Monday, July 28, 2008

Step Out On Faith

My DH is a bivocational preacher. He preaches every week, alternating days and evenings with an older pastor at our church. Last Sunday evening, he preached a sermon that really spoke to me. I wish more people could have heard it. I'm gonna try and write what he was saying.

He recounted the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 men (and probably 10,000 women and children) with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This is a very well-known act of Jesus from the Bible. But Preach got a meaning from it that I had never heard before. Maybe you have. But it really spoke volumes to me.

When Jesus and his disciples were faced with feeding the multitude of people, Jesus asked them how they were going to feed them. He didn't ask them because he really wanted to know; he asked them to test them. They were willing to send the people away. Andrew said "This boy has 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Let's see how far that goes", I imagine, in a slightly sarcastic way. So instead of having a little faith, they were willing to send at a minimum 15,000 people away, without having heard Jesus speak. But Jesus took the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed all of those people, and still had 12 baskets of leftovers after the meal.

That story is great as an example of another miracle of Jesus. But even better, is what else is symbolizes. When you read that story, do you put yourself in the disciples places? Would you have had little faith that Jesus could feed so many? Would you have rather sent them away, hungry not only physically but spiritually as well? Our first reaction is - NO! I would have had faith that Jesus could take care of it! Would you really?

How many times do we show how little faith we do have in Jesus' power? How many times does Jesus ask us to do something for Him, and we give excuse after excuse of why we can't do it?

Does this sound familiar?

"I can't teach Sunday School because I'm just not a teacher."
"I can't give my testimony at church because I'm not a good speaker."
"I can't go to church on Wednesday nights because I'm just too tired."
"I can't witness to my lost coworker because I'm afraid I'll mess it up."
"I can't present the Gospel to my neighbor because what if he asks me something that I don't know?"

All Jesus asks of us is to just give a little, and He will take care of the rest. He has the power! Believe in His power! Have faith that He will make it happen! Give a little, and He will do much. To me, that is what the story is teaching us. Maybe you're not a good speaker, but get up and start speaking, and have faith that Jesus will take care of the rest. Your words will affect someone.

Have faith that when you do or give something, that Jesus will take it and make it do much more. But you have to be willing to give a little first.

The boy in the story gave up his 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And look what happened when it passed through Jesus' hands. A multitude of 15,000 people were fed physically, and then were able to be fed spiritually through Jesus' words. All because of a basketful of food.

Step out on faith. Jesus will take care of the rest.

1 comment:

  1. Wow! Just want to say your message here spoke volumes to me! Faith is what makes things possible!

    ReplyDelete

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