4th Sign: Nothing Is Impossible, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. I am right here so become so important joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our sanity. He says he has five barley Percival remembers this is terrible right to the Jews REIT is what they make bread out of most the time for people sometimes and make bread out of barley. Now he has five Rosa barley. But again, you could be wrong when you think about this.

I know what you think you guys are thinking of French bread. He's got like five loaves now, that's what he had forget barley loaf at this time is the same size as a CD and almost as thin. It's a cracker. You and I would call to Chris not Levan. There's no rising is a cracker is made up barley it's not very tasteful, just not he has five of those and is to fishing your thinking redfish and always got to bring redfish numb. The word here for fish is a pickled fish that you season and the English equivalent would be a sardine.

Okay, it's about this big guy coming out so he has five CDs and two sardines. That's all that he has given everything more than that. That's what he had.

Why is a little boy that's all he needs for a meal and see that's that's it so so far what we have is you have this whole idea of a self absorbed crowd that are only interested in what Jesus can do for them. That's her only interest and you have faithless disciples and I'm saying that's most of us that's almost the way we all act as American Christians. So many of us are so self absorbed that we think Jesus is in our life for us so that he will give us what we want or desire. Now he's healing people in length. People are walking and blind people are saying but even today, some of the largest churches in America what they offer you health, wealth and success. Who doesn't want that. And how do we show up in enormous crowds just enormous crowds of people crowded into a church, I got because that's what I want, but if you take any and Jesus did himself if you take the words of Jesus. You need to be repentant of your sin, you need to grieve over sin, you need to trust Christ totally. You need to follow him completely, you need to bear your cross for him.

You need to be persecuted for him you would be even willing to die for him. When you preach. I guess what a lot of people showing up. That's not what I'm for a full what is going to give me.

It hasn't changed any and all these thousands of years. The disciples on the other hand decided to solve this problem. As I said, just kind of the way we do.

I gotta figure this out, but no math is going to help anyone in this case so you have faithless disciples self absorbed people and now were introduced to the son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of lords of Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world and the first thing he says is a little bit surprising. Verse 10 Jesus said, have the people sit out to another was much grass in a place of men sat down number by 5000 men.

That's why you get between 15 and 25,000 people, their wives and families are with okay so you have this enormous number dislocated. Sit down on the other Gospels. It talk about this he organize them in blocks 500 will block he organize them in blocks east to get them all sat down and get them organized. Now if your disciple what are you thinking what would why I mean if Jesus was going to do a miracle when you do just a miracle. I mean they have to sit down to the disciples after us, get them in groups present this Jesus have to do a thing like that. For example, for nearly 40 years in the wilderness God provided manna every morning for Israel every morning supernaturally confuses just called out of heaven and feed him. Of course he could, but he doesn't. So, I can just see to the disciples walking together like you know how long it's going to take us to organize all these people into groups and any people are so meniscal going to be in this group are gonna want to be in this group. Any cysto rescheduling, and all the kid has his five CDs in two sardines. What we doing here about.

He said then have the people sit down and then 11 it says Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, why love to give thanks. 20,000 people need need not have five cracker CDs in two sardines and he's thanking God very important principle. Why would God provides is always enough to accomplish his will. Whatever God provides is always enough to accomplish his will.

Jesus knows that's why he prayed that way. So he does that and he gives thanks and he distributed to those who were seated likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted as much as they wanted. And when they were filled. This is in a meal this the banquet as much as they could possibly eat. That's how much he provided basket after basket 20,000 people hungry bellies became happy bellies effect. A lot of people probably leaned back and said to need another bite. I just can't eat another bite and it just kept coming know something I thought about most other people who you would call a scholar and not thought about it so you know what not to call me but the one of things I thought about is why did they love the disown much. It's barley bread and some fish. The barley bread that Jesus provided their income from a cursed earth. These were little seedlings a grew up and were harvested as bargaining. These were created by Jesus and no sardines never swam anywhere. These are created by Jesus, the bread and the fish had nothing to do.

