Thank you for listening to Riverbend Churches Podcast.
To find out more about this message or Riverbend Church,
connect with us online at Riverbend Church dot live.
I just want to draw your attention to that connect card
because one of the things that we're doing, we're looking at
Easter. We're going ahead and looking
forward at Easter. We talked about this last week,
that Easter week, really, really excited about being able to
worship the resurrection. With you, but that's going to
start. Friday evening, I believe that
that's April 3rd with a Good Friday service here at 5:30.
And then on April 4th, that's that Saturday night, we're doing
a volunteer service. And what that means is like,
listen, when it comes to Easter, there's just an openness to, to
an invite with people. So that means that we anticipate
a lot of guests here with us, which means that we need your
help. If you call Riverbend home, if
you've been a part of Riverbend coming to Riverbend, I would say
from any anywhere from 6 to 8 months and beyond and aren't
plugged into an area of serving already.
I would just invite you and highly encourage you just take a
look at that connect card at the bottom.
There's serving opportunities when you check a box.
We're not signing you up for life at all.
That just basically allows if you check a box of a point of
interest in volunteering or serving for Easter, that lets us
know to to get you into the hands of one of our ministry
leads to where they can follow up with you and they can talk
with you about what it means for you to plug in maybe just for
that Easter morning. And who knows, you may find out
that you really enjoy it and you continue on.
But we would highly encourage everyone who calls Riverbend
home to to check an area to where you can serve on Sunday
morning, April 5th. And we also, the reason that we
do the Saturday night service is because we know that if you're
serving on Easter Sunday, we're not able to get in here.
During a service time. So that Saturday night.
Service at 5:00. 30 That is for our volunteers.
And then of course, Easter Sunday, really looking ahead at
that this morning at the 11:00 service, we get to celebrate
baptism. Just some amazing, amazing God
stories that we'll get to celebrate.
So, you know, if you want to stick around after the service
and stick around towards the beginning of that, just be able
to celebrate with us, that would be phenomenal.
And then if you are new to Riverbend and you want to know
more about who we are, kind of behind the scenes, look where
we've been, where we are, where we since God is taking us, we
have a free lunch called Discover Riverbend.
It'll be right after the 11:00 service.
So in the 930 service, you have time, run home, run some
errands, whatever. You come back here, join us
downstairs in the theater at 12:30 and we look forward just
to spending. Some time.
With you now, there's also a big elephant in the room.
I understand that like. Why is my hand wrapped and why
is my face skinned up? I've been trying to come up with
good stories. I really have.
One that I've heard is I told Julie what I was going to preach
and she said no, you're not, and that's not what happened.
Another was I got in a fight. And apparently nobody.
Believes that it kind of hurts my feelings actually.
The truth is, I was last. Night at the Gainesville.
Square. And did y'all know that if you
walk in in the square? In that main area.
That there are two steps. That you have to step down.
I didn't. So minding my own business,
having a great day, nice weather out and the next thing I know
I'm skidding on my face and and sliding on my hand and it.
Hurt and I'm trying. To hold back.
Tears. And there's two.
Guys that are that are helping me UPS like hey man how you
doing? And to make matters.
Worse, there's this massive. Saint Patrick's Day.
Party going on to the other side of the square so I know what
they're thinking why I fell and I was like no you know I just
didn't see the stairs so anyway that's it as as boring as the as
reality is so I am taking some missions for better stories to
tell people if you're interested but in all seriousness you know
it is so great just being able to be with you this morning and
be able to worship with you you know one of the things that that
is just crazy to believe is when we survey kind of our community
I would say that over the last. 8 days since the the the tragic
passing and death of coach. Hughes there's there's been a
wider range of emotions. There, there's a deep sense of
hurt. And loss and grief over, over,
over the passing of Coach Hughes there.
There's a an immense measure of of.
Loss and grief on. Behalf of of Laura.
And and Luke and. Owen.
I think that there's a a. Lot of.
Hurt and loss and grief. On behalf of Five High School.
Students and their and their. Families and then.
I think that. There's this, this collective
community anger. At A at a media and their social
media postings that have that repeatedly mischaracterize the
entire. Ordeal and listen that that's
that's on top of the individual and the personal.
