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About The Episode:
Have you ever held a belief so close to your heart that it guided your every action? Our latest episode of the Jaime Luce Podcast takes you through the delicate interplay of faith and doubt, examining the psychological tendencies that shape our beliefs. We start by peeling back layers around how initial information can cement itself within our minds, setting the stage for a deeper conversation on the role of faith in the Christian walk. Through stories and scriptures, including an insightful look at Matthew 14, we confront the challenge of believing in the impossible and the transformative impact this can have on our everyday lives.
- A biblical study into Matthew 14
- The importance of faith in everyday life
- How to access the benefits of faith
- How faith leads to action and expectations
(0:00:00) – Faith, Believing, and Unbelief (4 Minutes)
This chapter begins by addressing the psychological tendency to believe the first piece of information we hear, often to the detriment of our understanding of the truth, which underscores the issue of propaganda and its impact on belief systems. We then transition into a discussion about faith, specifically the act of believing in the impossible, and what that means for us as believers in practical terms. I unpack the patterns within scripture that guide us in aligning our actions with God’s expectations, moving away from the desire for a formulaic approach to faith. The focal point of the scripture analysis is Matthew 14, but the conversation starts with Matthew 13, where Jesus faces skepticism in his hometown, illustrating how unbelief can hinder the manifestation of miracles. This chapter aims to provide a clear and scripturally backed understanding of faith, addressing common questions and equipping listeners with insights into the dynamics of belief and the power of faith in practice.
(0:04:15) – Importance of Faith in Everyday Life (11 Minutes)
This chapter examines the debate around cessationism and the continuity of miracles and divine gifts from the time of the apostles to the present day. I share my belief that Jesus’s power is still active and that He desires to be our Savior and Deliverer in all circumstances. We explore the impact of faith on Jesus’s ability to perform miracles, highlighting how the lack of belief in his hometown limited the manifestation of his works. The conversation also touches on the importance of our expectations and how they influence what we receive from God. I reflect on personal anecdotes, particularly my husband’s business success through prayer and active pursuit of his goals, to illustrate how faith and action must work in tandem. Lastly, we discuss the challenge of overcoming preconceived notions and the necessity of reevaluating our beliefs in light of new information.
(0:14:51) – The Importance of Faith in Christianity (7 Minutes)
This chapter examines the transformative journey of becoming a Christian, emphasizing that it’s not merely about adopting a title but entails a profound change in lifestyle and understanding. I discuss the importance of aligning one’s life with Christian teachings, actively learning what it means to follow Christ, and accessing the benefits of faith. We explore the concept of salvation by grace through faith, stressing that faith must be active and potent, not passive. I illustrate this with the story of the Canaanite woman from Matthew 15, who demonstrates persistent faith in action. The narrative underscores that God’s nature is fundamentally loving, offering grace instead of condemnation, and invites listeners to engage with faith as a continuous, proactive process. Additionally, I introduce my book “You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God,” which addresses finding provision through faith amidst economic uncertainties, without summarizing its content or providing purchase details.
(0:21:47) – The Power of Faith in Healing (14 Minutes)
This chapter examines the critical role of faith in biblical narratives, particularly focusing on the stories of the Canaanite woman, the father of a demon-possessed boy, and the woman with the issue of blood alongside Jairus, whose daughter was healed by Jesus. I discuss the Canaanite woman’s unwavering belief that even the smallest mercy from Jesus could heal her daughter, highlighting Jesus’s praise of her great faith. We also reflect on the story of a father whose son suffered from seizures, and how Jesus pointed out the disciples’ lack of faith as the reason they couldn’t perform a healing. Lastly, the dual story of the woman who was healed by merely touching Jesus’s garment and Jairus’s faith that led to his daughter’s resurrection reinforces the idea that faith, as small as a mustard seed, has immense power, and it is this faith that Jesus acknowledges and responds to, leading to miracles and healing. Through these stories, we see how faith is emphasized as the key to witnessing the extraordinary works of divine power.
(0:35:34) – Miracle of Loaves and Fish (8 Minutes)
This chapter reflects on the profound miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish, emphasizing the necessity of faith and the willingness to act upon it. I discuss the importance of offering whatever little we have to God, as seen through the boy who gave his lunch, and how Jesus blessed and multiplied the humble offering. I encourage listeners to prepare for their miracles by acting in faith, expecting God to move in their lives, and to hold onto hope despite doubts or ridicule from others. Through prayer, I ask for God’s grace and strength for the listeners to follow His guidance, to offer what they have, and to anticipate the fulfillment of their needs, just as the crowd with Jesus expected to be fed. I remind everyone that faith is essential and that God is faithful to His promises, urging them to seek Him and to act on their faith in expectation of His provision.
