John 6:35 (I Am The Bread of Life)

 

Isaiah 55:1-2

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, and eat!

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

NIV

 

There is a Universal Hunger in the heart of Man – Man is Hungry –

A)Bruce Springsteen was right when he sang yrs ago – Everybody has a Hungry heart! – True.

 

B) There is a Hungering in the heart – Man is longing to be filled / to be satisfied

 

C) PROBLEM There are plenty of Choices { What to eat or get into –

1)Problem is nothing truly Satisfies.

 

Maybe you have had this conversation with your Kids.

A)Dad can we go to Little Caesars and some Pizza for Dinner – there is nothing in the house to eat!

 

B) Nothing really: Go to the Pantry: Soup / Top Roman / Pasta / Tuna ! – Nothing!  Cereal

1) Go to the Frig: Milk – Smoothie mix / Meat for Sandwiches / Nothing?

C) The Problem: Nothing that sounds good – nothing that I want / nothing that is going to Satisfy me right now.

 

D) What about this one: I have nothing to wear: Closet full of clothes – Nothing to wear

 

E) Point: It doesn’t matter what we have – We always want something else !

1)Always a craving for more / for better

 

Well Jesus finds Himself seeking to minister to a crowd of People who were Just like us. Always wanting more.

A)Taught them { healed them – Miraculously fed them – taking 5 loaves and 2 fish – Multiplying it to feed over 10,000 – 15,000 pp

 

B) They show up the next day: Wondering what else can you do?

30 Therefore they said to Him,"What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?

 

C)They bring up Moses – He gave us Manna – from heaven for 40 yrs.

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 

 

See there was a strong Rabbinic belief that when the Messiah comes he would again give the manna!

A)We kind of thought the Messiah when He comes could do a little better than the manna thing.

 

B)I mean he did feed them for 40 years that’s (6 days a week x 52 weeks x 40 years = 12,480 meals.

1) Now, you did ONE LUNCH yesterday? And Oh, it was good but…but what else do you got

 

C) See  it doesn’t match 4 decades of free food does it?

 

Their Problem was they were looking for the Wrong Bread.

A)They ate the manna – but by the end of the day – they were still hungry.

 

B) They even grew dissatisfied with the manna – Give us some meat! –

 

C) Jesus wants them to see beyond the Manna – see past the bread he fed them w/ the day before.

 

He would Challenge them in V.27

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 

 

Material Food - sustains phys. life, but human beings are not merely animals.

A)But there is food that is different – It sustains the inner life that exists when biological life ends.

 

B) Jesus is that source of food! – V.35 He introduces himself to them as the Bread of life.

 

35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

 

C) This is the First of seven I AM statements that Jesus is going to make!

1) In Each one Jesus is revealing Himself as the answer to one of man’s Greatest needs.

 

D) In this one He is answering the need for man to be Satisfied

1) To find Sustenance in something. To find fulfillment.

 

E) See Man has a need that goes beyond the Physical needs.

 

When a person’s only focus is on the material – They Cheapen their lives –

A)We were made to Know God { Something eternal

 

B)When believers are consumed by the material they Cheat themselves –

1) Made for so much more. – Know God { Fellowship

 

C) We were brought into this relationship to be satisfied by God –

1) To experience the blessing of allowing Him to infiltrate into every area of our lives – to Bring fulfillment

 

D)Jesus wants us to Understand: He is the Bread of life! He is the one who Satisfies the longing heart.

1) Among the most famous sayings of the early church fathers is this one by Saint Augustine:

 

“Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

 

How is He like Bread

A)1st Bread is Common: Used for everything- Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

 

B) Rich / Poor and in between – Bread is available.

 

C) I am glad he didn’t say: I am the Filet-mignon; lobster; maple donut; steamed clams; choc chocolate chip ice cream.

 

D) What is wrong with these? {They are only enjoyed “once in a while” (for most people)}.

1) No, He picks that which is readily available –

 

2nd  bread is a daily food. There are some articles of food which we eat but occasionally; others only when they are in season.

A)Bread – a daily staple! (we must know Him as such)

 

B) Not once a week / month / not every 3rd day

1) Learning daily to partake of Him

 

C) Best way to eat – 5 or 6 small meals a day!

1) Like a slow IV Drip -

 

3rd Way that Jesus is like Bread is – Bread is to be eaten It is to be partaken of.

A)Go to dinner – bring the loaf – doesn’t do any good to sit on the table – Spaghetti Factory / Mac Grill

 

B) Not table decorations – It is intended to be eaten!

