When Your Faith is Tested

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with generating a little later in the program will tell you how you grant moments in the word first hears the message when your faith is tested in John chapter 6 we read the story all Jesus miraculously multiplying the loaves and the fish and feeding a multitude story so important that all four gospel writers share this story is the only miracle besides the resurrection itself that is told in all of the Gospels.

So let's read again this famous story and learn how to dare to believe even even when our faith is tested. Beginning in verse five, lifting up his eyes, then seeing a large crowd that was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat and he said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him 200 been there I would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother said to him, there is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But water the way for so many.

Jesus said, have the people sit down now.

There was much grass in this place so the men said now about 5000 in number. Jesus then took the lows and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated, so also the fish, what's this as much and they want everyone had as much as they wanted.

Now the crowds that swelled to follow Jesus everywhere Jesus went people were following him. He could barely escape the crowds, even in times of rest and though he at this point in his ministry. It seems that he is tired and exhausted in a human sense. He had time for people who were running after him.

Many of these were course thrill seekers. Many sincerely wanted to know him to experience him why the crowds the masses of people follow Jesus. Well, for one, it was his Majesty, his magnetism, there were something about the presence of Jesus that drew people to a whether it was a small child or sinners. Characters of all kinds common people heard him gladly. It was just the presence and the power of Jesus that drew people to himself and what was true then it is certainly true today, right now we're told that Jesus lifted up his eyes or spine, and he saw the crowds coming at him.

The other gospel writers in particular tell us that Jesus was moved with compassion, while Matthew 1414 for example, says that when Jesus saw these crowds coming at him. He just didn't see masses our faces in a crowd. He saw individuals and he was moved with compassion now.

The word compassion means more than pitting. It is passion is pitting plus passion is sympathy yes is a word which means to churn with and to feel deeply when Jesus saw that the lostness and the emptiness of people the brokenness of people in the crowd that needed EMG. He was moving his is akin to the word empathy or understanding Jesus understands what we feel and when we heard.

I love it when crowds gather to worship the Lord Jesus Christ to meet Jesus is a great thing when many people come to know and to worship him. But we always remember here that is never about the crowd is always about the one, because that's what matters to Jesus. Jesus, all people as individuals.

He looked beyond the masses and saw people who needed him and his heart would go out to each person and we are to see people like this. The disciples when they saw these crowds coming in Jesus wondered what can we do now he knew what he was going to do a course. But when he inquired of the disciples, how are we going to feed these people. The disciples said let's send them away. Send them back home because we don't have what it takes to me.

There needs sometimes I think Christians can see the crowds.

In particular, the world as a bother. Even as an enemy is very important that we not see the people the crowds of people in the world as our enemy.

Those who do not know Christ.

They're not our enemy, Satan is our enemy, people in the world who were captured by Satan are in bondage to him and people without Christ.

Do what people without Christ do and we as the people of God should have the heart of God and and in the eyes Jesus to see people ask as he saw them now.

Philip is called upon in particular because he seemed to be somewhat the administrator of the group. Philip ever practical. Jesus said, Philip, are we going to feed all of these people. That's verse six and Philip already had it figured out. He said look a man could work for a solid year and all his earnings would not buy enough food to give every person here just a little bit even a single by yet Jesus said to them, these disciples you, Matthew 14 verse 16 you emphatically do you give them something to eat. This was not an option. It was a command, but how there were 5000 men plus the women and children, so the crowd the multitude was in excess of what 10,000 upwards to 15,000 people so you can understand just a little bit.

Maybe why Philip and the others didn't know what that it was an impossible situation. They didn't have the ability to feed all of these people in the fact they saw the crowd as if not an enemy. They saw the crowd is problem, not as a possibility for God to work his miraculous power. This was a test. Of course, and a teachable moment to stretch the faith of believers like these men, these disciples. You might even call this the lesson of the lows because what we learn and I will show you for very important principles that we learn from this passage. What we learn will help us to pass the test of life and to be ready for anything. Number one, we are to show genuine compassion for those in need.

Show genuine compassion for those in need.

Now I'm very happy to say that through the generations. Christians have taken that call to meet people at the point of their needs seriously Christian people do this more than any other, whether you're talking about relief work. Whether you're talking about medical care or education feeding the poor, ministering to the hurting and the broken so it's good to be able to say that Christians have been willing to be the eyes of Christ the hands of Christ working because we know that we are witnesses and we are servants of Jesus people have physical needs, and where to meet those needs. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. How many of us have actually been in the household of someone the amount billed me our own economic situation.

