THE GOD OF MULTIPLICATION (I) (2) (3)
2 Rois 4:6
Lorsque les vases furent pleins, elle dit à son fils: Présente-moi encore un vase. Mais il lui répondit: Il n’y a plus de vase. Et l’huile s’arrêta.
2 Rois 4:1-7
1 ¶ Une femme d’entre les femmes des fils des prophètes cria à Élisée, en disant: Ton serviteur mon mari est mort, et tu sais que ton serviteur craignait l’Éternel; or le créancier est venu pour prendre mes deux enfants et en faire ses esclaves.
2 Élisée lui dit: Que puis-je faire pour toi? Dis-moi, qu’as-tu à la maison? Elle répondit: Ta servante n’a rien du tout à la maison qu’un vase d’huile.
3 Et il dit: Va demander au dehors des vases chez tous tes voisins, des vases vides, et n’en demande pas un petit nombre.
4 Quand tu seras rentrée, tu fermeras la porte sur toi et sur tes enfants; tu verseras dans tous ces vases, et tu mettras de côté ceux qui seront pleins.
5 Alors elle le quitta. Elle ferma la porte sur elle et sur ses enfants; ils lui présentaient les vases, et elle versait.
6 Lorsque les vases furent pleins, elle dit à son fils: Présente-moi encore un vase. Mais il lui répondit: Il n’y a plus de vase. Et l’huile s’arrêta.
7 Elle alla le rapporter à l’homme de Dieu, et il dit: Va vendre l’huile, et paie ta dette; et tu vivras, toi et tes fils, de ce qui restera.
Crises in the house of the servants of God
The children of God are not spared from the common crises of life.
The crises that the children of God face are not signs of disownment from God.
Be them: sickness, poverty, hardship, debt, unemployment, nakedness, divorce, failure, hunger, bareness, widowhood, orphan, rejection, danger, you name it.
God’s Children are also subjected to the common crises of life.
The only difference is that they don’t have to go through them alone; they can seek God’s intervention.
Back in the days in the Old Testament, you had to find a man of God.
Elisha was the successor of the very well known prophet Elijah who was taken to haven by the chariots of God.
These two prophets were of the mightiest persons who ever lived on earth.
Since the time of Elijah, there was a seminary called the school of the prophets.
Just like the tribe of Levi, these men set themselves apart for the sole purpose of serving God.
Since they lived in the Northern Kingdom they did not benefit the same care of the priests.
One of those prophets got in trouble and borrowed some money.
Unfortunately, he died before reimbursing the money.
There was no bankruptcy law to protect the widow
The barrower had legal right to even sell your children as slaves to regain his money.
The thing went to court and she lost the case
In a matter of days, she had to render the money or her two sons as slaves.
No mercy, no grace , no pardon, just plain business.
She run to the man of God.
No one runs to God to ask permission to borrow money
No one asks God weather they should accept a credit card
No one asks God for permission before signing a loan
No one wants to wait for God’s approval before starting business or a financial transaction.
But when it goes wrong, we all rush to God for rescue.
But the man of God did not give her a lecture
2Kings 4:2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Lessons learned:
God is concerned about your shameful and embarrassing situation
God is waiting for you to call on him
The spiritual leaders are to be concerned about the full aspect of the life of the people that God entrusts to them.
God’s solutions are never common or predictable
God has a million plus ways to bring the solution to your problem.
God has the solution proportionate to your problem and according to your faith.
Example of two men (Monchè pase-m sin-an)
Lessons learned:
God has no use to publicize your situation to the whole world. (close your doors)
5 Alors elle le quitta. Elle ferma la porte sur elle et sur ses enfants; ils lui présentaient les vases, et elle versait.
God will often want you to be active in the solution
—the wife of the prophet had to negotiate with the lender
—she had to find the man of God
—she had to go and barrow the containers
—she had to follow strict instructions
—she had to do the pouring of the oil
—she had to go and sell the oil
—she had to repay the debt.
Lessons learned:
Certain intervention of God is only for emergency situation and not a normative way to respond to life.
Don’t wait for a miracle for all your problems.
Don’t plan for a miracle unless God instructed you.
God wants you to use your common sense for common situations.
God wants you to live within your budget
God wants you to think on how your decisions might affect your children
God wants you to know that you can always run to him at all times and in all situation.
