Are We Called To Be Technicians or Transformers?

I’m giving this devotional for our DMin seminar on Thursday morning, March 4, 2010 at Fuller Seminary.

In Matthew 14:13-21, we have the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.  This is an interesting story for several reasons, but I want us to focus on the disciples response to Jesus.  And, I want us to think about how we do ministry in light of this story.

Of course, the story goes that Jesus had just heard that John the Baptist had been killed.  He attempted to withdraw to a “solitary place” but the crowds followed him. The Bible says he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

As the day wore on and was nearing sundown, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a remote place and it’s already late.  Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

Jesus response was first, “They don’t need to go away.”

And, secondly, he said, “You give them something to eat.”  In other words, you feed them.

The disciples did a quick inventory, and said, “We have only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.”  Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”

You know the story from that point on:  Jesus has the crowd seated, he blesses the bread, and then gives it to the disciples to hand out.  They hand it out, everyone eats, and then they take up 12 basketfuls after everyone has eaten and is satisfied.  One basketful for each disciple.  Keep that in mind.

A Personal Story

In the late 1980s I was in my first DMin program here at Fuller.  I was studying Church Growth with Peter Wagner, John Wimber, and Eddie Gibbs.   I was actually very good at  the technique of growing churches.  I had grown a small country church