Just like the disciples in the story we often find ourselves unable to do what Jesus wants us to do. However, Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything that He won’t empower us to do. God’s glory is seen when we admit our inability and put our faith in His!

THE SEVEN SIGNS OF JOHN

  1. Changing water into wine (John 2:1-11).
  2. Healing the royal official’s son (John 4:46-54).
  3. Healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15).
  4. Feeding the 5000 (John 6:5-15).
  5. Jesus walking on water (John 6:16-24).
  6. Healing the blind man (John 9:1-7).
  7. The raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45).

John 20:30-31, “30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

SERMON TEXT

John 6:1-15, “1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

BREAKDOWN

  1. Aside from displaying the Kingdom of God, Jesus also used miracles to draw people to His teachings (John 6:2).
  2. Jesus preached to the people for most of the day until it was evening and the people were hungry (Matthew 14:15).
  3. Jesus spoke to Philip because he was from the area. This kind of new information from John helps validate the synoptic gospels (John 6:7).
  4. The disciples found a boy with five loaves and two fishes that was willing to share (John 6:9).
  5. Jesus had the disciples organize the people to sit in groups of hundreds and fifties (Mark 6:40). There was around 5,000 men (not including women and children, Matt. 14:21), so the total was close to 20,000 people (John 6:10).
  6. Jesus blessed the bread and fish and multiplied it to feed all the people, with twelve baskets leftover (John 6:11-13).
  7. After the people witnessed the miracle they believed Jesus was the Prophet (Messiah) foretold in the Bible (John 6:14).
  8. Jesus withdrew to a mountain before the people could make Him a king because that was not His earthly mission; He came to die for the sins of the world (John 6:15)

APPLICATIONS

  1. ALWAYS PUT GOD FIRST: Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
  2. ADMIT YOUR INABILITY AND GOD’S ABILITY: 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”
  3. GIVE EVERYTHING TO JESUS: Mark 12:30, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
  4. DO WHATEVER JESUS SAYS: Matthew 28:19-20, “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
  5. GET READY FOR ABUNDANCE: Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
  6. RECEIVE JESUS AS YOUR BREAD OF LIFE: John 6:35, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'”

Whenever you find yourself in lack; you are in a perfect place for Jesus to do a miracle because He is always enough!