Sunday 1st Service Worship
Title/Scripture: Time Table of Three True Miracles (Mark 8:1-10)
Speaker: Pastor Ryu Kwang-soo
Date/Location: July 3, 2022, Immanuel Church (Seoul)
Mark 8:1-10
01 During those days another large crowd gathered, and they had nothing to eat, so Jesus called the disciples to him and said,
02 I have compassion for the crowd, because they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
03 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, for some of them have come from a great distance.
04 The disciples answered, Where in this wilderness could anyone get enough bread to feed these people?
05 Jesus asked them, How many loaves do you have? They said, Seven.
06 He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks and broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and the disciples distributed them to the crowd.
07 They also had a few small fish, so after blessing them, he told the disciples to distribute these as well.
08 They ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven basketfuls of the leftover pieces.
09 There were about four thousand people. After sending them away,
10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
Summary
I originally used to think, does God exist? Does prayer really bring an answer? But then, as the gospel became clear to me, I felt I needed to pray, and so I began praying. I thought that even though I prayed, no answer ever came, but that was my own mistaken assumption. Without showing any visible sign, God had been answering perfectly.
▣ Introduction
1. Thanksgiving is what comes out when the fulfillment of God’s word, the answering of prayer, and the history of salvation are believed and one comes to live within that flow.
2. Not having recovered thanksgiving means that I myself am broken. It must absolutely be restored.
3. Background of the text – the story of the seven loaves and two fish feeding four thousand people with leftovers (Mark 8:1-10), and the story Jesus told the disciples afterward when the five loaves and two fish fed five thousand people with leftovers (John 6)
1) “Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness. Is that really so important? God gave us life.”
2) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.”
▣ Main_ Must Receive Three True Answers
1. What was enjoyed during the 40 years in the wilderness during the time of slavery
1) The three feasts, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant
(1) The three feasts
① Passover (salvation) – Life keeps bringing curses, and we cannot fight and win against Satan. On the day the blood of the lamb was applied, God set Israel free. The moment you grasp this covenant, the darkness that keeps knocking you down collapses.
② The Feast of Weeks / Pentecost (working through the power of the Holy Spirit) – Pharaoh and the whole world said the Israelite people would die on the way, but instead they reaped a harvest.
③ The Feast of Ingathering / Thanksgiving (our background is the throne) – They said everyone would die in the wilderness, but instead they reaped grain and stored it in barns.
(2) The tabernacle – it was the people who held on to this covenant who gathered at the tabernacle.
(3) The ark of the covenant – the ark of the covenant is what contains this covenant.
2) God, who set the Israelite people free from bondage to Egypt, Egyptian culture, and Satan – I asked God about something that had me bound. “God, you are almighty, so why am I powerless? God, you are the Creator, so why are we poor? God, you are the God of power, so why can’t we evangelize?”
3) The 40 years in the wilderness were the time of the greatest blessing – Those who did not know this and kept complaining were the ones who did not enter the land of Canaan. Only those who came out of Egypt and entered the land of Canaan could become witnesses (Joshua, Caleb).
2. Those who understood the reason for the 70 years of captivity, held on to the covenant, and went to Babylon
1) Those who held on to the prophesied covenant – they completely broke free from captivity and powerlessness.
(1) Joel 2:28 “I will pour out my Spirit on my servants, men and women, like water poured out.”
(2) Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”
(3) Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
2) Those who understood the reason – this is the time when God moves the key figures of world evangelization who hold back darkness across the whole world. The Israelite people had the mission and the blessing to evangelize the world, but because they did not, God naturally sent them into slavery. In order to accomplish world evangelization, they had to be pulled out of Egypt in the end. That is when God gave the power of Pentecost.
▷ Just as one man, Moses, changed the whole of Egypt, because of you, one person, the entire destiny of your family line will be changed.
3) They set their resolve (Daniel 1:8) – Daniel and his friends set their resolve. Because you have broken free from the darkness, do not worry, but carry this covenant and go into Babylon (the world).
▷ If you let go of the gospel, disaster covers the whole region.
3. The early church, which understood the reason for becoming a colony of Rome
1) What truly matters
(1) Christ finally put an end, on the cross, to the darkness that no one else could overcome (Acts 1:1).
(2) He spent forty days explaining the work of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
(3) Only when the Holy Spirit (the power of Pentecost) comes upon you will you be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
2) In the upper room in Mark’s house, “the day of Pentecost had come” – this is the Feast of Weeks (Acts 2:1).
