WEBVTT

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 Alright, well, last Sunday we heard about how Jesus gathered the twelve apostles and sent them out for the first time on a ministry trip.

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! We heard about how he gave them power and authority to heal people of all kinds of sicknesses and diseases and to cast out evil spirits.

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 And he sent them village to village to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

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 They were to travel very light, taking nothing with them but the clothes on their back.

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 And they were to receive the hospitality and lodging and meals of only one house in each town as they traveled.

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 And so out they went and it caused quite a stir in the region.

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 The big question on everyone's minds was, who is this Jesus sending these men around?

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 How are all these miracles being performed?

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 Let's jump right back into the story in verse 10 of Luke chapter 9.

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 Luke chapter 9.

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 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done.

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 Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida.

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 But the crowds learned about it and followed him.

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 He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing.

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 Here's a map of Israel around this time.

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 You can see the various regions on the map.

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 You've got Judea in the south, just west of the Dead Sea.

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 Samaria, kind of in the middle, west of the Jordan River.

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 And then up in the north you have Galilee.

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 This is the region where Jesus has been doing all this with the disciples.

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 Here's a close up.

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 There's the town of Bethsaida, just on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee.

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 So he's been ministering all in here and now he and his disciples are heading in that direction.

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 The town itself was probably a mile from the shore.

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 The whole area, very sparsely populated.

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 Not a very fertile land.

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 Not great for growing crops because of the soil.

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 Just kind of a grassy wild land.

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 And Mark actually tells us that Jesus and the disciples traveled there by boat.

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 So we might have wondered how Jesus could ever get away from the crowds.

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 Well, getting in the boat was one way to do it.

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 And Mark tells us, actually, that many saw Jesus leaving in the boat

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 and they ran on foot and got there ahead of Jesus.

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 Mark says, when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them.

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 So in the last chapter we read about how Jesus was being swarmed and smothered

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 to the point where he was almost crushed by the crowds that were following him.

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 So this is Jesus and his disciples attempting to get away and to get a break, to get some rest.

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 And yet they can't seem to shake the crowd.

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 The boat ride was it.

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 He barely gets to shore.

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 And there they all are waiting for him.

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 And now to us, this probably would feel annoying.

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 We're kind of used to the quieter pace of life here in Davidson.

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 You go back to your house.

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 You go in.

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 You shut the door.

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 And there's some quiet.

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 Unless you're at my house, of course.

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 Where there's lots of noise all the time.

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 But Luke says that Jesus welcomed them.

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 He says that Jesus had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

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 And what did Jesus do with them?

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 Well, the same thing that he's been doing and the same thing the apostles have now been doing.

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 And he says that Jesus spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing.

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 Verse 12.

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 Late in the afternoon, the twelve came to him and said,

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 Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging.

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 Because we're in a remote place here.

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 And this reply, I mean, think about this from the perspective of the disciples for a second.

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 It's late in the afternoon.

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 It's getting towards supper time and sundown.

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 They're thinking, you know, we need to start thinking about the basic needs of all these people for food and shelter.

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 This is a remote place.

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 They're probably not right in the town of Bethsaida but still down on the shore if we look at the various accounts and compare them with each other.

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 So Jesus, what are we going to do?

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 Let's maybe send them away so that they can get the provisions they need.

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 Evening's coming fast.

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 And this reply of Jesus is something else.

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 Verse 13.

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 Jesus replied, you give them something to eat.

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 This is one of those moments where I imagine myself laughing out loud if I had been there.

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 Skip down quickly to verse 14.

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 About 5,000 men were there.

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 5,000 men.

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 And Matthew tells us in his gospel that this didn't include, this number didn't include the women and the children.

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 What brings out this size of this group even more is what Jesus tells them to do next.

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 He says, have them sit down in groups of 50 each.

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 So imagine a group of 50 people.

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 I'm not sure if we're quite 50 this morning.

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 A little bit more than this here.

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 Now imagine a hundred of those groups.

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 This is a massive crowd of people.

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 And so we have to laugh.

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 Don't we?

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 When Jesus looks at Peter and James and John and the others and says, you give them something to eat.

