289-Receiving Supply, Letting Go of Worries#
289-Receiving Supply, Letting Go of Worries
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is: Receiving Supply, Letting Go of Worries
Mark 6:34-44,
34 When Jesus came out, He saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” 38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” 39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! A new week has begun, and we come before You, offering our gratitude, just like the song we sang earlier, appreciating the world that You created for us, seeing Your provision within it, and no longer worrying in our hearts. Through Your words, let me know You again, understand Your provision, remove my worries and anxieties, and bless every brother and sister who seeks You. Lead us in the time ahead, we pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Receiving Supply, Letting Go of Worries
I have heard some people say: “You need to let go of worries to receive supply.” But I would say the opposite, you can let go of worries only when God provides for you. Just like if the mortgage is paid off, there’s no need to worry anymore; if someone is burdened by a mortgage, telling them not to worry is impossible. Our Lord Jesus’ method is to first provide for you, and naturally, you won’t worry anymore. Nowadays, the pace of life is too fast; everyone has many responsibilities, tasks, and demands, one after another, a pile of bills to pay, family matters to handle, perhaps your children are disobedient, and there are always problems at home...
In short, you want to let go of some things but can’t. Many people feel they can’t relax for even a moment; they can’t gather on Sundays, there are many things to do, and while they are exhausted dealing with all this, they keep asking themselves: “Why live like this?” It’s confusing.
Every time night falls, it’s still hard to let go of these worries. You can’t sleep well at all; while sleeping, you’re still thinking about work and family matters, not even knowing when you fell asleep. You sleep, then wake up quickly; in fact, your heart has never found rest. Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants to solve these problems.
If this is your situation, today you come to receive Christ’s supply, and He will help you let go of these worries. I believe that everyone needs to hit the pause button right now. You say: “No, I can’t let go…” Can you pause for a moment? Just listen to me speak; during this time of pause, receive God’s precious words.
Too many people are exhausted and have never found rest. Jesus wants to give us His rest, allowing us to work with His rest. First, we must learn to see God’s provision and appreciate it. Today, perhaps you come to seek Him; this is the right time; He wants to supply you and remove your worries.
The first point of sharing: When people lack supply, they fall into worry.
But you are different; you have Jesus. Let’s look at a passage from Matthew 9:35-36,
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
This is an important ministry of Jesus during His time on earth. He went about teaching people in synagogues because He saw many people weary and scattered. What does being weary and scattered look like to us? Like beggars, with no homes and no food? What Jesus saw as weary and scattered was that these people had no home, lived without purpose, like machines running every day without knowing why they lived, including the Pharisees and scribes, who had high status and much knowledge, yet they were also weary and scattered. Jesus wanted to solve these problems for people; although He could heal diseases and teach people, what was most important was that He hoped people would believe His words, accept His words, and receive life.
Jesus saw them as weary and scattered; what we see are the hardships in life or the struggles in our hearts. Many people are truly bound in their hearts, with pressures in their bodies or lives. But Jesus saw that the essential problem was that they lacked God’s supply; they did not have God’s words. That is why Jesus could not bear to rest; He was always willing to explain His words to people. When people have God’s words, the external situations will naturally be resolved.
Some might say: “If only the pastor could lay hands on me and pray, my sickness would disappear.” I first need to supply you with God’s words; once you have God’s words and can use them, today when you leave here, if you encounter any problems in life, using God’s words will yield results. This is what Jesus did. Amen!
For more than three years, Jesus continuously explained the gospel of the kingdom to people, teaching them about the authority of the kingdom, and then told His disciples how to do it. After Jesus returned to the kingdom, His disciples began to do this. I have received Jesus’ words and now come to do this for you; after you stand up, you should also serve others. This is what Jesus hopes we will do. Without God’s words, people are truly pitiable.
Amos 8:11, the Lord God says: “The days are coming when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”
The Lord God says: “The days are coming when I will send a famine on the land.” This famine is not because people have nothing to eat or drink; the scripture makes it clear that people are hungry not because there is no bread; there is food and drink, but their hearts are empty. Is this not the case in today’s world? People without Jesus’ words have empty hearts; giving them more material things will still leave them empty. Why are there so many rebellious children?
Many parents feel very wronged, saying: “I’ve done everything to ensure my child has a better life, working day and night, yet this child goes against me, ruining everything at home.” When asked what children need, they say: “I don’t want money, don’t buy me a bunch of toys, don’t get me an expensive phone… I just hope my parents can spend time with me.” Is this not a heart’s need? This is a problem many people face today.
