“Lord Of What Is Left” Part Two

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos

Pulpit Series Volume 21, Issue 15    September 4, 2011

“Jesus said to His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”  John 6:12

We noted last week that Jesus is among other things the LORD OF RESTORATION.  “I will restore to you the years that the caterpillar have eaten.”

Now it is true that He cannot bring back or change the years you have wasted, nor can He remove the consequences for your past sins, but you can start here and now to serve Him with what’s left.

Up to now, perhaps you have been doing this in your own strength.  Your choices, although reasonable and logical, have profited you little.  Now as you step out with Jesus as Lord of what is left, it is time to make “Faith Choices”.

Mark 6:35-36  “The day was now far spent, Jesus’ disciples said, This is a desert place and it’s getting late: send the crowd away, so they can go into the nearby villages and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.”

The disciples thought this was the sensible, the logical thing to do.  And why not - Matthew records about 5000 men, not counting women and children.

Everyday we are faced with choices - basically two choices:
       1.  to lean on our own strength or
       2.  to put our trust in Him

Proverbs 3:5  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.”

I hope to encourage you to make choices

that exercise your faith and God’s ability

to do the impossible!

“Ah Lord GOD!, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.”  Jeremiah 32:17

Let me say that again…. there is nothing too difficult for God!

I’ve discovered that whenever you come

to a place where a choice needs to be made -

there is always a “REASONABLE”

alternative to a FAITH CHOICE!

Note: Reasonable alternatives will rob
YOU OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PLEASE GOD!

Jesus said, “You don't send hungry people away; you feed them!”  Mark 6:37a

“And they said, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?”  Mark 6:37b

The buying power of a penny was equal to a days wages. 

Here again they chose on the side of logic.

"Master that's impossible!”

My dear friends….
The Christian life can only rightly be explained in terms of faith in JESUS!


If your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you…..

• your personality
• your will power
• your gift
• your talent
• your money
• your courage
• your dedication
• your scholarship
• your sacrifice
• your ANYTHING

…..then although you may have the Christian life, you’re not living it!

The Christian life has got to go past being HIGHLY COMMENDABLE!

It cannot be explained in the natural, it must be SUPER NATURAL!

So what did our Master choose to do?  He made a “FAITH CHOICE”!

However, He first sets the scene so as to prove He was acting as man not as God.  This means we too can make Faith Choices.

John 6:5-6  “Jesus looking at the large crowd asked Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people?”

Jesus was not anxious… He is completely PANIC PROOF!  Are YOU?

Did you notice the disciples response to the LORD?

John 6:7  “It’s more than 1/2 a year’s wages.” (today $15,000 wouldn't be enough!)

The Disciples chose NOT to reckon in the

PRESENCE AND POWER of JESUS!

Just with the money in the bag or should I say the lack of money in the bag!

LOGIC would say:

• How many people
• How much a loaf
• How much money do you have?  We can’t afford it!

Too often Christians choose to act without giving consideration to the power of the Lord!  Acting as though the LORD were irrelevant!

Mark 6:38  “Jesus asked, How many loaves do you have? Go find out!”

Andrew chose to respond, “five loaves and two small fishes,” even though there was some doubt as to their significance.  John 6:8-9

“But what are they among so many?”

He still chose in the direction of faith!

John 6:11  “Jesus took the loaves and fishes and when He had given thanks, he distributed them to his disciples, they in turn gave them to the people.”

Look at the results.  “When the people had eaten their fill, Jesus said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. They gathered and filled twelve baskets with the left-overs.”  John 6:12-13

Little is much when God is in it!

Here is the KEY to making “Faith Choices” “Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks.”

He acted in faith!

The loaves and fishes didn’t multiply until they were handed out! Jesus did not wait for the miracle, He acted in faith!  And that my friend pleases God!

Who fed the 5000?  Not Jesus!

John 14:10  “The words that I speak to you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, He does the works.”

When we make “faith choices”

God gets the glory!

John 14:12-14  “He that believes on me, the works that I do, shall he do also whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Your perceived poverty

can rob you of a miracle!

II Chronicles 16:9  “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is trusting in Him.”

Jesus simply brought the situation before His Father then in faith chose to say, “Thank You”!

The Three “T’s”

1. Thank Him
2. Trust Him
3. Take action

Notice Jesus didn’t try to help God out with advice, suggestions or solutions!

DO NOT BE UPSET IF YOU DON’T
LEARN THIS IN ONE SETTING!

Mark 6:46-52  “And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary to them: and about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them saying, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were amazed beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

Jesus was in prayer on land, yet He saw the disciples struggling.

I pray that you see that NOTHING takes Jesus by surprize!

Christ was trying to show His disciples that He was aware of everything coming their way.  “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

“And when He came into the boat, the wind ceased.”

Jesus, said to them as He says to us, “It is not difficult to do the impossible, just count me in!”

Here is a prayer you can pray today:
Lord we ask You to be the Lord of what is left of our lives!  We repent of our self reliance, we repent of making life choices based on our strength, our abilities and in our power.  We surrender our choices to you and will from here on in make Faith Choices as we “Count You In”!  May our lives be found pleasing in your sight.  AMEN



“Lord Of What Is Left”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos

Pulpit Series Volume 21, Issue 14    August 28, 2011

John 6:1-13  “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come to him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread, so these people may eat? He said to prove him: for He himself knew what he would do. Philip answered, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, even to give them a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, There is a lad here, with five barley loaves and two small fish: but what is that among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down (about 5000). And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and they in turn gave to them that were seated; and in the same manner the fish, as much as each one wanted. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments, of which was left.”

Jesus gave thanks for what He had.

He did not ask for what He needed.

He focus on what was provided –

not what was missing!

Luke 9:12-17  “The twelve said to him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get food: for we are here in a desert place. But he said to them, You give them food. They said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people (about 5000 men). And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of 50. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to serve to the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained twelve baskets.”

Mark 8:1-9  “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said to them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, how can we satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? Jesus asked them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake and gave to his disciples to serve them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.”

Mark 6:35-52  “And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.


And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.


And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

Matthew 15:32-38  “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.”

“Jesus said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”  John 6:12

I think we all know the two stories of Jesus feeding the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and a few small fishes.  What we sometimes forget is that after everyone had eaten their fill, there remained either 12 or 7 baskets of fragments of bread and fish.

Have you ever wondered what happened to those

19 baskets of bread and fish fragments?

Jesus gave them explicate directions regarding those fragments.  He seemed concerned about them.  He said to “collect and gather together” all that was left over, so nothing was lost.

Apparently each fragment was

important to the Lord.

“So nothing was lost”, those wasted days, weeks, months and years can not be reclaimed - they’re gone for good.

But you can take what’s left, that fragment, and dedicate it to the Lord, for my God is the Lord of what’s left!

Joel 2:23-29  “I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm.... you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that has dealt wondrously with you.”

This passage speaks of the hope of immediate deliverance to those who will give “what’s left” of their lives to God.

• THE LORD OF PROVISION

Look back to remind yourself of the blessings of God.

• THE LORD OF RESTORATION

God cannot bring back or change the years you have wasted, nor can He remove the consequences for your past sins, but you can start here and now to serve God with what’s left.

“But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”  Philippians 3:13

You don’t know what God can do

with the time you have left!

Give that fragment to God today.

• He alone is your provision.
• He alone is your restoration.
• He alone will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
• He alone will be your constant companion and guide.

Will you come today, confessing your sins and placing all your burdens on the only One who can carry them?

Psalm 90:12  “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Think about it - haven’t the caterpillars caused enough damage? To waste the remainder of our days in regret and self-condemnation, to waste the remainder of our days in penance for the call we missed does no good for God or man.

Come today and put your faith and trust in the shed blood and sacrificial death of Christ. Give Him what is left of your time, what is left of you, your strength, your abilities.  “Better late than never!”

