Kids, I think you get to go to King's Kids today, so I'm going to let you go ahead and make your way out there.
And while they're leaving, just as a reminder, if you didn't do what Steve asked you to do, then you can find the text on page 1059 in the few Bibles.
Or if you have your own Bible, you're on your own. Okay. Chapter six, John, verse 15 verses.
All right, let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can be together for a time of worship.
We thank you for the opportunity to sing songs that express our heart, our worship.
We thank you for the opportunity to share in communion, reminding us that the payment that was made in the story that includes us.
You having redeemed us, washed us.
We thank you for the opportunity to open the word and to take a look at it and see ourselves in the story a bit.
To see where sometimes we recognize who you are and we honor who you are and sometimes not.
Sometimes we don't see you for who you are and we fail to depend on you.
So help us to face some of those things, keeping Jesus front and center, but at the same time, seeing ourselves in the way we respond.
We pray that you'll help us by your Holy Spirit to understand the text and then to apply the text.
For the glory of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.
The text is chapter six of John, verses one through 15.
Please follow as I read that text with you.
After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
And a large crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain and there he sat down with his disciples.
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him,
Jesus said to Philip,
Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?
And he said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him,
Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
There is 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.
Now there was much grass in the place.
So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated.
So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples,
Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said,
This is indeed the prophet who is coming to the world.
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,
Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Tests.
Most of us are not fans of tests.
But tests are important to see what we have learned and to reveal how far we need to go to master the material.
In a statement, chapter five was a declaration that Jesus is God.
Pastor Mike made that very clear to us over the period of the last few weeks,
showing us again and again and again in chapter five that Jesus is declaring himself to be God.
Jesus showed his deity and the miracle healing of the man who lay at the pool of Bethesda.
He declared it in various ways to the religious leaders of the day.
All the while his disciples were watching and listening.
It's not likely that chapter six follows immediately after chapter five.
When you see the first two words of the text after this, that means after this.
It doesn't necessarily mean to happen immediately.
In fact, in chapter five, most of that was in Jerusalem.
And yet here we are in Galilee.
The Galilean ministry is pretty substantive.
Whatever that word is.
Substantive.
Anyway, there was a lot going on in Jerusalem and a lot going on in Galilee.
But John sticks pretty much to Jerusalem.
But here we're in Galilee.
This little bit in chapter six.
John wrote near the end of the gospel that Jesus did many signs and miracles.
He did so many that it would be difficult to include all of those, to write those and put them in a book.
It would be hard to put all those together.
But the disciples saw them, pretty much all of them.
And in fact, in some cases, they participated in them.
Surely it would have become clear by now that Jesus was God.
Again, what John said was Jesus did all these miracles.
Why did he do them?
He did all those for many reasons.
But John says the seven that I recorded, these are the ones that you need to look at because that you might believe that Jesus is who?
The Christ, the son of the living God.
And that by believing, you might have life through his name.
So surely by now, it would have been clear even here on this, what is this, the third or fourth sign that John gives?
Surely becomes clear by now that Jesus is God.
We're going to find out how clear that was in a couple of minutes.
Jesus already knew what they understood, but the disciples needed some confirmation.
So one way or another, the test here was whether or not they got it, and then how would they respond to the truth.
Therefore, Jesus gives them a test in verse six.
This test, I think, was mostly for the disciples.
The gathering crowd participated, but the primary target was for the disciples, for the twelve.
To help us listen and learn, I have a test for you.
Okay?
Jesus tested Philip and Andrew and then all the disciples.
The test required two answers.
The first involved the identity of Jesus,
and the second
would express
how they were to respond to Jesus.
The correct answers by the disciples
are also the correct answers for us.
So, as we're talking,
you've got to figure out what those are.
Okay?
They're easy.
In fact, I'm going to give them to you in a couple minutes.
All right?
But they're real easy.
I think you probably already know.
Jesus sets up this test,
beginning with Philip.
And I guess you could say this,
what are we going to do
in an impossible situation?
What are we going to do
in an impossible situation?
Let me set this up.
The disciples had been on a mission trip.
They had been given power and authority
by Jesus
to heal sick people,
to deliver demon-possessed people,
and even, according to Mark,
even to raise the dead.
