Archive for: John

Believe

Will You Stay Or Will You Go?

(John 6:60-71)

INTRODUCTION

We are all probably familiar with a couple of Christian leaders who have renounced their faith recently.

Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, announced on July 26th that he and his wife were separating. ​​ In a follow-up post on Instagram he made this statement, “The information that was left out of our announcement is that I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus. ​​ The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’ ​​ By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. ​​ Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now.”

Right on the heels of Joshua Harris’ announcement was Marty Sampson’s announcement on Instagram. ​​ He said, “Time for some real talk. ​​ I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. ​​ Like, what bothers me now is nothing. ​​ I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. ​​ It’s crazy. . . This is a soapbox moment so here I go . . . How many preachers fall? ​​ Many, no one talks about it. ​​ How many miracles happen. ​​ Not many. ​​ No one talks about it. ​​ Why is the Bible full of contradictions? ​​ No one talks about it. ​​ How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? ​​ No one talks about it. ​​ Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet – they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. ​​ But it’s not for me.” ​​ He later clarified that he wouldn’t say he has “renounced” his faith but would say “it’s on incredibly shaky ground.”

[https://www.christianpost.com/news/hillsong-worship-leader-clarifies-he-hasnt-renounced-faith-but-its-on-incredibly-shaky-ground.html].

This is important when we read what John said in 1 John 2:18-19, Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. ​​ This is how we know it is the last hour. ​​ They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. ​​ For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

BODY

• ME

  • Fully committed

    • • Judy and I have always believed that marriage is “until death do us part.”

        • We were both Christians long before we knew each other, which formed that belief in us

        • Divorce has never been a word that is used or talked about in our marriage – it’s not an option for us

        • That doesn’t mean we haven’t argued with each other, been angry with other, or taken some time apart to cool down

      • We feel the same way about our relationship with Jesus

        • When we made the commitment to follow Jesus and be His disciple, it was a lifetime commitment we were making

        • Renouncing our faith is not a word that is used or talked about in our relationship with Jesus – it’s not an option for us

• WE

  • Fully Committed

    • • Perhaps every one of us is fully committed to something or someone

        • Are we fully committed to our spouses?

        • Are we fully committed to our job?

        • Are we fully committed to Idaville Church?

        • Are we fully committed to Jesus Christ?

      • Everyone take a moment to consider what you are fully committed to

Jesus has been sharing what most refer to as, His “Bread of Life” discourse. ​​ It started after the feeding of the 5,000. ​​ He was making some statements that were difficult for the Jews and His disciples to believe and accept. ​​ He had told them that He had come down from heaven and that in order to receive eternal life and live forever, they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood, which simply meant they had to come to Him and believe in Him – they had to believe in His perfect sacrifice for them on the cross. ​​ This was definitely not the kind of “king” they were looking for, and as we’ll see today, not someone they wanted to continue to follow. ​​ That did not come as a surprise to Jesus. ​​ What John wants us to understand is that . . .

BIG IDEA – Jesus knows who His true disciples are.

Let’s pray

• GOD (John 6:60-71)

  • Going (vv. 60-66)

    • • Disciple’s grumbling

        • On hearing it

          • This is probably referring to three things that Jesus had just taught them

            • He had come down from heaven as the bread of life (we know that offended the Jews, but perhaps it offended His disciples as well)

            • Jesus’ death was the only way for them to receive eternal life (that wasn’t their idea of a Messiah/King)

            • The use of the metaphor for believing in Jesus – eating His flesh and drinking His blood

          • At least one of those teachings, but probably all three, are what is being referred to here as what they heard

        • His disciples

          • Most of the time when we see the word “disciple” used we think of the Twelve Disciples that followed Jesus wherever He went, but there is a distinction here

            • In verse 67 we’ll see Jesus speak directly to the Twelve (that’s the first time this word is used)

            • Earlier in John we see that many people believed in Jesus name, but were not truly disciples

            • John 2:23-25, Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. ​​ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. ​​ He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

          • “At the most elementary level, a disciple is someone who is at that point following Jesus, either literally by joining the group that pursued him from place to place, or metaphorically in regarding him as the authoritative teacher. ​​ Such a ‘disciple’ is not necessarily a ‘Christian’, someone who has savingly trusted Jesus and sworn allegiance to him, given by the Father to the Son, drawn by the Father and born again by the Spirit.” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According To John, 300]

          • John 8:31-32, To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ​​ Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

          • As we’ll see in just a moment, these “disciples” will not hold to Jesus’ teaching any more

        • Hard teaching

          • Jesus’ teaching was not hard to understand

          • These “disciples” knew exactly what Jesus was teaching them

          • It was hard in the sense of being offensive, harsh, and intolerable

          • They didn’t like what He was teaching them, because it offended them (Jesus was going to die for them, and following Him meant they had to die also – dying to self and/or martyrdom)

        • Who can accept it?