Heartaches and heart breaks and hard times that I think that
every single one of us are going through.
And I think that deep down, we want to really be a part of the.
Of the healing process. As a matter of fact, I'd go so
far to say that whether you're in the room or with us online, I
think that the vast majority of us, we want to in some way,
somehow be a part of the healing process to bring help and
healing to, to, to, to the broken hearted in our community.
Maybe the broken hearted within our own home, the broken hearted
within our, within our sphere of influence, our friend group.
But here's the problem, And maybe I'm the only one, but I,
I, I don't think that I am. Here's the problem.
We just don't know where to start.
We don't know where to start when it comes to being a part.
Of the healing process of all the.
Needs that we see. Going on around us.
And, and here's what I would tell you is if that's you, if
you want to be a part, if you want to be used to help bring
about healing, whether it's in your community, maybe it's in
your family, maybe it is you're just really convicted over the.
Lostness and the brokenness. Of the world that we see around.
US. And you don't know where to
start. I would tell you this morning,
you're in the right place because that's exactly what
we're going to be taking a look at this morning.
So exactly what we're going to be taking a look at this
morning. A couple weeks ago, or actually
last week, we began a brand new sermon series called borrowed
and in in the in in in the Bible, we're able to read about
Jesus life where Jesus borrowed 5 things.
He borrowed a boat, he borrowed some bread, he borrowed a
donkey, borrowed a room, and he borrowed A barred a tomb.
This morning we're going to take a look.
At the second instance. Of those things that he borrowed
and even though, even though all five of those items that he
borrowed, God uses to teach us in different ways has has
something different for us to learn from each of those five
items. I think that there's a unifying
truth. There's there there's something
that we we we're calling the big idea throughout this series.
And if you're taking notes with us here it is, is what Jesus
borrows, he blesses to use for our good and for his glory.
What Jesus borrows, whether it's a boat or some bread or a donkey
or a room or a tomb, what Jesus borrows, he blesses to use for
our good and for his glory. So this morning we're going to
dive into those second, that second instance to where we're
going to see very popular story, very popular event, very popular
narrative in Jesus ministry. It's where Jesus took bread and
he he, he, he broke it and he blessed it and he multiplied and
he fed over 5000 people. So if you have a Bible with you,
I want to invite you to find Luke chapter 6 or John chapter
6, John chapter 6 with me this morning.
And once you find your way there, we'll go ahead and pick
it up in verse 1. So we're going to go John
chapter 6 one through 14, he says after this and we'll talk
about what the. This is in just a moment.
After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of
Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a large crowd was
following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on
the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain
and there he sat down with his disciples.
Now the Passover was a feast, or the Passover, the Feast of the
Jews was at hand. We'll come back to that because
that's pretty important background lifting up Jesus eyes
looking up, lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a large
crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, one of
Jesus disciples. Where where are we to buy bread
so that these people may eat? Jesus said this to to test
Philip for he himself knew what he would do and he's God.
Philip answered him. 200 An airy worth of bread would not be
enough for each of them to get a little.
Then one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
said to Jesus, hey, there's a boy here who has five barley
loaves and two fish, but what are they for?
So many and Jesus said have the. People sit down.
Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down,
about 5000 in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, and
when he'd given thanks, he distributed them to those who
were seated, so also the fish as much as they wanted.
And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples,
gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be
lost. So they gathered them up and
filled 12 baskets with. Fragments from the five.
Barley loaves left by those who had.
Eaten Verse. 14 When the people saw the sign that they had that
he had done, they said, This is indeed the prophet who is.
To come into the world. Now, just to make sure that
we're all on the same. Page.
Give you a little. Bit of background.
Of what's going into. John, Chapter 6.
John chapter 6 is right after. Jesus finds out that.
His, that his. Cousin John the Baptist.
Has been beheaded. So when we read in John chapter
6 verse one the after this he he we're we're told that Jesus gets
away he he's almost getting away to the other side of the Sea of
Galilee just to spend some time with his closest friends just as
a as a time of grieving the loss of John the Baptist.
