WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW JESUS

Sermon Notes, January 18, 2015

Dr. Phil Fuller

Dr. Phil Fuller, District Superintendent of the Virginia District Church of the Nazarene, preached for us on Sunday.  He spoke about what it means to follow Jesus.  He and his wife, Cheryl, had come from the Winter Retreat for Nazarene teens in Harrisonburg.  He said there were 600 students there, as well as 60 or 70 workers, and he was enthusiastic about the future of the Church of the Nazarene in Virginia.  He told of a man who said he tossed and turned all night, because he felt God told him to go see someone and he didn’t do it.  Later, the man said “I never lost a night of sleep by obeying God.”  There is joy in being part of the Nazarene family.

Dr. Phil cited some statistics: The Church of the Nazarene has work in 160 countries, with 179 missionaries of various kinds.  At the Virginia District Assembly last summer, $15,000 was raised for the Jesus Film; historically, for every $3 raised for the Jesus Film, one person has come to know Christ, so the Virginia District helped 5,000 people meet Jesus.  There are 109 churches in the Virginia District, including one in Bristol, where the church had 15 people, but they committed to serving a free meal to the needy once a week.  In 2013 they served 5,000 meals; in 2014, 7,000.  After changing their meal from Friday night to Sunday night, they started having a small service before the meal, and now 50 or 60 people attend that service.

Dr. Phil reminisced about his favorite activity growing up in the church—Sunday afternoon “dinner on the grounds.”  They didn’t call it potluck—it had nothing to do with luck.  It was dinner on the grounds.  Then he told about the year he felt led to read the Gospel of Mark through, several times.  The fourth time around, he noticed some Sunday dinner-on-the-grounds experiences the disciples had with Jesus.  In Mark 6:30-45 the people had followed them to a remote place and Jesus fed them, with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  5,000 were fed: “they all ate and were satisfied.” (v. 42) Twelve baskets of leftovers remained.  God had provided.  Then again in chapter 8:1-13: 4,000 were fed, with 7 loaves and a few fish.  Again, the people ate and were satisfied, and seven baskets of broken pieces were left.  Another Sunday dinner-on-the-grounds experience.  God had again provided.  Then in Mark 8:14-21, after Jesus warned against the “yeast of the Pharisees,” the disciples thought he said that because they only had one loaf of bread on the boat.  Jesus asked them “Why are you talking about no bread?  Don’t you get it?  How many baskets of pieces did you pick up after I broke the 5 loaves for the 5,000?”  It must’ve been Tuesday, and they’d forgotten about Sunday dinner-on-the-grounds.  God provided.

Have you watched God provide?  We’ve had Sunday experiences.  He provided for 5,000 with 5 loaves, and for 4,000 with 7 loaves, and there were baskets of pieces left over.  Forgive us, Lord, for living in a Tuesday when I know you can provide.  One loaf with Jesus is all the bread you need.  We can trust God to provide; His provision is enough.  As the old song says, “’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. . . . O for grace to trust Him more.”