 We're going to be looking at Luke chapter 9 verses 12 through 17. Actually, this is lessons we're going to be learning from the feeding of the 5,000. They're ministry lessons. And so there's something that at least one person in here might profit from. And hopefully some of you might too. As we look at this passage here in Luke chapter 9, allow me to read to you from verses 12 through 17. And we'll get into our study. It's the feeding of the 5,000 and lessons from the 5,000. Beginning at verse 12, reading to verse 17. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to him, Send the multitude away that they may go into the surrounding towns and country and lodge and get provisions for we are in a deserted place here. But he said to them, you give them something to eat. And they said, we have no more than five loaves and two fish unless we go and buy food for all these people. For there were about 5,000 men. And he said to his disciples, make them sit down in groups of 50. And they did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven he blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled. And twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. Now as we begin our study here, Jesus has taken his disciples to an area that's just north of the Sea of Galilee. It's a region called Bethsaida. When we go to Israel, there have been occasions when we have actually taken a trip up there about a mile or two or so from the north eastern, we'll say a portion of the Sea of Galilee. And that's where Jesus is. He's in a region that is attached to that particular area. And while he is there, there are great numbers of people who have begun to come to hear him. Remember verse 11 how it says here, when the multitudes knew it, they followed him? So Jesus is up in that area and there is a large group of people in a moment we're going to see just how large it really is. And this large multitude of people there have come to listen to him for a variety of reasons. Now who are these people? It's interesting that when you look at the feeding of the 5000, this is one of those works that Jesus performs that is actually given to us in all four Gospels. And so all you have to do is begin cross-referencing, beginning to look how Mark speaks concerning it and how Matthew does and how John does. And then you combine that with Luke and you get a good view of what's taking place here. And so John tells us that these people who are there actually are pilgrims who are coming to celebrate the Passover because in John chapter 6 verse 4, he tells us the Jewish Passover feast was near. And so that's who these people are. That's where this multitude is coming from. They're people who are on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate. Now as they're gathering together, one of the things I want to point out quickly is that they aren't seeking him as Messiah. There's no sincerity in their seeking him at all. As a matter of fact they're more interested in his signs and his wonders. They're more interested in his works than they are in his words. And how do we know that? Once again in chapter 6 verse 2 of John's Gospel it says a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on those who were diseased. And so they're not coming necessarily to hear the words that he says that are going to bring them into a relationship with God so much as to see the works that he's doing and perhaps to have a work performed on them. Now when Jesus sees them, according to Matthew chapter 14 verse 14, he heals them but he also teaches them things concerning the kingdom of God. Why would he do that? Well the reason that he healed them and the reason that he would teach them is because he's a shepherd and he has a love for them and his love is manifested by words and works of compassion. Mark 634 says when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. So they were like sheep without a shepherd. According to Ezekiel 3412 as a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he's among his sheep that are scattered so will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. Jesus is the good shepherd seeking out these sheep and so when they come he teaches them, he heals them, ministers to them because he's a shepherd with compassion. And so that's what he's been doing. He's been ministering to them. But now according to verse 12 the day began to wear away. It's now growing into evening. According to Matthew 1415 he uses the word, Matthew uses the word evening and that tells us what time it is because the Jews actually divided evening into two sections from three o'clock to six o'clock and then there was a second word that was used from six o'clock to nine o'clock. The word that is used actually tells us what time this takes place. So combining that we see that it says when the day began to wear away and Matthew telling us it was evening well it tells us it's between three o'clock and six o'clock in the afternoon so it's growing late and that's the whole point. So the disciples as they're there they notice these people they notice this multitude but they're having a different reaction than Jesus Christ. Jesus has been teaching them Jesus has been ministering to them Jesus has been healing them but the disciples as they're looking at these people have a different reaction what they want to do is they want them to get out of there. Now as they're speaking to him notice what they say in verse 12 they came to Jesus and they said to him send the multitude away that they may go into the surrounding towns and country and lodge and get provisions for we're in a deserted place here and so they say it's getting late here there are no supermarkets open around here we're in a desert and we ought to send them away in order that they might be able to buy some food. We're in a solitary place here they're going to need to go find some food and they're going to have to go to town in order to do that. Now there's a logic to that but part of the request may have been more selfish because Mark tells us in