I am the Bread of Life...Am I hungry for Him? Am I satisfied in Him?

Sermon Outline

Intro/Review:

I AM Series - I Am statements of Jesus, Am I responding?

I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

Fallen Condition Focus (FCF):

Since the garden of Eden we have been searching for the relationship that will truly fill us up. We try and we try to fill the void with all sorts of people, all sorts of consumptions, and all sorts of experiences…but THEY ALL LEAVE US EMPTY.

Dominant Thought (DT):

Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can truly fill us up, and we will only become full when our hunger and thirst for Him surpasses all other pursuits.

Sermon Planning & Notes

Scriptures:

John 6:35 (NIV)

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Notes & Thoughts:

Introduction

How will I introduce the I Am statements? Importance of “I Am”. Is it a name? Is it a proclamation? How are the I Am statements tied together?

The “I Am” statements tell us WHO JESUS IS and THE ROLE HE PLAYS IN OUR LIFE.

As we look at the “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John, let’s challenge ourselves to consider the following;

Who and What does Jesus say He is?

What should and do these statements mean to us on a personal level?

Based on the “I Am” truths, how “am I” responding in the way I live my life?

What “am I” experiencing in these truths from Jesus?

What do I need to do to more fully accept and adopt His “I Am” statements?

My prayer is each of us to take seriously the prayerful and meditative consideration of “how am I responding?” I can’t answer the question for you just as you can’t answer it for me. Sure, we can observe each other…our words, our actions, the ways in which we invest our energy and resources…but this question of “am I living a life of belief and obedience to WHO JESUS IS and THE ROLE HE PLAYS IN MY LIFE?” is one only we can answer for ourselves.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Title Verse - I Am the Bread of Life

John 6:35 (NIV)

35 Then Jesus declared, “I Am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Context before the Text

Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel is full of powerful signs and teaching. So much so we can’t begin to fully unpack it in the short time we are together today. So I’d like to set the table before we get to the Bread of Life.

The past 24 hours…

A large crowd has gathered for the Passover Festival…thousands of people gathering from all over…rumors of a man named Jesus who has been healing the lame, teaching with authority, and is possibly the Messiah

John 6:5 “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Jesus takes five loaves of bread and two small fish, and feeds 5000 men (and their families)…until they are full and satisfied…then His men pick up 12 baskets full of leftovers.

The crowd camps out…imagine the campfire stories that night…they see the disciples leave in a boat without Jesus who hasn’t been around since dinner…because He knew the crowd was impressed and wanted more…then Jesus decides to take a midnight stroll, ON THE WATER!

While walking on water He approaches His disciples who are worn out from paddling all night against the winds and waves…Peter does a little water walking, and sinking…Jesus brings them both back into the boat and calms the storm

John 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

“It is I” = “I Am”

Yeah, you could say it has been kind of a big past 24 hours…and this is were we pick up on the short of the Sea of Galilee near a little town called Capernaum

___________________________________________________________________________________

John 6:25–29 (NIV)

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

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Can we just take a minute here to consider a challenge that we all face…somewhere along the way we have learned we have to work to earn God’s grace. Perhaps it is a byproduct of growing up in an achievement based society, or simply that we struggle to accept what we don’t deserve.

Can I encourage us today to simply praise God and thank Him for the grace He shows us through His Son Jesus. Our work or “job” is to believe in the One God sent…the one who is the Bread of Life.

___________________________________________________________________________________

John 6:30–40 (NIV)

So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, 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. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

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

Then Jesus declared, “I Am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Bread of Life

Why the “bread of life” metaphor?

Bread represents daily sustenance…remember the tables of old…toast, bread and butter, and dinner rolls.

What fills you up? Not talking about food, talking about the sustenance of life? When you experience it, see it, feel it…you are filled up?

I know we are in church, and there is the temptation…yes, you heard me right, TEMPTATION…to give the perfect answer, “Jesus”. But now is when we have to dig deep, to truly answer the question, “If Jesus is the Great I Am…based on WHO HE IS and THE ROLE HE PLAYS IN OUR LIFE…Am I living in response and obedience?

What is it for me? Relationship with Lydia. Seeing the impact of my time and energy poured into others that yields blessings in their lives. Helping and serving others. I wish it was always positive things like this…but sometimes I pursue less positive things. Like eating a little more ice cream than I should. Watching a little more TV and dreaming what it would be like to be the hero, the start player, or in some foreign land on an adventure.

What is it for you? Seeing your kids succeed at sports or the county fair? Harvesting a crop you work hard to plant and grow? Completing a project or achieving a goal at work? Getting likes or comments on social media? Maybe its a time or place…the quiet at the end of a long day when you can just sit down and be still?

But here is the reality check…whatever it is that fills you up, does it keep you full? Are you content and satisfied from that point on? Or do you find yourself hungry for more the next minute, or hour, or day?

What does is take for us to truly hunger and thirst for Jesus? Do we want Him to be the most important and vital part of our lives, so much so that our craving for Him is more and more overwhelming? Or do we just enjoy a little snack Jesus when it is convenient and not too costly?

“There is nothing we need more in life than a clear vision of Jesus.” - Michael DeFazio

Could it be that from this clearer vision of Jesus we become more aware of the fullness of life we can have in Him? I believe Jesus is asking us to fill our thoughts with Him. To fill our words with His words. To model our actions after His actions. That we would have our fill of compassion and love for each other. That with every breadth we breath and every moment of our lives, we are so full of Jesus that He pours our of us to fill up everyone we encounter.

Can I ask you again, what fills you up?

My prayer for us is that we pursue such a deep relationship with Jesus that He is the only one who fills us up.

That when we are tempted to seek to fill the void in our lives with worldly pursuits…

more attention from our spouse,

Thank Jesus for my wife, and consider with Him how He would have me serve and cherish her. How to invest time in our relationship.

more attention from our children,

Thank Jesus for my kids, and consider with Him how He would have me love and raise them. How to invest in them and point them to Him in all we do.

more attention from our parents,

more flirting from a friend or coworker,

Consider with Him the health of this relationship. Is it honoring and glorifying to Him, or am I trying to fill a void in my life?

more trophies on the shelf,

more promotions and awards at work,

more money in the bank,

Ask Him how much is enough. Will there ever be enough, is contentment possible?

more toys in the garage,

more likes on social media,

Consider with Him what is motivating me to scroll for hours. What am I searching for, and will it truly fill me up? Am I seeking the attention or approval of others?

more binge watching Netflix,

more drinks,

more food,

more, more, more…

…we will realize those things will not satisfy us. We may be pacified for a moment, but sooner or later (probably sooner) we will hunger and thirst again.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Transition to Communion & Wrap Up

Summarize John 6:41-67

Communion Focus

John 6:53–58 (NIV)

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

His disciples understood and said “this is a hard teaching.”

From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.

No one can answer the question for us, “what am I consuming in hopes of being fulfilled?” And no one can answer the question, “Based on the “I Am” truths, how “am I” responding in the way I live my life?”

Illustrations & Quotes:

“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity