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Bread For The Hungry!

11/25/2014

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John 6
Imagine the tabloids if Jesus had come in our generation!  Every magazine at the check-out line would have something to say about Him.  Every newsfeed you follow online would be highlighting the most up-to-date observations.  I mean, sure there are people today who claim to be able to heal and cast out devils and all that, but those claims are usually put to rest, and actual eye witnesses are scarce.  Imagine thousands of eye-witnesses spreading the word about the miracles of Jesus. 

Well, in Jesus' day, word had its way of getting around, too.  Everyone who had seen His miracles in Jerusalem, while visiting the temple, went back to their home town and told all their friends and neighbors.  Word was spreading about the man who turned water into wine, the man who healed the sick and crippled with his very words...not to mention the man who turned the tables and cleared the thieves out of the temple with a whip, and the man who boldly preached against the spiritual leaders of the day.  Thousands dropped everything to go find and follow this "Man."  Was He the promised Messiah?  The divine King of the Jews?

How Do You Handle Popularity? (V. 3)

Have you ever known a "nobody," who became a "somebody?" All of a sudden they change.  It's like they don't even know you anymore because they are so caught up in their own popularity.  Well, there are two things Jesus never sacrificed in the midst of His popularity from which we could learn a lot.

First of all, He never sacrificed His personal time with the Lord.  We won't take time to point out all the places where we read about Jesus praying, or departing up into a mountain to be alone with God, but He most certainly led a great example in this way.  May we never be too busy to get alone with God!  The fact is, we cannot properly handle a busy schedule, fame, fortune, or any trial in our life without continually seeking God's face.  This comes by praying, studying His word, and listening for His voice.  Failing to do this will guarantee a huge failure in our life.

Secondly, Jesus never sacrificed His time with His friends.  More specifically, these "friends" were the ones who had left all and followed Him.  These weren't guys that Jesus necessarily grew up with.  They weren't really family...I guess you could say they were "church family."  Jesus had made a commitment to lead these men and train them for a great work they would endeavor to perform when He was gone.  We all should be surrounded by people we can lead, whether it is our wife and children, our Sunday school class...these should be our "friends," and we should always make time for them, no matter how busy our schedule gets or how popular we become.  

The fact is, as we will see in the next lesson, Jesus was running from the popularity.  He had a purpose in this life that the people didn't understand.  He had to die on the cross, but the people wanted to make Him their king.  The truth about fame and popularity is that it means nothing if it is not the will of God.  Only follow what God's will is for your life.  If you don't know, beg Him to show you!

What Do You Do When The Situation Is Out Of Your Control?

About everybody is familiar with what happened next.  The "feeding of the five-thousand" is among the most well-known events of the Bible (though many do not realize that there was also another instance where He fed four-thousand Matthew 16:9,10, nor do many realize that these numbers only included men.  There were women and children present as well who were not counted in this number Matthew 14:21).  So, we won't go into great detail here but to point out the three personalities in this story:

Phillip - When the people became hungry, Jesus tested Phillip who apparently had something to do with the finances.  "Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?" He asked.  Phillip was quick to figure out how much money was needed so that everyone might be able to get a little to eat.  It was impossible!  Even if they had the money, where would they buy the bread?

There is nothing wrong with being the person who "crunches the numbers" and tries to figure things out, but we must realize that there are things we can never figure out.  There are things that we must give entirely to Jesus.

Andrew - Apparently Andrew took action and began looking for what they had to work with.  He found a young boy with a lunch, but obviously this wouldn't be enough.  There is nothing wrong with taking action, but we must realize there are things we simply do not have the power to control.  We must take our problems entirely to Jesus to solve.

The young boy - We know practically nothing about this young boy, but we know he parted with his lunch.  This is what we must all be willing to do.  Give everything we have to the Lord.  He doesn't need it!  But when we give it to Him, He is pleased.  He blesses it, and He uses it.

What The Miracle Is Really About:

Above, we dealt with some practical application to this story, but you might ask "What was the real reason for Jesus performing this miracle."  I believe each of the seven miracles recorded in John had a very particular, spiritual application.  Unfortunately, the people missed it each time, but years later, after Jesus had ascended to the Father and Holy Spirit had come to dwell in the hearts of Believers, the disciples understood these things, and the Spirit guided them in recording them accurately for a purpose.

This miracle is no doubt explained a bit further at the end of this chapter.  The people are only following Jesus because of what He can do for them physically.  They follow Him because He filled them with bread.  But Jesus says in 6:35, "I am the Bread of life..."  You see, what the people really needed, and what we all need today, is to be filled spiritually with the bread that only Jesus can give through his Word and through His Spirit.

Only Jesus can provide this bread.  But when He gives it to us, He gives us a job of passing it out to the multitudes.  Tell them, "The Master says take all you want.  Don't be stingy! He's not going to run out!"  Tell the world about Jesus and how He is the answer for all their needs.  Keep learning the Bible and keep sharing its truths with others!



