John 6:1-14
Mark 6:52 "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."
Craig Randall drives a garbage truck in Peabody, Massachusetts. In a garbage container one day, he noticed a Wendy’s soft drink cup bearing a contest sticker. Having won a chicken sandwich the week before, Randall checked it, hoping for some french fries or a soft drink.
Instead, he peeled a sticker worth $200,000 toward the construction of a new home, reports “U.S. News and World Report” (11/6/95).
What we get out of life depends a lot on what we look for. Are we more likely to see each experience as trash or a potential treasure? —Bob Weniger, Ft. Collins, Colorado
John 6:1 ¶ After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
The Need for foresight
Jesus foresees our problems. He knows not just what we are facing but what we will face.
Phillip was asked to think about solutions, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”
If our politicians had foresight there wouldn’t be an energy crisis in California.
John 6:6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
God foresees our problems
God knows what He is doing
God knows what He will do.
No only does Christ have foresight but He knows what He is going to do.
There is a purpose for our problems.
The Oyster
There once was an oyster whose story I tell,
Who found that sand had got under his shell;
Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain,
For oysters have feelings although they’re so plain.
Now, did he berate the working of Fate
Which had led him to such a deplorable state?
Did he curse out the Government, call for an election?
No; as he lay on the shelf, he said to himself,
“If I cannot remove it, I’ll try to improve it.”
So the years rolled by as the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate destiny—stew.
And this small grain of sand which had bothered him so,
Was a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow.
Now this tale has a moral—for isn’t it grand
What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand;
What couldn’t we do if we’d only begin
With all of the things that get under our skin.
Jesus was testing Philip, what will he do about the problem. Perhaps he wants the disciples to agonize over this situation. Do we agonize about what Jesus wants us to agonize over.
John 6:7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
1st choice: ignore problems as long as possible they are overwhelming anyway. The synoptic gospels indicate that the Disciples didn’t do anything all day. They realized they didn’t have the resources so why do anything?
“Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.”
To ignore problems is like the boxer who went into the ring to fight and his manager, after the first round, said, “Go back and this time I want you to knock the opponent out. He hasn’t laid a hand on you yet.” And he went out and his opponent almost killed him the second round.
He went back to the corner sat down and his manager said to him. “Go out there the third round and get him. He hasn’t laid a hand on you yet!’ He went out the third round and his opponent just nearly killed him. All but knocked him out; he was save by the bell. He staggered back to the corner.
His trainer washed his face, gave him smelling salts and said, “Now go back out there this round and get him. He hasn’t laid a hand on you yet!”
The boxer said to his trainer, “I’m going back this time, but you keep a careful eye on that referee. Somebody is beating the devil out of me!”
2nd option is to take the easy way out.
Mark 6:36
vs. 36 - “send them away”
marriage - divorce
churches - split
school - quit
There is a destructive way to deal with problems:
Mrs. Monroe lives in Darlington, Maryland. She’s the mother of 8 children. And except for a few interesting experiences, she’s just like any other mother across America. One experience was so unique that John Haggai put it in his book: “How to Win Over Worry.”
She came home one afternoon from the grocery store and walked into her home and everything looked pretty much the same, though it was a little bit quieter than usual. She looked into the middle of the living room and 5 of her darlings were sitting around in a circle, exceedingly quiet, doing something, with something in the middle of a circle. So she put down the sacks of groceries and walked over closely and looked and saw that they were playing with 5 of the cutest skunks you can imagine.
She was instantly terrified and she said, “Run children, run! Each child grabbed a skunk and ran, in 5 different directions. She was beside herself and screamed louder, more frantically, with great gusto. It so scared the children that each one squeezed his skunk! As the writer put it, “Skunks don’t like to be squeezed!”
John 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
3rd idea, do what you can with what you have.
John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
This is the great lesson: Ability is not the solution Availability is.
I heard a story one time about a young doctor. He got a telephone call from an elderly doctor in a country town. The old doctor, needing a vacation, asked this young intern to take over for him while he was gone. The young doctor who was just starting his practice went out to the country to help his doctor friend.
Late one night he got a call from a farmer. “Come quickly. My wife is seriously ill.” Grabbing his little black bag, he hurried out to the farm. The farmer, with his children, met him on the steps and took him in the house and upstairs into the bedroom where the wife lay suffering. The doctor took a look, put others out and shut the door. The family stood in the hallway.
In just a moment the doctor came back and opened the door and said, “Quick, get me a screwdriver.” The father ran downstairs, got a screwdriver and handed it through the door. The doctor shut the door. They stood out in the hall wringing their hands. They heard the moans and groans continuing.
