He knows what He’s doing!

John 6:6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

I find great comfort in the knowledge that I serve a God who always knows what He’s doing! Don’t ever imagine that your problems have taken God by surprise, for while they may well take you by surprise, God knew about every one of your problems long before you knew about them, for our God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending. God wrote the story of your life and mine from the ending, and then took us back to the beginning and placed us in our Mothers womb, so that we would be born to live out every one of those written days.

Listen to what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 139:v16 “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them“.

God wrote about you long before there was you!

My sermon today entitled “He knows what He’s doing”

is about the comfort we can all have in Gods fore-knowledge, in His Omniscience regarding our times and our trials. Sometimes we see our problems as overwhelming, there seems no way out, and no way forward, but as I’ve been teaching you recently,

it could be that in such circumstances God is simply putting us through a test, in order to help us to graduate to the next level –

a higher level and a higher life.

Turn with me if you will again to the Gospel of John and in the Sixth Chapter to that familiar story of the feeding of the 5000.

This is a miracle that stands apart from all the rest that John records previously. Before we consider this miracle in detail, let us reflect on a miracle which John records for us earlier in Chapter 2, when Jesus attends a Wedding with his Mother in Cana of Galilee. In that story the Wedding Wine supply had almost been exhausted and it looked like the Host would face major embarrassment. Jesus’ Mother informs her son of the problem, not knowing that he already had a plan. Although he reminded her that “his time had not yet come” v 4, nevertheless he stepped up to the challenge and gave them the miracle, turning gallons of water into an even better Wine. This in fact was the very first supernatural miraculous thing that Jesus had done.

Then John tells us in Chapter 4 that Jesus meets a Woman at the well of Sychar, and it appears that He waited there purposely because he had a plan and a miracle for her too. It soon became clear when she eventually showed up that this woman had many problems. She had already been married five times and the man with whom she was now living was not her husband. She had shown up at the well in the heat of the afternoon sun, to avoid the gossiping tongues of the others who normally drew their water in the early mornings. This woman was evidently not a popular figure and even the disciples wondered why Jesus was associating with her? v27. Yet Jesus pushed aside her problems for his plan and purpose. She received her miracle and became pivotal in the saving of that whole region of Samaria.

Then John shows us in Chapter 5 He heals a man at the pool of Bethesda who had lain there for 38 years apparently unable and maybe unwilling to get to those healing waters. Yet once again Jesus has compassion on him and grants him the miracle that he needs. For all who have the faith to believe for it, God has the miracle you need right now. But first you must transfer the focus of your life from those problems and pains to the one who has already paid for your miracle. When Jesus died on Calvary, HE paid for your sins and your sorrows and your sicknesses, and he paid a high price, so why don’t you let go today and hand over to him the things for which he has already paid.

If you continue to “own” your sins, “own” your sickness, or “own” your sorrows God cannot deal with them. They are not legally His until you hand them over, – surrender them to him. As long as you continue to call them “mine” his hands are tied.

This miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 will help to illustrate the point I am making. So now in Chapter 6, Jesus is about to minister (not to one or two this time) but to thousands? Chapter 6 v10 tells us that there were 5000 men, but this does not include the women or the children, and if we assume that most men had one wife and one child – already we have a figure of 15,000. Without doubt a great miracle was needed for a great multitude.

This is what we read at verse 5 … “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw the great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

v6 And this he said to prove him:

for (Jesus) himself knew what he would do“.

Here is the message at the Heart of my Sermon today, for God always knows what He is going to do; and he said this, or asked this question to test Philip … it was a test! Have you ever been in a place where you just did not know what to do?

If so, God may have taken you there to TEST you?

God may have allowed your circumstances to bring you to just such a place, in order to see if your “faith” is just “all talk” or

if it is “real”? You see, I cannot just appear before this radio microphone week by week and preach AT you. I cannot tell you what God expects of you, unless first God has proved me and received the same from me. Otherwise I would be a hypocrite,

or like a play actor. What I share with you today, as on most Sundays, I do from “bitter” experience. I use the word bitter, for most of the time, the journey to prove ones faith is far from pleasant, instead it is an uphill struggle, a painful struggle

and often a lonely struggle.

In Gods School-room the lessons are never easy to grasp, and sometimes when you have passed one test, there is an even bigger one next. I don’t know what lies around the corner, the only thing I do know is that God is there and that His grace

will be sufficient and His strength made perfect in my human weaknesses, … so I must rely on Him.

