Living Bread for a Dying World

The month of November. November is missions month at beacon has been for I suppose for decades or so every year in anticipation of this month. We look for suitable text in the word of God and then from that text we draw the wording of the theme and this year the text that was chosen as John 633. Suggested by Pastor K. And our theme is living bread for a dying world.

And it is customary for the sermon on harvest day to come from the chosen text so it is my privilege today to endeavor to expound the missions month text in John 633 and I've actually coupled with verse 32 so these two verses will constitute my text today and I always look forward to this and find it a wonderful challenge. It takes me out of my usual style of exposition and puts me in a little bit different way of preparing and preaching, which I find very refreshing our Texas found early in the bread of life discourse by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ becomes with the backdrop of two events primarily in mind what is the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 that takes place earlier in the chapter, but even further back than that, there is the miracle of the manna in the wilderness that the Jews bring up in comparison with the miracle which Jesus did at this time Christ use both of these events to teach about salvation. He did so by way of contrast and comparison both with the miracle of the fish is the loaves and the fishes, but even more with the miracle of the manna that was provided in the wilderness in the days of Moses and that all of this, Jesus taught that grant. The man's greatest need is not physical. Man's greatest need is not either for the brand. The manna which came from God in Moses Dade North the loaves that were multiplied along the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the days of Jesus Christ. Man's greatest need is spiritual and it is for spiritual bread that can give life to and nourish man's soul man's inner being, so that's what we are going to be looking at today in John 620 32 and 33, as we consider living bread for a dying world. And I would like to do so in the following three areas number one. The background number to the text and number three applications.

The background text as you know, must be understood in its context. If it's going to be understood right. The background of our text for today is first of all, a public miracle. And secondly, a private miracle. The public miracle of already referred to, we call it the feeding of the 5000.

Sometimes it is called the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, but whatever you want to call it the record of it is found in the first 15 verses of John chapter 6, but it's also recorded in the other gospels as well. And so we have a great deal of information about this particular miracle and it's also clear by its repetition. In each of the Gospels of the Holy Spirit wants us to pay very close attention to this miracle of our Lord.

Here are some of the things that John by the spirit of God tells us about the miracle. He tells us that Jesus and his disciples withdrew from their busy ministry on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, and they crossed to the Eastern shore with the intention of having some private time some rest and recuperation. Getting away from the multitudes, and recharging their batteries for ministry, but the multitudes followed them and they were not able to have a time of rest, as they had planned.

Multitudes showed up thousands showed up Jesus and his disciples across the Sea of Galilee on a boat with the multitudes went by land around the northern part of the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee until they arrived at the northeastern part where Christ and his disciples had gone and Jesus taught the multitudes they are but he became aware that they were hungry and they were far from home and there was not food in the vicinity sufficient to feed them.

No food, no human remedy is sufficient to meet this need. And Jesus, though primarily concerned about their spiritual condition was nevertheless also mindful of and concerned about their physical needs as well.

And so as a teaching lesson to the disciples, he asked them how can we feed this multitude. What can we do to supply the need they shrugged their shoulders and said we can't figure this one out like 200 and area high worth of bread would not be sufficient to feed this multitude that would be the equivalent of two thirds of a year's wages for the average laboring man that was a sizable amount, and they said 200 and area, I wouldn't be enough to feed this crowd and furthermore, if we have it. If we had that much and I suspect they must. Absent that figure was mentioned.

So they must've had it in the in the treasury bag but they said where can we buy food running shops around here there any towns and villages around here. Where could we possibly buy food, if we took all the money out of the treasury bag and went and bought bread with it. We don't know how to supply this need and Jesus said, well, is there any food in the multitude.

One of them said well there's a little boy here whose mother apparently we assume his mother sent him some lunch.

It is five little loaves five roles dinner rolls into fish. But what are they among so many Jesus said everybody sit down and them also doubting companies and orderly seating in companies of 50 and 100 and he said will take care of the need and Jesus took those five dinner rolls and those two little fish in a big parade to the heavenly father that he began to break them and broke them happy broke fifth in the Breaking them again breaking them and putting them in baskets and the disciples were scurrying around feeding these people in companies of 50 and 100, and every time they ran out of food.

The camp came back for more Christ Breaking and putting more food in the basket and the baskets. The 12 baskets they were using to serve the crowd never did run out of food.

Everybody had all they wanted and I wonder how long it'd been since some of these people had been able to eat all that they desired.

But the bread didn't run out. The fish didn't run out till everybody ate all they wanted they were stuffed to the gills.

They couldn't eat another bite and there were still 12 baskets filled with food left over. What a miracle.