“Your Tombstone”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos

Pulpit Series Volume 21, Issue 13    August 21, 2011

• Have you ever experienced an hour of soul searching?
• Have you ever had an agonizing attempt to touch God?
• Have the heavens ever seemed closed when you cry out?
• Have you searched in the dark of night for the hand of God?

“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry. The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them, he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”  Psalm 34

More than 400 times the Bible repeats - “I cry / I cried”
More than 400 times the Bible repeats - “Deliver / Delivered”

• Judges cry - God answers
• Prophets cry - God speaks
• Daniel cries - lions grit their teeth
• Balaam cries - a donkey talks

Jesus, God’s answer to the cry of the world,

walks among men, women, boys and girls.

• Lepers cry
• Blind cry
• Deaf and dumb cry 

…...and God answers!
Today we cry and God replies.

Your cry may be deeply personal and private. It may be bold and very public.  It may be a cry for your family, your neighborhood, your community, your province or your country!

• You may cry because of pain, fear or panic.
• You may cry in distress or in despair.
• You may even cry from the depths of hell.
• You may cry for help, for hope, for direction or wisdom.
• You may cry from hurts or from hunger and thirst.
• You may cry because your life is without meaning, without pattern or value.

Cry “Abba, Father”…..
        for relief
        for restoration
        for reconciliation
        for repentance
        for rebuilding….. Cry! Cry!

Come to the cross - here we know God hears.  At the cross God answers.

This poor man cried - God answered!

God answered - He sent His only Son!

Jesus the Savior is born.

Jesus answered - He gave His life!

The Lamb slain upon the cross - our cross.

The Holy Spirit answered - with resurrection power!

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

He has risen as He said.

Yes friends, God answers when we meet Hhim at the cross or at His table.

Our text is only 13 words: “This poor man cried and God delivered him out of all his troubles.”

All in all not a bad line for your tombstone.

If you couldn’t afford that many words you could summarize it to:

“I cried - God delivered”

Save a few more dollars and simply put:

“God delivered”

And if your Dutch like me and have to pay for your own Tombstone you might just say:

“Delivered!”

The thief on the cross had so little time to carve his tombstone. One character will do it!

Not a question mark, but an exclamation point. 
It can be your exclamation and mine…Surprised by joy!

“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

and saved him out of all his troubles!”

• What Good News!
• What Glad Tidings of Great Joy!
• What a Gospel!

The gospel of Jesus Christ changes EVERYTHING!

When we cry God answers!
       He always has!
       He always does!
       He always will!

THE DASH

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her

tombstone from the

beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of

her birth and spoke of the following

date with tears.  But he said what

mattered most of all was the dash

between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that she spent alive on earth. And

now only those who loved her know

what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;

the cars....the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and

love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…

are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much

time is left.

(You could be at "dash mid-range.")

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what's true and real,

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives

like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

and more often wear a smile…

remembering that this special

dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read

with your life's actions to rehash…

would you be proud of the things

they say about

how you spent your dash?

"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" Part II

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos, BC

Pulpit Series Volume 21, Issue 12    August 14, 2011

I have been for 39 years a missionary of the Cross and have no thought of deserting the ranks. I have great faith in God and I believe that we as His children are just moments away from great victory.

I believe that although most of us really do long to faithfully reflect our Master's image, we fall very, very short. 

