WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.339 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.359 Our passion is to experience and express grace. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:10.500 Join us. 00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:16.320 All right, if you would just fast forward to the benediction in your bulletin, we'll 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:17.719 just kind of go on and get out of here. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:20.780 Thank you. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:23.059 That was great. 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:24.920 Wow. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:26.080 What a blessing. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:30.339 Let me say a prayer for us before we look at the word together today. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:35.140 Father Jesus, thank you so much for this morning. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:36.320 Thank you for your word. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.320 Thank you for miracles. 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:42.000 The greatest of all being you. 00:00:43.099 --> 00:00:46.739 And I thank you for your Holy Spirit, which you promise will be here and ask you to be 00:00:46.739 --> 00:00:49.719 here now and work in our hearts, work in our lives. 00:00:49.820 --> 00:00:52.099 Now I pray in the name of Christ Jesus. 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:53.000 Amen. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:53.219 Amen. 00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:53.259 Amen. 00:00:55.339 --> 00:00:58.019 So it's good to be with you again. 00:00:58.179 --> 00:00:59.500 Remember, Will is in India. 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:01.739 He is slated to come back this Saturday. 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:05.140 And he's going to be teaching at the Bible College this week, so we can keep praying for 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:05.400 him. 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:08.060 And he's doing really well. 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:14.460 So, but I'm privileged to be able to preach again today from the book of John. 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:21.819 As we get started, one of the things you may not know about me is that I love to write 00:01:21.819 --> 00:01:22.379 songs. 00:01:23.119 --> 00:01:28.059 And I'm always, the way God's wired me, I'm always thinking about melodies in my head. 00:01:28.059 --> 00:01:30.259 And in fact, lyrics, ideas. 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:37.239 In my phone, there's like just countless blurbs of little melodies, ideas that are like the 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:40.639 seeds of, you know, I wake up with it in my head and I'll record it. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:43.260 And then one day maybe that'll turn into a song or something. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:47.480 And then I also love to talk to people. 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:49.060 I love people. 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.719 And I also love to talk to people, especially about God. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:58.200 And I've always existed though in this little bit of tension, not knowing how all of those 00:01:58.200 --> 00:01:59.179 worlds combine. 00:02:01.039 --> 00:02:05.519 And one day, many years ago, I asked God, why do I have all of these desires? 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:10.680 To love people, to play music, and I'm working in full-time ministry. 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:14.099 And so I committed to doing nothing but just listening to him. 00:02:14.579 --> 00:02:18.219 And so I asked him and said, listen, tomorrow, I just want to listen. 00:02:18.219 --> 00:02:21.219 Would you just tell me about more about who I am? 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:26.099 Because I needed clarity about the mystery of me. 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:32.079 And maybe some of you have dealt with that, the mystery of yourself. 00:02:32.460 --> 00:02:35.979 And why have you made me the way that you've made me, God? 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:40.599 Help me understand the me, the shell you've put me in, and the way that I think. 00:02:41.259 --> 00:02:42.979 What am I supposed to do with all that? 00:02:43.060 --> 00:02:44.719 Can you just help me understand that mystery? 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:53.259 Well, maybe that resonates with you, but today the world that we live in is also fascinated 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:54.259 with mystery. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.560 And they're always looking to find answers. 00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:03.719 Last week I mentioned a TV show that follows a lucrative real estate businessman. 00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:05.800 He's purchased a large ranch in Utah. 00:03:06.379 --> 00:03:13.079 It's a 500-acre site, previously owned by the government, and the site of purported paranormal 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:14.800 and UFO-related activities. 00:03:15.660 --> 00:03:21.320 And the series follows this team of scientists and investigators and skeptics, and they've 00:03:21.320 --> 00:03:27.400 been brought to this ranch to investigate the reports by testing them scientifically. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:34.140 And one of the things that they've observed recently now are objects that seem to multiply 00:03:34.140 --> 00:03:35.660 and appear out of nothing. 00:03:36.420 --> 00:03:38.920 They're there one second, and they're gone the next. 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.659 And then one object morphs into another one, and then it disappears. 00:03:43.219 --> 00:03:47.979 And they theorize that they might be watching something shift between dimensions. 00:03:48.899 --> 00:03:54.519 And the mystery drives them to look for more answers, and that's what makes the TV show great, too. 00:03:55.399 --> 00:03:57.839 There's another popular TV show that you may watch. 00:03:58.519 --> 00:04:02.799 It's called Loki, and it's part of the Marvel comic book universe. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:09.400 And the TV show follows a guy named Loki who's considered a trickster god. 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:13.320 And he's known for being neither fully good nor fully evil. 00:04:14.140 --> 00:04:17.560 And his main aim is to do nothing but create chaos. 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:24.860 So in the show, he's lost his powers for a while, and he's caught in these different time 00:04:24.860 --> 00:04:25.220 dimensions. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:27.740 And he's constantly slipping in and out of them. 00:04:27.740 --> 00:04:31.699 And he's trying to find the answers to make it all stop. 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:33.240 The mystery. 00:04:33.960 --> 00:04:38.759 Now, what's interesting to me is that our culture loves to look into things like that, 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:41.280 like the TV show and the Loki show. 00:04:41.460 --> 00:04:46.420 But if you bring up a biblical miracle, it is a showstopper, okay? 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:49.960 Conversation killer many times. 