If a child is not accompanied while growing up, they will develop an orphan’s heart, and material things will never fill that void. Even a single word from others can cause them great harm because they lacked care and love from their parents in their childhood. Missing this part, as they grow older, when their parents pass away, how will the problem be solved? It must be helped by Jesus. The Israelites were in such a situation back then; they did not listen to the Lord’s words and fell into a time without His words. What were the people in Amos’ time doing? They had laws and regulations but were unwilling to listen.
Amos 8:5 “When will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, falsifying the scales by deceit.”
At that time, their purpose in worshiping God was to ask when the New Moon would be over because they had to offer sacrifices, just like today when some people think: “When will this service end? I need to hurry back to my business.” If this is how you worship, what gratitude can you have for God?
At that time, the Israelites were like this; they were unwilling to listen to God’s words, asking when the Sabbath would be over. During the Sabbath, they were not allowed to do business, just like during the New Year when you want to buy things, but the stores are closed. On the Sabbath, they were worshiping God, but many were sitting in the synagogue thinking: “When will the Sabbath be over? I can’t wait to set up my stall and sell wheat.” They had no God’s words in them, and when selling, they used small measures and large weights, which is what we call different scales. Their hearts were filled with deceit because they lacked God’s words.
In this era, some things are not perfect, worrying about various problems. What is the reason? People lack God’s words and have nothing to fear. They use money to buy from the poor, exchange a pair of shoes for the needy, and sell spoiled wheat to people. These are the things the Israelites did in Amos’ time. When God saw these things, He said: “One day, I will no longer speak to you; you have food and drink, but you lack God’s words.” Without God’s words, it ultimately harms oneself, leading to being weary and scattered. Jesus came and saw these people weary and scattered, wanting to completely solve their problems by first supplying them with His words.
Christmas is coming soon, and I have always believed that during Christmas, all churches around the world preach grace. That is why on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, every church is packed. Once that day is over, the tone changes: “You must do this, you must forgive others first, then God can forgive you…”
Everything is reversed, but on Christmas Day, how does the pastor preach? Jesus loves you…
You say you can’t love, that’s okay, Jesus still loves you…
The next day is different. Brothers and sisters, we need to understand what Jesus’ supply truly is. In today’s text, Jesus is preaching in a deserted place, having preached all day. At this time, the disciples became anxious and began to remind Jesus.
Let’s look at Mark 6:35-36, 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
Isn’t this what the disciples said to Jesus? Did Jesus not know what was going on? How could a preacher not know the time? It’s impossible to preach until the sun sets; Jesus could not have forgotten the time. But the disciples really couldn’t take it anymore, “Teacher! Stop preaching, it’s getting dark, hurry and let everyone go back so they can buy food for themselves.”
At that time, there were five thousand men in the wilderness; in that era, women and children were not counted. If counted, the number would conservatively be around ten thousand. With so many people, not to mention in that deserted place, even now, where would you find enough food for ten thousand mouths? No store would have enough supply.
Now the supply has become a problem. Although the disciples followed Jesus, they still did not understand that Jesus was the source of supply. No matter what worries you bring to Jesus now, remember: Jesus is your source of supply, your source of healing, your source of wealth, and the source of resolution for family disputes.
The disciples began to worry, saying: “What will so many people eat? There isn’t enough food!” In verse 37, Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.” Now the disciples were anxious, and Jesus passed the ball to them, “You give them something to eat.” If Jesus said this to you, what would you do? What supply can we think of? Buying food; that’s what people think; to eat, you must buy food, and we can’t do that here.
So the disciples thought, even buying two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough, and they said: “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” Why is there a question mark here? Because even if they had the money, they couldn’t buy that much bread, so the disciples said: “Lord! You want me to give them something to eat? Should I buy two hundred denarii worth of bread?” This proves that this matter is not reliable at all; even if they had the money, they couldn’t buy food.
This is our reaction when we encounter problems. When believers face problems, true faith is revealed; this is a practical issue. Eating is something the disciples had never encountered before, and they didn’t know how to handle it. So when Jesus said, “You give them something to eat,” the only thing the disciples could think of was to spend money to buy bread, but the problem is that money doesn’t solve the issue.
Sometimes money cannot solve problems. This is a fact we encounter; perhaps it’s similar to what the disciples faced. You say cancer, even with all the money in the world, it can’t solve the problem; what to do? You need to adjust your thinking and refocus on Jesus. If you encounter what you think is an unsolvable big problem, whether it’s family, work, or interpersonal relationships…
It seems like there’s no way to start, and you will feel worry, fear, and anxiety. Many people even question the Lord: “Is this possible?” Did the disciples say this? “To buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, is this possible?” Many times we ask the Lord: “Is this possible?” With Jesus, there is no “is it possible,” only “it is possible.” If you can believe, all things are possible for those who believe. That is what is possible. Whenever you seek Jesus, He says, “It is possible!” But if you seek people, that answer is not guaranteed.
