As the title says, I ate and had leftovers.
Contents
John 6:5-13 They ate as they wanted, and there was leftover.
After praying to God, there are cases in which the best effect can be achieved only when the prayer is exactly right. It is a case where there is no more left, no less, and it has to fit. An example is our church library. Many people look at our church library and wonder where the hell did they get 15,000 books, including 5,000 comic books. When we bought this church building about 7 years ago, the place that is now used as the church library was the Thrift Shop run by the former owner of the Anglican Church.
When we bought this church building 7 years ago, there was a bookstore called ‘Culture Love’ in Calgary. As the bookstore closed due to unavoidable circumstances, they were looking for a place to donate their books and bookshelves. But when we bought the church building, it was the only place where we could put so many books. As we carried the book and the bookshelf, we truly felt God's provision. All the bookshelves fit snugly, as if they were measured with a ruler. In this case, the size of the bookshelf should neither be large nor small. It should fit very well.
And even when you move into a new house and purchase furniture, the size of the furniture should not be left over or not enough. If the window curtains or blinds are fitted, but the size is insufficient or left, I hate to see it. And furniture that is too big or too small doesn't look good. It should be just right. So, some people buy a house by matching the size of the furniture they have and the structure of the house when they buy a house. Also, in the case of shoes and clothes, the size of your feet and body should be just right.
However, there are cases where God's answers and blessings need to be more relaxed than perfect, and more abundant and remaining. A member of my family comes to church on Saturday and puts rice in the rice cooker in advance for all the members to eat together on Sunday. At this time, even if there is rice left, it is not enough. And when preparing the sacrament, I always prepare leisurely. This is because there are people who cannot attend the sacrament because they do not have enough sacrament.
In the Bible, when God gives blessings to us, there are cases in which He gives us abundantly abundantly. At the beginning of his public life, Jesus met Peter and other fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They struggled all night to catch fish, but failed to catch a single fish and came back empty-handed. Then Jesus used Peter's boat for a while to preach the word of God to the crowd on the shore.
And then I tell Peter. “Go out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” In obedience to Jesus' words, Peter once again dragged his tired body and cast his net into the depths of the Sea of Galilee. Then, there were a lot of fish wrapped around it, and even the boat of a colleague who was next to him was blessed with full ships. Life unfolded in an instant with overflowing blessings. Sadness and anxieties vanished, and joy appeared on his face. This year we wish to receive these overflowing blessings. So, I hope that the light of worry will completely disappear from your face and you will be filled with joy.
And after Jesus was resurrected, I met Peter again on the Sea of Galilee. Some of the disciples, including Peter, were depressed because of the death of Jesus, and returned to their main occupation, fishermen, to catch fish. But again, they did not catch a single fish. At this time, Jesus appeared and said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat.”
Hearing these words, he obeyed them and caught too many fish to the point of being unable to lift the nets. When they came out to the beach and counted the fish they caught, it was 153. 153 is a number of abundant blessings. I pray that these abundant blessings will come to our church this year and also to all the members of the congregation.
This is today's main story. It is a very famous story that everyone who has been to church for several years knows. The title is 'The Miracle of Oh Byung-Eye'. It is the story of Jesus feeding fifteen thousand adults with five barley loaves and two fish, and there were twelve baskets left. I am truly blessed by hearing this story. It is none other than that Jesus cares about what we eat. In other words, Jesus doesn't just want our souls and spirits to be well, He also wants us to do well with our bodies as well.
Of course, the rule of faith is that the body must prosper only when the soul prospers first. But we want the soul to prosper, and the body to prosper together. The generation of Koreans who are 50 or older like me is a generation that knows hunger. I have been eating wheat flour Sujebi for quite some time since the house ran out of rice. I ran out of rice and flour, so I borrowed some from the neighbor, but when I came back, there was no briquettes to cook them. So I went to the mountain, picked up branches, and made a fire. And while acting, he squeaks and snorts to eat. Of course, there are no side dishes. If you have soy sauce, you dip it and eat it.
Those who are tired of eating in this way receive great blessings from eating abundantly. In today's text, verse 11, we find this verse. “They give meat as they please.” Hallelujah! There are probably vegetarians who don't like meat. However, there are some people who really like meat. Meat side dishes were very rare in Korea in the 1960s. It was a time when only the rich could not bring a stew of meat to their lunch box.
