06/04/2023 Church service

周日礼拜

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 See What GOD Can Do
Matt 14:13-21
John Wesley would often ask his circuit-riding clergy - “How is it with your soul?”

“How is it with your soul?,” is actually a modern paraphrase of the original question, “How does your soul prosper?”

3 John 2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

So there is an outward correlation between the state of our soul and the state of our well-being.

Three times in the New Testament (original verse comes from Habakkuk 2:4) it says, “The just shall live (walk) by faith.”

Walking by faith is only really tested when you see the resources you need are not physically in front of you – or on the doctor’s report – or maybe the bank statement.

That’s when prayers and appropriate, reciprocal actions need to be properly applied.

The righteous and just are to walk by faith and trust that all will be well in the Lord. When life is challenging, it can be much more difficult to live by faith.
But trusting in our sovereign God is exactly what we must do.

Philippians 6-7: Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.

With prayer and thanksgiving…

Friday morning I was driving to work with the weight of many situations upon me.

Challenges with no simple answers.

We all know how it feels sometimes when it seems like everything hits us at once.

I am thankful that I do feed my soul daily, and my struggle was answered from within me, reminding me that God is indeed my true source and supply for every situation.

These words spoke to me that morning, even as I drove down the road…

“SEE What GOD Can DO.”
God wants you to trust that He will take care of you!
Trust that the Lord is able and willing to meet all of your needs.

In our Gospel story today, Jesus was presented a great challenge by his disciples as they struggled for a solution.

There were thousands of people gathered in a remote area, and the disciples felt they needed to all go home, because there was nothing to feed them there in that area.
(can you imagine a long trip in 2023 without a drive-thru nearby?)

Matt 14:15-21 (read again)

My purpose today is to present to you a simple but focused approach to handling situations that can only be dealt with by faith in a God Who is bigger than all of our circumstances

Here are the steps:

• Assess the Need
• Appreciate the Blessings
• Access the Source
• Accept

• Assess the Need
Being realistic doesn’t mean being negative or doubtful
Start by assessing what the situation is – and what your current resources are
“What do you have?”

Jesus asked them (Mark 6:38,) “How much bread do you have? Go and see.”
The disciples: “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish”
Jesus: “Bring them here to me”

Exodus 4:2: “ …the LORD asked him (Moses,) “What is that in your hand?”
“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.

“What do you have in your hand?”

If our soul is in a drought, we may see what we have is not enough, and we are in a dire situation.

12 Steps: “We admitted we were powerless over our situation…”
The KEY here is, “We admitted we were powerless…”

What are you telling your soul about your current challenge?
What WORDS are you investing in this situation?

Numbers 13:30: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”
MSG: “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.”

How are you applying your faith

“If you want to change the outcome, you have to change the investment”

Do you have a posture of faith and expectation?
Mark 6: “Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.”
• Appreciate the Blessings
Matt 14:19: Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Offer what we have to God (with thanksgiving) and put it in His hands. #perspective
Think about Jesus breaking the bread – here to feed the five thousand, at the Last Supper, and after His resurrection with His followers at Emmaus.
The revelation of Who Jesus is, through the breaking of the bread
Jesus as our Savior – Provider – Jesus was God in human flesh!
Col 1:19: God was pleased that all His fullness should forever dwell in the Son

• Access the Source
“looking up to heaven, He gave thanks”
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”
We say: “Here’s what You have placed in our hands, Father. Bless it and multiply it for Your use and Your glory.”


• Accept

We open our hearts to receive
“ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”
The breaking of the bread is an outward sign of a New Covenant prepared for us
1 John 5:14-15: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
vs 15 AMP: And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
Jesus’ purpose must now become our purpose – our Magnificent Obsession.

Not based on feelings or our own worthiness, but through faith.
“Keep on seeking, and you will find.” (you will find your Magnificient Obession)
When we are seeking God, we do it through the completed work of the cross.

Jesus paid the price for us to come directly to God.
To be cleansed of all unrighteousness. To be healed.
To have all our needs met through His riches in glory.
The substitutionary death of Jesus gives us full access
2 Cor 8:9 - You know the grace that has come to us through our Lord Jesus the Anointed. He set aside His infinite riches and was born into the lowest circumstance so that you may gain great riches through His humble poverty.
KJV: He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.
Do you believe?
Heb 11:6 - It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

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