          • Other translations have, “who can hear, listen, or understand it?”

          • The original Greek means “accept” with the idea of obeying Jesus’ teachings

          • So, being a disciple of Jesus is more than just hearing His words, but accepting them and being obedient to them

          • That’s the intent of John 8:31, holding to the teachings of Jesus – it’s continuing to be present, to persevere, to cleave to or hold fast to His Words

          • Application

            • Have you accepted Jesus’ teachings?

            • Are you being obedient to His teachings?

            • Are you holding to, cleaving to, and persevering in His teachings?

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Make sure that I’m not just hearing Jesus’ teachings, but accepting them and being obedient to them.

            • Being obedient to and holding on to Jesus’ teachings is evidence that we are really His disciples.

            • Jesus knows who His true disciples are.

        • He also knows what they are talking about, so He responds to their grumbling

      • Jesus’ response

        • Jesus knows what they are saying

          • PRINCIPLE #1 – Jesus is omniscient (all-knowing)

            • This principle continues to come up each week for the past several weeks, which means that it’s an important principle that God wants us to grasp, accept, and understand

            • In fact, this principle will be seen in vv. 64 and 70

          • The knowledge of what His disciples were grumbling about was supernatural in nature – He knows their hearts

          • So, He addresses their concern

        • Does this offend you?

          • Jesus’ response lets us know that they were offended by His teachings, and not that they didn’t understand His teachings

          • Jesus’ next statement challenges them

            • If they’re offended simply by His teachings about how eternal life is obtained, through His death, burial, and resurrection, how will they react when it actually happens

            • Jesus has been telling them that He is going to give His life for the world (John 6:51)

            • He is now telling them that His ascension, back to heaven, will only come after His death, burial, and resurrection

          • Then He explains that the Spirit gives life and that flesh counts for nothing

        • Spirit gives life

          • Wait a minute, in verses 41-59 Jesus talked all about how the bread, which represented His flesh, will be given for the life of the world, so that human beings could experience eternal life and live forever

            • Now He’s saying that flesh doesn’t count for anything, and that the Spirit gives life

            • We have to understand that Jesus is not talking about His flesh here

            • He is talking about trying to understand His word in our humanness

            • Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

            • He is also talking about trying to obtain eternal life in our own strength

              • How many of us have done that in the past?

              • We think that being religious will get us to heaven

              • We think that following the correct philosophical ideas will bridge the gap between us and God

              • We think that being moral will someone please God to the point of Him allowing us into His kingdom

              • We think that good works will punch our ticket for eternity

              • None of things bridge the gap between sinful people and a Holy God

              • Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

              • Proverbs 14:12, There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

            • “I cannot make someone fall in love with Jesus.
              
              It really came home for me, literally, with my own teenage daughter, who, 18 months ago, was not in love with Jesus. I spent nights crying, bawling, praying to the Lord. Here, I am known for my ability to communicate, but there was nothing I could do for my own daughter that would make her fall in love with Jesus. Of course I could still guide and lead her, but I was powerless to convict her.
              
              I prayed, ‘God, either your Spirit comes into her or your Spirit doesn't. It doesn't matter how great a dad I am. I cannot bring her to life.’
              
              One day she came into my room and said, ‘You were right, Dad. The Holy Spirit was not in me. But now he is.’ She talked about how near she was to God and how everything had changed. My wife and I were skeptical. We wanted to see evidence of change. But 18 months later, I can say she really is a new creation. I didn't do that. It was the Holy Spirit.
              
              Condensed from our sister publication Leadership Journal, © 2010 Christianity Today International. For more articles like this, visit Leadershipjournal.net.
              
              Francis Chan, "Catching Waves,” LeadershipJournal.net (posted 5-17-10)
              
              [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2010/june/3060710.html]

          • The words He has spoken are Spirit and they are life

            • Jesus’ teaching about His ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world is the only way to bridge the gap that sin has created between us and God

            • 1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

            • 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.

