The Bread, the Fish and the Fire: Frame Your Miracle by the Word

Sermon outline

The fire of coals, the fish and the bread that Jesus had waiting on the shore all came by the Word, and the same Word in your mouth frames your own miracles, so a child of God cannot lack.

1. I go a-fishing: God is with you in your vocation

   Reading John 21, he stops at Peter's words, "I go a-fishing". Whatever your profession or vocation, God goes with you, and he usually brings the provision for a vision through other people. Jesus calls the disciples "children", like a father saying, I need to take care of you. After a night of catching nothing, one instruction fills the net to breaking point, and on the shore they see a fire of coals with fish on it, and bread.

   Illustration: The disciples dragging a net so full they could hardly draw it: one moment they had lack, Jesus shows up, and they have abundance.

   “If he gives you a vision, he'll give you the provision for the vision.”

   • Romans 12:3
   • John 21:1-9
   • Psalm 139:13-16

2. The fish: God created it, so he can multiply it

   He turns to Genesis 1 and has the church repeat that God created the fish and commanded the waters to bring forth abundantly. Then in Matthew 14 five loaves and two fishes feed about five thousand men besides women and children, with twelve baskets left over. The one who created it can multiply it, and to ask "can God?" is to have the Thomas kind of faith. A little in his hands becomes much.

   Illustration: He tells the congregation that how much he gives depends on how hungry they are and how much they draw out of him.

   “In Genesis chapter 1, he created it so he could multiply it.”

   • Genesis 1:20-22
   • Matthew 14:15-21

3. He has the recipe in the wilderness: stay hungry and do not frame God out

   In Matthew 15 Jesus has compassion on a crowd that has been with him three days, and he will not send them away fasting. Jesus is touched with the feeling of our weaknesses and takes careful note of everything we go through. People who are too busy for God, who leave at a set time whether the preacher has finished or not, may miss what he has for them. Seven loaves and a few little fishes feed four thousand men, with seven baskets over: abundance is yours by divine right and by inheritance, but you must believe it and appropriate it by faith.

   Illustration: A hungry man will sit all day, whatever the time, because he knows food is coming his way. He sits expectantly.

   “When you give God a time frame, you frame him out of your time.”

   • Matthew 15:30-39
   • Hebrews 4:15
   • Matthew 5:6

4. The coin in the fish's mouth

   When the tribute money was demanded, Jesus sent Peter to the sea he created, to catch the fish he created, and in its mouth was the money for both of them. Jesus spoke with confidence because he knew that as he said the words something was released in the atmosphere. He notes that people who had brought gifts forward during the service had triggered their own miracle by sowing into the anointing.

   “When you speak the word of God with your mouth, you will put money in the fish's mouth.”

   • Matthew 17:24-27

5. The bread: manna in the wilderness and the bread of life

   God promised Israel bread in the morning where there was no bakery, and manna lay on the ground: he who gathered much had nothing over and he who gathered little had no lack. Keeping it overnight showed a lack of trust, because God wanted them to gather daily. In John 6 Jesus makes a solemn declaration, "I am the bread of life", so whoever has received him can never hunger. Even Satan's temptation to turn stones into bread shows that Jesus could have done it, because he was the bread of heaven.

   Illustration: Satan would not have suggested turning stones into bread if Jesus could not do it. Jesus refused because the devil wanted him to display an ego.

   “Because you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, born again, you have the bread of life.”

   • Exodus 16:11-26
   • Psalm 34:10
   • Luke 6:38
   • John 6:31-39
   • Matthew 4:3-4

6. The fire: God is a consuming fire and his Word is like fire

   He reviews the fish and the bread and then traces the fire through Scripture: the pillar of fire that led Israel by night, the fire of the Lord in Numbers 11, and "the Lord thy God is a consuming fire". In Psalm 18 fire goes out of God's mouth and coals are kindled by it, and in Jeremiah God asks, "Is not my word like as a fire?" On Carmel Elijah did everything at God's word, and the fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust and the water. He asks the church to keep each of these at the back of their minds.

   Illustration: "Some of you are wondering, where is pastor going to? I always go somewhere and never journey aimlessly."

   “I have the bread of life, my fish will always be multiplied, and the fire of God is in me.”

   • Exodus 13:21-22
   • Numbers 11:1
   • Deuteronomy 4:24
   • Psalm 18:6-8
   • Jeremiah 23:29
   • 1 Kings 18:30-39

7. In the beginning was the Word: where did the fire, the fish and the bread come from?

   With John 1 he shows that Jesus is the Word by whom all things were made, and then returns to John 21 and puts it together. Experienced fishermen caught nothing all night, but when the Word said cast the net, it filled with 153 great fishes and did not break. Then he asks where the fire on the shore came from, where the fish on it came from and where the bread came from. It would be ludicrous for Jesus to work that miracle and then go and catch his own fish: the fire was started by the Word, the fish was created by the Word, and the bread of heaven spoke the bread. Then he said, "Come and dine."

   Illustration: "Jesus had matches? Do you think he had a cigarette lighter?" And the disciples did not come ashore asking, "Master, were you fishing? What bait did you use?"

   “The fire came miraculously. The fish was created by the word.”

   • John 1:1-4
   • John 21:1-13
   • Genesis 1:3

8. Whatever he says, do it: faith is an action

   Mary told the servants at the wedding in Cana to do whatever Jesus said. When the church is taught principles from the Word and asked to do certain things, nobody is trying to conjure something up: they are being asked to activate their own miracle. The trouble with God's people is that they are always hoping, but hope is in the future and a hoper never sees anything. To please God you walk in faith and speak the Word.

   “If you will just put some action to your faith, you will see the results.”

   • John 2:5
   • Hebrews 11:6

9. Frame your own miracles by the Word

   Hebrews 11 says the worlds were framed by the word of God, because in Genesis God said "let there be" and there was. He closes with three pictures of a word framing a miracle: Peter walked on the water on the single word "come"; Lazarus, stone cold dead, had to respond to "come forth"; and the storm had to settle when Jesus said "peace, be still". In the same way you will bring your fish, create your fires and bring the bread by the Word, which is living, powerful and the incorruptible seed you were born of.

   Illustration: Peter got out of the boat on a single word, "come", and walked. He was walking on the Word.

   “You will frame your miracles by the word.”

   • Hebrews 11:1-3
   • Matthew 14:28-29
   • John 11:43-44
   • Mark 4:38-39
   • 1 Peter 1:23
   • Hebrews 4:12