February 17th, AM

I want to tell you guys a story about why I'm here in Scotland specifically so is so it's kind of interesting story much longer going to be today. When I several years ago. I felt God was telling me that he wanted me to move to the United Kingdom and tell people about Jesus. I said, that's really weird. I don't know any British people have never been to Britain. I don't even know British TV show. I don't know nothing about Britain. I will also confess to you. I wasn't aware that Scotland and England where separate things. All of it plus England and I know that that's not the right place to say this but I was very ignorant of what was happening. What is this feeling this the sense of Duty? I I couldn't really shake it. It's just a kind of stuck with me over the years. I just no matter what I did no matter what That was always there that I should always be coming to the United Kingdom to tell these people and tell everyone hear about Jesus. And it's that's odd and it said, you know what to do. I'm just going to go I'm just going to go to Britain have a see if this is actually this case but actually should come here and I just end up working with a guy who runs the program who takes people kind of like myself who just about to graduate college and want to get a master's degree and then also want to work in a church churches. That's really weird that I know you not look slim more feasible that I can move here. And then so I go through this program I go through the application process. I get approved it's brewing and it's like wow stressful, but now it looks like I can actually move here in like wow. God has really provided a way for this to happen, but after that

Once again, this looks like an impossible ocean to cross into possible bridge for me to get over. I just felt like in no way in my understanding from several years ago from saying, tell people about Jesus to actually moving here. I never really understood how I really why I know why cuz he wants to be involved, but I just I never realize how was going to happen. But he made it happened because Jesus wanted me to take part in what he's doing and he wanted to provide a way for to do that. We're going to read a story about Jesus and his disciples right now and the disciples don't quite understand how they're going to do what Jesus asked them to do. So I want to tell you is I want Christy actually come up and she's going to read the passage for us from Luke chapter 9 verse 10.

When the apostles returns they reported to Jesus what they have it done when he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called best Aida learned about it.

He welcomes them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and it healed those who needed healing.

Play tomorrow afternoon the 12 came to him and said send the crowd away. So they can go to the surrounding Villages and Countryside to find food and lodging because we are in a remote place here. He replied. You get them something to eat?

Beyonce only five loaves of bread and two fish unless we go and buy food for all this crowd about five thousand men with a But he said to his disciples. Make them sit down in groups of about 50 each. The disciples did say and everyone sat down. Taking the five loads and the two fish looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and was satisfied. And the disciples picked up 12 basket photos but broken pieces that were left over. Thank you Christine. Fred

so Jesus feeding 5000 really great story really cool story just to give a little bit of context what's happening. So last week we heard we had Matt give the talk about that Jesus sent out the 12th into the town's to tell people about the good news and heal the sick and we had a great discussion on that and now the disciples receive him come back and they get to tell Jesus all that. They seen in all that they've done need a really take part of that. And Jesus is like good job guys. We're actually there's a reward for me to go to the best day to have a little Weiner withdraw from the crowds go to a kind of a quiet place. No, no, no the crowds find out to Jesus to the Apostle's have gone and maybe they just had a really great job. That's the disciples to go and tell everyone about Jesus the closet Herndon like we got out of here and follow Jesus and find him and where is he? But no matter how they found out is that they do find out and they come and they they mobbed Jesus and it's this really large crowd 5000 people. That's a lot of people to be like this is this is not Jesus and they wants to see him. They want to see the real thing the disciples speak about it and I saw the disciples heal the sick and tell them up the kingdom of God. They're like, I got to know who this Jesus guy is so they come and they they will follow him not into a town and they don't follow him and see, you know, a really nice house. They follow him into a deserted place. Nothing, really. They're the only reason it comes to see Jesus to see if this guy really is who he says he is if they've heard what the things I've heard about him is true. And so Jesus sees him and he welcomes them has come along and he's like and he has his compassion. He has his desire to teach them and to heal their sick and to provide for them. And what's really unique about this is the disciples had just gone out playing the good news and heal the sick as soon as I get back to Jesus to tell Jesus what they did in the first thing they see him doing now is teaching them stitching the crowds and Healing The Sick this is reinforcing what he wants his disciples to be doing. He's reinforcing his mission and why he's here and why he came to Earth And we see the disciples have a concern for these people cuz when they come to Jesus they want them to be fed. They want them to be sit somewhere to rest he they say Jesus in the crowds are only here for you. If you could just you could send them away and you'll then then they can eat and they can rest and everything will be okay where we don't have, you know, we just needs to happen and then Jesus's response is exactly what you'd expect cuz it sounds like he didn't actually hear the conversation. He just says you give them something to eat. I said if you date they can go to the nearby towns to get something to eat is what I said, but he says you give them something to eat. And if I'm one of the disciples I'm looking at my other, you know 12 Bros, and I'm like For real, maybe maybe they think to themselves. Jesus doesn't know maybe they're like Jesus forgot we have no food. Let's remind him Jesus. We have enough food for about 5 people not 5,000 people and he's like It was just really natural response. I really relate to the disciples in this situation to say. Yeah, I don't get it. I have nothing to give them to eat. So we should we this is what we have in Jesus and Jesus doesn't once again Jesus response isn't like all we only have Five Loaves and two fish. He says make them sit down a group of 50.

