Eating a Miracle for Dinner, Part 1

In January of this year Chuck Swindoll introduced a brand-new teaching series Insight for living it's an in-depth study through the fascinating book of Matthew, Chuck is titled the King of Kings. After six full months.

We're just about halfway through the gospel today on Insight for living Chuck invites us to follow along in Matthew chapter 14 reflect on a familiar moment in Christian history when Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes gathered to hear him speak, titled today's message eating a miracle. Daniel writes all the inhabitants of the earth. There is nothing he does.

According to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him what you doing God's work. Whether you are. I realize it is hand is almost whether or not we feel it, and though we are surrounded by innumerable impossibilities God has yet to meet his first one, and as a result were able to think vertically, which is correctly and coming together like this only energizes that kind of thinking like a passage of Scripture were looking at together in Matthew 14, nine verses tucked away at the very nucleus of the chapter revolve around what's come to be known to all of us who were reared in church is the feeding of the 5000. But in actuality, when you don't really do the math and you look at verse 21 of the 14th chapter. You see, there were 5000 men, not to mention women and children. So as best we can figure. There were probably 20 to 25,000 in the group.

How big is that this building right here. This room seats about 3008 seven times the size of this room full of people were fed by five tiny pieces of brutal bread and a couple of sardines to fish five little slices of brutal bread like flatbread. How could he do it because he is the God of impossibilities.

If you doubt that this message is designed for you when you read it for you. In Matthew 1413 to 21. I'll be reading from the new living Bible. Your version may be different. Matthew 1413. As soon as Jesus heard the, the news he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone but the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat and get compassion on them and healed their sick. That evening, the disciples came to him and said this is a remote place and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves. But Jesus said that is a necessary you feed them, but we have only five loaves of bread and two fish. The answer, bring them here. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish looked up toward heaven, and bless them than breaking the loaves into pieces. He gave the bread to the disciples who distributed to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward the disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover about 5000 men were fed that day. In addition to all the women and children to study the book of Matthew Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to inside world.or/study another message from Chuck called eating a miracle for dinner. Most of us love thoughts that stretch our mental muscles. We like it when events or statements occur that we just can't fully figure out and so were left to think deeper, broader things that blow us away or especially of interest to us. Maybe that's why miracles attract our attention though the though admittedly we we we we rarely come across them. But when we do next and sucking our breath.

When I do find a miracle as an event so extraordinary so impossible. Only God could have done it. I checked the definition in the dictionary I have at home, the new College dictionary defines miracle an event that seems impossible to explain by natural laws and so is regarded as supernatural in origin or as an act of God act God's past.

We got finished reading Eric the taxes book title miracles ended, I came across this excerpt that is worth repeating. No sooner does the subject of miracles arise than someone must ask whether anyone can. Did they really believe in such thing, but consider the following science today teaches that the universe came into being the of the Big Bang. Approximately 14 billion years ago.

According to this generally accepted theory. All matter in the known universe. More than 100 billion galaxies, each of which contain hundreds of billions of stars and many more planets exploded out of something smaller than the period at the end of the sentence, but my taxes asks who was behind all of that many people would say that God was. Although people's definitions of God. Oh, and how we created the universe will certainly very that a creator was behind it all might be shocking to say in some circles, but for the most part people today essentially take that for granted.

But if we believe that God created the universe out of nothing excellent. Hello to use the famous Latin phrase. How can we possibly quibble over smaller miracles like turning water into wine or giving site to a man born blind believing that God could create the universe but could not perform any infinitely smaller miracle is a logical theological is very much like saying oh yes, I certainly believe that Tolstoy could write war and peace and did but I could never believe you be able to move a comma in the manuscript that would be too much and God actually created this universe.

Somehow.

Can we not believe he would be able to do almost anything else, it seems we would have to would change only one thing in that long quotation and that's the little word almost. He writes can we not believe that God would be able to do almost anything else. I would just take out almost and say he could do anything else is omnipotent, which means there is no limitation to his power. So it would certainly mean that whatever he pleases. He does something that makes all of this very intriguing and that is at the heart of the miracle is the word impossible. That's an earthly word.