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 Has anyone here ever prepared a meal for 500 people?

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 Maybe a camp or...

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 Not quite.

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 Even if you did, it would need to be a group effort.

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 You would need more than one person.

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 Think about what it would take.

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 Or how about for 1,000?

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 This is 5,000 plus women and children.

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 How many men does it take to prepare a meal?

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 Well, lots.

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 Because we're not very good at it sometimes, right?

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 How could 13 men who just got off a fishing boat feed supper to a group this size?

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 A hundred groups of 50 people.

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 It's impossible.

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 This is a remote place.

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 There's no kitchen here on the hillside by the shore.

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 And yet Jesus says, you give them something to eat.

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 John's gospel tells us that Jesus said this only to test them.

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 Why did they need a test?

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 Now this is speculation, but I can't help but wonder, is there a connection to what Jesus has just sent the disciples out to do in this moment here?

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 Maybe the disciples were on a bit of a high.

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 We now have power to heal people.

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 And we've been, you know, can you imagine them sharing all the stories of the things that they did as they take this boat ride?

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 And now we come to this moment and Jesus says, you give them something to eat.

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 Well, one thought is that maybe he's giving them the opportunity to do the miracle.

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 Something even bigger and wilder than they've ever done using the power and authority that he's given them.

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 On another occasion, Jesus will tell them that even a tiny bit of faith is enough to move mountains.

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 On the other hand, John, in his gospel, lets us know that Jesus already had in mind what he was going to do here.

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 And so maybe this isn't an invitation for them to try performing the miracle.

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 But a reminder of who really gives them the authority and the power to do what they've been doing.

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 Maybe something like, you know, you've just been out doing all kinds of miracles of healing and exorcisms.

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 Things you thought impossible.

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 But now, here's another impossible thing.

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 Feeding this massive crowd supper out here in the middle of nowhere.

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 Can you do this?

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 Here's where I'm going to remind you from whom the power you have really comes.

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 I'm going to do this.

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 Well, we don't know exactly whether that was what Jesus was thinking or not.

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 Or what it would mean for the disciples to pass the test.

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 All we know is that they seem to have failed the test.

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 Rather than believing and trusting and looking to Jesus for a miracle,

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 what do they start doing?

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 They start counting and doing math.

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 Well, we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.

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 Unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.

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 They start doing math.

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 They start counting.

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 They start tallying up what they have, which is meager.

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 They rule that out.

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 Can't feed them out of our own supplies.

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 And then they very quickly rule out the insane idea of going to some nearby town

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 and trying to buy enough food to feed the crowd because of the cost.

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 And I love the extra details that Mark includes.

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 They say, that would take more than half a year's wages.

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 Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?

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 Or Philip's response, which John includes,

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 It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.

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 Again, we can't help but laugh at the thought.

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 Can you imagine someone spending half their annual salary on bread for one meal for a massive group of people?

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 And still being only enough for each person to have just one bite.

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 5,000 people is a lot of people.

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 Now, I know they ate different kind of bread back then than we eat today.

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 But just to get a sense of this in my head, I imagine a loaf of Wonder Bread.

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 There's about 15 slices or so in a good loaf of Wonder Bread.

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 Not that that's my favorite kind of bread, but we all know what it is, right?

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 Chop up, eat...

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 What's that?

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 I wonder if it's bread.

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 Yeah, I wonder if it's bread. That's true.

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 Yeah, especially if it's the white loaf.

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 All right, well, chop each of those slices, of those 15 slices, up into four pieces.

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 So that would be about, you know, one bite for each person, each piece.

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 Four bites out of one slice.

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 Well, you factor in the women and the children, and we're still talking about over 250 loaves of bread.

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 Just to get everyone one bite.

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 Even if we could afford it.

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 How are we going to carry all that here?

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 Do we rent a cart?

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 And again, it's just one bite each.

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 And yet Jesus says, you give them something to eat.

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 Well, after having them all sit down in about 100 groups of 50 each,

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 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,

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 Jesus gave thanks and broke them.

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 Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.

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 They all ate and were satisfied.

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 And the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

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 Amazing.

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 Every time I read this, I can't help but think, how did Jesus do this?