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Full Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.
00:00 – Jaime Luce (Host)
When you hear something first and then you turn around and hear something by somebody else that’s counter to that, you tend to believe what you heard first, even if you don’t have evidence that the other is actually true. That’s why propaganda is such a problem, because when you first hear something, you tend to believe what you heard first, even if later truth comes out about those things, because people feel like that means that they were stupid, they feel like they were duped, they feel like, wow, you pulled one over on me and I wasn’t smart enough to catch it, instead of being wise enough to understand. Okay, I have new information. Welcome to the Jamie Luce Podcast. Thank you for joining me today.
00:50
Today, we’re going to be talking about a couple of subjects that all weave together. That would be faith, believing for the impossible, but also, what does that mean for us practically as believers? How are we to think? And we will look at a couple of patterns that we see throughout the scripture that show us what the Father and, through the expression of Jesus, what he would say, what they expect. There are things that we need to do that are in line with how the Lord wants us to do them. There are so many ways that we can pick out a scripture. We can look at different things and think there are methods, and we want the don’t, we all want a formula. We want to know okay, that’s what I need to do, that’s what I want to do. So if I do this, this and this, I’ll get this. And Jesus made it very clear over and over and over again. It was also repeated in other gospels and in other books, not just the one we’re going to be looking at, but there are so many things here that I think we need to unpack that I want to give you a lot of scripture to back up everything that we’re saying. To just make this clear and easy. If you have questions about faith and believing for the impossible, my hope is that today I’ll give you the answers to those questions. So, in order to do that, the main passage that we’ll end up talking about is in Matthew 14, but I want us to start in Matthew 13, because Jesus has finished teaching parables. He’s been teaching the people who have come out to hear him and he’s on his. He leaves from teaching the parables and he goes to his hometown. Okay, so he’s done teaching and now he’s going to his hometown, and I want us to read this together. This is Matthew 13, and we’re going to start.
02:59
Let’s look at verses 53 through 58, and I want you to get a picture of what Jesus is feeling, what he’s experiencing and what’s going on. It says and when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there and, coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said why did this man? Oh sorry, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and are not his brothers, james and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and are not all his sisters with us? Where, then, did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him, but Jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household, and he did not not. Many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
04:15
Now there are debates amongst scholars and amongst believers on whether they believe that the miracles, the gifts, the signs and all those things that we’re going to be reading about, whether those died with the apostles or whether they are still for today. The technical term is cessationism, and I am not a cessationist. I believe that Jesus is alive in me, just as he was alive then. He commanded his disciples then, and for those who believe and all who are afar off, I don’t believe that my hope is that I will show you the patterns of Jesus. If God of Himself said that I am the same yesterday, today and forever, I change not. I do not believe that we have to just sit in our circumstance, not believing that God not only is able, but that he wants to be our continual Savior and Deliverer. I’m going to talk about that a little bit.
05:31
Today. We have this picture. Jesus has done all this teaching. The people are hungry to hear what he has to say. He goes to his hometown, he’s going back home, and yet he’s not welcomed, he’s not accepted in his own town. The people there are so familiar with him.
05:55
You have this group of people who, because they couldn’t get past what they already knew or thought they knew about Jesus and his family, they could not receive from him. Because of that, they limited him by their unbelief. Now, jesus was not limited. He could have done. How many times do we know? Scripture tells us that the presence of God was there to heal. He was there, he was ready to heal, he was ready to move on their behalf, he was ready to do for them. But because they don’t believe, boy, that puts a big onus on us. That is a reminder that what our expectation is and what we bring to the table matters. That’s not a matter of what God is able to do, nor what God wants to do. He’s letting us know that all these other areas, anywhere he went, wherever a prophet goes, they receive honor. People believe they received the word. But with Jesus, because he was in his hometown, those who thought they knew him, knew his family, just thought this is impossible. What we know about him is as far as he’ll ever go.
07:14
Do you have a circle of friends or no people? The idea is they just think well, how did you do that? You get those people when you tell them things that have happened my husband has had some wonderful success in business Because of that. When people ask him how did you do this? How did you sell that? How did you buy that? When he tells them because they just think, well, you didn’t have the degree that so and so had, you didn’t follow the rules of sales and all these things? How did they even agree to that? How did you get them to do that? I mean, there’s so many he gets hit with these questions and people are just in disbelief. But it’s true, the way that he did it was by prayer and supplication and getting direction from the Lord. Now he’s a very wise man, he’s a very gifted man, he is a wonderful negotiator, he has a gifting in those areas, but it takes his action coupled with what he believed God was going to do with that in order to produce the results. Those things go together.
