Feed My Lambs (John 21:15-18)
The title of today’s word is, “Feed My Lambs.” This is the content after Jesus Christ resurrected and requested this of Peter.
Introduction
He’s not saying that Peter needs to fulfill this work, but instead, He’s asking, “Do you know this and do you believe in it?” We need to know the direction God has for us.
Direction
Even if we work diligently, if we don’t have this direction, it doesn’t matter. Even if you work diligently, if that has no sense of direction, it has nothing to do with God. As soon as Jesus resurrected, He finds Peter and gives him the direction. This Being Who has resurrected and is with us through the Holy Spirit …
Personal Nurturing
Last week, we talked about our individual nurturing.
1. Gospel =/= Law
The first point was to teach them correctly so they understand the gospel, because the gospel is not equal to the law. The law is the word of God, but if you don’t know the gospel, you will fall into legalistic actions.
Action
But this person misunderstands thinking they’re living a great walk of faith. Jesus christ is the One Who fulfilled the law on the cross, He died on the cross for my sins, he resurrected, and now, he is with me through His Spirit.
With
We believe He has fulfilled the law on the cross.
Faith
Because faith is God’s work.
Righteous
Even if you do a lot of church work, if you do it with a lot of legalism, your righteousness will come out, and because your righteousness is coming out, you’re bound to be tested.
Tested
It is because they have the wrong address in their walk of faith.
Thanksgiving
This gospel is complete and out of thanksgiving, we do our work in the church.
Righteous
This comes from the righteousness that comes from believing in Christ. So, for individual nurturing, you need to help them understand the gospel first.
2. Prayer
We need to teach them about prayer, but how will you do that? Whether they are believers or unbelievers, all people pray for their own wishes and needs. That’s why when you do individual nurturing, you need to teach them the correct prayer so they can receive the correct answers. When you pray for the things God desires and for what He is trying to do, that is when you will receive answers.
If you pray for the things you want, will you not get answers? Yes, you may get answers, but that’s not everything because you need to transcend that and go in the direction God desires.
7 Blessings
You need to help them understand through prayer to enjoy the authority and identity of being a child of God through the seven blessings.
3. Evangelism – Direction (Thoughts)
If you don’t teach them about God’s direction, they will live a directionless life. You need to help them so they’re constantly thinking about this.
Talent, Specialization, Studies
You need to make them realize their talent, their specialty, and their academics are for evangelism. Once you have and enjoy this, you relay this to new believers.
1. John 21:15-18
As soon as Jesus Christ resurrected, He went to find His disciples.
1) Conditions of the Ministers
So, what are the conditions of being a minster who raises disciples? Peter is someone who denied Jesus Christ, betrayed Him three times, and ran away.
(1) Sought
The Betrayed went to look for the betrayer, and this is the condition of the minister. Even if the other person turns their back on you or betrays you, if they’re the ones whom Jesus has prepared, just like Jesus, we need to look out for and go after them.
(2) Rebuke X
He never rebuked Peter because Jesus is someone who knew about Peter’s weaknesses the most. Just like in the Sunday pulpit message, it was said that if you don’t understand people, your business, your ministry, and your life will not take place because God’s interest lies in people. But if we aren’t able to understand the other person, we have no choice but to rebuke them, and that is why our ministry, our business, and our lives have no choice but to be blocked.
(3) Love
That’s why Jesus confirms three times, “Do you love Me?” The Lord loved him first, and He asked, “Do you love Me?” That person just needs to be someone who loves the gospel. The people who love themselves, money, or other things more than the gospel don’t have this qualification. Because ultimately, they will abandon the gospel and go towards the direction of what they like.
It doesn’t matter if you’re lacking, because He said He will be with you with all authority in heaven and on earth, so it doesn’t matter if you’re lacking. The one who loves the gospel. Do you love the cross? Then that’s it. Then God will fill up your needs.
2) Heavenly Command
(1) Lamb
Jesus gave this heavenly command, “Feed My Lambs.” It’s not talking about real lambs; it’s talking about people. “Feed” means you must feed them the Word the Lord gives.
