Get On The Field! Series

INTRODUCTION

• When you look back on your life, how many opportunities have you missed because you felt like you were not up to the task or did not have the resources to take advantage of the opportunity?

• Maybe you missed your chance because you were afraid?

• Basketball great Michael Jordan said the following

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."- Michael Jordan 1997 Nike Commercial.

• Given all that failure, do you know who wanted the ball when the game was on the line? Michael!

• The reason I bring this thought to your attention is because it is easy to let past failures, feeling of inadequacy, or a lack of resources or confidence keeps us from wanting to participate in working with God to reach people.

• Today, we will dive into a miracle that Jesus performed that most of us are familiar with, or somewhere along the line, we have heard of the miracle.

• Our text today covers Jesus feeding the 5,000.

• That 5,000 only included the men on the scene.

• With children and women, that number could have been triple that number.

• We will look at the well-known miracle from a different view than we may usually take.

• By the way, this is the only miracle Jesus performed that is in all four Gospels.

• Often, when we read the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish, we focus on the fact that Jesus used a small boy's generosity as the starting point of a miracle.

• This is true, of course.

• However, Andrew's participation in the miracle is often overlooked.

• After a short conversation with Philip that only focused on the lack of resources, Jesus's attention was turned toward Andrew when he pointed out the boy's supply.

• Andrew and the boy were invited to participate in Jesus's miracle of feeding thousands of people.

• What an honor to be included in a miracle!

• The miracle of feeding the multitudes is an example of how God's actions affect so many people.

• In this case, the disciples and the young boy had an up-close view of Jesus's work, while the people who were fed benefited from the miracle.

• Jesus provided abundantly for all in attendance.

• In addition, in miracles we observe Jesus perform, are we aware of the ripple effects?

• When one person says yes to Jesus's offerings, unknown numbers of others are affected.

• This thought shows us that we all need to get on the field and get in the game.

• When I was an athlete, I did not go out to sit on the bench for the team.

• I did not want to watch the game from the sidelines; I wanted to be on the field.

• For Christians, none of us were called to sit on the sidelines!

• God needs you, and others need you!

Big Idea of the Message: Miracles of God, such as feeding the five thousand, provide opportunities to be part of God's work.

• Maybe you are bored with your faith because you have chosen not to be on the field.

• Today, as we examine the feeding of the 5,000, I pray we will be encouraged to get on the field with Jesus!

John 6:1–7 (NET 2nd ed.)

1 After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias).

2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick.

3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside and sat down there with his disciples.

4 (Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.)

5 Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?”

6 (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.)

7 Philip replied, “200 silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.”

SERMON

I. The problem before the disciples.

• Jesus had a large crowd following Him because the crowd was seeing Jesus perform miracles and heal people.

• For information purposes, John 6 takes place about a year after the events of John 5.

• It is from Matthew 5-8, Mark 2:23-6:29, and Luke 6:1-9:9 that we learn what happened during that year of Jesus' earthly ministry.