WE SERVE THE GOD EXPERT IN MULTIPLICATION (PART 3) ENGLISH

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5^TH 2023

WE SERVE THE GOD EXPERT IN MULTIPLICATION PART 3

THE MIRACLE OF THE SMALL PORTION OF FOOD THAT FED EVERYONE WITH SOME LETF OVERS

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.

INTRODUCTION

• Today, by the grace of God, we will conclude the series of messages on the God of Multiplication.
• I hope that these messages help to anchor your trust in God.
• Many have passive faith in God as of agreeing with everything that is said in the bible.
• When we observe the lives of many Christians we see that the majority of them have zero trust in God.
• A man from the circus was able to cross The Niagara Fall on a rope.
• The audience was asked if they believed the man can carry a person while crossing over, the whole audience shouted yes they believed.
• Then they asked for a volunteer and no one came forward.
• Our beliefs in God need to develop to trust in God. Faith does not just believe, but it trusts.
• If I am travelling long distance, I won’t fall asleep if I don’t trust the person who is driving because my life depends on it.
• You trust a chair to hold your weight before sitting on it.
• We are coming to an era where Christians will again need faith in God to get by.
• You need to know that faith defies logic.
• We already saw how God extended the life of a little jar of oil to fill countless containers of oil.
• Last week we saw how Jesus multiplied 5 loaves and two fishes to feed a multitude in excess of 5000 people.
• This week again we’re going to see how God stretched a little bit of food to feed an excess of 100 people from school of the prophets.  

THE GRACIOUS GIVER

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 led the people in idolatry against God in fear of losing 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.
• The man could have had a thousand reasons why he should not bother to do that gesture to the man of God.
• The travelling distance to find the man of God.
• Priority to the need of his own family during the famine could be one excuse.
• The insignificance of the size of the offering versus the need of the man of God could be another excuse.
• He could have followed the other Jews who did nothing to support these poor prophets.
• He could have postponed it until next harvest in hope to have more to offer.

THE MANDATE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THE WORK OF GOD

 Ga 6:6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

1Co 9:11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

Mt 25:34-40

Mt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

 36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

 38 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

 39 ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

• The food donation was important.
• The timing of the donation was crucial.
• God has a certain way to steer one’s heart to action
• You need to be prompt when God asks you to extend the helping hands to someone.
• You need shut your ears to logic or common sense when God gives you an order.
• God controls the hearts of mankind specifically.
• God is able to multiply your small gestures of love to him.
• The obedience to God’s word is more important than the size of your offering.
• God depends on His children to support his work on earth.

Example of the man whose Cows gave birth to two babies.

He dedicated one of them to God.

When one died, he stated that it was God’s one that died.

He said “God has bad luck”.

ACTING BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL CHRISTIANS

2Ki 4:42 .. .”Give it to the people, that they may eat.”

• Contrary to the mercenaries of our days, the man of God placed the needs of the other prophets ahead of his.
• Give it to the people that they may eat.
• He could have said “put it in my room under the bed where no one can see”
• God cares for all his children and not just a selected few.
• 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

THE REPLY OF LOGIC

2Ki 4:43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?”

• 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.

THE RESPONSE OF FAITH

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)

• Don’t let your faith in God fail you in times of need.
• There is never a famine or lacks in the kingdom 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.
• He is Jehovah Jire the PROVIDER.
• God doesn’t owed us any detail of His operations.
• Trust and obey for there’s no other way to please God.

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)

• The man of God was not surprised but the servant was in shock.
• It is said: “ Seeing is believing” but it is not so with God.
• In God’s way, “believing is seeing.”

CONCLUSION

• Another display of the magnificent power of God.
• Another exhibit of God’s care for all His servants.
• Another show of the power of generosity
• Another dare to logic and common senses.
• Another reason to trust God in all our endeavors and not relying on our limited resources.
• Another all you can eat miracle
• Lessons learned
• Obey God and not your logic
• Size limitation is no issue to the great God we serve.
• Trust God and not your senses
• Have faith that God’s words cannot be void
• Si tu crois, tu verras la gloire de Dieu.
• Those who trust will see the glory of God. 

AMEN!