chapter 6 verse 31 that Jesus had said to them come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while and so they're tired ministry takes up time and it takes up energy and they've been ministering for a long time and so they're supposed to be resting and recuperating they're sort of like on a hiatus on a vacation of some sort and here are all these people and they see them and they're just so many of them and it's just so taxing and tiring and so they walk up to Jesus and at first it sounds like they care you know they have to go into the surrounding towns and country and lodge get provisions we're in a deserted place and that makes sense but I think they're tired and they just want some rest. Now they're right about the conditions but Jesus is going to teach them about loving God, loving people and serving and in this passage Jesus is going to take his disciples through what I like to call the fundamentals of ministry and what he's about to do is communicate to them something that is very important he's going to teach them concerning the heart of ministry the heart of ministry the heart of ministry begins with a concern for people that's where all ministry begins and that's where all ministry ends perhaps I have some in this room tonight who have a desire to minister you have a sense of calling in your life well I want to share some things specifically with you hopefully this will apply to all of us in a general sense but it may apply in a specific sense to some in this room who have a desire to serve the Lord and you're going to see some things here as Jesus is training up these twelve you're going to see some things that he's going to be giving to them some very basic things that are very helpful as they serve him and like I said a moment ago the heart of ministry begins with a concern for people I'll never forget this one person who told me I love the ministry it's people I can't stand well I hate to say it but people are ministry that's what ministry is ministry isn't power ministry isn't possessions ministry is not position ministry is not simply preaching ministry is people and it's how you respond to them and what you can give to them and how you love them ministry begins and ends with the people and that's what they need to learn you see they're tired and I understand that God knows all of us who work and do anything that causes us to fatigue especially when you're in the occupation of ministering to people anybody who's in food services or retail you know how difficult people can be people can be real difficult and we all know that we are people we can be difficult those of us who are parents well we're experts at knowing what difficulty is you know our kids can be difficult we've been difficult to other people we know that but if you're a waitress you know how difficult people like me can be when you're serving us you know when you're selling clothes and all of that you know somebody comes in they insist that they wear a certain size and you know they haven't worn that even when they were a baby I mean you know come on now but anyway we know that working with people can be difficult ministry is working with people so what is ministry is it power to some people it is to some people being in the ministry means that I have power over people's lives it means that when I walk into the church and I'm the pastor that people will walk up to me and tremble because of how important I am is it position some people think it is because that gives to us perks it gives to us some things that we can do that other people can't do you know is it possessions sometimes people think that it is you know I work hard I should get a lot of money I should be able to spend it on whatever I want is it just preaching well I polish my craft I'm able to speak eloquently I use the right kind of proof text to develop it I ought to get paid for that there are a lot of people who misunderstand what ministry is ministry always boils down to people that's what it is it's caring for people loving people it's serving people it's first loving God it's loving God and out of the outflow of your relationship with God in ministry your love for God is an outflow to people you see it's easy for me to say I love God whom I have not seen it's more difficult to love a brother or a sister whom I have seen and so John would say listen how can you say that you love God whom you have not seen and yet you hate your brother whom you do see so the point he was simply making is this it's easy to mouth great words of how I love God but that love for God is intended to be the motivator for me to serve him serve people and serve the world and that's what God has called us to do as those who are Christians not just pastors and not just missionaries that's what God has called us all to do is to love him with all of our heart to love our neighbor as ourself that is the great commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself upon those two hang all the law and the prophet Jesus said and see so ministry and serving God always begins with loving him and having a love for people and that's what the Lord Jesus Christ is going to teach this is ministry 101 these are foundations of service and that's what you're seeing here in the feeding of the 5,000 you see if these people are going to properly represent him they need to learn faith and they need to learn love because as I said a moment ago effective ministry begins with love for God and love for people because you cannot be in love with the ministry you must love those whom you minister to because that's what the Lord is all about if you take notes Ephesians chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 Paul said it this way he said be imitators of God therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God live a life of love as Christ loved us and gave his life up for us that's ministry now the disciples see the multitudes also yet they see them differently than did Jesus they see the people as problems there are too many people and