Sermon notes from Sunday 2 February 2014 (pm)
John 6 verses 1 – 14
Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ
had travelled over the sea of Galilee.
There was an interest in this teacher and prophet. They travelled to the hillside. As he ministered to them, as the Lord looked
on the multitudes he turned to Philip and said “whence may we buy bread that we
may feed this people.”
The inescapable need that was presented – verse 5. He lifted up his eyes, scanned the multitudes
who had come to see and hear him. He
could see a multitude of people with a tremendous need, tired and weary and
hungry. He was moved with
compassion. He wanted to do something
for them. He turned to Philip and asked
him “whence shall we buy bread.” As he
looked on this sea of faces he saw who they were – rich and poor, old and
young, healthy and those in ill health.
He saw this tremendous need. The
disciples saw the need too. They told
Jesus to send the people home. There is
an inescapable need in every man and woman, boy and girl that only Christ
sees. There is only one need that Christ
sees in the very depths of our hearts.
It in escapable. Nicodemus came
to the Lord through the shadow of night time to where Jesus was. He came into the presence of Christ. If people met him on his way that night they
would have known he was an honourable man, religious, devout, caring. “Except a man be born again he cannot enter
into the kingdom of heaven.” The Lord
could see a man who wasn’t saved and wasn’t ready for the kingdom of God. Maybe as God looks into our hearts he sees
those who are not saved. He still has
the same compassion and pleads with you and I.
In Acts 8 there was persecution in Jerusalem. The disciples had to move out and everywhere
they went they preached the word of God.
Philip came to Samaria and gave the invitation to come to Christ. Men and women were coming in their droves, and
were being delivered of demonic spirits.
One man, Simon the sorcerer practised witchcraft. He had tremendous power so much so that men
and women were held mesmerised. They all
followed him because he had this power.
They thought he was a man of God.
The devil still has strong deception, can come to your heart, say you
are ready for heaven and home, that you have nothing to do. He can make you as religious as you possibly
want to. The Bible says Simon wanted the
same power, to buy it for himself. Here
was Peter under the anointing of God telling him “thy heart is not right in the
sight of God.” Only under the anointing
of the Holy Spirit the finger of God points to you, the question comes to you
“is your heart right with God?” If God
was to call that soul from your body would it be absent from the body and
present with the Lord?
The insufficiency of the provision.
The best efforts of man fall short of the need that was present. They looked to see what they could gather up,
only came up with one lad who had a few loaves and fishes. There is a need in every heart. Man can do nothing without it. Take Jesus’ death on Calvary for his blood to
be shed to meet that need of your sins forgiven. The man lying at the pool of Siloam for 37
years. Jesus asked him “do you want to
be made whole?” The first thing he said was
“Sir I have no man that would put me in the pool when it stirs.” The first man into the pool after the
stirring would be healed. He was looking
to another man to help. The need you
have in your heart no man can help you but there is someone who can help and he
invites you just to come. Adam in his
disobedience to God realised his shame and nakedness. He sewed leaves together to make an apron. Adam was not sufficient. He shame was soon shown to all. Maybe you have wrapped around you that robe
of self righteousness, attendance at church, being present at God’s table. Man has nothing to offer. We have all come short of the glory of
God. The apostle Paul said when I stand
before God I don’t want to do it in my own righteousness. No-one had done it better than him. One day he realised he would stand before God
and that would be insufficient. Only
through faith he could stand and be saved.
What God has done on the cross of Calvary for me that is what God is
looking for. Are you prepared to do
that? The king in the gospels prepared a
great supper because his son was getting married. He put everything on the banquet table and
sent out the invitations for all to come.
The king opens the door, steps in and gazes around at everyone settled
around the tables. One man has come in
without the robes provided for them. He
was sitting in the midst of this great room in the finest of attire. The king had provided for every man at the
feast but this man decided to wear what he wanted. God has made a way of salvation in his
word. He has given us the steps of that
salvation. He has given us the way he will
accept us into heaven. We say “I will
dress myself in my religion, in keeping the commandments as best I can”. The king looked on that man and he had him
cast out of the banqueting feast. When
the Lord comes people will come and say “did we not eat and drink in thy
presence, did we not do many mighty things in your name, did we not preach in
your name?” It is not sufficient if we
ever want to be in heaven. It has to be
through the finished work of Calvary and no other way. That is the requirement from heaven tonight
for salvation. “Nothing in my hand I
bring simply to thy cross I cling.”
An intervention that was priceless.
See the disciples standing with the loaves and fishes saying “Lord that
is all we have got what is this among so many?”
Can see the disappointment on their faces. Jesus steps in. He uses all that he was given. When we have nothing to enter into heavens
glory it is then Jesus can step in.
Remember the disciples on the boat when a storm got up. They rowed and
toiled to get back to the shore. They
couldn’t do it but then Jesus stepped in.
You were dead in your trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2 verses 2 and 4 “but God” steps in
to that life of yours.
The inexhaustible powers of God.
The power of God knows no limit.
It would be easy for God to feed one as it was to feed 1000. With God nothing should be impossible. Have you come to the inexhaustible power of
God? A man once brought his son to the
Lord. He was worried about him. He had brought him to the disciples who were
not able to help him. He then brought
him to the Lord. The Lord delivered that
young man. When the Lord does a work it
is tremendous. When the Lord saves a
soul he is saved, when he forgives sins sins are forgiven from heaven. Are you saved? Have you been born again of the Spirit of
God? Do you know your name is written in
the Lamb’s book of life? There is coming
a day when that is all that matters. It
will not matter what denomination you belong to, what creed or nationality you
have been brought up in. God will simply
ask the question “what have you done with Jesus my son?”
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