How many of us have ministered in the homes of people who are poor. Many of you done this, of course, but is important to feed the poor and administer to the hungry and work for social justice. But unless we tell them of the Savior came and died on the cross and rose again. We have missed the whole point in this, the mission field because every person, rich and poor is going to stand before a holy God and give an account of our lives and apart from Jesus, the bread of heaven there is no hope.

There is no salvation. So we go with food, but we go with faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and what I see in this passage that I wanted to share with you specifically, today is that that because Jesus has compassion on the masses and the multitudes of people.

So are ministering listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message when your faith is tested when you set aside daily time to connect with God to give you the ability to live a godly life and fulfill his plans for you in the coming year and we'd like to help me walk even more closely with the Lord in the air had I sending you pastor grams 180 day devotional moments in the work our way to thank you for your gift today to help proclaim the gospel to more people around the world to PowerPoint so call now to get your copy of moments in the word. When you give call one 800-7956 27 that's 1-800-795-4627 can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org shop are each store. Give the gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.porch. Now let's get back today's message when your faith is tested. Second, God meets our needs when we face impossible to wish situations that we cannot change or cannot handle. We often in life find ourselves with our our heads barely bobbing in the water were going under.

When we face these these seemingly impossible situation.

God is stretching us. God is training. He doesn't want us to stay in the same place spiritually so he tests us. He trains us, so that will reach out for more which will go for a greater faith, not just we are learning our faith that we are living our faith and when we face a situation that we can handle like like Philip in these disciples. He said we we don't have what it takes. We can't do this that God has a right where he wants us down.

You have to wonder why Philip and the others didn't know what they didn't know what to do. You have to wonder why because after all they were standing in the presence of God. He knew it they do all Philip needed to have said was Lord we don't know what to do. We don't have enough, but we know you do.

So why don't you just do what you do and turn it over to him to trust him in this.

Are we living in faith or like like Philip are we always trying to figure things out trying to work things out.

See Phillips problem along with the rest he wanted to send the crowd away.

The problem was that they couldn't fix it. They couldn't figure it out when Jesus was standing right in front of and when you face impossible circumstances that are crushing you some crisis in your life. Maybe a financial crisis maybe a marital crisis a domestic Christ physical.

Maybe your sick or an emotional need in your life and your wonder how am I ever going to get through this. How can we fix it. Is there an answer for this trust God. Trust in a Savior who knows what he wants to do and he will meet your needs and see you through no matter what he will make away when there seems to be no way in what God is doing in the circumstances, as in these disciples when we come up against those problems and in perplexities that we can handle. He is stretching our faith and framing us to go for more and you want to always expect the un-expected from Jesus because that's what he did here, Jesus made a miraculous provision and everyone had more than enough. Jesus took the loaves and the fishes delivered by a little boy and he multiplied what an amazing scene. This must've been some people want to take miracles like this one and explain them away.

All this was just a miracle of generosity when everyone saw the generosity of the little boy they pulled out their lunches and shared and everyone had enough.

No, God is the creator he made all things and don't you know that the God who made the cosmos can bake bread and feed people with fish.

He made the universe, making a meal is not a big deal for Jesus. I don't know exactly how it happened. It wasn't that Jesus just said proof that all of these fish and this bread appeared, but rather it was something that happened in his hand when when when the fish was given took it in his hand.

He gave thanks for the blessed enemy began to pass the bread and the fish to his disciples and then he blessed the broken again and he passed it again and he blessed it again any broken again and it just Coming again and again you know Jesus does things that are impossible to explain, we can explain that he wants you to experience your faith is believing in a God who can do anything but fail.

The world says seeing is believing we say Jesus says believing is seeing and when you can explain something a miracle of God. Don't know try to explain it, but experience. Experience the power of God in your life.

That's the lesson we all need to learn to trust him always third little is much when God is in it now course, that's the lesson from the little lad here his mom packed in the lunch that day five blows don't think big loaves of bread like French bread under his arm, but really little biscuits almost like crackers. It was barley bread.