He just created. It must've been the tastiest bread they've ever had the best fish they ever ate notices providing all of this and 20,000 people, are all part of the same miracle.

The numbers are staggering. Then after that, he says to his disciples gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost. I'm not gonna waste anything here so for them that they know we go again this go through all these people because often they do, it says so they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who eaten 12 baskets full of leftovers may disciples on 12.

This is an overwhelming situation. The point being that they were fueled they could need another bite. Jesus Christ is here with no one can do. This is the most overwhelming disciple that the disciples ever ran into not, no question about it to great picture by the way it is and why does Jesus do all this for this crowd. On this particular day like always because of what he wants to talk about. Not because he wants to feed 5000 or 20,000 he wants to talk to them. Guess what is going to say next chapter the end of this one. I am the bread of life you lead me, you'll never have a problem you see on the bread of life he this is all a physical illustration of a spiritual truth because from his point of view the spiritual reality is way more important than whether they had a good meal together. That's what he does now to show you how hardheaded we are in the illustrated I want you to go with me to Matthew chapter 16 Matthew chapter 16 know this is an important thing to realize, Matthew 16 I try to remember this if you remember anything. Matthew 16 comes after Matthew 14 okay you need to know that why what happens in Matthew 14 he feeds the 5000. That's the miracle. The disciples were part of it. They set the people down. They picked up the stop they had of themselves.

They were right there. This is a very short period of time. Later, Matthew 16 comes a little bit later than Matthew 14 so we get down to verse five of Matthew 16 and the disciples came to the other side of the sea know watch but they had forgotten to bring any bread all here. They are now in the other side of seed.

Galina forgotten to bring any other bread. And Jesus said to them, what is good be spiritual, watch out. And beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Okay, what's the leaven of the Pharisee and the Sadducees religiosity. He said member little leaven leavens the whole lump.

And he said you better watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He also says in other spots.

They've stolen the kingdom of God. They abuse their religion as a substitute for the kingdom of God and for God's grace. He said you need to beware of the leaven of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and they began to discuss among themselves, saying he said that because we didn't bring any bring really that's what they got these other disciples I told you to bring the bread. We have to have bread now is Matt. Well, Jesus is aware of this said, you men of little faith, why he could discuss among yourselves that you have no bread, do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the 5000 and how many baskets filled. You picked up or the seven most of the 4000 and how many large baskets for you picked up how was the you not understand that I did not speak to you concerning the leaven of the he said concerning bread. I spoke to you concerning the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He says then they understood the need not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but if the leaven of the teachings is really sad.

We have no bread.

We have no bread is Jesus. I'm right here. We have no bread.

I'm right here. What I don't get the connection I fed 5000 20,000-4000 you distributed you got the leftovers. I'm right here. When you have any bread we can do the same thing.

We get so preoccupied with things become so important to us see in the beginning of his home miracle we knew that the problem was what we going to do with all of these some possible while what you think about it from another point of view. What what all of these do you use that you don't have a problem with bread.

But what all of these to use. For example, what am I going to do with all these bills went womankind with all these bills. I figured out maybe but I trust the Lord. One might do with all these treatments when we going to do. I don't know when to trust the Lord to see what am I gonna do with all these I get a lot of marriage counseling situations and people say when we going to do with all these problems that we have, we mean we make this impossible.

We can ever make it work okay. What about trust in him ever thought of that. I tried to think it through my own. We all have our all of these. This is all of these that's in all of these and receives an impossible situation, but for him there's nothing that's impossible. That's the point. That's what he's doing here. That's why this miracle has such magnitude. There's nothing impossible of me and right after the miracle. The disciples go back to the same thing they wanted to before.

Just like we do.

That's what this proves to us. See that's what God is trying to tell us there are several points of the first one is all all of our needs are our greatest needs are always spiritual.