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:55.939 And take, for example, Moses parting the Red Seas. 00:04:56.819 --> 00:05:04.699 God coming down and living in a golden ark that provides powers to win battles. 00:05:05.799 --> 00:05:10.439 Later dwelling in a temple, God himself that's constructed by man. 00:05:10.899 --> 00:05:14.099 Then men led by God who predict the future. 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:19.120 Jesus being born of a virgin, resurrection from the dead. 00:05:19.320 --> 00:05:26.460 And don't forget that after that, Jesus just flew into the clouds after giving us what's 00:05:26.460 --> 00:05:27.640 known as the Great Commission. 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:37.740 Our God taking a human body to himself, yet entering into our time from eternity. 00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:45.160 And that same God does miracles, just like the one that we will read about today. 00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:49.699 We're okay with that stuff, talking about it, being on TV, keeping it in a place where I can 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:50.319 control it. 00:05:50.840 --> 00:05:54.660 But when it spills over into reality, it gets a little bit harder to talk about. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:06:01.300 Well, hopefully today we can discuss this, at least one of these miracles and bring it into 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:02.259 our practical reality. 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:08.039 So we're going to be looking at John 6, verses 1 through 15. 00:06:08.719 --> 00:06:11.860 And we'll start just by reading, setting the scene. 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:13.839 And let's read verses 1 through 7 first. 00:06:14.779 --> 00:06:20.000 After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 00:06:20.599 --> 00:06:25.360 And a large crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 00:06:26.219 --> 00:06:29.860 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:33.379 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:38.860 Lifting up his eyes then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:42.500 to Philip, where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat? 00:06:42.900 --> 00:06:46.980 And he said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:53.960 Philip answered him, 200 denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get 00:06:53.960 --> 00:06:54.980 a little. 00:06:54.980 --> 00:07:00.680 So Jesus has gone to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:02.980 It's also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:06.000 And there's a large crowd following him. 00:07:06.520 --> 00:07:06.700 Okay? 00:07:07.080 --> 00:07:08.500 And why are they following him? 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:12.920 Mostly because of the miracles that he's been performing on people who were sick. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:17.640 So Jesus goes up to the top of the mountain with his disciples, and he looks out. 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:18.580 Now this is important. 00:07:18.700 --> 00:07:19.100 Hold on to this. 00:07:19.140 --> 00:07:20.200 It's Passover time. 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:20.719 Okay? 00:07:21.459 --> 00:07:25.060 John, the author, is hoping that we're going to make a connection here. 00:07:25.659 --> 00:07:31.139 Because at Passover, if you remember, the Jews would celebrate that God had set his people 00:07:31.139 --> 00:07:36.240 Israel free from slavery in Egypt through various different things they would do. 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:39.939 And then he led them through the wilderness to the promised land. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.459 Now how did he feed them when they were in the wilderness? 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:44.439 Anybody remember? 00:07:45.099 --> 00:07:45.939 Just yell it out. 00:07:47.379 --> 00:07:47.779 Manna. 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:48.179 Manna. 00:07:48.179 --> 00:07:48.519 Okay. 00:07:48.659 --> 00:07:48.959 Yes. 00:07:50.099 --> 00:07:51.519 Bread from heaven. 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:52.699 All right? 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.099 Now hold on to that thought. 00:07:55.599 --> 00:07:55.859 Okay? 00:07:57.059 --> 00:08:02.000 So Jesus looks up, and he sees this huge crowd coming towards him. 00:08:02.219 --> 00:08:04.959 And he looks over at one of his disciples, Philip, and he asks, 00:08:05.659 --> 00:08:08.159 where are we going to be buying bread to feed all these people? 00:08:09.539 --> 00:08:11.619 And do you think that Jesus really didn't know? 00:08:12.239 --> 00:08:12.579 No. 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:13.339 It says it. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.139 It tells us that he said this to test him. 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:18.120 And what's he doing here? 00:08:18.659 --> 00:08:24.279 He's giving Philip and the disciples a chance to work out their faith. 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:25.259 Right? 00:08:25.579 --> 00:08:27.099 Maybe you feel like that sometimes. 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:34.259 So Philip responds, well, it would take 200 days worth of paychecks to buy enough bread for all these people to eat. 00:08:34.259 --> 00:08:42.319 Now what I love here is that Jesus sees all these people, and he's thinking about taking care of them. 00:08:43.259 --> 00:08:46.019 He doesn't say, what are we going to do with this nuisance? 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:50.480 Look at all of these snotty-nosed, germ-bearing people. 00:08:51.439 --> 00:08:52.720 He says, no. 00:08:53.659 --> 00:08:55.200 What are we going to do to feed these people? 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.160 And you better believe that they weren't all Christians. 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:00.900 They were not saying the right things. 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:03.420 They did not know their Bible verses. 00:09:04.400 --> 00:09:07.440 They did not go to church or Bible studies. 00:09:08.400 --> 00:09:11.280 They were people who were wanting answers about mysteries. 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:13.640 And they were wanting clarity. 00:09:14.040 --> 00:09:15.540 And they were wanting facts. 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:17.920 And Jesus didn't turn them away. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:23.199 And if he didn't turn them away, he's not going to turn you away or me away. 00:09:24.019 --> 00:09:29.039 They were just trying to figure out who they are. 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:32.179 So we go on to the miracle. 00:09:32.379 --> 00:09:34.039 It's in verses 8 through 13. 00:09:34.219 --> 00:09:34.919 Let's read this. 00:09:35.839 --> 00:09:40.839 One of his disciples, Andrew Simon, Peter's brother, said to him. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:45.279 One of his disciples, Andrew Simon, Peter's brother, said to him, 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:50.259 There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.000 But what are they for so many? 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:55.199 Jesus said, have the people sit down. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:57.740 Now there was much grass in the place. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:00.860 So the men sat down about 5,000 in number. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:02.459 And Jesus then took the loaves. 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:06.480 And when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. 00:10:06.959 --> 00:10:09.579 So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 00:10:10.459 --> 00:10:13.559 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:17.159 Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost. 00:10:17.459 --> 00:10:24.059 So they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:30.019 Okay, so after Philip answers, then Peter's brother, Andrew, speaks up. 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:36.879 And he says, well, there's a boy in the crowd who has five barley loaves and two fish. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:38.879 But that's nothing. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:44.100 Now, I don't know about you, but when I think about bread, typically my brain goes to this. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:50.139 Side note, if you've not eaten at the baking test in Huntsville off Holmes Avenue, it is incredible. 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:51.519 And that's where that picture is from. 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:52.820 She's a former scientist. 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:56.840 She looks a lot like Heather Morris, by the way. 00:10:57.019 --> 00:10:57.740 They could be sisters. 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:00.000 And she's just started a bakery. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:00.840 And it's incredible. 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:02.559 Has nothing to do with the passage. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:06.119 But that's what I think of when I think of bread. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:12.479 But the boy that Andrew is talking about here, he would have been a poor child. 00:11:13.199 --> 00:11:16.119 And barley was associated as the bread. 00:11:16.199 --> 00:11:17.239 It was the bread of the poor. 00:11:17.779 --> 00:11:18.039 Okay. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:23.299 And the fish would have probably been like two little dried up sardines preserved. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:26.959 Remember, they didn't have refrigerators, so everything had to be treated like beef jerky. 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:27.939 All right. 00:11:27.940 --> 00:11:32.760 And it probably would have been more like little biscuit cookies of the five. 00:11:33.620 --> 00:11:35.580 And so this is the best I could find online. 00:11:35.800 --> 00:11:36.880 I don't, you know, whatever. 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:38.720 But trying to give you the idea. 00:11:39.680 --> 00:11:41.920 So what does Jesus do? 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:45.120 Well, let's be honest. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:48.800 It sounds like the only person who had any lunch was a little kid. 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:50.400 And the idea is let's steal his lunch. 00:11:51.760 --> 00:11:52.200 Okay. 00:11:53.080 --> 00:11:54.280 That's really what went down. 00:11:54.380 --> 00:11:55.820 That's what the disciples came up with. 00:11:55.820 --> 00:11:57.200 We don't have any money. 00:11:57.320 --> 00:11:58.400 Let's take this kid's lunch. 00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:02.960 So Andrew says, let's take his lunch. 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:04.780 And then Jesus goes along with it. 00:12:06.180 --> 00:12:08.020 Imagine the look on their faces, right? 00:12:08.520 --> 00:12:11.220 Especially Andrew's when Jesus agrees to this. 00:12:11.760 --> 00:12:11.900 Okay. 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:16.100 And then verse 10 tells you that he has them all sit down. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:19.940 But wait, there's more from the book of Mark. 00:12:21.340 --> 00:12:21.780 Okay. 00:12:22.520 --> 00:12:24.600 We get more information about the sit down. 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:28.460 He commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:32.639 So they sat down in groups by hundreds and by fifties. 00:12:32.680 --> 00:12:33.639 You see what's going on here? 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.200 Jesus is starting a grace group ministry. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:38.360 Okay. 00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:39.519 You see this? 00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:41.460 And a connect hour luncheon. 00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:45.019 Right there in the Bible. 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:54.879 So the text says then that they sat down and the men sat down about 5,000 in number according 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:55.480 to verse 10. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:00.059 Now, realistically, it was about 15,000 to 20,000 people. 00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:02.079 It's easy to look at that and think 5,000. 00:13:02.179 --> 00:13:02.860 Now, why is that? 00:13:03.179 --> 00:13:07.059 You may not realize that in that time they counted the men of the families. 00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:11.319 And in reality, there are women and children too, which is, we know, because they're stealing 00:13:11.319 --> 00:13:12.159 the little boys' lunch. 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:14.879 And then Jesus takes the barley loaves. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:16.679 He looks up into heaven. 00:13:17.179 --> 00:13:18.339 He gives thanks. 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.500 And then he feeds all these grace groups. 00:13:21.439 --> 00:13:22.959 So what happened there? 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:24.659 It's a miracle. 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:26.699 It's an absolute miracle. 00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:32.740 Now, I'm going to give you a working, very long, wordy definition of miracle. 00:13:32.899 --> 00:13:34.799 And then we're going to look at something not so wordy. 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.219 But this is from Louis Burkhoff. 00:13:37.699 --> 00:13:40.939 And he says this, a miracle is a supernatural work of God. 00:13:41.719 --> 00:13:46.079 That is a work which is accomplished without the mediation of secondary causes. 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:52.439 If God sometimes apparently uses secondary causes in the production of miracles, he employs 00:13:52.439 --> 00:13:53.740 them in an unusual way. 00:13:53.740 --> 00:13:56.700 So that the work is, after all, supernatural. 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:02.680 Some regard miracles as impossible because they involve a violation of the laws of nature. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:04.960 But this is a mistake. 00:14:05.460 --> 00:14:09.360 The so-called laws of nature merely represent God's usual method of working. 00:14:10.259 --> 00:14:15.360 And the fact that God generally works according to a definite order does not mean that he cannot 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:21.320 depart from this order and cannot, without violating or disturbing it, bring about unusual 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:22.060 results. 