Enfield Evangelical Free Church

"Aiming to glorify God by calling and equipping people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ"

October 2007 - Focus Magazine
 Remember Who's with You!

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the challenge the Lord Jesus has given to His people? The challenge of proclaiming Him and His salvation to the world. Have you ever been overwhelmed by the particular role He has given you in that great task? Whether it be as a children’s or youth worker; as a parent; as an open air worker; as a witness in your place of work or street; etc, etc.

Lord William Kelvin was a great Scottish scientist. A student working on an experiment came to him crestfallen. "Lord Kelvin, I’ve been working on this experiment for months and months. I've done thousands of experiments and nothing seems to be happening. All I seem to face is difficulty." Lord Kelvin gathered his students round and said "One of the laws of this laboratory is that ' when you come face to face with difficulty you are on the verge of a great discovery'".

On Saturday 15th September the children and youth workers of EEFC were fed from God’s Word by Mike Smailes, the associate pastor from West Street Church in Dunstable. All three talks were from John 6. All were helpful. All showed how our Lord Jesus was training His disciples in ways in which He continues to train us today. All encouraging us as we serve the Lord Jesus and His purposes in the world.

The feeding of the 5000 is familiar to many. In his account John highlights the way our Lord Jesus brought home to Philip the enormity of the task they faced. The huge crowd with their urgent need for food;  the smallness of the resources available – a boy’s picnic lunch! Having done this, the Lord then revealed four wonderful truths about Himself which need to be relied upon by every disciple.

He More Than Meets Our Needs
After getting the crowd organised, Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. It wasn’t like the sad scenes of relief being delivered to famine-blighted areas where people rush to get a share because there might not be enough to go round. There was no need for rush or panic. Jesus was able to provide all that was needed. He is overwhelmingly able.

He Always Takes What Is Offered
The boy’s picnic lunch was not much to look at. Jesus does not laugh at what is offered. He does not bypass what is offered or reject it because of where it is from. What we have to offer in His service may seem as small and insignificant as that lunchbox. We can entrust it to him, because ….

He Multiplies What He Is Given
Our familiarity with the story must not cloud the miraculous nature of what Jesus did. The message:  give Jesus your little and He multiplies what you give. For example, caring prayerfully for a baby in crèche so that the parents can be fed from God’s Word and equipped to serve, may not seem important in the world’s eyes, but as that commitment is given to the Lord Jesus, He can multiply its usefulness. Who knows how those parents and that child might be used in His service as a result of the service provided to them? Numerous other examples could be given. Why not think of others?

With Jesus There Is Nothing Wasted
When they has all had enough to eat, Jesus said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”  When we place into the hands of the Lord Jesus ourselves, our time, our energy, the gifts we have been given, our resources, He wastes nothing. All is useful. All has a part to play in the fulfilment of His great and good saving purposes. All will be used.

As we serve the Lord Jesus together may we remember that the Lord who fed the 5000 is the Lord who is with us!

Jonathan Prime - EEFC Focus Magazine October 2007

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