I Am the Bread of Life (Part 1)

Order of Service

Welcome

Hymn - GUIDE ME, O MY GREAT REDEEMER (868) - WILLIAM WILLIAMS 1717-91, PETER WILLIAMS 1723-96 AND OTHERS

Psalm Reading

Psalm 103:2–4 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,”

Prayer

Teen Talk

Hymn - AWAKE, MY SOUL, AND WITH THE SUN (215) - Thomas Ken (1637-1711)

Notices

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Friday 7pm

Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm

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Main Prayer

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Hymn - MARY, DID YOU KNOW (CP40) - Mark Lowry

Sermon Search

Reading

Jesus walked on water

Matthew 14:34–36 ESV

And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

John 6:22–40 ESV

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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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. 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.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Sermon

Matthew 14:34–36 ESV

And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Following Jesus walking on water they make landfall and he is recognised

People came to be healed, by touching his garment

John 6:22–23 ESV

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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

The crowd noted the disciples had left by boat but Jesus had not

Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where Jesus had fed the 5000

The boat owners would have noted the potential for ferry requirements

John 6:24 ESV

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.

The crowd were puzzled and could not find Jesus so they head in boats for Capernaum

The people knew this was where Jesus & his disciples were living

John 6:25–26 ESV

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

In Capernaum they find Jesus

“Rabbi, when did you come here?”

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves”

Their motivations to find Jesus were wrong

They did not recognise the quality of the miracles as sign which pointed to him as the Messiah, The Son of God

“ate your fill” primary meaning refers to the kind of eating done by animals

John 6:27 ESV

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.”

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life”

Physical food will never fill the void in your heart

The work of faith in the One whom God has sent, produces and sustains everlasting life

“which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Jesus points clearly to the miracle as affirming he is the Messiah

They did not understand what Jesus meant

John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””

John 6:28–29 ESV

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

The people enquire what law works they must do

“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Saved by Grace - received freely

Water and food can be given to an animal or plant, but they need to take action

John 6:30–31 ESV

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

Jesus demand to have faith in him, as the One sent by the Father

Elicited the Jews asking to see his credentials

Paraphrase: “If he is greater than moses, let him perform a sign that is greater than the one which Moses did when he have us bread from heaven”

John 6:32–33 ESV

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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

The Father was the real giver

The Father is giving the real bread of heaven

Jesus is the real bread of life

John 6:34 ESV

They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

They remain totally spiritually blind

They continue to seek the physical

John 6:35–38 ESV

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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

“I am the bread of life”

“Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst”

Although you have seen me yet you do not believe

Jesus clearly places the blame upon these unbelievers themselves as fully responsible for their actions

“All that the Father gives me will come to me”

Jesus immediately following the statement of human responsibility provides ephasis on divine predestination

“Whoever comes to me I will never cast out”

Complete harmony and cooperation between the Father and the Son

Those the father gives, the Son welcomes

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me”

John 6:39–40 ESV

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The doctrine of perseverence of the saints is taught here in unmistakable terms...

The elect will be kept and guarded to the very end

A counsel that cannot be changed

A calling that cannot be revoked

An inheritance than cannot be defiled

A foundation that cannot be shaken

A seal that cannot be broken

A life that cannot perish

The doctrine or preservation, and hence perseverence.

Matthew 10:22 ESV

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Hebrews 3:12–14 ESV

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hymn - JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA (704) - CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT 1789-1871

Closing Prayer

Doxology - 215 v7