3) Try praying today (Matthew 6:33, Acts 1:8). – “Lord, let your Spirit dwell within me right now. Let your Spirit come upon me and heal every part of my inner being. Let the power of the throne, the power of your Holy Spirit, come upon me and take charge of my soul, my thoughts, my mind, everything.” That is prayer. “Let this answer come upon my most beloved family.” That is intercessory prayer.
▣ Conclusion_ The 40 years in the wilderness, the 70 years in Babylon, and the 250 years of persecution under Rome are the greatest opportunity
▷ Pray. Say, “Let your Holy Spirit work” over the area that is your greatest problem. Since you need to confirm when the answer comes, write it down in your prayer notebook.
Transcript
Thank you. Everyone here has probably experienced this, but I originally used to think, does God exist? I used to ask, does prayer really bring an answer? Of course I didn’t ask anyone else this, I asked it inside myself. Honestly, when I was young, I truly didn’t believe in God. Naturally, I couldn’t pray. But looking back quietly, my life was so hard, yet I lived just like an unbeliever. In fact, I was living worse than an unbeliever. That kind of life just kept going on.
Then one day, nothing especially unusual happened, but the thought came into my heart, “I need to believe in God too, and I need to pray.” As the gospel became clear to me, the thought came, “Ah, I need to pray,” and I started praying. Does praying actually bring answers? I prayed earnestly before God, but no answer ever came, I thought. Nothing seemed to change, even though I was praying. That turned out to be my own mistaken assumption. It turns out that God had been answering completely, without showing any visible sign at all. The way people receive answers may differ, but for me, there was never a case where I thought, “Oh, the answer came to my prayer,” looking back on the old days. I did pray, but how does the answer even come? It never seemed to reach me. That was my mistaken assumption. God answers with astonishing precision. God even answered wrong prayers. How can a prayer be wrong? I used to pray just asking for money. Wasn’t that a wrong prayer? God didn’t give me money, but he gave me something far greater than that, an even bigger reality.
▣ Introduction
1. Thanksgiving is what comes out when the fulfillment of God’s word, the answering of prayer, and the history of salvation are believed and one comes to live within that flow.
Now it’s completely different. Now the only question is, how does the word move? I have no choice but to be inside that word. It just happens naturally. God is surely at work within the flow of answered prayer. You come to be within that flow. That is when thanksgiving comes out.
I sometimes think, “People probably don’t understand my preaching very well.” Because when I actually talk with people, they don’t understand it while praying. When I talk with them, they don’t believe in God at all. Then I think, “Is my preaching just not matching them?” I think this all the time. No, no, just try praying. When you pray you don’t realize it, but when you actually talk and listen to them, they don’t believe. So quietly I think, “There must be something wrong with my preaching. They just can’t follow it.” That’s always the thought I have. So it really is a difficult message to preach, but when I see people still coming, I think, “That itself is a miracle.”
2. Not having recovered thanksgiving means that I myself am broken. It must absolutely be restored.
I completely believe, right now, in the fulfillment of God’s word, in answered prayer, and in the history of salvation. Because I can see it, I can just move forward. That is when thanksgiving comes out. Not having recovered thanksgiving means that I am currently broken. Isn’t that right? When you look at children who are properly raised, they’re grateful to their parents. Right? That’s what a properly raised child looks like. When you look at students who are properly taught, they’re grateful to their teachers. Isn’t that so? Some people say “thank you” even when nobody has really helped them at all. Have I lost that sense of gratitude? That means I myself am, in fact, broken. It absolutely must be restored.
Japanese people really don’t accept the gospel, do they? And yet, despite that, there is a Japanese person who influenced the world through the gospel. Who is that? It’s a person named Ayako Miura. She wrote novels like Hyoten (Freezing Point) and books like Michi wa Koko ni (The Path Is Here). Also books like Kono Doki ni mo (Even in This Earthen Vessel). This woman was someone who believed in Jesus. That’s how she influenced the whole world. As I read her books, something hit me like a real shock. As that shock came over me, my faith seemed to grow enormously. It wasn’t that she explained some amazing act of God. To me it just looked like nothing special at all, this woman named Ayako had married an extremely poor husband. Because they were so poor, they had no proper house. So she and her husband discussed it and, according to their means, bought a very small house in a very remote area. The house was so small that the bathroom, the washroom, and the kitchen were practically all connected. So her husband could be in the bathroom, and she could be in the kitchen, and they could still talk to each other. And she said this was something she was thankful for. When I read that, I thought, “Has this person lost her mind? Why would that be something to be thankful for?” When you read it, it’s really nothing special. But what moves you is this: “We are not poor. Even though my husband is in the bathroom and I’m in the kitchen, we are able to talk like this. I am so thankful to God for that.” It’s nothing at all, is it. Does that even make sense? Would you be thankful for that? Nobody would. None of you would. How can that be something to be thankful for? This woman, even though she was Japanese, influenced people across the whole world. This is a person who carried the gospel.