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 How could five loaves and two fish become so much?

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 I know it's a miracle.

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 But even knowing that, I can't even imagine what this miracle looked like.

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 Like, did Jesus just begin breaking pieces off of the bread and the fish,

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 and as his hand goes to put it in the basket, it regrows and more is there,

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 and then it just keeps going?

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 Or did he have the basket in his hand, and did it just start overflowing from the bottom of the basket with bread and fish?

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 I can't even imagine what this miracle looked like.

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 Did the disciples see the food multiplying and materializing out of thin air before their very eyes?

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 And then to feed a crowd this size, it would have been multiple trips back and forth from Jesus to the people,

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 to each of these groups of 50.

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 Can you imagine them going back and forth with the basket only to find another basket full of bread and fish,

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 waiting for them to take?

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 Like, where is this all coming from?

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 There can be no natural explanation to this.

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 I know people have tried, and I didn't even put this in my sermon,

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 but, you know, oh, they caught all these fish in the nets and dragged it with them behind the boat,

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 and now it's just, or they were all sitting on their lunches, impossible.

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 Bread is, it's not like some, you know, chemical reaction,

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 where if you combine small amounts of certain chemicals, bam, you've got lots of a crystal or a solid.

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 No, these are loaves of bread.

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 Making it takes time.

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 It's a process.

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 There's work that goes into it with certain ingredients,

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 and then it would have to be baked.

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 And then there's the fish.

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 This is meat.

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 This is the flesh of a living creature, now dead, but not dead so long that it's rotting.

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 You can't just whip that out of thin air.

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 And then there's this detail.

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 They all ate and were satisfied.

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 Another of the gospels speaks of them having their fill.

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 Each of them had their fill.

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 In other words, they didn't just each get one little bite of fish and one crumb of bread.

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 Each of them ate as much as they wanted.

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 It was like one of those all-you-can-eat places where they just keep coming around with the platter.

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 Would you like some more?

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 Until you finally put up the hand and say,

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 Nope, I'm good.

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 I've had lots.

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 And it just keeps coming.

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 It keeps coming.

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 It keeps coming.

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 Until they all ate and were satisfied.

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 Jesus just keeps passing it out

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 from seemingly nowhere.

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 I got thinking about this.

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 How many slices of bread would you eat

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 if the only two things in the meal were bread and fish?

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 At least two.

00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:30.120
 Okay.

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 That's kind of what I settled on to.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.279
 How about fish?

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 How many pieces of fish would you eat in a meal

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 if the only other thing in the meal was bread?

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 Depends on your appetite.

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 I'd say one to two.

00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:44.480
 Yeah.

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 At least one minimum.

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 If not two.

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 Depends on the size of the fish and the fillet.

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 If I'm cooking a good-sized walleye for supper

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 just for my family of seven,

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 two adults, five kids,

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 we usually eat at least three or four good-sized walleye

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 along with the other stuff in the meal.

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 So how many fish and loaves

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 would Jesus have to make

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 in order to feed all of these 5,000 people

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 plus women and children

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 until they all ate and were satisfied?

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 Let's just say that it was two slices of bread each.

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 Of that 15-slice wonder bread loaf

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 and one fillet of fish,

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 one half of the fish.

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 We're still talking about 1,300 loaves of bread

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 and 5,000 fish.

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 There is no other explanation for this

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 but the power of Almighty God

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 working through this man, Jesus.

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 And then I love the final situation

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 at the end of this meal.

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 The disciples picked up 12 basketfuls

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 of the leftover pieces of bread and fish.

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 I'll be honest.

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 If I had been there

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 and had I seen that there was only

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 five little loaves of bread

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 and two fish,

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 probably the first thing going on in my mind

00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:15.179
 when Jesus says,

00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:16.059
 you feed them is,

00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.599
 I'm not going to get anything to eat

00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:21.479
 for supper tonight.

00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:26.380
 We're going to start divvying this up

00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:26.880
 for the crowd.

00:18:26.980 --> 00:18:27.640
 It'll be gone

00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:29.400
 and we're going hungry tonight.

00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:32.620
 Even if we slice them real thin.