            • Romans 5:8, But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

            • John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe in Jesus and His words, so I can have eternal life.

          • Perhaps there are people here today who have not believed in Jesus

          • Jesus knew that some of His “disciples” did not believe His words

        • Jesus knew who the true believers were

          • PRINCIPLE #1 – Jesus is omniscient (all-knowing)

            • None of this came as a surprise to Jesus, because He already knew, from the beginning, which of them did not believe

            • He knew their hearts and why they claimed to be His disciple

            • He knew their motives for following Him and that it wasn’t because they believed His words

            • Jesus knows who His true disciples are.

          • He also knew who was going to betray Him, but we’ll look at that in verses 70-71

        • Jesus reminded them of what He had already said, about God drawing people to Him – God’s sovereignty (John 6:37-40)

        • What we see next is the action of these “disciples”

      • Disciple’s action

        • It seems that as soon as Jesus finished sharing with them, that these “disciples” turned back and no longer followed Jesus

        • This wasn’t just a temporary turning away from Jesus and not following Him any more

          • The verb for “turned back/withdrew” is aorist, meaning that it was decisive and not temporary – they had made up their minds about Jesus and His teachings

          • The verb for “followed” is imperfect, which shows how permanent their decision was

        • “These former followers, literally, ‘went away to the things they had left behind’ and no longer ‘kept moving about’ with Jesus. ​​ In other words, they renounced their discipleship and fell away. ​​ Jesus was not the Messiah they expected.” [Köstenberger, Bake Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 220]

        • PRINCIPLE #2 – Not everyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus is a Christian.

          • This has been proven true in our own day with Joshua Harris, Marty Sampson, and others

          • Perhaps we all know of someone who claimed to be a Christian, but later turned away from the Lord

          • Maybe every one of us has heard another person say, “I tried Christianity, but it didn’t work for me.”

          • Jesus taught about true and false disciples through a parable found in Matthew 13:1-23

            • He used the imagery of a field and different kinds of soil to help us understand how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is received by human beings

            • Path/Hard soil (seed never penetrates the soil, birds came and ate it) – someone hears the message and does not understand it, Satan comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart

            • Rocky soil (not much soil, sprang up quickly, scorched by the sun, withered because of no root) – someone who hears the word and receives it readily with joy, but it only lasts a short time, because when trouble and persecution come, they fall away

            • Thorny soil (the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it) – someone who hears the word, but the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful

            • Good soil (the seed grew and produced a crop) – someone who hears the word and understands it

            • What kind of soil are we?

              • If we are hard, rocky, or thorny soil, then we are only claiming to be a “disciple” of Jesus Christ and not a Christian

              • Jesus knows who His true disciples are.

          • Peter taught about making our calling and election sure

            • Read 2 Peter 1:3-11

            • If our relationship with Jesus Christ is genuine, and we are true disciples, then that faith will motivate us to pursue the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love

            • Are you pursuing those qualities?

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Make my calling and election sure, by pursuing the qualities listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7 in increasing measure.

          • “It is impossible to be a genuine disciple merely for a time. ​​ You either turn from your sin, place your faith in Jesus Christ, and follow him until you get to heaven, or you don’t. ​​ There is no middle ground!” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John, 165]

      • Jesus now turns His attention away from the unbelievers (former disciples) and talks to the Twelve Disciples He has chosen and called

  • Staying (vv. 67-71)

    • • Jesus’ question

        • Jesus asks if they want to leave too, but the way the question is structured in the Greek, Jesus was expecting a negative response – the structure demands the answer, NO!

        • We see that Peter’s confession of faith supports that answer

      • Peter’s confession of faith

        • It’s not just Peter’s confession of faith, because he uses the plural, “we”

        • The Twelve don’t know of anyone else they should follow, because no one else is Jesus

          • Jesus is the only One who has the words of eternal life

          • Peter implies that all Twelve of them are not offended by Jesus’ words

            • They believe that He is the bread of life that came down from heaven

            • They believe that the only way to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice by giving His life for the world

            • They understand the metaphor of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood, as meaning to accept His death for all humanity

        • Firm conviction

          • In Peter’s statement, “We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God”, the “we” and “you are” are both emphatic, meaning that it is a firm conviction

          • The Twelve have arrived at this firm conviction through a thorough process of watching and listening to Jesus

          • There is no doubt in their minds that Jesus is the Holy One of God

          • PRINCIPLE #3 – True disciples of Jesus believe and know that He is God!