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Surpassing Religion and Superstition

11/14/2014

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John 5:1-17
In Galatians 1:6-8, Paul says to the Galatians, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him  that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed”

If an angel showed up this morning and stood before you, and it said something contrary to scripture, would you believe it?  If it said, “I am the angel Moroni, everything you have been taught about the Bible is wrong.  It is an untrustworthy book with lots of errors.  I’ll show you a different book.  It is without error and it therefore better than the Bible” would you just listen to it and follow it? 

How about a man?  If a man in a fancy robe spoke with flowery words, and sprinkled it with some Latin even, and if he told you to follow his words and forget about what you know about the Bible, would you trust him? 

See, some trust their religious beliefs (yes, even Baptists!), some trust their superstitious beliefs,…and some trust the Word of God (without necessarily seeing the supernatural).  Which do you trust?  If you say the Bible, I will have to challenge you.  Really?  Where is the proof?  Do you do what the Bible says to do, or do you do what everyone else tells you to do?  What about the popular songs and television shows?  Do you do what they tell you to do?  What about your traditions and the culture around you?  Do you do what it tells you to do?


In our text, we meet a man who is 38 years old and has had an “infirmity” his whole life, meaning that he had some sort of sickness or disease that prevented him from being able to do anything.  He was weak and unable to get around by himself.  Jesus spots him out of the crowd of people who had been gathered at this pool.  It is a very strange thing what happened at this pool, and the Bible gives us very little information about it.  Let’s discuss a few things about it briefly:

1.  It was right outside the Temple in Jerusalem.  This would have been a common place for the crippled, Jews and Gentiles alike, to gather in order to ask for alms.

2.  It was by the sheep “Market” (1828 Webster’s – A public place in a city or town, where provisions or cattle are exposed to sale; appointed place).  Most commentaries say it should be “sheep gate.”  In fact, most modern translations word it that way.  There is proof that there was a sheep “gate” leading into the Temple where people would bring their sheep to the priests in order to sacrifice it in accordance to the law.  However, we also know that sheep, and oxen, and doves (for poorer people) were also sold right at the temple (John 2:13-16), so there is no reason to believe the King James translators were wrong in calling the area a “market,” and we appreciate their honesty in leaving the word “market” in italics to show that it is their interpolation, in order to give understanding to the Greek word that isn’t used anywhere else but obviously has to do with sheep.  It seems less honest to just insert the word “gate” as modern translations have done, assuming that to be correct just because we know there was a “sheep gate” at the temple.  I’ll stick with the King James version and just suppose there was a sheep “market” in the area of the pool.

3. This pool mysteriously moved and was said to heal the diseases of the first person that entered the pool when it began to move.  There are at least three possibilities for this mystery.     
 -It really happened, an angel did come down and stir the waters, and the first person in the water was healed (That this would have been happening without Christ being the cause and without it pointing men to Him, seems very unlikely to me).
 -It was an "old wives' tale" and didn't actually happen the way people said it did (perhaps the water did move and even contained some natural healing properties, but it wasn't the work of an angel and it didn't actually heal only the first person who entered the water), or...
 -It was a scam.  It makes perfect sense to me that, in an area (market) where corrupt Jews tried to profit off of the poor and needy who would do anything to be healed and forgiven, they might make up a story and trick people into giving all they had in an attempt to be healed (like modern "faith healing" ministries).


Then Jesus shows up!

One must wonder who in Jerusalem hadn't heard about Jesus yet?  And if anyone just listened to His words, why did so many not accept that He was the Christ?  Se we are shocked when we read that Jesus offers healing and the impotent man says "But I have no man to put me into the water."  We wonder why he didn't get it?

Later, when the man is healed and the Pharisees criticize Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, we ask "Why can't they understand that He is Lord of the Sabbath?"  Why can't the people see that this Miracle Worker is the Messiah? 

But let's be honest.  Today, we have God's complete, inspired, infallible Word.  We read about the works of Christ and the moving of the Spirit in the New Testament church.  In our lives as Christians, we have seen the working of the Lord.  We have seen other lives changed and people comforted in time of trouble. We have seen God provide the miraculous (in His way and in His timing).  Yet when trials come, we set the Bible aside and turn to worldly wisdom for our answers.  When we have fear, we put our hope in false religion and superstition instead of trusting God's Holy Word.


All seven miracles recorded in John have spiritual meanings.  Unfortunately, the people didn't seem to get it.  In fact, John even says that it was only after Jesus rose and they were given the Spirit that they remembered these things and understood them.  If you are saved, you have the Spirit in you.  Surely you realize that this is more than a story to show Jesus had power over sickness.  

This miracle is to show that Jesus is, and forever will be, Lord!  Forget your "Jewish feast," Jesus is here!  Forget the temple, the sheep sacrifices...forget the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus is here!  Forget your Sabbaths, forget your religions and superstitions.  Jesus is here!  Trust Him and believe His Word, and you will find what you need!  
 

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    Bro. Rocky

    Currently serving as the pastor at Iola Baptist Temple in Iola, KS. 

    Husband, father, life-long Bible student, artist, ultra runner wannabe, and outdoor enthusiast.

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