08:28
It wasn’t God all by himself, just all of a sudden, talking to the heart of a man in a company though he could do this to call my husband up and say, hey, I want to be able to do this Whatever you say. You lay the demands and we’ll just do whatever you say. No, my husband was out working, looking for the work, doing the work, being active and a part of it. He believed that he was doing what God called him to do and therefore God would do the impossible through him to receive those impossible results that he was hoping for. Do you see what I’m saying here?
09:05
Jesus was continually remarking about faith to his disciples, I mean over and over again. He would say, no matter if he was in a group of people or with his disciples alone. You would hear Jesus say several things. One was where is your faith? He would say to them oh ye of little faith. He would say, and be completely astounded at the amount of great faith you have, woman. You have great faith. I have not seen such faith in all of Israel, but it was always comments and remarks so that people would understand what he was saying was the important component it was their faith. Faith was necessary.
09:56
So there were people who, because of previous knowledge, now hear me on this, because some of us are in this boat. We’ve maybe been raised in church, or maybe we were raised up in a different denomination, a different belief system, maybe a completely different religion, maybe none at all, maybe atheism, whatever. But you have a belief system. You were raised in a family who talked about things and you just I should have looked it up for you. There is a law, they call it a law, and it has to do with when you hear something first and then you turn around and hear something by somebody else.
10:35
That’s counter to that. You tend to believe what you heard first, even if you don’t have evidence that the other is actually true. That’s why propaganda is such a problem, because when you first hear something, you tend to believe what you heard first, even if later truth comes out about those things, because people feel like that means that they were stupid. They feel like they were duped. They feel like, wow, you pulled one over on me and I wasn’t smart enough to catch it, instead of being wise enough to understand. Okay, I have new information. New information means I need to reevaluate what is truth. It might even cause me to go seeking for even more information. We need to be wise people that we take in new information.
11:25
These people who could receive nothing in his hometown were, because they had previous knowledge, that they refused to allow new knowledge into the equation. Now, between these two camps of those who refused to hear anything and know anything you have those also there’s a group of people who really do believe God. You have amongst this group those who are following him, and they’re following him so much that when they get word that he’s going somewhere else, they follow him there and get there before he does. Between these two camps lies a question If I walk by faith. If I walk by faith, what, if anything, do I need to do? Because we know the scripture tells us that we’re to walk by faith and not by sight.
12:19
That’s a hard thing to do. It’s easy to say. We know it sounds spiritual. In fact, we know it’s right when we hear that If you believe because you had to understand everything Jesus did, he did it without you being able to understand or know. So there are things that your sight won’t tell you and we have to be able to take this information and say, okay, there is outside information, but what do I know about God? What is the unseen information? So I walk by faith, not by sight. Well, there are a couple places we can go from here to talk about this. So faith is the imperative. No matter what you’re facing right now, I don’t care how bad the situation is, I don’t care if it’s good, but you’re believing God for more. If you’re in a position that you think it is impossible in every tangible way that you can see that would bring an answer, is removed. Faith is imperative. Okay, faith is imperative. We are saved.
13:35
Now I want to give you a couple of scriptures here. Let’s see we’re saved by faith essentially and I’ll give you the scripture and read you the whole context in a second but because we believed at some point that the message of the gospel was true, that I am a sinner and I needed saving, and Jesus was the sinless sacrifice who came and died in my place and rose again. Therefore, that means that I now have salvation, my sins are forgiven and I have the hope of glory. I have eternal life, and that faith is what constitutes me saying to other people I am a Christian. And now, as a Christian because this is something I think that is missing in our culture today we created a culture of people who call themselves Christians because they heard the gospel message that they have sinned and that they’re now forgiven, but they were not taught that they needed to become disciples.
14:50
So we have those who call themselves a Christian with no second thought about their life actually changing. They just now call themselves Christians without knowing what the word says, without knowing what the commandments are for their life, without knowing how to follow Christ, without turning away from whatever life they had come from before. It’s a deception, and we have to be able to look at our life. I’m going to talk about that in a different episode. But we have to be able to look at our life and see if that really matches up. I have to understand that becoming a Christian means I not only believe Christ died for me and all of these benefits are now mine, but now that I know that it’s incumbent upon me to know well what is a Christian? How do I behave like a Christian? What are these benefits? How do I access them? What does my life look like going forward? How do I do the things the disciples did? Okay, and this can be very exciting, because let’s look at Ephesians 2.8.
