What are you going to do about it?: I think, I do

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Searching and Moving Towards Christ

John 6:22–24 CSB

22 The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw there had been only one boat. They also saw that Jesus had not boarded the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone off alone. 23 Some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

Context:

Previous to this moment, Jesus performed His fourth sign in feeding the 5000 men, plus the women and children with only five loaves and two fish. They collected 12 baskets full of left overs and the crowd became enamored to a point that Jesus saw they were going forcefully seize Him and try to make Him king.

So Jesus slips away to get back to a private place.

The disciples get in a boat and head to the other side of the Galilean Sea to a town called Capernaum, and they get caught in a storm.

Jesus meets them there on the waters - He came walking on the water - calms their fears and gets in the boat. Immediately they find themselves at their destination.

So the next day, the Crowd is wondering where Jesus was - still reminiscing in their experience from the day before.

Jesus has moved on from where the crowd was.

The crowd had tasted and seen that Jesus was good - but only in the capacity of what their flesh found pleasure in.

They had met God, were participants in the miraculous, experienced His power, but their thinking was temporal.

God does not want you to stay at the same place where you once met Him.

God has more for us to experience in Him - but requires a renewed way of thinking.

God wants you to diligently seek Him and where He’s going, and where He’s going is probably not going to be within the realms of your current thinking.

The crowd here saw where Jesus’s disciples departed by boat across the sea and when the next series of boats come into port they follow suit.

But then they were dumbfounded when they found Him at the next place.

John 6:25 CSB

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

John 6:26 CSB

26 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

This is another key moment for the crowds looking to follow Jesus - to be one of those numbered amongst Christ’s followers.

Jesus calls out the people that were following Him - not for seeking Him out - but for the purpose they were seeking Him out for.

Jesus tells them the only reason they’re looking for Him at this moment is because they were looking for a way to satisfy their flesh.

God isn’t looking to be your king so that your flesh can be pleased.

Jesus is saying here: “You’re not believing necessarily on the Words I’m giving you. You’re not necessarily grasping Who I really am.

But you’re belly is full and the moment was pretty amazing.

You believe I can do more for you…but what I desire is your heart.”

Temporary Satisfaction in Jesus

Having had their fill - their bellies were full and their emotions were charged from Jesus’s passionate preaching. John 6:11

John 6:11 CSB

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

Jesus warns us of living to satisfy our fleshly desires.

Even in a Christian, Jesus-following context, we have to be careful of seeking to only satisfy our fleshly desires.

He says

John 6:26–27 CSB

26 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

There are a lot of Christians living to find temporary fulfillment in life.

There are a lot of Christians working in a temporal, victim mindset with a fear of missing out on life.

Jesus is telling us where our focus should be.

You work hard for a temporary high. You work hard so you can fulfill the lusts of the flesh in a temporary dopamine hit.

You work hard for temporary recognition and ‘at-a-boys’. Sure those recognitions and awards are helpful to promote morale and cultivate a spirit of excellence - those are good things.

But if we ever become jaded and decide not to give excellence, then an idol has been created along with a stigma of idolatry.

Our focus shouldn’t be on temporary things - but on the eternal.

Labor and work for the food that endures eternally - let that be your priority in working and persevering in life.

Don’t let the things of this world become a priority over the Kingdom.

If God has called you into His service - into the ministry. And you are also needing an education for financial income, don’t sacrifice God’s preparation for earthly provision.

What good is it for you to gain the certifications and degrees and God not be in it?!

God will not be second in your life.

But if you put Him first in all that you’re seeking - in both the heavenly and the earthly - you’ll find that even what you do in the earthly will be blessed.

And God will get the glory for both.

TO DO THE WORK OF THE LORD

The Crowd asks Jesus an important question - a question that we all ask in some sort of form and fashion:

John 6:28–29 CSB

28 “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked. 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”

You’ve had to find yourself asking this question: “what can I do to perform the works of God?”

