Untitled Sermon (14)

Jesus needed a vacation

John 6:1 NLT

After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.

Jesus crosses over the Sea of Galilee and is doing so because he needs a vacation with his disciples following some devastating news.

Matthew 14:10–13 NLT

So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.

We see the humanity of Jesus in this particular moment of his ministry.

He was not a robot who went about performing miracles...

He had lost a family member and more than that he had lost one of his best friends.

John had been the one who first testified of who he was in his mothers womb

John was the one who declared “behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

John was the one who Jesus had submitted himself for baptism.

John was who Jesus would say was the greatest prophet of all time.

This was an emotionally devastating moment for Jesus...

He was going away to grieve and recover from an exhausting stint in ministry.

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A crowd full of miracle junkies.

John 6:2–3 NLT

A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him.

Jesus has commenced vacation mode.

He is resting with his disciples on a hillside

He has tried to find a place to grieve the loss of his cousin and friend.

But then he sees the crowd as they are looking for him.

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The crowd had seen Jesus perform a vast number of miracles at this point.

He had garnered a decent number of disciples at this point

But he was garnering an even larger crowd of people.

THE PEOPLE WERE DRAWN TO THE MIRACULOUS MANIFESTATIONS.

They were interested in the demons being cast out

They were interested in blind eyes being opened

They were interested in lame legs receiving strength.

A crowd will always follow where there is something out of the ordinary happening…but crowds don’t equal commitment.

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The different takes on the days events

Matthew recounts that the crowd gathered around Jesus…He healed their sick and taught them into the evening.

The disciples were the ones who ultimately said we need to get food for them. (Matthew 14)

Mark says that Jesus had to get the disciples away from the hustle and bustle of ministry because they didn’t have time to eat but as people gathered he still ministered

The disciples were the ones who brought the need of food to Jesus attention.

Luke says that the crowds followed Jesus and he taught them about the kingdom…then the disciples bring to Jesus the need for food.

The Passover Reminds Jesus of His Purpose

John 6:4–5 NLT

(It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”

The Passover has always been a foreshadowing of the day that Jesus would take the sins of the world upon himself.

His need for rest was only overshadowed by his reminder of his purpose.

Weariness has to take a backseat to passion sometimes.

Jesus couldn’t stay in vacation mode as long as he knew there was a gathering of people who needed what he came to offer.

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John 6:5 NLT

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”

He asks Philip how they are going to feed the people that are coming.

They haven’t arrived yet but Jesus is already making preparations to systematically support their arrival.

We cannot expect growth that we have not prepared for.

Systems provide structure for the supernatural.

God will not send a harvest to a field with no laborers and no means with which to capitalize on the harvest.

We must be prepared for what God is sending.

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God will test us

John 6:6–7 NLT

He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

Philip is a reasonable human being.

There were no lies detected in what Philip said.

Philip was still functioning from the realm of logic while trying to follow the Lord.

BEING A SERVANT OF THE LORD MEANS UNSUBSCRIBING FROM LOGIC

Philip sees their lack and testifies to it…

But in the very next verse we see a good example of what it means to be a person of faith.

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John 6:8–9 NLT

Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

Andrew looks at what they already have and speaks to it’s potential (even though it might be limited.)

God doesn’t need us to make grandeose statements in order for us to walk in faith.

Sometimes a statement like “there’s a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish.” is enough to insight a miracle.

I can play the guitar

I’m pretty good with kids

I have a few friends I could invite

I’m interested in technology

I could start a prayer meeting

I could maybe lead a small group.

The crowd was coming…Philip was focused on how their resources couldn’t support an outside source to meet their need.

But Andrew found the cheat code

there was a boy already in the number of the disciples who had something to offer.

Andrew was in touch enough with those within the church that he was able to identify a gifting that wasn’t much…but it was necessary.

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The need that presented itself was massive.

John 6:10 NLT

“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.)

Five thousand men…scholars believe the number was probably close to twenty thousand including women and children.

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Meet needs bit by bit

One person got one helping of bread...Then another person…then another.

Before you knew it…twenty thousand people had gotten more than enough food because of one boys lunch.

Stop looking at the vastness of your task and feeling like it’s not worth the effort...

Every major movement has started with a minor moment.

We know they were full…because they had twelve baskets left over.

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Side Note: The number of baskets left over was exactly the same as the number of disciples that didn’t run away.

There is abundance for those who don’t abandon.

