Citywide Baptist Church
Give them something to eat...
What have you got for those who are hungry for hope?
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
Put yourself in the disciples shoes as they looked out at a sea of faces (probably about 10,000 people or the population of Ulverstone and Jesus told them:
Let's imagine for a minute we are looking out at Tasmania where:
- 11.5 per cent, (compared to 8.8 per cent of Australians) just under 64,000 people reported to the 2021 census that they had a long-term mental health condition.
- Tasmania's median income is median weekly income is $701, compared to $805 nationally.
- 24 per cent of those asked felt lonely — up from 17 per cent in 2018.
- 45 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 years felt emotionally lonely.. without significant attachments...
- 23.6 per cent of older Tasmanians living with a profound or severe disability lived alone.
- 60 per cent of older people in Tasmania who rent are living in poverty
- 40% of Tasmanian young people aged 18-19 may have experienced violence in their relationships over the past 12 months, compared to 28.5% nationally.
- Almost almost one in twenty Tasmanian women had experienced violence in 2016.
- Tasmanians lose $300,000 a day to poker machines,
- Tasmanian hotels and clubs recorded net gambling revenue – money played minus prizes won – of $108,632,080 through electronic gaming machines in the year to June 30, 2022. About an extra $69.5 million was made – that is, lost by players – on machines at Tasmania’s two casinos,
- Glenorchy LGA alone lost $19,612,882 on poker machines, which is the equivalent of $465 for every person over 15.
and Jesus said " You give them something to eat"
- 11.5 per cent, (compared to 8.8 per cent of Australians) just under 64,000 people reported to the 2021 census that they had a long-term mental health condition.
- Tasmania's median income is median weekly income is $701, compared to $805 nationally.
- 24 per cent of those asked felt lonely — up from 17 per cent in 2018.
- 45 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 years felt emotionally lonely.. without significant attachments...
- 23.6 per cent of older Tasmanians living with a profound or severe disability lived alone.
- 60 per cent of older people in Tasmania who rent are living in poverty
- 40% of Tasmanian young people aged 18-19 may have experienced violence in their relationships over the past 12 months, compared to 28.5% nationally.
- Almost almost one in twenty Tasmanian women had experienced violence in 2016.
- Tasmanians lose $300,000 a day to poker machines,
- Tasmanian hotels and clubs recorded net gambling revenue – money played minus prizes won – of $108,632,080 through electronic gaming machines in the year to June 30, 2022. About an extra $69.5 million was made – that is, lost by players – on machines at Tasmania’s two casinos,
- Glenorchy LGA alone lost $19,612,882 on poker machines, which is the equivalent of $465 for every person over 15.
and Jesus said " You give them something to eat"
This story comes after Jesus' parables in Matthew 13, and after he told his followers:
Jesus expected his followers to be able to name God's eternal story but also his word for this moment.
Sometimes we can be so familiar with Jesus and Christianity that we miss what is happening right in front of us
Sometimes we can be so familiar with Jesus and Christianity that we miss what is happening right in front of us
Herod is the picture of the opposite of what it means to be a follower of Jesus:
- He is full of himself. He is the first Jewish person in recorded history to have a birthday party celebrating himself... it was a Greek custom.
- He is motivated by his own desires and appetites and ignores any moral boundary
- He does what he doesn't want to do because he is worried about how people see him
- He attacks anyone with the courage to disagree with him
- He sacrifices innocent people in service of his own ego.
Many of the challenges facing people in Tasmania have been caused by Herods.
- He is full of himself. He is the first Jewish person in recorded history to have a birthday party celebrating himself... it was a Greek custom.
- He is motivated by his own desires and appetites and ignores any moral boundary
- He does what he doesn't want to do because he is worried about how people see him
- He attacks anyone with the courage to disagree with him
- He sacrifices innocent people in service of his own ego.
Many of the challenges facing people in Tasmania have been caused by Herods.
Jesus' response to the crowd was compassion.
The disciples realised they didn't have what was needed to meet the needs in front of them so suggested
Can you identify with the disciples?
What if Jesus is saying there are people in front of you that need something to eat?
All the disciples can do is name what they've got... There is no point pretending you have answers that you don't.
All the disciples can do is name what they've got... There is no point pretending you have answers that you don't.
Are you willing to bring what you have to Jesus?
Breaking bread was what families did in Jewish life. Jesus was saying "All these people are part of my family."
What we have to give Tasmania is what we receive from Jesus, nothing more and nothing less... and that will be enough. (The word for "satisfied" means "full or stuffed")
What we have to give Tasmania is what we receive from Jesus, nothing more and nothing less... and that will be enough. (The word for "satisfied" means "full or stuffed")
This is the only miracle that appears in every gospel, partly because of its great symbolic significance for the early church.
In feeding people in the wilderness, Jesus is doing what Elisha did times 1000.
In feeding people in the wilderness, Jesus is doing what Elisha did times 1000.
Again, Jesus is demonstrating that "something greater than the prophets is here."
Unlike Herod we need to lift our eyes from our own needs and desires and not worry too much about what people think about us.
Like Jesus we are being invited to look to our neighbours and have "compassion on them".
Like the Disciples, we are invited to bring what we have to Jesus and take what he gives us to those who are in need.
Like Jesus we are being invited to look to our neighbours and have "compassion on them".
Like the Disciples, we are invited to bring what we have to Jesus and take what he gives us to those who are in need.
Small Group Questions:
1) Read through the statistics Matt spoke about. Which ones have you personally seen the impact of?
2) Talk about Herod's example. In what ways have people in the spirit of Herod had a negative impact in Tasmania?
3) Is there anyone in need in your circle of relationships at the moment? What do you sense Jesus is saying about that?
4) What does it mean for you to bring what you have to Jesus? Is there anything you don't want to bring to him?
5) Who do you feel Jesus has called you to "feed"?
1) Read through the statistics Matt spoke about. Which ones have you personally seen the impact of?
2) Talk about Herod's example. In what ways have people in the spirit of Herod had a negative impact in Tasmania?
3) Is there anyone in need in your circle of relationships at the moment? What do you sense Jesus is saying about that?
4) What does it mean for you to bring what you have to Jesus? Is there anything you don't want to bring to him?
5) Who do you feel Jesus has called you to "feed"?