Faith Lessons learned:
A servant of God must have full confidence in God
2 Élisée lui dit: Que puis-je faire pour toi? Dis-moi, qu’as-tu à la maison?
3 Et il dit: Va demander au dehors des vases chez tous tes voisins, des vases vides, et n’en demande pas un petit nombre.
God can use any medium to bring solution to your problem. (oil, water, bread, fish, cane,stone, etc..)
God takes no pleasure in seeing His children living in shame or in lack.
God has more solution than your problem
Va vendre l’huile, et paie ta dette; et tu vivras, toi et tes fils, de ce qui restera. AMEN!
THE GOD OF MULTIPLICATION
PART II
2 ROIS 4: 43—44
43 Son serviteur répondit: Comment pourrais-je en donner à cent personnes? Mais Élisée dit: Donne à ces gens, et qu’ils mangent; car ainsi parle l’Éternel: On mangera, et on en aura de reste.
44 Il mit alors les pains devant eux; et ils mangèrent et en eurent de reste, selon la parole de l’Éternel.
2Rois 4:38 ¶ Élisée revint à Guilgal, et il y avait une famine dans le pays. Comme les fils des prophètes étaient assis devant lui, il dit à son serviteur: Mets le grand pot, et fais cuire un potage pour les fils des prophètes.
2 Rois 4:42-44
42 Un homme arriva de Baal-Schalischa. Il apporta du pain des prémices à l’homme de Dieu, vingt pains d’orge, et des épis nouveaux dans son sac. Élisée dit: Donne à ces gens, et qu’ils mangent.
43 Son serviteur répondit: Comment pourrais-je en donner à cent personnes? Mais Élisée dit: Donne à ces gens, et qu’ils mangent; car ainsi parle l’Éternel: On mangera, et on en aura de reste.
44 Il mit alors les pains devant eux; et ils mangèrent et en eurent de reste, selon la parole de l’Éternel.
2Ki 4:42-44
42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”
43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.'”
44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”
A God fearing Jew from the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboam prevented the northern Jews to go to Jerusalem to worship.
He lead the people in idolatry against God in fear of loosing his power. (Awful politic)
The Northern kingdom never recovered from the path of idolatry that Jeroboam paved for them all the way to their ultimate destruction.
1Rois 12:26-30
16 Jéroboam dit en son cœur: Le royaume pourrait bien maintenant retourner à la maison de David.
27 Si ce peuple monte à Jérusalem pour faire des sacrifices dans la maison de l’Éternel, le cœur de ce peuple retournera à son seigneur, à Roboam, roi de Juda, et ils me tueront et retourneront à Roboam, roi de Juda.
28 Après s’être consulté, le roi fit deux veaux d’or, et il dit au peuple: Assez longtemps vous êtes montés à Jérusalem; Israël! voici ton Dieu, qui t’a fait sortir du pays d’Égypte.
29 Il plaça l’un de ces veaux à Béthel, et il mit l’autre à Dan.
30 Ce fut là une occasion de péché. Le peuple alla devant l’un des veaux jusqu’à Dan.
The man could have a thousand reasons why he should not bother to do that gesture to the man.
The travelling distance to find the man of God.
The need of his own family during the famine.
The insignificance of the size of the offering verse the need of the man of God who had 100 students to feed.
He could have followed the other Jews who did nothing
He could have postponed it until he had more to offer
Gal 6:6 Que celui à qui l’on enseigne la parole fasse part de tous ses biens à celui qui l’enseigne.
1Co 9:11 Si nous avons semé parmi vous les biens spirituels, est-ce une grosse affaire si nous moissonnons vos biens temporels.
Mt 25:34-40
40 Alors le roi dira à ceux qui seront à sa droite: Venez, vous qui êtes bénis de mon Père; prenez possession du royaume qui vous a été préparé dès la fondation du monde.
35 Car j’ai eu faim, et vous m’avez donné à manger; j’ai eu soif, et vous m’avez donné à boire; j’étais étranger, et vous m’avez recueilli;
36 j’étais nu, et vous m’avez vêtu; j’étais malade, et vous m’avez visité; j’étais en prison, et vous êtes venus vers moi.
37 Les justes lui répondront: Seigneur, quand t’avons-nous vu avoir faim, et t’avons-nous donné à manger; ou avoir soif, et t’avons-nous donné à boire?
