Today we start a new sermon series in Tandem with God.
When you hear the word tandem what comes to mind?
What are some other words that come to mind?
How about synergy?
Working together, cooperating, partnership.
Working in tandem is important and often means we receive far greater benefits than when we try to do things on our own.
I came across a story of a horse pulling contest.
Where owners of horses entered a competition to see which horse could pull the most.
The winning horse pulled 450 slabs.
Whilst the runner up pulled 400 slabs.
The same person owned both horses.
So he wanted to see what the horses could pull together.
Amazingly when the two horses worked together they pulled 1200 slabs.
By themselves they could only pull 850 slabs combined but together they were able to pull 1200 slabs.
Working together has benefits.
And it is also true that "A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the giant himself."
And as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to work together.
We are called to work together as part of this congregation,
as part of the North Tasmania Lutheran Parish
as part of the LCA
as part of the church.
And we are called to work together with God.
As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to be in partnership with each other and with God.
And we do nothing is ever too big.
Now this is not necessarily an equal partnership.
Unfortunately when people here partnership they assume that everyone is equal.
However as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to listen to God, to trust God and to shine God’s light in the world.
And today’s gospel reading is a story of the disciples working together with Jesus
so people could see how compassionate God is.
And that is our calling to work together with Jesus so people can see how compassionate God is.
Now let’s explore this further at Matthew 14 beginning at verse 13/
Now imagine the scene.
What we didn’t hear is what just happened prior to the events of the feeding of the 5000men plus their women and children.
Jesus had just heard that his good friend, cousin , the one who had baptised him
John the Baptist had just been killed by Herod the ruler.
And so now he heads off for some time alone.
When you here someone close to you has died how do you feel?
Often I want a little time by myself.
And this is exactly what Jesus does.
However there is a problem
Jesus is about to spend time alone with around 5000 men plus their women and children
Some suggest that this could be up to 20000 people
Now imagine going bush for some time alone with 20000 people, the population of Burnie.
Do you think Jesus would have had much peace and quiet here.
This was not what he intended.
However listen to how Jesus reacted.
From verse 14
1st thing we can learn.
Often we can intend one thing for ourselves but God presents us with something else.
Jesus could have said…
Look my best mate has just died I need some peace.
But he didn’t
Listen what he did
Verse 14
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Jesus always has time for those in need.
But ever had that happen to you.
Ever been focused on doing something.
Something for yourself and been interrupted by someone.
Maybe that was God interrupting your life with someone in need.
Someone who needed to see and experience God’s compassion.
Maybe they needed a little of your time, a chat, some help, some food, some money etc.
What did you do?
Continued doing what you wanted or gone and helped.
Next time someone interrupts your life…
Keep in mind it may in fact be God interrupting your life with someone who needs his compassion.
So lesson number one: Working with God at times involves allowing God to interrupt our lives with people…
Working with God at times involves allowing God to interrupt our lives with people…
But this is not all that happens in today’s reading.
These people didn’t even bring food.
How crazy is that?
Imagine 20000 people going bush with no food
Now listen to how the disciples responded.
V15
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
What do you reckon?
Far enough response?
But that is not God’s way.
Listen to what Jesus says in v 16
Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
Jesus doesn’t say they are fools.
It is their own fault they have no food.
No he does not focus on the why they are in trouble.
And say you have got yourself into trouble therefore fix the problem yourself.
This is often the approach we will take.
Before helping someone we will often try to work out whether they need help or deserve help by looking at why they are in trouble.
But God doesn’t take that approach.
God focuses on finding a solution for people’s problems.
God focuses on finding a solution for people’s problems.
What is the biggest problem God has with me and you?
Sin?
Now God doesn’t say go and fix yourself up then I will give you heaven.
For each one of us he deals with our problem of sin.
He gives us the solution of Jesus on the cross so that problem between me and you can be addressed.
