August 6th, John 6:22-35- Jesus is Wonder Bread, Part I
Let’s Pray
Use visual aids: toy boat, loaf of bread, toy sign or something- for the context- add a bit about consumerism/imagination/french woman story
John 6:22-35 Jesus is Wonder Bread, part 1.
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
Me: I sometimes follow Jesus out of curiosity, not unlike the crowd in this story. I often enjoy and focus on the benefits of my belief system- what I get out of being a Christian. I don’t always center on Christ. So I can hear Christ saying to me, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” That is I struggle with idols- the works of my faith are my idols. The ideas, the books, the successes, the ministries. I get caught up in trying to impress my way on to God’s good side. I feel like I am saying, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
I wanna do the right thing, in just the right way, communicate rightly and so on- but usually all for my sake, not for Gods- I confess that most days I think more about myself than I do God. What’s in this for me type thinking can dominate my life if I am left to my own resources. Shaping my relationships only for my benefit, doing things in life that I find pleasure in and avoiding the rest- and the most dangerous re-casting God in my image.
We: Can you relate? To this crowd who is following Jesus just to get some more of that good bread? Coffee Hour/Social reality of the Christian church- the people came because they were fed- CONSUMERISM IS HERE IN THIS STORY- I think a lot of so-called spirituality today is about making the self feel better- is about “feeding” the soul without really believing and buying in to the son of God, Jesus Christ. I am not just talk about New agey stuff- I am talking about Fundamentalism and mainstream folks too- We all have the tendency to look at the “small picture” that is our own self, rather than the “big picture”- we follow Jesus because we had an experience- WE CONSUMED SOMETHING- and we want more experiences like that- we want more bread
God: So what does God in Jesus Christ have to say to people like us?
1. He understands us and speaks truth to us: Life is bigger than we think v. 26 “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” We come to worship, we dive into the scriptures- because we need truth spoken to us. We need to be reminded on the one hand of our capability to be selfish and on the other hand we need to be reminded that God sees us as priceless. It is dangerous to live life without a plumb line- without knowing the truth about life- we come to church and Jesus for all kinds of reasons some good and some not so good- but He will consistently speak the truth to us if we are willing to listen.
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveller.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! MORAL OF THE STORY:
Do we believe the signs God has left for us to read? We need to pour in all the water, trust God with everything. We need to really buy in. Buy in to the reality that God loves us, wants us to give our life to living in servant way.
Then once we have experienced what God has to offer, the living water, we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump, believe me it works”!
2. Life is more than being entertained. 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?” He is Messiah not magician- and this is good news for us. [some W’s] His wonders are worked not for wows but for wholeness. The crowd- folks like us- want miracles and experiences so that we can say our faith isn’t foolish. We want miracles as PROOF in order to save our pride- Jesus does miracles, not so that it is easier for us to believe, but to point to the wholeness, healing and salvation that is His mission. Take this miracle that has just happened- Jesus fed the 5,000- he is not trying to put bakers out of business- he is trying to point to people’s need to depend on God for their sustenance for their provision. He puts it in the middle of the Lord’s prayer- Give us today our daily bread- this is not just about toast and biscuits- this is about our daily need to believe and admit the reality that true life and sustenance comes from God, not from ourselves and not from any other source.
You: [How does this relate to my life? Application] One has to get beyond the physical of the bread and get to the wonder of the bread.
V. 27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life [zoe], which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
V. 35 “Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
First we must realize that Jesus is not being absolutely literal here- he is intentionally, most would say blatantly being symbolic- Food is a means to us staying alive- Jesus is the means for us to be most fully spiritually alive. Jesus is real food and real drink. To live a life of wonder you must embrace that there is a God who wants to live through your life.
God is not against us enjoying life- God just doesn’t want us to enjoy life simply for self gratification and self filling- that’s not the point. The point is to enjoy life while you are in the midst of the reality of God
This means not taking your days for granted. This means taking stock in your gifts and talents. This means looking for ways you can increase life and goodness in this world- through the life God has put into you.
We: So what if you and I, what if the crowds, began to realize that life was more than just appearances. That miracles weren’t for show but to point to God’s plan of healing and hope for the world? What would happen if more and more of us bought into God’s reality every day. What if every day we looked at bread and realized that just as that bread is real so is God real in my life and that I need God and God feeds me in order that I may live on and believe in Him and share Him with others. What if every day we prayed the Lord’s prayer and really believed it and prayed, “Give us today our daily bread” and we were praying for the whole church and the whole world- for physical feeding- but also realizing that more people will physically be fed when more people have spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ- and come to the realization that life is not to be lived selfishly. God is yearning to reach every corner of this world- every corner of our families- every corner of our community- with this reality. Jesus wants no one to have a spiritually thirsty and a spiritually hungry life. Today we feast on the bread of wonder Jesus Christ- it is not trivial, it is history shattering, though it is small it is awesome and it is life altering. This bread we eat- if we Believe in who it represents- means we believe that we are called as God’s force in this world to love and to share goodness and life- no matter what. I encourage you not to eat this bread- if you don’t want to be part of Jesus’ force. But if you want to be like Jesus- increasing in humility, forgiveness, love and service - please consider consuming this bread and juice today- because with it you have real life and a real purpose- without it- you don’t have life.