3. Background of the text
Today’s passage is about the seven loaves and two fish feeding four thousand people with leftovers. In John chapter 6, there’s a similar story about the five loaves and two fish feeding five thousand people with leftovers. In John chapter 6, Jesus said something important. “It doesn’t matter that several thousand people ate from just one boy’s lunch box.” That’s what Jesus said. “Twelve baskets were left over. Seven baskets were left over. That’s not what matters.”
1) “Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness. Is that really so important? God gave us life.”
He took the disciples, people just like you, aside to a place where no one else was, and this is what he said there. “Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness. Is that really so important? God gave us life.”
2) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.”
And then Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh counts for nothing.” The background of that statement is the wilderness. Today, the question is, on this Feast of Weeks Thanksgiving Day, what kind of answer should I receive today? There are three true answers you must receive.
▣ Main_ Must Receive Three True Answers
1. What was enjoyed during the 40 years in the wilderness during the time of slavery
Here is the first one. This Feast of Weeks Thanksgiving Day, when did it first come about? It comes from what was enjoyed during the 40 years spent in the wilderness during the time of slavery.
1) The three feasts, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant
(1) The three feasts
① Passover (salvation)
As you all know, there was no way at all for the Israelite people to come out under any circumstance. It was impossible. You must properly understand and hold on to this covenant. Could they have come out on their own? Powerful Egypt would not let Israel go. Israel could not fight Egypt and win. Isn’t that our situation too? We cannot fight and win against that great power. Life keeps bringing curses upon us, and we cannot even fight and win against Satan. On the day the blood of the lamb was applied, God set Israel free. That is Passover. It’s extremely important. The moment you grasp this covenant, the darkness that keeps knocking you down collapses. And that is how they came out of Egypt.
② The Feast of Weeks / Pentecost (working through the power of the Holy Spirit)
Pharaoh and the whole world said, “The Israelite people will die on the way.” They didn’t die, instead they reaped a harvest. Seeing that, it’s called the Feast of Weeks. It’s amazing. Seeing that, it’s called Pentecost. It doesn’t stop there either.
③ The Feast of Ingathering / Thanksgiving (our background is the throne)
They said everyone would die in the wilderness, but they reaped grain and stored it in barns, I’m telling you. Seeing that, it was called Thanksgiving, or the Feast of Ingathering. These three things carry an enormous meaning.
Passover, which saved us. For you who are saved, the power of the Holy Spirit called Pentecost will surely be at work. And what matters even more? The Feast of Ingathering. Our background is the throne.
(2) The tabernacle
It was the people who held on to these three things who won victory in the wilderness and made it all the way into the land of Canaan. It was the people who held on to this covenant who gathered at the tabernacle.
(3) The ark of the covenant
The ark of the covenant is what contains this covenant. This is what they held on to.
2) God, who set the Israelite people free from bondage to Egypt, Egyptian culture, and Satan
You must hold on to this today. I once asked God a question directly. You need to ask that same question, that same prayer, today. What did I ask? “God, you are almighty, so why am I powerless?” I asked this in complete sincerity. “God, you are the Creator, so why are we poor?” That’s not itself an answer, but I asked, “Why?” “God, you are the God of power, so why can’t we evangelize?” That’s the question I asked God. This isn’t saying, “I need material things, give me power.” It means, I am bound by something. That’s what I was asking about. You need to realize this today. You are currently bound by something. Even though the Israelite people were God’s own people, they were bound in Egypt. What’s even more frightening is that they were bound by Egyptian culture. What matters even more? They were bound to Satan. God completely set them free. The moment you hold on to this covenant today, your destiny is completely turned around. It’s certain.
3) The 40 years in the wilderness were the time of the greatest blessing
If you listen to other voices, it will do you no good at all. That is exactly why, when you keep listening to other voices, thanksgiving doesn’t come out. What is thanksgiving? During the journey through the wilderness, they kept complaining. It was an incredible time of blessing. Isn’t that right? Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness were the time of the greatest blessing. Isn’t that right? But because they didn’t know this, they kept complaining. Those people never entered the land of Canaan. But those who properly understood this covenant entered the land of Canaan. What matters is that only two people who came out of Egypt actually entered the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb. All the rest were people born along the way. Only those who came out of Egypt and entered the land of Canaan could become witnesses. Hold on to this covenant, that’s what I’m saying. Today you must decide, “I will pass down this covenant of God to our next generation.” You must hold firmly to this covenant, that is how you break free from the darkness. This is the first answer.
