You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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When we were last in our study of John's Gospel, back in November, if you can believe it,
following through the life of Jesus that we might believe and find life in Him,
Derek led us through the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 plus with five loaves of bread and two fish.
And the people ate their fill and they thought, this guy is great.
Let's make him king.
But Jesus withdrew by Himself.
Much of the rest of John chapter 6, where we pick up this morning, is a sermon, so to speak.
Jesus teaching and interacting some with the people there as would have taken place often at the synagogue.
They're talking with Him about what they need, about who He is.
And Jesus says some wonderful, amazing things that if you really stop to listen to Him and contemplate Him are mind-blowing.
They leave some people listening in anger and in disbelief, leaving Jesus, I don't want anything else to do with Him.
And on the other hand, they leave others convinced that He is the one that they must follow.
That happens by the end of this sermon.
We're going to take two weeks to get to the end of it.
But I want us to follow through Jesus' sermon and reading it as we go this morning.
So keep your Bible open.
We're going to keep reading another section and another section.
Before Jesus begins speaking, though, He starts showing Himself to His disciples in a very personal way.
With yet another of John's signs.
Remember, signs that point to who Jesus is.
And so we'll start reading in verse 16.
John 6, verse 16.
When evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.
It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
And when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat.
And they were frightened.
But He said to them,
It is I.
Do not be afraid.
Then they were glad to take Him into the boat.
And immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
Just one of these times where Jesus will walk on the water.
Amazing.
But here, finding His disciples in the darkness, in a storm full of fear.
And the one who just cared for their bodies, fed them, now cares for their souls, doesn't He?
Do not fear.
I am here.
Remember, just remember for a moment what security there is for us in being with Jesus.
He can reach us no matter where we are, no matter what's going on.
And when He comes into the midst of whatever it is we're facing, we are safe with Him.
And we need not fear.
His presence should calm our fears.
It is I, He says.
Some of you have heard that comfort recently.
In some really tough places.
It's been hard.
And you've heard Jesus said, I'm here with you.
He meets us in our fears.
And the disciples here are starting to learn more about this miracle worker who fed 5,000.
That He rules over nature.
He cares for this world.
And He tends to our souls.
And all in a day's work.
Amazing.
Verse 22.
On the next day, the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there.
And that Jesus had not entered that boat with His disciples.
But that His disciples had gone away alone.
And other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor His disciples.
They themselves got into those boats and went to Capernaum seeking Jesus.
When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, Rabbi, when did you come here?
And 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 the loaves.
It's interesting, isn't it?
The crowds are eagerly tracking Jesus down.
They're getting ready to listen to Him teach for a long time.
And He starts the sermon by asking, why are you really here?
And then He answers.
He doesn't even let them say why they're there.
He tells them.
He answers for them.
Because you ate your fill.
Because you like what I do for you.
Jesus begins by identifying a common human struggle, doesn't He?
Demanding God to perform for us.
We are at the center of our lives.
And like the prodigal son, we like more what God does for us than the Father Himself.
Why do you really seek Jesus?
I remember thinking when I was still in school that maybe if I was spiritual enough, if I did enough church things and was up front leading enough, that maybe a girl would like me.
That seemed really appealing to me.
These crowds wanting to make Jesus king.
They like that He can solve those very practical, physical, real daily life kinds of problems for them.
They would like to use this powerful miracle worker against Rome, right?
Yes, we'll go with this guy.
Or at least while we do struggle through this, we would like to be well resourced and full along the way.
They're with Jesus not for the suffering, but for the success.
We want to have a good life, right?
Those are bandwagon fans, y'all.
They're there while we're winning.
They don't realize that multiplying the loaves to fill their bellies was merely a sign of something far more significant.
Some of you hang around Jesus primarily to give your kids some moral direction.
That's important, right?
Others of you are here counting on God to give you community.
Again, not a bad thing.
But Jesus is challenging you here right at the start to consider the priority of something else.
Something even more than those things.
The priority of spiritual food and life.
Listen to what he says next.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.
For on Him, God the Father has set His seal.
Seek lasting satisfaction, Jesus says.
He's talking to agrarian men and women who are used to working for their food, right?
In fact, they connect that to their very existence and survival.