(2) Things I Do Not Want “Me” “Strength” “Success”
What does the Lord say? You will be sent in a direction you do not want to go. Your life dosen’t turn out the way you want. We all have our own dreams. You think of all the strength you’ve acquired, and you probably want success. The “me” that lived that kind of life has died on the cross, and now the Lord is within me, guiding me in the place I do not want to go. That’s why our work is to receive the guidance of the holy spirit.
2. Lambs?
Then, who are the lambs?
1) Acts 10:1-3 Cornelius
He was a centurion but he was a new believer.
2) Acts 8:26 Eunuch
The Ethiopian eunuch was baptized and one of the lambs.
3) Acts 9 Saul
Saul was also a lamb, before he became Paul
4) Acts 16:15 Lydia
In the region of Philippi, there was Lydia, and she was also a lamb.
5) 1 Corinthians 1:2 Believers
It’s talking about the people who were in different regions. With this content, you need to feed these people very well. If you feed them with your thoughts, then their spirit will die. When you digest the Word of God and relay it to them, that’s when they come to life because young kids and children cannot eat solid food. I remember my grandmother was taking care of a child, and she would chew on the food first before giving it to the child to eat. Lambs don’t understand the Word even as they listen to it. You need to relay the gospel in a well-digested manner because if you don’t relay the gospel, they will fall because they’re centered on legalism and actions.
If you just leave them alone, they have no choice but to revert back to legalism. Church members and churches without the gospel will surely revert to legalism. Even though they pray, they pray for physical things. We need to teach them so they’re able to enjoy the blessings the Lord has prepared for us. But those who do not have this direction should not be ministering to other people, because they won’t be able to relay that. That is why people who are set up in these three things are the ones who should raise the new believers.
If yo udon’t give them this direction, they have no choice but to revert back to Genesis 3, 6, and 11. There are some people who ask, “How can we ask new believers to evangelize?” Such people don’t know the field at all. Can we just say “Evangelize,” and leave it at that? Although the theory behind it is correct, it is not actually correct. You need to give them this direction first so that all of their thoughts and life are connected to this. That is why, every time you meet with them, you must relay these three things.
The thing that you have digested, you feed it to the new believers one by one. In the church, when there’s a new believer, there are some people who have no interest in them. If there’s a new believer but you’re not interested in how to raise them up, that new believer will leave. Because this word doesn’t go into them, Satan surely holds onto them and leads that. Relaying the gospel is important but how you nurture and raise them is important as well.
That’s why if you’re someone who has these three things, you should raise up the new believers. If you’re not able to, ask someone who has these three things to raise them up, because the Lord says, “Feed my lambs.” He says, “I will be with you eternally,” that is God’s way of being with you. It’s not that we ask, “Where is God?” but we must go int his direction. Don’t ask, “God where are you in my business?” but go in this direction. Don’t ask, “God, why is this so unfair?” Just go within these three things.
You need to quickly come out of religion because no matter how you look at it, it’s just your stubbornness; God gave you the gospel, not legalism. Even if your willpower is strong, that’s useless because we need God’s willpower. That’s why, even if you struggle a lot, you can’t get rid of legalism. Even if you do a lot of righteous things, that is my own righteousness; that’s snot righteous in the eyes of God.
Our church has this direction in Matthew where we need to be healed, just like the Jewish people, of our legalism; I hope you will enjoy this healing as well. That is how you can raise new believers into the things God desires.
3. Reason
Why must we feed the lambs? If a new believer comes in to the church but you leave them alone, 90% of them will leave. Then, that means that church is not proclaiming the gospel. You’re just sending them to listen to the pastor’s sermon, but there’s no one to individually nurture them, and that’s why the Lord requests Peter to be the disciple who does individual nurturing. Individual nurturing is very important because ultimately this individual nurturing is what saves and revives that person because even if those people come to church, they can’t understand the words. It’s great that you brought them to church so they could listen to the pastor, but is it in their time schedule for them to understand? That is why you must meet with them one on one, know their background and their state, and little by little, explain to them about the gospel, prayer, and evangelism, and eventually they will be able to listen to and digest the pulpit message.
Those who are able to do these three things will do nurturing, but if you don’t have these three things, don’t try to do anything because the masterpiece will be very strange. Depending on how many individuals can do individual nurturing will determine the church because these individual nurturers must be in the church so these people can lay down their roots. Wherever we are, these kinds of disciples must rise up.