But word starts to get out about the about the whereabouts and
the movements of Jesus. So there's this huge crowd that
travels around the Sea of Galilee and kind of tracks Jesus
down because Jesus has immense popularity at this point in time
in his ministry. It is through his teaching and
it's through his performing of miracles.
So this massive crowd is is looking to follow Jesus because
they want to hear him teach and they also want to see him do
some miracles and hopefully be the recipient of a miracle
themselves. Now John 6 verse 4 tells us it
was the time of the. Past Passover, the festival.
Of the Passover. Now what's the Passover?
The Passover was and still is a festival that's celebrated by
Jews to commemorate God setting them free.
The Jewish people, setting them free from Egypt.
And from slavery. And it derives from, if you go
back at the very beginning of the book of Exodus, it derives
from the 10th, the last and the final of the 10 plagues that God
brought down upon the people of Egypt.
And that 10th plague was God would go by one night and he
would kill the first born in every household that did not
have the blood of a lamb painted over his doorpost.
God would literally Passover that house.
That's where. That's where the feast of
Passover. Comes from.
So theologically, Jesus is doing this miracle during the feast of
Passover as a precursor to where he's about to say, if you keep
reading in the book of John, he's about to refer to himself
as the bread of life. And that's going to start to
make more sense to the disciples after.
This miracle. But theologically, he's doing
this miracle during the feast of Passover as a foreshadowing that
he is the ultimate sacrifice. He is the Lamb that is sat.
There will be sacrifice for the sins of the world.
That will that, that, that, that will, that will keep God's wrath
from coming upon the sins of the people as long as you have.
Accepted the sacrifice. Of Jesus.
That's theological, but practically it's important for
us to know that there's so many people that have swarmed this
area for this time of the year, the Feast of Passover.
So food would be scarce back in those days.
There was no like mobile ordering.
There was no Uber Eats, there was no catering, there was no
DoorDash. And even if there was the, the,
the, the local vendors, the local restaurants, they would
probably be really, really low on food because so many people
have swamped this area to come into this area from all over the
world to celebrate the feast of Passover.
So as people start to gather, as the crowd starts to gather,
there's a question that starts to percolate.
And Jesus is actually the one that asks the questions.
You pick that up, he's the one that asks the question, Hey,
where are we to buy bread so that all these people can eat?
And, and I believe that it's right there.
I believe that it's right there that the disciples face the same
quandary that you and I face when we're looking at great need
around us and we don't even know where to start.
If you're taking notes with us, let me show you two major ways
of why we don't even know where to start.
And this is playing out through the disciples.
Check this out. I don't know where to start
because I believe #1 the problem's too big.
I don't know where to start because I believe #1 the problem
is too big. Check this out.
Look at what Jesus asked Phillip and then look at Phillips
response here. Phillip answered him, hey, where
we need to buy bread enough for these people to eat?
Phillip answered him. Hey, 200 and Neri worth of bread
would not be enough for each of them to get a little.
I kind of get the sense that Phillip as more and more people
are are are coming on to the scene, Phillips kind of doing
the calculations in his mind. Isn't it interesting how Phillip
immediately pops off with this answer?
Hey, more than 202 hundred and Neri.
They would it wouldn't be enough.
Now 200 and Neri, the modern day equivalent is anywhere between
10 and $20,000 or 6 to 8 months wages.
Phillip is is just calculating. He's tabulating in his mind.
Hey 200 and Neri 10 to $20,000. Jesus that isn't going to be
enough. 86 to 8 months wages. I don't.
Think that's going to be enough? Jesus, he he was analyzing the
situation. Do do we have any like over
analyzers here this morning in the room online?
Hey, you are my people man. We love us some good.
Facts and and statistics and data.
Don't we? We love.
It. And if you're, if you are an
overanalyzer or you're married to an overanalyzer, you know,
this is how an overanalyzer's brain.
Processes things like. We we take in all the
information, we take in the data, we factor in the
variables, and if the equation doesn't come out equally,
equalling the need, then we just assume that nothing can be done.
Here's the problem with that. It's when we assume that nothing
can be done. We are left feeling hopeless
over the situation, and we're also left feeling powerless and
purposelessness. Or a sense of.