            • Do you believe and know that Jesus is God?

            • Do you have a firm conviction that there is no one else to go to and no other way to have eternal life, except through believing in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection?

        • Jesus replies to Peter’s confession of faith

      • Jesus’ reply

        • Jesus begins his reply by clarifying with the Twelve that He has chosen them

        • Jesus then brings a corrective to Peter’s confession, that represented the whole group of Twelve

        • While Peter was not yet aware of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus was, which leads us back to PRINCIPLE #1 – Jesus is omniscient (all-knowing)

        • Jesus tells the Twelve that one of them is the devil

          • Most English translations have “is a devil.”

          • The Greek literally has it as “is the devil.”

        • Jesus knows who His true disciples are.

        • We see John’s note in parenthesis

          • John is able to give us this note, because he is writing after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and Judas’ betrayal

          • Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot

            • Most of the time Judas is referred to as Judas Iscariot

            • We know Judas’ father’s name, but we also know his place of origin (what town he was from)

            • Most scholars agree that Iscariot is a transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning, “man of Kerioth” [Carson, 304]

            • That would have been the town where he and his family were from

          • He was one of the Twelve, but later betrayed Jesus

            • I’m sure that Peter and the other disciples assumed that because Jesus chose them that everyone believed in Him the same way

            • This shows the ability of human beings to be able to fake true discipleship, at least for a little while

            • Eventually the truth will be revealed, because they cannot hide who they really are

            • There should be evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in addition to the qualities Peter listed in his second letter (2 Peter 1:5-7)

• YOU

  • It can be very easy to simply hear Jesus’ teaching, but not accept them or be obedient to them

    • • Being a true disciple of Jesus means accepting His words and being obedient to them

      • It also means making our calling and election sure by adding to our faith the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love

  • Before you can add those qualities to your faith, you have to have genuine faith in Jesus

    • • Genuine faith comes through believing that Jesus is God

      • Believing that He willingly died on the cross to take your punishment for sin – He saved you from eternal separation from God

      • I encourage you to make that decision today

• WE

• • We can’t naively believe that everyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus is a Christian

  • We need to be praying that each of us will pursue goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love

    • • That is evidence of a transformed life

      • Unbelievers will recognize a difference in us

      • It will move us toward unity as a body of believers

CONCLUSION

“If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble, he pulls back. Admiring the truth, instead of following it, is just as dubious a fire as the fire of erotic love, which at the turn of the hand can be changed into exactly the opposite—to hate, jealousy, and revenge. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshipers, or adherents. He consistently spoke of ‘followers’ and ‘disciples.’”

—Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian (1813–1855)

Søren Kierkegaard, unknown; submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2009/may/1052509.html].

Believe

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

(John 6:22-40)

INTRODUCTION

There are all kinds of videos and posts on the internet about how McDonald’s hamburgers don’t rot. ​​ It’s seems as though their hamburgers will last forever, but there is a simple explanation that the following video will explain.

Just hang in there with me and you’ll understand why I showed you this video this morning

BODY

• ME

  • Planned Obsolescence

    • • I studied Business Management and Economics in college

      • For one of my Economics classes, I wrote a paper about planned obsolescence

      • Here is the definition of planned obsolescence – “a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials.”

      • Basically companies make products that they know will not last, or use colors and designs that will eventually not be trending, so that we have to replace them

      • This guarantees a continual demand from consumers, which in turn guarantees future sales, and the growth of a company

• WE

  • Replacing appliances

    • • How many of us have had to recently replace a washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove, microwave, television, computer, etc.

      • Our first step is usually trying to have the appliance repaired, but then realizing it’s cheaper to just replace it because the replacement parts are expensive

      • We all understand the idea of planned obsolescence because we have experienced it

Jesus is talking with the crowd in the Capernaum synagogue (John 6:59). ​​ They have just experienced the miraculous feeding of over 5,000 people and Jesus wants them to understand that they are seeking Him for the wrong reasons. ​​ They want to continue to receive free food from Him, but He wants them to believe in Him. ​​ The crowd is seeking food that will spoil, but Jesus is offering them food that will lead to eternal life. ​​ They are seeking the temporal and Jesus is offering the eternal. ​​ John wants us to answer this question today . . .

BIG IDEA – What kind of “bread” are you seeking?

Are we seeking temporal bread that will spoil or eternal bread that leads to eternal life.