Please understand our greatest needs are always spiritual member. The nobleman's son and he was healed from a distance and only wanted to get foxhole faith. All he wanted was Jesus to heal the son that sounds great but it's only temporal. One of the ƒ in a sum of 70 more years and then a son died without Christ warns us and spend eternity. That's a problem you see separated from God forever. That's why that miracle was so important because not only did the normal man believed he said his whole household. Believe Jesus always always has a spiritual goal in mind for every time he intervenes in our life, even in a miraculous way.

That's what's important, not the temple but were just like they were hey look, I know I was hungry fed me.

I know I had. I know they said that it clearly looked at them like it was cancerous but the test so it was benign. I'm good why you think these things happening right Christ is calling you during a crisis crisis calling you. There has to be a spiritual aspect to your life that you don't have you that the coming of Christ in saving faith or you have to grow closer to Christ. That's why he intervenes in our lives and these temple matters. Secondly, we are inadequate to meet people's greatest need, without the Lord, all of us are just like if the Lord doesn't do it. It's not getting done. You see, I felt terrible in my 20s because I felt an adequate now I realize that Jesus would be same to me.

Listen carefully bill you are an adequate you see, that's the point of ministry inadequate people doing things for God's power giving God the glory. That's ministry. Thirdly, Christ has the capacity to meet all the needs of our life, both temporal and spiritual is in control of every situation. He has no limited resources and a lot of times he meets our needs with abundance it doesn't meet us just with enough he meets us with a sense of abundance.

We give Darwin the Lord what we can give the little orders in abundance for us Christians don't even understand it when it comes even the basic giving just giving no I don't know what can I get it. There's a lot of charlatans out there trying to do that. It's not always a good thing to hear from someone was visiting a church at the thing they like most about it. The thing I like most about fellowship. You never talk about money and you tell me because I want more and want to give you any that's what you're saying now. I know people do it in a bad way.

But hey, I don't talk about it as between you and the Lord I got that.

But think of this, look what he says in second Corinthians 9, he says given will be given to you watching go with me to first go with me to second Corinthians 9 when you read with me. Second Corinthians 96, then on to say what I was going to say about that second Corinthians 96 Paul writes any says this now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, he who sows probably will reap bountifully. There's the principal what he says if you don't give much, you won't get much since that simple. That's what the word of God says no watch each one must do just as he purposed in his heart. It's completely up to you can't make people do this you if you try to make anybody if you try to extract money from anybody for the cause of Jesus Christ. Think of no value in it.

There's no right. God doesn't need money receives a resourcing might use be designated he said how do you want to giving your heart each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not gradually ignoring the compulsion God loves a cheerful hilarious giver for, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything you may have in abundance in everything you do what you mean, look, you give to me. I give more you that's a principal. You don't want to give them but if you do you get more for me. Jesus said this in Luke six given it will be given to you press down, shaken together, and he said, running over for by the standard of measure the you give it will be given to you in return.

Is Jesus worth is psychic you can't lose situation cuts as I got this but for us now. I like the idea that I can have more but not really because you could have more because God just told you how to get more begin want to do that because you want to keep what you have received that's how we end up falling into those kind of things God says I'll meet your needs with abundance.

That's what graces and if you are inadequate in a really good spot. God can use you if you're inadequate near perfect spot. God can use you, and frankly I find it tiring to hear Christians always tell me that there'd like to do more for the Lord. But there inadequate. I loved about, but I really cannot not make if you're a child of God, you have the adequacy you give them your inadequacy and he'll give you ministry is just the way this thing works and is hard for us. AW Pink said God uses inadequate people who give what they have. To him and then he does great things for his glory. Those words are backed up by that miracle. They changed my life and they should change yours spring father.

Sometimes I think that we use our inadequacy.

Just as an escape to serve ourselves rather than to serve you.

It's a shame father because then we miss out on the blessing. I pray the were all challenged every one of us in this room have metaphorically five barley loaves and two fish. Every one of us and God took those and you took them in bed 20,000+ people you could take ours and have us make a difference in the world which we live. The father we have to give it to you. Just like the little boy did. That's my prayer for us examine our own hearts and willingly and happily give our inadequacy and step back and break through us pastoral giver. The radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like a list of the message one more time.

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