Part 22, Loaves and Fishes

Would you stand with me as we honor God and the reading of his word?

John’s Gospel, chapter 6, verse 1.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Ga—of Galilee or Tiberias. A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. And Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”

He asked this to test him. Don’t miss that. For he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “200 dinari worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they for so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.

Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”

So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

And when the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the prophet who has come into the world.”

May the Lord add his blessing to the reading, the preaching, and your hearing to understand his holy word. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever be praised.

And all of God’s people say, “Amen.”

Amen. You may be seated.

We are now part 22 in the Great Stories and Eternal Truths.

Most of us learned this story early on in life. Some of you may not have, but most of us did, in Vacation Bible School. This is a very popular Bible story for Vacation Bible School.

In Sunday school, I have the vivid memory of being in children’s Sunday school. By the way, children’s teachers, you’re having an impact because here I am 40 years later and I remember this Bible story on the flannelraphph.

Any of you remember flannelraphph, where you had the green board and the felt and you stuck the stories on there, and that’s how you told the—yes, some of you remember that.

And it’s a popular story for children’s church. Five loaves, two fishes, and 5,000 men fed, and probably 20,000 altogether.

Folks, you probably realize this about your pastor. I like to feed people.

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy cooking for large crowds. I enjoy growing food. I enjoy cooking food. I enjoy serving food. I enjoy eating food.

But I realize our church, New Bethl Baptist Church, we probably eat more than normal. And I know as a pastor, I probably cook more. I know some pastors that can’t boil water.

But in doing so, I believe that it is an exemplar of Jesus, that I am simply following the example of Jesus.

Jesus fed people.

Go back and think of the very first miracle he performed, turning the water into wine. Where was it? A feast. A wedding feast.

He feeds 5,000 here. There’s a whole another account where he feeds another 4,000.

When he has the miraculous catch of fish and the nets are breaking, there’s so many fish, are those fish being caught to put in an aquarium? No. Those fish are meant to feed people.

The thing that is so central to our faith and practice, the Lord’s table, the Lord’s Supper. Where does that come from? The Last Supper that Jesus ate with his disciples.

After Jesus is raised from the dead, he is on the beach, and he calls the disciples, and he’s cooking fish for them over a charcoal fire on the beach.

What is he doing?

Feeding people.

On the road to Emmas, when the disciples are walking with him and they don’t know him because he’s veiled from them after the resurrection, they don’t recognize Jesus until when? Until he takes the bread and, having break it and blessed it, he gave it to them, and their eyes were open.

Folks, we can say that the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are Gospels where people are fed.

Jesus feeds people. Physically feeds them food.

And so, I guess that’s one of the reasons and one of the ways that I follow Jesus.

This story is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. And because it is so familiar, we’re sometimes tempted to miss just how amazing this story is.

This was not a planned gathering. As we just read, Jesus and the disciples were trying to get away from the people so that they could rest. They were trying to pull aside because they needed to rest.

They had just returned from ministry. Jesus had sent them out two by two to heal the sick and cast out demons and preach the word. They’ve come back.

But then there’s something else.

John the Baptist.

John the Baptist had just been executed, and they were grieving.

So notice this. They were grieving. They were tired. They needed to rest.

And the crowds kept on following them.

And Jesus fed them instead of turning them away.

Today we’re going to see what happens when a little lunch—and that’s what it was, folks. It was a little lunch—when a little lunch is placed in the hands of a great Savior.

Amen.

So this morning, we’re going to begin by retelling the story.

Joshua, if you’d be coming up here, buddy.

We’re going to retell the story, and we’re going to retell the story a little bit differently today. We’re going to tell it through the eyes of that little boy.

And I thought that the best way to tell that story through the eyes of a little boy would be to have a little boy—not so little—but to have a little boy tell us that story.

“I didn’t mean to stay long.

“Mama sent me to the market early. We didn’t have much money, just enough for a few barely barley rolls and two little fish. Poor folks’ food. Nothing fancy, but it was enough for us.

“I wrapped it up and started home. Then I heard the noise. A crowd of people talking.

“Someone said, ‘Jesus is here.’

“I’d heard the name before. He’d helped people. He helped people. He taught about God. So I followed, just for a minute.