Even though McDonald’s hamburgers and other thin-made hamburgers don’t rot for lack of moisture, I would still be hesitant to eat one after it has set out for years. ​​ It’s still a temporal food source that will not last once it’s eaten.

Let’s pray

• GOD (John 6:22-40)

  • Seeking Jesus (vv. 22-24)

    • • Review

        • Jesus has just fed the 5,000 on the north eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in what is the modern day Golan Heights

        • He compelled the disciples to get in their boat and cross back over the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum

        • He dismissed the crowd and then went up on the mountainside to pray

        • Jesus sees the disciples struggling against the oars because of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, and He walks on the water to be with them

      • John picks up the story line again on the north eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee

        • Night has passed and some of the crowd had remained where the miraculous food distribution had taken place

        • The wording lets us know that some of the crowd probably returned to their homes nearby

        • The remaining crowd realized that the disciples had taken the only boat that had been on the shore, and that Jesus was not with His disciples on the boat

        • More boats arrive

          • While the crowd is pondering everything and probably looking for Jesus, some boats from Tiberias arrive at the place where Jesus had miraculously fed the 5,000

          • Tiberius would have been south of Capernaum on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee

          • We’re not told why these boats arrived the next morning

          • Perhaps they had heard about Jesus and were seeking Him also

          • Perhaps it was the sovereignty of God to allow the remaining crowd to cross over to Capernaum

        • When the crowd realizes that Jesus and His disciples are not with them on the north eastern shoreline, they get in the boats and cross over the Capernaum

        • They are searching for Jesus and knew that Capernaum was the hometown of several of His disciples (perhaps they also knew that Capernaum was His home base for ministry while in Galilee)

      • Their search for Jesus doesn’t take long, at least in our text

  • True Motives (vv. 25-34)

    • • We don’t actually know how long it took the crowd to find Jesus

        • My guess is that another crowd was already forming because Jesus was teaching, so it wasn’t hard to find Him

        • We know from John 6:59 that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum

        • His “Bread of Life” discourse may have started out in the open, but it was completed in the synagogue

      • Full of questions

        • We’ll see in these next ten verses that the crowd is full of questions for Jesus

          • Jesus doesn’t always answer their direct question, because He knows their hearts and what they are truly asking

          • Their questions also reveal where their focus is and what they were taught about entering the kingdom of God

        • Question 1

          • “When did you get here?”

            • Perhaps the question they wanted to ask, but were too afraid to ask is, “How did you get here?”

            • They knew He hadn’t gotten in the boat with His disciples

            • They also knew there weren’t any other boats for Him to use

            • “The question they ask means both when did you get here? (NIV) and ‘How long have you been here?’” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 283]

            • The crowd is trying to clear up the confusion they have about how Jesus got to Capernaum ahead of them

            • They have seen Jesus do the miraculous, but they still don’t understand who He is

          • Jesus’ answer gets to the true motive behind why they were seeking Him

            • PRINCIPLE #1 – Jesus knows our heart, because He is all-knowing (omniscient).

              • Jesus knew the reason why the crowd was looking for Him

                • They weren’t seeking Him for spiritual reasons at all, but rather for physical reasons

                • They wanted another free lunch

                • The miraculous signs were very important, because they were designed to point people to Jesus

                • But, the crowd had missed it

                • “The meaning of ‘sign’ in this Gospel is that it points beyond the physical, concrete reality to the reality of revelation. ​​ It provides insight into who Jesus is.” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 1-11, 262]

              • Jesus knows the reason why you and I seek Him

                • What kind of “bread” are you seeking?

                • He knows what kind of discipleship we are pursuing, with Him

                • Is it a discipleship of the physical or the spiritual?

                • Every person makes sure that their physical hunger is taken care of, which is especially evident in our American culture (myself included)

                • “Speaker Mike Benson tells how one night, as his family was finishing dinner, his eight-year-old daughter left six green beans on her plate. She normally ate her veggies, and Mike did not usually allow this sort of thing to bother him, but this night he was irked and said to her, ‘Eat your green beans.’
                  
                  She replied, ‘Dad, I'm full to the top.’
                  
                  ‘You won't pop,’ he responded.
                  
                  ‘Yes, I will pop!’ she said.
                  
                  ‘Risk it!’ he said. ‘It will be okay.’
                  
                  ‘Dad, I could not eat another bite.’
                  