00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:36.240
 But at the end of the meal,

00:18:36.339 --> 00:18:37.680
 after everyone had eaten

00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:38.480
 and was satisfied,

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.180
 there were 12 basketfuls of bread

00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:42.640
 and fish pieces left over.

00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.980
 Enough for each of the disciples themselves

00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:46.339
 to have a whole basket

00:18:46.339 --> 00:18:48.519
 of bread and fish.

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:51.500
 Even the leftovers of the meal

00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:54.380
 were far more than they started with.

00:18:58.360 --> 00:19:00.120
 But what are we to make of all this?

00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:04.059
 I think there's at least three different ways

00:19:04.059 --> 00:19:05.380
 we can be encouraged from this

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:06.480
 and probably more.

00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:08.120
 First of all,

00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:11.900
 there's a great and deep symbolism

00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:14.220
 and meaning to this particular miracle.

00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:18.319
 And Jesus explains what this miracle points to

00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:21.660
 in John chapter 6,

00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:23.059
 verse 25 to 59.

00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:26.579
 It is a sign that points back

00:19:26.579 --> 00:19:29.140
 to what God did to sustain Israel

00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:32.120
 in the wilderness with manna from heaven.

00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.059
 And Jesus, in John chapter 6,

00:19:35.579 --> 00:19:36.120
 we read,

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:37.660
 he explains that this miracle

00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:40.160
 points to a wonderful, great truth

00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:43.140
 that Jesus himself is the bread of life

00:19:43.140 --> 00:19:44.300
 that has come down

00:19:44.300 --> 00:19:45.460
 from heaven

00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:46.840
 to give life

00:19:46.840 --> 00:19:49.440
 to his people.

00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:52.180
 If you've never heard that before

00:19:52.180 --> 00:19:54.120
 but would like to go deeper into that,

00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.860
 I did preach a whole series of messages

00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:58.300
 on that passage from John 6

00:19:58.300 --> 00:20:00.759
 back in October and November of 2020.

00:20:01.020 --> 00:20:02.920
 And you can find those on the church website.

00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:07.259
 This is a miracle about how God is our sustainer

00:20:07.259 --> 00:20:08.920
 and our life.

00:20:10.080 --> 00:20:11.519
 And it's not about bread,

00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:12.640
 but about Jesus,

00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:16.000
 the one through whom God gives life

00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:17.360
 and sustains.

00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:20.320
 Second,

00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:24.300
 there's a powerful principle bound up in this miracle.

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:26.539
 The whole thing,

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:30.639
 the way that Jesus tests the disciples

00:20:30.639 --> 00:20:33.119
 to how Jesus feeds them

00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:34.839
 to the leftovers,

00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:37.019
 the whole thing is a massive demonstration

00:20:37.019 --> 00:20:39.460
 of how God is powerful

00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.899
 and capable

00:20:40.899 --> 00:20:42.440
 and compassionate

00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:45.079
 to provide all that we need

00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:46.879
 and even more.

00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:50.900
 Maybe you find yourself this morning

00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:51.440
 wondering

00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.940
 where the money is going to come from

00:20:53.940 --> 00:20:55.880
 for something.

00:20:57.140 --> 00:20:58.500
 A certain thing you need.

00:20:59.800 --> 00:21:01.420
 Maybe there's been some frustration

00:21:01.420 --> 00:21:03.300
 or some anxiety this past week

00:21:03.300 --> 00:21:05.300
 as you felt limited

00:21:05.300 --> 00:21:06.180
 and constrained

00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:08.200
 by your finances.

00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:10.420
 Maybe there's things

00:21:10.420 --> 00:21:11.580
 that you would have liked to have done

00:21:11.580 --> 00:21:13.440
 or bought

00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.620
 or maybe even

00:21:15.620 --> 00:21:17.460
 something you wish

00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:18.039
 you could have just

00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:19.360
 given to somebody.

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:22.019
 But for one reason or another,

00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:23.180
 the money just isn't there.

00:21:25.299 --> 00:21:26.140
 And some of you

00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:27.720
 maybe have never known this,

00:21:28.140 --> 00:21:29.160
 but it's tough

00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:30.600
 when the bills

00:21:30.600 --> 00:21:32.259
 are coming due,

00:21:33.539 --> 00:21:35.039
 add on a few major expenses

00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:36.519
 or repairs to the vehicle.

