Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: Life Movement Beyond Life (Matthew 14:13-21)
Lecturer: Pastor Ryu Gwang-su
Date/Location: March 20, 2022, Immanuel Ulsan Church
Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Summary
▣ Introduction
1. What we must check – the final checkup of my life
1) He taught us what true blessing and prayer are (Matthew 5, 6).
2) He took the disciples to the field and taught them what evangelism is and where life comes from and where it is going (Matthew 10).
3) He taught us what the kingdom of God that must come when we pray is (Matthew 12).
4) He explained what evangelism and the gospel are through parables (Matthew 13).
5) Jesus fed more than five thousand people with one lunchbox and had twelve baskets left over (Matthew 14).
6) Jesus asked the final important question (Matthew 16). – “Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am?”
(1) Peter’s confession – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(2) From that point on, he told them everything, up to the very last things.
(3) “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. The gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
7) He achieved complete victory at Mt. Calvary. He called those disciples to Mt Olive and gave them a promise. That promise was fulfilled in the upper room of Mark.
▷ These disciples who appeared so weak evangelized the world. This must be thoroughly examined. The gospel and the work of the gospel, the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit, are different things. Power comes when the Holy Spirit works.
2. Preparing the vessel for world evangelization – Before world evangelization, one must receive the blessing of world evangelization.
▷ Once the preparation called world evangelization is in place, God begins to work from that point on.
1) Slaves, captives, a subjugated nation – this is the suffering found in the Bible because the preparation for world evangelization was not made.
▷ God’s plan never changes. Someone who only knows their own church is not prepared for world evangelization. Someone who is prepared for world evangelization thinks first of other churches and mission fields.
2) Rome – God blessed Rome because of world evangelization and inserted the gospel into Rome.
▷ God is set to use the church with 237 prepared, along with its members and church leaders.
3) The Remnants of the Bible who were prepared for world evangelization – God took everything to the places where they were.
▣ Main – The Vessel and Path of World Evangelization
1. Jesus looked at the crowd and had compassion on them (v. 14). This is the gospel.
▷ Without the gospel, when you see someone who did wrong you feel hatred, and when you see something incorrect it is hard to bear. Once I understood the gospel, I felt compassion. Without the gospel I was taught to survive in the competition of survival. Once I understood the gospel, I could see that those people were struggling. You must have the strength to have compassion for them in order to save the world.
1) The Romans who were under the delusion that they had to conquer the world in order to survive are pitiful souls. In every age, Satan has entered into leaders and incited wars.
2) The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and Herodians who thought they had succeeded by securing positions in a nation that was under a foreign power are pitiful people.
3) He had compassion on those who came with demon-possessed illnesses, those dying of disease, and the poor.
▷ If the gospel is not shared, spiritual problems spread just as COVID spreads. When God called us, he called us with the eyes of salvation and the gospel. We must also look with those eyes.
2. What God sees as urgent (v. 14)
1) The sick had gathered to hear the word and receive healing, but the sun had set and it had become mealtime. Jesus blessed one lunchbox and with it fed more than five thousand people, with some left over.
2) If Christ blesses you and works in your work, tremendous things happen.
▷ It is a miracle from our perspective, but not from God’s perspective.
3. We must not do a counterfeit movement but a true life movement.
1) “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” We must grasp the real thing (John 6:63). – When the miracle of the five loaves and two fish happened, the people said they would make Jesus king. Jesus fled to the mountain and spoke to the disciples about true life.
2) We have been given God’s blessing that can save the world, and so we must hold on to it.
▷ World evangelization is God’s will, but I feel inadequate. When I was a student I walked into every middle school and high school in Busan and evangelized. During my time as an associate pastor, there were so many trials in every church, so I prayed and evangelized alongside a small number of those with a calling. When I was sent to plant a church in Yeongdo, they told me I could only use the space on Sundays. No matter. I planted 300 churches throughout Yeongdo and all of Busan and did Bible study. God raised up a thousand disciples all at once.
3) Spread the word movement throughout all of Ulsan. – With the eyes of the throne that have compassion, give them what is most urgent. With those eyes. With eyes that can truly give life.
▣ Conclusion – Find the Secret of 24.
1. 24 – It is about thinking of that alone.
2. 25 – The kingdom of God comes.