00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:28.299 Even man can lift up his hand, throw a ball into the air in spite of the law of gravitation 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:31.079 and without in any way disturbing its operation. 00:14:32.019 --> 00:14:36.399 Surely this is not impossible for the omnipotent God. 00:14:37.119 --> 00:14:40.779 The miracles of the Bible are means of revelation. 00:14:40.779 --> 00:14:50.539 Okay, so some say that miracles are when God works outside of the way things are meant to be. 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:52.559 But consider this. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:15:01.240 In reality, it could be that through miracles, God is temporarily pushing pause on this broken 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:07.879 world to let us get a glimpse of the way things are meant to be and will be in the restored 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:08.399 creation. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:15.279 So Jesus is showing you what heaven is like, where there's healing, there's restoration, 00:15:15.699 --> 00:15:16.720 there's abundance. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:17.860 Right? 00:15:17.959 --> 00:15:22.639 So maybe it's not, maybe it's that we're living in the unnatural and we see the natural. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:25.819 Because sin was not how this world was intended to be. 00:15:25.899 --> 00:15:27.299 We're just so used to living in it. 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:33.359 When we see a non-sinful representation of life, it sticks out, doesn't it? 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:42.399 Okay, if you, I'm going to go now with the lesser intellectual piece, Minecraft. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:43.299 Okay? 00:15:43.579 --> 00:15:44.979 Does anyone in here play Minecraft? 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:45.300 Minecraft? 00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:48.500 Okay, Minecraft is a video game. 00:15:49.539 --> 00:15:50.860 And there's two modes. 00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:52.879 There's creative mode and there's survival mode. 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:57.720 And if you're in survival mode like this, you've got to kind of get archaic and you've got to 00:15:57.720 --> 00:15:59.920 get like different stones and things. 00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:03.379 And you're trying to just survive from these people that try to come kill you at nighttime. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:04.259 Okay? 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:05.440 And that's what's going on there. 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:09.720 But there's also a mode called creative mode. 00:16:10.400 --> 00:16:15.700 In creative mode, you have everything at your disposal and you can fly around and create anything ever. 00:16:15.780 --> 00:16:17.200 And you have everything. 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:21.160 You basically are endless. 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:24.920 And you can fly and you'll see the guy here in just a second. 00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:26.900 There's this little, tiny little dot dude. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:27.240 See him? 00:16:27.780 --> 00:16:28.960 So that's what you look like. 00:16:29.020 --> 00:16:33.580 Now imagine if you are in survival mode and you see that happening in the game. 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:36.740 That's what Jesus was like around here. 00:16:37.540 --> 00:16:39.060 We live in survival mode. 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:41.020 He came into survival mode. 00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:43.639 But he's always in creative mode. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:49.540 He just chooses to live in survival mode with us, for us, to die for us, to go back to heaven, 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:52.900 to make things wonderful again. 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:55.480 So. 00:16:58.920 --> 00:17:02.960 If you see though, it's easier, hopefully it's a little easier way to understand miracles. 00:17:03.580 --> 00:17:03.940 So. 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:12.240 So here though, in this, in this miracle, we're getting a glimpse of God's unfathomable power. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:13.220 Okay. 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:16.460 Now consider this verse from Ephesians 119. 00:17:17.740 --> 00:17:22.480 Says right there that you may know what is the hope to which he's called you. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:25.660 What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? 00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:31.180 And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe? 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.540 Which is all seen when he worked in Christ and raised him from the dead. 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:42.360 So Paul is praying there that we would know the immeasurable greatness of God's power. 00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:48.440 The Greek phrase for that is huperbalo megathos dunameos. 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:53.700 It's like saying hyper ballistic, megatonic dynamite of God. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:55.080 Okay. 00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:57.100 That's God's power. 00:17:57.880 --> 00:17:59.840 Consider this quote by Tim Keller. 00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:01.320 Think about this. 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:05.299 A nuclear warhead is a thousandth of the power of a hurricane. 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:08.799 And yet the Bible says the Lord sits enthroned over the hurricane. 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:09.900 Psalm 29. 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:15.759 A hurricane is just a billionth of the power of just an eruption on the surface of the sun. 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:17.640 Which is just a small star. 00:18:18.060 --> 00:18:21.500 And the Bible says God scatters stars like sand. 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:24.360 Then of course it's just a small sun. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.040 It's nothing compared to the power of a supernova. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.140 A millionth of the power of a supernova. 00:18:29.800 --> 00:18:34.640 And the supernova is just one of the infinite number of points of power in the universe. 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:36.660 So what is the power of God? 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:38.440 Is it a million universes? 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:39.240 No. 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:41.339 Paul says he's beyond, beyond. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:43.660 He's greater than great. 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:50.000 So Jesus lets us see his power in action. 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:55.319 If he can do this with a poor boy's lunch, imagine what he can do with you. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:02.000 If you offer yourself to him in your weakness, in your insignificance. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:13.799 The same God who created the world out of nothing, ex nihilo, creates something here overflowing, okay, from what is brought to him in faith. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.900 So manna, you remember, was just enough for their daily needs and it would spoil after that. 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:25.540 Here, verse 13 tells us that there's leftovers, right? 00:19:25.540 --> 00:19:26.640 Twelve baskets full. 00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:29.019 He's the Lord of the feast. 00:19:29.840 --> 00:19:33.000 He gives us even more than our daily bread. 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:38.539 But we just don't need to be asking for all of our stuff to be filled up all the time. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:40.220 That's underneath all this, right? 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:43.440 That's why the Lord's Prayer says, give us this day our daily bread. 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:44.819 He gives you more. 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:50.759 But we don't need to desire the consumption piece so much. 00:19:50.939 --> 00:19:56.759 It's about the Jesus, God, Lord of the feast piece, okay? 00:19:57.220 --> 00:20:00.379 So let's continue here with the response. 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.980 It may be a little shocking at the end there. 00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:06.059 You may not expect this. 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:16.279 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, this is indeed the prophet who's to come into the world, perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king. 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:20.539 Jesus did the Jesus thing and he withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:22.119 Right? 00:20:22.179 --> 00:20:27.299 When everybody wanted to make him king, they wanted to give him a book deal at this moment. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:31.720 They wanted to send him on tour to talk everywhere. 00:20:32.139 --> 00:20:32.919 And what did he do? 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:34.279 He said, no, no, no. 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:34.859 Bye-bye. 00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:37.200 He walked off. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:39.619 He pulled away. 00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:42.139 So why did they respond this way? 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:47.779 Well, they had been looking for the king. 00:20:48.059 --> 00:20:49.619 You know, the Jews for a long time. 00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:51.279 And remember, this is around Passover. 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.419 Told you how to do that. 00:20:52.779 --> 00:21:01.159 So they would have been celebrating God's deliverance of his people out of Egypt and his provision for them in the wilderness with that bread from heaven, okay? 00:21:01.859 --> 00:21:04.700 And those present would have been looking for this sign. 00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:06.860 And they would have found it fulfilled. 00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:09.319 There's an intertestament. 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:11.019 It's not in your Bible. 00:21:11.120 --> 00:21:12.759 It's an intertestamentary text. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:21.840 So even outside the Bible, there's a text that said, in those days, the Messiah will appear and feed them with bread from on high. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:24.519 This would have been a historical document. 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:26.959 They also would have been circulated and known about. 00:21:27.179 --> 00:21:28.759 And they would have seen this fulfilled in Jesus. 00:21:28.899 --> 00:21:33.619 So the Jews had been waiting for the Messiah, remember, and this is why they wanted to make him king. 00:21:34.439 --> 00:21:36.039 Yet Jesus withdraws. 00:21:36.679 --> 00:21:41.439 You remember the people wanting to make him king to go overtake the Roman authorities. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:42.640 All right? 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:45.080 They misunderstood Jesus' kingship. 00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:47.900 First, it's spiritual. 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:58.519 Before he's going to return to earth on the clouds, ruling in that megatonic dynamite power forever in the new heavens and the new earth. 00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:02.019 Remember, Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:09.799 So he's not going to let them make him king of this world until he brings his kingdom to this world and recreates everything. 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:10.920 Okay? 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:14.879 Now, why does all of this matter? 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:17.680 Right? 00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:22.639 As we discussed last week, worship without witness is not worship. 00:22:23.139 --> 00:22:26.619 We don't bear witness about the things that God does in our lives. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:31.059 We're missing one of the big reasons that he's created us and put us on earth. 00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:32.859 To bear witness to his glory. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:35.539 Much like his creation does around us. 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.720 We are that creation. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:39.079 Special creation. 00:22:39.679 --> 00:22:49.740 And when we witness the power of God, though, something like this miracle, and we don't worship God, yet we just come back for us. 00:22:49.899 --> 00:22:51.159 Oh, give me more of that thing. 00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:54.440 We aren't doing what he wants. 00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:55.839 We're missing that. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:23:02.740 So in the same way that worship without witness is not worship, witness without worship isn't witness. 00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:05.419 But this is how it all comes together. 00:23:05.879 --> 00:23:09.500 When we just come to him for bread, we miss the point. 00:23:10.579 --> 00:23:10.859 Okay? 00:23:11.699 --> 00:23:12.759 Remember the miracle. 00:23:12.939 --> 00:23:14.859 All miracles are meant to give revelation. 00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:19.859 And this was meant to give revelation of this is God to be worshiped. 00:23:20.500 --> 00:23:26.059 Do you have a relationship with the bread from heaven or do you just eat his bread? 00:23:27.379 --> 00:23:31.559 Do you go to him for life or just for things? 00:23:31.559 --> 00:23:37.579 It matters because when we bring our lives to Jesus, he gives us greater life to bring. 00:23:37.659 --> 00:23:39.179 And what is that life he gives us to bring? 00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:39.659 Him. 00:23:40.619 --> 00:23:43.460 When we worship God, he gives us the Holy Spirit. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:48.940 And then we go into the world and we take that life to others. 