Mt 25:34-40
38 Quand t’avons-nous vu étranger, et t’avons-nous recueilli; ou nu, et t’avons-nous vêtu?
39 Quand t’avons-nous vu malade, ou en prison, et sommes-nous allés vers toi?
40 Et le roi leur répondra: Je vous le dis en vérité, toutes les fois que vous avez fait ces choses à l’un de ces plus petits de mes frères, c’est à moi que vous les avez faites.
The gift was important
The timing was crucial
God has a certain way to steer your heart to action
You need to be prompt
You need shut your ears to logic or common sense when God gives you an order.
God controls the hearts of mankind
God is able to multiply your small gestures of love to him
God depends on His children to support his work on earth.
Example de l’homme don’t la vache enfanta deux beufs.
(Bondye pa gen chans)
2Ki 4:42 .. .”Give it to the people, that they may eat.”
Élisée dit: Donne à ces gens, et qu’ils mangent.
Contrary to the mercenaries of our days, the man of God placed the needs of the prophets ahead of his.
Bad example of the pastor I encountered in Haiti
Give it to the people
He could have said “put it in my room”
God cares for all his children
The senior pastor is in need, so are the associate pastors
So are the Sunday school teachers, so are the members
So is the person who cleans the church
2Ki 4:43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?”
43 Son serviteur répondit: Comment pourrais-je en donner à cent personnes?
Logistics issues belong to God
God says it, that settles it
God often ask us to do what is at odd with logic
That is why people don’t tithe,
This is why people hold on to what God says to release.
The math won’t work—the food was intended for the man of God and his servant—not the multitude.
Ex . . . (vacanciers—vacancières)
2Ki 4:43 He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.'” (NKJV)
43 Mais Élisée dit: Donne à ces gens, et qu’ils mangent; car ainsi parle l’Éternel: On mangera, et on en aura de reste.
Don’t let your faith in God fail you in times of need.
There is never a famine or lacks in the house of God.
God is still God almighty regardless of your situation.
The word of God cannot be void.
“Thus says the Lord” is a tenacious statement in the face of impossible situations
God doesn’t need much to do much.
God doesn’t need anything to do much.
There will be leftovers after everyone has eaten says the Lord.
The How is up to God
God doesn’t owed us any detail of operation
Ex (the orphanage Lady)
How God supplied the food at noon
How the milk was provided for the orphans in a different occasion.
2Ki 4:44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. (NKJV)
44 Il mit alors les pains devant eux; et ils mangèrent et en eurent de reste, selon la parole de l’Éternel. (LSV.
Another all you can eat miracle
Lessons learned
Obey God and not your logic
Trust God and not your senses
Have faith that God’s words cannot be void
Si tu crois, tu verras la gloire de Dieu.
AMEN!
THE GOD OF MULTIPLICATION
PART III
JEAN 6:11—13
11 Jésus prit les pains, rendit grâces, et les distribua à ceux qui étaient assis; il leur donna de même des poissons, autant qu’ils en voulurent.
12 Lorsqu’ils furent rassasiés, il dit à ses disciples: Ramassez les morceaux qui restent, afin que rien ne se perde.
13 Ils les ramassèrent donc, et ils remplirent douze paniers avec les morceaux qui restèrent des cinq pains d’orge, après que tous eurent mangé.
Jean 6:-1-13
1 ¶ Après cela, Jésus s’en alla de l’autre côté de la mer de Galilée, de Tibériade.
2 Une grande foule le suivait, parce qu’elle voyait les miracles qu’il opérait sur les malades.
3 Jésus monta sur la montagne, et là il s’assit avec ses disciples.
4 Or, la Pâque était proche, la fête des Juifs.
5 Ayant levé les yeux, et voyant qu’une grande foule venait à lui, Jésus dit à Philippe: Où achèterons-nous des pains, pour que ces gens aient à manger?
6 Il disait cela pour l’éprouver, car il savait ce qu’il allait faire.
7 Philippe lui répondit: Les pains qu’on aurait pour deux cents deniers ne suffiraient pas pour que chacun en reçût un peu.
8 Un de ses disciples, André, frère de Simon Pierre, lui dit:
Jean 6:-1-13
9 Il y a ici un jeune garçon qui a cinq pains d’orge et deux poissons; mais qu’est-ce que cela pour tant de gens?
10 Jésus dit: Faites-les asseoir. Il y avait dans ce lieu beaucoup d’herbe. Ils s’assirent donc, au nombre d’environ cinq mille hommes.