3. Eternity – Your small dedication will never disappear.
▷ Hold on to the covenant of “70 disciples, 70 regions, 70 tribes, 70 nations.” It does not happen merely by working hard at evangelism. The heart of compassion that God sees, what God sees as most urgent and most longed for by those people – do not do a counterfeit movement, do a life movement. “Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Transcript
A few years ago I boarded a plane to fly somewhere but the plane wasn’t moving. Since I fly a lot and tend to sit near the front, a flight attendant came and told me the reason the plane wasn’t taking off. The plane could go, but when a check was done inside the plane, a red light came on. A red light means something is wrong, and they were trying to find out where the problem was. So the flight attendant said, even though we could go, they were looking to confirm it for certain. Quite a bit of time had passed. Time passed, and then the flight attendant came back and said we were going now. If she had told someone else it would have caused a scene. She came and told me what they had found. The worker up front who fuels the plane had forgotten to put fuel in and left. Well, we could still take off, since there was some fuel remaining. But what would happen then? There’s no fuel. Accidents don’t happen because of lack of skill – they happen because of failing to do these checks. Recently in Gwangju something collapsed too – all because of failing to do the checks.
You all probably have important matters and prayer requests. And there are times when we begin something, thinking, “I must do this now.” In particular, our Immanuel Ulsan Church is now at an important juncture with the sanctuary construction about to begin.
▣ Introduction
1. What we must check – the final checkup of my life
What is it that we need to check? Even if you have no strength at all, there is a way to do world evangelization. Even if you have nothing right now, it is possible. Because God called the people of Galilee who seemed to have no strength at all and accomplished world evangelization through them. So those Jews with darkened spiritual eyes just kept persecuting them. Even Rome persecuted them. But this gospel evangelized even Rome. The important thing here is that today Jesus has fed more than five thousand people with just one lunchbox, with leftovers. Before that, there were one or two important things.
1) He taught us what true blessing and prayer are (Matthew 5, 6).
Jesus took them up the mountain and taught them what true blessing and prayer are.
2) He took the disciples to the field and taught them what evangelism is and where life comes from and where it is going (Matthew 10).
He then took those disciples to the field and explained in Matthew chapter 10 what evangelism is and where life comes from and where it is going.
3) He taught us what the kingdom of God that must come when we pray is (Matthew 12).
And there was a third thing. What was it? He explained what it means for God’s kingdom to truly come when we pray. That is Matthew chapter 12.
4) He explained what evangelism and the gospel are through parables (Matthew 13).
And continuing on from there, he used parables – seven of them – to explain what evangelism is and what the gospel is.
5) Jesus fed more than five thousand people with one lunchbox and had twelve baskets left over (Matthew 14).
Then Jesus went far out into the fields and people just kept following him. So many followed that there were more than five thousand men alone. The sun was going down and there was nothing to eat, but Jesus fed five thousand people from one lunchbox and had twelve baskets left over – that is the miracle story.
6) Jesus asked the final important question (Matthew 16).
But there is something even more important. Jesus asked a final question. Before that he had not said anything important at all. What was the final important question? “Who do people say I am?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
(1) Peter’s confession
No one could answer, but Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(2) From that point on, he told them everything, up to the very last things.
From that point on, Jesus told them everything. He spoke of bearing the cross and spoke of everything up to the last days.
(3) “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. The gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. The gates of Hades will certainly not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” That is what he said.
7) He achieved complete victory at Mt. Calvary. He called those disciples to Mt Olive and gave them a promise. That promise was fulfilled in the upper room of Mark.
And then the final thing – he achieved complete victory at Mt. Calvary. He called those disciples to Mt Olive. Right? And he gave them a promise. That promise was fulfilled in the upper room of Mark. These disciples who seemed so weak evangelized the world. You must examine this carefully. Because you are God’s people, you must thoroughly examine this important work that God has given.
The gospel and the work of the gospel are the same words but they are different things. Right? “Making rice” and “eating rice” are the same words but they are different. You have to eat the rice – rice is just rice on its own. The Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit are different words. Right? Power comes when the Holy Spirit works. The gospel and the work of the gospel are different. Check this and think, “This is the final checkup of my life.” Think, “I am doing the final checkup of my life and now I am starting.”
2. Preparing the vessel for world evangelization – Before world evangelization, one must receive the blessing of world evangelization.