The second point of sharing: God’s way of supply is to multiply what you can offer.
When the disciples saw this, they said: “Lord! It’s impossible; even if you give me two hundred denarii to buy bread, it won’t solve the problem.” Jesus began to solve their problem. If earlier they had said: “Lord! Look, it’s getting dark; what should we do?” Wouldn’t it have been easier to solve the problem? Jesus said: “Okay! Now see what you have to eat.” No need to think about buying two hundred denarii worth of bread, which is so complicated.
So brothers and sisters, we need to learn to be wise. Many people solve small matters themselves, and when big matters arise, they first try hard on their own, and if that doesn’t work, they seek Jesus. Today, let’s reverse that; no matter what problem you encounter, first seek Jesus, see how God’s words solve these problems. All the problems you encounter will surely have answers in the Bible.
Everything you encounter has a prototype in the Bible; this is just a small branch that has come out. So in verse 38, Jesus said: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” They found out and said: “Five loaves and two fish.” The problem is that now Jesus and the disciples faced the same issue. The disciples could only think of spending money to buy bread, but that doesn’t solve the problem. Jesus’ question was, “Go and see how many loaves you have.”
The disciples looked and found it was less than two hundred denarii. Many people, after believing in Jesus and coming to church, say: “Pastor, I have a disease; what should I do?” The pastor doesn’t say: “I’ll introduce you to an expert; I have a friend who can find you a good hospital.” The pastor says: “I’ll pray for you.” Doesn’t this thought seem less reliable compared to human thinking?
Now Jesus says: “How many loaves do you have?” The disciples brought five loaves and two fish. If you were to solve this, one option is two hundred denarii, and the other is five loaves and two fish. Which is more reliable? Two hundred denarii; let’s take the money and try. But these five loaves and two fish, for nearly ten thousand people, how to solve that? This is Jesus’ way; Jesus always looks beyond what our eyes can see. So Jesus asks, “How many loaves do you have?” Here’s a humorous point: many Christians, when facing financial difficulties, have faith that is transcendent, hoping that when they pray, a lot of money will appear in their bank account, or a gold nugget will fall from the sky, and their debts will disappear. They hope for the supernatural, but the problem is that at this moment, Jesus’ way seems different from ours. Jesus does not create from nothing.
We hope for something from nothing; if there’s not a penny in the bank, we pray: “In the name of Lord Jesus, let there be a billion.” But this is not God’s way. Let’s look at why Jesus doesn’t create bread out of thin air. First, let me ask everyone a question: Can Jesus create bread? Yes, He turned water into wine in the past; why doesn’t He create bread out of thin air for everyone to eat now? He has the ability to demonstrate that, and His prestige would be even higher, right?
Many times we wish to have this ability. If Jesus did this, the disciples could do it too; could we do it as well? If this were the case, what would Christians become? I mentioned this in a past sermon, and while meditating, God gave me a picture, saying: “Many people say that turning bread is not the most direct way; there is a more direct way. Facing ten thousand people, Jesus could simply say: ‘Be full.’”
Turning bread is so troublesome; one word, “Be full,” and everyone would touch their stomachs, saying they are full. How simple is that! But the problem is, if He did it this way, all believers in Jesus would stop working and no longer rely on God; wouldn’t that be chaotic? Christians would become the laziest people in the world. That’s why Jesus never uses this method; the way He uses is: “What do you have?”
This is an important question. When you want to solve worries, think about it: Jesus asks, “What do you have now?”
Elisha asked the widow, and the woman said: “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Elisha said: “That’s enough.” Jesus now asks the disciples: “What do you have?” They said: “Five loaves and two fish, and they were offered by a little child.” Although it seems very little, it is enough for Jesus. As long as there is a small base, it is enough for God to accomplish great things.
God’s way of blessing is to multiply what we offer in our hands into our blessings. The five loaves and two fish offered by a little child seem insignificant, but in Jesus’ eyes, this matter is accomplished. When we offer, we acknowledge: from now on, this belongs to Jesus; how He handles it is His business. We just need to be grateful. Just like now, the disciples went to ask the little boy, saying: “What do you have?”
