Matthew 14:13-17
Give Ye Them To Eat
This is the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. It is also recorded in Mark, Luke,
and John. While we know that there are no discrepancies in the Scripture, we also
know that the writers of the gospel did not always see fit to include the same
details of every miracle or situation.
Here, they all thought Jesus telling the disciples to feed the 5000 was important
for all indicated that Jesus involved the disciples.
Mark 6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say
unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them
to eat?
Luke 9:13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have
no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for
all this people.
John 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come
unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
Interestingly, when Jesus gave the command, He knew that these men could not feed
the 5000. He also knew that He was going to end up feeding them. Yet, it is
clear that He told them to do it.
WHY?
I. When Jesus told the disciples to feed this multitude, He wanted them to
understand the difference between watching something happen and making
something happen.
A. Contrary to what most believe, going to church is NOT a passive
experience.
1. That simply means we are to go church to do something.
a. Every believer should worship while they are at church.
b. Every believer should praise the Lord.
c. Every believer should pray.
d. Every believer should offer thanksgiving.
e. Every believer should give tithes and offerings.
2. But beyond those activities, every believer should also WORK-ship.
a. That is, every believer should find a way to serve Jesus
through the local church.
(1) Some are gifted to minister to those who are at the church.
(2) Some are gifted to get some to come to the church.
(3) Some are gifted to care for people after they have left
church.
(4) Some are gifted to to take care of the things of the
church.
b. However, everyone has some gift that can be used in the service
for our Lord.
B. The disciples had been watching Jesus perform miracles but had not
made any miracles happen.
1. Jesus had been doing all the work and taking all the.
2. Jesus was going to continue doing most of the work and bearing
most of the responsibility, but He was starting to teach the
disciples that their turn was coming.
3. Just because Jesus is the only hope for a needy world did not
mean that they could get by with just being spectators!
C. In this story, the disciples are really standing in the place of the
Church.
1. You see, Jesus wasn’t going to be around forever and these
disciples were being trained for the future.
2. Jesus is preparing them for the future.
3. When the disciples became the leaders, they in turn prepared others
to lead.
4. As long as God leaves the church on this planet, we are to do the
work of the church and we are to perpetuate the work of the church
for generations to come.
5. I have been around this church for more than a generation.
It is exciting to see….
a. …how yesterday’s youngsters have become today’s adults.
b. …how yesterday’s converts have become today’s leaders.
c. …how yesterday’s students have come today’s teachers.
D. When Jesus gave these disciples the command to feed the people,
they (like the church) became responsible.
1. Today when Jesus wants to feed people, or heal the sick, or
break the chains of darkness, He does not come down from heaven
to perform a miracle!
2. He lets us to do it!
3. All who serve for Jesus are apart of the chain Jesus began to
forge when He told these disciple to feed the 5,000.
II. When Jesus told the disciples to feed this multitude, He wanted them to
see four things.
A. He wanted them to see the need of the people!
1. People have great needs.
a. Most people are not as blessed as you are (that is, if you live
like a child of God).
b. Most of them have more severe family problems than you do.
c. Most of them have greater emotional problems.
d. Most of them have greater financial problems.
e. Most of them have far greater spiritual problems.
2. Most Christians won’t see the greatness of the need until they
have to meet it!
a. There is one bad thing about being religious.
b. Religion can isolate good people from the needs of the world!
c. I am largely isolated.
(1) I don’t hang with the people at the bars.
(2) I don’t hang with the people at the jail.
(3) I don’t hang with the people on skid row.
(4) I don’t hang with the homeless.
(5) I don’t hang with the addicted.
(6) I don’t hang with the occult.
(7) I don’t hang with the vulgar.
(8) I don’t hang with the rebellious.
d. However, just because I don’t hang around with these kinds of
people doesn’t mean that I should care for them, pray for
them, and minister to them!
e. That is the very call of Christianity!
3. In truth, our church is somewhat blessed and somewhat cursed.
a. Blessed-We have good people who love the Lord.
b. Cursed-Our very lifestyle separates us from the very people
who need the Lord.
c. Double cursed-Our location in the rural setting keeps us
away from the masses of people who are in need of our ministry.
4. IF we ever get serious about growing our church, we will get
serious about reaching those people who need the church.
a. I would love for us to attempt street preaching in Bessemer.
b. I would love for us to run a bus to Bessemer and pick up
children from up there.
c. I would love for us to open our doors several times each year
to feed the community a hot meal.
d. I would love for us to conduct a Bible marriage seminar.
e. I would love for us to open a Christian school.
f. I would love for us to have a home for abused children and
women.
g. I would love for us to have a group of men who would do
projects for the elderly, the sick, the widowed.
h. I would love for us to have a literacy program.
i. I would love for us have a program for those addicted to drugs,
alcohol, and pornography.
5. These are dreams I have had for the Green Pond Baptist Church for
years but until we get more people on the firing lines who see the
desperate need of the lost, they will be nothing more than dreams.
6. First there must be a willing mind.
2 Corinthians 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according
to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
B. He wanted them to see their impotence.
1. Jesus gave them a command that He knew they could not fulfill!
2. The disciples did not know they couldn’t fulfill it until they
tried!
a. \\#Matthew 14:17\\ tells us they gathered their food to see
what they had.
b. \\#Mark 6:37\\ tells us they counted their money to see what
they had.
c. \\#John 6:5\\ tells us they discussed where to buy bread
enough if they could collect enough money to feed the crowd!
3. In trying to obey the command, they found out they could not!
a. If we are not trying to serve, we not realize just how helpless
we are.
b. Most of us believe that we are in pretty good shape—and we
might be, but we are in no shape to help a poor, defeated,
damned world.
C. He wanted them to see His power.
1. Jesus always knew He would feed the people!
2. He wanted the disciples to see the power He had that could help
these people!
a. Jesus had great power.
b. Jesus had a compassionate heart.
c. Jesus was relevant to the people of His day.
3. But the only ones who saw it were those who were involved in
the work.
a. The multitudes ate the bread but they didn’t see where it came
from.
b. People today want to see the power of God.
c. When you get into God’s business, you will see God’s power.
d. I have seen some of it.
(1) God took a backwards, introverted kid and made a preacher
out of him.
(2) I have seen the power of God transform me and I by using
that power, I have seen the power of God transform a
few others.
e. The deeper into God’s business we go, the more of His power we
shall see.
D. He wanted them to see their responsibility was to bring His power
to bear onto life’s situations!
1. Some charge the church with being non-relevant.
2. If the church is non-relevant, it is the fault of today’s church.
3. If the Green Pond Baptist Church does not make itself relevant, it
will be our own fault.
a. There are needs out there.
b. There are people in here.
c. There is power up there.
d. Our calling is to bring the three together.
III. When Jesus told the disciples to feed the multitude, He wanted them to
inherit the reward of serving.
A. There are eternal rewards to be given for serving Jesus.
Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little
ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto
you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister
bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits
of your righteousness;)
B. But there are also earthly rewards.
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap
also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of
love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to
the saints, and do minister.
C. Jesus doesn’t need those rewards.
1. He has them to give them away.
2. Are you going to get any of them?
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