What a miracle from the miracle worker. That was the public miracle the Jews on this occasion recognized the power of Christ and appreciated his amazing power, but what they saw was 1/2. This is the one that can probably lead us to independence from Rome. They wanted to make you McKay Jesus recognize that there intentions were not, shall we say, entirely honorable. They were very self-centered, rather than than word centered and so Jesus withdrew from them so that they couldn't force him to become a king. He went higher up into the mountains and the sun went down and it became dark and the disciples in our getting into the second miracle the disciples by Christ instruction came down to the shore to the boat that they had come across in originally.

It's now night they got into the boat, they began to roll the several miles back across the Sea of Galilee to return to the town of Capernaum on the north western shore and the storm arose and it was impeding their progress and even threatening their lives and as they were struggling struggling struggling in this crisis, with all their strength and might, who should they see, but the figure of a man walking toward them on the water that they didn't recognize immediately and understandably of the situation. So Jesus spoke to them in order to identify himself and in order to calm their fears. He got into the boat with them and when he God and they arrived instantly.

The Capernaum where they were going.

The crisis was over another miracle a private one. Just between Jesus and his apostles.

But the Jews noticed something unusual. They hadn't been there to see Jesus walking on the water. They hadn't been there to see the boat arriving instantly at its destination, but they had taken note that Jesus had gone up into the mountain. His disciples had gotten into the one boat that was available to them and had started crossing on the water that other boats we might call them water taxis had come. According apparently to prearrangement for the multitude to get into into return to their home in Capernaum but Jesus didn't take a water taxi home, so they went home in their boats. The disciples got into their boat. Jesus wasn't involved in any of the boats that they observed, but they arrived in Capernaum and who's there but Jesus teaching in the synagogue that Capernaum how did you get here.

They want to know how did you get here so that's the backdrop the question Jesus movements in the bread of life discourse of bread of life serving as we call it begins.

Basically in verse 26 after they asked this question. Verse 25 and when they found them on the other side of the sea.

They said to him rabbi. When did you come here or how did you come here, explain, explain how you are here. We didn't see you arrive.

We didn't see you when you see you begin the journey, let alone arrive. We don't know how you conduct your please tell us how you got here and Jesus answer is a warning about self-serving religion do not.

Most assuredly, verse 26 I say to you you seek me not because you saw the signs but because you ate of the loaves and refilled by the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves was assigned. But what Jesus is saying is you not seeking me because you understand the meaning of the sign.

John is the one who uses sign is the word for miracle society has a broader significance in the word miracle.

It includes the miracle but it also includes the truth to which the miracle points and Jesus said you're seeking me, but not because you are seeking the truth that the miracle that you observed points to but because you ate of the loaves and refill your seeking me because you enjoyed a free lunch, and you would like to keep eating more free lunches and a whole lot more. Besides, that's why you're seeking me.

Jesus said that's not healthy for you.

Verse 27 do not labor for the food which parishes 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 upon him, don't seek Jesus for material gain there not a lot of people today who are flocking to churches and to televangelists and to various representatives they that they claim to be representatives of the Christian religion. But what they are promising is material gain for following Christ and people flock to that if they think there is a possibility that by becoming a follower of Jesus. They can be healthier than they would be otherwise than by being a follower of Jesus.

They will become wealthier than they would be otherwise. It's easy to get people to claim to be followers of Christ. If there is material advantage to it. But if you're seeking Christ for that reason your seeking for the wrong reason and more tragically you are going to mess the reason why you want to be seeking him the salvation of your soul, which is far more important. So Jesus said labor for that which is eternal, not for that which is temporal, which raises the question then from them what work shall we do, they picked up on that word labor is 27 do not labor for the food which parishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life. Verse 28 then they said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God. He said labor for that which does not perish that we find language like that elsewhere in the New Testament that to arrive at a true understanding of Christ and of salvation, the things eternal requires some effort, it requires some labor requires some work requires some digging, some struggling. You gotta be willing to do that.

To arrive at truth, that's labor, but it's not the labor that saves you with the labor that God will bless to enable you to understand the truth which if you believe it will save you and nourish you, but they picked up on that word labor. Jesus said labor to arrive at the truth which will lead to eternal life, which does not perish, and so they said well what work shall we do to please God and Jesus comes back and explains that to them was 29 Jesus answered and said this is the work of God.

You want to know what's the work that's pleasing to God. Here it is. This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent okay normally we understand a great contrast between believing and working we don't work for salvation.

We believe unto eternal life.

