God Multiplies

 

7/30/2006 Sermon

Theme: God Multiplies

Prayer for Illumination:

Lord; let us hear your Word. Let us hear your Word loud and clear. Let us feel your presence here and now. Multiply your word and your love this day with all present. --- Amen

Psalm 145.10-19

2 Kings 4.42-44

Ephesians 3.14-21

John 6.1-21

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

1. God is Plural

Did you listen to that reading from Psalm 145? Did you hear how many times the word "All" was used?

(Detergent "ALL" visual)

All you have made will praise you

All will know God’s mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His Kingdom

God is faithful to all his promises

God is loving to all he has made

God upholds all that fall

God lifts up all that are bowed down

The eyes of all look to God

God is righteous in all his ways

God is loving towards all

The Lord is near to all who call on him – all who call on him in truth

God seems to be a plural God here.

God cares for all people.

God loves all people.

It’s wonderful to think of God as a plural God

How great God is to all of us

And – how great God is to each of us

Yea- God is plural- he grants blessings beyond counting

Let’s look at how God was plural in the Ephesians reading

The whole family in heaven and earth derive their name from God

Christ dwells in hearts

We are rooted in the power of Christ with all the saints

We are filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine

God is wonderfully plural with all his blessings.

2. God Multiplies

God multiplies too! – Satan subtracts and divides but God multiplies!

In the reading from 2 Kings and the reading from John we witness how this Plural God of ours multiplies.

Only a small amount of food is needed. Only a start. A child brings an offering and Jesus multiplied that offering.

I remember a time years ago when my church was asking me to head up the Evangelism group.

I must have only been in my early twenties at the time.

A young pup. Scared to death of what this responsibility may entail.

I asked for some time to think about my decision. I prayed. I listened for the voice of God.

My answer came through and from a God that multiplies.

I went to the communion rail one Sunday –

this was during that time that I was contemplating God’s call to lead the committee—As I knelt and received the bread and the wine –

I spilled a drop of the wine on the communion rail- Looking at the drop I attempted to wipe it up with my hand-

with one swipe I noticed that instead of wiping up the one drop of wine- the one drop of wine became eight drops on the rail –

with this I knew that if the blood of Christ can multiply –

I must also multiply and lead that committee-

lead that committee to encourage others to spread the Word-

encourage others to tell the story of God active in their lives-

encourage others to reach beyond the walls of this building to God’s Kingdom.

God multiplied- And God always multiplies.

How has God multiplied in this place?

For me God has multiplied wonderfully at this church.

What a wonderful opportunity you have given me. To lead worship in this faithful community of believers.

God multiplies- with each sermon for me-

You see- I work – and for preparation of the Meditations –

I needed to reflect daily on the Word- to read- to study – to listen for the voice of God – what is the message God would have delivered? – each day for the past couple of months-

To you this is one sermon—To me this was a wonderful multiplication of blessings from God-

daily blessings listening to his Word- listening to his voice- listening to what God would have me say

God multiplies one sermon to you-- to daily blessings for me

God multiplies- Each week I speak of some wonderful friends that I have met at a Presbyterian church-

tell of the wonderful people here- tell friends of how God is present in this place- God multiplies my stories of love felt in this place

God multiplies blessings for me as I look from this vantage point at the very multiplication of God in you-

I see God in you – in your eyes- in your smiles- I see God active in your lives as I look from this spot.

I hear of God’s multiplication as we reflect on a picture collage in the Narthex-

as I hear you tell stories of people of this place- of God active in this place- God multiplies- God multiplies in this place without a doubt.

Look around- ponder- how God has multiplied in this place-

look at the spots where you have heard and seen God’s presence in this place and think of how many times his presence has been multiplied.

Did God multiply his presence – here? – here? – here? – perhaps in this pew?

One place for me has been here at this music machine-

As I was here I could look up and see God’s smile coming from your faces as I fumbled and played Christmas songs in July!

I took this position in this pew for some reason-

God multiplied his presence for me as we sang songs together.

Yes- and God’s presence multiplied here in the sharing of the peace- and here and here and here

And here as I confessed my sins to God –

I felt his presence multiplied with people past that may have stood in this same spot doing something similar- not sure.

God’s love multiplied- God’s forgiveness multiplied- Fellowship with God multiplied- God in this place multiplied throughout time and space.

 

Pick a place – here and now where you have felt God multiply his presence for you—

Go there- really go there if you wish

Are you willing to tell your story of why you felt God’s presence- God’s blessings – multiplied in that place?

Tell me of the collage in this place- the collage of God’s grace – God’s activity multiplied over and over….(share stories)

Thanks for sharing.

Not only do we have a gracious All loving plural God and a God who wonderfully multiplies his power and love and presence through out time –We have a God that fills us.

3. God Fills

(Pick up the mayonnaise jar and fill it with golf balls)

Is this jar full?

(Pick up a bag of pebbles and pour them into the jar)

(Shake the jar)

Is this jar full?

(Pick up a bag of sand and pour it into the jar)

Is this jar full?

I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life

The golf balls are the important blessings- your God, your family, your health, your friends, your favorite passions- the basic needs for life…

The pebbles are the other blessings that matter like your job, house and car

The sand is blessings multiplied in abundance

If you put the sand into the jar first. There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls…

The same goes for life- God fills you and takes care of your basic needs and blesses you with them…

Jesus took care and filled that multitude with food- a basic need and blessing from God

Jesus gave thanks to God and filled those present with God’s Word

Jesus multiplied those blessings and filled all the people with something left over

Our plural God- multiplied the blessings and fills the crowds

Pay attention to the things that are blessings in your life

See the golf balls- the blessings that REALLY matter.

And see God multiply the blessings in the sand of life

So what does the water represent?

(Pour the water into the jar….)

It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem…

You see—God fills us over and over- with blessings in life and with what may seem not to be so important- then he continues to fill us with the love of his baptismal waters of salvation.

God has filled you with his Baptismal water of life giving water—permeating your entire life and calling you by name as a child of God –

 

 

4. See the miracle

Can you see the miracle?

Just as Jesus fed the multitude with a little food—filled their lives with what was needed for the day

A small offering from you and I is brought forward and multiplied by God to feed the many- to reach the hearts of many we can’t even imagine throughout space and time. God is awesome in how he takes our offerings and multiplies- and increases the bounty to feed and feed and nourish others.

So he has fed us- in this place- fed ALL of us- multiplied the food of life

The food of love

The food of grace

And filled us throughout our lives

Giving us leftovers to boot

Twelve baskets of leftovers were collected that day

Twelve

Satchels is one interpretation for the word baskets

There were twelve disciples present

A satchel in that day was used to carry enough food for one day

And our All loving God has multiplied the food of life and permeated us with enough food for one day to take into our worlds this week.

 

(Distribute the packages of fish crackers)

Go into your world with your satchel

Multiply our loving God this week

Tell of a wonderful place in Morning Sun where you have seen God

Our plural God who multiplies and fills each of us over and over and over with love and life

A God who multiplies blessings in this place through space and time

Morning Sun—the place of multiplication

Thanks be to God! -- Amen