Jesus had created a problem for Philip and for the rest of the Disciples, by suggesting that they feed the people there instead of sending them home. Of course the easy option would have been to send them home; But these people had come out, followed Jesus there in order to listen to him and to see proof of his power. Remember that this was a most important opportunity for Jesus and if he pulled this off, His fame, His message and the purpose for his ministry would spread far and wide. His miracles to one or two may be shared with one or two, but if in these circumstances, there is a miracle to thousands, then it will be shared with thousands. It was a massive opportunity and a brilliant ministry platform.

Yet don’t forget that while it all was a big problem for the

disciples, Jesus himself Knew what he was going to do.

God, His Father was not pacing back and forward in heaven wondering what Jesus was up to? God did not need to ask the Angels Michael or Gabriel for help in solving this problem,

for in Gods eyes, the problem had already been solved,

… it was only a test. If we can focus on the fact that many of our problems are Gods way of proving us, testing us, then secure in the understanding of a happy outcome, for

“all things work together for good to them that love God” Romans 8:28 we will grieve less and grow more.

This does not mean that all things are good, but they will work together for good to those who love the Lord Jesus. Even the most awful and tragic of circumstances can be turned for our eventual good and our great blessing when we trust God.

Every one of his actions and every one of his permits are

written by the pen of love…. for God is Love.

It was calculated that 200 penny-worth of bread (that’s about a years wages in those days) would be the cost of such a massive outdoor “picnic” … and there wasn’t a year to wait, these people were fainting with hunger and in need of immediate sustenance. So Jesus (knowing what he was going to do) commanded that they be all seated on the grass in groups of 50. Imagine 15 thousand people being organized into groups of 50, that itself is something of a miracle. But the real miracle of the day rested in one who was not even counted? The answer to the dilemma of that hour lay in the hands of a small boy. God may well have your miracle in the hands of the least expected person, one who you wouldn’t even count, one who you wouldn’t even consider, because remember God always Knows what He is doing.

I firmly believe that in the times of crisis that lie ahead for our shaking world, God has already put the answer in the hands of those who you would least expect. Your help will often lie in the care of those who you would never have thought of … mark my words. So as I’ve said the miracle, lay in the hands of this little boy, but would he let go what was rightly his? Remember God cannot make us the miracle until we have let go of the means. If that boy whose packed lunch of 5 little loaves, (about the size of a scone) and two small fish was not willing to surrender what was HIS, then no-one will get the miracle they needed.

But God can change a boys heart and a boys thinking and God can get a boy to overlook the pangs of hunger and the need of a sandwich, because He is God. Does God find in your heart today a willingness to give from your little and from your need into something that is greater than your need? Even in your problems, pressures and pains, can you take time for someone

in greater pain and greater need? That’s the lesson that this little boy teaches us.

Then Andrew, Simon Peters brother asks, “what is this little lunch amongst so many?” Have you ever looked at your supply and found that it doesn’t match your need? Because it seems to me that Jesus never saw the quantity only the quality of the gift and the giver. And in spite of the fact that this was just a “lunch for one” he lifted it up to heaven, to God his Father, and said “thanks!” Many of us never receive from God, because we forget to thank Him for the little things that make a difference in our lives. If you are not being thankful for the little, then you will never get the lot.

Now Jesus begins to break from those loaves and fish and gives

to the disciples who do likewise, and before long, all are eating, yes ALL 15,000 plus are eating and not only eating, but eating to their fill, so that 12 baskets full of leftover’s remain. Jesus knew what he was doing, and he knows what he is doing in your life and mine. In was not in the thanking that the miracle happened, even though that was very important, – but it was in the breaking that the miracle came. If God cannot break you, he cannot make you; he had to break the bread to make the bread.

There may be times of testing, times of hunger, lean times, times of sacrifice, times of sorrow, even times of loss. But remember that the little boy who lost his lunch for Jesus sake, will I believe be one of “Heavens Hero’s” for all eternity. Was it worth the loss, yes it was. There was a Fortune in the Fragments;

A Story in the Supply, God knows what he is doing.