1) Lamentations 4:1-4
Why must we do this? In Lamentations 4:1-4, why did the Israelites fail? They had no knowledge of the Word of God. They will fail without God’s Word. The world doesn’t fail because there’s no welfare system; the politicians and government officials aren’t doing their job? It is because they don’t have the Word of God. You cannot save other people with anything else; it is only the Word of God.
2) 2 Timothy 2:2
You must entrust this to reliable men, to other people.
3) Church Advancement (Acts 2:1-47)
The church must also advance to the point where they’re also able to change the field.
(1) Believers – Malnourished
Within the church, there are a lot of church members who listen to the Word of God but they are nutrient-deprived. Even though they listen to the Word, the nutrient does not spread to their bodies, why? It’s because they’re the rocky soil or the soil of thorns. Even though the seed is scattered, if it’s a rocky soil, the seed will not root. If it is a thorny soil, it cannot root because of the thorns. But the good soil, the seed is continuously spread on that good soil. Even though they receive the Word of God well, because there are thorns, the thorns choke the Word.
(2) Infants – Discarded
Especially the infants and toddlers are abandoned and thrown away. Children can’t understand much but the parents must relay this to them.
(3) Develop X
Even though they’re a child, they’re not able to grow and develop.
(4) Alone
They’re isolated and alone, and we need to raise these people up. We look after them, we meet with them, and instead of being focused on this, people are more concerned about raising up their names. Isn’t it normal that when you come to church, you’ll examine the church members? Isn’t that the field? Then you’ll be able to see what kind of role you must play and what you must do. It’s important how many of such people are rising up.
That is how you can be aligned with the direction of, “Feed my lambs.” If you have no interest in this, you’re not aligned with God’s direction. If you’re not aligned with God’s direction, how can you receive all authority in heaven or on earth? There are people who stand out to you, raise them up through prayer, don’t immediately go to them and say something. Instead, listen to their background, their situation, and the remnants will be able to figure out what you must relay to them. You must be aligned with God’s direction.
(5) Parents’ Affair
These parents go down a wrong path. These parents are supposed to teach the gospel to their children, but their hearts are taken away by success and doing well in the world and doing great things.
(6) Cheating Housewife
In other words, it’s like a cheating mother. Instead of the mother educating and nurturing the child with the gospel, their direction is in something else.
(7) Father
The father has completely fallen into the world, and that’s why they’re unable to nurture their child in the gospel. If this child is unable to receive this kind of influence in their family, they must come to the church.
4) End Times (Heb. 10:24-25)
In Heb. 10:24-25, it says that during the end times, people will not want to gather because people fall into the thought of their own comfort and their own thoughts. That’s why there are more and more people who have no reason to gather. These are the things that will take place in the end ages. We must do the opposite; this is the way for us to live and to save the new believers and that’s how you can save your children. If you don’t save them, then later on, it will be too late.
4. With What?
With what can we help them?
1) Prayer
When you pray, God will work upon that person. When you do intercessory prayer in the early morning, even though you’re not meeting that person, God will work, transcending time and space to help that person. When you come to Early Morning prayer, you receive the Word but you also do ministry with intercessory prayer, and that is the first way that you can help the weak.
2) Parents, Friends, Siblings (Mark 6:7)
You are able to help them directly as if you are their parent, friend, or brother. In Mark 6:7, the Lord sends the disciples 2 by 2 to each family to share the gospel.
3) Invite
You can also help them by inviting them. I think we just need to utilize American culture because they celebrate and host birthday parties. They have a lot of traditions and holidays they observe. Because this is the American culture, we can have festivals and invite people, and people who need individual nurturing will come. Even for Holy Wind, it originally was Halloween, but we used that as an opportunity to share the gospel. Even on December 24 we will host a musical where people can come and we can share the gospel and such people are hidden. Through events like RCA, it’s an opportunity to share the gospel. Although you receive grace too, you must utilize these events well. Even for the Winter Retreat, you may meet someone who you think would be good for that, and you can invite them according to their needs. Or we can host beach days where we can invite other people to listen to the gospel. It’s great to do all these things but you must be aligned to God’s direction.