00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:38.640
 Maybe the emergency fund

00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:39.880
 just had to be used up.

00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.299
 And last Friday's paycheck

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:43.140
 is already gone.

00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.039
 And you're just a few good hits away

00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:48.180
 from getting told at the checkout

00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:49.740
 that your card is declined.

00:21:51.320 --> 00:21:52.400
 Insufficient funds.

00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:56.600
 Boy, that can weigh heavy on the heart

00:21:56.600 --> 00:21:58.140
 throughout the week.

00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:01.180
 That anxiety and fear

00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:02.140
 of not having enough

00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:03.059
 or of running out.

00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:03.820
 Meanwhile,

00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:06.140
 others are counting on you.

00:22:07.900 --> 00:22:09.140
 Well, this miracle,

00:22:09.640 --> 00:22:11.100
 this sign,

00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:12.380
 is a beacon of hope

00:22:12.380 --> 00:22:13.520
 and light

00:22:13.520 --> 00:22:15.420
 in that kind of darkness.

00:22:15.420 --> 00:22:16.920
 If Jesus can feed

00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:18.280
 5,000 people

00:22:18.280 --> 00:22:19.580
 in the middle of nowhere

00:22:19.580 --> 00:22:20.940
 out of almost nothing,

00:22:21.260 --> 00:22:23.540
 can he not provide

00:22:23.540 --> 00:22:24.400
 what we need

00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:25.540
 for today

00:22:25.540 --> 00:22:29.280
 and for tomorrow?

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:33.299
 On another occasion,

00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.180
 Jesus said this,

00:22:34.220 --> 00:22:34.519
 he said,

00:22:34.579 --> 00:22:35.799
 are not two sparrows

00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:37.119
 sold for a penny

00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:39.180
 and yet

00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:40.660
 not one of them

00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:41.799
 will fall to the ground

00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:43.859
 outside your father's care?

00:22:43.859 --> 00:22:54.899
 God is more than able

00:22:54.899 --> 00:22:56.000
 to provide

00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.359
 what we need

00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:59.059
 for every day

00:22:59.059 --> 00:23:01.740
 and through every season

00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:04.579
 and through every trial of life.

00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:08.299
 all we need to do

00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:09.000
 is look to him.

00:23:10.619 --> 00:23:11.639
 Look to Jesus.

00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:13.859
 Even if it seems impossible,

00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:15.019
 all we need to do

00:23:15.019 --> 00:23:16.199
 is put our trust in him,

00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:17.099
 our faith in him

00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:18.419
 and ask.

00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:20.759
 And he will provide.

00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.960
 Now, of course,

00:23:24.199 --> 00:23:25.579
 we have to be careful

00:23:25.579 --> 00:23:26.259
 with this too.

00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:28.240
 It's not an excuse

00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:29.220
 to be unwise

00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:30.179
 or undisciplined

00:23:30.179 --> 00:23:31.879
 with our finances

00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:33.260
 or to spend out of control

00:23:33.260 --> 00:23:34.480
 on things we don't need.

00:23:36.280 --> 00:23:37.740
 Greed and the love of money

00:23:37.740 --> 00:23:39.580
 and the desire

00:23:39.580 --> 00:23:40.440
 for all the stuff

00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:41.140
 of this world,

00:23:41.800 --> 00:23:42.820
 whether possessions

00:23:42.820 --> 00:23:44.400
 or expensive experiences,

00:23:44.600 --> 00:23:45.600
 that can still be

00:23:45.600 --> 00:23:46.440
 our undoing.

00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:48.640
 God doesn't promise

00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:49.800
 to give us all we want

00:23:49.800 --> 00:23:50.940
 in this world

00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:51.780
 and in this life,

00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:53.340
 but he provides

00:23:53.340 --> 00:23:54.020
 what we need

00:23:54.020 --> 00:23:56.260
 so that we can eat

00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:57.300
 and be satisfied.