15:51
It says for it is by grace. So already you know that this God in heaven, who saw your sin and your sin needed judgment, it needed punishment. But he took that sin and that punishment and he put it on his son and gave his grace to you. So that already tells us wow, what a God. This isn’t an angry God in heaven With the lightning bolts ready to strike me every time I don’t get it right, or just angry at me because I’ve made mistakes. He’s not an unforgiving God. He’s not an angry God, though he can get angry, but his demeanor, his disposition is not anger, it’s love. He gives grace, so it says for it is by grace that you have been saved. But the method through which you received that salvation was through faith, for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. So faith was imperative. If God wanted which he did to give this gift to us of salvation and he sends his son and his son dies and pays the price, the work of it is done, he’s already done it. But you cannot receive it just like these people could not receive any miracles, because the knowledge that they’re taking in doesn’t override old knowledge. You have to be able to, by faith, receive the grace, by faith, receive the gift. So you are saved by grace, through faith. Faith is imperative, but faith isn’t passive, so it’s not just I believe something so that I could receive something. It’s not passive, it is powerful and it is active. So people who were moved by faith took action.
18:05
Let’s look at the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15, verses 21 to 28. And it says and Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sight, and behold, a Canaanite from that region came out and was crying have mercy on me, o Lord, son of David, my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him saying Send her away, for she is crying out after us. He answered I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and knelt before him saying Lord, help me. And he answered it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. She said yes, lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Then Jesus answered her oh woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly. I love this story.
19:29
Jesus was not calling her a dog. This is a metaphor. He’s giving her a word picture here. He’s saying you don’t fix dinner and then, instead of feeding your children, hand it to your dog to eat. Now, some people do feed the dog what they eat, but you don’t do it. Instead of what you do and he’s made the point already he was sent to Israel. Now, later the disciples would be called to go to the Gentiles, but Jesus’s coming was to his people of birth, it was to Israel. It was to the chosen people that God had called and set them apart and he’s saying this is who I came for. So he wasn’t even addressing her and you might feel like you’re praying and you don’t hear God. This is why we say you knock and keep on knocking. Those are verbs that are action words that denote that it is a process that you continually do. You knock and keep on knocking. You seek, you keep on seeking, you ask, you keep on asking. This is how we receive. Well, she’s the picture of that. She’s a Gentile and she just kept asking. She just kept going after him.
20:46
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21:46
And she explained yes, lord, I understand that you don’t do this, this isn’t the way we do it, but I can at least gather from the crumbs. You’re so good, your salvation so powerful, your ability so magnificent, you’re all powerful that even though I am not one, I’ll take whatever crumbs I can get from you. And Jesus said oh woman, how great is your faith? Faith was necessary. What did Jesus comment on? Not persistence, even though persistence was there. It was the faith she had that if she kept asking, she actually would receive. It was faith.
22:36
Okay, let’s look at the man whose boy was having seizures. That’s in Matthew 17, verses 14 to 21. And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly, for often he falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to your disciples and they could not heal him. And Jesus answered oh, faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me. And Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him and the boy was healed instantly.
23:29
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said why could we not cast it out? He said to them because of your little faith. Now I could keep reading. Well, just so you know, I’ll go ahead and finish this. Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith, like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you. Folks, if we had faith like the grain of a mustard seed, we could say that it just shows how powerful faith is. And even though it only takes a little bit of faith, it was always Oye of little faith that was criticized or pointed out, at least it was remarked about.
24:24
If we look at the woman with the issue of blood that’s found in the book of Mark, and that’s chapter 5. I’m gonna turn there to verses 21 through 43. Now, what I love about this story is, there’s two in one. So we’re talking about both the woman with the issue of blood and the faith of Jairus, whose daughter was dying. And when Jesus had crossed again into the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet. Have you noticed that? That’s what the woman did too, this humility of coming to Jesus and implored him earnestly, saying my little daughter is at the point of death, come and lay her hands on her so that she may be made well and live. And he went with him and a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she had and was no better but but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, if I touch even his garments I will be made well, and immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease and Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said who touched my garments? And his disciples said to him you see the crowd pressing around you and yet you say who touched me? And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her daughter your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your disease. So we see her story. Faith healed her.