Before your defense lawyer jumps up with your objections listen to the following verses:
We are to…

• walk as Jesus walked  I John 2:6
• love our enemies  Matthew 5:44
• forgive as Jesus forgave  Colossians 3:13
• be aggressively kind towards those who hate us, actually we are to pray for those who despitefully use us  Matthew 5:44
• be victors, more than conquerors  Romans 8:37
• give thanks in all things believing that all things, even those which blast our fondest hopes, work together for our good  Romans 8:28; Ephesians 5:20
• be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known to God, so that the peace of God which passes all understanding may guard our hearts and minds  Philippians 4:6
• rejoice in the Lord always  Philippians 4:4
• think on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report  Philippians 4:8
• be holy, for God is holy  I Peter 1:16
• have rivers of living waters flowing from our innermost being  John 7:38
• stand out in bold, unmistakable contrast from the crooked, perverse world, blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, shining as lights  Philippians 2:15
• positively hate ourselves not to pamper, nor to caress, nor to seek, nor to love ourselves, but literally to hate and to renounce our own selves, and that daily  Matthew 16:24
• renounce ourselves utterly and absolutely in all things, and at all times  Luke 14:26
• have our affections set on things above  Colossians 3:1

If the scriptures you just read
are a measure of the Christian life.

If they form the basis upon
which we are to be judged.

If this is what God requires of us,
then like Isaiah we should cry:

"Woe is me, for I am undone”.

Why doesn’t Jesus, so tender, so understanding, so loving and wise, not make requirements more in keeping with our human nature?  Why does He seem to be so unreasonable?

He demands we soar, yet we have no wings.  Why does Jesus go beyond the merely natural?

• It is not natural to love our enemies
• It is not natural to rejoice always
• It is not natural to be thankful for the things that hurt
• It is not natural to hate ourselves
• It is not natural to walk as Jesus walked

Honestly folks this is a dilemma!

Romans 7 talks of this: “The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do... I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Paul struggles.  He agonizes.  He weeps.  He strives all to no avail.  Now Paul doesn’t go into smoke and mirrors mode, he states very plainly that in himself (that is, in his flesh), he can find no good thing.

Yes, he loved Jesus.
Yes he was a soldier of the Cross.
Yes, he was a consecrated Christian.
It was just that he now saw himself in a new light, the blinding light of the Cross.

What before would have been excusable, now overwhelms him.  Innocent little things, harmless attitudes, insignificant little sins which before would pass unnoticed, now break his heart.  They are repulsive.  They are unbearable.  They seem to burn with the fire of hell.  They sting like the bite of a scorpion.  They stink like a rotting carcass.

Paul wants to be like Jesus.

• It is no longer a question of mere ethics.
• It is no longer a question of right or wrong.
• Does it please God?  That is the burning question.

Paul wants to be free.
Self-love even in its secret forms, its harmless gestures, nauseates him.  He would be like Jesus.

I am going to take a chance and speak plainly to you.  We are not what Christ would have us to be…..

• sin is still rampant in our lives
• we are not free from envy, pride, self-love and lust of pleasure
• the mountain of secret selfishness still crushes us and in spite of all our efforts remains immovable
• there is so little joy, so little freedom of spirit
• we agonize and struggle - but failure dogs our footsteps

So what is the problem?

I believe it is that we are attempting to do what the Savior Himself never expected us to do.  We are trying to live a Christian lifestyle, rather than allowing Him to live through us!

The Christian life is not Imitation, it is Participation.

Hebrews 3:14  “For we are made partakers of Christ”.
II Peter 1:3-4  “According as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature.”

It doesn’t say…. “that by these ye might undertake the divine nature!”
UNDERTAKE: to take upon oneself, agree or attempt to do

It doesn’t say…. “that by these ye might imitate the divine nature!"
IMITATE: to behave or attempt to behave in the same way as; to mimic or impersonate, to have or take on the appearance of

It doesn’t say…. “that by these ye might be a spectator of the divine nature!
SPECTATOR: one who views a show or game, an onlooker

But it does say that we are to be partakers of the divine nature!
PARTAKE: to take part, have a share in, to receive

Friends, our Christian walk is not to be like straining over a role like some actor agonizing over poorly learned lines.

The Christian life is possible only when we become partakers of Christ!
Hebrews 3:4 
“Exceeding great and precious promises are given us, that by these we might be partakers of the Divine Nature.”  II Peter 1:4

This Jesus whom you serve has by His divine power given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. …..You dare not settle for anything less.