John 6:1-15
Sermon preached at Barclay Church, Edinburgh by Mr Pete Edwards
27 April 2003

Are we willing to rely on God and to trust him in times of uncertainty?
▼Uncertainty may come in different ways:

1. It may be that you personally are facing a time of struggle in your life at the moment.

2. Uncertainty can also come due to change: As a church family, it is probable that Graham and Mary will be leaving us in the next few months.

3. We are also involved in the 'church without walls process' seeking to adapt ourselves so that we can be a better church for the 21^st century.

So uncertainty can come to us in different ways and there are often struggles in life and times of change. The question for us to ask ourselves is, are we willing to rely on God in these times?

As a church we are not only concerned about our own lives, but also those of people around us: our family, friends, work colleagues and the people who live in the parish. A further question is then whether we will trust him to help us as a church as we seek to reach out to those around us?

We want to serve them and share God's love with them - but how can we do that when: their needs are so great, they don't want to listen, and we ourselves have very little that we can give?

I expect many of us will have read Irene Glass's contribution to the magazine this month. She recalls how during her time in India the Christians there prayed, relying on God in times of need. When a group from Barclay went to Thailand two years ago, those we met who were materially poor seemed to us to be highly reliant on God. When they faced difficulties their first step was to turn to God and pray. These stories, I believe, are a challenge to us here in Scotland. We are materially rich, yet often spiritually poor. When times of struggle come, as they inevitably do, we find it hard to trust in God to provide for us. This may be because in our practical day to day lives we think we can get by without him, relying on ourselves. Then when times are uncertain - we don't know what to do.

The passage that ……… read for us helps us to consider these questions and speaks into our situation. As John writes about the occasion of the feeding of the 5000, he shows us that Jesus is able to provide for all human need and challenges us to rely on him.

John in his gospel uses Jesus' miracles to teach. For him they are signs of Jesus' glory. His purpose in writing is to reveal Jesus' identity, so that we will believe in him and receive the gift of life. While later in the story his full glory would be revealed through his death and resurrection, here in John 6, we see Jesus pictured as the provider of all human need.

He provides for the crowd, the thousands of people who are coming to him. He heals their sick, and he even provides them with food.

He also provides for the disciples - they are encouraged by Jesus to serve the crowd, yet they are at a loss to know how to feed the people. There are 5000 men - let alone women and children - how can they feed them all? Jesus helps them to do it.

There are a number of aspects to this story that I think we can learn from. We'll see these if we consider the story from the perspectives of the different people.

From the crowd's perspective they come to Jesus attracted by him having heard about his teaching and his power. When they come to him, Jesus meets their needs.

From the disciples' perspective, on the other hand, they are challenged by the needs of the crowd - how can they help them? Jesus teaches them to trust in him for the solution to the people's problems.

There is also the perspective of the small boy, anonymous, insignificant, among the crowd of so many, yet he is willing to give what he is able to, for Jesus to use to meet the needs of others.

Which aspect speaks most to you?

▼Are you coming to Jesus looking for him to meet your personal need? If you are then know that he is able to do that. He describes himself as the bread of life, able and willing to do more than we can imagine. He may not respond to our cry always in the way that we expect, but he loves us and wants us to have new, abundant life in him. This life is always available if we believe and trust in him.

▼Perhaps this story speaks to you because you are following him as the disciples were. You are challenged by Jesus to see the needs of the people around you and you feel overwhelmed? When Jesus asks Philip where they can buy food for the crowd, he does it to make the disciples think. Jesus already knows how he will feed them. As the story goes on he asks the disciples to do what they are capable of. The are not able to meet everyone's need or solve everyone's problems. He himself provides for the needs of the people, not the disciples. Give thanks that it is through Jesus that people's needs can be met.

▼The story may also speak to you because you are waiting to see how Jesus will meet the needs of those around you. It may be that people have a practical need for shelter, food or security. It may be that they are lonely. People also have spiritual needs, to know God for themselves. I'm sure that you can think of many more real needs. But how will Jesus meet these needs? As you wait to see - perhaps he is asking you to do something like the boy in the story, something that may seem embarrassingly small to you and of no consequence in the face of such need. Yet Jesus can multiply your small contribution to meet the needs of the crowd. Give what you have, do what you can and trust him to transform it to meet the needs of those around you.

We've looked at this story from the perspective of us as individuals. A further question is how it can speak to us as a church family?

▼The theme of our service has been "forward in faith"; we want to encourage each other to trust in him as we come to a time of change. Change comes in many ways, yet it always makes us feel uncomfortable. I think if we are honest, we'd all say that change is not something we enjoy.

One of the themes in this part of John's gospel is that of discipleship - of how we as Jesus' followers should live. John makes it clear that hardship and uncertainty may be characteristics of our journey following Jesus; in the journey our path will not be an easy one.

Later in this chapter we read that as Jesus taught the people, those who had been looking to follow him reacted in different ways. For some his teaching was too difficult and they turned away and left him. Yet his disciples were willing to trust in him, to go forward with him in faith. When Jesus asks the disciples whether they too will leave him, Peter speaks up in response,

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

For us as Jesus' followers here at Barclay, we can also expect that there will be times of uncertainty and struggle. You may be feeling that we are entering such a time now. I believe that this passage is speaking to us. We need to trust in Jesus, the supplier for all human needs. The risen Jesus by his Spirit walks with us as we face uncertainty and struggle. He is able to meet the needs of the people in our parish, those among whom we work and live, and the needs of our family and friends. And Jesus wants to multiply the small contributions that we are able to make, like the unnamed, seemingly insignificant boy in the story. Jesus wants to transform what we give as we seek to serve him as his people here in Barclay.

For many Christians in the world, hardship and struggle are a daily reality. We only have to read Mike and Jane Fucella's prayer letters to get a glimpse of that. In the world today, fear is not just about uncertainty for the future, its fear of real physical hunger and for many, the threat of violence and persecution as well. In our situation as a church, can we ask ourselves - are we willing and able to learn from the world church, to rely on God in our uncertainty and struggle? Our struggles are perhaps less severe than that of others, but they can be as keenly felt. Lets go forward together as the disciples did, trusting him, the one who has the words of eternal life - trusting the risen Jesus who said,

”I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

Let's pray,

Father - thank you for this passage reassuring us of your provision for us as individuals and your provision for us as a church. Help us to trust in you as we go forward as a church: knowing that you will go with us; knowing that you will provide for us; and knowing that you will transform the small contributions that we can make, to work in the lives of those around us, to also meet their needs. Forgive us when we doubt, help us to believe in you.