So, they were given
incredible power
from Jesus
to do these things.
But the main thing
that they were to do
was to speak
of the good news of God
that there is salvation
in Christ,
in Jesus.
So, they're doing
these miraculous things
that Jesus was doing
as he gave them power to do so,
and the disciples come back.
How do you think they came back?
I mean, man,
they were pumped.
They were excited.
But they also came back exhausted.
So, Jesus takes them away
by boat
across the Sea of Galilee
to a desolate place to rest.
And when the crowds heard
that they were there,
they walk around the lake,
and then basically,
shortly after Jesus
and his disciples arrived,
they show up.
And so, Jesus,
seeing them,
he heals their sick,
he teaches the multitude
about the kingdom of God,
and by this time,
it's getting to be evening.
And the disciples
are asking Jesus
to send these people away.
I mean, after all,
they're going to need
to find something to eat,
they're going to need
to get home,
so it's time
to shut this down.
And that's when Jesus
sets up the test.
Here's the setup.
If you compare the four Gospels,
by the way,
this is interesting
that this particular sign,
this particular miracle
occurs in all four Gospels.
Each emphasizes a little bit
differently what's going on,
but it seems that the disciples
first suggested
that Jesus send the people away
so that they could,
on their own,
find something to eat
in the surrounding villages.
But Jesus,
directing comments to Philip,
says,
you give them something to eat.
In fact, that's exactly
the way Luke puts it
in his account.
So there's the test.
The people had followed
after Jesus.
It's one day.
Now, have you ever missed a meal
for a whole day?
Probably.
Did you, like,
go on your deathbed
the next day?
Probably not.
I mean, this was one day.
I mean, it wasn't like
they were starving to death.
It was one day.
And if they missed a meal,
it wouldn't be that big of a deal.
If they were really hungry,
they could have probably
found something to eat
in one of the villages
along the way
as they're heading home.
But this was really not
about hungry people.
This was about developing
faith-filled disciples.
So this was the test.
Jesus asked,
where are we going to buy bread
that so many people may eat?
What would Philip's response be?
Well, it was a calculated answer.
Immediately, Philip looks around
the situation.
He assesses the situation,
and he comes up with this.
200 denarii worth of bread
would not be enough.
There was a supply problem,
and there was a financial problem.
Where can we even find
that much bread out here?
And even if we find it,
how are we going to buy it?
And even if we empty the treasury
and then some,
it would only be a small bite,
not a meal.
This guy's good.
He's a mathematician.
He's a whiz.
He effectively analyzes the problem,
but he sees no solution.
5,000 men plus women and children.
To add all that together,
you might have 15,000,
20,000 people there.
200 denarii,
about eight months wages.
Can't be done.
Send them away.
Let them fend for themselves.
This is an impossible situation.
By the way,
have you ever had
an impossible situation
in your life?
Just asking.
We can see all the hurdles.
We can see all of the obstacles.
I would suggest to you
that Philip got an A in mathematics,
that he got an F in theology.
What was Philip missing?
Well, there was a factor, I think,
to figure in God in all of this.
One commentator said this.
It would have been a different story,
perhaps,
if Philip would have said,
Lord,
why are you asking me?
You made everything.
You're the creator.
We've seen you create.
Surely you can do all these things.
You can make dinner for everybody.
But that's not what Philip said.
He just flunked theology 101.
Nothing is impossible for God.
He made water into wine.
They saw him do it.
Surely he can meet this need.
Do you know what the right answer is here?
The ultimate answer
for all of life's problems?
He's God.
You can argue that.
By now,
the disciples knew it.
In their head, maybe.
But what they should have known
didn't carry over to their response.
So what should have been their response
and what should be our response?
He's God.
Then what do we have to do?
Trust him.
You get those two answers right,
and they're in your heart,
in your head,
and in your life,
you're not going to have
too many overwhelming difficulties
that can't be solved.
You see,
he's God,
and you can trust him.
Those are answers to the test
that I mentioned earlier.
Is that too simplistic?
I don't think so.
He's God.
Trust him.
Well, let's keep going
because there's something else
going on here.
What are we going to do
with totally inadequate resources?
The focus moves from Philip to Andrew.
