“Invite them to Dinner” 

Pastor David Moore

Old Testament reading: Psalm 23 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul.  He leads me in right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. 

New Testament reading: Matthew 14:13‐21 

Now when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns.  When He went ashore, He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion for them and cured their sick.  When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”  They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”  And He said, “Bring them here to me.”  Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

Theme:  Jesus is ready to teach the disciples more about Himself and what their response should be. 

God understands the end in the beginning and all points in between, and we often don’t understand what is happening in the present, much less the future.  ~D. Moore 

Matthew 14:16  Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat.”
I don’t think God expects us to do what He had called us to do in our own power.  ~D. Moore
A friend said the disciples here are a good example of the 3rd soil, the soil that hears the good news, but then the good news is choked out by the cares of the world.  ~D. Moore 

Jesus must show the disciples what to do. 

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Jesus feeds the people out of almost nothing because that is what we bring to Jesus.  ~D. Moore

I think we bring almost nothing to the table in our relationship with Jesus, and yet He takes it and uses us to build His Kingdom while preparing us for an eternity with Him.  ~D. Moore 

Jesus is pulling back the curtain to show the disciples who He is.  ~D. Moore 

The answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” is determined in what we do with our lives in being obedient to His calling.  Do we repent, do we pray, do we seek and listen to what He wants from us?  ~D. Moore 

We were created to be obedient to God.  
This week: Find a quiet time to listen and pray to God to find out what our actions should be in our faith walk.  Never forget the two fish and five loaves.  God can take your little and make it much.  Trust.  Go.  ~Tony Evans 

Have a good week!