Date: 11-05-25
Preacher: Ps Ong Kian Kee
Title: Miracle of Thanksgiving

Miracle of Thanksgiving

This morning’s biblical reference is from John 6:1-13. It could also well be from Matthew, Mark or Luke. The fact that it is mentioned in all the gospels show the significance of this event to us believers.

Since biblical times, God has known man, even his own elected Israelites, to be ungrateful people. In fact Ps Ong made a most pointed observation in terms of our prayers. Often there is very little thanksgiving but a whole host of requests which we request God to answer.

The above was the lead-in to this morning’s message.  Then Ps Ong went to share what had happened to set the stage for the event of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. 

The event happened after the following:

1. John the Baptist was just beheaded.
2. Jesus’ disciples had just returned from being sent to preach the gospel.
3. The Passover was approaching, so people were everywhere, many from afar
4. Jesus and the disciples had retreated to a secluded place

Ps Ong then shared with the congregation 3 important lessons we can learn from Jesus in this important biblical event. These are:

1. Focus on God
2. Exercise faith
3. God uses the poor

It is worth the effort to reproduce here the 3 points that Ps Ong covered under Point 1 above. These are:

1. The Bible records that God is in control and nothing is impossible with God
2. Giving thanks to God shows a heart of entrusting and leaving everything in God's hands.
3. Recognize that God is the Person involved and we can rely on Him for everything.

Again Ps Ong made a pointed comment when he said it is easy to talk about faith when things are smooth-going in our lives but when we are faced with a crisis, faith flew out of the window. Here he also shared an anecdote of even thanking God in times of crisis.

Under point 2 in the Exercise of Faith, he shared the life of George Muller who is a great example of living by faith. He cared for more than 10000 orphans in his lifetime and often had to exercise his faith when resources at his orphanage ran dry.

It is here that Ps Ong shared how Jesus taught his disciples about faith by asking Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" and Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them..."

From Philip’s answer we can conclude what would normally go through our heads when faced with a crisis. We would often count our resources first but often forget about God’s. And God was right in front of Philip’s eyes. In other words we do not exercise our faith first.

Finally God uses children and the poor to confound all eternity, for in Ps Ong’s words, the children had no status, no identity and no experience to give them emotional baggage. Also they had no worries and dared to try. So the child who had his 5 loaves and 2 fishes gave them all to one of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, to bring about the miracle. The child’s food provision given by his mother also represented food for the poor and God honoured that.

I felt that Ps Ong gave a most appropriate conclusion through his final slide entitled ‘the Maths of Thanksgiving’. These are reproduced below:

1. Do you see the crowd increasing or decreasing?
   Here his disciples saw a surging crowd but Jesus saw decreased faith.
2. Do you see yourself decreasing or increasing? Your faith that is.
3. Can God use you twice as much?
4. Are you willing to be used by God?

The last two questions matter most, I feel.