We can turn back to our reading in John's Gospel, chapter 6.
We're going to look at just this section, verse 25, down to verse 51,
where Jesus is speaking to this large crowd who have come,
seeking after him, having seen a miracle that he performed,
especially the miracle of feeding the 5,000.
And in verse 26, we read there,
Jesus answered them,
Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of loaves.
Do not labor for food that perishes,
but for the food that endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give to you, and so on.
So they came because of a miracle that Jesus had performed,
but Jesus wants to give them now the word,
give him his word, and to remind them who he is
and hear how he describes himself as the bread of life.
Maybe you've gathered here today, you've come here today,
maybe you were given an invitation as you were walking out in the street this morning
to come and enjoy a breakfast,
to come and enjoy maybe a bacon roll and a cup of tea.
Maybe you've come with that in mind,
and perhaps then you were invited to come in to the church.
And it's great that many of you have come in,
and it's good for us just to come together in this way
to hear God's word and to share from it.
Because we are reminded in God's word that it's good for us to eat
and to enjoy all of these things,
that if we want to enjoy life to the full,
that we need an extra ingredient,
and that is the Lord Jesus himself.
We've all enjoyed a breakfast, I'm sure, this morning of some sort,
whether it was in the hall or at home.
Breakfast, as they say, is the most important meal of the day.
But I want us now to enjoy a full breakfast,
to round off the food that we've enjoyed
by coming to the word of God and to Jesus,
who is describing himself here as the bread of life.
But food, it's such a big part of our lives,
we cannot do without it.
As I was saying to the younger ones before they went out,
as we walk around the town this week,
there's always that smell of food coming from somewhere,
catching our attention.
And as soon as we smell that food,
we start thinking about eating, about sitting and eating.
And we spend so much time maybe talking about food.
What are we going to have for dinner?
What are we going to have in the week ahead?
Our thoughts are so much taken up by food.
It has that kind of pull on us.
Even as you start talking about bacon rolls,
or if you start talking about what are we having for dinner,
maybe your mind just wanders and you start thinking about these things.
I want you to come back.
Come back.
Forget about these things for a moment.
Just let's focus our thoughts on what we have before us here.
Because here we have Jesus talking about a different kind of food.
And something that should occupy our thoughts and our minds more and more,
each and every day.
Does Jesus have that same pull on your life today as the thought of food does?
Is Jesus as appealing as the thought of a good meal to you today?
Well, as we read here in John's Gospel, chapter 6,
what we find is a people for whom food was a big part of their lives.
And to go without food meant to go hungry just in the same way as it does for us.
They ate just like we do.
They went hungry just as we do.
And at the beginning of this chapter,
we find that that first section, verse 1 to 15,
there was a hunger in their midst.
There was a hunger in their midst because they had been with Jesus.
They had been listening to him and the large crowd had come.
And there in verse 5, it says,
Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?
There was a hunger in their midst.
They didn't have anywhere to go and buy food,
but food appeared from a little boy who provided for them.
And Jesus multiplied that food for them.
A miracle happened.
And so that's where they've come from now.
They've come and followed Jesus.
They've come and followed him looking to see what else that he might be able to give.
And when we come into verse 26 and 27,
here Jesus gives them a challenge.
What now are you looking for from me is the question that he has.
Verse 26,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
you are seeking me not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of loaves.
Do not labor for the food that perishes,
but for the food that endures to eternal life.
That's the challenge that he puts before them.
What are they coming for?
What are they really looking for in life?
A festival has come to an end here in the town.
People have come.
People have gone.
People are on their way away from here.
But what now in life?
What's next?
What are we hungry for now?
Where are we going?
What are we going to do in our lives?
Well, Jesus here gives us a way to find life with him.
There's three things I want us to look at here together.
Three things that we can see Jesus speaking about here
that we find ourselves doing in life as well.
Well, we find first a people laboring or working.
Laboring and working, they both mean the same thing.
A people laboring.
That's what maybe many of us will go back to.
We also find a people longing.
They're looking for something.
They're longing for something.
And again, maybe that's your life today as well.
You're longing for something.
Then thirdly, we see a people living.
A people living.
A people with that sense of,
I've got something I'm living for.
And we see here a people who find life and meaning in Jesus.
Where do you find yourself today?
Are you someone who's laboring in life?
A person who's working hard for many different things?
Are you a person who's got great longings?
You're like looking for something.
You're looking for answers.
You're looking for meaning in life.
Or are you someone who is living?
And you've got a living purpose in your heart today.
And especially that living for Jesus.
