"Give What You Have To Jesus"

26 July 2009

Pentecost Sunday

U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris

Fortress Chapel

Contingency Operation Site (C.O.S.) Sykes

Tall-afar, Iraq

BIG IDEA: Regardless of what the need is in our lives, God is able to meet it.

REFERENCES: Passover, the, a religious festival commemorating God’s deliverance of the Jews from bondage. The English term translates the Hebrew word pesach as used in Exod. 12:13, I will pass over you; Matthew 14:15-21(ESV) – Feeding of The 5000; Mark 6:30-44 (ESV) – Feeding of The 5000; Luke 9:10-17 (ESV) – Feeding of The 5000; John 6:4-13 (ESV) – The Feeding of the 5000; What an indictment against the Jews that the two people Christ commended for their great faith were both Gentiles: Matthew 8:10 (ESV) When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel” have I found such faith; Matthew 15:28 (ESV) Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly; Numbers 18:13 (ESV) – The firstfruit of the harvest offered to God - The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours; 2 Kings 4:42-44 (ESV) – The Multiplication of The Bread - A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’ ” So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD;` Hebrews 13:7-8 (ESV) Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever; Psalm 37:25 (KJV) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread; 3 John 3:1 (ESV) The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth; Luke 4:23 (ESV) And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country;

I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: John 6:4-13 (ESV)

II. READ THE PERICOPE: John 6:4-13 (ESV)

III. READ THE TEXT: John 6:11-12 (ESV) Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that regardless of what the need is in our lives, God (through Jesus) is able to meet it.

V. SERMONIC THEME: “Give what you have to Jesus”

VI. INTRODUCTION: The Good Book says in John 6:11-12 (ESV): Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

I have a confession to make this morning. I’m not a fan of leftovers; and I can’t say that I have ever been a fan. I’m not saying this to justify my actions of the past; I’m just stating it as a matter-of-fact.

My wife has often made fun of me about my disapproval of eating leftovers. For you see, Dedra (my honeycookie of 26 years) is the youngest of nine children.

She learned at an early age how to appreciate leftovers. In contrast, as an Only Child, I’ve always felt like I had been acquainted with more than my share of leftovers. In fact, it was nothing for my family to dine on leftovers for several days after the meal’s original serving.

******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******

MOVE 1: “Give what you have to Jesus”!

a. Recently, I had the privilege to observe one of the 504th Battlefield Brigade NCOIC engaged in an effort to have her needs to avoid wasting water met.

b. Apparently, Sergeant First Class Kennedy isn’t a huge fan of opening a bottled-liter of water at mealtime without consuming the entire liter.

c. So, she passionately expressed her concern about water-waste to the proper authorities: