Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
#267 of fullness resides in Jesus our head. A fullness abides to answer all need.
Trust his protection. We lean on his might 267.
Perhaps we could read just a couple of verses before we play beginning in Genesis chapter 18.
Genesis chapter 18.
And verse 4.
Let's a little water, I pray you be fetched.
And wash your feet.
And rest yourselves under the tree.
Song of Solomon, chapter 2.
And verse 3.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Let's ask his help.
Our God and our Father, we thank you this morning that we could sing of that fullness that resides in Jesus our head.
As we are gathered here this morning, we think of Abraham of old this how he would.
Ringo's messengers and.
Wash their feet, but seek to refresh their souls and have them rest. And we just pray, our Father, that as we are here together.
In the consciousness that that is thy desire for us to refresh us along this pathway and to cause us to sit under that tree.
In the shadow of thy protection of thy delight, and to have our souls ministered with that fruit from thyself.
We just pray that Thou is direct in order. Never be that Lord Jesus. That would be for the blessing of each of our souls. And so, as we are here to open Thy precious word, we pray that Thou must direct us to that portion which would meet our needs.
Would encourage us and sustain his father as we are passing through the wilderness scene. We thank you for those springs that we can draw on.
And just look to thee for that abundant supply here today. And two.
For others light gathered, we pray again for our brethren and Burbank that Thou hast minister to them as well. And for those Father we've been reminded that are not able to be here, we pray that Thou is minister to them as well. So we just look to Thee for Thy health, seeking Thy provision, our God and Father for us as we wait before Thee and the precious name of our Lord Jesus.
We sang together about the fullness that resides in Jesus, our head.
There's a fullness there that abides to answer all need.
And we had reference also to how in the wilderness God provided for his people in Nehemiah. Wonderful verses to see the goodness of the Lord in meeting our need in spite of what might seem to be impossible circumstances from a natural standpoint. So I'm just wondering, would John chapter 6.
The appropriate.
If somebody else has it.
Subject or chapter on the heart to.
I'm happy to get the place.
I know it's a long chapter. I think in particular perhaps in the first half of the chapter, but.
00:05:13
The verse that really came before one was verse 35 where Jesus says unto them, I am the bread of life.
Either cometh to me shall never hunger.
I think it's one of the most beautiful expressions in all the word of God, the bread of life.
The first part of the chapter we see how the Lord met the physical hunger.
Which is a very wonderful.
Story in itself, but to think how he meets our spiritual need too is even more wonderful.
Gospel of John, chapter 6.
After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles, which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples, and the Passover, a piece of the Jews, was an eye. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip.
When shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them. That every one of them.
May take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him. There is a lab here which has five barley loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the man sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down in number about 5000. And Jesus took the loaves. And when he had given thanks, he distributed to the to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down.
And likewise of the fishes, as much as they would when they were filled. He said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gather them together and fill 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is a This is of a truth that profit that should come into the world.
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. And when even was come, his disciples went down onto the sea, and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum, And it was now dark, and Jesus was now come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew so when they had rolled about 5 and 20 or 30 fur furlongs.
They see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship, and they were afraid, But he saith unto them, It is I be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land where they went. The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there saved that one where unto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone.
Albeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread. After that the Lord had given thanks.
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, 1 Comest thou hit her? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled labor, not for the meat which perished perisheth, but for that meat.
Which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. They said Therefore unto him, What signs show us thou then, that we may see or believe thee? What dost thou work?
00:10:05
Our fathers did eat manna in the West, in the desert, as it is written.
He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus saith unto unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me.
Shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which has sent me. That all which He has given me I should lose. I shall lose nothing, but should raise it again for the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone would see it. The son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Of the day.
Tells us Jesus lifted up his eyes.
And so a great company come unto him.
You know the Lord Jesus, His heart was tender.
And he would not spare himself.
Could we say he was willing to leave his comfort zone in order to reach out?
To these folks that had come.
He had been there with his disciples in the mountain.
But now he sees.
A great company.
And so the Lord had a heart for his disciples, for those that were close to him, and he met their needs, but he also looked beyond the need of his disciples.
And we see that even though the disciples.
They weren't so ready to leave their comfort zone, the Lord Jesus.
He would minister to the need of this great company.
They were hungry.
Hungry physically.
And I'm not sure how many were truly hungry from a spiritual standpoint.
But the Lord indicated very clearly how our spiritual need can be met.
And it's all Christ.
As we often see, nothing but Christ is on we tread.
His gift on Christ, God's living bread.
There's so much in this chapter.
Yeah.
To engage our hearts, I believe.
With the person and the work.
Of this Blessed One.
It's a little comment in verse five that.
Kind of a hidden gem for me. In the scripture, we know that the gospel writers wrote a lot of parallel accounts. You know that this umm, story of the 5000 being fed is told in other gospels. And there are those that, you know, textual critics that will say that that gospel accounts contradict each other. But when you pull them together, they don't contradict. They add detail to each other and fill out what other umm books don't. So what I find interesting in this chapter.
Is that when Jesus saw the multitude, He said, uh, in verse five, he stepped on to Philip, When shall we eat bread or when shall we buy bread?
That these may eat that was still at the nearest one to them. I'm not sure, but if you turn back to.
Uh, loop?
Move Chapter 9.
And Luke Chapter 9 we find the parallel to this story of the 5000 and in in John six we were reading. It doesn't tell us where this took place, but in Luke 9 and verse 10 it says that and he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called the.
00:15:21
So this feeding of the 5000 took place in Now if you turn to John one, sorry, John chapter 2, I believe.
John, Chapter 2.
No, John chapter one, sorry, John chapter one and verse 43. And it says the day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find his Phillips and that's on him. Follow me now, Phillips.
The city of Andrew and Peter. The feeding of the 5000 took place in Bethsaida. The Lord turned to Philip to ask where he could buy bread filled with a native of Bethsaida and would have known. We're gonna buy red. There's just a little hidden gem that I think is so neat to show how beautiful the scripture ties together as inspired words are.
You mentioned, Wally, that you wondered how many, Uh.
Well, our savior wouldn't want to just seek after a sign, but come to know him, uh.
Thing to to come to know him as a savior, not just to get after a sign.
You turn back to the fifth of Luke's gospel.
Umm, similar circumstances there you we read the.
15.
So much the more went there of fame abroad of Him, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. Notice verse 16. And He withdrew himself.
And into the wilderness and prayed.
So, uh, the Lord never sought popularity. Uh, they would have made him a king. They would have had him to heal their sick and to, uh, feed their hungry. Uh, the Lord didn't come.
Only to meet man's physical need, he came to meet his spiritual need. And what is prominent in the chapter before us is the Passover.
And the Passover brings before us the death of Christ and the Lord.
Expounds that in some detail later on in the chapter.
Umm, it was a formality with the Jews, the same as the Feast of Tabernacles in the 7th chapter, which looks on to the Millennium. It became a formality with the Jews. It was empty, they really did not see.
Who the Lord was?
They would have him, uh, to, uh, meet their physical needs, but the Lord had something much deeper in view. Not that he ignored the needs of the people here, though He well knew that they were following him for, uh, present advantage. He didn't, uh, shut his bowels of compassion from them, but he desired their spiritual blessings.
And that comes out very clearly, uh, as we go on in the chapter and the Lord, uh, is prefigured as the manna. And then, uh, he comes on to speak of his death, the Passover aspect. But it's wonderful to see the compassion of the Lord, that great company.
He, uh, would not, uh, he would not, uh, disregard the, uh, physical need of the people. In fact, his whole life was devoted to meeting people's needs, whatever it was, uh, sickness, sorrow, and so on. Uh, the Lord never was impervious to these. He always.
00:20:16
Entered into.
The sorrel, in fact, when the Lord healed the person, uh.
Uh, when the Lord healed a person, he entered into the sickness himself. A scripture that is often misunderstood if you turn to Matthew, uh, chapter 8.
Just to make a comment on this, uh.
Chapter 8 verse uh.
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, all that were sick. No one was disappointed. Faith healers today can't do that. Uh, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. Now don't make the mistake.
That this is referring to the cross. That's not where the Lord took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. Pentecostals were replied. I'm not speaking disparagingly of that denomination, but Pentecostal groups will apply it in that way. Umm, but it's not correct. What is meant here is that the Lord entered into the sickness. He felt it on his heart. It was a burden before He healed the person.
He, uh, he sympathized or empathized with them in what they were passing through. I think it's beautiful to see that he took, he bore the sickness on his heart. Then he put forth his uh.
His power to heal, umm, the heal the individual of whatever, uh, malady it was. But first of all, he entered into it. And that uh, brings before us the, uh, the heart of the Lord. Here he was surrounded by the results of sin everywhere. Sorrow, sickness, death, tears, umm, uh, everything uh, was corrupted by sin.
Man included, but the Lord, uh.
Perfectly separate from the sin, he felt the results of it, and he met man in his in his need, both physically and spiritually.
I believe brother John, what you said is very nice and I agree. It seems that in these first 21 verses the Lord Jesus is presented to us first as the King who supplies our natural needs. But then when you come down to umm verse 15 where it says he departed again into a mountain, himself alone.
That there he takes the place of the priest and he's on high interceding for his own who are going through the difficulties, the spiritual difficulties of life. So I think it's nice to see that in these first 21 verses we have in picture form the Lord Jesus as the one who supplies our natural needs and those who supplies our spiritual needs in spite of all the difficulties that the enemy might put before us.
And also, as some have mentioned, regardless of what our state of soul will be.
He will, uh, he will meet our needs.
Apart from our performance or behavior or state of soul.
Sometimes meeting our needs to meet our state of soul.
In chapter 5, the subject of quickening is taken up, the Father quickens and the sun quicken, and then the necessity of the sovereignty of God coming in and giving life is really brought out first. It is an absolute requirement if there's going to be any blessing for anyone in this world, that God steps in in His sovereignty and then gives the life where there was not one before.
So that is brought out in chapter 5. In chapter 6 we get the miracle of the loaves and the subsequent discourse of the Lord through the rest of the chapter. And it's based on his brother John brought out the mention of the Passover in the beginning of the chapter where they would take that lamb and its blood was poured out and they roast that lamb with fire and they were to eat of it.
00:25:20
And the Passover is given as.
Picture of the death of Christ on which communion really is based. And so it goes on from there. Not only, uh, is quickening needed, but there's some other things that are needed as well if man is going to be brought into blessing and communion with God. And so he presents himself as the bread that came down from heaven, the Incarnate Son of God. And man is willing to to a certain extent.
Except that the Son of God came down and became a man. We'll accept that, That's all right. But then he says, well, there's something else that's needed. Except to eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood. Have no life in you.
Not only do you need him come down and incarnation to become a man, but He had to give his life on the cross and accept you come into the value and blessing.
Of that you have no life. You have no basis for communion. Eating and drinking is the most common form of fellowship in this world. Eating and drinking together.
And they heard that and they said this is a hard thing, You know, man is willing to accept the Son of God come down Incarnate into this world. And they're celebrating Christmas this week. The incarnation. Walking through the airport in Chicago a few years ago in that Christmas, uh, Carol came over the loud speakers. I was surprised they even played it in the airport. God and Sinner reconciled.
And this song is about his incarnation. But his incarnation alone could not reconcile the Sinner to God.
He must give his life and accept to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. You have no life, they said. We can't accept that, sorry. And many of his disciples at that point turn and walk away. The flesh profiteth nothing. It can come along a certain ways, but it really never can enter into communion with God. There must be a new life. It must believe that He is the sent one from God.
The Incarnate Son of God, it must lay hold in faith that he gave his life on that cross that must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God in that way. And so he says in the end of chapter 6.
And what verse 62 if he shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before, not only did he have to go into death.
But he was raised from the dead, and he's ascended now in glory.
Man in the flesh is incapable of laying hold and believing those truths. The flesh profiteth nothing. And so he says it is the Spirit that quickeneth. He starts in chapter five with the Father quickening and the Son quickening. And now we come to the Spirit, the whole Godhead.
Is involved in this matter of the communication of life. It's the beginning. He had to come down and become a man. He had to give his life on that cross. He's ascended now and gone back to glory.
And what did those truths do? It separated the mass of profession of belief in him from those who really believed in him. They could only go so far.
And then they walked away and the Lord says to his own, will ye also go away? All Peter says we have believed. He says not, uh, you've gone too far, Peter, as one of you, as a devil.
Even you don't realize, Peter.
How extensive this issue of Profession without Reality is.
One of you is a devil, he weaves out through. This whole chapter starts from this great crowd all the way down to 11.
00:30:04
Chapter 7 He retires, he takes the hidden place, and that's where he is now ascended up where he came from before, and there our life is hid with Christ and God.
When we, uh, read versus 5 through 9 of this chapter.
It's the Lord's desire to draw the hearts of his disciples so that they really and truly know who He is.
Let me read in the.
First five of them, there's five here, uh, part way through you say it's under Philip windshield. We buy bread that these may eat and I'm thinking the first six and this is that to prove him for he himself what he would do.
Philip answered him, 200 penny worth of bread, not sufficient for them, but every one of them they had take a little.
So what Philip was saying here?
It's going to take a man's annual salary to provide a little with this company of people.
And one of his disciples per SE, Andrew signed, Peter's brother, set unto him. There is a lad here which have 5 barley loads and two small fishes. For what are the bunks and many?
When the Lord is here and we want to improve to his disciples, drawing of their hearts, and realize truly who He was, Son of God, Son of man.
Could you say, Paul, if there is a very practical lesson for us here because the Lord allowed a difficulty to arise that seemed absolutely impossible?
And yet what he was doing was, umm, testing their profession. And sometimes the Lord allows difficulties in our lives that seem absolutely impossible to deal with, but it's just testing us to see whether or not we believe the Lord is sufficient. It's interesting to see here that Philip and Andrew, they lack the faith, didn't they? Yeah, we know it's with Philip, he says, umm.
200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient.
And then Andrew says, what are they among so many? So their faith was was really pretty small. But where earth's resources are small, heaven supply is inexhaustible. Absolutely.
I think that, uh, we can apply this in an evangelical, uh, character as well as, uh, for believers turn to, uh, second kings, uh, chapter 4.
That's a familiar passage.
Uh, verse 42.
There came a man from Alicia, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits.
20 loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
And the servator said, Watch, should I said this before? And hundred men.
He said unto them, He said, again, Give the people that they may eat, For thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof according to the word of the Lord. Well, I think we can apply it evangelically. We are surrounded by multitudes who do not know Christ. We feel our weakness, we feel.
The, the paucity of the, uh, uh, little resources that we have.
Often lacking courage, often lacking spiritual energy to reach out. We need to depend on the Lord and put what we have into His hand. This little boy here was willing to part with his lunch to put it into the hands of the Lord, not knowing what would happen. And uh, he was.
00:35:06
Surprised, he was rewarded abundantly.
The Lord multiplied that small amount which seemed to be insignificant. He multiplied it to three 5000 men. There must have been more than 5000 because uh, at these meetings the women are usually umm, in the ascendancy. But anyway, everyone was filled and uh, there was lots leftover. Now coming to.
The passage we read in Kings, I think there may be a lesson, a lesson there for us. What do we bring to the assembly?
Well, you say I'm coming to get some food for my soul. Well, that will be the case if we depend on the law. But, uh, it should be the exercise. What are we contributing to the gathering where we are? Are we bringing something it, it may seem very small, it may seem insignificant, but you know a word spoken in season, how good it is.
And it may be just a small contribution in your assembly. You say I don't have a gift as a teacher. Not many of us have. But you can make a contribution and it can be a tremendous help, tremendous help. You know, one word can turn around your life completely. I think of, uh, Jonathan, uh, when he was going to, uh, ascend the rocks there.
Uh, to, umm, to encounter the Philistines on the top of the, uh, hill there looking down, uh, making fun of him. There was only two Jonathan and his armor bearer behind him. Maybe we should, could look at that verse, uh, First Samuel 14.
Does it look like an impossible situation? Uh.
The uh.
The the forces of evil, the forces of the enemy, far outnumbered.
Two people, Jonathan and his armor bearer. Verse four. And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over onto the Philistines Garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side and the sharp rock on the other side. In the name of the one was bosses and the name of the other Senna. Well, I'm going down. Umm.
Verse six And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, come and let us go over unto the Garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. That was a courageous statement to make. He didn't know the outcome. Uh, you might say, uh, that was foolhardy. Uh Jonathan, look at the uh.
The forces of the enemy, uh, looking down on you.
So, and it was a case of supreme weakness on his part, wasn't it? And his armor bearers said unto him, Do all uh. The armor bearers said unto him, do all that is in thine heart turn thee. You know, I believe that when Jonathan saw the odds that were against him, he was ready to turn back. I believe he was ready to turn back. And perhaps we.
We have been in that situation often as well. It's too great. We can't meet this situation. It's beyond our power. But behold, just at that moment the armor bearer, we don't know his name, it's not recorded. But he said, Behold, I am with the according to thine heart turn thee Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
And so on you read the rest of the passage there. It was a marvelous victory, but it was in abject weakness. And just at that moment the armor bearer give gave that little word of encouragement that turned the tide and resulted in a in a marvelous victory for the Lord and and Jonathan, you mentioned two Spears where the bread is shared.
Both in the assembly and out in the multitudes in the world. But I think there's a third sphere also, and that might be the family. We have families here, young children. They need to have the bread of life as well. And brother Matt, he said here in verse five about Phillip, the Lord talked to Philip because Phillip was from that area of Basaya. And so Philip might know where they could buy the bread. And so I think it's important for each of us to know where can we find the bridge to feed our families.
00:40:32
Where can we fly? And I'm not talking about literal food, I'm talking about spiritual food. Where can we find the bread of life to feed our families? Where can we find the bread of life to feed the assembly or to share with the unbelievers out in the world? It's in the Word of God. And so sometimes our children may have questions. We may need to know, where can we find? Are we at home with the Word of God? Are we at home with the bread of life? And are we able to share?
And answer the questions. Share the bread of life with our children.
They need to know how to be saved. Do you have a verse to help your children understand that they are a Sinner, that they need to believe on the Lord Jesus, on the person and the work as we have been talking about? Do we tell the children?
Ask Jesus into your heart. So what scripture do you have for that? Or do you tell your children to believe in the Lord Jesus? He died for you because you are a Sinner and you need to be saved. And so we can make it very simple with Scripture, but we shouldn't add things. We should just give them the bread of life. Don't add add things to the to the bread that's going to weaken the bread or make it not nutritious for us. And so it also tells the the men to that the women are to ask their husbands at home.
And so the the as we as brothers, we need to know where we can find the bread to feed our wives when they have questions. And if we don't know the answer, then we need to have resources where we can go to find the answer and maybe ask others or search the scriptures or but we need to be able to have the bread to feed our families as well.
I don't need to be facetious, but Brother Tim, you mentioned about, we don't need to add to the bread, we don't need to put butter on it.
Peanut butter jam.
And you know this bread, it never grows stale.
Spread of life is Christ.
And he's the same yesterday, today and forever.
And we really need more of the same.
Sometimes when you talk to somebody and you ask, well, how did your day go? Oh, it's just the same old, same old, other day, same old.
Well, we know what he's talking about. Same with the small.
Can be very boring and dull.
End.
But same with a capital S.
Is not the same as with the small S.
And so when we find our delight in Christ, we find that.
He meets.
Every need that confronts us, no matter what it is, whether it's in the family or the assembly.
And this world has big problems.
And I don't think this world.
Is going to enjoy peace.
Until the Lord Jesus Christ assumes the government of this world is gonna be on his shoulder.
And the effect of his reign, it's a righteous reign, is gonna be peace.
And what a wonderful day that will be.
Bye.
I believe we see in this chapter that the Lord Jesus Christ alone is to be the object of our heart, and when there are those that this has been pointed out, they leave as we head at the end of the chapter.
Apparently they couldn't accept the teaching because it was that which.
Really didn't put the 1St man on an elevated scale.
Thought it was that which exalted.
00:45:01
The person and the work of Christ.
But we see that Peter, Simon Peter, he says thou hast the words of eternal life. And isn't that really what we want? You know, eternal life is that which isn't only forever and ever, but it's a quality of life.
That we can enjoy.
And we enjoy more and more and it fills our hearts.
In an intimate way.
That is really life.
And it's eternal.
It's a quantity, but it's also quality.
I think there's another interesting little thing here that's encouraging. We don't read very much in the Scripture about Andrew doing, but you'll notice here in this chapter that he he brings a young lad to the Lord Jesus. Verse nine, There is a lad here which has five long barley loans and two small fishes. So he's encouraged and and spite of the fact that his faith is small.
He brings this young lad to the Lord Jesus, knowing that the Lord can do something with what this little boy has. But turn back to the first chapter of John and we see Andrew again.
In verse 40 it says one of the two which heard John speak and followed him with Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, he first findeth his own brother Simon.
And says unto him, We have found the Master, which is being interpreted to Christ.
So here we find him bringing his own brother to the Lord Jesus. You know, we never read about Peter, uh, Andrew being a great gospel preacher, and yet here he is bringing his own brother to the Lord. And we all know that Peter was used for the salvation of thousands. And yet it was, I believe, through Andrew that Peter came to know the Lord. And then another example in John chapter 12.
And verse 20.
And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to the to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip, which was a Bethea of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Philip cometh and telleth Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. So what's Andrew doing here? The same thing that he did with his brother.
And what he did with the young lad, he brings these Greeks to the Lord Jesus. And so I believe there's a lesson there for us, isn't there? We can, we might not have much of A gift and we feel the Lord can't use this very much. But isn't it wonderful that we have the privilege of bringing, bringing someone to Jesus? And I think it's nice to see here, Andrew was used over and over again to bring some money to Jesus.
In one case.
Connection to what you you just said uh, fill point. You said 3 words. Come and see.
The Lord can multiply a very little, as we see here, and you know it says in Proverbs.
There is that scatter it and yet increases.
And there is that which withholds more than its meat, and it tends to poverty.
So I believe if God has given to us.
A little word to share.
We need to give that out, we need to share it and it could be a blessing.
To others.
I think it's gonna be a blessing to the one who shares it.
But first of all, it's gonna be for the Lord's honor and glory. And so I believe that, uh, this little boy, he wasn't reluctant to give up his little lunch. And I'm sure that little boy, he had plenty to eat for lunch that day himself.
00:50:17
I think of him, that's a pretty big one. You know, I think he saw that crowd go by and he said.
Mom, give me everything you got in the house. I'm going to make some money. And he grabbed 5 loaves of bread and the two fishes and he went out as a little entrepreneur. But you know, it all gets turned over to the Lord in the end. And to me it makes it all more precious. I got thinking of boys. I've got a few that's still a big lunch even though there's hollow legs to fill 5 loaves. I thought I know something else about little boys. I love to make a little bit of money too.
But it's all turned over to the Lord's use, and I think it's just a precious thing. And he, he loves, he says to Moses. What is in my hand? A rod? Not much. To the widow woman. What's in my house? A pot of oil. Just enough to anoint yourself.
What is this among so many? Just a little, but he'll take even you, boy or girl in this place, and he'll take what little you have if you're willing to turn it over to him. And he'll make it for blessing. And you might not see it ahead of time. You might have to look back and say, oh, the Lord did that, but if you're willing to turn it over to him.
I wonder if there are any thoughts if it's significant that when we see the.
Distribution.
In verse 11 it mentions both the loaves and the fishes, but when we see them gathering the fragments verse 13 it only mentions the loaves.
While the I suppose we could, uh, note that, uh.
Every part of the word of God is precious.
From the uh.
From the temporal standpoint here, nothing was, nothing was wasted and.
The believer certainly should not be a waster of material goods, whether it be food or anything else. Umm.
Umm, that is umm.
A very umm.
A bad habit to waste anything that the Lord has given to us.
But I was thinking also the, uh, the fragments, uh, there's a book written by Mr. Potter gathering up the fragments. It's very interesting to read that volume. And, uh, little, little thoughts, uh, little, umm, expressions in the word of God, which, uh, we might pass over a fragment can be, uh, very encouraging and very edifying.
Every part of the word of God is needful.
So we read the Old Testament, we gather up the fragments there.
There is profit in all the word of God for us. We need the whole scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. We don't just specialize in some area, but uh, there's profit for us in every part of the word of God. Umm, you read the Old Testament, uh, stories of the kings and so on. You see there, uh, the moral, uh, result of following the Lord.
And the opposite of those that forsook the Lord, there's, there's profit in all of that for us. So, uh.
Uh, it's wonderful to uh, know that, uh, every word of God is pure and, and we need the whole re revealed mind of God.
Well, I believe the bread really spoke of Christ. He speaks of Himself as the bread of life.
And if indeed this is the case, why would we want to leave crumbs on the ground? Because every aspect.
00:55:02
Of Christ is so wonderful, and even as we begin to examine this person.
We find that there's nothing that really we would want to reject. It's also beautiful.
Use altogether love.
And I think of the Syrophoenician woman. She came to the Lord on behalf of her daughter.
And sought his help.
She was ill and the Lord said, well, it's not.
Really need to take the children's bread.
And to cast it to dogs. In other words, the Lord was telling her from a natural standpoint, she is not entitled to any help at all.
And many would listen to this and be so offended and would walk away from the Lord. But you know what she said? She said truth, Lord. But the little dogs, they eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table.
She didn't become offended and walk away, but she accepted what Jesus had to say and that is so important. No matter what He says, we need to accept it, even though it cuts across our own will.
And makes us feel so little.
But what I enjoy is the fact that.
And she's thinking about the crumbs and if she can get a crumb.
As a little dog, she'd be very happy.
So I connect that with this portion here. I'm sure there were a lot of crumbs on the ground, but the Lord wanna make sure that they were all gathered up.
And there's.
Nourishment and crops.
I might suggest too, that the fish in a certain sense represents the freshness where the bread represents that which is processed through. You know, our brother mentioned that we might know where to go get bread. It's not like it's a tree that you just go and shake a little loaves of bread fall off or, you know, you go plant the seed and then pops up and you rip off a fresh loaf. But instead you have to go on your your plant and you gather, you work it. And that's kind of what we do with the word of God.
And we prepare those lows in a certain sense ahead of time.
But the fish is something which is fresh and taken that you don't necessarily prepare. You have to go out and gather it, but you don't prepare it. It's prepared by God for your consuming. And so I would suggest that perhaps when things are presented before for food, that oftentimes there is that which you have taken in through your course of life, but there is also that freshness that comes in. And what your brethren take in is both the freshness and also the consistency.
And that the freshness has to be renewed. It doesn't. There's no fragments there. It's all taken up and and consumed. But that which is prepared through your life and consistency, there's always some fragment left for another day.
You read another parallel account, but this is a desert place. And yet we read in verse 10 that yet Jesus said make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. If you read a mark, you re you read that it's not only grass, but green grass. So let's get some of other spots on this thought of, uh, much green grass in a desert place that makes you think of the 23rd song to make it lie down by green pastures.
It's not only fed with the bread and the fish, but we're in a place of refreshing and a place of peace and comfort, and I'd like to hear some thoughts on that.
We will never understand or appreciate the epistles.
Until we come to understand and appreciate the Gospels. And so you see the heart of the Lord.
He would not have those ones who came to him. He wouldn't have them uncomfortable. He wouldn't have them.
Unhappy in his presence, he provided even in little details.
Some somewhere comfortable, somewhere refreshing, where they could eat.
01:00:01
An almost impossible scenario, you could say, to be in a desert and still provide in that way. And we we turn to the epistles after enjoying the the character of the Lord and his care for his own, and we see that that same principle over and over and over again.
And so just those little, little treasures as we trace through in the Gospels, just the Lord's tremendous care for his own, and he he delights to to provide and.
And to richly, richly provide.
Not sure about the grass, uh, brother Matt, but umm, I was thinking the same thing. It it, it caused you to think of Psalm 23. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures and here it's make the men sit down.
Umm, and you know, there's some applications here to our own individual, uh.
Enjoyment of Christ.
Sometimes, you know, you're just so, uh, busy with the things of this life and cares and so on that, uh, he might have to lay you aside.
For a bit so that you can enjoy some of the, the bread of life, right? I mean, I think many have had that experience and the Lord has forced you to be laid aside because you've been so busy and occupied with the things of this life. Not necessarily bad things, but the Lord can lay you aside so that you're made to, uh, to sit down or to lie down.
Where you can enjoy the things of the Lord. But it's also a Some have been alluding to the fact that the Lord is not.
The Lord is not uh.
Wanting us to be uncomfortable or.
To suffer in order to enjoy spiritual things, you know, that's the thought of religion nearly, I believe nearly every man made religion has an essential element of asceticism. That's, uh, suffering, purposeful suffering. And uh, and that's just the natural religious man that thinks that, you know, uh, it's spiritual to have natural suffering. Uh, and so in order to be more spiritual, we add some natural suffering, but that's not.
That clearly is not the Lord's character at all.
Umm, he desires that we be in the best condition, even physically to receive His word. And, uh, whereas sometimes that may be that we're forced to be laid aside with an illness or an injury, umm, other times, you know, making the Saints comfortable, umm.
There's nothing spiritual about making the Saints uncomfortable in order that they might receive the word. That's not the Lord's character. That's the natural religious man that has that kind of thought.
See that further on down in our chapter in verse 28. They came to him and said, what shall we do that we might work the works of God. They wanted to do something. And what does Jesus say? He says believe in Him and he has sent a man's natural heart is to go the hard way, so to speak. And yet in Christianity it's a simple, simple belief.
The desert.
You might want another way to say that word might be exerted.
It's not a desert where there's no grass, it's all all sand, but just a deserted place. A a desert place where there's no other people, there's no influences of the world. And so the Lord takes them to a a deserted place where there's no other influences around, where he can have their full attention.
Just make one other little comment. Umm Matthew, you were wondering about the green grass. I think the thought in green grass is prosperity, isn't it? Umm, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Any of us that have ever been in Israel know that it's a very dry and thirsty land where no water is. And so, so to sit down or to be made to lie down in green pastures is something that great luxury.
I just point out one other verse in that regard.
In Revelation chapter 8, when it's looking at the terrible trumpet judgments that are gonna fall in this world, it says in the seventh verse all green grass was burnt up. So all the prosperity that man enjoys now is one day going to be destroyed. And it's referred to in Revelation chapter 8 as the green grass being burnt up.
01:05:27
So I was just thinking what a beautiful thing it is in our chapter if the Lord made his people.
To sit down on the grass He delights to bring us into a place of blessing and prosperity. And that's what He did in this chapter.
It's a land that is completely dependent upon the reign of heaven to produce, though today, through man's efforts in irrigation, they try to, uh, get to the blessings that are promised Israel in the coming day through man's efforts. They're never going to get there.
That land, when it gets the rain that it needs, produces abundantly, and the testimony of the spies that went in and brought the fruits of the land show that.
When it doesn't get rain, it's barren. It's the way God has made that land where the people would be dependent. There's green grass here. Must have been rain. Who did that come from? He provided that green grass. It wasn't just that it happened to be there. He provides the meals, the loaves and the fishes multiplied throughout that whole crowd. What's remaining?
12 baskets full, one for every one of his tribes. It looks on to a coming day of millennial blessing.
That he alone is going to bring in. It won't be brought in by man's efforts. He's going to bring it in. They want to bring it in by their efforts. What shall we do that we might work the works of God? That would be a Kingdom of man. We'll make him a king. That would be a Kingdom of man. But it's going to be God's Kingdom, and he's going to bring in the blessing. And so that's what he's doing here in this little small scope.
A picture of what is going to be in a much larger scope in the coming day. And so there's 12 baskets reserved. Israel is yet going to be brought into blessing. There's a basket reserved for each tribe.
I was thinking of those verses in Second Corinthians Chapter 9.
Uh, along this line here, uh, the Apostle is exhorting them as to, uh, liberality in, uh, the distribution in particular here of their monetary resources. Umm, and, uh, he speaks at some length of this. Umm, we're familiar with these verses, but I think, uh, uh, it's good to be reminded.
Uh, verse 9 as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, His righteousness remaineth forever. That's what we had in our chapter. Uh, now he administered a seed to the sore, both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
So, uh, we have seed for the sword and we have bread for our own food being enriched versus UH-11 in everything to all bountifulness. Doesn't it show us God is a giver? That is his character. Nothing, uh, about the way in which God works. Uh, it's his heart of love that, uh, is so bountiful.
Which causes through US Thanksgiving to God, for the administration of this service, not only supply us the want of the Saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God. So, as our brother pointed out, if we are an instrument, uh, of blessing to others.
We receive the encouragement ourselves. Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
So the Lord is no longer here to, uh, multiply the loaves and fishes, but uh, we are left here as His representatives and we have that same power available to us. Uh, last, we don't always draw upon it, independence upon the Lord. And I noticed another thing in the parallel passage. There was order here you go into some of these foreign countries that, uh, I work a little in.
01:10:18
One of the difficulties is, put it plainly, mobbing.
I tell my dear wife, I say don't get involved in a mob in India, it's dangerous. But there wasn't that situation. I noticed there was order another place. They were sitting down in, uh, they were sitting down in companies of 50 each. Everything seemed was in, uh, very good order before there was the administration of this, uh, of these, uh, supplies.
So I think that, uh.
That's important that, uh, when we give out the gospel and just make that, uh, practical comment, we, we need to, uh, seek to do it in an orderly way. I was noticing that, uh, parallel passage, I think you're referring to.
John, how they sat down in ranks tells us in Mark's Gospel chapter 6 and verse 40 by hundreds and by 50s.
And God is not the author of confusion.
And I noticed in these large conferences that were privileged to attend from time to time.
How on Thursday morning, the bread.
Is passed in a very orderly manner and I know it's here this morning. We've got 4 quadrants. Well, this I believe is orderly.
It facilitates the passing of the bread.
And I just, I'm interested in these, uh, details. Perhaps it's not a detail when you contemplate how many were present, 5000 men plus women and children could have been up to 20,000.
But I was noticing too, and I don't mean to take away at all from what Brother Al said because I enjoyed it, but it does say in verse 43.
He took up 12 baskets full of the fragments and of the fishes.
Did you ever notice that, uh, Ethan?
I actually didn't think of it until I just looked at this passage here.
So I'm wondering if there were fishes, fragments of fishes?
You know, I don't think that, uh, these accounts.
That we find in the Gospels are contradictory.
I talked to a woman. She runs a bookstore in the community not far from where we live.
And she said I can't accept the Bible.
Because it doesn't add up. I mean, there's contradictions, I said, is that so? Well, she said. If aren't there four different stories about the crucifixion?
Four different people writing about the crucifixion. Well, I said that's true, but.
Have you read the four stories?
No.
The fact is, when you read the four accounts, you see how one author or one evangelist, he gives something that the other doesn't speak about. But it's not contradictory, you know, it's that which can certainly be reconciled.
And I'm thinking of this portion that we're reading today, I think, is this not the only miracle, the feeding of the 5000 that's recorded in all the Gospels?
The only miracle?
This other miracle is recorded. What did you mean, Brother Long?
There's other miracles recorded, uh.
Maybe I didn't follow well with respect to.
The Lord's.
Performing Amerigo.
During his lifetime.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think while you just meant that it's the only miracle you can think of that all four gospels mentioned.
Exactly. Yeah, that's it.
Setting.
01:15:03
I guess you could say the four gospels descend 4 different vantage points or perspective of the same thing, and so that's why you see the differences between the gospel depending on what the perspective is in that particular case, right?
You know, when it comes to differences in accounts.
Umm, sometimes we we assume that the accounts are of the same incident. Uh, Most notably is when, umm, the woman comes in. In one case she anoints the Lord's head.
In another case, there's a woman that anoints his feet.
Umm, if you read the details of those accounts carefully, it really appears that there are three different accounts. They were three different incidents. There is no reason to think that they were one incident. Umm, if you read them carefully, they occurred in different places and under different circumstances and at different times. Umm the Spirit of God can take the three.
And put them together to show us things we could not otherwise see. Umm, but sometimes we just make assumptions and that's why sometimes we have trouble. Umm the other thing is there are no divine mistakes in the scriptures.
Uh, if there are human mistakes, and I don't say there are, but if there are human mistakes in the writing of the scriptures, they were divinely authored and uh, they can show us truth that otherwise could not be shown to us.
Anything that exists in our three-dimensional world has at least two sides. If you take a coin the, the, uh, American quarter and you show it to somebody, on one side there's uh, an image of Mr. Washington and on the other side there's an eagle. Well, if I hold up the coin and you're looking at it and I'm looking at it, we can argue all day as to what's on the coin. We're both right, but you can't see both at the same time, can you? You can only see one side at a time.
And so in many I it's true of anything that's true. All truth is that way. And so the scriptures will show us two sides of something. It may seem like a contradiction, but what's really happening is the Spirit of God is showing us the truth, both sides of it. And so I hope that helps in any time you come across something in Scripture that seems to be a mistake. If it is a human mistake, it's divinely authored with a purpose.
To show you a particular truth that could not otherwise be shown to you.
Could we see #303 three, 103?
We pray our gracious God and our Father, as we've been reminded, as thou didst feed thy people in the wilderness of old, and even as of its fine bread.
Uh, for the hungry and provided in a desolate place. Thou has provided food for our souls today. And we thank the indeed our Father, we pray that we may take the things that we have heard today. We may meditate upon them.
We may profit by these things. We pray, too, that our fellowship between the meetings may be sweet and be an encouragement to one another. And so we thank the Our Father, and we thank thee, Lord Jesus, too, for that atoning work on Calvary's cross, which has provided us a way, uh, to stand before a God who is holy. Because thou hast, umm, paid the penalty for our sins.
In dying on the cross. And so we thank the blessed Savior and thy worthy and precious name. Amen. Amen.