Christ Our sufficientcy (Jn.6:1-15) I.

Introduction:

Chapter 6 reveals Jesus to be the provision for every human need. No matter how small the need or how great the need, Christ is sufficient to meet that need. Phil.4:19 – and my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus . . . This is one of the most basic truths of Scripture. God knows our needs and will provide for our needs. It is a wonderful truth to know that we have an advocate, and intercessor that fully understands the need that we have in our human weaknesses. So we can go to Him in confidence that He understands and will move to meet out needs. Hebrews 4:14-16 – Seeing them that we have a great High priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession . . .For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin . . . let us therefore

come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need . . Tie In: Jesus faced a great multitude and the problem confronting them was how do we meet all the needs of this many people? They pressed upon Jesus and the task seemed overwhelming and impossible. Our text give us four solutions that were proposed to meet the impossible situation. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Send the people away. (Mk.6:35,36;Mt.15:23) Philip (6:5) – raise enough money to meet need. Andrew – help God out. (fish and bread) Jesus blessed and broke it and met their needs.

Practical lesson: We must not focus on our insufficiency, but Christ’s sufficiency!! When ever you have a need give all you have to Christ and allow Him to do the rest. This test was for the disciples, they had to learn to walk by faith. They had to learn to give themselves fully over into the hands of Jesus and by faith trust Him to do great works in and through them to the glory of God. Lets look at our text as Jesus develops the disciples faith.

II.

Inspection of Text: (Jn.6:1-15)

refreshment. God knew we would need a day of rest and refreshment.

A. The Multitude following. (vs.1-4) 1. The Setting For The Miracle. Jesus had just finished His Galilean ministry. He had performed many miracles, yet the people were still hardened in their hearts. They chose not to believe the message of God’s messenger. Though the people rejected His message, they still pressed Him for His miracles. Because the people pressed Jesus to have their physical needs met, Jesus was weary and needed time alone. Jesus crossed the sea of Galilee (vs.1) (13 miles long and 8 miles wide) Jesus wanted to take time to be refreshed, to get away from the demands of the crowds. Thot: Every person needs to know their physical and emotional limitations. Every person needs those seasons of being alone with the Father. To take the time to get physical rest and spiritual refreshment. Christ being a man was no exception! That’s why we celebrate Sunday as resurrection Sunday. It ought to be a time for physical and spiritual

Mark 6:32 – and they departed into a desert place by ship privately . . . Activity does not necessarily mean spirituality! You can be very active and yet not be close to Jesus. You can be busy doing things with people and for people and not be focusing on the one who has done everything for you. The main focus has to be not on what we do, but on what He has done. When we learn to focus on Him, He will do ministry in us and through us. The disciples had to spend time with Jesus. Vs.3 – and Jesus went up into the mountain and there He sat with His disciples. . .  learn to take time to draw from the Lord and to keep focused on the Lord and His word.  Learn your physical and emotional limitations.  Learn not only to minister, but to be ministered to. Have a teachable heart.  Learn to order your priorities.

 Realize your insufficiencies and Christ’s sufficiency. In our weakness He is made strong.

2. The surge of the crowd. People gather around Christ for many wrong motives. These people came not because they loved Him. Not because they believed that He was the Son of God. But, because they were thrill seekers. Jesus’ power and miracles had placed Him on the crest of a popularity wave. A wave which later turned to scorn and hatred and ultimately His life. Its ironic, they loved His miracles, but they ultimately killed Him for His words. True disciples are those who respond to the Word of God and obey it. Jn.17:6 – I have manifested thy name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world, thine thy were and thou gavest them to me and they have kept thy word. . . See: John 10:22-33,

They wanted the blessings of God without the relationship. They were takers, users, they liked Jesus for what they could get. They wanted Christ to change everything for them, without any change required of them.

B. The Missing Faith. (vs.5-9) 1. The multitude grew. (vs.5) Vs. 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 should eat ?. . . The crowds pressed upon Jesus and Jesus was moved with compassion for them. Mark 6:34 – and Jesus when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things . . . Mt. 9:36-38 – But when He saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for them because they were

weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd . . . then He said to the disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few . . . therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest . . . Compassion – to suffer with, along side of, another. To see the need and move to meet that need.  * The Good Shepherd * * Jesus is the good shepherd that meets the need of His sheep. Ps.23:1 – The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want . . . The relationship of the shepherd to the sheep is one of care, compassion, and security. We can rest in the care of the good shepherd. John 6:37 – all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out . . .

