God’s Provision for You
Luke 9:10-17
July 5, 2009
Intro
I take as my subject this morning, “God’s Provision for You.” God is not only concerned about your spiritual wellbeing; but He cares about your natural needs as well. We are talking about the God who clothes the lilies of the field. Our God even watches over sparrows. And when Jesus talked about that, he assured his listeners with these words. “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). Never underestimate God’s interest in your wellbeing. He knows exactly what you’re facing in your life right now. He knows what your needs are. He has every intention of supplying those needs.
Today we will watch Jesus supply needs when he feeds the five thousand. That story is so important that it is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. I want to talk with you about three ways God blesses us as He meets our natural needs in life. Initially you may not think the first blessing is a blessing; but it really is. How God blesses us while providing for our needs.
1st God let’s us feel our need for provision.
That is really the beginning of the miracle. Miracles always begin with problems. God parted the Red Sea for Israel because they had a fairly significant problem. Pharaoh’s army was coming to destroy them. The woman with the issue of blood experienced a miraculous healing, because she desperately needed one. Lazarus would have never been raised from the dead if he hadn’t died. We’ve got to learn to see problems as preludes to miracles. Amen? The problem is not the end of the story; the problem is the beginning of the story.
So the story about Jesus feeding the 5000 begins with a significant shortage of supplies. Most of us are like the disciples; we’re real good at identifying the shortage. Anybody here short on money? Anybody here need job security? Anybody here need some bills paid? Anybody here got more vision that you’ve got resources? That’s OK. The beginning of the miracle is the problem.
Look with me at John 6:5. Here Jesus calls Phillip’s attention to a problem. “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?" How does a person react to question like that when it’s coming from Jesus? Am I supposed to come up with a solution to this problem? My solutions usually have serious flaws. I think my answer would have been something similar to Phillip’s. “Lord, I don’t have a clue how to solve this problem.”
Rather than giving a solution to the problem, Phillip just tells Jesus how serious the situation is. John 6:7 “Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’” How many know, it is much easier to talk about how serious the problem is that to offer a meaningful solution? It’s almost humorous to watch Philip and the other disciples grope for answers. Jesus must have asked this question to Philip in front of the other disciples. The question was to them as well as Philip. Now watch them struggle to find an answer. John 6:8-9 “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Now here is the way Andrew is thinking: we’ve got to somehow divide up this tiny resource among us all. Andrew is not thinking multiplication; he’s thinking division. This is a key flaw in his thinking. Jesus is thinking multiplication; “be fruitful and multiply.” Very few pastors will plant churches out of their existing church because they are only thinking division. Their mathematics says, “If I give 15% of my congregation away, I have made an 85/15 split. I only have 85% of what I had.” Faith says, “If I give 15% of my congregation away in obedience to God, He will honor my faith with a multiplication.” Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” A lot depends upon your system of mathematics.
Mathew’s account gives us a little more of the conversation. They said to Jesus, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the village and buy themselves food” (Matt. 14:15). Their solution is no solution at all. Let’s just send them all away hungry. No, Jesus had asked about feeding them; not sending them away. Have you ever said something to Jesus that sounded a little like this? “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.” I’m not happy with where I am and it’s high time things get better! So far what the disciples have had to offer Jesus is nothing more than a depressing description of the problem.
But why were they in this dilemma in the first place? Why is Jesus asking Philip for solutions? John does not want us to miss this; so he answers that question in John 6:6. Speaking of Jesus, John writes, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Jesus knew two things. (1) He knew what He was going to do to solve the problem (2) He knew what Philip would do. Let me talk a moment about each of those. I don’t care what problem you’re currently facing, it didn’t catch God off-guard. God’s not sitting in heaven saying, “Wow, sister so and so has gotten in a real financial bind; what in the world am I going to do.” The very thought of that is humorous. God knows what your problem is; and He already knows how He’s going to solve it. Jesus was not asking Phillip for a solution because He couldn’t come up with one. He also knows how Philip will respond. This is a test for Philip—not so Jesus can know what he’ll do; but Philip needs to know. Philip needs to realize his own need for growth. Jesus wants Phillip and the other disciples to feel the problem. He wants them to wrestle with it. Why? Because He wants them to learn their dependence upon the Father.
That’s the blessing in feeling our need for provision. It’s a very real danger for any Christian to lose touch with that. Look with me at Deut 8:10-20 “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest -- when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end -- then you say in your heart, ’My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.”
Has anybody in America forgotten where the material blessing came from? We are celebrating the founding of this country this Independence weekend. That celebration should be a remembrance of the God who “shed His grace” on us. We did not become the most powerful and wealthiest nation on earth by our own might. God gave that to us. If we forget, if we simply celebrate ourselves rather than celebrate God’s blessing—we will find ourselves in big, big trouble. The song “America the Beautiful” reminds us of where it all came from in the chorus. “America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”
Israel did what God warned them against in Deut. 8. I think the same may be true of America. We can hear God’s grief over all that in Hos. 11:7-8 “My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.
