The Soul-Sustainer

Communion to the radium church had clear our focus is making Christ is providing worship come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. or visit us online review BC.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop.

Now imagine with me trying to feed 5000 man and not just 5000 man because the other Gospels tellers. There were also women and children. So if half of those men were married, that would be 2500 women and if all of them had three kids at an average which is by the way, very small compared to the families they had back then but just imagine if they had three kids each. That would be about 7500 children at all that up and you get 15,000 people. I personally believe it was 15,000+ people that Jesus said in our series on the miracles of Jesus become to that miracle that you know very well were Jesus took five loaves to fish and he fed 5000 men, but it's not telling us how many women and children believe it was somewhere in the 20,000 but as great as that miracle was Jesus did not come just to provide us physical sustenance even come just to give us physical food. He came to provide spiritual sustenance. He came to provide food for the soul. And that is our message today that Jesus is the great soul sustainer. If you have your Bibles with you turn to John chapter 6 starting in verse two and let's all stand together for the reading of God's word that a great multitude followed him because they saw his science which he performed on those who were diseased and Jesus went up on the mountain and there he sat with his disciples. Now the Passover is the feast of the Jews was near the Jesus lifted up his eyes and seeing a great multitude coming toward him. He said to Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat but this he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him 200 denier. I work the bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may have a little one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother said to him there's a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many than Jesus said, make the people sit down now. There was much grass in the place so the men sat down in number about 5000. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled. He said to his disciples gather up the fragments that remain so that nothing is lost. Therefore, they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten than those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said. Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world. Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make and King. He departed again to the mountain by himself. Let's read again. Verse two the great multitude followed him follow Jesus because they saw his signs which he performed on those who were diseased. If you remember a few messages ago in the Gospel of John explained to you that when John the apostle uses the word signs he has more than miracles in mind.

He is referring to those incidents that prove that Jesus was and is God and he was the one to come. The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000+ women and children was more than just about Jesus feeling sorry for hungry people and say all here you go eat please eat you don't want to die. You want to be so sluggish.

Eat some food. It is about spiritual hunger is a sign with that in mind. Look at verse three in verse four and Jesus went up on the mountain and there he sat with his disciples not listen. Pay attention to verse four now the Passover, a feast of the Jews was near knife you read those verses quickly. You miss the key you missed the clue to the entire miracle what the people typically do is they say all feeding the 5000. Yes, Jesus was with all these people, he felt compassion on them, and this little boy had loaves and fishes, and they explained the whole miracle you will miss it unless you read verse four again. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews was near Jesus perform this miracle at Passover, the feast of the Passover along with the feast of the unleavened bread were joint festivals that commemorated the Hebrew people leaving Egypt number they were in slavery in Egypt, and God sent his servant Moses who did signs and wonders and then he delivered them from the land of slavery. On that night the Bible tells us in Exodus chapter 12 God commanded that every Israelite home. The head of that home should take a lamb slaughter that lamb and take the blood and smear it on the doorpost and on the lintel of the house when the destroyer would go through the land. If the house had blood he would Passover it, no blood, the firstborn male child, young or old, will die something else. In Exodus chapter 12. It tells us that each family should eat that roasted lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in the same land that had just slaughtered and put the blood on the doorpost and on the lintel. It was roasted whole. No broken bones and then unleavened bread.

You don't have time for the yeast to rise, eat it without leaven and bitter herbs. Something else listen to verse 11 Exodus chapter 12. God even told them how to eat dust you shall eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand so you shall eat it in haste. This is not a fancy leisurely dinner.

This is you are eating in haste.

Not only that, keep your sandals on the back in those days there was sit on the ground and eat and fed the reclined the recline on their elbow and that's how they would eat not tonight if you were to sit on the floor with the sandals that would be so uncomfortable, so you have to stand something Elsa tells you they had to stand is had a staff in your hand.

Imagine if you had a long staff about this tall and you had to sit on the floor and hold that staff in your hand on me, that would be so of balancing on me, you would have to stand point is this you are eating in haste. So tonight there is nothing mom counted some salt please note no salt, eat the food. We got a leave got have some catch up. Cannot play with my food a little bit you know how kids do it. Not tonight in the lamb eat the bread the bitter herbs we have to leave tonight and I'm telling you all this for a reason.

So keep that tucked away in your mind and God told them that this feast of the Passover. This eating of the Lamb and the unleavened bread and bitter herbs should be done every year when they get into the promised land. So now go back to John chapter 6 verse five then Jesus lifted up his eyes and seeing a great multitude coming toward him.

He said to Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat but this he said to test him and did Philip pass the test.

Of course not.

He failed it with flying colors.

Jesus and how can he feed him but he was testing him is there will be blood my calculator whatever they had back then is like well 200 will not really pay for all these people Jesus and little beyond our budget. Why in the world and Jesus put this question to Philip not to understand this stay with me.

You have to back up to John chapter 1 and verse 43 the first time Philip met Jesus. Listen to what it says.