                  Mike knew that night they were having her favorite dessert, pumpkin pie squares. So he asked, ‘How would you like a double helping of pumpkin pie squares with two dollops of whipped cream on top?’
                  
                  ‘That sounds great!’ she responded as she pushed her plate back, ready for dessert.
                  
                  ‘How can you have room for a double helping of pumpkin pie squares with two dollops of whipped cream, and not have room for six measly green beans?’
                  
                  She stood up tall out of her chair and pointing to her belly said, ‘This is my vegetable stomach. This is my meat stomach. They are both full. Here is my dessert stomach. It is empty. I am ready for dessert!’
                  
                  What we eat reveals what we hunger for.”
                  
                  Phillip Gunter, pastor of Crossroads Chapel, Round Rock, Texas
                  
                  [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2000/june/12502.html]

                • We do whatever it takes to satisfy our hunger

                • “Compare that to how much time and energy and effort we put into making sure our spiritual hunger is met. ​​ Do we even think about it? ​​ Do we give any thought to what sustains our spiritual lives, what nourishes our souls? ​​ Even when we attend church, are we thinking about anything other than what we want and what we like?” ​​ [Carter & Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 151]

                • Jesus knows the motives behind why you and I come to church and why we claim to be a Christian

                • He knows if our motives are about our own preferences and getting our own way

                • He knows if we’re holding on to something that’s not Biblical

                • He knows if we’re holding on the past instead of following His leading into the future

                • He knows if coming to church is just a “check box” item for us, and not about going deeper with Him and finding nourishment for our souls

                • If our thoughts are consumed with what’s happening after church instead of what’s happening during church, Jesus knows!

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Pursue what sustains my spiritual life and nourishes my soul, with the same effort and energy as I pursue what sustains my physical body.

            • That transitions us into Jesus’ words to the crowd about pursuing the eternal over the temporal

          • Eternal over temporal

            • Jesus instructs the crowd to move from the physical to the spiritual

              • What kind of “bread” are you seeking?

              • They were focused on the physical – receiving free food and not having to work anymore

              • Matthew 15:17, “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?”

              • Physical food doesn’t last

              • The crowd was still going to have to eat, but Jesus wanted them to pursue the eternal with the same effort they pursued the physical

              • He is One (Son of Man) who is going to give them the spiritual food that will endure to eternal life

            • Jesus explains that He has received God’s seal of approval

              • When I hear the words “seal of approval” I always think of The Good Housekeeping Seal of approval [show the Good Housekeeping Seal]

                • They test products, so you can trust it

                • They’ve been doing it since 1909

                • Did you know that they have expanded the seal to other areas as well?

                • The Green Good Housekeeping Emblem [show image]

                • The Good Housekeeping Innovation Emblem [show image]

                • The Good Housekeeping Humanitarian Seal [show image]

                • The Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem [show image]

              • We are not told in the passage when Jesus received that seal of approval

                • There are various thoughts as to when He received the seal of approval

                • Some believe it was in heaven before He came to earth

                • Others believe it was during His baptism by John the Baptist

                • We don’t know, because we’re not told

            • Jesus is moving closer to His declaration of being the Bread of Life, but He has to deal with the crowds preconceived ideas first

          • That leads us to the crowds second question

        • Question 2

          • “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

            • Notice that the crowd focuses on the wrong thing

            • Jesus intended for them to focus on the goal (spiritual instead of material) and not on work

            • Unfortunately, they focused on the work aspect instead of the goal

              • At this point they understood that Jesus was talking about the spiritual and not the material/physical

              • “As good Jews they wanted some way to work in order to gain God’s favor . . . ‘To Jewish questioners, attaining eternal life consisted in finding the right formula for performing works to please God . . .’ (Tenney, EBC, p. 75)” [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 122]

              • Application

                • How often do we do the same thing?

                • We think that there is some special formula that God requires of us in order to please Him

                • We try to find out how many times we have to go to church in a week, a month, or a year

                • We try to determine how much we need to give to the church, missionaries, homeless, etc.

                • We wonder how long we should pray or study the Bible each day

                • All of that is meaningless if it’s done only to please God, and not out of our love for Him, our desire to bring Him praise and glory, and because of His gift of salvation offered to us

            • Jesus explains that it is not works (plural), but work (singular)

          • The work of God (what God requires) is for us to believe in Jesus

            • God requires faith in Jesus

            • PRINCIPLE #2 – God’s desire is that His created beings believe in Jesus.

