Our mandate as followers of Jesus is :
To help our friends discover the grace of God and live according to the commands of Jesus
We gather together for collective worship and also in smaller groups to nut out the nitty gritty of life and help each other to love each other and to build a strong sense of belonging and community.
As we build community its also important to remember that we live within a large community of people who don’t really understand what the grace of God really is.
As I have been thinking about some of this I realise more and more that God doesn’t make this stuff hard – we do.
And so to today's message.
A staff, some fish and some oil
So
Moses – Briefly the story - Exodus 3 and 4
Widow of Zarephath – Briefly the story – 1 Kings 17:8-16
Loaves and the fishes – Briefly the story – John 6:1-15
Using the ordinary
So often we see that God simply uses what we already have. It doesn’t have to be special
We think we need more training, more understanding etc and in the right time and place that is good, but actually, we all have things that might seem quite ordinary, and simple, but its amazing how God can use that.
A simple idea you have, a gift or talent, etc that we can use
For Moses, who had all the excuses in the world, it was his staff that he had.
4 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”
2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.
3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.
4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.
5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”
Staff and the rod were used by shepherd both to control the sheep and direct them in the right way and they were also used to fight off wild animals that would be prowling around to attack the sheep (picture of staff)
So the rod and the staff of Moses was something that as a shepherd he was familiar with, he carried it as part of his job in much the same way as a cricketer would have his bat with him, or a business woman would carry a bag.
The point is that God used what he had at hand.
God uses this approach so often
When Jesus was feeding the five thousand plus people – he used what was available – what was given to him by the boy
There was nothing miraculous about the fish and loaves. (probably sardines according to commentators) (picture of sardines)
But he offered up what he had and Jesus took what was very ordinary and created something extraordinary.
(Never underestimate what God can do through children – they offer what they have so much more easily than we do. I think that is why Jesus said we are to be like little children. )
Also the Widow of 1 Kings 17
She was looking at starvation, she had a small plan of action that seemed futile. There was nothing special about the flour and the oil. They were every day staple items.(Picture of flour and oil)
Yet When Elijah came, God used what she had to provide not only for her but for others as well
What is it that we have in our hands that seems small and insignificant?
Earlier in the year some of our Community initiatives team did some training and we did an exercise around what we have in our hands. (Picture of the word mountain)
It’s amazing what we all carried, all from different walks of life and all at different ages and yet there were experiences and learning that we already had available.
What is it that we have – sometimes we know – The little boy saw what he had. Sometimes we know what we have and don’t know how to use it – the widow, and sometimes we have to be told like Moses.
What is the same for each of these is that something ordinary was made extraordinary.
God created the opportunities
When we look at these stories we see that though God uses what we have and what we give to him, he is the one that creates the opportunities.
It was God who called Moses from the burning bush
Exodus 3
Moses and the Burning Bush
3 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro,[a]the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai,[b] the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied.
5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father[c]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
It was God who sent Elijah to the widow
1Kings 17
The Widow at Zarephath
8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”
12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.
And it Jesus who said – you feed them.
John 6
6 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
“I’m nothing special – I’m just an ordinary person” – is what we often hear.
We see over and over again that God creates an opportunity with ordinary things and ordinary people.
But God takes the ordinary, creates the opportunity and asks us to step into it.
Paul encourages the Colossians to make the most of the opportunities. He prays that he too will be given opportunities by God to speak for him.
Colossians 4:2-6
An Encouragement for Prayer
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a]so that you will have the right response for everyone.
As we pray, as we seek God, as we live wisely, God creates opportunities for us to step into. Gracious and attractive conversation is party of living wisely.
Pray for opportunities, and look for the opportunities that God is creating for us to step into.
What is your “But I’m…”
As I’ve already said we often say things like:
“I’m nothing special – I’m just an ordinary person”.
But God takes the ordinary, creates the opportunity and asks us to step into it.
Feeding the 5000 plus
The little boy did not say – “how can we feed this many people with the small fish and bread”.
He said – “this is what I have” and he was prepared to give it to God to use.
It was Andrew and Philip the other disciples who looked at it and said – “How can we feed all these people with this!?”
Perhaps we can be more like the small boy who instead of saying “this is not enough” offered what he had. John 6
The widow of Zarephath - said “this is all I have – I’m going to use it and die” Elijah said – Make something for me and you will have enough.
The widow had to be prepared to give up what she was making for herself and her son – think about it – she knew she only had enough for two, but she was being asked to feed three so someone was going to miss out.
But she chose to give up what she had and God took it and multiplied it. Not just once but many times over each day, so that everyone had enough and they were able to survive a really difficult time.
Moses’ “But I’m’s…” were so plentiful
I’m not good with words,
I can’t speak
They won’t listen to me etc
Do these sound familiar.
We don’t always say them out loud, but I can just about guarantee we’ve all thought something and told ourselves something like this at some stage.
God got jack of it after a while. And he said – “What is in your hand..”
What is your own personal “BUT”.
(I’m tempted to say “just get over it” and give it to God to use).
We all have reasons why not.
I’m old, young, uneducated, tired, can’t write, don’t have enough…….
What’s your personal reason, your ‘”why not”
Le’ts look at it differently
Instead of looking at the “why nots” simply say, “Why not give it a go?”
Obedience
Lastly
Jesus didn’t call us to be Good enough – he called us to a relationship of love and obedience
John 15:9-14
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
The Miracle comes from obedience
Moses was obedient to God’s call – and many miracles happened.
The widow was obedient –
Vs 15 – She did as Elijah said.
The boy with the loaves gave up his lunch for others.
Jesus prayed and the disciples – in obedience - handed it out. The miracle happened, not when Jesus prayed but when the disciples were obedient.
Matthew 14:19-21
19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
For the widow and the boy with food, they used what they had available, were willing to give up what they had and God gave back in abundance.
God takes the ordinary and creates the extraordinary.
What ordinary thing do we have in our hands that God can make extraordinary?
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