Introduce Philip to you in a new way.

Philip – The “Realist” Philip - this name is unique among the disciples… He is from Bethsaida a small town of little significance other that fishing. The town had maybe 100 inhabitants Maybe 6-8 families… Very insulary… But so far we have met men with names like simon, james, johnHe is the first one whom Jesus physically sought out, and the first one to whom Jesus actually said, "Follow Me.“ His name is Greek – it is likely he is from a family of Hellenists… Jews who had sold out their culture to practice Greek culture.

Philips interactions with Christ give us insight into Philip.

John 1:43-45 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee John 1:43-45 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 1:43-45 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee John 1:43-45 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 6:1-7 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?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 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?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Philip had been there when the Lord created wine out of water (John 2: 2). He had already seen numerous times when Jesus had healed people, including several creative and regenerative miracles. But when he saw that great crowd, he began to feel overwhelmed by the impossible. He lapsed into materialistic thinking. And when Jesus tested his faith, he responded with open unbelief. It can't be done. analytical, and pragmatic— completely materialistic and earthbound. He could do the math but he couldn’t see the miracles He knew too much arithmetic to be adventurous. facts clouded his faith. obsessed with this temporal predicament that he was oblivious to the transcendental possibilities limitless supernatural power of Christ had completely escaped his thinking. As Jesus taught them elsewhere, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,' Philip needed to learn that lesson. Everything seemed impossible to him. He needed to set aside his materialistic, pragmatic, common- sense concerns and learn to lay hold of the supernatural potential of faith.

Why does He call a Philip – So he can teach Philip and all of us “Nothing is impossible with God”

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Is your God too Small? If you have predetermined what God must do or how he can respond. You have left no room for him to do exceedingly beyond what you could ever ask or imagine.

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