“I climbed up on a rock. I watched him teach. I forgot about the time. I forgot about the walk home.

“Then people started whispering, ‘We’re hungry. It’s late. We’re far from our town.’

“The disciples looked worried. I heard one say, ‘We can’t feed this many people.’ Another said, ‘It would take a month’s wages.’

“Then one of them noticed me. He looked at my bag.

“‘What’s that?’

“I hesitated. It was all I had. Mama was waiting. But something inside me said, ‘Give it to Jesus.’

“So I did.

“They took my little lunch to him. Jesus smiled. He thanked God. He broke the bread, and suddenly there was food everywhere.

“They kept passing it out, and it didn’t stop. I ate. Everyone ate until we were all full.

“Then they gathered leftovers. Big baskets. Full baskets. One for every disciple.

“Later I saw them walking behind me, all 12 carrying food to my house. Mama cried.

“I’ll never forget that day. I gave him my lunch. He gave us so much more.”

Thank you. Good job, Joshua.

Yes, through the eyes of that little boy who took his little lunch to Jesus and walked home with 12 basketfuls of bread.

We retell the story, and hopefully different ways of telling the story help you remember the story.

But maybe more importantly, we remember the truths.

Truth number one this morning: Jesus gave the disciples an opportunity to learn.

Now, this was from John’s Gospel, but this is a story that is in all four of the Gospels. Luke’s Gospel tells us they had just returned from ministry, casting out demons, healing the sick. They were excited. They were growing.

Jesus was giving them more and more opportunities.

But now Jesus tests them.

Did you notice that it was in the text? He said this to test them because he already knew what he was going to do.

Jesus goes to the disciples who are growing, who are learning, but who aren’t there yet.

And he says, “How are you going to handle this? We’ve got a huge crowd of people, and they’re hungry. What are you going to do about it? I’m—Jesus is saying—I’m delegating this to you.”

He already knew what he was going to do.

He wanted them to learn.

Faith grows through challenges.

Let me say that again.

Faith grows through challenges.

Whether it’s the church, whether it’s your family, whether it’s you as an individual believer, folks, we don’t grow when we’re comfortable.

Comfort is not what makes you grow.

Challenge is what makes you grow.

Amen.

Truth number two: Jesus gave the disciples an opportunity to serve.

They saw a problem. Jesus saw an opportunity.

They saw a problem. Jesus saw a ministry.

They said, “Send them away.”

Jesus said, “You go and feed them.”

Service.

Service to the Lord is often messy.

You didn’t get that.

If you don’t know that serving the Lord is often messy, you haven’t served the Lord very much.

Serving the Lord is often messy.

It is often costly.

Serving the Lord is oftentimes inconvenient.

Serving the Lord can be tiring, costly, inconvenient, messy, tiring, but always worth it.

Folks, if Jesus opens the door for us to serve in some way, our answer should be, “Yes, Lord. Yes.”

Psalm 100, verse 2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”

Truth number three: Jesus gave the disciples an opportunity to bless.

This wasn’t just about food. It was about faith. It was about, could they trust God to work through them?

Do you believe that God can work through you?

Well, do you? Do you believe that God can bless others through you?

Amen.

Jesus could have done it alone. He’s God. But he chose to use the disciples.

Ministry really, folks, ministry is a partnership with God.

God supplies.

We participate.

1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “We are God’s fellow workers.”

That ought to bless your heart, to know that you get to work with God.

Famous performers—the B squad is so excited when they get to open the show and perform with the A squad on the big stage.

Folks, we get to serve alongside the biggest act there ever was.

Amen.

The Lord God himself.

We are God’s fellow workers.

Truth number four: Jesus gave the disciples an opportunity to witness generosity.

Now, I love this point. I love all the points, but this one most importantly.

The boy gave a little. It was all he had, but it was a little. It was all he had, but it wasn’t very much.

The boy gave a little.

God gave a lot.

12 basketfuls remained.

What does it say?

So that none would be wasted.

12 basketfuls was not accidental. It was intentional.

I believe, and I’m in good company in believing this, I believe this was a living illustration of the promise of God in Luke chapter 6, verse 38.

Should be the next screen there.

“Give and it will come back to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.”

What did this little boy give?

He gave a little.

What he ended up with? 12 big, full baskets.