The following day, Jesus went up to Galilee and he found Philip and said to him, follow me, not listen to verse 45 Philip found Nathaniel Philip and Nathaniel were best friends. He found him and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Jesus was not trying to trick Philip. He was testing Philip because Philip knew the Bible you know what the right answer was when Jesus said how can we feed them.

Philip should've said Jesus you are the great prophet you are the one to come. You are the bread of life. You can do anything you say the word and we are here to obey you instead he's like well SC I don't know 200 we can do it.

He failed the test. He knew the answer and yet he failed the test, give you principle this is a deep message but stay with me on this. The message the principle is this when God tests do you he always gives you the review sheet first.

You know the answer. He will never test you just to trip you up. You know the answer. Deep in your court. And he's saying do you do you still trust me. Many of you are going through it test in your life and sometimes you look up and say I don't know God what you want me to do. God is not going to test you without giving you the review sheet first. You know what needs to happen you know what God's will is you know he wants to trust him. It was happening in our nation. You can panic you can be upset you can be wringing your hands or you can say God you are sovereign you are in control of nothing happens. Apart from you will.

This is still a nation under God you believe that you can go to sleep at night is the test for our nation.

Would you like to know what needs to happen to our nation revival needs to happen to our nation every church, every believer gets on fire for the Lord and your personal issues given to the Lord and get behind his business. That's what needs to happen. So what happens next. Philip fails the test here comes Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He finds a young kid the Bible doesn't tell us he was a boy or girl. Some Bible translations say he is a lad little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. You have to pay attention this morning. What is the feast of Passover. What is the main course. What is the main meat in the Passover feast, the Lamb, there is no food. All we can find is five loaves and two fish know you need lamb for the Passover is Passover time.

There is no Lamb or is there Jesus is the Lamb using if you just read this miracle on the surface you missed the message. Can you imagine if I were writing the problems at all. And then they found the whole herd of lambs and the disciples went on a slobbering spree and they cook the lamb and boy, the people rejoice in it was a great day now. We got loaves and fish at a Passover meal that requires a lamb without a Lamb is not a Passover meal but is there a lamb. There is a lamb and John the apostle gives us clues throughout the first chapter. In fact, through the mouth of John the Baptist.

Listen to what is said John 136 and looking at Jesus as he walked toward him. He said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

If that's not enough. John the Baptist says it again in verse 36 and looking at Jesus as he walked he said, behold the Lamb of God. See this miracle is not about the loaves and the fish. The Lamb is already there when the Jesus tells his disciples to do. He told them make the people sit down everything that John the apostle tells us in this miracle has a purpose. Make the people sit by the way, the word said is on a pet sin, which actually means recline as I mentioned to you. How did people lead back in those days the recline one elbow like this and they would eat like this. How is the Passover meal supposed to be eaten standing up as if you are in a hurry to go build hide sandals on staff in hand.

It's time to eat and run. But not today. Not today because the wrath is not upon the people. The wrath is upon the Lamb.

We are considered. You know what is really happening in this miracle to deep sign but tween the lines, it is given to us is this just like the miracle of turning water into wine that the new wine was superior to the old wine that Jesus was superior to all the rituals all the purification of the Old Testament. You know what the deep sign is here that Jesus has superseded the Passover listen to verse 10, John gives us another detail.

Now there was much grass in that place thousands and thousands of people reclining on this beautiful green pasture land. Psalm 23. What are Psalm 23. Say the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

The land is also the shepherd don't stand made them sit made them recline and John adds the detail that it was beautiful green grass all around because the shepherd has come. The Lamb is also the shepherd not listen to what happens in verse 11, going back to John chapter 6 and Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples. All this is important in the disciples to those was about to say sitting down sitting down sitting down lying down reclining if you're not reclining you don't get the bread said recline and the miracle is amazing. No great light. No big sound, nothing is there passing the bread and fish.

It just keeps on coming.

It keeps on coming.

It keeps on coming and people are eating and they are fall they are satisfied.

But now this is what happens. Jesus told his disciples to gather up the fragments and they had 12 baskets full.

Why do you think is told them to do that. Keep in mind this is a sign this whole miracle is assigned just like Jesus has superseded Passover now you gonna learn that he is also superseded Moses and Moses did a miracle where the people were hungry and birds fell from the sky and the good deed and then bread rose from the ground under the due and you call the bread manner is all that's too much of Jesus and say that yes he does go down about 20 verses later to John chapter 6 the same chapter and verse 32 and I can look at the screen.

It's all there. Then get the miracles of Jesus had to let Ron explain to them the whole miracle. See if you can find Moses and the manner in the wilderness.

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 the life to the world and it distilled and get it. Listen to verse 48 I am the bread of life.

This whole miracle is not about were hungry or you know this is the Passover. This miracle is about Jesus being the bread of life.

Listen to the next verse, verse 49 Jesus says your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die not help me teach this for a moment.