But there are times when we see work used in a little bit different sense, which means work hard at believing work hard at renouncing all impediments to faith. Work hard at divesting yourself of all material obstacles material elements in your life that will direct your focus away from truth and from Christ.

Work hard at getting all that aside and focusing upon Jesus and upon truth that you might truly be leaving in. That's the work that pleases God, believe on the son that's the work that pleases God. Now the Jews evidently recognized the Jesus was pointing to himself of that statement or lease they were suspicious that he might be, so they immediately want to raise their objections because of course they're not ready to believe in Jesus there if they're happy to eating his food there happy to enjoy his miracles, but they're not even happy to make him king of field fight against Rome, but they're not happy to surrender to him as their Lord and Savior. And so what do they say verse 30 therefore they said to him what sign there that it is again what sign will you perform that we may see it and believe you what work will you do your telling us to believe in the son you're telling us to believe in you. They understood he was talking about himself. All right show us another sign shows another miracle, our fathers, verse 31 ate the manna in the desert as it is written, he gives them bread from heaven to eat. Another example of their unbelief.

They demanded a sign from him. They had just witnessed the most amazing miracle that perhaps anyone had ever witnessed. Up until that point and what they say show us another one that's not enough.

Show us another one. Another one. Another one they demand something additional sometimes people get all excited about the claims of miracles that they hear being performed around the world today have all heard the claims over in Indonesia, Hawaii, faith healers are raising the dead so far away.

We can't really check on this, but those who try to don't seem to be able to ever find any of these folks, but a lot of people think if we if we could just see a revival of these kinds of miracles were done.

The days of Christ that would cause people to believe that would bring revival to sweep thousands and millions into the kingdom of God, Lord, do it again. Bring the miracles of Jesus's sake. The miracles don't produce faith know they point you in the right direction. If you're willing to hear and to receive.

But the miracles don't persuade anyone who has a stubborn, rebellious, unbelieving heart and the evidence of it before us is that instead of honoring Jesus. What are they do immediately turn their attention to the veneration of Moses, our fathers ate manna in the desert as it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat as it is written, and there are probably at least half a dozen texts from the Old Testament that this could be drawing from. We don't know which one the ones that tell about the manna that came to them from heaven, and when they quote this statement he gave them bread from heaven to eat.

It's clear that the he they have in mind is who Moses is clear from the context of follows and I thank God gave them manna from heaven to eat their say Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat and you see what they're doing. This is unspoken but I think it's pretty clear in the background. Moses performed a miracle by supplying bread to feed approximately 2 million people every day for 40 years now. You just don't amazing miracle. What have you done you have just said 5000+ women and children. 15. 20,000 people with bread for one day. That's not nearly as big a miracle as Moses did you want us to believe in you. You have to show us up bigger miracle than this one. Even though this was the biggest miracle with anybody could possibly have witnessed in that day, but it's not enough. What is Astellas. This is all background were getting ready to look at the text. Next, what does this tell us. This reminds us that religion is often a mask for unbelief. Just because someone is religious does not mean that they are rightly related to God and even more importantly, just because someone is religious doesn't mean that they want to be rightly related to God many times that religion is a way of pushing away the claims of God. The claims of Jesus Christ upon their life and they've got this pseudo-religion that they look to and that they prayed before others as being sufficient so that they don't have to consider the truth of God's word religion can be a mask for unbelief. We see it here. Furthermore, we can broaden that statement to sake false belief is a great impediment to true faith, not only the false belief of false religion, but other kinds of faith that even don't involve religion are often in impediment to true faith, why do some people not believe the Bible because they believe in science all assignments wonderful Hon. Majestic powerful flawless science. We hardly pick up any newspaper in any day without reading something that scientist told us with certainty yesterday that now they have to correct something else that has changed. What before they said was absolute dependable truth, you better have something better than science to hang your soul upon some people have much faith in science but no faith in God much faith in sign no faith in Christ much faith in science no faith in the Bible and five seconds after those people die they will recognize the folly of ignoring the revelation which came from heaven, which they blocked out because of belief in something that was not nearly as certain, not nearly as reliable and certainly was not infallible, as is the revelation that comes from God. Now the text versus 32 and 33 then Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. The text divides basically into number one a correction a number to a declaration correction is the first part of verse 32. Most assuredly, or literally, verily, verily, are truly, truly, your Amen amen.

Depending on what your translation says, but that's what Jesus 21 Jesus says that he's calling special attention. This is very, very, very important. Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven.

That's the correction he gave them for bread from heaven to eat. They said in verse 31. Obviously, referring to Moses is the correction. Moses didn't give you the bread from heaven.

