Small Things in the hands of a Big God

Good morning everyone we are continuing this morning with the series on
spiritual gifts & today we are looking at miracles.
I wonder how many times youve come across these sorts of headlines in the
papers

FIRST SLIDE
Wonder drugs & miracle cures that offer a quick fix, people who come back from
the brink of death like Fabrice Muamba & then Steven Gerard believing in
miracles for England in Brazil next year & Villa fans might just want to take
note.
Maybe you came across the rapper Ms Dynamite in the papers a couple of days
ago speaking at a concert in memory of the murdered teenagers Charlene Ellis
and Letisha Shakespeare victims of a drive-by shooting in Birmingham 10 years
ago.
She said: It will take 'a miracle' to end the gang culture in Britain's cities and
change perceptions of the black community.
I wonder what you think when you see these sort of headlines? Do you have a
Sense of hope? Or maybe scepticism?
So I thought it might be interesting, just for a moment to hear some different
voices, different points of view on what people say about miracles. So Ive got
some quotes taken from a recent BBC blog that came out of a news story that
ran on miracles & Annie has very kindly agreed to come up & give me some help
to do that.

Few Quotes
Theres a lot of different views out there I suppose no surprises. Christians hold
different views: some believe miracles are probably best left in the bible - not
really for today & if they do happen well its only very rarely. Others build their
whole ministry around claims of miraculous healing happening all the time - &
others come up with ingenious explanations for the miracles in the bible to offer
some sort of rationale/ scientific explanation of what happened.
& many see miracles as Gods supernatural intervention into this world when all
the normal rules of science as we understand them get temporarily suspended.
Whilst others see a miracle every time the sun rises or a child is born or as they
reflect on a changed life.
Im sure there are some of you here this morning that have seen Gods
miraculous intervention in the lives of people in events & healings but I imagine
there are also folk who have prayed & not seen what they hoped for. We dont
get to decide. Christian ministry is marked by the miraculous, but its not what
shapes it.
1

NEXT SLIDE
Its interesting that the English word "miracle" doesnt actually occur in the
original text of the Bible.
The closest word and the one used in the NIV version of todays reading is the
word sign
I think this idea of miracles as signs is a really helpful one If youve ever got lost
driving through a city you dont know & youve forgotten the sat nav you know
just how important signs are & strangely enough it is usually about then that you
dont see any!
I remember one year we went to France with our caravan!!! & we had to drive
through Paris to get further south well you have to go around whats called the
periferique (like M25, but much worse) This is 6 lanes of death defying traffic In
the rush hour it is terrifying I remember beads of sweat running down my brow
as I narrowly avoided trucks just cutting in front of me & Im desperately looking
for a sign & you dont get much of a warning on the periferique SIGN TURN &
likely giving Lisa some real grief over why she didnt tell me to go right & pull off
at the last junction & then miraculously the big blue sign comes into focus A6
A20 Chartres! YES its all going to be OK!
Signs are not an end in themselves they dont point to themselves. Theyre there
to help lead us somewhere new.
If you read through the different accounts of the miracles Jesus performed in the
Gospels & there are around 40 that actually get recorded, although we know that
many more happened - you get this sense of Jesus as a reluctant Miracle
worker Which maybe sounds odd. But Jesus always seemed to resist
performing miracles on demand. He refused to prove himself whether it was
being tempted in the wilderness or before Herod he chooses NOT to display or
use his power.

(CLICK MOUSE)

In Matthew chapter 12 v 39 & Matthew 16 verse 4 Jesus really lays into those
who ask for miraculous signs He calls them a wicked & adulterous generation
its pretty stern stuff.
You see I think Jesus knows that ultimately miracles dont lead to an enduring
faith; rather they came out of faith.
I think Jesus was looking for disciples not curiosity seekers - He wants people
who are willing to take his love, his mercy, compassion & power into all sorts of
situations and places & that means sacrifice not just quick fixes.
The miracles were a sign to those around him & those that would follow him
that this is what a healed creation looks like. This is what Gods kingdom on earth
will be like. So the miracles point to a future restoration, a sneek preview if you
like of the reign to come. But in a wonderful way they are also rooted in the
2

realities of the here & now. Because it is out of Jesuss compassion and
generosity for those around him that he does this.