And as disciples of Jesus Christ working in tandem with God we to are called not to focus on who is at fault…
but focus on finding a solution
When people interrupt our lives needing help
We should avoid trying to play the blame game and instead looking for ways to help them, help them receive God’s compassion
Being compassionate
that is working in tandem with God
So lesson number two of working with God is
Don’t focus on who is at fault…focus on finding a solution
But the disciples thought Jesus’ solution was unrealistic.
Listen to their response from verse 17.
"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
We only have 5 loaves and 2 fish
That is not going to feed much
Unless they are pretty big loaves of bread and huge fish.
You can almost here them say, hey look we need to feed ourselves first.
We need to look after ourselves.
If we give this away it wont achieve much and we will go hungry also.
The biggest danger when resources are scarce is we become very self centred.
When we believe resources are scarce we can become so focused on ourselves and forget about others.
On numerous occasions I have read some research that suggests that the most selfish people in the world are richest and the poorest.
However as disciples of Jesus this does not have to be the case.
I love the story of a lady begging in India who on receiving a bowl of rice splits it in two and gives half away because she is keen to bless someone else because she has been blessed.
Now listen to how the events unfold in today’s reading.
18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Focusing on how little we have or how little we receive often means we miss out on seeing how effective God is in our lives.
When I first began receiving communion.
I was quite disappointed.
Everyone talked highly of it.
But initially communion was only this small tasteless wafer and a drop of wine.
However over time as I have participated regularly in communion and experienced the Christian life it is amazing what these small things do.
They bring us together as a community.
And more importantly they deliver to me and you God’s forgiveness.
They connect us to Jesus.
Now I had heard about these things but over time with regular participation in communion and reflecting on what they meant resulted in me experiencing the reality that was discussed in the small catechism.
So esson number 3 is
Use what we have got and God will make it go further than we can imagine
And as disciples of Jesus we often we give up because we feel we don’t have the resources.
We have little to offer.
Often we limit the potential God places before us because we don’t think we have enough to help others.
We do nothing because we believe we have little to offer.
Or we can’t see how things will work out.
How God will turn the few resources in our life to be of any benefit to others.
So rather than work with God we decide to stop things happening because we can’t do them ourselves.
And yet God has a habit of achieving amazing things in our life so others can experience his compassion.
One of my friends tells the story of how he became a Christian.
For various reasons as a child his family ended up stranded in house without any furniture, or food and only the clothes they owned.
They went to the closest church, which happened to be a Lutheran Church.
The pastor said we aren’t really set up to help people too much but I will see what we can do.
He ring around a couple of people in the congregation to see if they could help, and arranged some food.
That night the first thing that came to the house was a man with an old table who said I know it’s not much but you can have it if you want..
If you don’t want it that’s ok.
They were so grateful.
And because of that table and the humbleness of that person’s approach to giving that family ended up becoming Christians, plus a couple of other relatives.
As disciples of Jesus Christ use what we have got and God will make it go further than we can imagine
The fact is God gives us everything we need to show his love and compassion.
To share His love through compassion and forgiveness.
Most of us aren’t wealthy.
Yet each of us has resources.
Think about what you have.
Some money.
Some income.
Some time.
Some knowledge.
Some gifts and talents.
Some friends and family.
Some contacts.
Your uniqueness
Everything we have are the resources we need to share God’s compassion and love.
And so the solution to our challenges of being disciples comes from working with God in using these resources.
It comes from trusting him and the others he has put in our life.
Dick Smith once said that it is better to surround yourself with people who are stronger and smarter than you,
than for you to be the smartest or the strongest.
Let God be the smartest and the strongest in your life.
Let him help you use the resources he has given you so His love and compassion can be experienced by others.
Remember God the giant invites each of us to join him in life, in ministry.
And we do this:
By allowing God to interrupt our lives with people and their needs.
By not focusing on people’s faults but focusing on providing them a solution.
By ussing what God has given us….and allowing God to make it go further than we can imagine.
And when we work together
God will do things well beyond our imagination or our plans and nothing is ever too big.
AMEN