26:37
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further by over you? But overhearing what they said, jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue do not fear, only believe. And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and Jesus saw commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered he said to them why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping. Now that would take faith just to believe that right there. And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. So you have to remove out all those who had no belief but laughed and mocked. He put them out, take her by the hand. He said to her. Taking her by the hand, he said to her Talitha kumi, which means little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up and began walking, for she was 12 years of age, and they were immediately overcome with amazement and he strictly charged them that no one should know this and he told them to give her something to eat.
28:06
So you see, in both of these instances now, literally, guys, I could go on and on. There are stories all over. I’m just giving you a few. We have to understand how imperative faith is. This woman with the issue of blood acted on that faith. She knew it was, she knew. She knew her faith was so strong. She said I know, if I touch them I’ll be healed. There was just no doubt in her. And when it came to this man’s daughter, he had to put everybody out who had no faith, only those who would believe, only those with real faith were allowed to come in.
28:43
So what is faith? Hebrews 111 says now, faith is the substance. So there’s something to it, even though our eyes can’t see it. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for. Don’t lose your hope.
29:00
The evidence faith is evidence of things not seen. Now, how is that possible? Faith is literally. I believe it’s there and I believe it. So I’ve taken it into my head. I have the evidence, I have the proof. It’s proof that’s hard to wrap our minds around, but if you’ve seen it and you believe it that man Jairus came to Jesus because he believed that if he comes to his daughter she’ll be made. Well, that woman believed for her daughter. She’ll be delivered if Jesus will say the word. Jesus didn’t even go and touch the daughter, jesus just spoke the word. This was the same kind of great faith that the centurion that Jesus was so amazed at had. The same kind of faith. Just say the word. These are people who understand the word of God is true, it cannot lie. They have believed it, they’ve settled it, it’s done. That’s faith, that’s evidence.
30:08
Now, if you were in Hebrews and you jump to verse six, why do we need faith? Because there are two reasons why we need faith. Number one in verse six says but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. What did we see in these people who received their healing by faith? They diligently sought the Lord. Number two Jesus gave a definitive declaration, a command, in Mark 1120, through 26. So let’s go there. Mark 1120. I know this is a lot of scripture, guys, but this is how we prove what the word says Buy more. Scripture 11, verse 20, and we’re going to read through 26. Yeah, through 26.
31:10
And they passed by in the morning they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Now, before this, they had gone this way before going somewhere else. Jesus wanted. He saw green on the tree, he was hungry. He went to the tree but there was no fruit, and there really wasn’t even supposed to be. It wasn’t the season for fruit Yet. It was deceiving. It was something that he longed for and when he went there, it didn’t have what he needed, and Jesus cursed it to its root and said it would die. It would never produce again, it would die. So now they’re on their way back from the journey they took and they come by the same tree.
31:41
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered. And Jesus answered them have faith in God. Now, that’s a command. Have faith in God. There’s no wiggle room there. There’s no. I hope you do. It’d be good for you if this is have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive If you have anything against anyone, so that your father also, who is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father, who is in heaven, forgive your trespasses.
32:56
Folks, we need to see the power of this faith. Jesus is explaining. It is necessary. Faith is necessary. Doubt must be dealt with. It has to be dealt with, even if you have to wrestle it, wrestle with it. Faith is worth it. The outcome is worth it. It’s your evidence, it’s your proof. It’s the thing you’re hoping for. We are commanded to have faith in God. This is why Jesus continually pointed out the level of faith and operation. To the problem and to the prayer or request, you are part of the answer.
33:43
So let me set the stage here for a minute, because we just saw we’re going to be back in Matthew and this will be the last passage. We read Matthew 14. And I want you to get a picture of this. So Jesus had taught the disciples. Then he goes to his hometown. He can’t do any miracles because the people not many, because the people won’t believe. Then he gets word that John the Baptist has been beheaded and Jesus wants to get away. And he decides to get away to a deserted place to be alone with the Lord, to be alone with his father. And the people get word of where he’s going and they literally Jesus is taking a boat ride to get there. And these people are so desperate, these people who want more of what Jesus has, these seekers. They actually go chasing after him and get there on foot before he gets there. I want you to picture that for a minute. Can you imagine a mob of 5,000 people, of just men, let alone women and kids, thousands of people on foot hurrying to get where Jesus is going? Oh God, that picture I don’t. You wish that for today, that we would truly have revival and that, by the thousands, people would come just to hear the word of God, just to hear Okay. So let’s pick up. That’s the backdrop. Let’s pick this up. We’ll start in verse 13.