Again, I'll set this up.
It was a little uncertain
what happens next,
but from Mark's account,
Jesus requested an inventory
of what might be available.
How many loaves do you have?
Go and see.
They did.
And what they discovered
was that apparently
one kid in this massive crowd
had saved some food.
Maybe he didn't like it
or maybe he failed
to eat it earlier.
Maybe he forgot he had it.
I don't know,
but he had it.
And basically,
it was the equivalent
of five crackers
and a couple of sardines.
That's it, okay?
When we think of loaves,
we think of, you know,
loaves.
Not loaves, okay?
Just a little snack.
That was it.
That's all they had to work with.
Often God makes something
out of nothing.
Sometimes God makes a lot
out of a little.
How would Andrew respond
to this test from Jesus?
He failed.
I'm going to call this
a faithless obedience
to start with.
At Jesus' directive,
a search was made
and this boy
with his lunch was found
and Andrew had been obedient.
He gets an A
in inventory retrieval.
Okay?
Good deal.
Way to go.
He also gets a bonus point
for talking this little boy
out of his lunch.
I find that to be
quite interesting.
But he failed
creative distribution.
Andrew made this
faithless statement.
after he brings
the lunch,
here's what we have,
Jesus.
Then he says,
but what are they
for so many?
That's a logical response
to the situation.
Given the circumstances,
most people
wouldn't have even bothered
to bring the boys'
lunch forward.
Andrew's assessment
was spot on,
but faithless.
And then there's
this blinded response.
Standing beside him
and giving directions
was Jesus.
He had made water
and wine.
He had healed the sick.
He had delivered people
from demonic possession.
And remember,
who is he?
He's God.
Okay.
Very good.
Okay.
A couple of you
have got it.
All right?
We're moving
in a good direction.
All right?
Now,
could not the creator
of all things
made fish and bread
enough to feed the crowd?
Imagine if Andrew
had said to Jesus,
I love this,
at this direction,
I have found a boy
with five loaves
and two fish.
I can't wait
to see what you're
going to do with that.
Sadly,
he didn't say that.
And more often than not,
neither do we.
It's one thing
to declare Jesus as God.
It's another thing
to trust him.
So now we have
this amazing revelation.
The disciples
were given the task
of organizing the people
into manageable groups
of 50 and 100.
Jesus gave thanks
and then began
to break the loaves
and the fish.
Now,
it depends on,
you kind of get
the impression
from John 6
that Jesus
was passing it out.
But if you read
the other accounts
of this,
actually,
to whom was Jesus
giving the bread
and the fish
to the disciples
so they could deliver
it to the people.
So he kept handing out
more and more
to his disciples.
They keep,
they continue to distribute
what's received
from Jesus
to each group.
You might enjoy
this kind of corny comment
from the late
John MacArthur.
I'm going to read it
and anybody thought
it was kind of fun.
He says,
with no fanfare,
no voice from heaven,
no lightning,
no thunder,
he distributed
to those who were seated.
He just kept
passing out
crackers and fish.
He was creating it.
These were crackers
that never came
from grain,
that never grew,
that never were in dirt.
These were fish
that never swam.
He created them.
These are the best
crackers anybody ever ate.
These were unfallen crackers.
Those were uncursed crackers.
Look,
I like
cursed crackers,
actually,
so I don't even know
what uncursed crackers
would be like.
Maybe they'd be like manna.
Came from heaven.
And this is a fish
with no mama fish.
This is what kind of fish
would God create
if he created a perfect fish
never touched by fallen world.
Okay.
But they got the food,
all right?
They got it all.
They got all that they needed.
Everyone had enough.
Everyone had everything
they wanted.
Everyone had their fill.
Before the wilderness
smorgasbord closed
for the evening,
Jesus instructed
his disciples
to gather the leftovers
that nothing
may be lost.
Why?
Maybe
to show the abundance
of God's provision.
After all,
they had more left
than they started with.
Maybe.
Perhaps
it was a tangible
evaluation
following the test
that they had today
learned something
about Jesus
and what
had they learned.
you know,
I think the leftovers,
and this is
Les Martin talking,
not scripture,
but I think
the leftovers
play a part
in the next event
that the disciples
would experience,
particularly from
Mark's account.