Manna was not given by Moses. Moses was only the human instrument. He was not the source he was the, the one that God chose to use but God is the one who gave manna from heaven please meson don't misunderstand that the Jews were looking to Moses more than they were looking to God that was there great error so common error.

Many people honor men more than they honor God. Many people honor the instrument, the God uses more than they honor the God who uses them. Many people venerate the visible more than the invisible. The true and living God is a spirit he is invisible and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, and the only way you can worship him in spirit is buying the truth which he has given as you believe the truth you are unable to worship him in spirit and to see him who is invisible to understand the things which otherwise are invisible to the human soul and they have missed it because are looking to Moses, so first of all, the correction, but secondly, a declaration and therefore important truths in the last part of verse 31 and in verse 32 and verse 33. Here they are number one true bread comes from God, not Moses number two true bread is a person is a key not in it. Number three true bread bestows life and number four true bread is for the world. Let's look at things. First of all, true bread comes from God.

Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven true bread comes from God.

God is the supposed source, God is the source of manna. The defendant, the with the multitude in the wilderness, God's will see in a moment, as a source of life if you will have life you got a gift from God that you only place it comes from. In fact, God is the source of everything without him there is nothing before he created everything there was nothing, everything comes from him. He is the source you can trace it all back to true bread comes from God.

Number two. True bread is a person. It's not in it. It's a he know this gets into a translation issue. Verse 33 says for the bread of God is in my translation says is he who comes down from heaven, the Greek could just as accurately be translated. The bread of God is that which the grammar is the same that which comes down from heaven or Keith who comes down from heaven either one is grammatically correct, but the context makes it clear that it's not talking about that which is talking about. He who is a person to person. True bread is a person. It is he who came down or is coming down more literally who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

True bread is a person and the person is standing in front of them. It's Jesus. Jesus descended from heaven that speaks of his preexistence before he ever came to earth, he was already in heaven of what person what man what woman could that be accurately set up. I don't say I came down from heaven if I said that you know you know I was a false prophet kick you.

Did you know that I was trying to mislead you.

You know that I was making a claim that was utterly false. I didn't come down from heaven, nor did you nor did anyone else that we know.

But here is one who says without blinking an eye without the slightest bit of hesitation or embarrassment because the statement he makes is absolutely true. Jesus says the bread of life is he who comes down from heaven who can this be, who is in heaven. Basically God and angels will who is see is he a God is a God there's not there's not more than one is he an angel of the Bible makes it clear he's not read Hebrews chapter 1 he's greater than the Angels. So who is see if is not an angel and he comes down from heaven who is he, he is God he is God. This one who comes down from heaven is God Almighty, true bread is a person that person is God himself who came to earth number three true bread bestows life he comes down from heaven and gives life to the world of the think about this for moment the manna in the wilderness did not give life it sustained life you were talking about physical life. Of course, but it didn't even give physical life to sustain the life that already existed but it didn't give life didn't have that power. But this bread be both bestows and sustains it both gives life and now we transfer over the spiritual life because that's what's being taught here, but this bread the comes down from heaven who was a person who is Jesus who is God in the flesh.

This one, this bread gives life. That's what we need were dead in trespasses and sins when we need we need life that only God can give. Where does it come from the comes from heaven where does it come from, comes from Jesus.

How does it come from Jesus.

He came to do. Would God sent him to do and what only he can accomplish the true bread bestows life and number four true bread is for the world and here's another contrast.

The manna was for who it was for Israel was for the Jews.

They were proud of that they were descendents of those Jews who ate the manna in the wilderness through the instrumentality of Moses there holding onto that of venerating Moses and proud of their heritage that they are part of this special chosen people, which indeed they were. According to God's design plan for particular purpose and place in time, but they are proud of the fact that they are part of these chosen people and that they and here's the main point they alone, that is their ancestors alone among all the peoples of the world they alone experience this miracle of the manna but Jesus says this bread which comes down from heaven is not for Israel alone. It is for the world. It is for the whole world.

The true bread gives life to the world and that brings me to for applications number one man's condition cannot be remedied from Earth. What's his problem. What's our problem.

Santa, nothing less. Man's problematic condition is not poverty.