8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me....”
The blessing of feeling our problems is that it reminds us of our dependence upon the Lord. It protects us from the error addressed in Deut. 8. There is a tendency in all of us to want a problem-free life. That would be the worst thing that could happen to us. The problems are no problem if we will stay dependent on God and look to Him for the answers. So, 1st God blesses us by letting us feel our problems.
2nd God blesses us by letting us participate with Him in experiencing the solution.
While the disciples were describing how impossible it was to feed the people, Jesus says to them in Luke 9:14 “You give them something to eat.” You’re not just going to sit on the sideline and watch miracles. You’re going to participate in the miracle. The Bible talks about one thing that is absolutely necessary if we are to please God. It’s something that usually makes us uncomfortable. It’s something that often stretches us. But it is a must. Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” How many times in the gospels does Jesus say something like this, “Your faith has made you well”? He said it to the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8:48. He said it to the leper in Luke 17:19. He said it to blind Bartimaeus in Luke 18:42. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
How does God want you to participate in your miracle? What step of faith needs to be taken? What act of obedience is involved? Our churches are dead because of an unwillingness by most people to operate in faith. It takes faith to give a tongue or interpretation in a church service. I remember the first time I gave a message in tongues at a church meeting. There were about 700 people in the congregation. My heart was pounding 100 mph. I’m thinking, what if this doesn’t sound right? What if I’m missing God? Those are the kind of struggles we experience when God is telling us to take a step of faith. I stepped out in faith and gave the message in tongues. I didn’t have the faith to give the interpretation; but somebody else did and it energized the meeting. Real Christianity is not about playing it safe. Religion plays it safe. Religion keeps everything under man’s control. But there is usually a perceived risk in real Christianity.
How does the miracle of feeding 5000 occur? (1) Jesus tells the disciples something to do. “Then He said to His disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of fifty’” (Luke 9:14). Submission to the Lord is required of everyone. The disciples are to follow the Lord’s command. Leadership is about hearing God and operating on what you hear. People write all kinds of books about being a leader. I say the number one requirement for Christian leadership is a tender heart that hears God and does what He tells you to do. That’s what qualified Moses. It wasn’t his great speaking ability. It was his ability, as the meekest man on earth, to hear God and obey. Pastor Cho, the leader of the largest church on earth, used to say the secret of his success was simply to hear and obey. The first thing the disciples have to do is give the directive Jesus has spoken, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” But submission doesn’t stop there. The 5000 have to submit to the command. It wasn’t their place to say, “I think we ought to sit in groups of 60” or “I think we should eat standing up.” We Americans are far to impressed by what we think. The kingdom of God is not a democracy. There is no shortage of opinions in this country. What God is looking for is people who will submit themselves to Him. But here’s a bit of a catch. For the 5000 that submission meant submitting to the disciples. The command did not come directly from Jesus to them; it came through the disciples. That’s what usually challenges our submission. It’s not hard to submit to Jesus; He’s perfect and never makes mistakes. It takes faith to submit to His delegated authority. It takes humility. We don’t blindly or mindlessly submit. But we respect the fact that the Lord sovereignly puts people in authority over us.
Had the disciples failed to repeat Jesus’ order or had the crowd refused to sit down in groups of fifty, would this miracle have happened? I doubt it. That test had to be passed. They had to become receptive to the miracle. There was a response required on their part. Had they refused, they would have not been in a position to receive. You want a miracle? What is God telling you to do? Are you doing it? Are you allowing God to position you to receive the miracle? People usually don’t even know they missed an opportunity for a miracle. They’re simply not in the right place to receive it.
Luke 9:16 tells us what Jesus did after everybody sat down. “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.” Now here is another issue of faith and another step in the miracle. (2) The little that they did have (the five loaves and the two fish) had to be turned over to Jesus. The little fellow who brought that had to make a decision. “This is mine; I thought ahead; I brought my lunch. If others were foolish and didn’t, then I guess they’ll have to go to town and buy something. I had better eat this fast before somebody takes it away from me.” There are a whole lot of Christians that think that way. It’s somewhat amusing to me how many Christians think the solution for hard times ahead is to horde food and supplies for themselves. OK, let’s say the crisis comes. Are you going to shoot and kill those who want some of your provisions? Joseph stored up—not just so he’d have enough for himself and his family, but so he could resource others as well. I’m fine with you storing up so you can share with those in need. Just make sure you keep a generous heart when the crisis comes. God’s not really into selfishness. Get rich in faith and you’ll feed 5000 with only five loaves and two fish.
Here’s why some people don’t get their miracle. They’re holding their five loaves and two fish and wondering why the Lord does bring the multiplication. You have to put the little you do have into His hands. You have to risk giving it over to Him so He can bless it and increase it.
