Five Loaves, Two Fish and Twelve Baskets: 2016 Gospel of Luke # 33
This is an exposition of Luke 9:10-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 16, 2016.
Intro:
The task of preaching is an intimidating assignment to say the least. It is a task that is filled with both joy and frustration. While there is never a lack of material for one can never exhaust the subject, there is the frustration of knowing you are not adequate for the job! There is a level of presumption if one thinks he can adequately express great eternal truths. There is something absurd about a man standing to say, “My subject this morning is God, the universe and related topics.” To try and capture the character and nature of God in a sermon is a bit like attempting to capture the Pacific Ocean in a thimble! While I feel wholly inadequate there was One who perfectly revealed Him.
In fact we are told that God spoke to man in various ways, through various means in times past but He has spoke His final word in this Man. This one was called the exact representation of the eternal God. In fact He was God made flesh. John tells us that as we behold the Lord Jesus we behold the glory of the only begotten Son of God. John goes on to say that no one has ever seen God but this one makes Him known. This one reveals Him, unfolds Him, and explains Him. This is why Jesus said; “If you’ve seen Me you have seen the Father.” What is God like? Look to the Lord Jesus.
This is important because there are so many false pictures of God circulating. False notions of what God is like and how He acts. These false notions are often promoted by the way believers live and act. We must strive to accurately reflect the character and nature of our God, yet we must also realize that we are, at best, a flawed, imperfect representation. We must constantly point to Christ. Keep that in mind as we consider one of the great miracles of our Lord, as it is recorded in Luke Luke 9.
Text: Luke 9:10-17
Luke the careful historian is presenting his friend Theophilus with an accurate account of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. His purpose is evangelistic, aimed at the heart as well as the head. Here we find Luke’s account of the feeding of the 5000. This is one of two miracles found in all 4 Gospels, the other being the resurrection. It is a very familiar story. We’ve all heard it since we were children but there is a great truth to be found in it.
For this passage reminds us that:
Thesis: The miracles of Jesus provide profound insight into the character of our God.
This is what God is like.
This is how He responds to need.
This is how He handles interruptions.
There are three things I want you to note from our text.
- The feeding of the 5000 reveals the wonder-working power of the Lord Jesus.
- The feeding of the 5000 demonstrates the tender, compassionate heart of the Savior.
- The feeding of the 5000 displays the abundant generosity of the Sovereign One.
Conclusion:
What does all this mean to us?
The God we serve is a God of great power who intervenes on behalf of the hurting and does so with great generosity.