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It’s not ok to live in fear

John 6:16–21 NLT

That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

The disciples have spent their first day of vacation…serving…gathering…they can’t find Jesus.

They get into the boat…start to sail and meet a storm.

Loss - Rest - Interruption - Miracle - Uncertainty - Fear…and then they meet Jesus.

Jesus answer to a group of men in the midst of an emotional roller coaster {Don’t be afraid.}

It’s okay to have anxiety knock on your door…but it’s not ok to let it make itself at home.

Jesus issues a command to the disciples that is still a command for us today DO NOT BE AFRAID!

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Using vehicles you don’t own…to find a feeling.

John 6:22–23 NLT

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten.

The people sleep off their full stomachs…

They wake up the next morning and they are feeling hungry once again.

They have become enamored with Jesus…not because of his teaching…but because of his catering.

Their commitment to Jesus was not based in who He was…but in how he made them feel.

THE PROBLEM WITH BEING FEELING OBSESSED IS THAT YOU BECOME FAMISHED FOR TRUTH.

They are so commited to getting another meal…that they steal someone else’s boat to get across the river.

When you become more obsessed with feelings than the savior you will use illegitimate means to get to where you want to be.

You can garner feelings from a lot of different places.

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Teachers give you food…Saviors give you life

John 6:25 NLT

They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

We find their errant view in the way that they address Jesus.

They are willing to admit that he is a great teacher.

They are willing to admit their is something special about him.

THEY WERE SIMPLY LOOKING FOR A TEACHER WHO WOULD FILL THEIR BELLY…NOT A LORD WHO WOULD RULE THEIR LIFE.

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John 6:27 NLT

But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

Jesus corrects them on the identity that he is carrying…He is not a teacher…He is the son of man.

A rabbi is good for giving you knowledge…and they have recently discovered that a rabbi can give you some food.

But the son of man…He is offering eternal life. -

THE BIG IDEA OF THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER (ETERNAL LIFE IS AVAILABLE THROUGH JESUS. )

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John 6:28 NLT

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

Their real motivation is seen in this verse.

They see Jesus as a teacher.

This teacher has performed some significant miracles.

They simply want to be taught how to do the miracles that Jesus has done.

SHOW ME HOW TO WORK LIKE YOU WORK.

This is a mentality repeated in the group that hears Paul’s teachings.

We have to be careful as to our motivation - If we are following Jesus from a greater works than these motivation…THAT’S ILLEGITIMATE.

Mark 16:17–18 NLT

These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

Signs are not somethings we seek…they are something that accompanies us as we believe in Jesus.

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You have one job

John 6:29 NLT

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus answers their desire for clarified work by telling them…you only have one job.

Believe in me as the Son of God.

Faith in Jesus is the only work required for the people of God.

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Show us a sign

John 6:30 NLT

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?

This group is telling the same Jesus that just fed them an all you can eat buffet from a lunchable that they need him to show them a sign in order for them to believe he is the messiah.

What they were looking for was not a sign…they were looking for supper.

They weren’t commited to following Jesus based on a truth that they knew…they were looking for a feeling they had gotten.

It can become easy to base our relationship with Jesus on facts and feelings.

IN ORDER TO WALK WITH JESUS…YOU HAVE TO DEAL IN THE CURRENCY OF FAITH!

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John 6:31–32 NLT

After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven.

This moment reveals an errant theological perspective on the part of the nation.

They are referring to this historical provision of manna in the wilderness by saying that “Moses gave bread to our ancestors.”

This is a mischaracterization of what happened…Moses didn’t give them bread…Moses just showed them it was there.

We see celebrity pastor culture at play even in the reflection on an Old Testament happening. They were giving Moses credit for what God did.

So few individuals actually have close fellowship with God because we often give credit for what he did to the ones he used to do it.

THIS IS THE SIN OF ROMANS 1

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They’re not getting it.

John 6:33–34 NLT

The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus hints at who he is…He says that he is the true bread who gives life to the world...

They are all about his implication…JUST GIVE US MORE BREAD.

They believe in Jesus to the degree that he is about to give them the full feeling again...

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AND THEN JESUS DROPS THE BOMB ON THEM.

John 6:35 NLT

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

This statement by Jesus shows us something that we often miss in charismatic circles.

The miracles, signs, and wonders…are not supposed to be the goal…They are supposed to be the directional markers.

ALL OF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO POINT TO JESUS!