The child said: “I have five loaves and two fish; I give them to you now.” So when the child gave these five loaves and two fish to Jesus, what Jesus did was no longer the child’s concern, right? The child cannot say: “You can’t eat it all; leave some fish for me.” Once it’s in Jesus’ hands, it’s different. This is the part we can offer; bring what you have before Jesus, no matter what it is. Please remember, if you are worried about your family, can you offer your family to Jesus? Say: “Lord Jesus, You take care of them; You will take care of them better than I can.”
If you lack wisdom in business, say: “Lord! I offer my business to You; You are my wisdom.” Just offer that part you want to God. Jesus is different from the world; when you give to the world, you may end up with nothing, giving less and less. But if you give to Jesus, He will not take your things; what you give to Jesus will become a seed, blessing not only you but also others.
Let’s see what Jesus did. Mark 6:39-40, 39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.
Let me ask everyone a question: When Jesus asked the disciples to do this, did the disciples know what would happen next? No, they didn’t. That’s why there is worry; if you don’t believe in Jesus, it’s true worry. Now what you see is that the people need food, and the disciples see that they should hurry and let everyone go home to cook. Did Jesus intend to send the people away? No, He wanted them to sit down in ranks. The disciples didn’t know what would happen next. Brothers and sisters, you know now. When someone asks: “Peter, why are you making us sit down? Is there something for us to eat?” If you knew the outcome, you would tell him: “Don’t worry, soon you will have enough to eat.” Wouldn’t that give you confidence? Because you know there is supply, you won’t worry. What’s scary is that you don’t know there is supply.
If someone asks you: “Why should I sit down?” You say: “I don’t know either.” Then that person says: “It’s better to let us go home.” You say: “Okay! Then you can go home.” Wouldn’t that lose all confidence? In the face of problems, learn to see God’s supply. The disciples were to convey Jesus’ intention; they first did this, then waited to see how Jesus would supply them. Although you have worries, don’t worry; come to God’s house, and God will surely supply you. I know you will encounter some problems in life, and you will encounter some problems at work… but when you come here seeking Jesus, He will personally solve your problems.
Now, are you all sitting in ranks? Are you receiving supply now? So this is a very important matter; first, sit down, then see how Jesus supplies us. So everyone sat down; perhaps the disciples were worried, and many listeners might also have this concern. I think some people might have left because they were hungry. If no one left, the disciples wouldn’t have been so anxious to ask Jesus, “It’s so late…” What Jesus asked the disciples to do was to have everyone sit down in an orderly manner and wait for His supply.
The waiting process depends on how you understand it. Some say this process is painful, but in fact, it can also be joyful. Today you know the outcome; while you are waiting, is it joyful? If Jesus is preaching now, and you are one of them, Jesus says: “Now sit down in ranks.” You already know the outcome; would you still be anxious? Even if you know the Bible has already recorded the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, you still want to sit down and see how the five loaves and two fish come about, right? Isn’t that also an expectant heart?
For the unknown things in the future, you should also expect in this way; this expectation will remove all your worries. No matter how worried or anxious you are now, what you need to do is obey and wait. The process should be a joyful waiting because the one speaking is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is supplying you from within.
Let’s see what Jesus did. Mark 6:41-42, 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled.
The occurrence of this matter is a miracle that everyone eagerly anticipated, right? But before this, Jesus first supplied God’s words; He had already preached for a whole day; after preaching, He then supplied the physical needs of the people. Jesus does not neglect either aspect. Some people say: “Sunday is the best time for business; I can’t go to church.” Don’t forget, you came to receive God’s words, and then God’s supply will multiply like this, appearing in your hands. You are not delaying at all; by sitting down, you can enjoy rest, enjoy supply, and also witness the occurrence of miracles.
So the people first received Jesus’ words and then saw the great power that came from His words. This is what Jesus did in the past, and this is how Jesus does things now. When people leave God’s words, they are in weariness and scattering, but if people have God’s words, they will have true satisfaction. The things you were worried about before, Jesus will resolve them all. This is why many people, during the continuous process of listening to sermons, insomnia, forgetfulness, and family discord have all disappeared. The only thing they did was continuously listen to the sermons and receive God’s words. When they received supply, they no longer worried and naturally slept well.
Today, someone asked me: “Pastor, I’ve had insomnia for over ten years; it’s hard to sleep.” I said it’s simple, just listen to the sermons. In the early days of establishing the church, some people came to church to listen to the sermons and fell asleep. When I started preaching, they began to sleep. At first, my little heart couldn’t take it; I prayed before God, saying: “Lord! Is it because my preaching is too poor? People are falling asleep.” Unknowingly, I began to condemn myself. One day, God said: “Because they are too lacking in rest; what they need is sleep. They are too tired outside. If they don’t come to church and are busy, they never give themselves time to sleep. Although they sleep, they are already filled inside.” I was comforted instantly.