we have inadequate supplies this is a deserted place the hour is late we need to send them away but that's not acceptable to Jesus Christ you see the Lord Jesus Christ desires to reach the world keep that in mind not just a few he wants to reach the world and he wants us to have a vision that is like his in John in chapter 4 verses 35 through 38 Jesus said do you not say four months more and then the harvest I tell you open your eyes and look at the fields they are ripe for harvest even now the reaper draws his wages even now the harvest he harvest the crop for eternal life so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together it's the same one sows and another reaps is true I sent you to reap what you have not worked for others have done the hard work and you have reaped the benefits of their laborer so four months and then comes the harvest he says look into the fields they are ready to be harvested right now look at the fields that God has given to us they are ready for harvest right now when I got saved few years ago now we were told you need to get into the word of God you need to learn to pray you need to have fellowship with like-minded individuals who love Jesus Christ because your associates, your friends are going to either provoke you to love the Lord or they are going to tear you away from him so you have to make some decisions you have to make a decision that if you are going to serve the Lord that you are going to love his word because when you love his word in his heart it is not a matter of me just thinking well I think God is like this when I read the Bible he tells me exactly what he is like and so that is how God communicates to us sometimes people think well if I go and I sit down and I cross my legs and I cross my eyes and arms and I eat granola and God will communicate to me and I don't think so it doesn't work that way people meditate on their navel they are not going to get close to God doing things like that what do you do? they told us they said read God's word because God's word communicates his heart to you and then learn to speak your heart to him in prayer so as you are reading through the Bible you are praying through the Bible because you will come to a passage that you may not understand or you will find a passage that has a blessing and you might find a passage that has an exhortation or another passage that has a warning or so many different things and as you are reading the Bible you say things like is that true? do you really mean that? is that possible? how can I do that? and so you are praying and you ask the Lord and you say God I would like to do that I see you do marvelous things we are looking right now at a miracle where Jesus feeds 5,000 men not including women and children conservative scholars say there could have been anywhere from 13,000 plus people there because it's not including the women and the kids it's just the men the men are being mentioned here 5,000 of them and they normally travel with their families so you have at least 13,000 probably 15,000 people that are being ministered to here and you read that and you say how does that work and what do you want me to learn from that? is this just some fantastic story and that's how I read the Bible I will be reading it and I will say what does that mean Lord and how does that work today because I believe that truth is timeless and what is applied 2,000 years ago is applicable today if there is a principle that you want me to learn from this and if I can apply it somehow Father show me how to do it so you read His Word and you pray and then you have friends around you who encourage you in that instead of the friends who are the Eeyours saying things like don't take that so seriously come on give me a break and I have to tell you in my young Christian life I had more than one friend who was like that more than one, oh you really shouldn't be witnessing man didn't you see how upset they got listen if I wouldn't have shared with my mom and my dad then who was going to share with them who was going to share with them they were in their 40s when I got saved my daddy was 43 years old and I was 40 rather my mom was 40 I was 20 I felt 40 I was 20 who was going to talk to my pop who was 43 years old and nobody to my knowledge for 43 years had told them about Jesus Christ so what they're going to do it now somebody's going to pop onto the scene and say Frank Rosales you need Jesus no it didn't work that way God said that's the field I gave to you that's where you're supposed to work I want to go on the mission field it begins at home it begins in your family it begins with your parents it begins with your brothers it begins at home it begins in your neighborhood oh I want to go to the mission field yeah you're qualified to if you've already seen what a mission field is because remember with me when the Holy Spirit fell upon the church they were to be witnesses of Jesus where in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth he didn't say you will be witnesses to the uttermost parts he said you're going to be witnesses right there and that's why when the Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost that's why they went outside that 120 who were there in that upper room and they immediately began to speak about the wonderful, magnificent works of God to the point that people began to hear and 3,000 people got saved because that's how it works guys keep that in mind keep that in mind there's a time for rejoicing there's a time for weeping and I've discovered he who goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him I've discovered that when you weep over the lost, God uses you to reach the lost but when we get so tired of them when we start saying things like man there's so many people crowding us out here and they don't even have a right to be here have you ever stopped to consider for a moment that maybe the mission field has moved here and maybe that's the job that we have is to reach them for Jesus or are we so caught up saying, you know