That's the three things we're going to look at together.
Just for a short time just now.
So first of all, we see a people laboring.
A people working.
We see this in verse 827.
When Jesus says to them there,
Do not labor for food that perishes.
He's asking them,
What are you doing?
What's your purpose in life?
What are you laboring for today?
What are you working for today?
The same way that food takes up so much of our thoughts and so much of our times.
So much of our day-to-day life is taken up in this way of thinking about laboring in life.
Working in life.
And what are you working for?
Because that's what one of our great designs in life is.
That we work and we have a goal in mind.
Sometimes it's just to get by day by day.
A sense of survival.
I need to labor.
I need to work.
Just to get by day by day.
Sometimes you're working.
You're laboring because you've got something in mind.
Perhaps you've been laboring hard to come and visit the island.
To come to the festival this year.
You've had to earn that money to buy that holiday.
To buy that trip.
You can be working or laboring with something in mind.
Maybe you're laboring.
You're working just to get you a comfortable life.
A home.
To support a family.
To support children through university or education or early life.
We can have so many reasons and purposes for laboring.
But what's behind it all?
What's the real purpose behind it all?
The way we are, there's almost something that always has our focus, our attention when it comes to laboring.
But is it something that will satisfy?
Is it something that will last?
That's what Jesus is asking there in verse 27.
Do not labor for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life.
He's saying labor in a way that you see that there is a real purpose.
A major sports star in America, Tom Brady, an American footballer.
Quite early on in his career, he was interviewed.
And he'd had a very successful career by this point.
He had won three Super Bowls.
That's the biggest prize in American football.
But as he was interviewed, this is something that he said.
Why, having won three Super Bowls, do I still think there's something greater out there for me?
I think there's got to be more to it than this.
I mean, this isn't it.
This can't be what it's all, all that it's cracked up to be.
You see, there was something missing in his life.
And the journalist who was interviewing him asked him the question,
What's the answer then, Tom?
And Tom Brady's response was, I wish I knew.
It's quite a sad interview in many ways that a man who was very successful in his career,
who had won great things in his career, but all the time thinking,
there's got to be more to it than this.
And asked, what do you think it is?
I wish I knew.
There was something missing.
And it's such a common story in life today for many people.
Laboring, working away, even successful in life,
but still there's something missing.
Still there's something lacking.
And perhaps like Tom Brady, you say today,
I wish I knew what that was.
I wish I knew.
Well, as Jesus meets the crowd here,
what he does is he addresses this question of,
I wish I knew.
And in so doing, he describes himself as the missing link.
When they're saying here,
Do not labor for that which perishes,
but that which lasts,
but the food that endures to eternal life.
They ask the question,
Where can we find this?
How can I do this work?
But he comes to the point where he says,
I am the bread of life.
I am is one of these great seeings that Jesus has,
especially in the Gospel of John.
But it's throughout the Scriptures
where Jesus or the Lord is saying who he is
and how much we need him.
They often go back to the Old Testament.
They often remind us of just how our lives are so often consumed
by the things of this world.
You go back to Isaiah chapter 55.
There the prophet Isaiah says,
Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread?
And why do you labor for that which does not satisfy?
So the problem in the Old Testament with Isaiah
is the same one here in John's Gospel.
Why are you laboring for that which does not satisfy?
He's not saying don't work.
That's to be a part of our lives.
But he's saying,
Why are you living in a way where you don't see a purpose
in all that you do?
And he says to them here,
You know, you're not coming to me for me.
You're coming because you saw me perform great miracles.
What are you really looking for?
I hope you didn't come here today just to enjoy a breakfast.
I hope you don't go from here today just to enjoy a meal somewhere
or to go on laboring in this world with no purpose,
thinking I wish I knew what the purpose was
when the purpose is here before us.
What are you laboring for?
That's the challenge that we have in these words.
Is Jesus the center of your attention?
And then that leads us into the second point,
which is a people longing.
A people with a sense of longing,
which is what we often are as well.
It's the way we live our lives.
We're longing for something.
We're looking for something that will fulfill our lives.
So what do you want from Jesus?
What would you want from Jesus today
if you were able to ask him for one thing?
Why do you listen to his word?
Why do you come looking for him?
Because everyone is looking for something in life.
But what is it for you?
Well, in verse 28 to verse 34 here,
we see a people who are longing for a number of different things.
They say in verse 28,
what must we do?
What must we do to be doing the works of God?
So they're asking these questions.
How do we please God?
Is there something we can do?
Is there a sign?
He goes on, show us a sign.