11 Jésus prit les pains, rendit grâces, et les distribua à ceux qui étaient assis; il leur donna de même des poissons, autant qu’ils en voulurent.
12 Lorsqu’ils furent rassasiés, il dit à ses disciples: Ramassez les morceaux qui restent, afin que rien ne se perde.
13 Ils les ramassèrent donc, et ils remplirent douze paniers avec les morceaux qui restèrent des cinq pains d’orge, après que tous eurent mangé.
On our last message on this series of “The God of Multiplication”, we will consider the providential work of God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Another Miracle of multiplication
Another all you can eat miracle
The first time I went to an (All you can eat) restaurant, I thought that these people are out of their mind.
I’ve seen a lot of abuse of food done in these restaurants
Example of the Chinese wrestler who ate all the chicken each time, which caused the restaurant owner to put the (Sorry We’re Closed) sign each time he is approaching.
Example of the Haitian in Orlando man we usually spent all day in one of such restaurants.
John 6: 1-15 More than Five Thousand Fed
1After this, Jesus went ·across [to the other side of] ·Lake [T the Sea of] Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). 2 Many people followed him because they saw the ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] he did ·to heal [L for; on behalf of] the sick. 3 Jesus went up on a ·hill [or mountain] and sat down there with his ·followers [disciples]. 4 It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast [C the annual festival that celebrates God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt; Ex. 12; John 2:13].
5 When Jesus ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip [C one of the twelve disciples; 1:43], “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” 6 (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him, because Jesus already knew what he ·planned [was going] to do.)
John 6: 1-15 More than Five Thousand Fed
8 Another one of his ·followers [disciples], Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but ·that is not enough [L what are these…?] for so many people.”
10 Jesus said, “·Tell [L Make] the people to sit down.” There was plenty of grass there, and about five thousand men sat down there. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, ·thanked God [L gave thanks] for them, and ·gave [distributed] them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.
John 6: 1-15 More than Five Thousand Fed
12 When they ·had all had enough to eat [L were filled/satisfied], Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “Gather the leftover ·pieces of fish and bread [L pieces] so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they gathered up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left from the five barley loaves [2 Kin. 4:42–44; C Jesus’ miracle surpasses that of Elisha].
14 When the people saw this ·miracle [L sign] that Jesus did, they said, “He must truly be the Prophet [1:21; C probably the “prophet like Moses” of Deut. 18:15–18] who is coming into the world.”
15 Jesus knew that the people ·planned [intended; were about] to come and take him by force and make him their king, so he ·left [withdrew] and went into the ·hills [or mountains] alone. Expanded Bible (EXB)
Jean 6:-1-13
1 ¶ Après cela, Jésus s’en alla de l’autre côté de la mer de Galilée, de Tibériade.
We have here an account of Christ’s feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes
that it is the only passage of the actions of Christ’s life that is recorded by all the four evangelists
He went over the sea of Galilee, called elsewhere the lake of Gennesareth, here the sea of Tiberias, from a city adjoining, which king Herod had lately enlarged and beautified, and called so in honour of Tiberius the emperor
2 Une grande foule le suivait, parce qu’elle voyait les miracles qu’il opérait sur les malades.
Christ’s miracles drew many after him that were not effectually drawn to him.
Jean 6:-1-13
3 Jésus monta sur la montagne, et là il s’assit avec ses disciples.
Jesus wanted to be in a culminating place where he could be viewed and heard by his audience.
Take in account that he had no loud speakers or video amplifications.
4 Or, la Pâque était proche, la fête des Juifs.
Because, perhaps, the approach of the Passover, when everyone knew Christ would go up to Jerusalem, and be absent for some time, made the multitude flock the more after him and attend the more diligently on him.
5 Ayant levé les yeux, et voyant qu’une grande foule venait à lui, Jésus dit à Philippe: Où achèterons-nous des pains, pour que ces gens aient à manger?
The service was very long
The place was desolate
The people were hungry by then
Jesus always felt compassion for his audience
Though no one invited them,yet they came in multitude
They did not pay, yet they recieved their miracles, whether it was healing from sicknesses, or having demons being cast out of them
In top of that, Jesus felt that they needed to be fed as well.
A big lesson for us pastors; how we are to be concernmed about the total well being of the people (body , soul, and spirit)
Jésus dit à Philippe: Où achèterons-nous des pains, pour que ces gens aient à manger?