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:50.839 We point to Jesus. 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:51.740 Okay? 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:56.599 And the miracles are meant to point to that truth that he is who he says he is. 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.400 And we take it everywhere to everyone. 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:02.880 Last week I challenged you, just start with three people. 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:10.380 Who are three people you can pray for in your life where God has taken you where you live daily? 00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:13.180 That you can start trying to bear witness about God. 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:15.299 Kids, this is you. 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:16.779 Adults, this is you. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:18.740 Everywhere we go, we are in an orbit. 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:20.120 He's put you in an orbit. 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:21.859 He's put you there for a reason. 00:24:22.239 --> 00:24:23.439 To shine his glory. 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:30.379 And one of the reasons we don't experience God the way that we want to is because so many times we just come to him for miracles. 00:24:31.399 --> 00:24:34.339 We just come to him as a means to our end. 00:24:34.439 --> 00:24:35.299 I need this. 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:36.299 I'm going to pray. 00:24:36.419 --> 00:24:37.259 I'm going to go to church. 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:38.139 I'm going to study. 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:40.079 I'm going to do my Bible studies. 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:41.479 Give me this. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.739 You'll know when you're doing that when you get mad at him when he doesn't do the things that you want. 00:24:47.159 --> 00:24:48.739 That's one of the telltale signs. 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:54.140 I had that happen like last week and I had to go repent of it. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:58.000 But every miracle has meaning. 00:24:58.180 --> 00:25:01.059 And here's where Jesus explains the meaning of this miracle. 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:02.539 Here's where the gospel is. 00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:03.480 Okay. 00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:06.960 Jesus said to them, this is later. 00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:08.140 Right. 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:09.539 So I'm jumping ahead. 00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:12.159 I am the bread of life. 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:17.859 Whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.440 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:29.139 All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 00:25:29.140 --> 00:25:35.320 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:37.440 And this is the will of him who sent me. 00:25:37.820 --> 00:25:42.500 That I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. 00:25:42.820 --> 00:25:44.759 For this is the will of my Father. 00:25:45.120 --> 00:25:50.220 That everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life. 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:54.220 And I will raise him up on the last day. 00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:59.220 So this miracle was meant to be a revelation of this truth here. 00:25:59.299 --> 00:26:01.200 That Christ would die, be raised again. 00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:04.059 And if you look to him he will raise you up on the last day. 00:26:04.140 --> 00:26:06.920 Until then we have bread to take into this world. 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:07.960 To people. 00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:11.000 It's not about us going and saying give me, give me. 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:13.500 It's about us becoming bakers. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:16.680 And taking that bread out to other people and saying hey. 00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:19.299 I want to share with you what's been given to me. 00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:23.419 Our purpose too is to do the will of the one who sends us. 00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:25.519 And bring all that we have to Jesus. 00:26:26.159 --> 00:26:27.460 Doesn't matter how small. 00:26:28.159 --> 00:26:30.700 And he will multiply it and use it to feed his sheep. 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:33.779 If you love me, feed my sheep. 00:26:34.139 --> 00:26:37.940 But that problem is so many times we go to God only want the miracle. 00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:42.019 But he promises to take what we have and do so much more. 00:26:43.619 --> 00:26:45.220 There's an evangelist. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.559 I don't know a lot about him. 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:48.000 But I came across his video. 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:50.559 His name is Nick Vucicic. 00:26:52.220 --> 00:26:52.740 Vucicic. 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:53.960 It's hard to say. 00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:59.400 He was born though with a condition called Tetra Amelia Syndrome. 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:04.880 And that's a disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs. 00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:07.259 I'm going to give you that heads up before I show this video. 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:12.259 He was bullied at school his whole life for this. 00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:15.720 And at one point he attempted suicide. 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:17.619 But was saved. 00:27:18.539 --> 00:27:19.920 And he became a believer. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:22.759 His family, his dad's actually a minister. 00:27:22.900 --> 00:27:27.420 And at age 17 he started giving inspirational talks at churches and schools. 00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:31.720 And listen to what he has to say about miracles. 00:27:31.720 --> 00:27:37.140 So many of us go to God and say, God if you're a God of love then why is there pain? 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:38.920 And why don't you change my circumstance? 00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:40.860 Can God give me arms and legs? 00:27:41.100 --> 00:27:41.539 Sure. 00:27:42.120 --> 00:27:43.500 My dad died of cancer. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.839 Could God have healed my dad of cancer? 00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:52.200 There are so many stories about people who blessed God and they went through hell on earth. 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:56.559 When you go through the ups and downs, you will cry. 00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:00.279 You will go through desperation and difficult times. 00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:03.700 It doesn't mean that when you believe in God everything's okay. 