Maybe that's not so much the same for you when you go to work.
You've got food at home in the pantry or the fridge, perhaps.
When they go and they work for food, it's not merely their livelihood.
It is their life.
That food that they work for.
That what it produces allows them to live.
And so Jesus takes something that they know quite well.
Something they can still taste from the day before.
And He says, make sure that you're not satisfied with something that will leave you empty again the next morning.
That will eventually spoil.
That you'll need more and more of the next day and the next year.
If you're going to survive, you'll have to keep working.
Jesus says, no, no, that's not what I'm offering.
I've got something better than that.
It's got to last.
Not just fill you temporarily, but really last.
Beyond this day, beyond this life, beyond this world even.
That's what's most valuable, He says.
Don't miss it.
Our relationship with God must be central in our lives.
Not primarily because He gives us so many good things.
Although He does.
Not because there are benefits to being His friend.
Although there are.
But because God Himself is the best thing.
Don't settle for less than truly knowing Him.
Than living with Him.
The one who is the ultimate good.
Don't demand God be a vending machine.
To give you what you pay for.
To perform what you need.
Well, the crowds aren't put off by Jesus' challenge on that point.
I hope you're not.
He's asking you to consider your heart.
Because He wants to invite you into something so much better than what you often live for.
So much better than what you often even hang around church for.
Something that is worth living and even dying for.
The people listening to Him, they hear what He's saying.
They seize on that word work.
And they say, you know, we got a question.
Jesus, okay.
We're tracking.
Tell us what work to do.
Verse 28.
Then they said to Him,
What must we do to be doing the works of God?
They're saying,
We will.
Well, literally it reads,
Work the works of God.
Just tell us what they are.
What must we do?
You tell us, Jesus.
We're in.
How can we help advance the cause?
How can we get in on this new kingdom and be a part of that?
What can we do for God?
Because we certainly want to be on His team.
The question itself implies a natural tendency that we all know very well.
The tendency to think it's all up to us.
Right?
We actually like that.
We love to contribute, don't we?
We like to be having a significant impact.
To feel good about ourselves.
Like we've got something to offer.
And maybe you've already thought,
Come on, you less spiritual people who think that God should perform
for you.
That's not how it works.
God is the king.
We are the servants.
Get it right, people.
Spiritual people know that we perform for God.
That's how it works.
Hmm.
That's not what Jesus says.
Modern day religious people like me would say it this way.
Give me the list, Jesus.
I am good at lists.
Those of you who know me know I can do a list.
I love lists.
We're so good, most of us, at this approach to relationship with God
that many people who aren't in a church think that that's what it means to be in a church.
That's where you go to get the list of do's and don'ts for your life
so that you know what you are supposed to do and what you're not.
What are the things God wants me to do to ensure that I'm on his side?
That's not how Jesus works.
Can you imagine the open door that question gives him?
Don't you love it when someone comes to you and says,
what can I do to help?
What are the things that I can do for you?
It's like every Saturday morning in my house.
Dad, what can I do for you?
Why are you laughing at us?
Imagine a preacher who's seeking to shape a movement to transform a group of people
to really get something done,
and they're asking him to tell them what to do.
Like, lay it on, man.
Tithing.
Teaching.
Ten commandments.
Is that enough?
Like, there's a list, isn't there?
Jesus says, verse 29,
this is the work of God.
Work.
Singular.
The one thing.
We might say the main thing.
God wants us to do.
To believe in Jesus.
Let's please not complicate what Jesus intends to be very simple.
He's calling us to come to him.
He's just said that he is the one who gives the life that we long for,
that God himself attests to that at his baptism, at many other times.
So he says, your work, really not work at all, is trust me.
What must I do to be saved?
The Bible is very clear on this point.
It's not a long list.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith is trusting Jesus to do the work on our behalf.
To give us the life that he promises to give.
To hold us and to bring us into God's family.
In a relationship of utter dependence on him.
Sometimes people of faith give faith a bad rap, honestly.
Partially it's because we have this nagging tendency to put our faith in ourselves.
In other people.
In what we do.
But really everyone in here.
Everyone in the world.
Is a person of faith.
When you sat down a few minutes ago after singing some of those songs.