Purposelessness When we run the data and we see hey, hey, the
the the. Final answer.
Doesn't equate to the. Need I guess there's.
Nothing I can do. And what do we do when when we
take on the sense, hey, there's nothing I can do?
We kind of fade to the background and go, hey, there's
nothing I can do. Why?
Because the problem. Is just too big.
I think there's another. There's another broad category
of that keeps us from. Knowing where to start.
And it's this is what I do have. It won't matter what I do have.
It won't matter. We see this plainly playing out
in in the response of Jesus, one of Jesus other apostles, Andrew.
Check out what Andrew. Said.
Andrew basically is like raising his hand to Jesus and goes, hey
Jesus, there's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two
fish. But what are they for?
So many, you got to think that Phillip is sitting there going
hmm, 5 barley loaves, probably 220 thousand people, 5000 men,
there's probably. Kids.
Women's 20. Thousand.
That means that 5. Barley loaves.
That's probably going to be only. 0.025%.
Portion of each bread? That's not going to be enough.
And for 20,000 people 2 fish. That's going to be like. 0.01%
portion. For each person, that's not
going to be enough. Geez, we don't have enough.
Listen, Andrew didn't say this. Hey, Jesus, there's a boy here
who has five barley loaves and two fish.
He didn't say that because he had great faith and.
Confidence in Jesus he. Said it as a way of saying hey
Jesus, this is what we got and it ain't enough.
So it's probably not going to matter.
I wonder how many of us are here this morning that that it's not
that you discount. I believe that the vast majority
of us, we truly believe that when it comes to being used in
the hands of God, we don't think that we have absolutely nothing
to offer. I believe the vast majority of
us, we, we believe. Hey, listen, I want to be.
Used as an. Instrument to bring health and
and and help and healing in our community.
But what I do? Have.
It's not. Enough to to matter what I do
have it, it's not significant enough to make a difference.
Can can I tell you? Something when we here's.
The danger of that thinking. When I'm convinced that what I
do have it won't matter, that's a surefire way of me
guaranteeing that I'll hold on to it what I do have.
And when I hold on to what I do have, that's the surest way of
making sure that it won't matter.
Here's a question for you, whether you learn more towards
Philip as an overanalyzer or. Or or an.
Andrew that is saying, hey, what I do have it.
It's not. Going to be big enough to matter
whether you learn more towards them and your and your wiring or
your personality. What did what did Andrew and and
Philip have in common here? They failed to.
Factor in. Jesus, they completely failed to
factor in Jesus, Philip, his attitude.
Jesus, the problem's too big, but not for Jesus.
Luke, what I what I do have it it.
It won't matter. Well, not with, not with Jesus.
If you're taking notes with this, let me.
Give you a. Statement to hold on to and this
is huge when it comes to us not knowing where to begin or where
to start when we want to be used in the hands of God to bring
about health, help and healing. To those around us.
Check this out. We're focused on what we can't
do and not. Focus on what Jesus can do.
We're focused on what we can't do, not focused on what Jesus
can do. Jesus.
The problem's way too big. Jesus.
The knees, the grief. The loss, the hurt, they're way
too deep. Jesus, the marriage is beyond.
Repair is too broken. Jesus.
The relationship. It can never, it can never be
healed. Jesus the the the same
struggles, the the mentor emotional struggles that that
I'm. Facing.
I, I, I faced them for years. They're that that's.
Just who I am now. I've just got to accept a new.
Normal Jesus, what I've struggled with and what I'm
tempted by, I'm still tempted by and, and I and I, I failed.
I failed and then I got back up and I, I attempted to, to, to,
to, to find health and, and healing and break the chains of
that addiction or break the, the hold of that temptation and I
just ended up failing again. Listen, one of the things that
we have got to. Focus in on is.
Many times we're focused on what we can't do.
I can't break these chains of addiction.
I can't restore this marriage. I can't overcome these battles.
I can't overcome these addictions.
We're not so much. Focused on what Jesus can do.
There's a huge difference. Let me show you what I mean.
Did you? Realize that the.
Answer to the question Where do I even begin?
