We just finished with our annual Missions Conference, and before that we had our Revival with Kent York. We have been challenged time and again with the task at hand. Reach the multitudes! To go into all the world and preach the Gospel. What a task! If we are honest, we probably would acknowledge that it is a bit overwhelming. The latest statistics are staggering: There is a website that tracks the estimated population of the world up to the minute. At the time of this message preparation it stood at 6,394,214,434!
How do we do it? As with every question we have about life, God's Word instructs us. We have the example of Jesus Christ in our text. Read: v14-18
Perhaps the disciples felt like us this morning. As they considered the multitude and their resources they wondered how they could possibly obey the command of the Lord.
Mt 14:16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. I want you to notice in this passage a number of things that will help us understand how we can reach the multitudes. How we can overcome the staggering obstacles that seemingly stand in our way of obeying the Lord's command. Note v19
Mt 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. There are three thoughts in our text verse that I want us to focus upon today. Blessed - Broken - Given.
I. Blessed.
A. The word simply means to speak favorably…
1. We use it when we speak of prayer before a meal thanking the Lord for His provision and then asking Him to bless it.
2. That is exactly what we see in our text this morning…Jesus blessed the bread and fish.
3. I believe it includes acknowledgement of the gift as well as the giver.
4. This is a great example to all of us today…we should 'speak favorably' not only before our meals, but at all times.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
B. Jesus blessed what was given.
1. Not because of the amount, but because of the heart attitude.
Joh 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
2. Jesus blessed the gift, because it was all this little boy had to give.
3. We see this repeated throughout the Scripture…the Lord looks upon the heart.
4. When we will give what we have to the Lord, He will bless it!
5. It will cause all to be amazed, and God will receive all of the glory!
6. The disciples couldn't accomplish their task without the Lord's blessing…nor can we.
C. We need God's blessings upon us.
1. As individuals…
2. As families…
3. As a local church…
4. But we must be willing to offer ourselves to Him totally - no strings attached!
II. Broken.
A. Jesus broke that which was offered.
1. The principle is this: before it could be used, it had to be broken.
2. This principle is the reality of revival.
a. When we talk about becoming closer to the Lord it just empty words unless we are broken before Him.
b. It isn't about us…it is all about Jesus.
c. Not what we want…but what He wants.
Lu 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
3. That verse isn't about salvation, but it is about service!
4. Salvation is Jesus Christ taking us, and making us new…regenerating us with His life.
5. Revival is Jesus Christ pouring His life into a believer who is willing to empty self.
6. No matter what our need today, Jesus Christ is the answer!
B. Jesus was broken for us.
1. He instructed His disciples on a number of occasions.
Joh 12:32-33 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Lu 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
2. He also illustrated this truth as He gathered together with His disciples for the last supper.
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
C. Are we willing to be broken?
1. To be used of God…
2. To reach the multitudes…
3. We must be broken to our selfish goals and purposes and totally surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ
III. Given.
A. This is the really exciting part.
1. Jesus Christ didn't just give to the hungry multitude.
2. He chose to use His disciples to distribute the food to those who needed it
3. What a privilege that must have been for those disciples.
4. They took what they had received of the Lord and gave to those who hungered.
5. That was God's plan for feeding the multitude and it is still His plan for reaching the multitudes with the Gospel!
2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
B. The disciples could not give…until they had received.
1. The same thing is true for us this morning.
2. Before we can give to others, we must first receive from God.
3. That applies to everything we do for the Lord.
a. We cannot be a witness to what we do not know personally.
b. We cannot teach what we have not been taught by others.
c. We cannot share what we have not received.
4. What a privilege to share with the multitudes what we have received by His grace.
a. Grace = 'Charis' or gift
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
b. The lad freely gave all that he had to be blessed and broken by Jesus.
c. That gift was then redistributed to those who needed it most.
d. There was also a special blessing for those who were involved in this process.
Mt 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
How will we reach the multitudes? We must first give ourselves to the Lord, we must also be willing to be broken for Him, and then be used to give the Gospel to those who are hungering to hear it.
What is your need today? Perhaps you have never received God's wonderful gift of salvation that is available by His grace through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus. Come today and trust Him. Maybe you are a believer, but you have resisted His will in your life. You have tried going your own way rather than following Him. Come today and surrender to His perfect will for your life. Are you actively involved in reaching the multitudes? Both hear in our community and around the world? Choose today to obey the Lord's command.