The cost of feeding, following and fleeing

John chapter 6 and verse number 1. After these things, now I take this to be a period of likely maybe up to five years between chapter 5 and chapter 6, but after these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles or the signs which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus went up into the mountain and there he sat with his disciples on the Passover. A feast of the Jews was nigh.

When Jesus lifted up his eyes he saw a great company come unto him and he saith unto Philip, whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? Now notice the Savior says, buy bread that these may eat. This he said to prove him for himself knew what he would do. Philip answered, two hundred penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little.

One of his disciples Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, there's a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes but that but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the in the place so the men sat down in number about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the disciples and the disciples to them that were set down.

Now it's important I think to notice that the Lord Jesus was involved in the distribution as well as the disciples. And likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled he said unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost.

Therefore they gathered them together and filled tall baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men which they had seen the miracle that Jesus did said, this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. Likely referring back to the words of Moses earlier back in the Old Testament.

Now just for the sake of time please come over to verse number 26. Jesus answered them and said, verily verily I say unto you, you seek me not because you saw the miracles but because you did eat, you did eat of the loaves and were filled. They were not for meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.

Which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him that God the Father hath sealed. Verse 29, Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the word that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. And now he goes back and refers to the Old Testament.

Verse 31, our fathers did eat manna in the desert as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus saith unto them, verily verily I said to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. Now over please just a little further. We have the murmuring in that of course in verses 41 to 43.

Verse number 51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat. Now that's singular. That's a once for all act.

That's Ephesians 2 and 8 if you like. For by grace are ye saved. If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever.

The bread that I will give is my flesh which I give for the life of the world. Verse 53, Jesus saith unto them, verily verily I said to you, except ye eat again what's for all the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day.

For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. Verse 56, he that eateth, that's in the continuous tense. In other words that's our daily living by the Son of God as the Apostle could say who loved me and gave himself for me.

Verse 56, he that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood and dwelt me and I in him and so on. Verse 64, but there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believe not and who should betray him.

Then and he said therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except that were given unto him of my father. From that time many of the disciples went back and walked no more with him. Jesus said unto the twelve, will you go away? And Simon answered him and said, Lord to whom shall we go for thou hast the words of eternal life.

It would it's always helpful of course to read and in your own private reading I'm sure you do you read the whole chapter because you're really kind of it's a little disjointed when you're breaking it up like that but simply for the sake of time I've just picked out salient verses that I had before me this afternoon. I think most are aware of the fact that this particular miracle this sign is the only one recorded in all four Gospels. Okay, the feeding of the five thousand.

It's likely two and a half years into his public ministry likely close to a year maybe before Calvary and it likely took place in what we would know I think was referred to yesterday as the Golan Heights. Where this scene with these five thousand being fed where it actually took place. John is a man that's interested in the Passover and there's three Passovers that he mentions.

Chapter 2 verse number 6 and then in chapter 2 rather chapter 6 and chapter 11 the Passover. But it is significant when we think of the Passover the first Passover. God's people are feeding on the Lamb.

At the time of this Passover the Lamb is feeding the people. There's quite a reverse to that but only John will tell me and tell you the names as they're given here. Andrew, Philip and the lad.

John is the gospel writer who is big on names. If you go through it you'll notice that other gospel writers will not mention. John will pick up the name of the particular individual.

He was big on names. The only name he wasn't big on was his own. Sometimes it's the reverse that is true of ours.

However chapter 14 if we went back to Matthew it says this that they that had eaten were about 5,000 besides women and children. I think it is significant to notice brethren and sisters there was one diet for all. There wasn't a particular diet here for the older people and these people.

There was one diet for all. More than that. If I go back to Matthew's gospel it is the men women and children eating together.

There was no youth conference down the road. They were gathered and they were eating together the young with the old. There's nothing more delightful at any time to see God's people gathered in conference capacity or otherwise.

And you see the young and the old together and they're enjoying each other. Okay. They're not separated out.

That's what breaks us down. So we find that they are definitely brought together. It's interesting that the manna would sustain them for 40 years.

What they had to understand it was Moses maybe that distributed if you like the manna too. But God gave them the manna. God gave Moses that spiritual food that was from heaven.

And we see that of course as we come here. But more than that. Here they are.

And you've got a lad. I think of it this way. In the Old Testament you have a little lass.

Naaman's maid that told all that she knew. In the New Testament you've got a little lad because that's the word that is used here. Just a little lad and he gave all that he had.

Sometimes it doesn't take long to tell all that we know. And sometimes it takes less than to give all that we have. But you put those two together and I think there's a very interesting picture.

He blessed. He break. That was once for all act.

Okay. And I'm referring of course back to the Matthew passage. But it says he gave.

And that is in the continuous tense. Because he continues to give today. Now I haven't given it just a little summary of just the scene that is given to us in John's Gospel.