You have that question as well.
They've got all these questions.
How are we going to come and believe in Jesus?
How can we find this bread that you are speaking about?
There's a longing.
And that's the same in our lives.
There's usually a longing for something in our lives.
But what we see here is it's a people who are confused.
A people who are mixed up.
People who don't really,
they know they're missing something,
but they don't know how to find it.
There's a desire and a longing for good,
but they're in a muddle.
They're mixed up.
They're blowing this way and that way.
And again, that's the way our lives can so often be.
We've pulled in different directions.
Just think of how often we're told in our diets
what's good for us and what's not,
and how often it changes.
How often have we been told
that chocolate is bad?
But then maybe another day,
chocolate is good.
How often have we been told to avoid dairy products?
And then the next day you're told
dairy products are good.
To avoid fats,
and then you say you need fats.
To avoid sugar,
and you need sugar.
There can be so much confusion.
But we know a bad diet is bad for us
in different ways.
Not just outwardly,
but inwardly.
We know that there is a concern
if our diet is wrong
and it's starting to affect our organs
like our heart or something.
We know that's not good.
That's a concern
and that a doctor shows to us.
When we're wondering,
what's good?
What's bad for me?
What am I meant to do in life?
We go to the doctor.
We seek advice.
But Jesus here is concerned
not about our physical health,
but about our spiritual health.
He's seeing a people who are confused,
who have little direction in their life,
who don't know where to go,
what to turn to.
They've got a longing,
but they don't know where to look.
Well, Jesus is saying,
this is where you're to look.
Look to me.
Because he has a great concern for us.
You see this in verse 33 to 35.
For the bread of God
is he who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
They said to him,
sir, give us this bread always.
Jesus said to them,
I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me
shall never thirst.
And so there is the answer.
In their confusion,
in their muddle,
in their wondering which direction to go in,
Jesus is saying,
I am the bread of life.
Have your focus on me.
If you have a pet,
or if you,
maybe a dog,
any time there's food on the go,
the dog is going to appear,
suddenly seems to appear out of nowhere,
and just looks at you longingly
for some of that food.
I'm sure many of you have experienced that.
Well,
a famous Christian in the past,
a man called Martin Luther,
who lived many years ago,
but he was a strong Christian
in many ways.
But he said he often learned from his dog.
He said,
oh,
if I only could pray
the way this dog watches the meat.
All his thoughts are concentrated
on that piece of meat.
He has no other thought,
wish,
or hope.
And he was saying,
that's the way I wish I could come
to God in prayer.
Because we're so often distracted.
We're so often led away.
We're so often our longings
are pulled in different directions.
But Jesus is saying here,
narrow it in.
Don't get distracted by other things.
I am the bread of life.
I am the one
who is able to satisfy you.
And so there is where he takes him.
All who take the bread in this world
is a bread that perishes.
But if we come and take of him
who is the bread of life,
he gives us guarantees
for eternity.
And so is your focus,
is your longing
on him.
That is where
we are to go.
Because then thirdly,
we see if that is the case,
we find ourselves
as a people living.
A people living
for him.
Do you believe that every meal
that you eat each day
keeps you alive?
Of course you do.
Because that's why you eat.
You don't come to the conclusion
and say,
I've had enough.
We can feel
so full
after a big meal
and say,
oh,
I won't have to eat again
for days.
But within hours,
you're going into the cupboard
for something else to eat.
Because that's the way we are.
We eat,
but we need more.
We need more.
We cannot go on.
We stop eating.
We die.
Do you say the same
about Jesus though?
I can't live
without him?
Or are you saying,
I can live
without him?
Which is it?
If you say,
I can live without him,
you'll realize perhaps
when it's too late
that you can't.
but the word of God
here is showing us
that in him
we can live.
This is what we see
in verse 41 and 42.
They had this attitude
of we can manage
without Jesus.
The Jews grumbled
about him
and said,
because he said,
I am the bread
that came down
from heaven.
They said,
is this not Jesus,
the son of Joseph
whose father and mother
we know?
Is this not just
an ordinary man?
Is this not just
someone who's not
that important?
That's the way
we can be with Jesus.
We can say
he's not that important
to us.
Or we can see
that he is truly
important to us.
That we cannot live
without him.
The bread of this world
as it says,
bread that perishes,
bread that doesn't satisfy,
is just like chasing
after the wind.
We cannot catch it.
We cannot find it.
It never satisfies.
In Greek mythology,
there was a man
called King Tantalus.
And he was punished
by being chained.