Okay.

The disciples seem to be in this interesting place of where they are. Like they keep getting these instructions and they keep doing it, but it doesn't quite make sense. Maybe something's going to happen. And so they've

I want to make my next life. Jesus told the disciples look guys just go and win the Tour de France but instead of a bike you get a scooter and off you go and it's like going to do this. No way that they can actually go and feed the 5,000 people have now set them down in groups there now unsure of what's about to happen next? And then they they just have to kind of go along and trust that Jesus is going to do something. What that is, so not sure so Jesus Takes the food. He just looks seven gets nice and breaks it.

and then he says food places go and feed the people. What's interesting is the disciples what they don't want they don't have is now thousands of baskets of red the no longer that sound like she was like broke the bread and all the sudden like right behind Jesus all this food sound like that. Jesus is out. He's handed them a piece of bread and I say on with it. Nothing just really changed in the disciples minds and what you can receive nothing has really changed on the situation. You still have a little bit of food. He's have a lot of people I'll be it now in groups of 50. and now you have to take this half loaf or piece of bread and say you up and everyone supposed to get enough. They don't have the understanding to do what they have to step out in faith the have to do an action cuz at this point the disciples can just say no. Thanks and Chuck The Bread. Peace out. I'm going to go get some food in the nearby town. But they don't. They're trusting that Jesus has done something. The Jesus has already provided a way for them to move already provided the food for these people to eat. So the disciples step out and they do it. What's interesting here? What I really think is right about this is Jesus said to the disciples you give them something to eat. And that's what happened. The disciples get to give the people something to eat their the ones handing out the bread. Half a loaf at a time or whatever and then they're the ones who gather up 12 baskets of leftovers.

They get to see this amazing miracle happened right before their very eyes needed to take part in it. But they only get to take part in it in that they listen to what Jesus is telling them to do and that they got to take part and what Jesus wanted them to be a part of they got to see Jesus provide for his mission.

and this is the story is really cool And I look at you on the room today, and I'm sure all of you ask a question. So what? Am I really are you looking forward to the time that you're in a deserted place with your 12 Best Buds? And then you have five thousand people might be you and then you have a little bit of no. This is the situation where you feed five thousand people probably won't be happening in your life.

But the point is is that today. We're Jesus's disciples. Today we have the chance to follow Jesus. And that has disciples today. Jesus still wants us to be a part of his mission. His mission today in his mission is to tell people about the good news. The good news that Jesus Christ is the son of God. He died and rose again for the Forgiveness of our sins and that all those who believe in him may have eternal life. Beautifulness great news, it's news that we get to take part in and we get to be in Jesus has provided us with that message. with that news to share with people

and the question is is what are we doing to join in? What is stopping us from joining in Jesus he wants us to take part. He wants us to be involved. I think sometimes it's it's about the lack of time. You know I said to myself sometimes, it's Jesus. If you just give me like 10 more hours a week that I would use all those 10 hours for you. I promise just if I have if you provided me with a little more time, then I would do something for you a little quid pro quo. Or maybe we're just afraid there's a little bit of pregnancy Jesus. If you just make me really courageous extroverted bold person. And then then I'm going to you give me those personality traits that I'm do it. I'm definitely yeah, I'm in Or maybe you feel like I'm not talented enough. Do you make me a really good speaker or great teacher or really? Good musician. I would use all the talents and give me and I've used them just for you. I would only use them for you Jesus. If you just you just give me these thing.

Maybe say I can't actually tell anyone about Jesus. I didn't read my Bible long enough today, or I didn't I didn't pray for the 30 minutes. I only prayed for a few minutes. I didn't not holy enough. I'm not good enough.

List of things that we go down and we like to say you just give me a little bit of this or I'm not good enough for this we find excuses or disqualifiers that only exist in our mind. Because you see where we've been asked to do something. Jesus has asked us to take part in his mission. We don't really understand why. how

but that we have to trust that he's going to provide the means to be successful. You see the disciples. They still had just loaf of bread.

the feed 5000 The have to do something that's a move to see God's provision. I want to move to Scotland. I had to ask a lot of people to give me money, which is really really really really really really really uncomfortable. Really hard to say. Say that to look someone in the eye and say I'd like some of your paycheck.

And every time before I ask someone I wanted to give myself a thousand reasons not to. And every time. Every time I ask someone but a lot of the time when I asked someone I got this amazing response back of a yes of God's provision literally working right in front of my eyes.

And it's it's not about just being provided for fundraising. Not about just one saying it's about us taking part in that and being a part of what Jesus is doing. This is supposed to be a slight earlier. I miss my cue, but this is the business what's stopping you? What is it the one of the examples I mentioned today or is it is it something else?

Is Jesus wants us to all be involved and engage in that part of his mission?

I guess it's the question is is what's stopping you from joining in? So I'm going to have a few discussion questions.

Father God thank you for today. And we're thankful for all that you have done and are doing and our lives were thankful for your son and the good news that he brought more thankful that he died and rose again so that we may have a relationship and enter into a family with you Lord that we may serve and follow you. I pray that you would be with us this week as we go through our lives remembering that you are still present and that you wanted to take part and what you doing Lord, and we're going to talk about