I want to think of three things this afternoon. First of all I want to think of the cost of feeding. Even the Lord Jesus said and by there is a cost to feeding.

We'll come back to that. There is a cost of following. If you're gonna follow the Lord it cost brethren and sisters.

There is a cost of feeding. There's a cost of following. You know something else before the chapter ends.

There's a cost of fleeing. There are those that weren't gonna follow him anymore. This is too much.

They just couldn't believe it. And from that time many of the disciples went back and they followed him no more. However having said that feeding can be something that's very very delightful obviously by the size.

Feeding can be very very delightful. But you know something. So can following.

It's not a irksome or something that you endure. But the truth of following can be something that's very enjoyable. It's when I get out of the path.

When I'm no longer following that the difficulties come and the problems begin and they set in. But more than that there's a cost of fleeing too. I'm gonna touch on what I have termed superficial discipleship.

Okay. As long as they were being fed. Listen to what he says.

He says you believe not of the miracles but you did eat because you did eat. Okay. There was a superficial discipleship that is amongst us today.

It's just nothing of depth. And we need something in our feeding that will produce or anchor us to a depth in our Christian experience. Okay.

God does not measure a man by his height, Saul. But by his depth, David. Let's go more and we'll just go over these very quickly and leave time as I can.

The feeding I say is always at a cost. Okay. Naturally speaking we know that.

Groceries likely have never been higher at least in our country. It's always a little less over here but then our dollar isn't worth what your dollar is. But feeding is at a cost.

Let's understand brothers and sisters. It's going to become very evident in the assembly whether it is in my worship, whatever it is, whether I have been feeding or not. It's going to cost you time brother.

Is it clear? There's likely umpteen things that you are going to do but in the place of that you have made a determined choice to feed your soul. Now I know feeding can, for an assembly putting on a conference, feeding can get a little thin conference weekend. I realize that.

I'm not going to get up here and ask you where did you eat this morning. I wasn't down here at the kitchen working away early like you were. But let me ask you.

Just in the last week where have you been feeding? Now what pasture have you been running through? Where have you been feeding? In the last month where have you been feeding? What have you taken into your own soul that you've enjoyed? Because feeding is enjoyable. They'll pardon me. The man that I'm traveling with and the people I'm staying with, if we compared the diets and unhealthy foods that I bring and stash into their fridge, by all statistics I should be dead.

I shouldn't be standing here. I just had a medical at the doctor the other day. I'm not saying this boastfully brother.

I can drop this afternoon. I mean that. She was at a medical.

I was telling them in the house. So the doctor put the pressure cuff on and I said what's the numbers? I said my wife's a nurse. She'll want to know.

He rolled his eyes thought oh he's 120 over 60. I can't believe it. So I said well sounds good enough to me.

What is your spiritually? Okay what's the high numbers in your experience? What are the low numbers? Feeding. I say feeding comes at a cost to come to this conference. There's a cost.

Sure there is. I'm not talking just about the petrol isn't the gas that's in your tank or or other things. There's a cost that's involved.

Saturday there's other things you could do. Jobs you could take on. I know brethren that will unfortunately sadly by choice take the job on the weekend because the pay is bigger.

And other brothers say no. I'm going to the lacrosse conference. Sorry there's no price here that's going to buy me like it did Samson.

Feeding is at a cost he said because he says this when shall we buy bread? He's asking that to Philip. Philip verse from Bethsaida. Philip knew where bread could be bought.

Okay if that was the case. But that wasn't going to happen because the Lord knew what he was going to do. Okay spiritual food I'll say it slow that'll be a change for me won't it? Spiritual food cannot be bought with the currency of earth.

Okay. But it's pricely. It's costly.

I can prove that to you from the Word of God if you like. For example you know we think in Acts chapter 8 remember the layman? Peter says silver and gold have I none. Listen Mr. layman no amount of currency is going to put you on your feet.

And no amount of currency put spiritual life into these ankle bones of ours. Nothing but the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sin. And the enjoyment of salvation.

Divine birth. Regenerate. Born again.

Evidence of life. So Mr. blind man the currency of earth isn't going to do it. But the Lord goes further than that.

Remember Acts chapter 8? There's a man there by the name of Simon it takes a Peter to sort the man out. And that man is Peter says under that man thy money perish with thee because thou thoughtest that thou that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Can't do it.

But feeding is still costly. You remember that we come to Isaiah chapter 55? What does the prophet say? He that hath no money. Come and buy.

How do you buy without money? It's charged to somebody else's account. Somebody else pays for it. Somebody else has paid the price.

Yea come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend for that which is not bread? Again Revelation chapter 3 verse number 8. Remember he writes to that church and he says this. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in a fire.