Where he was chained,
there was a lake
and the lake would rise
up to his chin.
And any time
he put his chin down
to get a drink of water,
the lake would subside.
The water would subside away.
And above him
was a tree
with branches
with fruit
that was just
dropping down to him.
But any time
he would reach up
his hand
to get some of that fruit
that branch
would lift away,
he could never get it.
King Tantalus
was his name.
And that's where
we get the word
tantalize from.
Something that is
tantalizing
is something
that is so close
that we can almost
feel it,
we can almost touch it,
but we just
can't get it.
And that's
what chasing
after things
in this life
is like so often.
We're looking
for satisfaction,
we're looking
for fulfillment
in so many
different things.
It's teasing us,
it's tantalizing,
but we cannot reach it,
we cannot touch it.
There's a frustration.
Well,
Jesus is here
to show us
that it's not just
tantalizing for us,
but that it's truth,
that it's real,
that it's something
that we can have.
A Savior
who can give
eternal life
is not just
something teasing,
it's not just
something tantalizing,
it's a reality
of what we read
here in this passage.
In verse 37,
Jesus says,
all that the Father
gives me
will come to me
and whoever comes
I will never
cast out.
You're saying,
but I'm not
good enough
for it.
Well,
Jesus says,
come,
trust,
believe,
repent of your sins
and turn to me
and I will never
cast you out,
I will never
put you away.
In verse 40,
for this is the will
of my Father
that whoever
looks on the Son
and believes in him
should have
eternal life.
That is the promise
that you have
in his word.
It's not just
tantalizing,
it's truth.
In verse 47
and 48,
truly,
truly I say to you,
whoever believes
has eternal life,
I am the bread
of life.
Will you not
come to him
today?
That's the question
for us.
Are you laboring
today?
Are you longing
today?
These two things
so often go
hand in hand.
We're working,
we're laboring
away for something
that does not
satisfy.
We're longing
for something
to fulfill us,
to give us
that true
satisfaction
in life.
While Jesus
is saying,
I am
the bread
of life.
You will find
fulfillment,
you will find
satisfaction
with me.
We all
need
food.
We will
all have
enjoyed food
this morning.
We will
all go
and enjoy
food
after
this service.
We will
all go
on laboring.
We will
all go
on longing.
But what's
fulfilling us?
What's
helping us
live?
We need
Jesus
because
Jesus
is
the bread
of life.
life.
Why
do you
labor
for that
which
perishes
instead of
what endures
to eternal
life?
That is what
Jesus is
leading us
to.
And may
he lead
you today
and in all
the days
ahead.
May he
lead you
to know
the wonder
of him
as the one
who satisfies
that longing,
the one
who fulfills
all that
laboring
by living
for him
who is
the bread
of life.
Let's just
bow our heads
in a word
of prayer.
Let us pray.
Lord,
our gracious
God,
we thank
you that
your word
speaks,
that your
word guides
us and
helps us.
We thank
you,
Lord,
that you
remind us
of what
our lives
are like
so often,
of how
we labor
and how
we long
for so
much in
this world.
But we
pray to
find that
sense of
life and
living
in you
as the
bread of
life.
May we
know it,
experience it
and touch
it and
know the
reality of
it day
by day
as we
seek your
good upon
us.
In
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
We're
going to
conclude by
singing again
to God's
praise this
time in
Psalm 34.
You'll find
it on page
247 of
the Psalm
books,
the Scottish
Psalter
version.
Psalm 34
verse 8.
We'll sing
three verses
to verse 11.
The tune is
St. David.
Again,
this Psalm
just reminds
us where
to come
and find
that goodness
of God.
Oh,
taste and
see that
God is
good,
who trusts
in him
is blessed.
Fear God
is saints,
and not in
fear shall
be with
want
oppressed.
We'll sing
from verse
8 to
11 to
God's
praise.
Amen.
O taste
and see
that
God
is
good,
who
trusts
in him
is
blessed.
Fear God
is
safe,
none
that
him
fear
shall
be
with
want
to
press.
The
lions
young
may
agree
be,
and
they
may
lack
their
burden,
but
they
that
truly
seek
the
Lord
shall
not
lack
any
good.
O
children
hither
do
ye
come
and
unto
me
give
ear.
I
shall
you
teach
to
understand
how
ye
the
Lord
should
hear.
We'll
close with a
benediction,
and after that
I'll go to
the main
door.
Now may
grace,
mercy,
and peace
from God,
Father,
Son,
and Holy
Spirit,
rest upon
and abide
with you
all,
now and
forevermore.
Amen.
.