 

John 6:48-51

48 I am the bread of life.  49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 

 

It implies 2 things: an appetite to Christ & an application of Christ.

A)An appetite for Christ! – Spiritual eating & drinking starts w/hungering & thirsting . Mt.5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

 

B)Denise and Dinner – Late Lunch – did you make dinner – not hungry

1)I will eat it because I don’t want to hurt her feelings – but I don’t enjoy it like I would if I was hungry.

 

C) Feasting on others things – Spoils your appetite !

1) The same thing is true spiritually.

 

D) When you are feasting on TV / Movies/ Activities / 1) Spoils your appetite

 

E) Problem is those things only leave you hungry for more. Something else.

1) Jesus is to be Savored { I eat to fast

 

We feed on Jesus thru the Word and allowing His word to become a part of our lives

A)Sometimes we fail to see the value of Bible Study

 

B) Hard to see what it is doing. How it is working!

 

 

Story - Several years ago a reader of the British Weekly wrote a letter to the editor as follows: "Dear Sir! I notice that ministers seem to set a great deal of importance on their sermons and spend a great deal of time in preparing them. I have been attending services quite regularly for the past thirty years and during that time, if I estimate correctly, I have listened to no less than 3000 sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else? Sincerely -- .

The letter kicked up quite an editorial storm of angry responses for weeks. The pros and cons of sermons were tossed back and forth until, finally, one letter ended the debate.

 

This letter said, "My Dear Sir: I have been married for thirty years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals--mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago. Sincerely --

 

But food is not just supposed to be Ingested – it is to be digested as well.

A)Speaks of the application of who Jesus is into our lives!

 

B) Bread of Life- not the Soul – Life

 

How does Jesus satisfy:  Consider some of the different things People are Hungering for

A)Hunger to be loved!

 

B) Nothing satisfies us more – than Knowing we are loved by God.

 

C) Man’s love is so fickle and conditional – Changes so often

1) Hero one day / Hated the next!

 

Perhaps  you heard about the guy who fell in love with an opera singer.  He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars -- from the third balcony.  But he was convinced he could live "happily ever after" married to a voice like that. 

 

He didn’t  notice she was considerably older than he was.  Nor did he care that she walked with a limp.  Her great -soprano voice would take them through whatever might come.  After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon together.

 

She began to prepare for their first night together.  As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest.  She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it into a container on the nightstand.  She pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg, and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid.  Stunned and horrified, he gasped, "For goodness sake, woman, sing, sing, SING!

 

The Lord is not like that: He says Come as you are.

A)Come to Christ – Immediately accepted into the Beloved.

 

B) Loved Perfectly –

1) Unconditionally – All our flaws

2) With out measure: No limits – good / bad / everywhere in between.

 

C) The Love of Christ is so complete- the more we partake of Him – more it impacts us

 

D)And the More we allow who He is and His love to infiltrate every area of our lives – More Satisfied

1) Nothing so amazing than His Love

 

There is a Hunger to belong:

A)Eastern culture: Becoming one with someone

 

B) Partaking of Jesus – becoming one with Him

1) Also with each other. –

 

C) Part of a community – Communion table

 

The Key to meaningful relationships

A)hen a couple in marriage make it their goal to have Jesus as the CENTER – Partake of Him

 

B) Union that is sweet – Deep – Jesus keeps us centered –

1) Joke: You need to spend time with Jesus!

 

Key to friendships – Satisfying

A)Birthday party last night – Worship

 

B) It was amazing – Not everyone knew each other but suddenly unified

 

C) Brilliant most of us hate being the center of attention – make Jesus that!

 

D) Friendships / our marriages / Parenting revolve around – Him - 

1) Satisfied – fulfilled

 

Hunger for Peace in the Heart –

Peace that surpasses understanding

 

Worth – Craving self worth – search

A)We are His workmanship – His master piece – Created for good works –

 

B) Vessels in the hand of God!

 

C) So freeing / satisfying

 

Hunger for Identity:

A)Find it in Christ – Child of God –

 

B) Blood bought sinner

 

C) Inheritance / blessings

 

Hunger for Security for the future:

A)Col 1:27 Christ in you hope of glory

 

We can go on and on – When a person makes it their goal to partake of the bread of life –

A)That is what they discover – it is Jesus who satisfies our need.

 

Here is the result:

 

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 

 

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  

 

No where else to go!

 

David the Lord is my shepherd – I shall not want

 

Starts with believing

 

Daily partaking