Do You Have Any Leftovers?

Introduction

John 6:1-14

Without question, I can tell you what my absolute, all time, favorite meal is. It is so special that I only get to eat it once a year. It is so special, and so good, and so tasty that it is worth the wait. It is not just what I get to eat that makes it the most special meal of the year, but who I get to eat it with. It is the time of year I get to eat it and it is the occasion that brings me to the table. Can you guess what meal this is? It is Thanksgiving.

The reason Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year is because it is the only time of year that I get everything to eat that I like. All of my favorite dishes are right in front of me: the turkey with the homemade dressing, my mother in laws out of this world sweet potato souffle, my wife’s deviled eggs, my father’s garden raised green beans, and Honey-baked Ham and pumpkin pie. More than any meal I eat all year long, I eat it in the name of Jesus and to the glory of God.

Your Thanksgiving meal may differ slightly from mine in some ways. You may have some things I have and I may have some things you don't, but there is one thing we are all guaranteed to have once the meal is over and everyone has eaten until they waddle like penguins. Do you know what that is? Leftovers. Do you know what leftovers are? Leftovers are a sign that everybody got all they wanted to eat, most people got more than they needed to eat, everybody was blessed, nobody went away empty, and there is still enough to do it all over again.

Whether or not you realize it, there is what I call ''The Law of the Leftovers.'' I am not talking about food; I am talking about life. There is one other thing I didn't tell you about my Thanksgiving meal. There is always plenty to give away for others to take home.

That law is stated in an ancient verse of scripture that was written over 2500 years ago by the wisest man who ever lived named Solomon. He put the law this way, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty”. (Proverbs 11:24, NIV)

It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! “By watering others, he waters himself”. (Living Bible)

That same law was also demonstrated in the life of a little boy who witnessed a miracle that Jesus performed which he remembered all of his life. [Turn to John 6]

We are in a series we are calling ''Supernatural and Miracles.'' When Jesus burst onto the scene, there were two things that immediately got people's attention: the truth that He taught and the miracles He performed. The central truth of His teaching that fascinated people was the Kingdom of God. That got every Jew's attention, because that is what Jews were hungering for - for God's Kingdom to come. Jesus did not just teach about the Kingdom of God. He showed the Kingdom of God through what we call ''miracles.'' Before the time of Jesus there were miracles here and there recorded in the Old Testament, but relatively few. Then Jesus comes, and there is an explosion of miracles. So much that people would come just hoping to see Jesus perform one.

We have already established that if you believe in God then the possibility of miracles automatically goes to 100%. Only a God who can do miracles is worth worshipping and believing in to begin with. I shared with you, if you were here last week, I have seen medical miracles, marriage miracles, financial miracles, and relationship miracles. Every time we see a changed life in that baptistery, we witness an even greater miracle.

Today, we are going to look at one of the more famous miracles that Jesus performed, because what Jesus did in this miracle he wants to do in your life and my life today. Every one of us has in our possession things that Jesus literally can-do miraculous things with. Let me give you the Law of the Leftovers: God adds to what He subtracts from me so He can multiply it and divide for maximum blessing. This is the Key Take Away: When I bless others, I receive the greatest blessing.

I want to show you the four steps that put this law into effect.

I. Jesus Will Ask Us for Something We Have

Of all the miracles that Jesus performed, this one may be the most special of all, because it is the only miracle that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record. Think about that. Of all the miracles that Jesus performed and as great as they were, the only miracle that every single Gospel writer felt they had to include in their gospel was this one.

This miracle of Jesus is unique in a lot of ways. It is the only time Jesus ever asked for somebody's advice on what to do. Of all the miracles that Jesus performed, this one was seen by more people than any other miracle. I have to admit of all the miracles that Jesus performed, this one would make my top three lists of the ones I wish I could have seen.

Note John 6:1-4

Matthew tells us it was evening time when this miracle took place. It was around 6:00pm and the sun was about to set. They were way out in the country. They didn't have a Kroger, a IGA, and worst of all a Super Wal-Mart! A crisis is brewing. The sun is setting. Evening is coming. Stomachs are growling and the story gets interesting.

Look at John 6:5

How large was this crowd? In verse 10 we are told the men alone numbered about 5000. Matthew tells us there were also women and children. When you take into account how large families were back in that day scholars estimate that crowd probably reached up to 25,000 people. Every one of them were holding up signs that said, ''Eat more chicken!'' Imagine you are Philip and Jesus turns to you and says, ''Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?'' If I had been Philip and Jesus asked me that question, I would have kind of felt like Tonto when he and the Lone Ranger were suddenly surrounded by 20,000 Indians and the Lone Ranger looked at Tonto and said, ''What are we going to do?'' Tonto replied, ''What do you mean 'we' Kemo Sabe?''