Not a single one of you turned around and gingerly reached to the pew to make sure it was going to hold you up.
Now I saw a couple of you who turned around very carefully.
Not wanting to sit on a two-year-old who might have been crawling behind you.
That was, however, because you didn't have faith in the two-year-old.
Not because you didn't have faith in the pew to hold you up.
Every one of us.
The most cynical.
The most skeptical among us.
We exercise faith all the time.
Day in and day out.
We put our trust in all sorts of things and people.
The problem is.
We're so used to them letting us down.
The question Jesus puts before us is whether or not what we trust will truly.
And always.
And forever.
Hold us.
We're used to be let down by people.
By institutions.
Even by ourselves.
And Jesus says,
God sent me so that you can put your faith in one who will never let you down.
The only thing he asks you to do is to trust me.
And yes, as you enter into that relationship of trust and dependence,
you'll find your life centered on a new king and a new kingdom with all sorts of things to do.
Good works that God has designed just for you.
And you'll delight in doing them in relationship with him.
But nothing you do is the basis of your relationship with the king.
Nothing you do is the essence of the life that he offers to give you out of the abundance of his grace.
Jesus says,
Shorten your list.
One work.
Believe in me.
Come to me.
Trust me.
That is the good news that Jesus declares to you today.
Grace.
Life you don't earn,
but are given freely.
He's that good.
I hope you hear it as clearly as the people here did.
They understood Jesus asking them to do nothing more than trust him,
but also nothing less than trust him.
So they said to him,
Then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you?
What work do you perform?
Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness as it is written.
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
You hear what they're saying?
Where's the sign?
Many of them, remember,
have just been fed by Jesus with five loaves for 5,000.
The rest have almost certainly been talking about it.
And yet they want something more.
What sign?
I don't know.
You've got to be at least as good as Moses.
Manna day after day for 40 years in the wilderness.
Enough for everyone to eat bread from heaven.
Not just one miracle.
Do something more for us, Jesus,
or we won't be satisfied.
Are you kidding me?
What in the world?
Y'all, I so relate to the people here.
Demanding more
and not being satisfied with Jesus himself.
I believe in my head that God loves me fully and completely because of Jesus.
So before I step into this pulpit on a Sunday morning,
I am thinking and reminding myself I am fully loved by the God of the universe.
And that is enough.
Except that there are a whole lot of mornings that I step into this pulpit.
And what is really in my mind is,
God, that is so nice.
I've heard that for a long time.
I know you love me.
What I really need is another several hundred people or so to think that I'm wonderful.
And then I'll be okay.
Okay, that will be enough.
Can we make a deal on that?
I need this to go really well.
I need them to say nice things and then I'll leave feeling okay.
Honest.
Thankfully, today is not one of those so you can be mean.
Do you relate to feeling like that?
Jesus is nice on Sundays.
Maybe you've thought this,
but if I'm not professionally successful Monday through Saturday,
I'm going to spiral into self-loathing.
I need more stuff.
Being in God's family, that's neat and all,
but I don't feel cool or impressive or good enough
when I tell people where I go to church.
I need a new one.
Jesus says very clearly to us,
he's saying, let me tie it together.
I said, seek lasting satisfaction.
Then I told you to come to me.
To be very clear,
come find lasting satisfaction in me.
Verse 32,
Jesus then said to them,
truly, truly, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven,
but my father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God,
the life,
is he who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
And they said to him,
that sounds great.
Sir, give us this bread always.
Maybe they're still confused.
We're not sure.
Is it the physical bread for their life
that they're longing for?
Or is it the something greater?
And so Jesus now speaks
the first of his I am statements
in the gospel of John,
helping us grasp his true and unique identity.
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.
I am the bread of life.
Meaning,
if you come to me,
you'll never hunger again.
And in case you're confused
and think I mean that physically,
no, no, no.
You'll also take bread
and believe in me
and you'll never thirst.
Your soul will be satisfied forever.
It's the invitation of Jesus
we've heard already this morning.
Come to me.
All you who labor
and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest.
It's the invitation of God
through the prophet.
Come, everyone who thirsts.
Come to the waters.
And he who has no money,
come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
without money
and without price.
Why do you spend your money
for that which is not bread,
your labor for that
which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently.
