Title: The Lamb is the Lord's Lamb
John 21 (21) The sheep are the Lord's sheep
(John 21:15)
< Lessons from the words “Feed my lambs” >
When Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”, Peter answered, “Does the Lord know?” He even gave the initiative to the Lord. In this way, completely surrender the initiative to the Lord. Miracles are given to the 'one who asks'. It is not given, but is given to those who ‘recognize God’s absolute sovereignty and always put God’s will ahead of mine.’ In the end, after receiving Peter’s humble confession of love, the Lord immediately said, “Feed my lambs. .” There are several important lessons in these words of the Lord.
1. The sheep is the Lord's sheep
The Lord said, “My Lamb.” To the pastor, the sheep is not his own, but the Lord's. Even his own children are not his own, but the Lord's. So, you shouldn't be hurting emotionally. Even when scolding or raising the rod, we must pray and respect him as a child of God with a heart of scolding and lifting the rod. Not only my children but also my spouse are not my spouse, but all are the bride of the Lord. Therefore, you should treat your spouse as the bride of the Lord, love, respect, and take good care of them.
The other day, on TV, there was an interview with a 96-year-old grandfather and a 92-year-old grandmother on their 70th wedding anniversary. the announcer asked. "grandfather! If you were born again, would you marry your grandmother?” Grandpa answered. “I should think about it…” I asked my grandmother backwards. "grandmother! Will you marry your grandfather even if you are reborn?” Grandma answered. “I have to take care of it.” The word caring is more moving than the word “I love you.”
It is love to think of your spouse as the Lord's bride and to take care of them. All possessions, including children and spouses, are not his own, but the Lord's. none of mine Everything has been entrusted to you by God. My body is not mine, it is the Lord's, and I have to take good care of it. You can't entrust a big job to someone who can't even take care of themselves. My business is not mine, but I must do my best to run it as the Lord's work.
none of mine The moment he thinks it's mine, a shadow of curse and anxiety is cast over his future. Conversely, if you think that everything is entrusted to you by God, you will find wonderful peace and mysterious blessings.
2. Expand your love
The Lord's expression of "Feed my sheep!" also includes actions to meet specific needs. Saying you love sheep, loving only your heart and not meeting specific needs is sentimental. Love is an action, not a feeling. Everyone has some degree of love. Everyone loves their children. The important thing is to widen the width of that love.
Sometimes, “Feed my sheep!” is misunderstood, so there are people who only think of my family, only my church, and only those around me. Of course, you have to love the people close to you and have unlimited responsibility for them. But that hand must be expanded. The greater the hand, the greater the blessing. Humans instinctively try to narrow the scope of love. So there is a breakup. In the end, that faction causes the greatest harm to the kingdom of God.
Someone added one to the Ten Commandments and made the 11 Commandments. The eleventh commandment is: “Don’t have a step-meeting in church!” In the church, 2 priests, 8 deacons, and 2 lay people go around once a year, and after 3 years with or without anyone joining in the next year, no one can join the meeting. Then, when the board is broken, it becomes a refusal and causes great harm to the church.
God hates factions the most. Excessive local ecclesiology and excessive denominationalism are forms of sectarianism from God's point of view of the entire church. It is necessary to reflect on whether the appearances of the Apollos, Paulians, Peters, and Christians in the Corinthian church are among the denominations today. All churches and members must have a missionary mindset and strive to broaden the breadth of love.
3. Raise your sheep well
Occasionally, there are people who feed the sheep to make money by slaughtering them or selling them by shearing their wool. Animal sheep may do that, but human sheep should not. The Lord did not say, “Raise my sheep and eat them!” He said, “Feed my sheep!” In order to feed sheep well, above all else, you must be your own food. A life in which I become food and satisfy others is the life of the cross.
Occasionally, I see people running to me to eat them. If you look on the Internet, they will use your anonymity to blatantly rush to eat you sometimes. You don't have to fight with them. If you stand with the heart of being food, peace will come to your heart, and God will reward you with great blessings.
After all, “Feed my sheep!” means “Take up the cross!” To die on the cross is the real way to live. The miracle is that when I declare death on the cross, my wounds and pain are healed, and my anger disappears. You have to die to be healed.
Someone was under anesthesia for surgery, and after anesthesia, someone poked the anesthesia site with a needle, and he said, “Ouch! Then the doctor said, “Oh! He's not dead yet!" and delayed the operation. If you don't die, there is no surgery or treatment. You have to die to get surgery and treatment. When you face the cross of the Lord and shout that you are in pain, if you shout that it is difficult, healing will not happen. On the other hand, if you think that you are dead and remain still, then a wonderful healing history will occur.
If I am alive, diseases are alive, but when I am completely dead, both physical and spiritual germs die. In order to cure my physical and spiritual ailments, above all else, “He died on the cross! I will take up my cross and die!” At that moment, all wounds and misfortunes, all curses and pains disappear, and physical ailments are healed.