Thot: The Good Shepherds love is so great that in spite of their motives. He met their needs. He knew what was in the peoples hearts. But His love was so great that He met their needs. The issue wasn’t whether they deserved it. He poured out His mercy and grace even though they were totally undeserving. The issue was that His love moved Him to meet their needs.

2. Lessons for His disciples. (vs.6-9) a. Challenges Philip. (vs.5-7) Philip needed a test to stretch him a little to prove that he could trust in the Lord’s power to provide for his every need. God brings tests of trust into the life of every believer to stretch us beyond our comfort zone, to teach us to be able to trust the Lord for all things. Note in verse 6 that Jesus knew what He was going to do, the situation was under His control. The disciples had to learn to trust Him. Vs.6 – but this he said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. . .

Philips response in vs. 7 shows a pessimistic faith. He looked at the situation and saw the problem and not the potential. Even in the impossible situation we need to learn to trust God, if it is His will. Because if it is His will, He will provide the means to accomplish His will. Philip saw that it was mathematically impossible to feed the multitude. From the perspective of human resources, the task could not be done. Philip lacked the resources to meet their needs, and he also lacked the faith in the power of Christ to do the miraculous. He failed to look to the sufficient provision of Christ. Most people are prone to focus on the problem and not the provision.  * Pessimistic Faith * * 1. We forget God’s past faithfulness. (Mk.4:38-40; Mt.16:8,9) 2. Has an earthly perspective, not spiritual. Rom. 8:5 – for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit . . .

3. Problem too big or God too little. (Mt.19:24-26) 4. We doubt God so we play it safe. (Jas.1:6-8) 5. We trust God when things are normal, but fall when our situation changes. (Mt.17:19,20) 6. Depends on others and fails to look to God alone. (Phil4:6,7;Ps.127:1;Jer.10:23) 7. Does not see that God gets the glory when He performs the impossible. (Phil.4:10,18-20)

Have your learned to spread each difficulty as it comes along before God? Have we formed the habit of instinctively coming to Him? What is our weakness in comparison to His power? Learn to look to Him daily and rest upon His promise and His person. Ps.43:5 – why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God . . . Learn to go to the source first!! 2 Cor. 9:8 – and god is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all

sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work . . . Eph.3:20 – now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that worketh in us . . . b. Challenges Andrew (Peter’s brother) (vs.8,9) Vs.8,9 – One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, there is a lad here who has 5 barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many ? . . . Philip received an F in his faith, and Andrew received a D. It took some faith to look for some resources that they could use to meet the peoples needs. But he still lacked faith in who Christ was and His power. “But what are they among so many?” Unbelief is infectious. What mattered the “many” when the Son of God is there!! C. the Miraculous Feeding. (vs.10,11) vs.10,11 – Then said Jesus make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men

sat down in the number of about five thousand . . . 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 . . . All fullness dwells in Christ and that fullness is exhaustless. 1. Jesus demands obedience. Even though the disciples did not know what Jesus was going to do, they obeyed the Lord and seated the people. Their faith may of failed, but their obedience did not. The grace of God is not dependent upon the poverty of our faith. But, upon the riches of His grace . Your faith will never grow unless you learn to be obedient. “OBEDIENCE IS THE CHANNEL OF BLESSING!! 2. Jesus demand offering. Jesus took what the little boy had 5 small cakes and two fish and accomplished His miracle. When God

works He does not ask that we have all we need before we are obedient, He takes what we have when we make it available to Him, and multiplies it. God want s to use what we have little or great for His glory. Note the sequence. The disciples came and gave all they had. God multiplied and it used the disciples to be a blessing to others. I Cor. 3:9 – we are laborers together with God. . . Make yourself available to God, and He will provide the provision. You will be a blessing to others, as you by faith appropriate His power and resources. Prov. 11:25 – the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. . .

When you thin you have exhausted all of God’s grace, there is always more left to meet your needs. God’s grace is always greater than our need! The 12 baskets also provided the next days meal for the 12 disciples. E. The Messiah Foretold. (vs.14,15 ) Vs.14,15 – then those men, when they had saw the sign the Jesus, did, said, “this is truly the prophet that is come into the world” . . . therefore when Jesus perceived that when they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him King, he departed again to the mountain by Himself alone . . .

D. The Many Fragments. (vs.12,13) Vs.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 12 baskets with the fragments of the 5 barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten . . .

They wanted a Messiah that could do everything for them and not make and not make any demands. They wanted to use God according to their program and their schedule. Yet, how often have we become angry with God when He did not do things in the way that we wanted?

III.

Conclusion:

Christ is able to meet every human need. His grace is sufficient for whatever you face. His grace is never is short supply.