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:08.360 But I'll tell you right now that God is with you and He doesn't always change your circumstance. 00:28:08.539 --> 00:28:15.100 But when He doesn't change your circumstance, He's still there to heal your heart and hold you and carry you when you cannot walk. 00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:15.860 And listen to me. 00:28:15.859 --> 00:28:22.740 If God doesn't give you a miracle, He has sent you a limbless man to tell you this. 00:28:22.919 --> 00:28:31.279 When you don't get a miracle, God can still use you to be a miracle for someone else. 00:28:32.219 --> 00:28:33.379 That's powerful. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.419 What's the greatest miracle of all? 00:28:40.259 --> 00:28:41.679 Jesus Christ. 00:28:42.339 --> 00:28:43.219 God on earth. 00:28:43.959 --> 00:28:44.879 Born of a virgin. 00:28:45.859 --> 00:28:47.299 Died on the cross. 00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:49.159 Raised three days later. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:52.019 If you believe in Him, you will be raised too. 00:28:52.779 --> 00:28:54.439 What are you doing with that bread? 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:57.199 Where are you taking that bread? 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:03.419 If He's not giving you the miracle you want, He might just be calling you to be the miracle. 00:29:04.399 --> 00:29:06.759 We are walking miracles of salvation. 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:09.439 We are temples of the Holy Spirit. 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:17.400 So, one day many years ago, I told you, I asked God, why do I have all of these desires in my head? 00:29:17.820 --> 00:29:19.360 To love people, to play music. 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.820 I'm working in full-time ministry. 00:29:20.819 --> 00:29:24.579 I committed to do nothing but listen that next day. 00:29:25.779 --> 00:29:26.859 And I just did. 00:29:26.919 --> 00:29:27.980 I showed up and I just listened. 00:29:28.059 --> 00:29:28.759 I didn't tell anybody. 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:30.619 And it was crazy. 00:29:30.619 --> 00:29:33.699 So, it started by checking my email. 00:29:34.419 --> 00:29:37.699 And I got an email from a guy in Florida named Ali Abasi. 00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:42.319 And he said, Derek, I'm in a Muslim family. 00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:44.000 Happened to be online. 00:29:44.439 --> 00:29:45.919 I came across your website. 00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:49.459 I listened to a sound clip of your song. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:51.179 God spoke to my heart. 00:29:51.579 --> 00:29:53.919 And I committed my life to Jesus. 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:57.000 So, of course, I was completely skeptical. 00:29:58.920 --> 00:30:00.279 I reached out to him. 00:30:00.320 --> 00:30:03.160 And sure enough, he had become a Christian. 00:30:03.320 --> 00:30:04.880 So, I tried to help him find a church. 00:30:06.380 --> 00:30:07.539 That would have been enough. 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:13.840 But shortly after that, one of the people I work with just walked by. 00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:16.420 And they came up to me and they said, hey, do you have a second? 00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:19.240 And I was with some, they said, I said, sure. 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:21.240 I said, I was with some people eating the other day. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:22.140 And there was a guy there. 00:30:22.780 --> 00:30:24.320 And he found out that we worked together. 00:30:24.560 --> 00:30:26.220 And he made me promise to tell you something. 00:30:26.320 --> 00:30:28.500 And I don't know why I didn't remember to tell you until now. 00:30:29.340 --> 00:30:30.100 I go, I do. 00:30:30.800 --> 00:30:31.360 Carry on. 00:30:32.520 --> 00:30:37.259 They said, he made me promise to tell you that his dad was dying in the hospital. 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:40.440 And your CD was the only thing that kept him going. 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:41.920 Woo. 00:30:43.660 --> 00:30:45.840 Oh, Derek, there's something else. 00:30:47.259 --> 00:30:48.320 Somebody told me to. 00:30:48.320 --> 00:30:52.020 And I was meeting one of our junior high students from the group. 00:30:52.140 --> 00:30:53.040 That goes here. 00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:56.280 And did you know that she tried to kill herself? 00:30:57.060 --> 00:30:58.200 I said, no. 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:00.520 Yeah, it was the craziest story. 00:31:00.940 --> 00:31:03.880 But she said she cried out to God right before she did. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:07.060 And she saw a flyer from one of your shows on her wall. 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:10.900 And remember that there are people who care for her, that God loves her. 00:31:11.080 --> 00:31:12.360 And she didn't do it. 00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:13.860 So she went and asked for help. 00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:16.000 Now she has a baby. 00:31:16.320 --> 00:31:16.880 And is married. 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:20.000 Then another person came up to me. 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:22.080 This is all the same day. 00:31:22.700 --> 00:31:25.200 And said, hey, I've been meaning to tell you something. 00:31:25.300 --> 00:31:26.260 But I just now remembered. 00:31:26.360 --> 00:31:27.120 Do you have a second? 00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:29.140 The same thing. 00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:30.620 And I said, yes. 00:31:31.620 --> 00:31:33.660 And I was just freaked out at this point. 00:31:34.520 --> 00:31:36.040 They said, did you know that? 00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:37.260 And I won't use their name. 00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:40.600 So-and-so was arrested for shoplifting a few weeks ago. 00:31:40.599 --> 00:31:44.299 And this was a child from the local Christian school. 00:31:44.679 --> 00:31:47.240 Sort of a poster child of Christianity. 00:31:47.899 --> 00:31:50.819 Pillar father in the church. 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:52.519 And I said, no. 00:31:52.579 --> 00:31:53.099 They said, yeah. 00:31:53.339 --> 00:31:56.679 He was stealing adult DVDs from Best Buy. 00:31:58.139 --> 00:31:59.659 He was addicted to pornography. 00:32:00.699 --> 00:32:02.240 He was never told anybody. 00:32:02.959 --> 00:32:06.199 He was so ashamed after getting caught that he decided that he would just, 00:32:06.299 --> 00:32:08.259 the only way out is to take his life. 00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:10.480 So he wrote a note. 00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:14.079 And right before going through with it, he said, God, 00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:19.799 I just want to ask you to bring to mind anyone besides my parents, 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:21.579 who loved me. 00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:29.759 And he says he brought to mind your music and the Bible study that you drove 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:31.039 into every week for dinner. 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:38.839 And then all these other people in ministry started coming to his mind. 00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:41.240 And he didn't do it. 