6 Il disait cela pour l’éprouver, car il savait ce qu’il allait faire.
Philip was of Bethsaida, of all the disciples he would be the most informed about where the bakery shops were located.
Christ knew that Philippe was a logistic person so He asked the question that way to magnify the situation.
Several questions could be raised from Jesus intention to feed the crowd.
Money issue
Inventory issue: no one stores that much bread
Production issue: there is no way this much bread can be baked in time
You would also have to find cooked fish for 5000 to 15,000 people
7 Philippe lui répondit: Les pains qu’on aurait pour deux cents deniers ne suffiraient pas pour que chacun en reçût un peu.
Americans minimum wage is $8.50 an hour
American work day consists of 8 hours of labor
$8.5 x 8 = $68.00 a day
$68 x 200 days = $13,600.00
This might have been all the Jesus group had in the bank or in Judas’ sack
Philippe gave Jesus a reality check. (we are broke)
No money
No time
No way
Not today
8 Un de ses disciples, André, frère de Simon Pierre, lui dit:
9 Il y a ici un jeune garçon qui a cinq pains d’orge et deux poissons; mais qu’est-ce que cela pour tant de gens?
Imagine the look in the face of the disciples, « we’re talking about feeding an excess of 10 to 15 thousands of people
Now you interrupt to say that some boy here have brought some lunch.
A big lesson to learn here, in Jesus’ camp everyone could give an opinion.
Everyone could speak their mind to bring a solution
What was worse is that he only talks to fill the air, for he knew that he wasn’t making sense.
mais qu’est-ce que cela pour tant de gens?
10 Jésus dit: Faites-les asseoir. Il y avait dans ce lieu beaucoup d’herbe. Ils s’assirent donc, au nombre d’environ cinq mille hommes.
11 Jésus prit les pains, rendit grâces, et les distribua à ceux qui étaient assis; il leur donna de même des poissons, autant qu’ils en voulurent.
What Jesus wasn’t willing to do for his own hunger in the hour of his own temptation, he was willing to do to feed the people.
He was willing to display His full glory at the risk of a premature oxposure, which could hinder the rest of His ministry on earth.
God is always driven by compassion
Lent à la colère et riche en bonté.
5000 hommes sans compter les femmes et les enfants qui fait estimer une foule de 10 a 20 mille de personnes.
11 Jésus prit les pains, rendit grâces, et les distribua à ceux qui étaient assis; il leur donna de même des poissons, autant qu’ils en voulurent.
What just happened here?
God has violated all the laws of agriculture
All the laws od physics.
All the laws of food processing.
To make bread you need to plant wheat, harvest the wheat, make flour, add ingregients, and bake.
Wheat is an annual plant. Depending on the temperature it takes approximately 103 days for spring wheat and 147 days for winter wheat to grow.
What about the fish
You would have to hire all the fishermen in town—all the help to clean the fish—all the help to cook fish for 5000 to 20000 people.
12 Lorsqu’ils furent rassasiés, il dit à ses disciples: Ramassez les morceaux qui restent, afin que rien ne se perde.
13 Ils les ramassèrent donc, et ils remplirent douze paniers avec les morceaux qui restèrent des cinq pains d’orge, après que tous eurent mangé.
The God of multiplication has done it again.
There is no human logic to help process this miracle.
Jesus is truly God, Truly omnipotent, Truly omniscient.
Call it cloning, call it multiplication, call it wonder, it was truly a great miracle that superceded all the previous miracles.
The people realized that more than a prophet was in their midst—the promised Christ perhaps.
13 Ils les ramassèrent donc, et ils remplirent douze paniers avec les morceaux qui restèrent des cinq pains d’orge, après que tous eurent mangé.
There were more than enough fish and bread left over that they had to start with.
Can you now begin to trust God for all your needs?
Can you now begin to tap in God’s logic instead of your own?
Can you now see that God doesn’t need much or anything to create greatness.
Obedience and faith is what you need to acces the glory of God
Lessons learned:
Never underestimate God.
God will make away
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for us
He will be our Guide
Holding us close to His side
With love and strength to each new day
He will make a way—He will make a way
Bon Dieu konn fè wout
Kote pat janm genyen wout,
Lè lap travay, nou pa konprann,
Men lap fè yon wout pou nou.
La pe gide nou, menm nan mitan dezè-a
Avek pasyans, avek couraj
La pe fè yon wout.
Pasteur Marc Simeon 