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Sep 14 '08
(A Series of Sermons on Following Jesus)
Rev. Erik O. Garthe, Pastor - Edgemere Baptist Church
Message #4 ... September 14, 2008
“Keep Christ in Christianity”
John 6:1-13
How would you feel if any of these situations occurred to you while trying to get to work on time? An accident on the turnpike delayed you… Your car wouldn't start… You missed your bus… It was your turn to pick up donuts for the whole office… A telephone call put you behind… New shoes created a blister and required a stop at the drugstore to get a Band-Aid. All of these inconveniences did in fact happen on September 11, 2001 to people in one of the companies located within the World Trade Center. These little adversities saved the life of each person who had to face the above irritants on that fateful morning. Rough times can be advantageous even though they may be very frustrating at the time. [Men of Integrity, November/December 2006, p.11/13]
Biosphere Two, the man-made habitat experiment near Tucson, Arizona demonstrated a great lesson about adversity. The original designers did not create any wind for the giant indoor terrarium. As a result, the trees had no resistance to strengthen their root systems. Without wind to make them move back and forth, the trees simply grew to a certain height and then toppled over from their own weight. [Men of Integrity, July/August 2004, p.8/9]
The unwanted resistance of difficulties in our lives often provides the necessary strength that we might not gain otherwise. Read John 6:1-13
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" 10 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
Matthew’s account of this event adds an important piece of information:
15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." (Matthew 14:15)
After traveling with Him for almost two years of public ministry, Jesus decided to give the disciples a test. That’s clear from the passage. Jesus asked where they could buy bread because he wanted “to test [them], for He Himself knew what He would do.”
• Scripture demonstrates in various places that God leads us into trials to produce in us greater faith. Peter wrote to the persecuted saints in Rome that grief, suffering, and trials work to refine their faith. See 1 Peter 1:6-7
You have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire.
This is important to understand because there are some in the Christian community who teach that walking in obedience to God prevents trials. They preach and teach that God’s blessing leads to prosperity, but never to problems. Actually, we find in Scripture it is through problems that God guides us to spiritual maturity. Obstacles are opportunities for God to show Himself as strong! Following Christ is not the absence of struggle; it is the abundance of grace to handle the struggles.
Dr. Scott Peck’s best selling book, The Road Less Traveled, begins with the statement, “Life is difficult.” Peck claims that most people fail to recognize the reality of inescapable difficulty. Instead they moan about their problems expressing a faulty belief system that life should be easy. Only by working through problems can one experience meaningful life. Dr. Peck says the fear, denial, or avoidance of problems is the basis of all mental illness. [Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled, p. 13]
Through adversity we learn more about ourselves, but more importantly we learn about God and His love for us.
Keeping Christ in Christianity is an ongoing challenge for every believer. This is because we have a tendency to respond to problems according to our human nature, which likes to operate apart from God. It is easy to praise God when things are going well; your faith will be seen for what it really is when struggles come into your life. It is during difficulties that people get to experience who Jesus is, or isn’t, in our lives.
Illustrated in the miracle of feeding the five thousand, in the disciples’ responses Jesus’ test are three choices that we face whenever problems enter our lives.
I. The Choice to Respond with Independence, John 6:7
7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."
Many respond with Independence. Phillip answered out of typical self-reliance in saying that 8 months wages would not be enough to provide a small bite.
a. He quickly assessed the need and translated it into tangible financial terms … but he didn’t look beyond human effort to solve the problem. He was very realistic—even willing to work to make resources, but he knew, like us, that his best effort wouldn’t provide enough.
i.e. When I went to seminary, I knew up front that my work would only provide about 60-70% of our family needs. We would need to trust God for the rest. And He was faithful for three years!
b. His response is very common in our personal lives and in our churches. We plan God’s work based on individual effort and personal resources, rather than trusting the God of glory who created and sustains all things, Phillip’s best answer to the Lord’s question about how to handle a God-size task was to work hard, to rely on human strength.
II. The Choice to Respond with Ignorance, Matthew 14:15
15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."
Ignorance is another common response. By ignorance, I mean ignoring the problem, not a lack of intelligence. Some of the disciples told Jesus to send the people away. They adopted a belief system that said, “If we don’t have to look at the problem, then it is not our problem.”
Marriages end in divorce because couples ignore problems until much pain has been inflicted on each other.
Parents ignore the warning signs of drug or alcohol abuse, hoping that it will just go away.
Churches avoid reaching out to the needy because they only want to take care of the church families. Yet, Jesus showed us the example of reaching out to those with the greatest needs.
Ignoring problems is one of the most destructive behavior patterns that robs individuals and churches of some of God’s greatest blessings.
III. The Choice to Respond with Interdependence, John 6:8-9
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"
Although Mary Carney and her husband arrived at church in the same car, they were miles apart. They had engaged in one of those arguments before church and did not get their problem resolved. Humorously, God’s sovereignty was reflected in a secretary’s typographical error. As Mary sat stewing in church, she glanced down at her bulletin. She and Gary were scheduled to sing a duet during the worship service. Next to their name was typed the word “duel.” She smiled then looked at her husband. The decision was theirs to make a duet or duel. Through the quietness of that Sunday service she reached for his hand and the “duet” began.
When problems arise, we make daily choices to participate in either a duet or a duel. [Passages of Light, A Guidepost Devotional, 1995, p. 9–10]
The best response to adversity is interdependence, which involves working with each other and with God to solve problems. In the narrative, Andrew brought the boy and his lunch to Jesus. Maybe he was thinking miracle?
o Andrew had listened to Jesus preach about the Kingdom of God on a number of occasions.
o He had witnessed the supernatural power of God in Jesus.
o He probably remembered that Jesus once turned water into wine at a wedding.
Maybe Jesus could do something special with a few loaves and some fish!
Andrew looked beyond human ability and saw the possibility of divine intervention. Otherwise, why did he bother to bring the small resource to Jesus? Yet, he doesn’t just presume that God will do the miracle without any human involvement:
Jesus could have snapped his fingers and caused empty jars to fill with wine, but he involved the disciples by having them fill the pots with water.
Jesus could make fish jump in the boat, but he told the disciples to throw the nets on the other side of the boat.
The supernatural activity of God does not eliminate human involvement; instead He takes our gifts, our resources, and our abilities, and uses them to accomplish things we could never do by our own effort.
Jesus is asks similar questions of His followers today. What are we going to do about the many who have desperate needs? What about your co-worker? A fellow student? A family member? How is Jesus testing you? What does He want to do with your gifts, your talents, your resources? An ordinary boy gave an ordinary lunch to Jesus, and He used it to do something extra-ordinary. What might God do with your ordinary gifts?
Moses led a nation with an ordinary shepherd’s staff.
David killed Goliath with a simple slingshot.
Elisha received a double portion of power through an ordinary coat.
A manger became the baby bed for the Savior, and God used a Roman cross to deliver grace to the world!
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Martin Luther King
What’s in your lunch box? Will you bring your talents, your time, and your treasure to the Lord Jesus to be used for His purposes? Will you come and dedicate it all to God, and offer yourself as a living sacrifice?
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