The costliness of feeding. Costliness of feeding at this conference. For you to be spiritual fed if you want to go in the currency of earth I would just guess that most of our platforms run a cost of about close to $1,500 an hour.

If it's in your own hall and all you're not hiring people that sort it could be a lot more than that. I'm going by figures that likely I'm thinking about down east and that's about well I know one of our conferences they announced what the conference called it that was good. Good for them.

They weren't begging for help or money but the conference cost $21,000. They're 16 in fellowship. So if you want to be a Philip and do your bean counting go ahead.

Doesn't make sense doesn't it? Does it? When 350 people are brought together and they're fed they're thrilled. No currency of earth matters. They got something for their soul and that's what we want for the saints of God to get here today.

It's something for your soul. Not from Murray McCandless but from God. From the one that still gives eternal life.

Gives bread continuously okay. We partook once salvation's day but he continues to feed us as his people. I like the picture you've got with Ruth.

All that time she will spend in the field but look what she gets at the floor and then what she gets at his feet. But if she hadn't learned how costly it was to get one ephah in the field she would never have appreciated six measures given to her at his feet. In other words if I haven't to put it simple as I can okay.

I've been reading my Bible and enjoying anything from the Word of God this will likely be the most boring two hours in your afternoon experience. Right? If you've been feeding them on farming or flying and that sort of thing I started to tell stories about either one. Not that I know much about either.

It could become very interesting. That's not what we're here for. So there was a cost that was associated with it okay.

So when it comes to this scene there's three things that are being factored in. And these three things go today. First of all there was feelings.

You ever hear brothers well you know I feel this and I feel that. I feel the other thing. Oh really.

Your feelings. What do they count? Come to Philip and Andrew it's figures. You know he doesn't have one of those calculator on his iPhone.

He's just calculating things up and he said hey we're not gonna make it. We're not gonna make it. Brethren and sisters when it comes to the calculations of earth none of us should be here.

You wouldn't make it. You see there was one of two things they could look at. I will slow this up.

They can look at the situation or look at the Savior. Assembly difficulties brethren don't run away from them. Don't blindside them.

Don't pretend they're not there. But don't spend all your time looking at the situation. Look at the one who could meet the need of that situation.

That is the lesson as far as I'm concerned that John is emphasizing in his gospel here in chapter 6. Okay. So are his feelings. The figures.

The other is faith. Okay. Faith.

I love people like that are just like that. And you know it is those that have the least that the most that know the most about living by faith. Yeah.

They have the least. It never bothers them. Oh the Lord will meet the need.

I think if people can give you all kinds of examples I'm sure others have experienced it even in a greater sense than I have. But if I will spend my time doing the math, counting, bean counters, figuring the thing out, adding this up and adding that out. Now I'm not saying that in our life as stewards we shouldn't be careful and we shouldn't be watchful.

But when it comes to the ability of the Son of God himself present, the Savior, to feed my... He's the one that feeds me. Okay. He's the one that feeds you when you're in that room by yourself and you're reading and you're enjoying something.

He's feeding you. He's the shepherd that feeds. You see the shepherds, if you like, the shepherd figure comes through here with the Lord Jesus right here in this passage.

Okay. Philip who has been with Jesus since the beginning of his public ministry never considers turning to the Master for the answer. Philip, wait a minute.

Come on. You've been here. You would think he would be the first one that would turn to him.

But he doesn't. He doesn't. Isn't that so much like us? Sometimes when we think that we have the spiritual grip on things, we can't look at the one who meets the deed.

But let me tell you something I love. I've enjoyed this. It's fed my soul.

You know how the Savior comes through? I know he comes through miraculous. I know it's a sign. But he comes through as the shepherd.

How do you know he's coming through as the shepherd? We're talking about sheep in this passage. Yes we are. You say, how do you know that? Well just follow carefully.

Mark will tell us that he makes them to sit down on the green grass. Psalm 22. Okay.

Go back to Psalm chapter 22. He maketh me to lie down, said the psalmist David, in the green pastures, and the word there is grass. So it's the same scene.

It's the shepherd. As the shepherd he is going to meet the need of these people. Okay.

They would look at the situation and the supply. And this lad here. And he is not named.

I'm sure if John told us his name he would have. Just a lad. Just a little lad.

Seemingly so insignificant. But look at what he can do. Why haven't we seen that at times? Some that get saved and they start off pretty weak and pretty small.

But boy and a while, in time, as they've honored God and they've developed and attending the Bible readings and the assembly, the local church, that tilled field, there's growth, there's development. And though it may be very small, they've got something that they can feed. I've witnessed it myself.

A brother getting up. I thought, ooh, Amos chapter 3 verse 3. How could two walk together except they be agreed? It was the best message I've ever heard in my life. He had obviously been feeding.

Now have you? It would become evident up here if I've been feeding. It would become evident with any speaker if we really have been feeding. And that was the test that was here, okay? So Philip can't answer the question.