00:23:59.060 --> 00:23:59.920
 I think back

00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:00.560
 to those words

00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:01.460
 that Jesus taught

00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:02.660
 his disciples to pray.

00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:04.860
 Our Father in heaven,

00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:07.059
 hallowed be your name.

00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:09.380
 Your kingdom come.

00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:12.360
 Your will be done

00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:13.700
 on earth

00:24:13.700 --> 00:24:15.220
 as it is in heaven.

00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:18.059
 Give us today

00:24:18.059 --> 00:24:20.160
 our daily bread.

00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:23.640
 Give us today

00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:25.600
 our daily bread.

00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:30.420
 Paul said this to Timothy.

00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:33.579
 Godliness with contentment

00:24:33.579 --> 00:24:35.620
 is great gain.

00:24:35.860 --> 00:24:38.019
 For we brought nothing

00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:38.740
 into the world

00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:40.400
 and we can take

00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.259
 nothing out of it.

00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:43.500
 But if we have food

00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:44.059
 and clothing,

00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:46.120
 we will be content

00:24:46.120 --> 00:24:46.640
 with that.

00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.820
 Jesus said,

00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:51.960
 do not store up

00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:52.640
 for yourselves

00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.000
 treasures on earth

00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:55.960
 where moth

00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.600
 and vermin

00:24:56.600 --> 00:24:57.040
 destroy

00:24:57.040 --> 00:24:57.720
 and where thieves

00:24:57.720 --> 00:24:58.600
 break in and steal.

00:24:59.600 --> 00:25:00.560
 But store up

00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:01.080
 for yourselves

00:25:01.080 --> 00:25:02.140
 treasures in heaven

00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:04.440
 where moth

00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:04.960
 and vermin

00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:05.820
 do not destroy

00:25:05.820 --> 00:25:06.420
 and where thieves

00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:07.340
 do not break in

00:25:07.340 --> 00:25:07.780
 and steal.

00:25:07.779 --> 00:25:11.019
 for where your treasure

00:25:11.019 --> 00:25:11.440
 is,

00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:13.139
 there your heart

00:25:13.139 --> 00:25:13.819
 will be also.

00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.680
 And so we're back

00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:18.740
 to this question.

00:25:18.899 --> 00:25:20.019
 If Jesus can feed

00:25:20.019 --> 00:25:21.519
 5,000 people

00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:23.619
 in the middle of nowhere

00:25:23.619 --> 00:25:24.819
 out of almost nothing,

00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:26.339
 can he not provide

00:25:26.339 --> 00:25:27.079
 what we need

00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:28.019
 for today

00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:30.700
 and for tomorrow?

00:25:30.700 --> 00:25:33.799
 He is more than

00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:34.319
 capable

00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:36.299
 to give us

00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:37.039
 what we lack

00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.360
 to meet

00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:40.240
 our needs

00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.180
 in each season

00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:42.759
 of life

00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:44.559
 no matter

00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:45.340
 what trials

00:25:45.340 --> 00:25:46.200
 we face.

00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:47.500
 And so I just

00:25:47.500 --> 00:25:48.259
 want to encourage us

00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:48.640
 this morning,

00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:49.759
 let's look to Jesus

00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:51.160
 and let's trust him

00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:52.600
 for that provision.

00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:55.319
 Finally,

00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:56.299
 there's one more way

00:25:56.299 --> 00:25:56.980
 that this miracle

00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:57.720
 I think is meant

00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:58.640
 to impact us.

00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:00.200
 I don't think

00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:00.880
 it's a coincidence

00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:02.120
 that on either side

00:26:02.120 --> 00:26:02.779
 of this account

00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:03.880
 Luke emphasizes

00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:05.340
 the big question

00:26:05.340 --> 00:26:06.600
 of who Jesus is.

00:26:07.940 --> 00:26:09.039
 It was the question

00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:09.980
 that they were pondering

00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:10.819
 in the region.

00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.819
 Herod was wondering

00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:12.380
 about it.

00:26:12.620 --> 00:26:13.840
 Is it John the Baptist

00:26:13.840 --> 00:26:14.759
 come back to life

00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:15.380
 from the dead?

00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:17.940
 Who is this?