I think of it as a horizontal term doesn't fit anything related to our God in heaven twice. Jeremiah 32 makes the statement, first with him is anything too hard. And another time, nothing is too hard for the Lord appears in Luke one where the angel says to Mary who asks how that conception can be in her womb since she doesn't know a man.

The angel says with God nothing shall be impossible. And again in Luke chapter 18 the word appears again as a relates to God meaning with him.

There is no such thing. We live our lives surrounded by impossibilities. Things that are out of our reach.

Things we are unable to change or correct or fix our health is a perfect example we get sick we began to get sicker. No position seems to be able to help medicine doesn't work, and finally were at death's door and we cannot make ourselves well impossible your son or daughter who's gone her his own way and there were adults and you didn't raise him like that, but they chose in their path and it's a journey that you would wish were not true, but it is you can change not know. We try but it's it's a frost it's a study in frustration.

You can't change people I can't change the all these and hundreds of other things I could name are impossible. Which brings us to five pieces of flatbread and two sardines. I say that because I want you to understand this is not like Mrs. Baird's bread big soft loaves was night, not with nice thick slices. And this is not like a salmon or of river trout or lake trout. This is this is a little pickled fish that would often be carried in the first century by 11 to have a snack for lunch. The carry along new tiny pieces of brittle flat bread and a couple of pickled fish and look at what he did with humanly impossible. Had you been there you would've thought the same thing. The disciples thought so but I but before we get to that, we find Jesus and grief.

He is just heard that his cousin and longtime friend, the one who baptized him the one who was his forerunner has just been murdered, beheaded, and Jesus gets in a boat to slip away to be alone in a remote place but we read that the crowds headed to where he was going and when he got there, having followed him from a number of towns on foot. They were there waiting and when he got out of the boat here was this enormous crowd of something like 20 25,000 people think of it, think of the number of needs that are there. Think of the sick who must've come and surely did. Friends brought people who were sick because Jesus was known as the one who healed the sick, and rather than showing any irritation or frustration. He steps out of the boat.

He steps into the crowd without hesitation. We read he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. Just like that how easy it is to pass over a few words like this to get onto this miracle of the feeding of the crowd. But before we go look at all of these miracles and they don't they don't even get a name attached to them. Not one sick person's name, not one disease is identified, but they were there until evening with those sicknesses being healed and he does one after another after another after another after another after another after another after another.

As the sun is going down the disciples were getting hungry and they're getting antsy. I don't know about you but I do pretty well until I get hungry and then only my wife would tell you I'm probably as close to dangerous at that point is I am at any other time in my life and I'm really hungry, she probably would like to take a long drive and get away from me or she very graciously prepare something in a hurry and I gobbled it up because hunger and I don't get along well you could tell by looking that that's true and I'm sure most of those disciples were like that. Which is why they said what they did in verse 15 Jesus. This is a remote place. It's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they may go to the villages and buy food for themselves. You read nothing of compassion in those words you read frustration you read hunger you read irritation get rid of the people so we can take care of our needs get something new. We were hungry. I like Jesus response Jesus said to them, that is a necessary you feed him. The humorous plural fetal.

We would say 12 of you your freedom. But you know you don't see it because here it is included but in the other Gospels bottom. It's only miracle included in all four of the gospel accounts which tells you something of the significance of it and the others. We learn of the disciples talking a little boy out of his lunch and there's little boy that brought a sack lunch brought the loaves and in the fish and was looking forward to munching on it for his meal and Andrew talk him out of it and they's they look at the five loaves and two fish.

And they say all we have five loaves of bread and two fish. Stop is called an impossibility. All I have is doctors report all I have is a letter that's two years old from my daughter on the verse yesterday.

Some of you would say all I have is an impossible situation at work and the man I work for is impossible. Other people try to hold his job and their golden looks like I may soon be possible in London on the list goes five loaves and two fish, five loaves to fish the fact in one of the accounts we read that a disciple chirped in and said and what are these among so many course he would say that's what you would say. She then never read Matthew 14 before so they don't know what's coming. All they know is is a crowd there. That's in their way.