what I just don't like the way it is we need to send them all home well send them home with the gospel of Jesus Christ that the lives might be changed instead of getting so caught up saying my lifestyle's being interrupted how about reaching them and changing them I just believe that with all of my heart God has given us ample opportunities that we have to take but we're Americans aren't we we don't really like that Jesus teaches us that ministry begins for people and a concern for them and that's what he calls us to you see these multitudes are there and the disciples see them just like Jesus but they see them differently than Jesus does for them they're problems in Matthew chapter 9 verses 37 and 38 Jesus speaking to his disciples said the harvest truly is plentiful the laborers are few therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest there is so much work to do so we need to work together to reach these people you see Jesus' desire is to train his disciples to minister to multitudes and he's going to teach them three very basic lessons one he's going to reveal to them their inadequacy their inadequacy to meet the needs of people second he's going to show them that he is completely adequate to meet the needs and then third he's going to teach them that they work together with God in ministry and when they do so the needs will be met it's been said the sacred promises though in themselves most sure and precious are of no avail for the comfort and sustenance of the soul unless you grasp them by faith plead them in prayer expect them by hope and receive them with gratitude the Lord wants to do a work in us and all I want to do is encourage everyone in this room today just to ask the question why not me why not me why can't the Lord use you today why can't He what keeps Him from using you what makes you not usable and if you know there's something that makes me not usable then why keep that in your life why maintain that why hold on to that I've had various things in my life that I wanted to hold on to and the Lord finally said look at it it's either that or it's serving me you're serving that because no man can serve two masters you've got to make a choice which one you're going to serve so which is it going to be and for me part of my problem was my perceived liberties in Christ I thought well you know what I'm saved by grace I'm walking by grace I'm kept by grace I serve in grace and that allows my entire life and by the grace of God I can basically do whatever I desire to do and all as long as I'm not willfully and intentionally sinning against Him and so there were liberties that I pursued and thought were fine that I would continue in off and on over years to be honest with you that the Lord finally started dealing with me and I finally realized that well some things I can do and it's not like I can't do them I read my scriptures and Paul said all things are lawful unto me but not all things edify me and I'm not going to be brought into the bondage of any and I began to think that way and I started to think well what is it that I do that may not be quote-unquote wrong but isn't really helping me either and over the years that's what's happened I've begun to remove those layers from my life so that I can be more and more usable I encourage you to do the same what is it that the Lord wants you to do has God put something on your heart to do that you have yet to do because you're so busy doing something else I have seen people walk away from serving the Lord for things as silly as wanting to drink wanting to smoke or wanting a relationship with somebody or wanting to go out dance I mean the silliest most juvenile things keep us from serving the Lord they just keep us from serving the Lord with all of our heart because we want these things more than we want the Lord Jesus Christ well Jesus is teaching his disciples to minister to the multitudes because they're going to take this message to the world they're going to reach many so they need to learn that God is going to meet their every need every step of the way so first Jesus exposes their inadequacy now he does this by asking a question a question that he already has the answer for he doesn't really ask that question here the question is asked in John chapter 6 in John chapter 6 verses 5 and 6 it says when Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him he said to Philip where shall we buy bread for these people to eat but John goes on to say he asked this only to test him for he already had in mind what he was going to do so Philip you see these thousands of people and so I'm asking you a question where are we going to get the food for these people it's going to require quite a bit what are we going to do and so what he does is he exposes their inadequacy he makes it very clear that they're not able to meet this need and what they do is they ultimately check their resources because he tells them you give them something to eat so they walk through the crowd is what they're doing and they're checking to see what they're going to do to figure out the resources and according to Mark chapter 6 verses 37 and 38 he says you give them something to eat they said to him shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat he said to them how many loaves do you have go and see and when they found out they said five and two fish John 6 verse 8 says another of his disciples Andrew Simon Peter's brother spoke up here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish but how far will they go among so many we found somebody with a sack lunch and that's about it so what are we going to do well listen in ministry and matters of faith it is obviously important that we recognize our limitations what we do is we come to the end of our own resources and then we fall upon him for help and that is to be true in every aspect of our lives because we need to come to learn something a simple lesson without him I can do nothing and when I come to understand that without him I can do nothing that's the place where