00:26:19.220 --> 00:26:19.840
 And then after

00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:20.400
 this miracle,

00:26:20.620 --> 00:26:22.240
 look at what comes after

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.259
 in verse 18 to 20.

00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.240
 Once when Jesus

00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:27.299
 was praying in private

00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:28.180
 and his disciples

00:26:28.180 --> 00:26:28.759
 were with him,

00:26:28.840 --> 00:26:29.380
 he asked them,

00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:30.180
 who do the crowds

00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:30.940
 say I am?

00:26:32.360 --> 00:26:33.200
 They replied,

00:26:34.060 --> 00:26:35.400
 some say John the Baptist,

00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:37.200
 others say Elijah,

00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:39.019
 and still others

00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:40.000
 that one of the prophets

00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:40.720
 of long ago

00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:41.900
 has come back to life.

00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:45.340
 But what about you?

00:26:45.560 --> 00:26:46.259
 Jesus asked.

00:26:47.860 --> 00:26:48.700
 Who do you

00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:49.480
 say I am?

00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:51.860
 Peter answered,

00:26:52.860 --> 00:26:54.720
 God's Messiah.

00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:56.420
 Christ of God.

00:26:56.420 --> 00:26:56.420


00:26:56.420 --> 00:27:00.360
 The Christ of God.

00:27:00.360 --> 00:27:01.299
 The Christ of God.

00:27:01.299 --> 00:27:04.079
 The great King

00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:06.360
 promised and chosen

00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:07.039
 and anointed

00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:08.380
 and sent by God

00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:10.220
 to rule over his people

00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:11.140
 in his kingdom.

00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:17.100
 Jesus' miraculous meal for the 5,000

00:27:17.100 --> 00:27:19.880
 is a sign of who Jesus is

00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:22.560
 that he isn't just any ordinary man

00:27:22.560 --> 00:27:25.560
 he is the king whom God has chosen

00:27:25.560 --> 00:27:29.080
 for humanity's greatest and final kingdom

00:27:29.080 --> 00:27:30.460
 the kingdom of God

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:32.520
 what about you?

00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:35.960
 who do you say that Jesus is?

00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:41.340
 have you made that good confession

00:27:41.340 --> 00:27:44.880
 that he is God's king for you?

00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:54.120
 I imagine that Peter and the other disciples

00:27:54.120 --> 00:27:55.900
 were astonished at the things

00:27:55.900 --> 00:27:57.120
 they were now able to do

00:27:57.120 --> 00:27:59.880
 healing, casting out demons

00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:03.039
 but they knew that their new powers

00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:05.940
 were given to them by Jesus

00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:11.000
 miracles like this feeding of the 5,000

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:13.380
 reminded them that Jesus was still

00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:15.860
 far greater than they

00:28:15.860 --> 00:28:20.100
 let's pray

00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:27.539
 Lord Jesus as we look at this and see this

00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:29.519
 even from a distance over time

00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:32.500
 we make that confession that Peter made

00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:34.759
 you are God's Messiah

00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:37.259
 you are the king

00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:39.259
 chosen by him for us

00:28:39.259 --> 00:28:42.379
 and so we bow before you

00:28:42.379 --> 00:28:45.539
 we pledge allegiance to you

00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:49.119
 we ask that you would rule and reign in our lives

00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:52.660
 and we anticipate and we look forward to

00:28:52.660 --> 00:28:53.960
 with great hope and joy

00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:55.700
 your return

00:28:55.700 --> 00:28:57.960
 when you set up your throne

00:28:57.960 --> 00:29:01.140
 and bring in that great kingdom

00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:03.500
 that's promised all through the pages of your Bible

00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:06.380
 thank you

00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:08.480
 that we can look to you

00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.000
 for all of our needs

00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:13.079
 and we pray that

00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:14.460
 we wouldn't be

00:29:14.460 --> 00:29:16.420
 filled with doubt

00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:17.600
 and anxiety

00:29:17.600 --> 00:29:19.140
 this week

00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:22.160
 help us to trust

00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:23.779
 and to walk by faith

00:29:23.779 --> 00:29:26.059
 for your name

00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:27.720
 amen

00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:30.120
 as you

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 as you

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