This really wasn't a question; it was a test.

See John 6:6

Remember this!

Any time Jesus ever asks you for anything that you have, it is never just a request; it is always a test. He is asking you this question, ''Do you trust Me or not?'' Jesus is about to reveal the biggest problem that Philip and the rest of the disciples were facing. The biggest problem was not that the crowd didn't have enough food. The biggest problem was Philip didn't have enough faith. Now we come to the second part of the Law of the Leftovers -

II. We Should Give Jesus What He Asks

Philip did what we so often do when God asks us for something that we don't think we can do. We come up with all kinds of reasons we can't do it.

Note John 6:7

Jesus didn't ask ''How?'' He asked, ''Where?'' Here is another thing to remember whenever Jesus asks you for something. Jesus knows it already can be done and how it can be done. Philip gets out his calculator and figures out that it would take about eight month's wages of an average worker to buy that much food. He thinks he is off the hook. He has every reason in the world why he cannot give what Jesus is asking for.

• First, there was no place to buy that much food.
• Second, even if there was a place to buy it, they didn't have enough money to pay for it.
• Third, even if there was a place to buy it and they had the money to pay for it there wasn't enough time to get it.
• Fourth, even if there was enough time, everybody would only get a little bit of food. Philip is thinking for the first time in your life, Buddy, I have stumped you!

How many times have we all figured out a reason we can't give God what He is asking for? Tithe? I can't afford to tithe. I can't even afford to pay my bills. Me go on a mission trip? I can't do that. I've got a wife and children to look after, and I might get eaten by a giant mosquito. Share my story with someone? I can't share Jesus with anybody. I might mess it up. I am too shy. I don't know enough.

I am convinced that Jesus' heart was just shattered. What bothered Jesus was not the lack of food, but the lack of faith. A lack of food never stops God, but a lack of faith can stop Him dead in His tracks.

It is amazing that Jesus did many miracles in many places, but there is one place He didn't do hardly any miracles and it was of all places in His own hometown. Do you know why? ''And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.'' (Matthew 13:58, ESV)

Just think about what Philip had already seen:

• He had already seen Jesus turn water into wine,
• He had seen Jesus heal a man's sick son.
• He had seen Jesus give a paralytic man the ability to walk,
• He had seen Jesus raise people from the dead
• AND Philip still didn't get it!

He was still using his calculator. He was still pinching pennies and counting nickels when all the time he didn't understand that he was not to be the source of provision. When Jesus asks us for bread remember this. We don't make the bread; we serve it. We are the waiters and He is the baker. Philip flunks his test. It looks like they lose all and then this happens.

Read John 6:8-9

Andrew, overhearing this conversation, finds a little boy who has brought his own dinner, but it is just enough for him to eat, or at least that is what it looks like. Let's focus on this little boy for just a moment.

Even though all four gospels include this miracle only John tells us about the little boy who gave this sack lunch. He had done what everybody else in that crowd should have done. He had brought enough to feed himself.

Five loaves of bread and two fish may sound like a lot to you, but this was actually the meal of not just a little boy, but a poor little boy. Five loaves may sound like a lot, but it wasn't actually a loaf. It was actually a small wafer that was flat, hard and brittle, about the size of a mini-pancake. The word for ''fish'' refers to ''small fish like sardines.'' Andrew was right. What that little boy had was just a little lunch. But what made that little lunch, a big lunch, is what that little boy did with that lunch when Jesus asked for it. He gave it to Him.

This is where the miracle really starts. At that moment the most valuable thing to 25,000 people and twelve disciples was a little boy's lunch, because that is all the food that there was. What made that little boy's lunch so valuable was one thing - it was available. It was available for one reason, because that little boy was willing to give what Jesus asked. Somehow that little boy understood what the disciples didn't get. This wasn't a request to this little boy. It was a test to this little boy. Where the disciples flunked the test, he got an A+.

There was a little boy who got into a big argument with his sister about who was going to get the last brownie. His mother heard them fussing, and she came to resolve the argument. They were both upset and about to come to blows, because they both wanted that last brownie.

This wise mother seeing an opportunity to teach her kids a deep spiritual lesson looked at her kids and said, ''What would Jesus do?'' The little boy said, ''Mom, that is easy. Jesus would just break that brownie and make 5000 more!''

Before we go any further, think about this. Did Jesus really need that little boy's lunch to feed those people? Absolutely not! If Jesus had wanted to He could have turned rocks into bread. He could have made fish jump out of the sea into the laps of every person there. When Jesus asks for something it is not because He needs what we have, it is because we need to give what He asks so we can learn to trust Him. Watch this! When you take that step of faith and you give Him what he asks, you do what He wants you to do even when you can think of many reasons you cannot or you should not then you will see the third part of this law go into effect.