Later, I told the brothers and sisters: “Go and bring your friends over; it doesn’t matter if they sleep; it’s a blessing to sleep here.” Many people later gave me such testimonies, saying: “Pastor, I feel embarrassed to go; I always fall asleep when I go, and my sleep quality is great.” I said, thank the Lord! This is God’s supply for us; you came here, and God first lets you see this blessing. Amen!
I told some people: “Bring them over, especially those who have insomnia; hurry and bring them over.” Since then, I no longer worry about preaching; if they come and don’t fall asleep, it’s a good thing; if they fall asleep, that’s great; they have a testimony. What I mean is to seek Jesus; your problems will all be solved by Jesus, and the way He solves them is beyond what we ask or think. They all ate and were filled. This is God’s abundant supply.
Philippians 4:17-19,
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
This is a piece of advice from Paul to the Philippian church. Many people think Paul is lacking, but in fact, Paul says: “I lack nothing and do not seek anything from you; what I seek is that your fruit may abound.” How to understand this fruit? It can be understood as your testimony, good deeds, and the transformation of your life.
Now ask yourself: In what areas do you need transformation? Some people need it in finances, some in health, and some in interpersonal relationships. In whatever area you want to be transformed, at this moment, offer that part to Jesus, saying: “From now on, this no longer belongs to me; it is Yours; You handle it.” Jesus will let you see miracles in this matter. After experiencing the testimony, that is your fruit appearing; this is not a painful thing.
So brothers and sisters, believing in the Lord is a joyful thing. How your days are is how your strength is; this is the right path. The longer you believe in the Lord, the more grateful you should be. The longer you believe, the more you should feel that God’s grace is truly great. In the past, I didn’t believe like this; at first, my faith was great; I believed that no matter what I asked, Jesus would accomplish it for me. Is this in line with the Bible? In fact, at the beginning, you wouldn’t ask for too much, just like a little child; they wouldn’t ask for a house; they would only ask for food, drink, and playthings, nothing else. When we first believed, we wouldn’t ask for too many things, usually just material needs, and Jesus provided for us. But later, the teachings we received directly influenced our faith, and it seemed different from what we believed. At this time, we suddenly realized that you must do this for God to supply you with a little bit, and you will find that the more you do, the less supply you receive.
Later, many people, after believing for many years, no longer dare to say they are righteous. The more days pass, the more they feel their sins are numerous, unable to see God’s grace. In fact, this is wrong; the correct way should be that every day you are in God’s grace, God supplies you, and then removes your worries. Every day you should be filled with joy and peace. Although there are pits on this road, there are still many flat grounds. When you see the flat ground, your perspective will be different. If our eyes are filled with all negative and worldly things, filled with worries, we will say: “Why are there pits?” It’s different. So under grace, you see God’s supply is greater. Hallelujah!
Paul said, “I have all and abound; I am full.” From a human perspective, since Paul believed in the Lord, he really had nothing. But Paul said, “I am full and have abundance.” This speaks of the inside; if a person has it inside, the outside will naturally have it. If the inside is empty, no matter how much is given from the outside, it will never fill. Because when God created Adam, He breathed into his nostrils, and he became a living being.
Later, after Adam sinned, that spirit was separated from God; in God’s eyes, he was dead. So people have always hoped for a kind of supply that can be filled, but people do not know that only the Holy Spirit can satisfy. People search in the world; some think material things, positions, or other things can satisfy them… In desperate situations, they begin to worship false gods. In Jesus’ eyes, they are all weary and scattered. Only by coming into Christ, once the Holy Spirit enters them, that person becomes joyful. Hallelujah! So Paul said, “The offerings I received from you are a sweet-smelling aroma, acceptable and well-pleasing to God.”
Verse 19 says, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
God blesses you according to His glorious riches. What your eyes can see is all from our Father; what is unseen is still His. This is our Father. This is an era of relying on our fathers; we have more capital. Are you now in Jesus Christ? Yes, how did you get in? In the past, you were indeed an orphan, wandering in this world, weary and scattered. But the moment you believed in Jesus, He brought you into Him, and in Him, He gives you a promise that He will supply all your needs. Today is Thanksgiving Day; when celebrating Thanksgiving in Israel, people generally bring the first fruits before God. Many churches display a lot of harvested grains, new wine, and oil in front, to celebrate God’s provision of harvest. This represents a kind of offering.