Turn over now if you will to Johns Gospel to the 11th Chapter at verse 1. Here the Friend of Jesus, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha was sick and dying and his Sisters sent word immediately to Jesus to ask for his help. Verse 6 tells us that Jesus remained in that place for two more days. One would have expected that he would have left there and gone immediately to help his friend, and some might argue that this attitude portrayed a lack of care? However, it’s not the Truth! Jesus knew what he would do!

Verse 17, reveals that by the time Jesus arrived, it was now four days and already decomposition would have set in, and the body, (according to his sister Martha) was already stinking? v39.

Have you ever found yourself in the place where you got beyond your cares and into crisis? Where you were not at the “edge” of the cliff any longer, but were already “falling” over and in desperate need of God? It’s one thing to imagine the house

falling in around you, but quite another thing to sit in the middle of its rubble and ruin? If this is where you are, then remember its all a TEST. God is proving your “metal” and making you stronger. I know for I’ve been there – and in my despair I discovered that God had a rescue plan all along, and it didn’t come from any expected source, in fact it came in the most unexpected, unimagined, unthinkable and unnatural (supernatural) way. God had to prove to me that HE was GOD, and the HE can be trusted – at all times.

Verse 35 (The shortest verse in the Bible) tells us that “Jesus wept”. Those who don’t know God think that Jesus was weeping for the same reason that Mary & Martha were weeping, but if I am about to raise a friend from the dead, do you think I would be crying about it? I have thought long about this one, and I believe Jesus wept for joy, knowing that in a short while he would defeat Death for ever. Hebrews 12:2 tells us ” who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” Jesus knew what He was going to do to DEATH, he was about to defeat its power and pain for ever. Jesus always knows the end of the story. John 11:43 tells us that he called Lazarus from that Grave and ordered those standing by to “loose him and set him free.” The life giving power belongs to God, but he has called his sons and daughters to set the world free. You can never free up others, until you are free yourself. God has had to free me, before I could free you, and you have to be free before you can free another … He knows what He’s doing.

As I bring this message to a conclusion, let me show you what I believe the Lord is doing in your life and mine, and why I have put these thoughts together for you. Most of us in times of crisis will ask “What are you doing with me Lord?” unsure of the outcome and uncertain of the future.

Many of us have grown up with the mentality of “pleasing others” even within the Church. Our Parents may well have said things like “the teacher will be pleased” or “the vicar will be pleased” of even “Jesus will be pleased”. Such comments were of course well meaning and prompted us to be on our best behaviour. Yet most of us discovered that “people pleasing” was rarely successful, (because pleasing one meant disappointing another) and pleasing God was really impossible. So we grew up striving after impossibilities and falling short of expectations.

for “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.

But, undaunted we struggled on as most in the Church are doing, even as I speak. Pleasing people usually results in compromise of one form or another. I refuse to compromise on the Word of God, to please any tradition. I refuse to allow anyone or anything to make me doubt God to please men, that is carnality – living in the flesh. It is the theology of “Self effort” and God has already made provision so that we don’t need to rely on SELF any longer, instead we need to rely on JESUS. God has offered us a “Righteousness” not our own, but Jesus’ and told us that if we accept that, then we automatically become “pleasing” to Him. So what God is doing in most of his children is “stripping them of self” and clothing them in Jesus.

If you can understand this, then you will have it made.

Many within the Church will talk about Righteousness and Holiness but confuse the two and walk in neither? You CANNOT walk in Holiness, until you have received that Righteous nature which is Jesus’. Holiness without

Righteousness is mere self effort – and it cuts no ice with God.

Paul says in Romans 10:v3 “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”.

But once you can see yourself as the “righteousness of God in Christ” then and only then can you begin to function as God intends you should. Then you can see answered prayer, the miraculous life and then you can truly “walk on the waters” of impossibilities. You will no longer be thinking or worrying about what “people think” or about “pleasing people” you will be walking with God and pleasing God.

NOW THIS FINAL WORD.

Let me share with you one of my secrets: I have discovered that if I am to walk with God in fellowship and in favour with him, I dare not bring up or rehearse my past failings or my past sins.

God does not remember them, so I cannot walk with

them in my heart and Him in my heart.

I’m not what I used to be “if any man is in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have become new”

I must make the choice, do I walk in blessed union and communion with Him, or do I walk in fear and failing with past memories. The choice is mine, and the choice is yours. What God knows he is doing, in your life, is to get you to walk with Him, and him only.

God Bless you.

Amen