He's like the man at the pool in Bethesda when the Lord said, Will thou be made whole? We wait till this day. No answer. Or to Adam.

Where art thou? We still wait for the answer. Because Philip couldn't answer this. He's stumbling upon what is obvious.

And that is the one, like I say, he's busy computing the 200 denarius. Can't meet it. Can't do it.

We can't. This won't work. Send them home.

Send them out of here. These were not easy days for the Lord Jesus. If you read the gospels, you'll find that John had just been beheaded.

I think that's why he wanted to resort to prayer up on that mountain. Just to get away from the scene. Now when he sent them away, and they're going away are two different things, okay? The thought of him sending them away, he's just, if you like, excusing himself from the company.

He's not driving them away, okay? Because when you come to, just figure which gospel it is now, and they that were with them in the feeding, they're still there. But now he has come back. And so there's a cost to feeding.

So brethren and sisters, we're going to go from this conference. There's a cost to feeding. There's been a cost to being here.

I trust you've been fed. Go home. Pay the cost.

Whatever it might be, brother, sister. In a busy schedule of life. If you're going to be fed, there's going to be a cost associated with it.

There's no shortcuts. It's not going to come cheap. Following is at a cost, okay? You know, when you look at it, it's interesting.

You think, boy, wouldn't this convince them? Wouldn't this sign do it? Now I want to introduce you to what I call superficial discipleship. From the outward, it looks good. But here were people, and all they were interested in was what they could get out of it.

You know what they're getting out of it for right now? The social part. A number of years ago now, a brother showed up at one of our conferences, and not a brother that usually attends conferences. Truthfully, it was not our conference at home in Sussex.

It was another conference, and I was glad to see him, and I call him by name, so I'm glad to see, yes, I'm here with the girls, you know? I said, well, good. Glad they could come. And I didn't ask him anymore.

He says, well, I'm hoping they're going to find a boy. Oh, really? No, there isn't a better place to find a partner than at a conference, okay? Even though I didn't find mine at a conference. That's not why you're here.

Really? That's superficial. That is superficial. I'm sorry that I have to tell you.

Those girls didn't find a boy that they were looking for. They found boys eventually, unconverted, unregenerate, and they married them. And I'm sure the girls are saved themselves.

So there were those that were there, but when he takes the conversation, and turns now from the physical, the temporal, to the spiritual, they're not interested. That's why, brethren and sisters, let me say it again. I grew up in conferences that were likely 85% spiritual, maybe 15% social.

Okay? And in all due respect, this is the kind of conference that goes on here. Or I wouldn't be here. Unfortunately, there are events going on today among the Lord's people that are 85% social, and maybe 10% spiritual.

The spiritual part of it, what I've heard said to me is a joke. Keep the spiritual first. Keep the feeding of God's people.

And the blessing that will result of that. So falling was at a cost, okay? Not just what I can get out of it, okay? But what I can get for my soul. Sure, we enjoy the fellowship of saints, fellow believers.

Finally, let me just mention this. Fleeing is always at a cost. They went back and they followed him no more.

That was it. They were done. Never to be heard of again.

But there are those that remain faithful. That's where we have those beautiful words. When he looked at Peter, he said, will you also go away? And he says, well, to whom can we go? To whom can we go? Brethren, sisters.

No other one that we can go to. Good friend of mine, good friends of mine, a couple, I'm sorry to tell you, made a decision to leave where they had been gathered, and the assemblies had been gathered with for likely 25 years. When they sat down with the brethren to tell them that they were leaving, and the brethren had a nice visit with a nice couple, okay? One of the brethren said, if you don't mind me asking you, where are you going? You know what the man said? Well, there are other places.

And there are. There's only one place. Only one place.

There are other places. Come on. You don't have to drive too many streets here in La Crosse to find there's lots of other places.

Plural. The man was absolutely right. But there's only one place.

There's only one place where they could be fed. And that was in the presence of the Savior. Fed right from Him there that day.

Liberally and abundantly. Other stuff I just raced over and I'll just leave it for you. Three things, okay? A cost of feeding.

A cost of following. But remember, there's a cost of fleeing. Go back to the Old Testament, there's plenty of examples of that.

Those that fled no longer would be loyal to David. The cost was too much. There's a man by the name of Brazilii, and David is actually begging him to stay, to eat with him.

He's telling David, I can't even smell the food, how can I enjoy it? Sad to say, you know, he never came to a place where he could have died at his table. At his table. If I had my choice of where I would be taken home to heaven, it would be at the Lord's table.

Just somehow slump over, maybe I'm too selfish. I have no idea, you don't either. Nothing wrong with that.

Say, well, he spent his last breathing moments remembering the Lord, the one who still today feeds his people at a cost.