What is the covenant that all our family members around the world today, and especially those in Ulsan, must hold on to? If we want to do world evangelization, we must first receive the blessing of world evangelization. Right?
Everyone knows the term “world evangelization.” But as for actually doing world evangelization – once that vessel preparation is made, God gives you everything without you even having to ask. This time it is the response that all the churches in our cell group, all the church leaders and ministers, must find. Once you are prepared as a vessel for world evangelization, God is set to pour everything out. Right?
Think about it, everyone. No matter how much money you have, do you give your kindergarten-aged grandchildren pocket money of 100 million or 200 million won at a time? You can’t do that. It would kill them. But your own children, your older children, your successful children – couldn’t you give them 100 million or 200 million for something special? It’s the same. Once you are prepared as a vessel for world evangelization, God begins to work from that moment on. It is nearly because the preparation for world evangelization has not been made that you receive all the suffering in the Bible.
1) Slaves, captives, a subjugated nation
Because the preparation for world evangelization was not made, the Israelites had to be sent into slavery. Right? Because world evangelization must certainly happen, because the spiritual must be blocked, since Israel was not prepared, God had to take them into captivity and make them a subjugated nation. God’s plan never changes. If all the members of our family throughout the country and the world prepare themselves as vessels for world evangelization, God is set to work. Already, when you look at most pastors, all they know is “our church.” I am sorry to say it, but they are people not prepared for world evangelization. God cannot pour into that place. Right? Someone already prepared for world evangelization thinks about other churches first. That is the only way world evangelization will happen. Right? They think about mission fields. That is the only way world evangelization will happen, isn’t it? It is not difficult.
If world evangelization is prepared in Ulsan, God will bring all blessings to Ulsan. Right? One person appeared who was prepared with the word “world evangelization.” That person is Joseph. God took everything to wherever Joseph went. Do not be deceived. No matter how many wonderful things you say, God’s word and man’s word are different. Right? It never changes.
2) Rome
God blessed Rome because of world evangelization. He laid out all the military roads, trade roads, and sea routes, and then God inserted the gospel into Rome. That is how the world is saved. Because the entire world is spiritually growing darker, God is set to use the churches, members, and church leaders prepared with 237. I went to the United States once and there was this Remnant – a truly outstanding Remnant. A certain professor came to tell me about them. He said this person should not be here but if they went to a certain region, they could be enormously successful. I said, “Is that so?” I didn’t know about that part of things, so I would tell them myself. What was so funny was that the church’s church leaders and pastor were holding onto this young person. Why? Because they didn’t want to let them go. This was a person who, if sent to another region, entered a different university, and met certain professors, could become a great figure – and they were not sending them. What do you think? That is not being prepared for world evangelization. It is hard to receive an answer.
3) The Remnants of the Bible who were prepared for world evangelization
Starting today, all the church leaders, members, and Remnants of Immanuel Ulsan Church are going to prepare themselves as vessels for world evangelization. Do not worry. Even if you just stay still – where is Joseph? Where is Moses? Where is Samuel, where is David? Right? Where are Elijah and Elisha? Where is Daniel now? Where is Esther? Where is Paul? It is finished. God takes everything there. What church in Ulsan can do world evangelization? Just prepare for that and you are done. In reality, people are not yet prepared. But once they are, the work happens. Isn’t that right?
In our history, there are those who, when our country was in crisis, truly sold all their wealth – though they were very wealthy – gave it to the independence army, and lived as paupers. That person truly knew the nation. You all know who that is.
▣ Main – The Vessel and Path of World Evangelization
So today if you look closely at this passage alone, you can understand it as, “With just one lunchbox, five thousand people ate and there was still some left over.” There are three vessels and three paths of world evangelization.
1. Jesus looked at the crowd and had compassion on them (v. 14). This is the gospel.
First. The issue is not Jesus blessing the crowd with just one lunchbox. That is simple for Jesus. It says he had compassion on them. Right? This is the gospel. Before I knew the gospel, no matter how much I went to church, when I saw someone who did wrong I would feel hatred. Because I had no gospel. Right? And when I saw something incorrect it was hard to bear. Once I grasped the gospel, I felt compassion. Right? Before, when I looked at the world without the gospel, the only thing I had learned from the world was this: you have to fight. You have to survive in this competition of survival. That is what I was taught, in school. Once I understood the gospel, that was not it at all. Those people are struggling. You must have the strength to have compassion for them to save the world. Is that right or not? If a pastor has no heart of compassion for those dying souls, for those who make mistakes, for those who do wrong – I am sorry to say, but he is not qualified. No matter how many churches there are, if they have absolutely no heart to feel compassion for those dying souls – that is not a church. You must open your eyes.
