Jesus, the Bread from Heaven

Good morning. I'm an Birch and I'm reading the scripture today. The scripture is John chapter 7, verses 1 through 9. It's found on page, 94 in the New Testament of your Pew Bible. And I will be reading from The New International Version. After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, he did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him, but when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near Jesus brother said to him leave Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may see the works, you do no one who wants to become a public figure ax and seek since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. Even his own brothers. Did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them. My name is not yet here for you. Anytime will do the world cannot hate you, but it would hate it hates me because I testify that it's works. Are evil, you go to the Festival, I am not going up to this Festival because my time has not yet fully come after he had said this, he stayed in Galilee the Word of God for the people of God.

Thank you, Ann, for stepping in a reading for us this morning.

When my son was in, I've already told my son. I show him pictures of him today when he was in high school so he's he's I don't know if he's good with it but at least he knows when he was in high school. He played on the high school basketball team and I trying to be a good parent. I would go our good father at least I would go to the games and try to take pictures of him. The promise I had a cheap camera and maybe you had cameras like this. That, when you push the the the button, it didn't take the picture right away, there's like a slight delay and so one solution is get a better camera. My solution was to try to time the action so try to anticipate when things are going to happen and push the button to get the delay to get the perfect timing and I brought some results of my trying to do that. And they will show up here. There we go. Yeah, I'm not not real good results, a lot of blurry pictures and also a lot of pictures where it's like, okay why did you take this? There's absolutely nothing going on. What I either miss the action, or it's still about ready to take place. Either one. So my camera didn't allow me to have good timing at all. However, there is a woman that used to take pictures. She had a really nice camera. I think some of the local newspapers and places would would use her her pictures and she would stand under the basket or somewhere around. And like I said she had a much better camera and I'm pretty sure that when she pushed the button, it took the picture which made getting the perfect timing much much easier and here were her results. Do you see a difference? Yeah, just a little bit of a difference. And in scripture today, Jesus talks about timing that he's kind of operating off a different timing. And I think the scripture today can also help us know what we have to do to have much better timing in life. So I invite you to pray with me and then we will take a look at our scripture, this morning, father, I pray that you would lead and guide us today. I thank you that you have brought us here. I believe you or the one who has brought us here and you brought us here for a reason and purpose and also for Mission and father, I pray that your word is he dive into. It would be a lamp to our lives a light to our path and father I pray that you would lead me and help me to show the words that you've laid on my heart that you want to share with your people. It's in your name, we pray. Amen.

After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee, he did not want to travel in Juliana because the Jewish authorities that were wanting to kill you. The time for the Festival of shelters was near. So Jesus brother said to him, leave this place and go to Judea so that your followers will see you the things that you are doing. Beautiful. Hide. What they're doing? They want to be well-known. Did you are doing these things? But the whole world know about you. Not even his brothers believed in him.

Any time is right for you. It will kind of hate you, but it hates me because I keep telling it that it's always a bad.

You going to the festival? I'm not going to this Festival. It's like time has not come for me. He said this and then stay long and gallery.

So we we have Jesus in his hometown area of Galilee is his hometown area, and for good reason, because the Jewish authorities were trying to kill him. So he doesn't want to go to Judy it all to Jerusalem, however the Festival of booths. I think, the NIV said this a Tabernacles and the good news translation if she caught it said shelters, it goes by all these different titles and the festival is coming up in Jerusalem and it was a festival to remember the time the Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for how many years 40. So most of, you know that the history here that the people of God were in slavery in Egypt for how many years 400 years ago for $400, that's a long time. That's a long time and they cried out to God and God sent them a deliver someone to rescue them and his name was the Charlton Heston. I just wanted to point out that this is not actually Moses. This is Charlton Heston. I know I've been showing this picture just in case you're confused. I couldn't find a good picture of the actual Moses. And so this this was my second might go to one and and let them out of slavery into freedom and actually LED them to to the edge of the land. God had promised them. He had promised them, this wonderful land and he was calling them to go into the land. But once they get there, they hesitate because they're a little bit afraid. And so they send in twelve men to spy out the land to check it out and they come back and they say you will not believe this land. It is amazing. It is Flowing with milk and honey, which is a good thing. All right, at this point, that was a good thing. They brought some fruit at his huge fruit. Beautiful, Amazing land. God is good. In all the time. but, Don't like that, do you? But there are giants in the land and they are huge. They are scary. And we were like grasshoppers to them. We felt like Grasshoppers and they thought the same thing. We're like Grasshoppers and so if we go into land, it will devour us. It will eat us up and spit us out. Two of the spies. However, came back with a slightly different, take on this report. They said, yeah, it's a great land. Yes, there are giants in the land. They here's the thing, our God is bigger than any of the Giants in that land, and we can take the land, we can do it, because God has called us to do it, and we can go and we will be successful and they go to the Israelites and I don't know if they put it up for a vote or what, but they decided to go with the 10. Said, we shouldn't go on the land rather than the two that say God will give us this land because he said he would Until the result of that of, that unfaithfulness was that generation wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years because they didn't have the faith to enter the land. And to be honest, when I was thinking about the history here and the Festival of booths, I'm thinking why in the world would you want to celebrate this event? That's because they were wandering for 40 years because they were unfaithful