(3) Luke tells us Jesus took the five loaves and two fish into His hands. He then looked up to heaven (demonstrating His own dependence upon the Father). He blessed the food. He broke the loaves and fish so He could distribute it to the disciples. And then He gave it to the disciples. Jesus didn’t give the food directly to the 5000; He did that through the disciples. I believe as Jesus broke the loaves and fishes and handed it to the disciples the multiplication miracle began. As a man full of the Holy Spirit Jesus acted in faith and the miracle began. But the miracle did not stop there.
(4) The disciples were required to follow Jesus’ example. They had to act in faith as well. As they broke the bread and fish and gave it away further multiplication happened. They didn’t just watch Jesus work a miracle; they participated in it. After Jesus handed the food to the disciples there were 12 baskets full—that’s all. But those baskets got replenished every time the disciple took a step of faith, pulled off part of it and gave it away.
Remember the widow woman at Zarephath who fed Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16)? She and her son were starving to death. All they had was a little oil in a jar and a little flour at the bottom of the barrel. Amazingly Elijah told her to feed him first. But he also spoke a prophetic word. 1 Kings 17:14 “For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ’The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” The Bible says that miracle continued for many days. Every time she took the oil and flour out, it was miraculously replenished. That probably what happened at the feeding of the 5000.
The point is Jesus involved the disciples in their miracle. It required faith on their part. Do not think that miracles happen by magic; they happen by faith. You have to step out and do what the Lord tells you to do. But realize you get to be a part of the miracle. That’s better than magic because as you participate God is developing your faith. Remember what we said God is always doing. (1) He is always bringing people to moral choice. Will you or will you not step out in faith and obey the Lord? (2) He is always revealing Himself. 2 Chron. 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him....” God revealed Himself to these disciples as they participated in the multiplication of those five loaves and two fish. God revealed Himself to the 5000 men plus the women and children who ate that day. (3) God is always preparing His people for eternity. As these disciples used their faith in obedience to Jesus, their faith was strengthened. They were prepared for further service to the Lord.
God blesses His disciples first by letting us feel the problem, realize our dependence upon the Lord. Secondly God blesses us by letting us participate in the miracle by faith.
3rd God blessed us by the way He abundantly meets the need. Luke 9:17 “So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” John provides a little more information. John 6:12-13 “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 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.”
First, consider the phrase, “so that nothing is lost.” What a commentary against wastefulness. We are the most wasteful country on the planet. When God set Adam over the earth, He gave him a stewardship. Some of the wasteful things we have done for a fast buck is in violation of that stewardship. Buffalo hunters would kill thousands of bison, take the skin, and letting the rest of it rot in the sun. There is a difference between responsibly using the resources God has provided in the earth verses wastefully consuming beyond our needs. The same is true for every family. Our God is a God of abundance; but that is not a reason to be wasteful. Prov. 18:9 “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster” (KJV). Both end-up broke.
This phrase is even more sobering when you consider the context of the miracle that just happen. God just multiplied it all supernaturally. So maybe it’s no big deal to trash the leftovers. There is a principle here that is all through creation. God wastes nothing. Every leaf that falls from a tree goes into the ecosystem and nourishes the environment. One principle of provision is to not waste what God gives you.
To me the climax of this story is the twelve baskets left over after all is said and done. Do you know what that tells us? God is not going to just barely meet our needs. When He supplies, He supplies abundantly. In 1988 after pastoring an intercity church for six years, the only car we had was an old mustang that had been hit in the rear. It looked laughable as a vehicle. In fact, one time we parked it by a trash cart and they thought we were throwing the car away. As we prayed, the Lord spoke to Jeanie about that situation. And He told her that He was going to provide us with a brand new burgundy car. I love it when God is so specific He even gives you the color. Of course, if you know Jeanie the way the Lord does, you’d know she’s interested in the color. Jeanie noticed in the newspaper that one of the supermarkets was having a drawing and giving away a brand new car. And guess what color it was—burgundy. Jeanie registered for the drawing and began to share how she was going to win that car. Can you imagine how she felt when it didn’t happen? She was mega disappointed. She was baffled by the whole experience. Shortly after that we took a church in Iowa. A man in the church was the owner of the Cadillac dealership in town. He came to us and said, “The Lord has laid it on my heart to provide you with a new car to drive. The only stipulation is that after you put 5000 miles on it, you have to bring it back and get a new one.” He gave us the keys to a brand new car. Guess what color it was? Burgundy. God did what He said He would do; but He did it His own way. For the whole time we pastored that church we drove new cars.
This week God spoke three prophetic words to me: “more than enough.” His provision is always more than enough. Phil 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Verse 19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Pray for One Another’s Needs
For FOOTNOTES/SOURCES go to www.GatewayNixa.org
Richard Tow
Gateway Foursquare Church
Nixa, Missouri