I can be like Paul and I can say but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Jesus said without me you can do nothing but Paul says with him I can do all things so you come to the end of yourself and you come to the end of your resources and you recognize your inadequacies and that is the place that he wants us first to be in so that we realize that whatever work occurs is causing him and not because of us why so that no flesh will glory in his sight so that I can't say that was my idea those were my efforts and that's the reason why it happened I organized it I did it through my own genius in 2nd Corinthians in chapter 12 verses 9 and 10 Paul speaking concerning his thorn in the flesh said this after he had prayed and asked God to remove it on three occasions he said I received my answer my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong he says I take I take comfort in this I take actual pleasure in this because that's where I am becoming stronger is where I recognize my own weakness so one when you serve the Lord you're going to come face to face with your inadequacy it begins early and it continues through your entire walk with the Lord the day I got saved when the invitation came and there were 4,000 young people seated on the floor there at the Hollywood Palladium in LA and Arthur Blessed the evangelist says if you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is calling you stand to your feet and I remember being seated there on the carpet and I remember bowing my head and looking down at my feet and I remember praying and I remember saying something like I need you I need you God I need you that I can't stand up because you know I'm shy just like you just like you you know how it was, you guys remember what it was like if you were a student at one time and the teacher said to you can you come up and write on the chalkboard at that point did you guys like doing that did you say oh boy I didn't I hated that and when I was a kid I was in junior high school my mom and dad you know very thoughtful people planned ahead so they would buy clothes that I would grow into I had a pair of glasses that I was supposed to grow into they were so big I don't know if you guys remember Superfly or not but they were huge and my head was supposed to grow into them and never really did unless I grew seven feet tall I mean these were enormous glasses but I also had some jeans and I was supposed to someday gain some weight which unfortunately I did but at that time I was supposed to grow into them and so they were those jeans that you would just kind of pull the belt until it all bunched up all over and then you kind of would hem them up and so they had these big old cuffs and they were kind of like baggy so I would go into the bathroom and I would get tissue and I would fold it up and put it in my back pocket so I'd have a little junk in my trunk you know and man I mean and I was mister just like leave me alone you know just let me grow into these things and I can still remember in seventh grade my teacher saying come up in front of the class and right on this chalkboard and I would sit in the very back of the class and now you got to walk up that whole isle way and as you're walking you guys remember what it's like to be in seventh grade I mean you know guys saying things to you trying to trip you and pushing you as you're walking you don't want to do that and there I am standing and she gives me the chalk and I turn around and then Mike O'Hara and why do I remember him I hate him to this day Mike O'Hara and that was his name yells out look at how big his pants are and I almost died I was dying you know and I never forgot that I never forgot those kinds of things who wants to stand up in front of a group of people there were 25 junior hires who wants to stand up in front of people and talk or even be noticed really nobody does so there I am at the age of 20 and Arthur Blessed is saying stand up and there's 4,000 people my age and I'm telling the Lord I can't I can't do that and I remember saying that I remember saying you know I'm shy I'm shy you guys may not know that I'm shy I really am and say to me you know you bothered me because I saw you and you didn't talk to me very much other than say hello and then you said you're shy and now it makes sense when I'm in the pulpit I come alive when I'm out of the pulpit I'm drying paint I use it all up on Wednesday and Sunday I'm sorry that's why God gave me Marie how are you enjoy coffee I'm just that way I say in all of that because I think that some of you might identify with that listen when God grabs hold of your heart He changes you when you've got something to say now it's worth hearing you're willing to say it that's how it works and so you have to come to realize I'm inadequate I can't do this this is not my way I can't do this so He brings you to the point of inadequacy so when Arthur Blessed says stand up I say God I'm shy but that's when Arthur and I said but if somebody would stand with me I would stand and that's when Arthur Blessed said perhaps you're afraid to stand by yourself if somebody would stand with you would you stand and my friend George Adams who was seated next to me says I'll stand with you that's how I got saved that's how it worked in my case where the Lord's heard my prayer see I don't have a doubt that God hears prayer I have no doubt about that He heard that silent cry from my heart where I said specifically I cannot stand without somebody standing with me and this was what this amazes me because you who are here tonight were already in His plan 30 some years ago that day when I said I can't stand up you were already in His mind that you would be here hearing me tell you this story that blows my mind such thoughts are too wonderful for me they're beyond me but God intended that He said look it you can't do this but with me all things are possible that's absolutely true He's teaching them that and so the first thing He wants them to know you can't do it but secondly I can you