Did you know what God was faithful? And he went with them even though they didn't trust him, he didn't leave them or forsake them because he wandered around with them in the wilderness and so to commemorate that they would build shelters or booze or tents. And they would would live in those and be in those to remember that time at 40 years, where they wandered around in the wilderness because of their and faithfulness that God remain with them. And then after that generation died out, the new generation actually went and took took the land. So, his brothers are telling me, you need to go to Judea so that who you're for your disciples. So your disciples Also may see the work you were doing. Remember last week, the scripture we looked at ended with this verse or one of this was near the end, John 666. I always remember this verse for some reason and it's the time when many disciples stopped following Jesus. Jesus had a pretty good following. He act had a feed them in the wilderness with a couple of Loaves and some fishes. And they were so impressed by that. They wanted to make him King. Remember that they wanted to make him King by force. And in fact, the next day, they chased him down to the other side of the lake. And Jesus said it wasn't because you understood what I was doing that you look for me, it wasn't because you understood the signs or Miracles it was because you had your fill of bread. And then he started teaching how he was the bread that would bring fulfillment. But if you are hungry, if you came to him, you would no longer be hungry. If you believed in him, you'd no longer be thirsty. He was the one and they had trouble with the teaching and they had difficulty. And because of the teaching, many of the disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So here is brother saying, go to Judea show yourself what people see. So that your disciples can see what you're doing so that they will believe. So maybe you'll pick up some new disciples. Because aren't they, right? The one that wants to be widely known facts and Secret. You need to get a platform. You need to get a marketing person. You need to do all this. You need to show yourself. If you do these things, show yourself to the world and on the surface. I mean, you seem like good advice that he's given to Jesus on the surface cuz you wanted to reach people. You're wanted people to know that you're the bread Sent From Heaven. You're wanting them to know that if they want to be fulfilled. If they have to come to you, someone respect, this makes a lot of sense. But then John puts in this little parenthetical statement, that makes things a little bit more complex. He says this. For not even his brothers believed in him. Wait a minute brother to tell him to go to Judy the show us to show off to do a show so that everyone will know

Well, if you've been following John and then in the sermon series, you will know that John talks about believe quite a bit and it's starting to become clear that there's a difference. A couple of different levels for believe you have the belief of the crowd who believed in Jesus because they were having their fill of bread and because of the great things he was doing,

In the brothers, kind of fall into this this lot, but then you trying to get the sense that Jesus is looking for something else, he's not looking for that kind of belief, he's looking for a deeper deeper beliefs. And so even though his brothers, believe he's doing these things at least it seems that way. They're not truly believe in him. In Jesus response and I think this is very insightful. He says, my time has not yet come But your time is always here. He kind of sets up this this Duality, this dip two different types of time, perspectives. And he tells his brothers, your time is always here but my time has not yet come because it seems that Jesus is marching to the beat of A Different Drummer. The brothers, they just basically decide what makes sense. You know, you come up with your prose year, and you figure it out. This is what I want. This is my desire. They're saying, you know, anyone that wants to be shutting, it be known, you know, they don't act in secret, but Jesus is like saying no, wait a minute, my perspective, might my perspective on time is different because I'm marching to God's heart beat your marching to your own, you're calling your own shot. I am not in, so he tells him. My time is not yet, it's God, has not led me in that direction. God has not called me to go back there. You can go because, you know, your time is your time, you can do whatever, but I want to listen to the heartbeat of God and he continues and says the world. Cannot hate you. Why? Cuz you're just doing what everyone else does your just followed along with the culture. You're in the same mindset, you're thinking the same thoughts, you have the same ideas? Yes, whoever wants to be known widely. They don't act in secret yours to you. That makes sense because that's how the world operates. He says that the world hates me.