If you’re constantly thinking about this, then once that time comes, you’ll be able to apply it right away. When my child was in Elementary School, us parents couldn’t go into the school, but through our child, we could observe and determine the field. We asked her, “Are there these types of people around you?” She said, “Yes.” Then what do we do? We hosted a birthday party where people came together and we invited all of her friends. Or, if the other friend had a birthday party, then we would go.
There are days like this that ar prepared in order to share the gospel. At that time, you go and share the gospel. She’s now part of our choir. She was a complete unbeliever, but she received the gospel and she has come until now, and now she’s serving int he choir. All of you have your own sons and daughters. I’m not saying you need to do something, but if you don’t have these kinds of thoughts, even though there are such people around you, you won’t be able to recognize it, but if you constantly have this thought, you can utilize it.
Don’t misunderstand evangelism, it’s not about persuading an unbeliever, but it’s finding the prepared believers. People say that this doesn’t take place because they only think about evangelism in the church, but all the other times, they don’t think about it at all. Evangelism is the direction but you just need to have that thought, then all things will be used for that. Last week, I said our Friday Night worship will be based upon praise, and those who have this thought will think, “I must utilize this time to evangelize.”
Do you know why evangelism doesn’t take place? You don’t think about evangelism. Even though all of these things are taking place, your thoughts aren’t on that, so it doesn’t take place. The Lord gave us the Word, “Feed My Lambs,” and once this is constantly in our thoughts, when the time comes, we’re able to apply it right away, then in actuality, it’s easy. If you constantly have this, then there will be an incident, and you will be able to know what you must do.
Right now, for the missions homes of our church members, all I think about is helping them. That’s why even for our Karen remnants, whatever happens, even with transportation here, I must know what I must do in that situation. It’s not something you need to do, but instead of having this thought, you’re trying to do something, so that’s why it doesn’t work. If you constantly have this thought, it will take place.
Right now, she’s going to the hospital and I can’t go to the hospital, but what must I do? My evangelism is helping her to open up her eyes so she’s albe to see the field and that is evangelism. Ultimately with these three things, once your eyes are opened, works will take place, and that’s what we’re talking about.
No reason for me to go to the hospital myself. If there are no people like here, I have to goto the hospital myself, and that’s what I originally did when I began my church. If I continue to do that, thinking that is evangelism, then we’ll be in big trouble. There’s someone like her, but instead, I ignore her and say, “I go myself!” That’s not evangelism, that’s actually a spiritual problem. It’s a spiritual problem of not being able to remain still. This person only has a righteous thought or thinks they have sorrowful thoughts for doing legalistic actions, but it’s actually a spiritual problem.
4) Letters
You can influence others. Right now, it’s so great. During Jesus’ time, we didn’t have YouTube, but today, we can send them a link. In our Young Adult regional church, there are those who pray for their friends, and I say, “Don’t just pray for them, but relay the Word to them through YouTube.” If you’re praying for them, why can’t you relay the Word? You exchange multiple texts every day, just send them the YouTube link and it’s up to them to open it. You text all these funny things, why not relay the Word? “This might ruin my friendship,” then they’re not real friends. The friends need you but instead, because you think if you share this gospel, this person will be uncomfortable and break the relationship, then that’s not really loving your friend; you’re trying to maintain your friendship with what you have.
If you really pray for your friend, and you care about them, you’ll relay the Word, isn’t that right? I asked my child, “You’re in middle school now; how have you done camp at your school?” because in elementary school, I think we did more, but now, we’ve only invited one of her friends once. At ICSC, they do camp every Tuesday, and the assistant pastor of the church contacted me and asked, “Can we invite your daughter?” I said, “Of course, I’ll ask my daughter,” but I asked her and she said, “I don’t like that kind of camp.” “What do you like?” “Mom and I are already doing something, we pray for my friends.” It’s what they did in elementary school, they prayed and invited her friends.
But my daughter asks me for rides and I’ve met a few of her friends, and I asked, “Why not invite your friends to Saturday Evangelism School?” She said she did, so that’s why because, I can’t go to the middle school, my daughter can find the people who will believe.