If you read ahead,
you might be able
to figure that out.
I think it had to do
with the 12 baskets
that the disciples
probably took with them
on the boat
when they encountered
the storm
when Jesus
wasn't with them.
I say that
based on what
Mark said
at the end of that,
for they did not
understand
about the loaves,
but their hearts
were hardened.
Those fragments,
those leftovers,
said,
he's God.
Trust him.
But that was not
their response.
Okay,
back to the test.
Back to the text,
I should say.
This has been a story,
amazing story,
but we're not finished.
So,
picture this,
huge crowd,
little lunch,
everybody fed,
wonderful.
And the people
at this point
are not exactly
participants
in what's happening,
but now they get
into the scene.
What are we going
to do
when the tide
of public opinion
changes?
That's my question.
Here the crowd,
again,
plays a role
in the drama.
They get an A
for recognizing
something very special
and something
very unique
about Jesus.
but they fail
to understand
how they were
to respond to him.
Again,
I'll set this up.
People have just
been fed.
They're filled
and satisfied.
They also have
some time
to think.
This is a great deal.
He took care of us.
He healed us.
And then he fed us.
Moses said
that there was
a prophet
that was coming
someday.
This must be
that prophet.
Let's make him king.
So,
by force,
the crowd
attempts to make
Jesus king.
What can we learn
from this?
Well,
I guess to start
with,
the world's evaluation
is always wrong
about Jesus.
Have you noticed?
There are times
when people
of the world
get excited
about Jesus,
but generally
it's not the real
biblical Jesus.
It's the Jesus
they want.
In the words
of one commentator,
quote,
it may be
the morally
exemplary
Jesus
or the socialist
Jesus
or the capitalist
Jesus
or the revolutionary
liberationist
Jesus
or the counter
cultural cool
Jesus,
but not the whole
Jesus who in the
end gives his
life a ransom
for sinners.
And if your
enthusiasm for
Jesus is for a
Jesus that doesn't
exist,
your enthusiasm
is no honor
to the real
Jesus and he
will leave you
and go into
the mountain.
End quote.
See,
the world saw
their provision
in the bread,
but they failed
to see Jesus
as the bread
of life.
In effect,
Jesus was saying,
you've seen my
power,
but you do not
know me.
You don't know
who I am
and what I came
to do.
The world's
evaluation is always
wrong about Jesus.
The world's
response is always
wrong about
Jesus.
The people tried
to make Jesus
or take Jesus
by force
and make him
king.
Jesus quickly
pushed his
disciples into
the boat
to head across
the Sea of
Galilee again
and that he
might dismiss
the crowd.
We're not told
how,
but he dismisses
the crowd
and then he
goes himself
up into the
mountain to
pray.
I'm guessing
that the
disciples are
quite confused
at this point
as to what's
going on.
Huge crowd
apparently ready
to follow
Jesus,
ready to
treat him
as their
king.
Jesus knew
what was in
man,
but the
disciples failed
to understand.
They had
failed to
realize how
the typical
sinner responds
to God.
It's not
bowing before
the one who
can save
us.
It's
demanding
what he
can do
for us.
this is
always a
response
of the
multitudes.
And
sometimes
the only
response
for the
believers
to move
away.
It's not
possible
to reason
with the
determined
mob.
So the
exhausted,
confused
disciples
leave
Jesus
behind.
They
head
across
the
sea
of
Galilee
as
darkness
falls.
They
row and
row,
unaware
that
Jesus
is
setting
up
an
even
greater
test
to see
what
they
have
learned
in
regard
to
who
he
is
and
how
they
should
respond
to
him.
Remember
the right
answers on
the test
I mentioned
at the
beginning?
Basically
been the
message
throughout
John's
gospel.
He's
God
and
we need
to trust
him.
That's
it.
Most of
us have
settled on
the issue
of who
Jesus
is.
He's
God.
But
I think
we struggle
a lot
with trusting
him in
any given
situation
at any
given
time.
I can
be amazed
at God's
works
and still
not trust
him.
I can
respect
God and
hold him
in high
regard but
still be
guilty of
a lack
of trust.