NEXT SLIDE
The reading this morning is from Johns account of the feeding of the 5 thousand,
but it appears in slightly different forms in all 4 of the gospels which would
suggest its significant.
Some writers have argued that what probably happened was that as Jesus & the
disciples shared what little food they had, then others seeing their generosity
were inspired to whip out whatever they had and share it with those around
them. But do you know for me that kind of robs this event of its significance &
clearly its not what the text actually says.
Others have commented on how this sign reveals Jesus as a new Moses like
Moses providing Mana from heaven & later on in chapter 6 the crowds chase
Jesus across the lake & want to see more miracles, but Jesus knows that wont
sustain them So he uses the miracle to point or reveal himself as the bread of
life enduring life. Within the Orthodox tradition it is generally understood that
this miracle was as a sign/ or a symbol of the Eucharist as Jesus breaks the
bread - & loaves & fishes appear in a lot of 2nd century Christian artwork.
& So in this account in John; Jesus turns to Philip & says where shall we buy
bread for these people to eat?
They are on the far side of the lake down from the town of Bethsaida its the
town that Philip was from & so he knew this was impossible! & if I had been
Philip I think I would have said the same Jesus I cant do this faced with these
sort of situations in life it is so easy to concentrate on what we dont have
instead of on what we do.
So then Andrew pipes up with what seems like a feeble suggestion - theres a
boy here whos got 5 loaves & 2 fishes is that any good?
Its funny that how God often chooses the smallest and weakest to
demonstrate His love and his power.
& I love the way Jesus brings them in to be part of the miracle you can almost
hear the boy: I havent got much, but what I have got you can gladly have. Jesus
draws them into the miracle:

NEXT SLIDE
You know when we put small things in the hands of a big God
miraculous things can happen.
I wonder if there might just be a message in there for us That God might take
the little we have the gifts he has already given us & make them into something
so much more.
Small things in the hands of a big God
3

Maybe God has given you the gift of miracles, but you dont even know it yet? Or
maybe its a gift of wisdom or service, or healing, or administration or pastoral
care or something else.
Maybe you know what gifts God has given you to share in the life of the church
or maybe you dont or maybe your just beginning to find out & just because you
are serving in a particular way now, dont think that God hasnt got plans to
prosper you & the body here - to help you grow into new gifts & ministry.
We start with small things & we lovingly put them in the hands of our big God so
that we might be a blessing to others as we grow up together in our church
family.
For me its a bit like starting to play music I remember when Josh was learning
to play drums me & Lisa were really pleased that he could be in a room as
far away as possible on the other side of the house!
You see when we start out it doesnt always sound too good & you know you
need a lot of encouragement:
DRUMS: Poorly played!
But with practice things get better
DRUMS: Steady beat/ Pattern
& with enough practice it can get really good
DRUMS: Slick drum solo
But who want to just listen to drums Eh?
GUITAR: Joins in with Drums
God wants us to come & play in the band & practice together - to be willing to
share our gifts - thats how you get to be really good playing along with others.
GUITAR & DRUMS TOGETHER
That just sounds so much better!
& when people start to see that & hear the music they want to come & join in &
you cant really stop them.
BASS JOINS IN KEYBOARD JOINS IN. short jam session.

FINAL SLIDE
God is calling us to come & join in the song It is a song that is playing all
around us. Maybe youve been playing for a while; maybe youre still trying to
figure out what your instrument in the band is. Maybe youre still tuning it up,
but at some point you have to jump in & just start playing.

My prayer is that we would learn, patiently & with understanding for one other to
play a song that is heard well beyond these four walls.
That we would be willing to put what little we have the gifts we have been given
into the hands of our big God & see what happens.