2. Those who understood the reason for the 70 years of captivity, held on to the covenant, and went to Babylon
Here is the second one. Because the Israelite people again failed, they ended up in 70 years of captivity. That was when God gave this.
1) Those who held on to the prophesied covenant – they completely broke free from captivity and powerlessness.
(1) Joel 2:28
This is Joel chapter 2, verse 28. “I will pour out my Spirit on my servants, men and women, like water poured out.”
(2) Zechariah 4:6
This is Zechariah chapter 4, verse 6. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”
(3) Isaiah 60:1
And, “Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord, his light, has risen upon you.” They held on to this covenant and came out of captivity. These words are Pentecost. These are Pentecost words, but they didn’t only come out of slavery. They completely broke free from powerlessness. This is the answer you will receive today. Just hold on to the covenant. Whoever holds on to this prophetic covenant has already won. Why is that?
2) Those who understood the reason
What is the covenant you must hold on to today? Why were they in captivity for 70 years? No, why, after being in Egypt for such a long time, were they also in the wilderness for as long as 40 years? You need to understand this. This is the time when God moves the key figures of world evangelization who hold back the darkness across the whole world. Only when you hold on to this covenant do you truly understand God’s word, and understand what Pentecost and the Feast of Weeks mean. This makes the sermon difficult again, just like that. When I preach, it seems I keep preaching sermons that others can’t understand. And yet, if this isn’t understood, there’s no answer. This is truly the case. The Israelite people had the mission and blessing to evangelize the world, but because they did not carry it out, God naturally sent them into slavery. Isn’t that right? In order to accomplish world evangelization, in the end, they had to be pulled out of Egypt. That is when God gave the power of Pentecost. Hold on to this, that’s what I’m saying. This is the first point. Because of you, one person, the entire destiny of your family line will be changed. It may be hard to believe, but it’s true. One man, Moses, changed the whole of Egypt. That’s what this is about. Because you know the reason you were enslaved in Egypt, why must you spend 40 years in the wilderness? Because you know the blessing. So if you fail to grasp this, you will make a certain mistake, you will think that when a great blessing has come, a problem has come instead. A great blessing has come, hasn’t it? What’s the situation? Israel is missing out on God’s great blessing right now. “Cross the Red Sea.” Right? “I will make you cross the Red Sea.” Right? Ninety-nine percent of the people said what? “Why did you bring us out here to kill us?” That’s what they said. Because they didn’t believe. Whether you believe it or not, you don’t know why, because you don’t know the reason. You need to know the reason today. If you know this reason, of course you must go into Egypt. If you know this reason, of course you must come out. Isn’t that right? If you know this reason, no matter what happens, you will enter the land of Canaan. This is what was missed. Hold on to this, that’s what I’m saying. “Aren’t there plenty of burial grounds in Egypt? Then why are you letting us die in the wilderness?” That’s what they said.
If we’re not careful, that’s exactly how we live out our faith. Because we don’t know. We don’t know the real blessing. That’s why this is the hardest part for me. What kind of problem are you facing right now? To me, it looks like a blessing. Our headquarters workers, and then the various churches, all of you, since you’re trying to bring renewal, there are so many problems, aren’t there? Isn’t that right? I don’t see it that way. An enormous blessing has already arrived. The Remnant Conference will be held going forward. Tremendous answers will come, but tremendous sweat will also have to be poured out, won’t it? What is that? It’s an enormous blessing. Those who don’t know that will be disqualified. It’s a disqualification from life. It means not entering the land of Canaan and dying instead. I hope you truly grasp this today.
3) They set their resolve (Daniel 1:8)
The second thing is that they went into captivity in Babylon. Why did they go into captivity in Babylon? Why 70 years? They knew. So they took hold of the prophesied words of Zechariah, Joel, and Isaiah, and went into Babylon. Do you understand? You must carry this covenant out into the world. Because you have broken free from the darkness, don’t worry, but carry this covenant and go into that Babylon. Daniel and his friends firmly set their resolve. “We haven’t succeeded in life.” They had come to an enormously high position in the royal palace. “This isn’t success. We must accomplish God’s will.” “They set their resolve,” it says. What happened? God brought all wisdom and all answers to Daniel. That means you have the qualification to receive that answer. How regrettable it would be to lose this Remnant. We must hold on to this Remnant. People, even people who go to church, don’t know what the gospel is. If they don’t know, disaster covers everything. If you lose this gospel toward the next generation, disaster covers the whole thing, I’m telling you. It came again, because they didn’t know. Why do we keep not knowing this? Because we don’t know, it came again. That’s how they became a colony of Rome.
