What God Can Do With a Happy Meal
Count On Me! Message Series
Cornerstone Church
January 12, 2003
Rev. Gary A. Shockley, Senior Pastor
They had been gathering there for three full days. Dads and moms. Children and grandparents. People in all shapes and sizes from all walks of life. Most of them having nothing in common except this one thing: to see and perhaps even touch Him…the man who turned water into wine; who made a shambles of the temple compound by overturning tables and driving away vendors; who talked openly with women of questionable character; who cured the diseased; the man who even claimed to be God. It was better than a three ring circus. It was all three rings, and then some, wrapped up in one….man.
As the third day wore on the 20,000 plus people had become a very large and very hungry crowd and there wasn’t a McDonalds or Quizno’s in sight! The disciples were more than a little nervous about the whole thing. What if the crowd turned ugly?
They were about to learn something from this experience that would forever change their lives. They were about to learn that when you’re faced with a huge challenge and you need a miracle to get through it, you have to do three things. As we’ll see this morning all three things relate to the challenge we all face in regard to our commitment to God’s work.
January is the time of year when we focus more specifically on our Christian stewardship. Standing here at the beginning of a new year we are able to look forward to the incredible opportunities we have for growing and expanding our ministry. Our “Gifted to Give” funding strategy may alleviate some of the sacrifices we’d have to make for land and building. But what it really does is free up more of our resources for the ministries of our church. As your pastoral leader I take very seriously the responsibility I have to present our ministry needs and invite you to pray about and then make your individual commitment of time, talent, treasure and trust.
1. The first thing we must to do when it comes to our own Christian stewardship, the way we invest and spend the resources God has placed in our care, is: admit that we have a need!
I am, by nature, a people watcher. Always have been. The thing I enjoy most, really it’s the only thing I enjoy, about going to the mall is the chance to watch people. After 45 years of people watching I’ve noticed that there are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who have no idea what’s happening! Which person do you tend to be? All three of these kinds of persons were in the crowd that day listening to Jesus.
I know on any given day in the church around the world these three kinds of people exist. The challenge is not to guilt people into giving more or doing more. The challenge is to get each and every person who claims the name Christian to admit that they have a need--- to help. Hear this: As Christians we have a need to give regardless of the church’s need to receive. To put it another way: if Cornerstone had all the financial, time and talent resources required to fulfill it’s ministry and mission in the world it would not change the fact that as Christians we still have a need to give!
John writes in 6:5,6 “Turning to Phillip, Jesus asked, “Phillip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Phillip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Phillip replied, “It would take a small fortune to feed them!” Phillip had obviously forgotten who was with them! This is the One who had the power to turn water into wine and stone’s into bread. He’s standing right there in front of them, in their hour of need, and they’re looking over His shoulder for Colonial Sanders or Ronald McDonald.
Where will we cast our eyes as we wrestle with the resource challenges of Cornerstone Church? Will we look to the Conference to bear the burden and carry the load? Will we look to other churches to meet our needs? Will we look to the new families joining us? Will we look to the people sitting beside or around us and expect them to provide these resources? Or will we look to the One who is right here, right now directing us to exercise our need to give?
Here’s the first stewardship principle we can extract from this story: when it comes to the resource needs of the church we have to first consider our need to give—aside from our church’s need to receive!
2. The second thing we need to do when it comes to the challenge of offering our resources to the work of God is this: Assess what we already have.
I need to do a little inventory of my resources, actually the resources on loan to me by God, and ask myself, “What has God entrusted to me? How am I doing managing His stuff”. A steward is someone who manages another’s belongings. Some of you have served as an executor or executress of someone else’s estate. Your job, in that role, is not to expend things according to your will or wishes but to follow the directives provided in their will. In our Christian stewardship we have to take an inventory of the stuff God has trusted us to manage for His will’s sake.
In other gospel accounts of this story Jesus says to his disciples, “How much bread do you think is out there?” “We don’t have a clue, Lord” “Well, don’t just stand there go and find out! Take an inventory! See what the Father has already provided you!”
“Then Andrew…spoke up, “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down, “ Jesus ordered.” (vs. 8-10)
That must have seemed like a waste of time. Jesus could have rained bread down from the sky. He could have gotten water from a rock. So why this exercise in futility? He wants us to recognize our need to help and, secondly, he wants to start with what he’s already given us!
Cornerstone has every resource it needs to do what God wants us to do right now! When we step into tomorrow the resources we need will be right there for us. Do you believe that? Those resources, by His design, have already been divided up among each of us. He’s given some of it to you…and to you…and to you…and to you. That’s why we all need to step back, every now and then, and take an inventory of the financial resources, talent resources and time resources He’s given us and then step forward to do our part. Because it’s out of those resources that He enables us to share in His work.
I admit I have a need to give. That’s principle number one. The second principle is-- I have to assess what I’ve been given. Here’s the third:
3. I place in God’s hands whatever I have and trust Him to multiply it!
The little boy’s lunch wasn’t much. Probably the ancient equivalent of a happy meal. Five small barley rolls and a couple sardine-sized fish. Now, I’m sure in a crowd that size someone else had in their possession a bigger better meal. But it was this little boy who recognized his need to give, took an inventory of what he had and then offered it to Jesus.
Look what happens when what we have is placed in God’s hands, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and passed them out to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate until they were full.” (vs. 11) We don’t know how he did it. Quite frankly, who cares? He just kept tearing the rolls and fish apart and they kept multiplying over and over again.
Here’s something to think about---God loves to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things! He loves to use whatever you give him to accomplish miraculous things!
But I have to admit I have a need to give. I have to assess what I have to work with. In faith I give it to God fully expecting Him to multiply it! “Now gather the leftovers, “ Jesus told his disciples, “so that nothing is wasted.” There were only five barley loaves to start with, but twelve baskets were filled with the pieces of bread the people did not eat”. (vs. 12,13)
We shouldn’t be at all surprised with miracles like that. God established a principle in the world called “sowing” and “reaping”. Whatever we sow (give away) we’re going to reap (get back again in one form or another). If you give away criticism, you’re going to get it back. If you give away encouragement, you’re going to be encouraged. Time, money, reputation…anything at all. All of God’s creation works on the principle of sowing and reaping!
I’ve asked Laura to join me on stage this morning. Laura is a committed servant in the music ministry of our church. She has sown great things here for the kingdom of God—we all have reaped some of the blessings of her gifts.
Laura
We learn from this story and from servants like Laura that stewardship is a lifestyle grounded in these three principles:
· #1 I admit I have a need to give aside from my church’s need to receive;
· #2 I need to assess, from time to time, the resources of time, money and talent God has entrusted me to be used for His purposes;
· #3 I need to offer God whatever I have and trust Him to bless and multiply it!
20,000 plus people when home that day challenged, renewed, refreshed in part because of the faithfulness of one child. I need you to think about this—how many people will be fed, taught, clothed, loved, encouraged, be introduced to Jesus Christ, and receive eternal life with God because you were a faithful steward.
You have an opportunity during our “Count On Me” series to prayerfully assess the multitude of gifts God has entrusted you. On Sunday, January 26th , during worship you’ll be given a chance to commit those resources to Him this year through His church. It’s amazing what God can do with a happy meal…with whatever gifts we offer him out of our love! Let’s pray…