1) The Romans who were under the delusion that they had to conquer the world in order to survive are pitiful souls. In every age, Satan has entered into leaders and incited wars.
The Romans at that time had conquered Israel. Right? How about that? Do you know what kind of mindset those Romans had? “We must conquer the world to survive.” That is the delusion they were under. These are pitiful souls, right now. This is what is pitiful. To look at this and feel envy? Then praying forever is of no use. It is wrong. Right? Look at Russia right now. They are just attacking, and if you feel, “Wow, Russia is impressive,” then no amount of prayer is of any use. It has been this way in every age. In every age, Satan enters into leaders. He enters and incites wars. There are various reasons, but what is the biggest reason? They think, “If we don’t do this, we will die.” So in the old days Japan thought, “We must conquer Korea. Otherwise we will die. We must attack China and Russia.” Eventually they even started the Pacific War. “This is how we survive” – that was the delusion they were under. It happens in every age. Jesus sees those people and feels even more compassion.
2) The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and Herodians who thought they had succeeded by securing positions in a subjugated nation are pitiful people.
Look at something even more ridiculous. The Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and Herodians. They think they have succeeded. They are even more pitiful. The nation has become a territory of Rome. The country is gone. They have secured one position by clinging to Rome. They think that is success.
3) He had compassion on those who came with demon-possessed illnesses, those dying of disease, and the poor.
At this time the people kept coming with demon-possessed illnesses, as we saw earlier. People dying of disease, poor people just kept flooding in. What do you think, everyone? You don’t necessarily have to shed tears from your eyes. Right? Jesus looked at these people and had compassion. They were so desperate that five thousand of them followed him all the way up the mountain. Look at this scene. “With just one lunchbox he performed a miracle, five thousand people ate and twelve baskets were left over.” Is that what this is about right now? Jesus had compassion on them. The first path connecting you and us to the throne that must open our eyes to save the world is that. Because God had compassion on them.
People today do not know. As for why the gospel must be shared – spiritual problems spread just as COVID spreads. This COVID is a tremendous lesson. Spiritual problems spread just as COVID spreads. So it must be stopped. It is the same with the gospel. It is a disaster – people are dying, to a pitiful degree. A politician who understood this – isn’t that Lincoln? This afternoon I will meet the mayor and give him a message and pray for him. When God called us, he called us with the eyes of the saved gospel. So we must also look with those eyes.
2. What God sees as urgent (v. 14)
Second. What is the second path connecting you to receiving the blessing of the throne and to world evangelization? What God sees as urgent when he looks. It is urgent, right now.
1) The sick had gathered to hear the word and receive healing, but the sun had set and it had become mealtime. Jesus blessed one lunchbox and with it fed more than five thousand people, with some left over.
Today in verse 14, the sick had been flooding in again. Even though it had become night, these people had not gone home but had gathered in the field there, following Jesus. Even though there was nothing to eat, they were there. They had not gathered there asking Jesus for food. They had gathered to hear the word and receive healing, and then the sun set and it became mealtime. Jesus blessed one lunchbox. Five thousand people ate from it. What is that miracle? We do not even need to explain it. Because when Christ blesses you, it surpasses imagination. Right?
2) If Christ blesses you and works in your work, tremendous things happen.
The word “Christ” is immense. If this word works in your work, tremendous things happen. It is a miracle from our perspective, but not from God’s perspective. Right?
A while back – I see our daughter had two apples and said, “Give one to your brother and you eat one.” But this child apparently ate them both by herself, alone. So of course that became a problem. I said I understood, and went to the store and bought a whole bag of apples and brought it over. How does that child look at me? She looks at me with immense respect. From her perspective that is a big deal; from mine it is only a few thousand won. When God works, it is incomparable to this world and its power that humans have made.
3. We must not do a counterfeit movement but a true life movement.
Third. What is the third path to enjoying the blessing of the throne and truly doing world evangelization? Do not do a counterfeit movement but a true life movement.