I can
profess to
be inspired
and excited
by the
word and
by his
power and
by his
wisdom
and by
any or
all of
his
attributes
and still
struggle to
trust him.
Trust is a
real problem
for us.
We struggle
with it
every day.
God has a
way of
teaching us
to trust
him.
One of
those things
is called
unsolvable
problems.
It's called
inadequate
resources.
It's called
negative
reactions from
others who
hear about
our faith
to name a
few.
As these
impossible
problems
assault us
this week
before we
say things
like where
are we
going to
get that
or what
good will
that little
bit do
or why
did they
respond to
me in
that way?
Why don't
they respond
to me in
the right
way?
I didn't
sign up
for such
treatment.
Remember
he is
God.
It's time
that we
learn to
trust him.
Before we
wrap this
up,
why do we
have a
problem
trusting the
Lord?
You ever
thought about
that?
He's
God.
He created
all things.
He's sovereign
over all
of them.
He's in
control.
And if we've
trusted him
for our
salvation,
why do we
have trouble
trusting him
for anything
else?
I've spent a
long time
thinking about
that this
week.
And I
just,
I thought
of a lot
of things,
but it's
like none
of them
really were
worthy
things.
I don't
trust him
sometimes
because I
just don't
trust him.
I'm looking
at myself,
I'm looking
at the
situation,
and I
fail to
see who
he is.
I fail
to remember
what he's
done.
I fail to
remember that
he is my
Lord and
my Savior,
and he
takes care
of me,
and provides
for me,
and protects
me,
and loves
me,
and has a
plan and
purpose that's
eternal for
me.
Do you
remember
Romans chapter
8, this
verse?
He who
did not
spare his
own son,
but gave
him up for
us all.
Here's the
question.
How will
he not
also with
him graciously
give us
all things?
If he
did that
for us,
what's this
other stuff?
in the
same chapter,
Paul wrote,
and we
know that
for those
who love
God,
all things
what?
Work
together
for good,
for those
who are
called
according to
his purpose.
glory,
our good,
always at
work,
and everything
that happens
to us all
the time.
And what I
have to keep
learning is to
trust him.
Now,
did the
disciples
finally,
completely,
ultimately,
trust Jesus
after this
experience?
No.
they failed,
and they
failed,
and they
failed.
Does
Les Martin
trust God
and all the
experiences of
life?
Don't talk
to my wife
about this.
No.
Sometimes
I'm
frustrated,
irritated,
upset,
you know,
and why is
this happening?
No,
you know,
and all this
kind of stuff.
And what
she should
do is put
a sign
on the
refrigerator,
since I
would spend
a lot of
time there,
a sign
that says,
he's God,
trust him.
They
forgot,
the disciples
forgot what
had happened
because they
were focused
on the
next 30
minutes,
not
eternity.
they
forgot to
fix their
eyes and
ears and
minds and
hearts on
things above.
They forgot
all about
the fact that
this is all
for God's
glory.
Are we going to
struggle with this
issue the remainder
of our lives?
Probably.
But here and
there,
we're going to
get it right.
He's God.
I can trust him.
I can't wait
to see what
he's going to
do with the
situation to
bring good
to me and
glory to
himself.
Wouldn't that
be a great
way to live?
That almost
make you want to
have a problem.
I can't wait
to see what
he's going to
do with this.
Let's pray.
Father,
thank you.
Thank you for
your grace.
Thank you for
your mercy.
Thank you for
the test.
These are not
to hurt us.
They're to help
us.
They're not to
make us frustrated.
They're to make
us trusting you.
They're to make
us understand that
you are God and
you're trustworthy.
Please help us.
For those who are
struggling with these
kinds of things
right now,
Lord,
help them to have
that in front of
them today.
He's God.
We can trust
Him.
The answers
won't always be
what we want.
But again,
they'll be for our
good.
They'll be for
your glory.
And they come
out of a heart
of love that
you have for us.
Thank you for
being with us
today.
Thank you for
helping us today.
Thank you for
reminding us that
a lot of important
people in the
Bible had trouble
doing the same
things we
have trouble
doing.
But ultimately,
they found the
answer in you,
Lord Jesus,
because you're
God and we
can trust you.
Amen.
Thank you.