When Jesus gave them the bread and fish the day before…it was all a setup to bring them to this moment wherein he says…I AM THE BREAD!

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Contextualize:

We can’t necessarily relate with what is happening in this cultural context.

We see that he fed the five thousand and it seems somewhat extravagant but we can’t fully ascertain what it means.

Food was not as much of a commonality in their culture as it is in ours.

THEY CERTAINLY WERE NOT AS ACCUSTOMED TO GATHERINGS OF 20,000 or MORE IN THEIR CULTURE.

So when we read this in order to fully feel the cultural moment we have to turn our attention off of the aspect of physical hunger and understand that in our context....we can more closely identify fulfillment as the point of the conversation.

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We follow for fulfillment

We have created a church culture wherein people come to Jesus with the promise of fulfillment.

God has a plan for you

God has a purpose for your life.

WE ARE NOT DRAWN TO THE PROMISE OF A MEAL…BUT WE ARE DRAWN TO THE PROMISE OF FULFILLMENT.

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Imagine you are drawn to Jesus in a moment wherein He calls you to do great things.

You receive purpose...

You receive calling...

We can be blown away by the concept of following after Jesus and receiving this calling...

Just like there was a vast number of this crowd that followed Jesus for the meal he gave...There are many of have followed Jesus because of the purpose he offered them.

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Our temporal focus…His eternal purpose

We see in this passage a difference between the perspective of God and the perspective of man.

Every request made to Jesus by the crowd on the other side of the sea is based within the context of temporal need.

(6:28,6:30-31, 6:34)

But Jesus has shifted his perspective…he has turned his attention off of the temporal need of food and is showing them what the entire miracle of feeding the five thousand was about.

(6:27, 6:35, 6:40)

John 6:40 NLT

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus shows us that the entirety of the purpose of meeting the need of a hunger for bread is to reveal a deeper hunger for eternal life.

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John 6:41 NLT

Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

Jesus offers eternal life to the jews...

They’re hungry…He tells them that is a lesser need.

They’re thirsty…He tells them that is a lesser need.

But what they get frustrated about is the fact that Jesus claims to be the bread that came down from heaven in the wilderness.

They can’t get past the fact that Jesus is diminishing an experience that they have deified by telling them that what’s in front of you is equally if not more impressive and beneficial than what is behind you.

If you want to walk in current relationship with Jesus…you can’t simply “get through” the present…

you have to understand that every past experience has been a building block…not a stopping point.

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Present apprehension - based on false past assumption

They can’t believe in Jesus in the present because they have false assumptions about his past.

John 6:42 NLT

They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

APPLICATION

We often miss what God is doing in the present because we have misunderstood what he has done in the past.

They couldn’t believe that Jesus was the bread sent from heaven because in the past…he was just the offspring of Joseph.

But Jesus wasn’t the offspring of Joseph…He was the immaculately conceived son of God, born of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary.

IF YOU CARRY A FALSE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN THE PAST SEASON IT WILL DELEGITIMIZE WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE CURRENT SEASON.

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Jesus senses their murmuring concerning who he is and what he is saying...

He then goes on with a dissertation on the fact that unless the father bids them that they cannot accept the sayings of Jesus.

Jesus gives them a glimpse of what is coming by letting them know that He is giving them bread by giving himself.

John 6:51 NLT

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

This is an allusion to the cross.

The beauty of the cross is the fact that Jesus gave the bread so that we could partake of it and have eternal life.

Before he fed the 5,000 the bread had to be broken…it was a picture of what was to come.

His blood was given so that every thirst that we had could be quenched within Him

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The Jews continue with a troublesome way of thinking by asking…HOW CAN WE EAT THIS MANS FLESH.

They are off-put by the concept of cannibalism.

They are still trying to reason and figure out when he is going to break out the actual bread and fish again.

And Jesus finally stops mincing words and tells them exactly what he is alluding to.

John 6:53 NLT

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

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John 6:60–66 NLT

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

What drove them away was not the hardship of life.

What drove them away was not the persecution of Rome

What drove them away was their inability to understand why God wouldn’t give them what they wanted.

THE BOY WHO GAVE THEM THE LOAVES AND FISH WALKED AWAY THAT DAY...

Only the twelve remained.

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John 6:67–68 NLT

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

If you are simply looking for fulfillment…you will see Jesus as an option.

If you are looking for eternal life…you will see him as an exclusive opportunity.