“Eat This One Thing and Never Be Hungry Again” (Bread of Life sermon)
– Shout out to Michael and Kelli Keith watching in North Carolina.
– We just came together for a community meal, we have full bellies and will probably fall asleep during this sermon.
– But we will be hungry again. (Example: Have you ever gone a day without food? Fasting? Some people can’t miss even ONE meal without becoming a wreck!)
– In the Bible, Jesus is offering us this one thing, and promises that we will never be hungry again:
* John 6:35, Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
CONTEXT/HISTORY
– Jesus gain a large following because of the miracles and healings he did. He sails across the sea to the wilderness, but the crowds follow him out there.
– Jesus feeds the 5000, then heads back across the lake (walking!)
– More people come looking for Jesus (the miracle maker) and arrive where he fed the 5000, but he had already left, so they all head back to town to find him.
– This crowd is a mix of the 5000 Jesus fed, and others who heard of the miracles, and want to experience Jesus for themselves.
(READ) John 6:22-36
- Recognize what is real. (Read verses 26-27)
– Humans (and all animals) have 3 basic, hard-wired motivations:
- (Sex) To procreate: Making babies for men. Raising babies for woman.
- (Rest) Conserve energy. Efficiency drives invention. Anything to make life easier.
- (Food) Fuel for our bodies. The more concentrated the calories in the food, the more we crave it. The more energy we have to catch food and make babies. (Example: Cheetah can’t waste any energy to catch food…)
– 3 things we must have to survive. We can feel the void that needs to be filled, but in every area we have created something fake to replace the real thing God created:
- Sex: Now pornography, and many other sexual sins not designed to make babies.
- Rest: Is now constant entertainment, movies, tv, social media, until we are exhausted!
- Food: Is now C.R.A.P., Calorie Rich And Processed. Engineered for pleasure, not to sustain life. Today’s “food” is actually making us sick, but we are like a bunch of addicts!
– God have created you with a spirit, and your spirit has a need for “good food” also:
– We have replaced God with fillers and C.R.A.P. of this world, and our souls are sick.
– Example: My weight issues. 1st weight loss, cold and hungry all the time. 2nd time on healthy food and no junk, felt good and lost even more weight.
– If you want to be healthy, you can’t just eat man-made processed food that is low in substance. You have to feast on real food, the way God created it!
– Jesus is saying to focus on what is real and lasting. Eternal life, not temporary food.
– Don’t just seek after Jesus to fill your physical needs. He wants to meet your spiritual needs!
- Bring it back to basics. (Read verses 28-29)
– The people want a plan to follow. They say they want to do “God’s works too”, but what they really want to know is, “How can I do really cool tricks, and have a bunch of people follow me, too?”
– Example: After I preached, someone wanted the 401? 101- membership, 201- serving, 301- leadership, 401- ??? He said, “Yeah, I’ve got some things I want to say.”
– Preaching isn’t just about being the center of attention, or getting things off your chest. It’s about pointing people to God’s Word, and Jesus the Savior of the universe.
– Jesus starts them with the basics: “Believe in the one He has sent.”
– In John 5:39-40, Jesus tells them, “You search the scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive eternal life.”
– Believing in Jesus is the foundation of the gospel, and the purpose of the whole bible!
– Believe Jesus is the Son of God, our savior. Repent. Live by the Spirit, according to His word.
– You can’t game the system!
– Matthew 7:21-23, 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
– You can’t just “look the part” or even “act the part”. You must get Jesus down inside your belly to have eternal life. (“Get in my belly!”)
– Salvation begins with knowing Jesus.
- Moses is not the miracle maker. Read verses (30-33)
– After all they have seen from Jesus, they still ask for more proof!
– They don’t understand what they have seen already, because they don’t know Him!
– You can’t “proof”, or “logic”, or “reason” someone into a relationship with Jesus.
– It’s not like financial investing! “It just makes sense, you know, have plan for the future.” “Past performance does not predict future results…”
– The Spirit has to move on their heart. Their soul is looking for the spiritual truth. You have to tell them the truth about YOUR savior! (The only revelation the unsaved can get is…)
– The people were pursuing the miracles instead of the miracle maker.
– But it is no different than what we see today when people are in crisis and need a miracle:
– That’s when they cry out to God to save them, heal someone, etc… (Because they know he has the power, and can do it). But they don’t know Him.
– They are really crying out to a “good luck” god. A “last ditch effort” god. A “lotto lucky numbers” god. But that’s not God!
– (Example: Marine Corps DI calling me Anderson. I knew who he was talking to, but he didn’t know who he was talking to.)
– You need to know the Savior! Moses isn’t the miracle maker, Jesus is, because he IS God.
CONCLUSION
– Jesus IS the bread of life! (Read verses 34-36)
– It’s not about the magic, it’s about the man.
– You can “have this bread every day.” You never have to be spiritually hungry again.
– Jesus is the Son of God. Believe, repent, be forgiven, have the peace and purpose you have been missing. (Gospel message here!!)
– You don’t need another sign, you have seen Jesus, and that is all you need to believe.
– Cut the C.R.A.P. of this world out of your life, and fill it with Jesus, and never be hungry or thirsty again!
– prayer –