Because by Jesus, very decisions on how he lives. He actually testifies against the way in the path of the world. Just by his very decisions and the way that he works, it is an indictment against everyone else, and he says, in the world, hates me for it because I testify that it works or evil. Why is it evil? Because they're not being birthed from the heart of God. God is the one. You know we don't have time to dive down into it but God is the one that determines what's good and what is it. And so Jesus by living out this this God directed Life is pointing out how misdirected everyone else's life is. And so he says the world hates me for that and he tells tells his brothers he said go to the Festival yourselves. I'm not going to this Festival. My time has not yet fully come in after this he remained in Galilee So, Jesus is kind of set up this comparison in at least two different drummers the heartbeat of yourself or the heartbeat of God and I have to ask myself, which one am I living by? You know, when I was in high school, I can't remember if it's a junior or senior. I I still remember one of the lessons for my Sunday school class, and that, that is very impressive. I don't remember much from high school. I remember this lesson in our our teacher was also a youth group leader. So she did both her name was Rhonda, she was not a Biblical scholar. She's never been to Seminary, should never been to Bible College and check she hadn't. Even been to college, she wasn't on staff at our church. She worked at Delco Electronics on the assembly line. She was a factory worker But she taught us Sunday school and then she would lead our youth group. Why? Why do you think anyone have any ideas?

She was the only one willing to do it because no one else would do it and and, you know, but I don't even know if she was willing. I think at some point you get to the point where it's like, how I don't want to do this but no one else is going to do it and I got it right? Johnny. Yeah. So we'll all jump in your we gave her a hard time. I remember this morning. I actually fell out of a moving car and youth group.

So, this isn't, it's not a hero, I'm not, I'm not suggesting that, but it was. Yeah, it was, it was an interesting time. We were, we were messing around. But anyway,

But she taught us this lesson and I would say if it wasn't for this lesson, I probably wouldn't be standing here this morning. Maybe some of you have seen this graphic before it's a circle and inside the circle, there's there is a throne and on the throne, there is a great, big guess, just sounded familiar anyone? See this and then there was a crowd. Okay, so you're like yeah yeah. So use you seen this Alex? It's pretty, it's pretty instructive, isn't it? It was for me. It was for me Ashley I thought I wonder if that graphic is still around because this was back in like the late forties. When I saw this. Yeah, yeah, I'm not. That'll yeah, there was a long time ago. And I thought and it did some searches and I found an image. It isn't exactly like that. It's pretty close. You've got the circle, you got not a throne, but a chair. There we go. And you've got the little cross down to the side and, and the ass. If you don't know, stands for self you. And what I learned in Sunday School classes, we all have this, this life and each one of us has this throne. And usually, we are sitting on the throne. We are calling the shop. We are living by the beat of our own drummer, so to speak. And so we, so our time is always here, we just do what we want. You know, we have our goals. We have our dreams. Jesus is in this picture, but he's kind of off to the side. It. And I saw the something. And yeah, that's my life. That's how I'm living. I said, yes to Jesus. So I was a Christian, but Jesus is kind of over here somewhere. And he was there because most the time things went well in my wife, But there were those other times when things would kind of go a little wonky and I start having trouble. And so Jesus is there just to kind of help out You know, if I started to get in trouble, I would say, hey Jesus Take the Wheel, you know, I need you now because I messed this up and things aren't going the way I wanted to. So Jesus, you come in, you kind of get me back to where I need to be and then I'll put you over here at all. Is like I'll take it from here. And I realize, that was the life. I was living. And usually, like I said, it went very, very well. But there were times when it didn't. Well, this graphic also had this part and it taught a call that the self-directed life, which I think is, is Right. Self is on the throne, they had that Christ is outside the light now. No Christ, I mean, yeah, sometimes that's the case. But Christ can be part of our lives and we still live self-directed lives. It's who's calling the shots, And down the little bullet point. It says interest or directed by self. Yo, our goals are dreams our desires for. We want to end up often resulting in. I don't know if you can see this Discord and frustration. I would also say dissonance we have those times when it's like, you know, things just aren't, they're not aligned, they're not working. Something is just a mess. And so there's this deep-seated dissonance in our lives. And it was at that Sunday, school lesson, that Sunday school morning, that I learned that there is a different way to live life as a Christian, And I don't know. I also found this graphic but I edited it some and I don't I just feel like I need to let you know that I did edit this so it's a little different. I don't know if you would have been able to tell otherwise so I thought I should tell you that I did edit that song. I know it looks professional. I call this the god directive life This is where we love God through Jesus to be on the throne that we March to the beat of God's heart. Beat that we allow Jesus to died and direct us and all of our activities are basically set by him. It's a different way to live. And living this way means that we have yielded ourself to Jesus and allow him to basically set our past and our and our directions. That's why Jesus says my time is not yet come. Yeah, you guys can go do what you want, but I am listening to the heartbeat of God. The result of this is that our interests are directed by Christ that result in harmony with God's plan. And there are still difficulties, there still trouble. There are times when things don't go well, there still storms in our lives. But the difference is, there is a deep-seated peace. Cuz we know we are in the palm of God's hand and even though we might not understand where he's taking us or why he's taking us this direction, we have a deep-seated faith that he is taking us to a place of blessing. I don't know why Rhonda said that she would teach our youth. I'm sure that when she looked at the group, A folks in the group youth group and we were a challenging Bunch you got a good youth group. Here, we were kind of a mess, it probably didn't look like God was taking her to a place, a blessing. No I often use that phrase. Some of you heard me say I believe that God's always taking this place is a blessing. But here's a disclaimer, a lot of times on the outside it doesn't look like a place of less. We're like the Israelites when they were coming to freedom and there was a Promised Land, it was great. But it also look like a place of danger a place that would devour them a place of distress and because of that, they were afraid to enter in and so they ended up wandering around for forty years. And you know what? When we we lived at out far too often we just end up spinning, our Wheels in life when God is calling us to this place of blessing, but it doesn't look like it to begin with.

