I Am the Bread of Life- Part 1
Notes
Transcript
I Am the Bread of Life - Part 1
IDENTITY
INTRODUCTION
- Governor Elect Stitt's Pre-Inaugural party with foster families at Aquarium.
-Lt Governor Pinnell- Kevin Hern, U.S. Congressman. Lots of state elected officials- I didn't recognize any of them. But did notice a lot of police whether uniformed or in street clothes.
Foster care stopped me from watching much news. I didn’t know who is who.
-Compare that to Senator James Lankford walking up to me at Bartlesville’s Sunfest.
-Senator Lankford was programing director for Falls Creek and youth specialist for Oklahoma Baptists.
-He had been in my office and we had several conversations through the years.
Jesus to his disciples: "Who do you say that I am?"
What matters is who Jesus says that he is. He identifies himself.
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father 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 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
4 Ways to Help Us Identify with Jesus
4 Ways to Help Us Identify with Jesus
1. Understand Motives (22-26)
1. Understand Motives (22-26)
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
The Next Day
Feeding of 5,000
Disciples get in boat to go to other side of lake. Storm.
Jesus walks on water.
The Crowd
What could they get from Jesus? How can he fix their physical needs?
Feeding of 5,000
Peasants- looking for food. Eating is hard in most countries.
Malawi- takes a lot of work from everyone in the family.
Getting fed without working for it is a game changer.
It was worth the journey to not have to prepare a meal.
Us
What are you trying to get from Jesus?
Physical or Spiritual
2. Understand Value (27)
2. Understand Value (27)
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Eternal
not just duration but quality.
Eternal life vs Eternal death
Endures
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Grace (gift)
Great Value- yet free.
We do not earn it. We do not deserve it. It is not owed to us.
Offered to all. It must be accepted.
Sealed
Seal= Holy Spirit anointing.
Guarantee= the down-payment that secures a legal claim. The Spirit is the down-payment given to us by God to secure our salvation.
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Establishes= he maintains it. It is held on to firm by God.
Anointed= pour oil to signify a task given by God. Title given.
Anointing of David- years before he became King- guaranteed he would be king.
Sealed= it had a legal significance. it marked what belonged to someone. (branding) It also was used to keep unauthorized people from opening a letter or document.
3. Understand Cost (28-29)
3. Understand Cost (28-29)
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Faith Not Works (28-29)
16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
We don’t identify with Jesus by trying to be good. We identify through faith.
4. Understand Source (30-33)
4. Understand Source (30-33)
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father 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.”
God Not Man
Are you looking for what man can do for you or what God can do for you?
Moses or God.
They were looking for a person to perform signs instead of looking for God himself.
Find God and let him change you from inside out.
Man will always let you down.
Don't look for a pastor, friend, date etc.
Be satisfied in Jesus and all your other relationships will flow from there.
The source is God. He sent Jesus.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
These men were already condemned and they were missing Jesus' salvation.
CONCLUSION
How do you receive the spiritual life from the bread?
-Jesus told Nicodemus, “you must be born again.”
- Believe. Submit to Jesus as the Bread of Life, the Manna from heaven.
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
"give us this bread always"- wrong understanding, again, concerning bread.
Come to Jesus and he will satisfy your spiritual hunger.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
The craving in your life is spiritual, not physical.
-Physical can never satisfy because it is not what your soul longs for.
Will you surrender to Jesus and identify your life with his?
Will you surrender to Jesus and identify your life with his?