Communion Message
(Jesus feeds the five thousand)
August 4, 2002
Pastor Leighton Sheley

There is this story that has been recorded for us, in God's Holy Scripture, found in John chapter 6. There is a subject title here -- Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. The story reads:

Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 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?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Phillip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 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. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing what they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

And then there's a passage that talks about the disciples slipping away in a boat across the lake without Jesus, and Jesus coming, walking on water to meet them. And then the crowds realize that Jesus somehow had slipped through, and they went searching for him.

And when they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your filled. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."

Jesus was telling them, reprimanding them actually, because they had eaten they had had their stomachs filled, they had rested and now it was a new day, and their stomachs were growling. And they wanted Jesus to do the miracle again and fill their stomachs. And what Jesus was staying is, yes, I can fill your stomachs. Yes I can meet your physical needs, but if that is all your pursuing in our relationship, you're really missing it altogether.

I know that there are many among us this morning who have very real physical needs. They need physical healing. They need spiritual healing. They need relational healing. They need guidance and direction in relationship to their work or life. There are many needs among us that deal simply in this physical plane, and God wants to meet those needs. He is our heavenly Father. But if our total preoccupation in our relationship with God is, 'what can it benefit me today in this world,' we have missed the real treasure of the eternal relationship that we enjoy with our heavenly Father.

Now the Scriptures say that when we gather ourselves together at times like these we should examine ourselves, and so I want to invite you, if you're physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord, this day we are reminded again of the many benefits that we enjoy because You have chosen to love us. Lord, we thank you for making that sacrificial decision to pay the wages of our sin on Calvary's cross. Lord, we desire this day to be forgiven for the sins that we have committed. And Your word says if we confess our sins You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And that Lord, is our prayer this day; to be forgiven, to be cleansed, and Lord to be cleansed in our heart. Change our heart Lord.

Thank you for Your Holy Spirit working in us ever so patiently; Your faithfulness to us. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Thank you Lord for revealing to us Your word and for making it come alive to us. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, amen. Let's stand. Let's greet our neighbors.