III. Jesus Will Use What You Give Him

Now look at John 6:10-11

The disciples already think that Jesus has totally lost His mind. Then He does something really outrageous. He gives thanks! I don't know what He said in that thanksgiving prayer, but I am sure He thanked God for that little boy. I am sure He thanked God for that little boy's faith. I am sure He thanked God for that little boy's food and I am sure He thanked God for the opportunity to demonstrate the law of the leftovers.

What you are seeing is how God operates. Jesus asks for what He wants. We should give to Jesus what He asks. Jesus will then use what we give. Are you ready for this? God loves to use the little things. Not that God can't use big things, but He loves to use the little things, because that is when He gets the greatest glory and that is when He grows the greatest faith.

You may think what you have to give to God is small. You may think it is insignificant. You may think it really doesn't matter. Some of the greatest things that God ever uses are little things.

Think of all the little things that God used in the Bible to accomplish unbelievable things:

• The sling-shot of a shepherd boy
• The widow's mite
• The teenage, poverty-stricken, virgin girl
• The faith the size of a mustard seed.

Think about this. Do you know what really determines the value of something? It is whose hands it is put in. You can buy a major-league baseball on Amazon for about $12. If you bought that baseball and put it in my hands it would be worth about $12. If you put it into the hands of a top-shelf major-league pitcher that baseball is worth millions. What made that little boy's lunch so valuable was not how big it was, but what he did with it. I want you to hear this clearly. The only thing you have that is of any value is what you are willing to give to God.

IV. Jesus Blesses What He Uses

Look at John 6:12-13

This is just amazing! Nobody could eat another bite! Although no one had moved away from the table, somehow the table had gotten three inches closer to their stomach. Yet, there were still twelve baskets left over. These were not small baskets. The word for ''basket'' gives us the English word ''coffin.'' It means a ''large, heavy basket.'' This boy had enough left over to start a Super Wal-Mart.

Do you know why this miracle is so important to you and me? That little boy is you and me. We all have lunches in our possession. We all have talents, abilities, time, and resources that God asks for. That little boy could have kept that lunch to himself and fed himself, but everybody else would have gone hungry. Because that little boy trusted Jesus and gave Him what He asked for, Jesus used what He gave and Jesus blessed what He used.

There is one detail you cannot miss. That little boy gave all of his lunch to the Lord, because Jesus asked for all of his lunch. He didn't say, ''Lord you can have one fish, but I'll keep the other one. You take three of the loaves and I'll keep the other two.'' No, he gave Jesus everything Jesus asked for.

Conclusion

What is the lesson? If you want to experience the law of the leftovers, if you want God to add to what He subtracts from you and multiple it and divide it so it can be a blessing to so many others you've got to give Him everything.

Do you want to experience life to the fullest? You want to know what it is like to benefit from the law of the leftovers? Then quit hiding your lunch or quit acting like your lunch is too small. The only thing that gives life meaning and purpose is what we give to Jesus. Think about how many men were on that hillside - 5000. Can you name even one of those men? No. Here we are 2000 years later and we are still talking about that one little boy.

You know who really got blessed that day? It wasn't the crowd, because as soon as they ate all their food their food was gone. No, the one that got the blessing was that little boy. Wouldn't you have loved to be there when he walked into his house that evening and his mom said, ''How did it go with Jesus?'' He said, ''Mom, you should have been there. He took my lunch and fed 25,000 people.'' His mom looked at him and said, ''Son, I am sorry I know you are hungry, but we have nothing to eat.'' The little boy opened the door and said, ''Mom, don't worry. I've got plenty of leftovers.''

That little boy gave his entire lunch to Jesus, but did he go away hungry? That little boy wound up with more to eat by giving Jesus everything he had than he would have eaten if he kept it all to himself. How do you explain that? It is the law of the leftovers. Jesus asks what He wants. We give Him what He asks.

Jesus uses what we give Him and He blesses what He uses:

• There is not a problem you have that Jesus can't solve.
• There is not a hunger you have that Jesus can't satisfy.
• There is not a need you have that Jesus cannot meet.
• There is not a hurt you have that Jesus cannot heal.
• There is not a question you have that Jesus cannot answer.

So give it to Him ...

• Give Him your money.
• Give Him your marriage.
• Give Him your time.
• Give Him your talents.
• Give Him your love.
• Give Him your life.

When you do you will find so many others will be blessed and you will enjoy the leftovers.

Do You have any Leftovers?