He and the disciples get hungry.

Now, lets read the first part of John 6 where we pick up the command: Feed everyone.

Read John 6:1-13 (NIV)

This morning’s scripture passage is an excellent example of what can happen and how things can be used when we place them in the hands of God. The scene is a grassy meadow near Bethsaida – right by the sea. Jesus has been preaching and healing the sick much of the day. He has retreated in order to get some rest and recharge his batteries, but when he looks up, the crowd has followed him. He turns to Philip, because this is Philip’s old stomping ground, “Where can we buy bread for these people?” Somewhat confused that Jesus wouldn’t recognize an obvious problem Philip replies, “Don’t you understand that it would take more than 8 months’ wages to buy bread for all these people.” He knew that Jesus was kind and thoughtful, but even for Jesus, this was out there. All of a sudden Andrew shows up, “Hey guys, there’s a little boy here who has 5 barley loaves and two fish.”

I’ve often wandered what it must’ve been like to be that little boy?

When he got up that morning, he was probably planning to spend the day fishing or playing with his friends. As he’s on his way out the door, his mother hollers to him, “Did you pack a lunch?”

“Aaawww, Mom.” “Get back in here right now, young man. You know you can’t be out all day and not have anything with you to eat. You just sit right there while I make you some lunch.” She pulls out the little lunch basket, and prepares him a lunch of five loaves and two fish.

These loaves of bread were not your top of the line sour dough loaves of bread. They were barley loaves, which was the cheapest of all breads. This type of bread, at that time, was almost “cracker like”…several “loaves” would be eaten at one meal (i.e. 5 loaves of bread for one boy)

His fish wasn’t salmon or tuna. The best way to describe these fish is they were sardines. Now I know the text says that the boy had 5 barley loaves and 2 fish, but to help the significance of this miracle stick in your mind, I want to ask you to imagine that the barley loaves and the fish have been put together, so that what in essence the boy has in his lunch box, is a sardine sandwich.

On his way to meet his buddies, he sees this large crowd gathering, and he asks, “What’s going on?” “See that guy up there? That’s Jesus of Nazareth. He is an incredible teacher, and he can heal people. We all want to hear him preach and see him heal people.”