You may think these are just little conversations we exchange, but if you don’t always have this thought, those conversations will not happen. Evangelism is not something you do, if you constantly have it in your thoughts, then it will take place. Dating isn’t something you do. If the female is always in your thoughts, dating will naturally take place. But if you don’t even think about the other person and you try to date, that’s when it gets hard. That’s why if you don’t have the thoughts of evangelism, you have other thoughts.
Once in awhile, the church says, “Do this camp!” That’s why it’s hard for you. For people who don’t have these thoughts of evangelism, we use camp to change their nature and their thoughts, so you just need to do this every day. That’s why even for evangelism in your field, don’t do anything but think about who you will meet and this will take place, incidents will arise.
Do you understand? You don’t have these thoughts so what do you think about? You worry about money, you think about how you can succeed or your own benefits. You’re not aligned with God so these are the thoughts Satan gives. The devil makes it so evangelism does not take place and you don’t have these thoughts.
Right now, our Assistant Pastor Bae hurt her leg so she can’t do ministry, but she can. If you have these thoughts of evangelism, depending on your position and situation, you are able to find what you can do. If your leg hurts, you can’t meet people, and that’s why you can sit down and do it online. You can do these Upper Room meetings online.
If you have these thoughts, wherever you are and whatever situation you find yourself in, God says He has all authority in heaven and on earth and will do this. Right now, I’m doing camp with David at the law school. This week, I told them, “This is just one portion. If we think of evangelism while doing camp and forget when we go home, that isn’t real camp.” Even in my workplace, if I have these kinds of thoughts, situations will arise.
People who do judo or other sports well are not always the strongest; they are able to see the opponent’s weak points. If they aren’t able to see those weak points, no matter how great of a stance they have, they aren’t able to overcome their opponent. That’s why they try to deceive the opponent with fake-outs. It’s because they have similar states. But if one person gets the opportunity and punches the other person, the other person will be knocked out, but if there are no weak points, then you fake so that those weak points expose themselves.
It’s the same in judo. You deceive the opponent and use their strength and power. That’s why if you always have the thoughts of evangelism, you’ll see those situations. If that person is destined to hear that word that day, even as you exchange a couple of words, you’ll know. If you don’t understand evangelism, you’ll go to the point of trying to persuade someone who is not ready to accept it because there are people who have been predestined to receive the gospel. You are able to discern this after just exchanging a couple words.
“It’s not their time schedule today.” How is this hard? It’s hard because my thoughts aren’t in it, but you think you have to do something. It might be tomorrow or the next week but once you converse with them, you’ll be able to see. That’s why if you constantly have this thought, once you find that timing, you’ll be able to relay it right away. That’s why I talked about judo, boxing, and kickboxing. Once they reveal the problem, you give them the medicine.
If that person is in a healthy state, it’s not a matter of trying to persuade them with your words. Even if you are at the same workplace for all your life, you’ll only meet a handful of people. If you think about 70 regions, it will happen. But it’s because you’ve lived your life, never thinking about this. Because through your colleague, there are other regions that open up, but you aren’t able to see this because you haven’t prayed or thought about it.
We need to think of the other person not just as one person, but the people surrounding that one person. For example, the Tae Kwon Do teacher is nurtured but she meets other kids, so we told her to connect us with children who may have problems. But when we tried to proclaim the gospel to her, it didn’t seem like it would work out, so it ended. But if you just have these thoughts, you’re able to see beyond that. Through that person, we told her to connect us with other children or parents who have problems, and we gave them our name card.
That is why you must not leave new believers alone. There was a newcomer, hispanic, who came, and Esther was wonderful, she got her food and met with her and talked to her. She came in a difficult way, and how could she even listen to the Word? We must relay the gospel to her because she might not come again in the future, but once these newcomers come, how many people are prepared to nurture them?
The people who constantly have thoughts of evangelism will do this, and then these newcomers will become the foundation. But instead, we try to go around evangelism. It’s because we can’t see. There are newcomers who come, and behind them, there are new believers, but we aren’t able to see this. I hope you prepare and will prepare to be the people who are able to raise up these new believers.
Prayer
God, we thank You. May you raise up the disciples so we’re able to fulfill this word of, “Feed My Lambs,” in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.