Where?
To me.
And eat what is good
and delight yourselves
in rich food.
This is what God has been saying.
He graciously invites you
into full fellowship with him.
Free forgiveness.
Forgiveness.
Feasting forever
in a relationship with him
that begins right now.
Anyone who comes to Jesus,
no matter how empty,
how hungry,
how undeserving,
will never hunger again.
I'm not talking about
some great thing you have to do.
Coming to Jesus, remember,
even for the very first time
in case you're wondering,
is not some Herculean task
where you have to climb a ladder,
reach the top of a mountain
to find him.
It can be the simplest
whispered prayer.
Jesus, help me.
Have mercy on me, a sinner.
I need you every hour.
It's a continual coming
to the truth of his word.
Coming to his grace
in the sacraments.
Coming to his people
in your grace group.
To Jesus himself
as you love and serve
the least of these.
He says you have loved
and served him.
Right now,
come trust Jesus
and find lasting satisfaction
in him.
I suspect many of you
are like me
and that you've done that.
You've come
and believed in Jesus
and Alan prayed about this
as we were confessing
our sin this morning.
Maybe you're wondering
what I wrestled with
here all week
in this passage.
How come,
why God,
do I still have moments,
days,
seasons,
where I don't feel
satisfied?
I thought Jesus promises
never hunger or thirst.
Two possibilities, I think.
the first you should consider
is that maybe your heart
is wandering.
We are prone
to wander.
I am
very familiar with this.
I've been there.
Maybe you're looking
for satisfaction
somewhere besides Jesus
right now.
Pleasure,
money,
success,
comfort,
all sorts of places.
and what you need
to hear is Jesus
calling you to come
back to him
and to find,
actually experience
true fulfillment
and satisfaction
that you'll never
find anywhere else
and that's why you
feel hungry.
or maybe
what you're feeling
is not actually
the experience
that Jesus
is talking about
here at all.
Maybe it's not
what Jesus
is promising
that you won't
experience.
Maybe you're experiencing
the reality
of the storms,
the pain
and difficulty
of this broken world,
the longing
to be home
forever
and Jesus
is actually
reassuring you.
He wants you to hear
his comfort
this morning
that he really is
the place
to find rest
for your soul.
He doesn't want you
to be confused
and start running
to look elsewhere.
True satisfaction,
he says,
doesn't come from
a fuller belly,
a bigger bank account,
a better relationship.
No,
he wants you
to know
right there
where you've come
to him
the comfort
that you're not alone.
He has come
to be with you.
He has come
to you
in his incarnation
entering into this world,
his life,
his death,
his resurrection.
He comes
into the storms
of life
to be present,
to give peace
that passes understanding
when the circumstances
don't change,
to give hope,
pointing us
to true life,
true hope
beyond what we know here.
He has come
to set this table
this morning
to meet with you.
And he's coming again
to take you
to be with him
forever.
Friends,
coming to Jesus
is really nothing more
than embracing
the one
who has already
run across
heaven and earth
to embrace you.
Look at the assurance
that this gives us.
If I am the bread
of life
is the climax
of Jesus' sermon
part one.
This is the conclusion.
Verse 36,
after this offer
of himself,
he says,
but I said to you
that you have seen me
and yet do not believe.
Yes,
there are some
who despite Jesus' promise
will not embrace him,
will refuse his offer,
but all that the Father
gives me
will come to me
and whoever comes to me
I will never cast out
for I have come down
from heaven
not to do my own will
but the will of him
who sent me
and this is the will
of him who sent me
that I should lose
nothing of all
that he has given me
but raise it up
on the last day
for this is the will
of my Father
that everyone
who looks on the Son
and believes in him
should have eternal life
and I will raise him up
on the last day.
Just like the disciples
in the boat
no matter what happens
your safety
and security today
and forever
is inextricably linked
to Jesus' presence
with you
and he is here.
Jesus has come down
from heaven
so that every single person
who trusts him
will be held
and given life
and fully satisfied
forever
that every one of us
would be actually a gift
from the eternal Father
to the divine Son.
You are safe.
Listen,
if you have even
whispered this morning
Jesus help.
if you have even
even weakly
and feebly
opened your arms
to embrace the one
who came
to reach you
you know what your life
depends on today?