Let me tell you, in the past, many people were afraid to hear about offerings. Today, I want to give you this blessing. Many pastors worry that believers won’t understand when talking about this. I want to tell you that this is a great blessing for us, especially in this harvest season; we should understand how God’s blessings are given to us. Earlier, I mentioned the five loaves and two fish; Jesus took the five loaves and two fish from the child and blessed all those present. In the spiritual realm, how does this happen? What do you hope God will give you? Just offer that aspect to God.
If you want God to bless you financially, then good! I will give you this principle using finances as an example; the same applies to others; you can reflect on it. For example, the child took the five loaves and two fish and put them in Jesus’ hands. Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, broke them, and distributed them to the people, resulting in all five thousand men being filled. This is what we can see. But what happened in the spiritual realm? In fact, Jesus presented the five loaves and two fish before the Father. In the spiritual realm, something happened; our Father saw the five loaves and two fish presented by Jesus, received them in the kingdom, and then gave them back down, which is a blessing multiplied by ten thousand times. It was given directly, so they could eat freely, and no matter how much they ate, it was never finished.
Do you understand? So when you offer to God, it seems like you are putting it in the church’s offering box, but in God’s eyes, you are giving it to Him! But God does not want your things; any god that wants your things is a false god. The true God does not want your things; He wants to bless you. His principle is to use what you offer in your hands as a seed; God blesses it and then gives it back to you. Not only does He give to you, but He also lets everyone involved receive it.
Think about this matter; using the earlier example of the five loaves and two fish, when the child first took out the five loaves and two fish, when the disciples came to ask the child, “How many do you want to eat?” The child said: “I want to eat ten loaves and four fish.” So did he offer more or receive more? This is God’s way; you always receive more.
The same goes for other aspects. You say: “My family is in constant conflict.” When people can argue, it’s mostly because of worries. Couples didn’t get married to argue over worries; the vows before marriage were so good. But why are there arguments in between? It’s because of worries and anxieties. What to do? Let Jesus enter your midst; once Jesus comes in, seeing Jesus’ supply, the problems will naturally be resolved. Hallelujah!
Whether it’s sisters or brothers, if there are problems in the family or interpersonal relationships are terrible, it’s simple. Pray for that family member, let them believe in Jesus with you. As long as both of you believe together, this matter will be resolved. After hearing this sermon, they will understand that you are receiving supply from Jesus for your family; who wouldn’t want to come? If every time they come, it’s a judgment meeting, who would want to come? Our purpose for coming is that Jesus wants to supply us here.
This is a kind of free supply that cannot be found in the world, exceeding all we ask or think. No worldly person can tell you: “I will give you more than you ask or think, and supply all your needs.” People cannot do this. It’s still the same; put what you have in front of God, and Jesus will transform it, ultimately becoming your blessing and the blessing of many. When a person believes in God’s supply, they will willingly offer and will see God’s supply grow larger and larger. The premise is, first receive God’s words; in God’s supply, your worries will decrease, and your joy will increase. We come to seek Jesus to receive supply, to receive Jesus’ blessings. After receiving, we can bear fruit. This will confirm one thing: my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
This is how I teach you to read the Bible; you must believe: my Lord supplies me according to His glorious riches, not according to our faith. Earlier, I mentioned that Jesus said to a person: “If you can believe, all things are possible for those who believe.” Many people have always thought: “Lord, I have no faith, so I can’t receive.” The problem is not your faith; it’s whether you can believe Jesus can do this. That is your faith. Having this faith is enough. Hallelujah!
Just like now, Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and asks the disciples: “Do you believe I will use these five loaves and two fish to supply over ten thousand people?” The disciples say: “I believe.” That’s enough; He is not asking you to do it; it’s about believing Jesus can do it. That’s the meaning of this passage. The father said: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” That’s enough; it’s not about your faith. If it were according to your faith, when there is no faith, you would feel that God would not accomplish anything for you. When sickness is upon you, can you ask yourself: “Lord, the doctor can’t solve it, but I believe You can solve it.” Why do you believe so? Because there is a promise, there are God’s words. The Bible says very clearly, “By His stripes, we are healed.” Because this word is placed here, receiving it for myself, I believe Jesus, You can do it. Just this one faith is enough to solve all your problems; all diseases can be resolved.
In the four gospels, so many people, Jesus healed all diseases with one word. Today is your moment to receive. You say: “Lord, I give my body to You.” Don’t hesitate to give it; as long as you put your body in Jesus’ hands, it will be different. Taking an example from the Old Testament, Moses had a shepherd’s staff in the wilderness for forty years. When he came before God, God said: “Throw your staff on the ground.” It turned into a snake. God said: “Pick it up by the tail.” When he picked it up, it turned back into a staff. Just like that, in God’s eyes, that became God’s staff. From then on, you received authority from God; it was no longer your old shepherd’s staff. Although it looked the same, it was different; the essence had changed.