We know we don't know this boy's name. We don't know really that much about it. We presume he was a poor child because his mother packed his lunch with barley bread which was was the food. The poor ate. It was really food. Given the animals so he had this this meager little lunch with with a couple of fish and again not not a big catch like like some people like to lie about but but little sardines more more like little sardines and probably even a little rally so it was this really kinda nasty.

I've eaten fish like this in an and is not all that great IA I guess you acquire a taste for it but but sardines and crackers is what this amounted to so so five loaves and and and and a few fish and and he puts it in the hands and Jesus takes what this boy brought and he uses it for his glory.

Which means that whatever we have when we bring it to Jesus. Whether it is large or small. When we give it to him he takes it and he transforms and he uses it for his glory.

Don't insult God by saying you are too small for God use. I met a lot of people who are too big for God to you, but God uses us when were small enough to be used. God uses little things little as much when when God is and is more than a cliché is true, Hudson Taylor said this great missionary a little thing is a little thing but faithfulness and little things is a big day. Faithfulness and little things. That's a big thing in the side of God as the widow who gave just a few my just a few pennies. She gave all had asked David about a shepherd boy who killed the giant with just a few smooth stones one stone slingshot as Samson who destroyed a Philistine army with the jawbone of a donkey little things or Mary of Bethany who honor the Lord in her testimony is is is ringing true today because she broke simply an alabaster box of vascular perfume in order to anoint the body of Jesus as this little boy now in heaven.

When you get there. Ask how exciting it was to bring what he could bring for Jesus to use for his glory just a little thing, but we're still talking about it 2000 years later, what God tended people like you and me uses, not the great but people who know that he is great when we are weak he is strong.

God uses us when we make ourselves available to him and depended upon him. God gives us gifts and talents and abilities and resources and expects us to then develop those and deploy them in ministry. We are to grow our gifts and develop our talents and our abilities, but first we must give them completely to him. Have you done that you come to the place in your faith, your wall with Christ that you have said, Lord, I take hands off my life. Whatever it is I give it to. And when we do that we see God work in miraculous ways. One final lesson and that is Jesus is all you need now.

The people needed food that day. They were hungry. But more than food they needed Jesus and Jesus is the life-giving sustaining satisfying bread of heaven look in chapter 6 and verse 35 Jesus said I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus and Jesus alone saves and satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.

Don't ever forget that Jesus is what you need and he is all that you need when you come to the end of yourself and you find yourself facing an impossible situation. You discover the presence and the power of God, you will walk away knowing that because of what he and he alone can do that you are secure you are satisfied, he gave his life for you.

He made the most ultimate provision on the cross for you. No wonder the Scripture says, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Jesus right when the miracle was gone and the people were well fed and everyone had enough.

There were 12 baskets full of food left over one for all that aside, pass the food around everyone participated in this miracle of multiplication because the hand of God was upon in the bread of heaven. Jesus Christ is the one in the only one who will be your portion and your strength and your satisfaction and your security throughout the days of your life. So what we learn with Jesus when he multiplied the locus we learn that were to show compassion for those who are in the we learned that God meets our needs when we face impossible.

We learn that little his life. When God is Jesus all listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message when your faith is tested. Looking ahead to a new year can fill you with expectation. They can also fill you with desperation, but if things get worse. But if the world gets crazier. But if you don't have the strength to face what comes your way.

It's their spending daily time in God's word that we find the strength, peace and hope we need and we want to help you do that by sending you pastor grams 180 day devotional moments in the word moments and the word is our special thanks for your gift this month so called requester copy today: 800-7956 27 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 31131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop RV store online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email our website again is Jack Graham.porch pastor. What is your PowerPoint.

I would say cheer up because impossible where God start the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 was just a glimpse of the power of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1 tells us that through Christ. All things were created by him and in him everything is held together. That's the power of God the omnipotent power of God, the immeasurable power of Jesus, who is our Savior, God meets our needs when we face the most impossible situation.

He is therefore us every time we call upon him. We know in the Scriptures that God uses trials and tests in impossible situations to help us grow in our faith, and when we read the story of the great feeding of the 5000. We know that God is strengthening us and helping us to believe that God can do anything but fail. And if you are facing an impossible situation today.

Remember that the Lord is with you and that he is able to do more than you can possibly imagine.

Because his power works in you and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you grams 180 day moments were call one 800 79567 1-800-795-4627 also text the word PowerPoint 3131 PowerPoint join us again next time.

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