Or where do I even start? Did you know that it's embedded
in Jesus's own question at the beginning of John?
Chapter 6 My. Guess is you've probably never
seen this, but I want to show you and it's a complete game
changer. Check this out John chapter 6
lifting up his eyes Jesus then and seeing that a large crowd
was coming toward him. Jesus had to fill where are we
to buy bread so that these people may eat in your note
sheet at the top of your notes or if you have a bottle with
you, circle that word we circle that word.
We. Jesus to Philip said this is a
we problem. Philip mistook it as a me
problem. Jesus wasn't asking Philip to
necessarily tabulate the need. Jesus wasn't asking Philip, hey,
where are you going to go get all this money?
Jesus was telling Philip he was inviting Philip.
Hey Philip, when the numbers don't line up, but the Son of
God shows up, miracles can happen.
Philip, this is not a me problem.
This is a we problem, Jesus told Andrew, Andrew this is a wee
problem, not a me problem. Andrew mistook it as a me
problem. Jesus wasn't asking Philip, He
wasn't asking Philip to place a large catering order.
Jesus wasn't tasking Andrew. He wasn't asking Philip or
Andrew to place a large catering order.
And he wasn't tasking Andrew with going through the.
Entire crowd and finding. Everybody that was that brought
food with them. Jesus was inviting Andrew into
this narrative of, Hey Andrew, if something that is small and
little is placed in my hands, I can multiply it and feed a
multitude. That's it.
It's not a me problem, it's a we problem.
Let me give you another statement to hold on to here.
It is not enough in my hands, more than enough in.
His. Not enough in my hands, but more
than enough in his. Whatever you're going through,
whatever you're battling through, whatever breaks your
heart, whatever is, is actually pressing in what that that that
deep desire to be that source or use as an instrument of help and
health and healing, whether it's to a community at large, whether
it's within your own family, within yourself, or in the
brokenness, the overall brokenness of the world.
Let me go ahead and tell you what God has gifted you with.
It's not enough in your hands, but it's more than enough in
his. Hey, we don't, Philip.
We don't have the problem is too big, not for Jesus in your own
hands, Philip. You're right, Andrew.
What we have, it won't matter. It's not enough to.
Matter in his own hands, he was right, but something given that
is small into the given freely into the hands of Jesus.
Jesus has a way of blessing it, breaking it and multiplying it
and to using it for his good and for his glory.
It's a beautiful thing. I'm not saying that.
I'm not saying not enough in my hands.
More than enough of his as a trite statement or some ultra
super religious sounding statement.
It is a plea as your pastor to please stop the insanity of
thinking and living as if it's all on you.
It's not. Give it to Jesus.
Give the brokenness, give the little bit that you have over to
Jesus and say, Jesus, here is all that I have.
Would you take it? Would you bless it?
Would you break it? Would you multiply?
Would you take the little that I have and perform a miracle?
From it. It's not a.
Trite statement is a it is a plea to stop the insanity.
Let me get you doing me a favour if you if you, especially if you
have a Bible. If it's a hard copy Bible, maybe
a digital copy. I want you to look at the at the
heading of Luke Chat or John chapter. 6 I don't want, I don't
know. Why I keep?
Saying Luke. Look at the heading of John.
Chapter 6 My. Guess is because this is the way
it is in my Bible. The heading is Jesus.
Feeds the 5000. The heading is Jesus.
Feeds the 5000 but. I believe that that's not where
the miracle started. I believe the miracle in John
chapter 6 began with a little boy that wasn't even counted
culturally. Culturally significant enough to
be counted. Among the 5000.
Men, I believe the miracle in John chapter 6 started when this
little boy said, hey, here's here's what I have and he
trusted Jesus enough to take what he.
Gave him. This is just my speculation.
Of a crowd of 20,000 people, I find it very difficult if not
impossible to believe that this boy was the only one that.
Brought food with him. You ever thought about that?
Now, if it was just 5000 men, Yeah, that.
Tracks. But out of 20,000, out of 20,000
people, the moms, the grandmothers, the mother
figures. You mean to tell me that nobody
even brought snacks? I mean listen, nobody knows how
to pack and prepare like a mom that knows that she's going to
be camped out of the baseball field all day, right?
