INTRODUCTION:
Good morning. Praise God for this new day. This is the day that God has made we will rejoice and be glad. I won’t worry about tomorrow. I’m trusting in what you say. Today is the day. If you are here this morning, it is not an accident. God has a plan for you. He will fulfill his purpose in your life. Since the first month of the year the Lord is saying His promises will no longer be delayed. If you need help, the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and they are safe. They that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Hallelujah.
Beginning this Sunday, I would like to start a 3-Sunday series on the Miracles of Jesus. I felt we need this to build up our faith as we expect the promises of God. Today is the first Sunday, second and third will be March 15 and April 19. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He performed miracles in the past. He will perform miracles today. Let’s begin.
THE MIRACLES OF JESUS SERMON SERIES
John speaks of Christ's "miracles" as signs (semeion, Gk.). The word stresses the spiritual significance of the miracle and points away from itself to Christ who performed it. John chooses seven major signs to relate in his Gospel, each characteristically pointing the way to Christ and, hence, to some aspect of the meaning of salvation (cf. vv. 1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-16; 6:1-14; 6:15-21; 9:1-41; 11:1-46). John's entire Gospel is designed to convince its readers that Jesus is the Son of God through whom one may truly live, in this life and in eternity (20:30, 31).
JESUS’ MIRACLES IN JOHN
1. Water turned into wine – Chapter 2
2. Healing of the son of Royal Official - Chapter 4
3. Healing at the Pool of Bethesda – Chapter 5
4. Feeding of the 5,000 – John 6
5. Walking on Water – John 6
6. Healing of the Blind man – John 9
7. Raising of Lazarus – John 11
Goals:
To Know:
Believers will know that Jesus is a miracle-working God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
To do:
Believers will put their faith in Jesus, believe his miracles and walk in daily expectancy of his miracles in their lives
Just Ordinary People-John 6
A. Great crowd followed Jesus – vv. 1-4
People followed Jesus with different reasons. Some for food, some for healing, for deliverance, for service
What’s your reason in following Jesus? For whatever reasons, just follow Jesus. Do not stop following Jesus.
Illustration:
My testimony
Our testimony
B. Jesus asked the disciples – vv. 5-9
Note 1. Jesus looked up and saw…We are living in a digital world. Most people have cellphones, tablets, and computers. Phones today are called Smart phones because they are really smart. It call and text, It can takes pictures, record conversation, record videos, it can show movies, it can play music. More than a phone It is a camera, a calculator, a television, a music player, an alarm clock, a computer where you can send and receive letters (email) and a lot more. These gadgets force us to look down on a screen and be isolated with others. Yes, we may be connected but isolated. These can be very helpful but can also be a tool to isolate one if we are not aware. Praise God Jesus did not have a Facebook account. What He has is a FaceLook Account (see v.5).
Note 2. Jesus asked Philip WHERE to buy bread. Jesus asked this to test Philip. Jesus knew what to do. He had already in mind what he was going to do. Do not worry Jesus had in mind what he needs to do in our circumstances.
Surprisingly Philip had a very calculated answer. I am surprised that Philip were able to compute or calculate this figure right away. He must be a mathematician. But you know sometimes mathematics does not work with God. Jesus was teaching his disciples to buy without money (Isaiah 55:1)
Questions stir us to think and seek answers from within
There will always be a need. How we addressed our need is different.
a. We work
b. We save
c. We plan
d. We pray
2 Reasons why miracles do not happen?
1. We rely on our resources – v. 7 We do not allow the supernatural
APPLICATION: I am not preaching this for you but for me aswell. I need to remind myself not to look always on my wallet (or my wife's wallet) but on the wallet of God. Lets not rely on our pockets or the pockets of those who are abroad but on the pockets of God.
2. We negate our resources – v. 8
The word negate means to deny the existence or cause to be ineffective. We declare negative words. We contradict our faith. The bible says do not despise small beginnings (Zech 4:10)
Just ordinary people
God uses ordinary people
He chooses people just like me and you
Who are willing to do as He commands
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you
Because little becomes much
As you place it in the Masters hand
Oh, just like that little lad
Who gave Jesus all he had
How the multitude was fed
With a fish and loaves of bread
What have may not seem much
But when you yield it to the touch
Of the the Master's loving hand
Then you will understand how
Your life could never be the same
Just ordinary people
God uses ordinary people
He chooses people just like me and you
Who are willing to do as He commands
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you
Because little becomes much
As you place it in the Masters hand
ILLUSTRATION: Jollibee Corporation, SM
APPLICATION: I have a dream. I dream of having a Men’s Magazine. A radio & TV program for men. A foundation for men. I dream of writing a book for Fathers. What is your dream?
C. Jesus performed miracle – vv. 10-12
Jesus had in mind what he had to do. He was confident in the power of God. The difference with Jesus and the disciples. While the disciples were calculating and looking for a bakery, Jesus was praying and thanking God for the answer.
1 + 5 and 2 = 5000. The people can be around 15,000 including women and children
Miracle is only possible in the resources of God. If miracles are based on the resources of men, it is no longer a miracle.
Let nothing be wasted… Let’s not waste any gifts from the Lord whether talent, time or treasure.
D. The just shall live by faith – v.14
The people believed only when they saw the miracle Jesus did.
Believers believe first before we see.
CONCLUSION:
We are all ordinary people with ordinary needs but we have a God and Savior that can make our life more than ordinary. Whatever our needs in life we can give it to the Lord because he already had in mind what to do with them. Just like the boy who gave all he had to Jesus, He can make create a miracle in our lives. Amen.
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you
Because little becomes much
As you place it in the Masters hand
