What Can You Offer to Jesus?

Short Talk (SHT108a) What can you offer to Jesus? © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: To encourage people to offer what they have to Jesus, trusting that He can do amazing things through them. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Jesus, Giving John 6:1-21, Ephesians 3:20 Year B – The 8th Sunday after Trinity SHORT TALK: “What can you offer to Jesus?” .................................................................................................................. Do you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed when you see or hear about the needs of large numbers of people? We may hear that thousands of people in another country don’t have clean water to drink, or don’t have enough food to eat. • We may hear that thousands of people living in our town don’t know Jesus. • We may hear that thousands of old people are really lonely. When we hear these things we can think to ourselves: “what can I do?” • “I haven’t got very much to offer......I can’t change that situation.” • I wonder if Jesus’ disciples thought those things when faced with a crowd of over 5000 hungry people one day. You see Jesus had asked them the question: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (John 6:5) • and Philip had answered, “It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:7) The disciples knew that they couldn’t do anything to feed all of these people..... • They didn’t have much to offer. • They couldn’t change the situation. But one little boy had five small barley loaves and two small fish which He gave to Jesus. • The little boy simply gave to Jesus what He had, which was probably his packed lunch! • Jesus then went on to feed over five thousand people with that bread and fish, and the Bible tells us that all the people had enough to eat. • Not only that but twelve baskets of leftovers were collected. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 In Jesus’ hands the impossible can happen. • In fact St Paul wrote that: “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (Ephesians 3:20 Message Version) Since that day many followers of Jesus have discovered that when they gave to Jesus the little that they had, Jesus used it in remarkable ways to bless other people, far more than they could have ever imagined. Some of us have money that we can offer to Jesus. • So giving small amounts of money to an overseas water project through an organisation like Tearfund for example, can dramatically change many people’s lives. Access to clean water means that children and adults stay healthy, • and it also means they don’t have to waste hours of time each day walking miles to collect the water that they need from a river. • So why not give some of your pocket money to a water project for a few weeks, giving what you have to Jesus and see Him do wonderful things with it. All of us have time that we can offer to Jesus.....time when we can pray. • Some of you may have heard about two Christian old ladies living on the Isle of Lewis, who were really concerned about the state that their town was in and the many people who rejected Jesus. • They did the only thing that they could do and that was to pray. • They prayed together twice a week for a few hours. • As a result an amazing revival broke out on the Isle of Lewis and many people came to know Jesus. So why not get up 10 minutes earlier each day and spend some time with Jesus praying for members of your family and friends to come to know Him. • Giving our time to Jesus in prayer can do wonderful things in other people’s lives. Some of us have energy that we can use to help other people. • We may not be able to solve the loneliness crisis in our country, but if we are willing to give a little bit of time and energy to visit one older person, perhaps a member of our own family, Jesus can use us to change that person’s life. Let’s be encouraged today by the little boy who offered his bread and fishes to Jesus to offer the little that we have to Jesus too; • be it our time or our energy, • our money or our resources, • our kind words or our prayers, • and trust that in Jesus’ hands what we offer can be used in wonderful ways for the blessing of others. © Jane Hulme 2018 3