            • “Faith, as we have seen, is the touchstone by which works are judged, not the other way around.” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 367]

            • Faith in Jesus, and the transformation He brings in our lives, sets us up to serve God by serving others with the right motive

            • It’s out of love for God and a desire for His name to be honored and glorified that we attend church, give to the church, missionaries, and the hurting, that we pray, and study His Word, that we visit the sick and those in prison, and so much more

          • The crowd is starting to understand what Jesus is saying, so they ask Him a third question

        • Question 3

          • They realize that Jesus is saying that they need to believe in Him, because He is the One that God has sent

          • Their third question is really saying to Jesus, “Prove it!”

          • “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? ​​ What will you do?”

            • Does anyone else find it interesting that most of the crowd, if not all of the crowd, just witnessed Jesus taking five small loaves of bread and two small fish and feeding a crowd of over 5,000 people with it?

            • Was that not a miraculous sign?

          • PRINCIPLE #3 – Faith comes by hearing and not seeing.

            • Too often, we’re just like the crowd in this story

            • We want God to do something miraculous for us, and then we will believe in Him or follow Him

              • “If You’ll just help me to get an A on this test, then I will believe in You.”

              • “If You’ll just heal my Dad, grandmother, child, friend, or me, then I will believe in You, Jesus.”

              • If You’ll just get me out of this financial hole, then I’ll follow You.”

              • If You’ll just heal my marriage or other relationship with a family member, coworker, neighbor, or fellow church attender, then I’ll believe in You.”

              • The list could go on and on

            • Romans 10:16-17, But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. ​​ For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ​​ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

              • Jesus had been teaching them about God

              • They had heard the word of Christ, directly from Him

            • It wasn’t going to matter if Jesus did another miraculous sign for them

              • What matters is trusting in Jesus by faith and watching Him transform us from the inside out

              • Through that transformation we can and will see Him do the miraculous for His honor and glory

              • 1 Corinthians 10:31, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

              • When we do everything for the glory of God:

                • We’ll do well on our tests, because we have studied to the glory of God

                • We’ll see God’s miraculous healing power (physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally)

                • We’ll experience God’s provision for our needs

          • The crowd wanted to see something on the scale of manna from heaven, just like their forefathers had experienced with Moses

            • “If Jesus is superior to Moses, as his tone and claims suggest, then should not his followers be privileged to witness mightier works than those seen by the disciples of Moses?” ​​ [Carson, 286]

            • There was a Rabbinic belief that the Messiah would call down manna from heaven, like Moses did [Carson, 286]

            • Some Rabbi’s interpreted Exodus 16:15 this way

          • Jesus reminded the Jews who had provided the bread from heaven

            • It was God who had provided it

            • God was now providing the true bread from heaven – Jesus Christ

        • The crowd was still struggling to understand that Jesus is talking about Himself as the bread of life

          • Perhaps they thought Jesus was speaking metaphorically of some kind of gift from God [Michaels, 372]

          • They want to receive this bread from now on

          • This would have been an incredible request if they truly understood what it meant

          • “The spiritual bread that the Lord can provide is necessary for life, suited for everyone, must be eaten daily, and produces spiritual growth in those who believe it.” ​​ [Gangel, 123]

            • We need Jesus in our life – He is necessary for us to live life fully

            • Suited for everyone – Jesus is gluten free, lactose free, peanut free (whatever allergy you may struggle with, Jesus is suited for you)

            • We need to feed on the bread of life daily

      • The crowd is so close to believing in Jesus

      • They want the bread of life, but they aren’t quite sure what it is and how to obtain it

      • Jesus makes it clear in this final section

  • True Bread (vv. 35-40)

    • • “I am the bread of life.” (vv. 35-36)

        • Jesus cannot make it any clearer than this

        • What kind of “bread” are you seeking?