So if 20,000 people, you mean that this little boy was the
only one that brought some food with them?
I don't think so. Which then poses the question,
if this little boy wasn't the only one that brought food with
them, then why didn't everybody else offer their food?
Because I believe this little boy of a.
Crowd of 20,000. He was the only.
One that trusted Jesus enough with a little that.
He had listen if. Jesus can do such a powerful
miracle with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Imagine what he can do. With a life, with a marriage,
with a church that is fully committed and devoted to him, I
want to end our time this morning with something that may
seem a little little odd, but I think it's going to be so
important for us. I want to end our time this
morning just. With a invitation of what it
looks. Like for us to.
Place what little we have. In our hands, into the hands of.
Jesus. So if you feel uncomfortable.
Doing this then don't don't feel like you have to but.
If you're able to, I just want to.
Ask that you, wherever you're at, if you would stand with me.
If you're with us online, wherever you're at, unless
you're driving, just stand. And as you stand, I I.
Just want to invite you to to to to close your eyes.
We're not going to do anything weird.
With your eyes closed. We're closing our eyes just.
To tune out any all any and all distractions that are going on
around us. So here we are with.
Standing with our eyes closed. And then I just want to ask you
if you would just extend your hands palm up, palms up.
You can raise them high, you can keep them low, but just place
your hands palms up just as a. Reminder that is impossible.
For us. To give Jesus.
Everything that we have in our hands while we live close
handed, so in. This posture with our.
Eyes closed and with our palms up, I just want to get you to
think through some questions with me this morning.
What are the hurts and the needs that I see within me?
What are the hurts and the knees that I see within me?
What are the? Hurts and the needs that I see
in my family. And what?
Are the hurts and the needs that I see around me.
Then once you have those hurts and needs in mind, I just want
to invite you to spend a little bit of time talking to God and
wherever you're at, just pray something like this.
God, what I know. Of these hurts and needs, you
know even more. God, what I know of these hurts
and needs, the hurts and needs within me, the hurts that I see
in my family, the hurts that I see around me, God, what I know
of them, you know even more than follow that up with God, as much
as I care about these hurts and needs, you care even more.
God, as much as I care about these hurts and needs, you care
even more. God I place, and finally God I.
Place what little. I have in my hands, into your
hands. So that.
You can do what only you can do. God, please bring about.
Healing and God, please use me as an instrument of your
healing. Let me go ahead and pray over us
and after we pray, just invite us to stay in this posture.
If you, if you feel that you want to come down and and spend
some more time and prayer with God at the at the front, then do
that. If you feel that you need to
come, step forward and talk to a pastor, pray with somebody.
Come and do that. God, we thank you for the fact
that you remind us that. What we know.
Of the hurts and the needs that are going on around us, God, you
know even more. God as much as we.
Care about bringing about help and health and healing to those
hurts and needs. God, you care about that even
more. God, as much as we desire to be
used as. Instruments in your hands.
God you desire. That for us.
Even more God, whether we come. At our problems and the issues
that we see around us. Through the default framework of
God, the. Problem's too big, There's
nothing I can do. God, would you remind us to
factor you into that equation? Because the the problem is too.
Big for us, but it's not too big for you.
God, would you remind us that all miracles.
Start with a mess. But we know the miracle worker
God if we come at. Our problems and the issues that
we see around. Us through the default.
Lens of. What we have isn't big enough to
matter. God, would you remind us that if
that is true, if we keep it to ourselves, but if we place the
little that we have into your hands, God, you can bless it and
break it and multiply it and. Use it to perform the
miraculous. So God through it all, whether
whether the things that are. Pressing on our hearts and on
our minds. The most are the needs that we
see within ourselves, or the needs that we see within our
families, or the needs in which we see in the community.
Around us, God, I pray that you would keep our hearts and our
minds focused. Towards you and realizing that
as long as you're in the equation.
Nothing is impossible. So God, I pray that you would
continue. To bless and to break and to
multiply. What is obediently and?
Faithfully placed in your hands, it's in.
Jesus name that we. Pray Amen.
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