35:33
Now, when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate 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 on them and healed their sick. This was their faith. We’ve got to get to Jesus. They went after him, they sought him out. Now, when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said this is a desolate place and the day is now over. Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves. But Jesus said they need not go away. You give them something to eat. They said to him we have only five loaves here and two fish. And he said bring them here to me. Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass and, taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the crowds and they all ate and were satisfied and they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over and those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.
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I want you to understand the miracle here, because I know we’ve heard this story so many times that we almost dismiss it and don’t understand the magnitude of what took place. But we’ve been talking about how faith is necessary and that it is actionable. Now these people all got healed. They came out to Jesus and the ones who didn’t believe and didn’t have faith and didn’t seek Him out didn’t very few received anything from Him. We went over the different scriptures to reiterate those who went after Him, those who would not relent, those who believe. They truly had faith and Jesus remarked about their faith.
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And now we see it’s time to eat. They don’t have any food and what they do have is minimal. So I want to talk to you Now listen to me. I want to talk to you. This is for you today. What miracle do you need? And whatever you have, that seems insignificant, it does not seem enough. What you’re holding seems so small, so unimportant, so unvaluable that you think that that will not do what you need it to do. Has God called you to something and you think I just don’t have. I don’t have the reach, I don’t have a platform, I don’t have the money, I don’t have the resources, I don’t have the connections. What is it that God’s calling you to? What is he asking of you?
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What we read in John versus in Mark’s account is that this fish and loaves came from a little boy. So first there was a little boy who offered up his lunch. He just offered up his lunch. It’s all he had, but he gave it all. Then you look at this in the disciples’ hands. This is all they have, and Jesus says that what they have is enough, that he would bless what they have. So there was action involved. They were told to sit down and in the other passages we see they were put into smaller groups of 50. So there was work being done. There were things they needed to do to set the stage for a miracle, and God may be asking you to do some things, to take some steps of faith, just to be ready to receive.
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It takes faith to receive. Don’t let the old knowledge step on your toes. Don’t let the old ways that you’ve been taught get in the way. Don’t let sight get in the way of faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. And so these people are sitting, they’re expecting food. They see what the disciples are handing Jesus. Jesus looks up to heaven and prays a blessing over this little bit and you think so many times. We think it was Jesus and the bread is just multiplying in his hand. That’s not what happened. He took their gift, he prayed the blessing and he broke what they had and gave it to the disciples. The miracle took place as the disciples broke what was in their hands. Each one of them had their own miracle experience going and doing what they were told to do, and God multiplied and met the need, so much so that there were 12 baskets full left over.
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Folks, I want to encourage you today. Stir up that fan, a fan, that flame, a fire, a faith within you. Today, whatever you have allowed old information, you’ve allowed unbelief to creep in. You’ve allowed the group of those who are in the room saying that’s impossible and they laugh at your faith. I’m telling you today stir it up. Faith is necessary. It’s impossible to please God without faith.
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Jesus said have faith in God. So today I’m telling you have faith, don’t give up. Keep a hold of your hope. Faith is the substance of things. Hope for. Don’t lose hope. Hang on. The answer is coming. God will be faithful to you. Seek him, do what he calls you to do, but do it by faith.
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Let me pray for you, father. We just thank you right now that you have shown us through your word that you will meet our needs according to your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. And we’ve seen how Jesus always had compassion on the people, how he wanted to meet their needs. Lord, I pray today that you meet every need of those who are watching or listening to this today, that you will give them instructions. They will know what to do. You will bless what they offer you. And, father, in the instructions you give, I pray for the grace and the strength for your people that they would act on that faith, expecting you to do what you said you do. Those people sat down in expectation. They didn’t sit down in doubt. They sat down in expectation. The disciples gave to Jesus what they had in expectation. We must expect. We must come knowing that you are the truth. So, father, give them grace today and may they accept it. May they walk by faith and not by sight today, and let them see the fruit of their faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray Amen.
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Thank you for joining me today. Do me a favor If you want to reach out to me. If you have any questions or prayer requests, send those to me by email, at mail at jamieloosecom. That’s J-A-I-M-E-L-U-C-E. I’d love to hear from you. You can visit my website. You could also get ahold of that book I mentioned On my website. You don’t need money, you just need God, and the website is jamieloosecom. Again, that’s J-A-I-M-E-L-U-C-E. Thanks for listening today. We’ll see you next time. Bye-bye.