Use visual aids: toy boat, loaf of bread, toy sign or something- for the context- add a bit about consumerism/imagination/french woman story
John 6:22-35 Jesus is Wonder Bread, part 1.
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
Me: I sometimes follow Jesus out of curiosity, not unlike the crowd in this story. I often enjoy and focus on the benefits of my belief system- what I get out of being a Christian. I don’t always center on Christ. So I can hear Christ saying to me, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” That is I struggle with idols- the works of my faith are my idols. The ideas, the books, the successes, the ministries. I get caught up in trying to impress my way on to God’s good side. I feel like I am saying, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
I wanna do the right thing, in just the right way, communicate rightly and so on- but usually all for my sake, not for Gods- I confess that most days I think more about myself than I do God. What’s in this for me type thinking can dominate my life if I am left to my own resources. Shaping my relationships only for my benefit, doing things in life that I find pleasure in and avoiding the rest- and the most dangerous re-casting God in my image.
We: Can you relate? To this crowd who is following Jesus just to get some more of that good bread? Coffee Hour/Social reality of the Christian church- the people came because they were fed- CONSUMERISM IS HERE IN THIS STORY- I think a lot of so-called spirituality today is about making the self feel better- is about “feeding” the soul without really believing and buying in to the son of God, Jesus Christ. I am not just talk about New agey stuff- I am talking about Fundamentalism and mainstream folks too- We all have the tendency to look at the “small picture” that is our own self, rather than the “big picture”- we follow Jesus because we had an experience- WE CONSUMED SOMETHING- and we want more experiences like that- we want more bread
God: So what does God in Jesus Christ have to say to people like us?
1. He understands us and speaks truth to us: Life is bigger than we think v. 26 “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” We come to worship, we dive into the scriptures- because we need truth spoken to us. We need to be reminded on the one hand of our capability to be selfish and on the other hand we need to be reminded that God sees us as priceless. It is dangerous to live life without a plumb line- without knowing the truth about life- we come to church and Jesus for all kinds of reasons some good and some not so good- but He will consistently speak the truth to us if we are willing to listen.
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveller.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! MORAL OF THE STORY:
Do we believe the signs God has left for us to read? We need to pour in all the water, trust God with everything. We need to really buy in. Buy in to the reality that God loves us, wants us to give our life to living in servant way.
Then once we have experienced what God has to offer, the living water, we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump, believe me it works”!
2. Life is more than being entertained. 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?” He is Messiah not magician- and this is good news for us. [some W’s] His wonders are worked not for wows but for wholeness. The crowd- folks like us- want miracles and experiences so that we can say our faith isn’t foolish. We want miracles as PROOF in order to save our pride- Jesus does miracles, not so that it is easier for us to believe, but to point to the wholeness, healing and salvation that is His mission. Take this miracle that has just happened- Jesus fed the 5,000- he is not trying to put bakers out of business- he is trying to point to people’s need to depend on God for their sustenance for their provision. He puts it in the middle of the Lord’s prayer- Give us today our daily bread- this is not just about toast and biscuits- this is about our daily need to believe and admit the reality that true life and sustenance comes from God, not from ourselves and not from any other source.
You: [How does this relate to my life? Application] One has to get beyond the physical of the bread and get to the wonder of the bread.
V. 27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life [zoe], which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
V. 35 “Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
First we must realize that Jesus is not being absolutely literal here- he is intentionally, most would say blatantly being symbolic- Food is a means to us staying alive- Jesus is the means for us to be most fully spiritually alive. Jesus is real food and real drink. To live a life of wonder you must embrace that there is a God who wants to live through your life.
God is not against us enjoying life- God just doesn’t want us to enjoy life simply for self gratification and self filling- that’s not the point. The point is to enjoy life while you are in the midst of the reality of God
This means not taking your days for granted. This means taking stock in your gifts and talents. This means looking for ways you can increase life and goodness in this world- through the life God has put into you.
We: So what if you and I, what if the crowds, began to realize that life was more than just appearances. That miracles weren’t for show but to point to God’s plan of healing and hope for the world? What would happen if more and more of us bought into God’s reality every day. What if every day we looked at bread and realized that just as that bread is real so is God real in my life and that I need God and God feeds me in order that I may live on and believe in Him and share Him with others. What if every day we prayed the Lord’s prayer and really believed it and prayed, “Give us today our daily bread” and we were praying for the whole church and the whole world- for physical feeding- but also realizing that more people will physically be fed when more people have spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ- and come to the realization that life is not to be lived selfishly. God is yearning to reach every corner of this world- every corner of our families- every corner of our community- with this reality. Jesus wants no one to have a spiritually thirsty and a spiritually hungry life. Today we feast on the bread of wonder Jesus Christ- it is not trivial, it is history shattering, though it is small it is awesome and it is life altering. This bread we eat- if we Believe in who it represents- means we believe that we are called as God’s force in this world to love and to share goodness and life- no matter what. I encourage you not to eat this bread- if you don’t want to be part of Jesus’ force. But if you want to be like Jesus- increasing in humility, forgiveness, love and service - please consider consuming this bread and juice today- because with it you have real life and a real purpose- without it- you don’t have life.
posted by Palouse Fed. Church at 10:07 AM
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