This morning I want to start a series that will actually run about twelve weeks (with a few messages interspersed) that was birthed out of a message from a few weeks ago on viewing God as He is and the prayer that followed that morning and night. I want to start a series called “Distributing Grace to the Multitudes,” and we’re going to start with a story found in John 6:1-14.
But before we go there, I want to ask us a question. What if a man (we will assume an honest and trustworthy man) were to call me up this afternoon and say that he had been devoting years of his life to minister to an unreached people group in Africa. He has been there ten years faithfully sharing the gospel and praying for these people. However, in the ten years he has not seen one convert—until now. He tells me that last week God apparently answered his prayers, poured out His Spirit, and men were saved by the hundreds. And they are continuing to be converted every day. Then, in his excitement, he asks me if we would be able to buy enough Bibles to supply all the converts with a copy of God’s Word. He tells me that the best deal available would still cost us one million dollars. However, he feels God is working and he thinks God would reward the work. I think he is right and I start to get real excited, but then I feel the responsibility of actually giving this man an answer.
Before I answer, I check on a few details. I look and note that in our checking account we have something around $20,000. Also, each month it seems that we are meeting right around our budget. There is no way we could gather the money from our resources on hand, and I am pretty sure a bank would not loan us the amount. Now, what should be my answer?
I ask us this question simply to test us. Because you know the phone call is just a scenario, I’m sure you were not taken aback right there in your seats. What I am afraid of, however, is that if this were real, we would react looking at what we have on hand and telling him that his request is impossible. I am afraid that if this were a real scenario, we would fail, looking to our own ability or resources instead of God. I want you to think on this question as we look at our text this morning.
I started with that question because it is one that challenges our faith, and it is a question similar to the one Phillip faces in this story. Jesus, growing in popularity had many followers at this point in His life, and He had taught and traveled for a long while. The crowd was so big this day that there were five thousand men (not counting women and children) following him. And Jesus looks on them with compassion and sees a need. The people need to be fed. He, therefore, turns to Phillip and asks a question. Look at verses 5-6. “Jesus therefore lifting up His eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to Him, said to Phillip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?’ And this He was saying to test him; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.”
In this instance, as Phillip was standing there, his faith was challenged. It was not simply a hypothetical scenario like I posed to you; Jesus wanted to feed the multitude. Phillip responds as many of us would—he looked to their bank account, as it were, and saw that there wasn’t any way that they could feed everyone. Then Andrew speaks up and says that a boy has five loaves of bread and two fish, but then notes as well, “But what are these for so many people?”
It is at this point that Jesus has the crowd sit down, and begins to distribute the loaves and fish to the whole multitude. Now lest we be amazed at this alone, verse 13 tells us that after everyone had eaten and was filled that the disciples took up twelve baskets with leftovers from the people. And a miracle was performed.
Now, let me ask another question, “Why don’t we see God work like that with us?” Well, a few Sundays back I said that the reason people don’t see God working great among them is because they do not have a great view of God.
This morning I want to do a few things. 1) I want to expose a low view of God we may have in any way or even a tendency we may have to look to our inability instead of His ability. 2) I want to show how our thoughts and views need to change to conform to Christ’s. 3) I want to lay before you how I think God wants to use us as His people to work greatly in advancing His Kingdom, and I want to do all this by allowing the text before us to serve as a foundation.
I want to show you why I think we would answer negatively to helping the man in my hypothetical question I asked by looking at the disciples. And in doing so I believe we will expose a low view of God we might hold and need to abandon.
Why don’t we think God will work through us in such a miracle as this text, as with our story? I think it’s because we’re too much like the disciples. Let me show you a few reasons we would probably give why something like this could not happen among us.
1) We don’t have enough means, or people to provide for the world’s needs—Isn’t this exactly what Phillip said in pointing to the 200 denarii? And isn’t that what Andrew said even while he was pointing out that the boy had five loaves and two fish? (verses 7-9) And isn’t it what I would want to say to that man on the other end of the phone? I would want to point out our mild checking account and the small crowd of people we have each Sunday. What was and is the answer to this? It is that with God nothing is impossible. He can take what we have and make it enough. God does not care how many people you have or how much money you have. He can do anything. He is the one who provided enough food that day.
2) Who are we that God would want to work through us? Isn’t this what we often think. You know, we are not like Apostles through whom He worked powerfully. That's true. But look who they were. They were bad fisherman, a cheating tax collector, a zealot, and a man who would betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. They were men who others could tell were not educated by simply spending a little time with them (Acts 4:13). They were men who constantly argued about which of them was the greatest. But God does not work on merit does He? He does not care about what we can offer. He needs us simply to have as much faith as children. The key is this: life is not about us, it’s about God. We should not ask who are we, but rather, who is He? And He is the Almighty God and Creator of the universe.
3) We might think God does not really care to work like that. In thinking this, do we realize what we’re saying? We’re saying that we care more about hurting people having their needs met, hungry converts getting His Word, and unreached people hearing the gospel more than God does.