What was God's stipulation about the manner you have to eat it the same day. What you need. What would happen.

What would happen if you would collect more what happened. We would spoil it would breed worms and it would stink not this bread when they were done you had left over and you can come back in the any any and it did not spoil you know what the messages behind it could keep in mind this is assigned the whole miracle is pointing to Jesus being the Lamb of God, and the bread of life that you can never eat too much of Jesus, you can keep reading and keep feeding upon his truth his life. It just never ever enough. Listen to what is says Jesus said this, I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will lose them forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world you know why Jesus told his disciples to go gather up.

They were not to go boxes, write what he was telling them is that's my life.

That's how precious is my life. The more you eat it, the more you want to keep feeding upon me, and it never stinks.

It never goes stale and you never die. Now here's a question that the people understand the meaning in the miracle know they didn't have they missed the whole sign one of the people do what the people do in verse 14. Then those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did this, and manner not right there that's a prophet now you know what else they didn't date came by force trying to make him king would Jesus do that.

I gotta go, and he told the disciples to get in the boat and leave and he does like this appear. Next thing you know he's like.

On the other side of the lake there few very important truths in this miracle and I want you to hear me very carefully.

Now for the next two minute. All of us have been created with the spiritual appetite all of us. You know, a human is not just body were also his spirit, his soul, a heart over not just meant to eat physical food and work hard and create and have a good time and.we also have something deep within us is calling spiritual appetite. Here's a second principle.

Only Jesus and his word can satisfy this need and what some people try to do to try to fill that that appetite with entertainment try to fill that appetite with work and I'm for working.

I believe in working hard. I believe in working smart. I believe in being successful, but this success cannot satisfy your spiritual hunger. Some people try to fill it with relationships. If I just have someone in my life. That's wonderful. But this can only be filled by Jesus and his word.

See he is the bread from heaven sent down for your spiritual hunger. Here's 1/3 principle.

If you have tasted this bread. If you have fed upon Jesus you cannot revert to spiritual junk food right now. Listen carefully to me right now. Right now many of you are in a mess because you have been reading up on spiritual junk food into how you know you're feeding a spiritual junk food.

Most of the time who's eating junk food, don't realize that eating junk food and what's is doing to the body, but people around you know salsa when you are eating spiritual junk food.

It shows up in your marriage.

It shows in how you treat your kids.

It shows up in how you are living for God. Many of you right now are so spiritually malnutrition is 1/4 principle, the longer you go without spiritual nourishment, the less hungry you become. Mass was going on start up temperatures they mate.

What next week on worker be that we gotta get back in. Next becomes just as our time at time RT what once this month is over were back in the longer you stay away from Jesus and his word, the less and less hungry you become.

Look at this principle, the more you feed upon Jesus and his word.

The hungrier you become, the more you dig into his word. The more you feed upon his true the more you wanted.

I refuse to believe that although it's too deep at all, just too much of this goes in my hair are just don't God's got nothing to do with that. It has to do with your design is something else. People are dying of hunger. You know what's happening in our nation's call spiritual malnutrition.

You know who has the answer. We do an amazing that Jesus told his disciples to pass the bread and the fish know Jesus could have just done this and if I would've had a plate in their hands. He's in the know you did you give you give no you don't get to sit you'd that's the same thing is telling us people are hungry there dying without Christ you have the bread of life.

You claim you have Jesus you have the Lamb of God, you take it to others. In the last one.

Yes, Jesus is the bread of life, but he's also the Lamb of God. Why in the world and God use these two different metaphors. On one hand, he is calling himself the Lamb of God, on the other hand, he is calling himself the bread of life. What's the difference between those two not stay with me.

Please don't miss this point, you see the bread was a peasants diet. Back in those days, all you did was bread and water. It fills you up gives you the card you needed to go out and work in the hungry again. Gotta eat.

But Jesus was also the Lamb of God in Woodland means means only if you were rich could you afford a lamb right when Jesus's mother and father who were very poor. Had to go to the temple. They could not get a lamb so what are the do they used Dove's anyone of the Passover.

If your family cannot afford a lamb join up with somebody else. Jesus is not cheap. He's available. Anyone can have him, but he's not cheap is a precious Lamb of God.

How is your spiritual nutrition they need to feed upon Christ and his word is a showing in your life as much as I prepare sermons as much as I write articles as much as I write papers on the Bible, here's the funny thing I can do all those things and still be spiritually empty. I have to get on my face before God and ask him to fill me with Christ and his truth. If I don't do that so I can I can cook for you. I can work in the kitchen and lose the taste for food.

Have you lost a taste for Christ come today following your face before God is a God. Today I need you I need Christ in my life is truth in my life.

If you never give your heart to Christ today is a day for first time taste and see, thank you so much for joining us for this message. Jesus spoke the Lamb of God, and the bread of life. He's the only one can satisfy our spiritual hunger for more information visit us online@clearviewbc.org. This sermons notes checkup exercise block, not shop.com