3. The early church, which understood the reason for becoming a colony of Rome
This is the third answer you must find. It was those who understood the reason who became the early church. That’s why Jesus said, “The five loaves and two fish? That’s not what matters. The seven loaves and two fish? That’s not what matters either.” There is something else that truly matters.
1) What truly matters
(1) Christ finally put an end, on the cross, to the darkness that no one else could overcome (Acts 1:1).
Christ, on the cross, completely ended the darkness that no king, no person of wealth and power, could ever put an end to. This had to be carried to Rome, that’s why they had to go. That’s how they became a colony. Of course.
(2) He spent forty days explaining the work of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
At that time, the word Jesus gave was about the work of the kingdom of God. He explained it for forty days.
(3) Only when the Holy Spirit, the power of Pentecost, comes upon you will you be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
And there was something promised at that time. What was it? “Only when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” That statement means, “only when the covenant of the Feast of Weeks comes upon you.”
2) In the upper room in Mark’s house, “the day of Pentecost had come” – this is the Feast of Weeks (Acts 2:1).
“Only when the power of Pentecost comes upon you will you become witnesses who go to the ends of the earth.” That’s it. That is the Feast of Weeks. Because we don’t know what the Feast of Weeks even means, we just observe it once a year and pass right by it, over and over. There’s no need to experience it that way. Just hold on to it firmly today.
Where do we need to come out from? What is the reason for Egypt, and the reason for the 40 years in the wilderness? That’s the first point, I’m telling you. Our next generation must be sent to Babylon, but what’s the reason? You and our next generation must become a colony of Rome and go out to the whole world, but what on earth is the reason, and what is the content? Jesus gave the answer directly. And then, in the upper room in Mark’s house, “the day of Pentecost had come.” That’s exactly what that means. This is the Feast of Weeks. What was kept in the wilderness in Old Testament times. It’s really something, isn’t it.
3) Try praying today (Matthew 6:33, Acts 1:8).
Try praying today. Try praying right now too. “Lord, let your Spirit dwell within me.” That is the Feast of Weeks. “Let your Spirit come upon me and heal every part of my inner being. Let the power of the throne, the power of your Holy Spirit, come upon me and take charge of my soul, my thoughts, my mind, everything.” That is prayer. “Let this answer come upon my most beloved family.” That is intercessory prayer. Beyond this there is nothing else to pray for. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It’s not this prayer or that other prayer. “Only when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” So I understand. Since this can’t be experienced, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s not that I want to keep repeating this, it’s that because the experience doesn’t come, I have no choice but to keep holding on to other things and spending my time that way. Isn’t that right? If a child learns to pray and gets a taste for reading, they’re fine even at home, but if they never get that taste, of course they’re going to wander around elsewhere. Isn’t that right? We don’t need to be deceived. Today is about firmly grasping this covenant.
▣ Conclusion_ The 40 years in the wilderness, the 70 years in Babylon, and the 250 years of persecution under Rome are the greatest opportunity
There isn’t much time left to talk at length. The 40 years in the wilderness, the 70 years in Babylon, the 250 years of persecution under Rome, these were there, weren’t they? This is our greatest opportunity. It happened in the past, but it exists right now. It is the greatest opportunity for you. Hold on to it firmly and pray once. Don’t wait for the answer either, why? It doesn’t come the way you imagine. It comes exactly, precisely, so you must pray this way today. I’m telling you to pray today. Where is the greatest problem for you? Pray over that, “Let your Holy Spirit work there.” Write that down in your prayer notebook. You need to confirm when the answer comes. It comes precisely.
I hope this Pentecost happens today for you. Check it precisely. For the Remnant abroad, what should you pray for that connects with them? “Let your Holy Spirit work now for the Remnant who are abroad.” Isn’t that right? I bless you that this prayer be applied to you today, in the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.
Prayer
God, open our spirits so that we are not deceived by other things. Open our eyes so that we can enjoy the gospel and not live a mistaken religious life. In this time, let this become a week in which we experience the power of Pentecost and the power of the Feast of Weeks. We now lay our greatest problem before you, God. Let your Spirit work. Let us know that this is our greatest blessing. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.