John 21:1-6

Breakfast by the Sea

After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

After Christ has risen from the dead, He appeared to His disciples in a manner. Instead of one who is mighty and powerful, He appeared as one who is concerned about the physical needs of His disciples- Food.

John 21:9

Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

Instead of asking the disciples to cook the meal themselves after He has blessed them with the abundant of fishes, He cooked personally for them. This is how He shall appear to you now. In the time that you lack finance, lack food, He shall provide you with finance and food to eat.

Mark 6:30-31

Feeding the Five Thousands

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

After they perform the miracle, He is concerned about their well being, about them being tired. So He said to rest a while. As He is then, so is He now, He is concerned that when we serve, He wants us to rest. He knows our physical needs and attend to that.

Romans 5:20

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more

Even though we may sin, yet grace will super abound in our life. Whatever your weakness may be, when God's grace cover it, it shall be the best asset that you ever have. Just leave it to God and He will do the rest.

Romans 6:2

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Genesis 12:10

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Just like what is ongoing in the financial world, there is famine in the land.

Genesis 13:2

Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Notice that despite the time of crisis, Abram never lack. Instead, He was very rich. Yet is it because He work for it? No, its because he believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Which means to say, if you work for something, the thing have to be given to you because of debt. Yet if you believe in God, the thing shall be given to you through grace.

David Celebrates the Same Truth

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness

All we have to do is to believe on Him who will justifies the ungodly, it is not the godly people that he justify, it is the ungodly people that he justify that we shall have righteousness.

Genesis 20

And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be.

Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”

Notice the funny thing over here? It is Abraham that told a lie, yet it is Abimelech that was rebuked by God. And instead of being punished for telling the lie, Abraham was blessed with so much more riches. This was the second time that Abraham lied. The first time was when He just knew God and now when He had known God and even met Him personally and given had His name changed to Abraham instead of Abraham.

Matthew 6:25-34

Do not worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Therefore, do not worry, look at how these birds are feed. Do you so think for a moment that someone will bother to throw food for the birds to eat? No, it is the heavenly Father that provides food for them.

Look at the lilies in the field, is it not filled with such beauty and yet know that the next moment, it will wither under the sun. Yet, our Father still bother to clothe them to be in such beauty. How much more you of more value then them? When Christ came down for us all and not for them. How much more of value are we in His eyes? So worry not about tomorrow, for there is only sufficient grace for today.

Preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on 25 Oct 2008