Keeping them from getting something to eat and they don't want to mess with them any longer. I mean after all, Jesus revealed a whole lot of them. Isn't that enough to your freedom says Jesus. We said we use impossible so many words so he says to them. Look at the verse 18, bring them here. You want to send them away. I am telling you to bring them nearby the mall sit down on the grass and so they did. They all sat down and look at what appears here. He's holding the bread and the fish in his hand little tiny bit of food and when we read. He looked up toward heaven, and he blessed them before we go on.

I have to stop put myself in the sandals of the of the disciples, some of whom must've thought of brother. What is this all about me.

You're asking blessing on this five pieces of Britain couple tiny fish, just like you will feel when you take your need to the Lord and you are quick to respond him how it's impossible, and he says to you, everything give thanks, for this is my will concerning so in his own words and in his own way. Father, I give you thanks the bread and the fish and how may these people be fed or whatever words he used, and he broke the loaves and the fish into pieces. He kept breaking up before the miracle took place. By the way, when you notice what he did with that, he handed them to the disciples, he doesn't distribute or ask the people to come by in line or put it out on the grass nearby for them to come pick what they want. He has the disciples serve them. Nice touch.

You men pass out the food distributed to all of the people, so he brought the people closer.

He had everyone simply sit down. He held the bread and the fish he looked up toward heaven and prayed he broke the bread and the fish and then he gave the pieces to the disciples, HT Robertson writes this. This is a miracle that some find hard to believe but is recorded by all for the gospel writers and the only one told by all four it was impossible for the crowds to misunderstand and to be deceived if Jesus is in reality, Lord of the universe. Why should we balk at this miracle. He who created the universe surely has power to go on creating what he wills to do this like the taxes words of Tolstoy could write that book that thick currently go to the manuscript to move, here are their he's the author of the book. This is the creator of our lives. These people there by the thousands began to eat and began to eat, and please observe the grace and the goodness of our Lord seen in that 20th verse. They ate as much as they wanted. Not as much as they needed, but they ate as much as they wanted him if there were teenagers in the crowd. That alone is a miracle they they are never full. Our teenagers use the standard for the refrigerator.

Teller glasses fogged over looking for more. The more the more in the ate all that they wanted and even by his grace had 12 baskets left over by now you anticipate my Pembina disciples were there. One doggy bag basket for each of the red-faced disciples one basket full of food to take to be alone and to receive the rebuke that was deserved.

He's in the scene of his ministry. According to the chronology of his life, and they have walked with him through all these weeks and months now overhear, and they seen them or they just so I these healing one after another. Why would there be any question regarding his ability to turn this meal into a feast.

In light of what they've experienced while the same could be asked of us, how much does God need to do again to remind you of what he's able to do these people needed food so you provided for it was impossible for the disciples to do that. Which brings me to the major point as long as you operate your life from the horizontal point of view, the only thing you will see through your life is impossibilities as long as you exist and that horizontal level, looking only at the human side of things, you will come up against it over and over and over again, and your life will be marked by the negative, what cannot be done.

The situation is impossible. My marriage is impossible. My adult child is impossible. My ointment situation impossible medical need impossible. The legal battle were going to impossible for us to even meet the demands of the attorney fees will maybe need to tell God he didn't know that how laughable for him to hear the word impossible, as if he's out of control is just getting started in the study of Matthew 14 Chuck Swindoll titled today's message eating a miracle for dinner. You're listening to Insight for living and to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org it's possible you identified with Chuck's closing application. Perhaps you're prone to a horizontal point of view tends to inflate the impossible times in which we live.

Well, whatever problems prevail upon your life.

Whether it's your marriage, your adult children are a scary legal battle. God knows your situation, and he can be trusted. That's not hyperbole that's a fact and is the premise of Chuck Swindoll's encouraging book called finding God when the world's on fire and if you find yourself responding to impossible situations with fear that this book will help you. Chuck helps us understand how to replace our scariest moments with unwavering faith.

It's based on the solid foundation of Psalms 11 and 46 to request a copy of finding God when the world's on fire all of the simple instructions@insight.org/offer a closing on behalf of Chuck and all of us at Insight for living ministries. I want to thank those who responded with generous hearing in June 30 this past Wednesday.

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We welcome your support today to give a generous financial gift, listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online@insight.join us again Monday. Chuck Swindoll resumes his message called eating a miracle for dinner right here on Insight for living. The preceding message eating the miracle for dinner was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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