Who cared more in this story about the 5000 families getting fed, Jesus or His disciples? The problem is not that God doesn’t care to work mightily but rather that we don’t care enough to want Him to. The day we will see God use us in a powerful manner to take the gospel to every people group will be the day that it is such a burning passion within us that we cannot stand for God not to use us for that purpose. And this goes for other things as well.
4) We think it is scary. We think that if we put ourselves on the line that we are taking a risk and it scares us. Now let’s think about this. In this story, if Phillip had said to Jesus, “We should just start passing out food and expect God to work a miracle,” then what of himself would he be risking? He wasn’t putting himself out at all. In fact, he would simply be putting the situation in the hands of the Almighty, simply doing his part by showing faith. The only risk he would be taking would be God embarrassing Himself. And believe me, God can take care of Himself. We need to learn a simple lesson—fear God more than you fear anything else. We should rather fear never seeing God work among us in power than us being embarrassed before the world. I think He is simply looking for a people willing to take this risk that He may glorify Himself. I’ll show that more next week in 2 Chronicles.
5) Finally, we simply think we cannot do it, that it is an impossibility. Well, that’s right. Without God we can do nothing, but with God everything is possible. Could Peter have provided enough food that day in his own power? No. But it wasn’t his job, was it? It was God’s. And it didn’t matter what Peter could not do or what we cannot do, rather it matters what God can do. And nothing is impossible with Him.
Do you see now how we might have a low view of God? People with a great view of God see God work powerfully because He wants to and they expect Him to. I hope we will become such a people.
To be this people, our thoughts need to change. We need to change in two ways. As with Phillip and Andrew, our thoughts need to change from what we have and can do, to simply seeing the need. Christ saw a need before him (people needing food) and God met the need. We need to forget everything we have or think we can do and simply say, “God, show us what You want to do.” And let Him know we want Him to use us to bring about His purpose. God is looking for such a people.
Secondly, our faith needs to grow. We need to point out to God that we’re willing to use what we have (As Andrew did) but then trust Him to multiply it (as He did). Our faith definitely needs to grow. When we see two fish and five loaves we need to think 5000 people and twelve baskets left over. When we come to a point that we truly believe we can do nothing apart from Him, but He can do anything through us, it will be exciting to see the work God will do in and through us.
Finally, let me share with you how I believe God wants to use us. I’ll show a glimpse of it this week and clarify and shape it in the following weeks. And I will assure you that I’ve prayed about this alone and with others and truly believe it is God’s will. I know such a thing is a scary statement to make, but if I’m wrong then remember that I’m depraved like you and there is none perfect besides Him. And if I’m right, know still that I’m depraved and it is simply the grace and work of God, who could reveal His will to a rock and enable it to communicate if He wanted to do so.
In short, I think God wants to use us as a channel to distribute His grace to the entire world. If you will imagine the twelve taking the food and distributing it out to the 5000 families, I think you will see how I believe God wants to and will use us.
I see Him bringing in people to this fellowship. But before you think too much of that, let me tell you that I think they will be here only temporarily. I do not think God is interested in making us look great, only working greatly through us. The people will come, and God will use them and us to sharpen one another and they will be prepared for ministry. However, God will then take many and plant them around this nation and around the world. We will simply serve as a church body to serve them in their ministry. They will then contact us back home with such requests that we cannot meet. And it won’t only be them, but others as well. God will use us as a channel for His grace. I will, hopefully, respond to the call, e-mail, or whatever by letting them know that we are unable. However, I will also let them know that God is able and we will pray and ask Him to meet their need. And we will put it in God’s hands. As He provides means, we will not own them, we will distribute them. And God will receive glory and people will be blessed by His hands, knowing we did nothing but pray believing.
And as we are doing this, those whom God is channeling through us are going to have the greatest preparation for ministry one can have. They will see God’s people praying and God providing. That is the picture in Acts, in all of Scripture, and for many people God will use today. For a person who knows to pray and expect God to work, you can drop them off in the middle of Africa with nothing and know they will be fine. People will be equipped for ministry. And isn’t that what Ephesians 4:12 tells us we’re supposed to be doing? A church is not necessarily to become huge, amassing a great number of people, but it is to equip every believer whom God brings to do the work of service. And I think God has told us that we are to be faithful to pray and preach the Word, and He will bring the people. And He is doing it now. In fact, some might find themselves here knowing He will eventually take them away for ministry. And let me tell you, it will hurt. When Paul left the Ephesian elders, they shed tears. But I pray we would be like Antioch many times over, being able to commission servants like Paul and Barnabas.
As the title of this series states, I believe God wants to use us in “Distributing Grace to the Multitudes.” And I am excited about it. As I’ve sat and shared this with a few, I find myself shaking.
In the next few weeks I will explore such things as:
However, this week, I ask that you would spend time in prayer, asking God to give you a great view of Himself, grow your faith, and teach you to walk by faith. And ask Him in your time of prayer for yourself and prayer for the church to show us where He is working that we may join Him. May we ask Him to give us eyes like His, eyes of compassion. May we (like our Lord) be able to see the huge crowds of aimless, often arrogant, people who make up this world and see them with compassion as sheep in need of a shepherd. May we learn to see through His eyes and pray for His grace. Amen.