        • He is the bread of life that God has sent down from heaven

          • Come to Jesus

            • Jesus promises us that when we come to Him we will never hunger spiritually

            • “Jesus is the bread of life; he’s the only one who can fill the emptiness inside us. ​​ A full life is a life spent in pursuit of Jesus. ​​ A life spent any other way will feel barren and unfulfilled.” [Carter & Wredberg, 152]

            • Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ​​ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ​​ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

              • Jesus encourages us, in this passage, to partner with Him in our life

              • He will teach us the right way to go as we follow His leading

              • Coming to Jesus will provide rest for our souls

              • “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” ​​ [Augustine of Hippo, Confessions]

            • Revelation 22:17, The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” ​​ And let them who hears say, “Come!” ​​ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

            • Coming to Jesus means believing in Him

          • Believe in Jesus

            • We see here a return to the Samaritan woman at the well who was seeking living water

            • It is the same as not being hungry – Jesus satisfies every spiritual need we have

              • The greatest need we have as humans is the need to deal with the sin we are all born with

              • It affects every aspect of our lives

              • We are all born sinners, separated from God because of our sin (Rom. 3:23)

              • Since God is holy (perfect) He cannot allow sin into heaven

              • God is also just, so He has to punish sin (Rom. 6:23)

              • God is also love, so He made a way to take care of our punishment for sin (Rom. 5:8)

              • Romans 10:9-10, That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ​​ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

              • Being saved is another way to express having eternal life

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Come to Jesus and believe in Him, so I can be saved and have eternal life.

        • The amazing thing is that they still didn’t believe even though they had seen Jesus face-to-face (v. 36)

        • Jesus then promises to protect those who come to Him and believe in Him

      • Jesus’ protection (vv. 37-40)

        • PRINCIPLE #4 – God promises to protect those who come to Jesus and believe in Him.

          • Most scholars see the doctrine of election in these final verses

            • All that the Father gives me will come to me

            • There seems to be the idea that the Father has chosen certain people to come to Jesus

            • When those individuals come to Jesus, He will never drive them away – this is an incredible promise for us as followers of Jesus Christ

            • What is in tension here is God’s sovereign will and human responsibility

              • God’s sovereignty – All that the Father gives me will come to me

              • Human responsibility – whoever comes to me I will never drive away

            • We see Jesus submitting to the Father’s will – He is not doing His own thing on earth, but only what the Father has told Him to do

          • Jesus expresses God’s will in two ways

            • God’s will is that Jesus will not lose any of those that God has given to Him – He will protect them and raise them up at the last day

            • God’s will is that everyone who looks to Jesus and believes in Him will have eternal life – He will protect them and raise them up at the last day

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim the promise that God will protect me, until the last day, when I come to Jesus and believe in Him for eternal life.

• YOU

  • What kind of “bread” are you seeking?

  • Pursue what sustains your spiritual life and nourishes your soul, with the same effort and energy as you pursue what sustains your physical body

  • Come to Jesus and believe in Him, so you can be saved and have eternal life.

  • Claim the promise that God will protect you, until the last day, when you come to Jesus and believe in Him for eternal life.

• WE

• • When we pour ourselves into pursuing what sustains our spiritual life and nourishes our soul, those around us will see a difference in us and as a body of believers we will experience peace and unity

  • The Gospel is something that everyone needs to hear – it is part of the Great Commission of Pursuing Disciples, Growing Disciples, and Multiplying Disciples for Jesus Christ

CONCLUSION

I want to close with this illustration from Gangel that helps us understand the doctrine of election, which combines God’s sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility.

“My seminary theology professor, Dr. Alva J. McClain, used a wonderful illustration to explain the doctrine of election, one which I have repeated hundreds of times throughout my own ministry. ​​ He talked about standing outside a beautiful garden, perhaps like the Butschart Gardens on Vancouver Island, or perhaps the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, or the DuPont Gardens in Delaware. ​​ As we stand outside the gate surveying the beautiful array of flowers, we ponder what it might cost to spend two or three hours strolling around the gardens and photographing the beautiful scenery.

About this point, we look at the stone archway over the gate and read in large letters, ‘Whosoever Will May Come.’ ​​ Surely it cannot be possible. ​​ Places like this are always expensive. ​​ But there is no ticket booth, no waiting line, no signs offering different rates for children, adults, and seniors. ​​ Assuming the sign means what it says, we enter the garden and begin to peruse its botanical treasures. ​​ Before we get too far down the pathways, however, we want to see that welcome sign one more time – inviting us without charge to enjoy this magnificent place. ​​ But as we turn, we look up at the interior of the wall and see the wording of the sign has changed. ​​ Now it reads, ‘Chosen in Him from the Foundation of the World.’

McClain’s point was both brilliant and simple: ​​ to unbelievers, the message is a universal call to faith in Jesus Christ; to believers, it is a reminder that God has controlled our eternal destiny from the beginning. ​​ To state it theologically, only the elect will come, but those who come demonstrate they have been chosen.”

[Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 132-133].