It's not hanging
by a thread.
It is not
dangling
precariously
by your
faltering faith
or your
inconsistent obedience.
It's not being weighed
in the balance
of good
versus bad
this week.
Your eternal comfort
and confidence
you know what it all
comes down to?
It all comes down to this.
You want to know
what you're going to make it
or break it on?
Will Jesus
the Son
be obedient
to his Father?
Remember when we looked
at this at Christmas
and Jesus says
I came for this
express purpose
to do
my Father's
will?
Of course
he will
even if it
cost him
his life
he will do
the Father's will.
You know what your life
comes down to?
Will the Father's
eternal
will
come to pass?
Oh
most certainly
it will.
The sovereign
King
and creator
of it all
he made it
he sustains it
his will
will
happen.
It all comes down
to this
will Jesus
have power
to raise you
to life
even if you die.
Friends
he is the one
who rose himself
and conquered
the grave.
This
is the one
in whose hands
is your life.
He never runs
for re-election.
He doesn't have to.
His power is not
dependent
on public opinion
and it being given
to him.
He never
retires.
He's not merely
the greatest
of all time.
He is
the author
of time
itself
and guess what?
He will
never die.
He defeated
death
and lives
never more
to die.
This
is the King
and the Savior
whose power
and love
hold your life.
Your life
depends on
is he strong
enough
and is he loving
enough.
And Jesus
says
do
not
fear.
It is
I.
I am
here
with you.
I've set
this table
before you
so that you
won't forget
that.
I've come
so that we
can have
relationship
forever
and you know
what the terms
of our
relationship
are
Jesus
says.
Here's the deal
I make a deal
with you.
I will
lay aside
the glory
of heaven.
I'll be
born on
this earth.
I will
live a
perfect life.
I will
die a
painful death
on the
cross.
I will
rise and
defeat
sin and
Satan
and death
and you
will
believe in
me.
Come to
me.
Rest in
me.
That's
how our
relationship
works.
It's what
Jesus told
his disciples
on the
night one
of them
betrayed
him.
When he
took bread
and he
broke it
and he
gave it
to them
as I
ministering
in his
name give
this bread
to you.
He said
take and
eat.
This is
my body
given for
you.
Do this
in remembrance
of me.
In the same
way after
supper he
took the
cup and
said this
cup is
the new
covenant
in my
blood.
Shed for
many for
the forgiveness
of their
sins.
He didn't
have any
but he
gave his
blood for
yours.
Take and
drink it
all of you
for as
often as
you eat
this bread
and you
drink this
cup you
proclaim the
Lord's
death until
he comes.
You proclaim
it's all up
to him and
he's done
it and you
trust him.
Come to
Jesus.
He's
already
come to
you.
If you
embrace him
however
desperately
if you
rest in
him
however
weakly
come and
eat with
him and
with us.
If that's
not where
you are in
your heart
this morning
if that's
not what
you see
before you
the only
hope that
you have
if you
would actually
prefer that
the stuff
that God
does for
you rather
than him
or perhaps
even more
likely if
you think
your relationship
with God
is based on
what you
can offer
to him
and do
for him
and you've
got more
to do
before you
come
don't come
to this
table.
This table
is one
that declares
our hopelessness
apart from
Jesus and
at the same
time our
absolute hope
that we find
life in him
and satisfaction
in him
forever that
he's the one
who fills us
so if that's
not your
testimony
don't come
to this
table
we invite
you to
come up
and we'd
love to
pray with
you
if you'd
prefer you
can stay
where you
are
if that's
more comfortable
for you
we're thrilled
you're here
wherever you
are consider
the offer
of Jesus
to you
I am
the bread
of life
he who
comes to
me will
never
hunger
he who
believes
in me
will never
thirst
let's pray
and then we'll
come together
Jesus
what a
what an
amazingly
gracious
offer
what a
gift
might we
come
crawling
stumbling
struggling
to you
and find
ourselves
held
and fulfilled
and preserved
in such a way
that we could
never imagine
meet us
thank you for
coming first
thank you for
setting the
table
by your spirit
meet with us
now in Jesus
name
amen
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information
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