The Multiplier

The Multiplier

Series: The Grave Robber

Text: John 6:1-13

When I hold a basketball in my hands, it’s just a basketball. But if you put that same basketball in the hands of Lebron James, it multiplies into two NBA Championships, four league MVP’s, and two Olympic gold medals.

Place a golf club in my hands, and it’s just a golf club. Place that same club in the hands of Bubba Watson, you end up with multiple major championships.

A paintbrush in my hands my turn into a pretty decent picture, it it’s paint by numbers. But a paintbrush in the hands of Picasso produces multiple works of art.

How is it that the same things can bring about such dramatically different results? Simply put, it depends on who is holding them and how they are being used.

As we return to John’s gospel this morning, Jesus is at the height of His popularity. We left off with Him healing a crippled man of 38 years on the Sabbath. This didn’t sit too well with the Pharisees but after the series of miracles that we’ve seen so far, large crowds are starting to follow Him to see what He will do next. The miracle we are looking at this morning is perhaps very familiar to many of us and perhaps the greatest miracle Jesus ever performed as it’s the only one told in all four gospels. I’m talking about the miracle of Jesus multiplying a little boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men plus their families.

Many times we may feel like the little boy in our passage this morning. We may feel like we don’t have anything of significance to offer God. Some may feel too young; some too old. Some may feel that they don’t have enough time, talent or tithe to offer God.

Here’s the truth I want for each of us to walk away with this morning: If you give it, God will multiply it. Let’s look at this story in three separate sections:

Read vv. 1-6

Don’t focus on your limited ability.

One of the reasons we don’t see God performing miracles in our lives is because we spend all our time focusing on our inabilities rather than His abilities. Answer this question in your mind this morning: If money weren’t an option; if you had all the talent in the world, what one thing would you do for someone else? That’s how you should think when it comes to serving God, because it’s not about you, it’s about Him.

There will be times in our lives and in our church when God is going to speak. There will be times when He’s going to call us to do something that is bigger than ourselves, something that seems impossible.

In this case, Jesus turns to Philip and says, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” This was more than just a question, it was a test of faith. Think about this situation for a second. It was an impossible task; there’s no way Philip was going to pull it off, none. And yet Jesus was asking him to do it.

What is He asking us to do today? What impossible task is He calling us to do? This is where faith comes in. This is where trust comes in. This is where we truly live what we say we believe.

Read v. 7

Philip kind of missed the point, didn't he? He was trying to solve the problem on his own. He looked out at the crowd, he figured up the cost and then he turned to Jesus and said, "It can't be done”. We do the same thing, don't we? God calls us to do something and we immediately start coming up with reasons why we can’t.

What Jesus wanted Philip to say was, "I can't do this, but You can”. And when He calls us to do something that we know we can't do, He wants us to do the same thing. He wants us to turn to Him and say, "We can't do it, will You do it through us?”

Y’all are probably tired of hearing this but I’m gonna tell you again anyway! When I was called into the ministry I was an uneducated, unordained paint salesman. God was telling me to do something that was impossible. My initial response was, “I can’t do that, I’m just a paint salesman. I can’t speak to people, I’m afraid to speak in public.”

It wasn’t long after that I realized something…it’s not about me, it’s about God! And let me tell you something, if God can use me He can use you too! We need to just surrender ourselves to Him and say, “Send me! Use me! I’m here today all because I realized, “I can’t do it, but God can.”