Man's problematic condition is not ignorance, poverty, if that's his problem than they be a poverty program can can meet the need. Ignorance of that's the problem than a program of universal education can meet the need. Whatever else is proposed as man's problem proves to be unsolvable, unsolvable, unassailable, for reasons that unconverted men seem to not be able to understand the problem is poverty so we can fix that. We got resources and $50 million later. Maybe that's not even enough $50 billion. Later in the poverty is just as great as it was when we began how to explain that if poverty is the problem. Ignorance is the problem we can we can start a program of universal education. I dealt with at my last beam article. There was a time when only the the the favored people of the fortunate people were able to educate their children, but that's not good to have all these uneducated people as citizens of our country will educate them off. Well, it will institute universal education that will solve the problem and so we been doing that now for a long time that we been working at government-funded universal education so that everybody can be educated and strangely the poverty's as bad as before the ignorance seems to be worse than before the crime seems to be greater than before the solution hasn't solved anything, why not, why not, why not, why not the fundamental problem is, until you recognize that there is no way to even search for the proper solution sin man's condition cannot be remedied from Earth because his problem is sin. The remedy therefore must come from God and that our text tells us God has done something about it.

God sent his son from heaven to give life to the world. There is so application number one man's condition cannot be remedied from Earth application number two God's remedy is for the world, not for Israel alone like the manna but for the world. And though we don't have a lot of time to talk about this and I've talked about this many times before, so this is not a new thought for you, but here we come to this word world again. It seems to trip so many people up, but understand it in the context it's very simple. What does world mean it means all the other nations, not just Israel's what it means the word world as its talking about salvation and is it's used in its biblical understanding is used in such a way that no one can properly consider himself to be excluded because it is for the world are you a person in the world is for the world if you will believe if you will come. It is for you. You have not been excluded.

It is for the world is not just for the Jews.

It's for the world you live in the world are you a person of the world. Then go to Christ. This is for you. No one can properly exclude himself. The word world tells us that that is so, but it is also constructed in such a way that the doctrine of election is not contradicted because world doesn't mean every individual who's never been born world means the rest of the world beyond the nation of Israel because remedy is for the world and Jesus therefore is to the soul of man. What bread is to the body of man. The manna sustained bodies. They loaves and the fishes sustained bodies. But Jesus comes to give life and to sustain the souls of man eternal life, spiritual life and it is extensive to the very ends of the earth going to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and anyone who will repent and believe in Jesus Christ will be given this wonderful life application number three. Men must hear this message and believe to be saved. Men must hear this message that Jesus is the bread of life that Jesus has come down from heaven to provide life men must hear this message and believe it to be saved. Now it's clear we, you and I cannot create faith. Only God can do that himself and men must believe it. In order to be saved and we can't make them believe we can't persuade them to believe we can induce them to believe we can't trick them into believing some of the silly things that people try to do today. It's all in the sovereign power of God. But what can we do, we can disseminate the message. We can preach to the ends of the earth that men are lost in trespasses and sins and are going to stand accountable before the create tour God who made them, and to whom they must give an account, but that very same God gave his own son, that those who believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

We could proclaim that to the ends of the earth, praying that God will open the hearts of those to whom we proclaim the message and will bring them into union with Christ and he did that for you did me. Most of you, and for those of you who are outside of Christ, if you will believe on him if you will repent of your sins and believe on him. He'll do that for you to do all of your family members of the repent and believe will be saved in all of your neighbors of the repent and believe will be safe and all of the people to whom this message goes if the repent and believe will be saved, but they got here. It got a haircut. If they're going to believe it. And that's where you and I come in.

We can create faith that we can disseminate the message. Faith falls into the domain of God's sovereignty, but disseminating the message falls into the realm of our responsibility because God has given that responsibility to us and that brings me to application number four of already made it number three was men must hear this message and believed to be saved in number four.

God has given men the responsibility to declare this message to the world.

That's what I can do. That's what you can do. In fact, I can say little stronger. That's what I must do. That's what you must do because Christ commands it. And so we disseminate this message to the ends of the earth by proclamation, we descend beneath this message to the ends of the earth by partnership with those who go to the ends of the earth to declare and that's what we are setting before you as a reminder in missions month and that's what our faith promise program is designed to do was to encourage you in your partnership what it is is a manifestation as you respond. It is a manifestation of your faith. Faith in what faith is what I'm talking about this morning that you believe that we have a responsibility to declare the gospel to the ends of the earth. And as we do God will open hearts to receive it. We cannot say every heart because that's not truth but as we do God will open hearts receipt. What a wonderful truth. Do you believe that if you do you get involved in this. If you believe it you get involved in this, according to your abilities and talents and how God is working in your life. And so that's what this is all about that. We demonstrate our faith in the word of the living God, shall we pray father how grateful we are that you gave us Jesus. How grateful we are that he came down from heaven to give life to the world how grateful we are that by your spirit you brought that life to our soul and how grateful we are that we have the privilege of proclaiming that message of life to others. Help us to be faithful. We pray in Jesus name, amen