Each disciple carried proof that God keeps his promises.

Do you know what? There’s something that struck me just now about this little boy.

This was a little boy that I can just about guarantee you that his mom and daddy taught him to tithe.

I can just about guarantee you that this little boy, when he got his first job delivering newspapers for the Jerusalem Gazette, and he got his first paycheck, his mom and daddy said, “Now, little Johnny, little Susie—it wouldn’t be little Susie, it was a little boy. Johnny’s back there. I have to pick a different name when Johnny’s actually back there. Little Bobby—we got a Bobby here. Little Billy. It was a little boy too. Too many people with too few different names.”

When he got his first little paycheck, I bet his mom and daddy said, “All right now, son, you know that you’re supposed to take the first tenth of that and give it to God.”

I bet he had been taught that.

I wonder, are you teaching your children to tithe?

They’re not going to do it automatically.

The natural inclination of human beings, particularly children, is selfishness.

Do you know I’m telling the truth?

Children have to be taught to tithe.

The adults who are here this morning who are tithers, I can just about guarantee you that they’ve been tithing since childhood because they were taught to tithe as children.

And I can tell you this as well, looking into the future: if we don’t have more moms and dads teaching their children to tithe, where’s the church going to be in 20 years?

This little boy received the promise.

“Give and it’ll come back to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”

These are great truths.

So, how do we respond to them?

Responding in faith, number one—and those are not on the—yet. There it is.

How do we respond with faith?

We offer what we have.

Offer God what you have.

Even if it feels small, even if it feels insignificant, whether time or money or talent or energy or your influence, don’t wait until it feels like enough to give.

Don’t wait until it feels like enough to give.

Give what you have.

Jesus will multiply it.

Amen.

That’s faithfulness.

Respond, number two, by stop measuring God.

Stop measuring God by your resources.

Stop measuring God by your standards.

Notice this.

The disciples did math.

Anybody here just love math?

The disciples looked around, did a quick estimation, thought in their head a quick formula—how many pieces of bread, or rolls, or loaves it would take, how many people there are, how much they cost.

It’s going to cost two months’ wages just for everybody to have one little bite.

They did math in their head real quick.

The disciples did math.

Jesus did miracles.

Stop measuring God by your resources.

We say, “We can’t afford it.”

We say, “We’re too small.”

We say, “We’ll never have enough.”

God says, “Watch me and what I can do.”

Amen.

And if you don’t believe that, let me tell you the story of the last 25 years in this church.

Amen.

With God, all things are possible.

How do we respond in faith?

Serve even when it’s inconvenient.

They were tired. They were grieving. They needed rest.

But the people needed help.

The people, the crowd, was hungry right then.

The need was immediate.

Right then.

Folks, ministry, serving, is not about convenience.

It’s about compassion.

It’s about seizing the moment.

Carpedium. Seize the day.

Respond with faith.

Number four, trust Jesus to truly satisfy you.

Bring that verse up again.

Verse 42.

They all ate and were satisfied.

Folks, Jesus doesn’t give leftovers.

Jesus fills hearts completely.

Amen.

Salvation satisfies.

Grace satisfies.

Purpose satisfies like nothing else can do.

How do we respond?

Number five, be willing to be used in God’s bigger plan.

Now, as far as we know, that little boy never preached. He never wrote a book of scripture. He never led a movement.

But his obedience, his little simple act of obedience, fed thousands of people.

When was the last time you did something that had an impact on literally thousands of people?

Never underestimate what God can do through you.

He used a little boy’s lunch to feed 20,000 people.

In conclusion, this story teaches us three things.

Teaches us that Jesus can do the impossible.

Nothing is too big for him.

Nothing is too small.

Jesus can do the impossible.

It teaches us that what Jesus gives us always satisfies.

That is true of food, but it is even truer of salvation.

It teaches us that Jesus rewards faithful giving.

You never lose by trusting God.

The best picture of that is this:

A little boy gave a lunch.

Jesus gave life lessons.

A family received abundance.

And the world received proof.

Little is much.

Little is much when God is in it.

Little is much when it is placed in the hands of Jesus.

So today, will you give him what you have?

Your heart, your life, your gifts, your future.

Give him what you have and watch what he can do with it.

Amen.