In a minute the doctor was back at the door. “Quick, get me a pair of pliers.” the father ran downstairs, got a pair of pliers, came back and stuck them through the door. They heard moans and groans continuing.
In a minute the doctor came back and said, “Quick, get me a hammer and chisel.” By that time the farmer had had it. “Just a minute, doctor! What is wrong with my wife?”
He replied, “I don’t know I can’t get my little black bag open.”
Some people are like that. They have their bag full of tools—they can do it all, but they never excel. —(Sword 8/22/86)
What you have, surrendered to God is sufficient.
Dr. Bob Jones Sr. told the story:
I remember years ago I was holding a meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. I was in that big amphitheater there that accommodates about ten thousand people. The people told me a story. They said a few nights before I was there they advertised in the paper that a man who had just come back from Europe was going to play on a five-thousand dollar violin he had bought in some old museum in Europe. It had never been used in America — was to be played for the first time that night. All the seats in the building were sold and even the standing room. The time came for the artist to come on stage. He came on the stage and waited until the applause swept the crowd first one way the then the other. Then he took his violin and played. The music was sweet. The violin cried like a baby, sang like a bird, laughed like a child. The crowd sat there enrapt. The people said, “Did you ever hear such music! Oh, the tone! We are not surprised that the violin cost five-thousand dollars. It is marvelous. The seasoned tone is wonderful!” When he got through playing, waves of applause swept the crowd this way and that way.
In the midst of the excitement he turned around, took the violin and broke it all to pieces on a chair. They said, “he is crazy! He is mad! he is braking a five-thousand dollar violin!” Still in the midst of the excitement he reached behind him, and from under a seat pulled out a case. He took out a violin, looked out over the crowd, smiled and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, you thought I was playing on a five-thousand dollar violin. That wasn’t anything but a little three-dollar-and-a-half fiddle. This is a five-thousand dollar violin. I will play it for you now.” He drew the bow across the strings, but the music was not any sweeter. Do you know what the man said by his actions? He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is not the violin; it is the man who draws the bow that makes the music.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., What Is That In Thine Hand?, S.L. 5/15/70
That’s the lesson, don’t ignore problems and don’t take the easy way out, face your problems with God’s help realizing He knows what He is doing and is going to do.
You and I know that but do we consider it daily? Will you consider it later today?
Mark 6:45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
Mark 6:47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
Mark 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
Mark 6:49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
Mark 6:50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
Mark 6:51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
Mark 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
"Consider the miracle of the loaves!”
God allows problems, because they can make us better. Do you consider problems as obstacles or opportunities.
An Old Testament example is David. He was one who “considered the miracle.”
1 Sam 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1 Sam 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1 Sam 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1 Sam 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
first problem - lion
second problem - bear
third problem - Goliath
What made him think he could take Goliath?
What happens when we try to avoid problems like bears & lions??
On one occasion a small boy was watching a moth struggle to release itself from a cocoon. He watched with awe as the top of the cocoon broke open and the moth struggled to release itself. As he watched the moth struggle to exert its newly-formed muscles, he observed that its progress was very slow. In an effort to help, he reached down and widened the opening of the cocoon to make it easier for the moth to get out. Within a few minutes it was free from its prison. Its shriveled wings were wrapped close to its body. Soon the wings would fill out, and it would be able to fly. However, as the boy watched, the wings remained shriveled. Something was wrong.
What he did not realize was that the struggle to get out of the cocoon was an essential means of developing the muscle system of the moth’s body. The pressure of these muscles working together was necessary to push the blood into the wings and fill them out to their full dimension.
In an effort to relieve a struggle, the boy had crippled the future of this creature. He realized at the expense of the cecropia moth that present struggles are essential for future achievement.
Problems are planned for our benefit
You and I have within ourselves the resources for achieving amazing things if we do not allow our problems to overwhelm us.
You may know the story of a young Hungarian athlete in the 1952 Olympics who won a gold medal with his ability to shoot a pistol.
His right hand and eye coordination were so perfect that he simply could not miss the bull’s eye.
Six months later that young man lost his right arm.
Such a tragedy would have overwhelmed many of us.
It did not overwhelm this young man.
Four years later at the Melbourne Olympics he was back and he did it again.
Another gold medal. This time he shot with his left hand. We have in us the ability to turn tragedies into triumphs—or, in Schuller’s words, to turn scars into stars.
One of the keys to that, however, is to have a God who is big enough to handle any problem we may have and to keep our attention fixed on him rather than upon the circumstances.
— From a sermon by King Duncan in DYNAMIC PREACHING, http://www.sermons.com. Copyright 2000 by Seven Worlds Corporation