1) “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” We must grasp the real thing (John 6:63).
This feeding of the five thousand appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and all of John. We should pay some attention to this. Since it appears in all four. But in John’s Gospel it is recorded this way: when five thousand were fed from five loaves and two fish and there were leftovers, the people became frenzied and said they would make that person king. Jesus fled to the mountain. The disciples followed him there. Then Jesus spoke. “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” We must grasp the real thing. What did Jesus say? Is the miracle of the five loaves and two fish what is important? Jesus explained it directly. “Did not our ancestors eat manna in the wilderness? Is that so important?” They were hungry, so God provided. “That is not so important.” That is what he is saying. He was truly speaking about life.
2) We have been given God’s blessing that can save the world, and so we must hold on to it.
Today you must hold on to this covenant. So because God has truly given you his blessing that can save the world, you hold firmly on to it. It is not difficult.
When I was a student – a university student – world evangelization is God’s will but I felt inadequate. Now, as a student I had no money. Right? I needed to be able to travel the whole world freely, but I had no such money, being a student. But it was not about that. What I did at that time was walk into every middle school and high school in Busan and evangelize. I saw tremendous things there. So it is not something you cannot do. God provides everything.
I served as an associate pastor for a long time. But looking around, there were so many trials in every church. I was not worth a single one of them. They looked truly pitiful to me. It was not that I was disrespecting the elders – they genuinely looked pitiful to me. That was my feeling as an associate pastor. Truly. The elders seemed truly pitiful, I tell you. Those pastors who operate with humanistic thinking and strategy – they truly seemed pitiful when I saw them. So there were a small number of people with a calling. I prayed and evangelized alongside those people. God blessed just that. What is difficult about it? It is not difficult. You must not miss it.
So I was called to plant a church in Yeongdo and when I arrived there was no church building, nothing at all. We needed to have worship services but they said we could only use the space on Sundays. The factory was closed on Sundays so they said use it only on Sundays – but then how would you have early morning prayer in Busan there? How would you have Wednesday services? That was the situation. No matter. I planted 300 churches throughout Yeongdo and all of Busan and did Bible study. God raised up a thousand disciples all at once.
3) Spread the word movement throughout all of Ulsan.
Do it in Ulsan. Once the church building is built, spread the word movement throughout all of Ulsan. You cannot do it with other things. With the eyes of the throne that have compassion. Right? You cannot do it with other things. You must give them right now what is most urgent to them, with those eyes. Whether it’s five loaves and two fish, a lunchbox, or bread – those are not what is important. With eyes that can truly give life. The work will happen. Your time has come. For the church leaders who are in the final stages of their lives – you have encountered the greatest opportunity. Watch and see. Ulsan will be saved. God’s work is completely different from human thinking. At times.
▣ Conclusion – Find the Secret of 24.
1. 24
So this year, according to our theme, find the secret of 24. What is the secret of 24? It is about thinking of that alone. Now, the church has entrusted me with the Sunday school – what do I have to think about? Sunday school and my own studies. I was a student so I thought about just those two things. What else is there to think about? There is nothing to worry about either. If you have nothing, you can walk around. Right? If there’s nothing to eat, you can just not eat. What is there to worry about? You have a solid church backing. You have the church backing. You evangelize with that backing. That is 24. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.
2. 25
Then the kingdom of God comes – that is 25.
3. Eternity
Your small dedication will never disappear. That is what we call eternity. So churches across the country and the world, after this missions conference, hold on to it. 70 disciples, 70 regions, 70 tribes, 70 nations. Especially in Ulsan, do it properly. It does not happen merely by working hard at evangelism. The heart of compassion that God sees. You cannot do it with other things. The Spirit knows well.
The Holy Spirit is not deceived by us, and Satan knows well too. What God sees as most urgent and what those people long for most deeply. Do that – that is what I am saying. Do not do a counterfeit movement, do a life movement. That is all. As our elder prayed today: “Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus that this will be the greatest beginning. I pray that you spend all of today in prayer and receive answers throughout the whole week. Let us pray.
Prayer. We give thanks to God. We pray that today will be a day to grasp the important covenant. Help us to see with a heart of compassion, open our eyes to see the desperate souls, and open our eyes so that we may do a life movement and not merely a loaves-and-fish movement. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.