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:44.980 And he says that's the first night that he actually gave his life to Jesus now. 00:32:46.359 --> 00:32:48.839 So I later followed up with him too. 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:51.720 It's like, hey, did you just kind of leave that out at Bible study? 00:32:51.899 --> 00:32:54.299 Like, can we talk about this, man? 00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:57.079 So the point is this. 00:32:57.980 --> 00:33:03.319 When we bring our lives to Jesus, he gives us greater life to bring. 00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:08.079 And the greatest miracle of all is the miracle of salvation, 00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:11.240 of God coming to earth and saving us. 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:12.059 It's really Jesus. 00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:19.619 How might he use your life to bring the bread of heaven and the bread of life 00:33:19.619 --> 00:33:24.539 to a world full of mystery and chaos that is so very, very hungry? 00:33:25.679 --> 00:33:27.879 That's the question I want to leave you with. 00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:29.720 Because they're hungering for him. 00:33:30.379 --> 00:33:35.000 And that is where we find our meaning when we take that bread to those in our lives. 00:33:35.679 --> 00:33:38.879 Christian, non-Christian, human being. 00:33:39.559 --> 00:33:39.720 Okay? 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:42.880 So, praise Jesus. 00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:43.860 Let's pray. 00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:46.059 Father, I love you. 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:50.539 I thank you for the Holy Spirit and getting to remember all of these things. 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:57.400 And I thank you that we now get to take bread together, Lord Jesus. 00:33:58.360 --> 00:34:00.400 The bread of heaven through this meal. 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.460 It's in Jesus' name I pray. 00:34:03.299 --> 00:34:03.579 Amen. 00:34:03.579 --> 00:34:03.759 Amen. 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:10.699 Well, we get an opportunity now to have this meal together. 00:34:11.079 --> 00:34:18.579 And as a minister in the name of Christ, I'm going to be helping serve that alongside our elders. 00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:28.739 But this table is for everybody who believes in Jesus, who are good standing members of church, who have been baptized. 00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:33.039 I don't know where you are with that, but if you believe in Jesus, this meal is for you. 00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:36.400 But if you don't, it's not. 00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:37.860 And here's why. 00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:40.320 This is a better time for you to contemplate. 00:34:40.620 --> 00:34:41.539 Contemplate through prayer. 00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:46.079 Contemplate through just in your own mind questions that you may have. 00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:47.860 This meal is reserved for believers. 00:34:48.660 --> 00:34:52.860 This is the bread of heaven giving food to those who believe that he is that bread of heaven. 00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:56.220 It says we would eat and drink judgment on ourself if we take this in vain. 00:34:56.339 --> 00:34:58.579 So if that's you, there's no shame. 00:34:58.699 --> 00:34:59.459 In fact, you're welcome. 00:34:59.559 --> 00:35:00.379 You're right where you need to be. 00:35:00.439 --> 00:35:03.599 But don't feel obligated to come up here out of peer pressure and take this meal. 00:35:04.779 --> 00:35:05.919 Think on these things. 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:07.319 Talk about these things later. 00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:09.559 Watch. 00:35:09.779 --> 00:35:11.039 Even come up with us. 00:35:11.059 --> 00:35:11.539 You're welcome. 00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:14.019 We're going to take the meal together. 00:35:14.179 --> 00:35:15.779 Our ushers will come forward. 00:35:15.779 --> 00:35:19.279 I'll pray then for you ushers, and then you can come forward. 00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:22.559 But they're going to just escort you to the front and to the back. 00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:26.880 Now, there's gluten-free bread here in the back and on the sides. 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:29.139 There's also wine and there's juice. 00:35:29.219 --> 00:35:30.699 The wine is in the purple cups. 00:35:31.079 --> 00:35:33.320 The juice is going to be in the clear cups. 00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:33.679 Okay? 00:35:34.179 --> 00:35:38.159 And so you can make your own decision on what you would take there. 00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:41.460 But the night, I'll read this. 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:43.900 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, 00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:48.619 that the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, 00:35:49.639 --> 00:35:51.559 and then he broke it. 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:54.599 And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 00:35:54.779 --> 00:35:56.299 This is my body, which is for you. 00:35:56.980 --> 00:35:58.259 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:35:59.039 --> 00:36:02.460 And the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, 00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:04.440 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:08.340 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:36:08.420 --> 00:36:11.960 For as often as you eat and drink, eat this bread and drink this cup, 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:15.699 you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:36:15.699 --> 00:36:18.699 Let me pray for this meal. 00:36:19.699 --> 00:36:23.279 Lord Jesus, we need your bread from heaven. 00:36:23.619 --> 00:36:24.759 We need your life. 00:36:25.460 --> 00:36:28.299 Lord, and we come to you to do this in remembrance of you. 00:36:28.379 --> 00:36:31.199 And we know it's more than a memorial, Lord Jesus, because you work here. 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:35.059 Your spirit is actually continuing to transform. 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:37.239 And even through this meal, you minister to us. 00:36:37.379 --> 00:36:39.939 And you remind us of the tangible reminder that you're real. 00:36:39.940 --> 00:36:43.700 And that bread that you made that we read about today is real. 00:36:44.200 --> 00:36:46.159 And that bread ultimately is you. 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:47.900 So thank you for that. 00:36:48.019 --> 00:36:52.880 I pray you bless these elements from their common use to their sacred purposes right now. 00:36:53.240 --> 00:36:54.599 Minister to our hearts and souls. 00:36:55.059 --> 00:36:58.500 We give this to you in faith and ask you to meet with us in Christ's holy name. 00:36:59.220 --> 00:36:59.500 Amen. 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:05.340 For more information, visit us online at southwood.org. 00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:35.320 Thank you.