He used that staff to stretch into the river of Egypt, and the water turned to blood; he stretched it into the Red Sea, and the Red Sea parted. This is God’s staff. You must believe that you are now in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. This body is no longer your original body; it is a supernatural body. Hallelujah! Don’t think that at this age, I will have menopause syndrome. If you think this way, various problems will keep appearing. You should say: “In the name of Lord Jesus: the blessings that Sarah could receive, I can receive even more. She was still living in the Old Testament; I am under the New Testament, and I have understood everything; I have seen her testimony; I am more blessed than her.” We should not believe that in the end, we have less faith than her. These testimonies are there to tell us that if they can receive, you can too. Offer yourself to the Lord; don’t misunderstand; offering to the Lord doesn’t mean you all have to become full-time pastors.
I was misled like this at first.
I saw Romans 12:1-2; at that time, I didn’t understand, but I was very zealous. I didn’t know what receiving meant; I just thought God was pretty good, so I asked my pastor: “What kind of disciple does Jesus like the most?” The pastor said: “According to the beginning of Romans 12, you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, which is pleasing to God.”
I said: “Okay! I want to be the disciple Jesus loves the most.” I didn’t know I already was. After returning home that week, I knelt by my bed and prayed: “Lord! I want to be Your living sacrifice; I know this is pleasing to You.” After praying for a week, the next week at church, I asked the pastor: “What is a living sacrifice?” The pastor said: “It means being a full-time pastor.”
I said: “Lord! Can that not count? I don’t want to be a pastor.” In my impression back then, pastors were short, poor, and had no status; no one respected them. In fact, I didn’t know that was one of the best blessings, and no one told me that was one of the things Jesus loved the most.
Jesus is not pleased with us because of what we do; it’s because the moment you believe in Him, you are already His most beloved. You may ask me, “What can I do to become the disciple God loves the most?” I tell you, you already are because you believe in Jesus; you already are. Listen to more sermons, receive His blessings more; you are blessed. Because I took a detour, I was so adamant about not becoming a pastor because of what the pastor said, but in the end, I didn’t die, so I became a pastor. This is indeed the most blessed thing, offering myself before the Lord. I tell you what “offering” means: “Lord! This is Yours, not mine.”
In what area do you hope to break through? Just put that area in the Lord’s hands.
Solomon did this; back then, he entrusted the nation of Israel to the Lord. He was a king, and at that time he said: “I am very young and do not know how to manage Your people; grant me wisdom so that I may teach Your people to know You.” How wonderful! As a result, Solomon was unmatched to this day, whether in status, territory, or wealth; to this day, no one can surpass him.
When it comes to money, when does money become worthless? When I was young, money was still quite valuable, but in Solomon’s time, money was already nothing. How many years earlier was that? That is God’s wisdom because he entrusted the nation to the Lord, and then the Lord granted him wisdom, making the governance of this nation better than others. I won’t go into the details of what happened later because he indeed relied on himself afterward. I want to tell everyone, even if you come to Jesus with your worries, it’s okay. You say: “Lord, this is my worry; I place it before You.” You must learn to place it before Jesus; this is what living a life of letting go means. Amen!
Let’s look at a passage from 1 Peter 5:6-7, 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
This passage you need to meditate on; humility here is different from what the world says. The world’s humility is: “I can’t do this.” But humility before God is: “Lord, I really can’t do this; You can, I cannot.” After you humble yourself, you are under the mighty hand of God, believing that Jesus can. No matter what your problems are, based on my teachings over the years and the testimonies I have received, I want to tell you that no matter how big the problem is, as long as you believe God can, you will see testimonies. This is a very simple matter; cast all your cares upon Him. How to cast? Let go and hand over your worries to Jesus; letting go does not mean you don’t take responsibility.
In the past, when communicating with some people, I asked how to teach children. The child must be watched; everything must be taught to them, but in the end, it still doesn’t work. Later, I said, “Forget it, I’ll let go; whatever happens, happens.” These two extremes are completely relying on oneself and completely not caring. What we mean by letting go is that you pray for this child, “Lord! Grant me wisdom on how to teach him; grant him wisdom to understand this is the best.” This is what we mean by letting go; it’s letting Jesus do it, just like Moses stretching out his staff, “Lord! This is Your word; then I will stretch out this staff according to Your word and see the Red Sea part before my eyes.”