I'm sure that our youth group. Certainly didn't look like a place for God blessing. But I'm thankful that Rhonda said, yes.

She probably had no idea. That one day, one from that youth group would be standing in a group of people sharing her story. Cuz you have no idea what God will do when you take the steps of faith. No idea at all.

It's all I want to say this morning on this Thanksgiving weekend, I'll stall add to send Thanksgiving with that. I'm thankful for her. I'm thankful for her faithfulness. I'm thankful that she put up with us. I'm thankful that she told us to never jump out of moving cars again. Zorro movies actually, I was trying to run next to the car and it kind of went too fast and I kind of lost my feet. So it was a good. It was a good good Sunday evening. I'm also thankful for those in this congregation. Far too, few. They said, yes. To take no steps with God and working with our youth and kids. We have no idea what one of those kids might grow up to become. We have no idea of what our commitment and time with them might do them, they might remember something that we said because usually we don't think they were getting through and I'm thankful for those were working with Aries now because Lauren I know it's not easy. All right it's it's not easy. It's it's like that Promised Land. There were giants in the land in there, about 2 ft tall Yeah, and they might eat you up and spit you out, but you know what, you never know, what God will do, cuz I'm convinced he's always taking us to places a blessing it. So, I'm thankful for them. How many do we have working in the kids and youth area?

I'm put it on the spot, I know.

9. Okay, it's not even 10% of our congregation working. I would encourage you. maybe God's laying on your heart, and maybe he has But because of the Fear Factor because of the scariness of the area because you're thinking all, I'm not trained with Rhonda wasn't trained. I'm not equipped. Rhonda wasn't equipped at all. Assistant Strayer way while I'm encouraging to do is talk to Laura. Just just so you know what, I don't know what place I fit in. I don't know where I need to be that. I want to be faithful to God and I have a sense that he's calling me and somehow this is the promised land that he's calling me to. Cuz you have no idea what God will do with your faithfulness. If no idea more than that, where ever, you find yourself in life, allow God, to lead and direct you. It might be scary at times. It might be difficult, but, you know, what? He's always taking us to places of blessing and one day you might look back, like Rhonda does now, and say, I'm so glad that I said yes to him in that. Because if I said no,

I did much different person. Jesus loves you and he takes you to places of blessing and he will enable you and he will Empower you and you will be amazed at what God does with your life. Let's join together in prayer. Father, I pray that you would help us to truly, truly choose the path that you are calling us to help us to to step down off our Throne, so that you can be on the throne of Our Lives. Lead and guide us and direct his father. And this morning, we thank you for your presence in our lives. We thank you for the good things, you pour in our lives and we give it back to you because you have given us so generously and graciously, please take these pies offerings and Gifts. Use them for your purposes, bless them. Multiply them and use us for your purposes as well. It's in your name. We pray. Amen.