Turning a $5 Investment into $4655

A modern-day miracle took place at CrossPoint yesterday.  The Lord turned a $5 investment into $4,655 in less than three hours.  For those doing the math, that is 93,000% return on investment.

At the conclusion of my message I asked if anyone could match my $5 offering.  I wanted to use the money to minister to some families in our community of faith who had recently encountered financial hardship.  Yet I knew my $5 would not go far in meeting their needs.  And the Lord’s people responded generously.

I was preaching from Luke 9:1-6, 10-17, where Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish.  The miracle of feeding the 5,000 men is the only miracle recorded in all four gospel accounts.

In John’s gospel Jesus asked Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:3). The Bible adds, “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do” (John 6:4).

Luke’s says that Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” The apostles responded, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people” (Luke 6:13).

Luke continues:

14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”  15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Luke 9:14-17

Jesus performed two miracles that day.  First, 5,000 men were fed and satisfied with only five loaves and two fish.  Second, twelve baskets of broken leftovers were collected.  Yet this would have never taken place unless the disciples had given Jesus what they had.  As long as they kept their resources, Jesus waited.  When they gave what they had, Jesus multiplied.

So I asked my people what they had to give.  I asked if anyone could match my $5, and CrossPoint did more than match the money.  They gave exceedingly and abundantly more than I could ever give.

After counting the cash offering, we nailed down three applications:

1. Our resources alone are woefully in adequate to meet the needs of others.
2. We must place our resources in the hands of the Lord and willingly release control of them over to Him.
3. He, in turn, blesses them and places them back into our hands multiplied, more powerful than we can ever imagine.

Today several families will benefit from our miracle.  Thank you, CrossPoint for making it possible.  A 93,000% return on investment is certainly a better than average return, especially in today’s economy.