God you’re telling me to labor, to work, for the eternal things, these “works of God.” But what can I do - how am I supposed to accomplish the works of God??

When God calls us to this place of faith, we automatically see the disconnect between believing and doing.

GOD CAN DO ANYTHING - With God all things are possible! Wait, God, you want ME to do WHAT?

That’s somebody else’s faith.

But this is why the Father’s promise was put into motion in Acts 2 - so that you and I can be empowered by God to do the things He wants us to do.

2. The works of God, He’s asking you to do, is to believe in Jesus.

a. This effectively removes the burden of expressing ‘power’ from ourselves.

b. But this the question you do have to ask yourself: Do you believe in Jesus?

Not just Jesus who lived and amazing life and performed so many miracles.

Not just Jesus who was the Great Teacher.

Not just Jesus, Savior who died on the Cross.

Not just Jesus, risen out of a tomb.

But do you believe in Jesus today?

And if you do believe in Jesus, do you believe HE IS and Has authority?

This is what Jesus is telling us today: Do the work of God. What is the Work of God? To believe in Jesus whom God has sent to you.

Jesus is authority, Jesus has full and complete authority. ALL authority belongs to Him. He is over EVERYthing.

And to believe that is to step INTO a life that submits to that authority, and is marked by His authority and His word.

It’s living a life that is under God’s Word.

The Crowd here in John 6 still didn’t fully get it.

John 6:30–31 CSB

30 “What sign, then, are you going to do so that we may see and believe you?” they asked. “What are you going to perform? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

They said, “I hear you, but what work are you going to perform to have my commitment?” They said, our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness. Just as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

They were basing their current view of Jesus based on grandma’s experiences. Not their own - not in the invitation to experience and know God for themselves.

Again, they’ve still not caught up to where Jesus is and they’re still back in their previous experience.

Jesus responds: John 6:32-33

John 6:32–33 CSB

32 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Moses didn’t give you this bread. God did. Grandma’s faith didn’t save you. Jesus did. Your past experience didn’t bless you or save you. God did.

Your previous right decision to partake in what God was doing didn’t bless you - God did.

Your past blessing in victories and awards - it was by God’s grace that you received that award. God does the blessing. Because He’s the good, good father.

But those were temporary moments that have come and gone.

God wants to give you more that sustains you daily - it’s believing in Him.

Because once you do put your complete faith in Christ Jesus - EVERYthing in life is surrendered to Him.

Walking Daily with Christ

God wants to give you sustenance daily - to experience the person and glory of Christ on a daily basis.

The Crowd wanted this - they were burdened for it. They said

John 6:34 CSB

34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said

John 6:35–40 CSB

35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. 36 But as I told you, you’ve seen me, and yet you do not believe. 37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

CLOSING

Many so-called Christians today are not living by faith in Christ.

They had a moment with God.

They had a moment, undoubtedly, with God.

But since then, they revert to walking according to the flesh and what the flesh wants.

And to get a God-fix, they come to Church and have a moment with God.

They believe Jesus did something in the past - that He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was dead and buried and risen from the grave.

Yes God did that work on the Cross for you and me, but He wasn’t done there.

The point of living must now be Christ and His gain.

The point of living must now be for Christ’s fame and His renown.

This is true belief - to daily call on the Name of Jesus and seek His will for your life.

Doubt will always cause separation. Belief focuses and directs.

This is why we must read God’s Word and keep our focus on Him.

It washes our minds, it regenerates our minds, it transforms our sinful, flesh-oriented minds to take on the mind of Christ.

His Word is mold us, to conform us, into the likeness of Jesus. - Not to make you Jesus, but to make you like Jesus.

Whatever we think dictates our behavior.

What we believe, we follow.

So we must continue to choose to believe in the One God sent to us - His name is Jesus.

And God’s intent is for there to be more Jesus in this world, and ultimately for us to operate in the the Authority of God’s word.