are unable God is able what cannot be accomplished by the flesh is made possible by the Spirit Zechariah 4 6 says not by might nor by power but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord of hosts in Philippians 4 19 all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus in Ephesians 3 20 and 21 to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end amen He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think first you can do nothing so embrace it why? when I'm weak I'm made strong second He wants them to know you cannot feed this multitude but with me you can you can't do it through your own resources you went out and you took a check and you came back and you said to me that would take 200 days of wages that's what 200 Danari means 200 days of wages to feed this multitude one meal to you but with me it's possible and so one recognize your limitation two recognize that God has no limitation and then three understand that you're going to work together with Him and accomplish that work according to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9 we are God's fellow workers you are God's field you are God's building but we are God's fellow workers and so what's taking place here well verse 14 it said there were about 5,000 men and he said to his disciples make them sit down in groups of 50 and they did so and made them all sit down then he took the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven he blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude and they all ate and were filled and 12 baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them so Jesus has his disciples organize them so there's no mob, there's no stampede he's about to do some incredible thing what he does is he has them sit in groups there on the green grass and he breaks them down into units that you can actually minister to most effectively and so he does that because organization is part of how God works and then what he does is he takes those five loaves and he looks up to heaven and he blesses breaks them and gives those to his disciples so there are three lessons here first he gives thanks because that is recognizing where the miracle originates second he gives to his disciples so they partake with him in the work and then third the disciples give to others so they can learn how to practically serve so one your blessings come from heaven two God uses you things so that you keep them to yourself you take those things he gives you and you bless others with it that's how it works and so they're learning to do this they're learning that with God all things are possible and that's how it's working there I don't know how it works whether he just keeps handing them things out of this basket or whatever but whatever it is he keeps handing them and they do take it and they do feed all of these people and the entire multitude is not only fed but they are gutted according to verse 17 they all ate and were filled and 12 baskets of leftover fragments were taken up they were filled to overflowing that reminds us that God is extremely gracious even as the Psalmist in Psalm 23.5 says my cup overflows and they gather up the fragments because they don't want to take God's blessings for granted and then they carry the food with them because it serves as a reminder of what God had just done and what you find here is you find that they were all satisfied because there was enough bread for everyone which awakens us to realize that Jesus who is the bread from heaven is sufficient to satisfy every person according to John 6.35 Jesus said I'm the bread of life he who comes to me will never go hungry he who believes in me will never be thirsty when I got saved people started immediately it's amazing how this works trying to bring me into their little group whether it was you know Jehovah's Witnesses or some other way of thinking they started witnessing to me trying to draw me away I started encountering other people with religious beliefs self-realization fellowship Buddhism and as I spoke to them and learned some of the things that they believed there was always an invitation for me to leave Jesus Christ and follow after their guru their master there was always an invitation to do that always you know follow after this and I would say and I still do why would I want to follow you I remember I was speaking to some young missionaries from the Mormon church and as we were speaking on one occasion I said what do you have to offer me that I don't already have they said and I told them I said in Jesus Christ I have eternal life my sins are forgiven the power of the Holy Spirit heaven has been made available to me I've got blessings that have been given to me by the the spirit and power of God what do you have to offer me that he hasn't already given to me and their response is we have the priesthood I'll never forget that we have the priesthood I said I have the high priest Jesus Christ I don't need your priesthood I've already got the high priest I've got what I need what do you have to offer me that he hasn't already given to me you see I didn't come to Jesus Christ to try Buddha out I didn't come to Jesus to try out Mohammed well Jesus is pretty cool let's try Mohammed for a while it didn't work that way man I cut and run I went straight to him I said this is where it's at and this is where I stay and I've been doing that for a long time now and he's treated me fine all of these years and none of those other people could do the same Jesus Christ he's the only one who died and rose again you can go wherever you want you can find somewhere the bones of Mohammed because they do exist somewhere on this planet and Buddha's due too and so do Krishna's if he even existed but Jesus Christ he resurrected man he's in heaven and he sits at the right hand of the father and he intercedes on my behalf that's why I follow him I don't need anybody else I don't and neither do you and neither do you all he wants to do in this passage as I see it is to teach us you can't I can together we will