God gives you the method; you just do it; this is letting go. When you truly let go and cast your worries upon God, this is taking the greatest responsibility. This can be the most correct choice in your life because you have entrusted it to the One who is responsible for the universe.
You must admit that placing this matter in His hands is better than placing it in your hands; you cannot, but He can do all things. Only when you believe this can you step back because when you do this, you are allowing God’s supply to flow through every area of your life.
Learn to let go and entrust everything to God. It’s actually very simple; read God’s words more, listen to God’s words more, and then the wisdom within you will naturally arise. A friend of mine is in stock trading, which is very risky. Even if you are an expert, you cannot achieve a perfect record. He asked: “How can I gain this wisdom?” I said: “Read a chapter of Proverbs every day, and God will grant you wisdom.” He started reading the Bible when he had time, reading Proverbs in the morning, listening while driving. One day he told me a testimony, saying he was staring at the big screen and found that this stock was good. When others asked why this stock was good, he said he didn’t know; he just saw that it was good, and then he bought it, and it really worked. It worked every time; don’t ask me which stock; I don’t know and don’t understand. Is this wisdom? It’s wisdom that only someone in that industry can understand; he himself can’t explain why it was that stock, but it just was.
Among us, there is also a very capable person with many patents. He suddenly thought of a very difficult problem while listening to the sermon, and God said: “You can try this.” He went home and tried it, and it worked.
Is this wisdom? What I want to say is that in Jesus Christ, you need to cast your worries upon God. You say: “Lord! I have been worried about this matter for a long time.” Come to listen to the sermon, read the Bible; it seems like you are doing something unrelated to the past matter, but in fact, this is the most important thing. When you do this, other matters will naturally be resolved. This is what I mean; when you truly cast your worries upon God, believe He cares for you; this is the most correct choice you can make. You are praying to God, saying: “Jesus! I let You take over this matter; I cannot, but I believe You can. I let go and place all my pressure and worries in Your hands because You love me.”
Finally, this reason is very important; it’s not about whether you attended the meeting, offered, or did many things for the church… it’s none of these. It’s because God loves you; because Jesus loves you, you are willing to cast your worries upon Him; otherwise, it’s hard. When you tell your worries to people, both of you are worried. But when you tell Jesus, He takes your worries and gives you rest because He cares for you deeply; He cares for you with deep feelings because He loves you.
Jesus came to this world for you, died on the cross for you, simply because He loves you. Because He loves you, He is willing to pay so much for you, to give you His rest, to give you His joy, to let you be filled with His joy. So, dear family, once and for all, place all your worries in His hands; now give all your sorrows to Him. If tomorrow comes, continue to hand them over to Him; don’t think God will find it troublesome. Jesus is very willing to do this because He cares for you deeply; He is the omnipresent, omnipotent God. Hallelujah! Come before Him and cast your sorrows upon Him. Then receive His supply; receive abundantly, and focus on His supply. At this time, what you see will be His abundant blessings for you.
Luke 12:22-26, 22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 The life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
Who can solve your problems through worry and increase your life? It seems no one can, but there is a way: come before Jesus, cast your worries upon Him, and receive His supply, and your worries will diminish. Never say: “I can’t let go; it will be worse if I let go.” When you place it in Jesus’ hands, that is the best thing.
In fact, Jesus wants us to live this way; He says, “Consider the ravens.” Ravens are very greedy birds. Do these greedy animals build their own houses? Oh, the housing prices are too high; let’s rent a house. Do they worry about these things? Do they have storehouses to store their food? No, when He sees the ravens, what does the Lord say? “I supply them. And you? You are loved by me; I will supply you even more. I have already supplied you a lot; you have food and shelter; all of this is supplied by me. You need to see this, and then I will supply you with even greater things.” You should see God’s supply, and then remove these worries. This is what the Lord Jesus keeps telling His congregation: do not worry, for you have a reasonable reason not to worry, which is that He will supply us. You are far more valuable than the birds. Amen!
Everyone, let’s pray before the Lord:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us through such words. In life, when there are needs, You supply us, and You do not want us to live in worries. We cannot bear the difficulties of one day, let alone worry about future matters. So, Lord, I place the things I worry about before You; Your words become my supply. I place my life in Your hands, and I am in Your abundant life.
Please lead me in my life this week, experiencing Your supply in life. I will no longer worry because You love me and will supply me. The blessings I have not yet seen with my eyes and have not yet thought of in my heart, just like today, no one saw how five loaves and two fish could supply so many people, I will also see such abundant supply, and I will become a satisfied person. Hallelujah! Thank You and praise the Lord! I believe I will also bear abundant fruit, which is a beautiful testimony. Thank You and praise You! I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!