SERIES: Miracles with a Message #4
TITLE: Making Much of Little
TEXT: John 6:1-15 [vs.1-6]
INTRO: Last week we visited the pool of Bethesda, now we are going to Bethsaida. Jesus and His Disciples hear that John the Baptist has been beheaded. They take a boat on a 13 mile trip across the sea of Galilee and go to the hills behind the town of Bethsaida to rest awhile.
It is in Bethsaida that He does the Fourth Sign Miracle.
JESUS DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE:
I. WHEN WE ARE POWERLESS
A. The Crowd
1. The multitude followed him…they saw his miracles
2. Their curiosity drew them to see what He would do next
3. Many were interested in what He did, not who He was!
B. Jesus Asks a Question (vs. 5-7)
1. Philip was chosen to be tested and deepen his faith
2. Would Phillip focus on the Problem or…Power of God?
3. He comes up with the answer that it is Impossible!
4. He recognized his own Inability, but failed to recognize
God’s Ability
C. It Was a Humanly Impossible Situation
1. The daily wages of 200 men would not buy enough
to give each person bread to eat ($20,000 today)
2. Later, Paul, would say in his letter to the Ephesians:
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," (Eph. 3:20)
JESUS DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE:
II. WHEN WE ALLOW HIM TO BE IN CONTROL
A. Then Andrew Approaches (vs. 8-9)
1. Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus
2. He thinks that Jesus can solve this problem
B. We Often Focus on the Problems
1. We know that 95% of people are not interested
in the Gospel
2. The odds are overwhelming us & we give up without
trying to make an impact on the world
3. It's too hard to swim against the tide
4. We are saying, "What are these among so many?"
5. But the Impossible can become Possible when we
allow God to be in control
JESUS DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE:
III. WHEN WE TRUST HIM RATHER THAN SELF
A. Look at What He Did
1. The fish were about the size of sardines
2. Barley loaves... the shape and size of pancakes
3. Jesus has the 5K people sit down and get ready to eat
4. Takes fish and bread in His hands & blesses them
5. His disciples pass the food to the 5 thousand people
6. Twelve large baskets…over, but they...not wasted
B. The Purpose of The Miracle
1. It was not just to feed a lot of hungry people
2. They would not have starved...just missed one meal
3. The miracle confirms the divinity of Christ
CONCL: The Greatest Miracle Today
1. The greatest miracle today is the salvation of lost
souls!
2. Jesus has commissioned us to go into all the world
(Mat 28:18-20) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
3. Our part in the miracle is to share Jesus, the Bread
of Life with a spiritually starved world around us
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.
Amen
