February 18, 2024

BEYOND BELIEF: THE MULTIPLICATION FACTOR

February 18, 2024

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

Do you need a miracle from God in your life? In today’s study from the book of John, Jesus was about to perform a miracle on a grand scale. He was about to feed a crowd of perhaps up to 20,000 very hungry people with only five biscuits and two very small fish. The disciples, not yet understanding the truth that Jesus was God who had come in the flesh, God’s only Son, had no expectation that their eyes were about to see such a manifestation that Jesus is God. Is that your situation? Do you need a gigantic miracle but don’t expect God to help you? He is able. Learn how to trust Him for all your needs—big or small—as you join us today.

Focal Passage: John 6:1-14, Mark 6:30-44.

The need was great:

  • Read John 6:1-2. As we begin our study, will someone please give a quick overview of what happened on that hillside outside of Bethsaida? Read Mark 6:34. Why did such great crowds follow Jesus everywhere? How did He feel as He watched them? What did He do? Read vv. 35-36. Were the disciples hungry?
  • Where do we get the figure of perhaps 20,000 from the Bible saying there were 5,000? What was most concerning to the disciples at this point? Why did Jesus test Philip?
  • Can you relate to this story in any way? Are there situations in your life where nothing less than a miracle on the part of Jesus will take away your tremendous need? Are you asking in faith, with all sin and addictions removed? As you pray, do you remember to ask that God will help you out of circumstance only if it is His will? Read Jas. 4:2d-3. Why does James tell us that sometimes our prayers are not answered because we are asking “amiss.” What does “amiss” mean?

The chances were small:

  • Read Jn. 6:7. How did Philip respond to Jesus? Can you put this verse into our modern vernacular? About how much would this be in wages? Did it seem as though Philip was suggesting that the idea of feeding the crowd with even a full day’s wage would be impossible?
  • When we ask our Father for a miracle, are we considering His ability to do what is needed, or our ability to make it happen? If, for instance, your car is “on its last legs,” and you have no money for a car payment, do you consider your low budget, or are you aware of the inexhaustible riches of God’s abilities? Read Eph. 3:20-21. Yes, even this.
  • Read Mark 6:37. Perhaps all that was in the cash box was “two hundred denarii” (a day’s wage). Was their faith in the amount they had, or this Person who did miracles?

The resources were small:

  • Read Jn. 6:8-9. What do you think was in the mind of Andrew when he told Jesus of the small amount of food (five biscuits and two “sardines”)? Is there any possibility Andrew thought Jesus could do something with it? In our theoretical example of a car (above), would that be like saying, “God, I have only $23 a month for a car payment”? In other words, again, we must establish whether our faith is in us or in God.
  • What kind of impact would two fish and five biscuits make on a crowd of 5,000-20,000?

But Jesus is here:

  • Read vv. 10-14. After the people sat down, what did Jesus do? Do you ever thank Him for what He is going to do before He does it? How much did the people eat? Was it just enough to tide them over? How much did they gather up? The child had given a “lunchbox” filled with his lunch, now twelve lunch-box sized baskets were filled!
  • The people ended with more than they started with. Do you?

APPLICATIONS:
1. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the great needs in your life!

2. Spend less time complaining about the options.

3. Give your “resources” to God.

4. Let Him lead you through.

Close:

What an occasion it would have been to have actually seen Jesus feeding a huge crowd! Not in order to increase our faith—because we have the Bible, which gives testimony of His creating the world and all that is therein, our faith knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is capable—but just to see with our own eyes how it happened. Did the disciples have extra baskets, and kept pouring fish into those to distribute to the crowd, without seeing the amount lessen? The small loaves, about the size of our biscuits, never ran out as well. In fact, some people must have gotten more than they could eventually eat, as they let it be gathered “when they were full, filling twelve more “lunchboxes.” At another feeding, the one in Mark 8, there were more than four thousand people, but seven “large” baskets of fragments were taken up afterwards. These baskets were more the size of our laundry hampers today and were possibly about the size of the one used to let the apostle Paul down from a window to escape a mob!

Do we see God doing miracles in our lives on this scale? He can, for sure. When He heals our bodies, whether from a terminal disease or an unknown attempt by Satan to devour us, we have no idea what might be happening in the scenes behind us. If our eyes were open to see the Spiritual world, we would probably be overwhelmed at what He does on our behalf. Give Him praise and glory, thanking Him for what He will be doing for you each and every day. He deserves all glory for everything He has done, is doing, and will do tomorrow.

By Sandy Day

February 18, 2024

 

 

/by