Moreover, very few people ate meat as much as they wanted. Then, in verse 11 of today's text, we see the phrase, “He gives meat as they please.” This is a truly precious bible verse. Perhaps the starving people of North Korea will receive considerable grace when they read this verse. And drooling, “I want to eat meat as much as I want.” and maybe pray. However, the text says that after eating as much as he wanted, there was still leftovers, and when he gathered up the remainder, it became twelve baskets. Hallelujah!
How abundant are you guys? It really makes me feel good just listening to it. When I was young, when my family was very poor, sometimes my mother would go to the house for a feast and bring leftovers with me. The three of us have been waiting eagerly and eagerly for the food that our mother brings to the house for a feast. However, if there is no food left in the house for the feast, and mother does not bring any food, the three of us will die of grass. And that day our house becomes a heavy and sombre atmosphere.
Gentlemen, to eat abundantly is an expression of wealth. Moreover, having leftovers after eating a lot is an expression of having a lot of room to spare. We hope that Jesus will bless us this year, but as abundantly as in the text, so that we can afford it. And I wish you to share and give it with that leisurely blessing. There is a Korean proverb that says, “I have a heart for people in the world.” When my warehouse is full, I need to be relaxed so that I can be kind to others and live my life.
There is a verse in the Bible like this. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that ye, always having sufficiency in all things, may abound for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Because it fills you up, it makes you able to do many good deeds.
Ladies and gentlemen, if my warehouse is not plentiful and insufficient, giving to others may become sparse. Therefore, this year we want to receive a leisurely blessing. The Bible clearly promises. “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) “The grace of our Lord abounds abounding, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1: 14)
Everyone, I want everyone in this world to receive abundant blessings. It is our God who bestows such abundant blessings. So we confess. “You have set a table in the sight of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5) “The pastures are covered with sheep, and the valleys are covered with grain; And sing again.” (Psalm 65:13) “You shall eat abundantly, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has given you wonderful hospitality” (Joel 2:26).
There is one thing we must do to receive the abundant blessings of God. It is none other than preparing a vessel that can contain God's abundant blessings. If the vessel is small, God can only give small things. If you do not prepare the vessel at all, God is sorry, but you cannot give it at all.
2 Kings 4 tells this story. One day, the wife of the Prophet's cadet comes to Elisha and complains with tears. “Prophet Elisha, my husband was in debt while he was alive and he died a while ago. However, Chae-ju arrives and wants to have two sons as servants. Now maybe I'm fine?” The prophet Elisha heard this story and asked. “What do you have in your house?” “Yes, I have nothing in my house but a bottle of oil.”
“You go out and borrow a bowl from your neighbor. Pray for an empty vessel, but not a little, but a lot. Then close the door and pour oil into all the vessels.” This woman borrowed a vessel from a neighbor as Elisha had said. And I closed the door and poured oil into the bowl I borrowed with my two sons, and the oil kept coming out even after pouring it. The woman tells her sons to bring more bowls, but they say. “Mom, I don’t have a bowl anymore.” As soon as these words fell, the oil just stopped.
In other words, while the vessel is being prepared, blessings come, but there is no vessel.
The blessings have also ceased. Perhaps this woman thought to herself this way. “If I had known this would have been the case, I would have prepared more large bowls!” In other words, it is a lesson that we need to prepare the vessel of our heart in order to receive God's abundant blessings. God wants to give us abundant blessings as much as possible. To do this, we must first prepare a very wide, large, and leisurely vessel for our hearts.
And don't forget. Use your compassion when God grants you abundant blessings in a foreign land with ease. In other words, use it wisely according to the will of the One who said it. Don't steal the blessings you have been given by collecting all at once and saying that you will use your heart, but find time to pay tithes, small or large, every now and then.
Conclusion. The theme of our church this year is 'Relaxation'. Relaxation of heart for the Lord, room of material for the Lord, room of time for the Lord, and room of environment for the Lord are given to each person, and they must use the free space for the Lord, overflowing with joy, reward, and happiness I bless you in the name of the Lord that you enjoy the book.