Jesus Fuels What You Do

Introduction

I invite you to open your Bibles to John 6:22.

We are continuing after the events of the feeding of the five thousand. Here Jesus takes the miracle and explain what it means for how we live.

Would you read along in John 6:22?

John 6:22-23

John 6:22–23 NKJV

22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks—

If you’ve ever seen fans and paparazzi chasing a celebrity you can picture what is going on here. Jesus has done the most amazing miracle and people are chasing after him.

You can imagine the frenzy of excited and possibly hungry people chasing after the man who fed thousands.

What John is showing us is not just that people chased Jesus—but what was fueling their pursuit.

But look how John describes this event in verse 23. Not the place of the amazing miracle, but the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

If you have ever wondered if praying before a meal is important, take notice that John mentioned Jesus’ prayer of thanks not the miraculous multiplication.

Their chase continues in verse 24.

John 6:24-25

John 6:24–25 NKJV

24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

Finally they chase Jesus down and they ask when he had come here.

When we talk about being a disciple, or a follower, of Jesus this is not what we are talking about. It seems they are entirely interested in controlling Jesus but never even pause to ask how they might live if Jesus were to control them.

A true disciple is not one who tracks down Jesus, but one who serves Jesus by following his teaching, and living the way Jesus calls us to live.

But Jesus sees through their question and points out their hypocrisy.

John 6:26 Wrong Motives for Service

John 6:26 NKJV

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

What fuels your service matters more than what you do.

Jesus sees their hearts and knows what is fueling them.

They have come for themselves. It’s a bit more than free food, although that doesn’t hurt. It’s the spectacle too. You might call it dinner and a show. Jesus has miraculously multiplied the bread and they want more of that food, more of that miracle, more of God meeting their needs and desires. They only want to be filled.

We can be tempted to have that same attitude today. We can come to church to get an emotional pick-me-up. We serve on a ministry team because it makes us look or feel better. None of those things are terrible on their own. But they are not why follow Jesus. They are not why we serve Jesus.

Here’s one question you can ask to evaluate your motives. Would this still be worth it even if it didn't fill me up?

Would singing worship songs still be worth it, even if it was a style I don’t enjoy?

Would reading the Bible still be worth it even if it didn’t give me an obvious self-help tip?

Would serving in ministry at church still be worth it even if no one applauded me?

What fuels my service? Am I doing what I’m doing just so that I am filled up here and now? Or is there a deeper reason?

John 6:27 The right work in service

John 6:27 NKJV

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Jesus points out the folly of their efforts. They have spent all of this work chasing him down, for what? For a temporary satisfaction. Physical food doesn’t last long, and neither does much of what fills us up emotionally. Anything that takes place only in this lifetime is food that perishes.

Jesus says to work for, labor for food which endures to everlasting life. He’s going to explain exactly what he means in a second, but just take note of this. We must work for heavenly, not earthly reward.

Illustration: Working on the Wrong thing

Imagine a salesperson working on closing a ten million dollar contract. And his boss calls him in to his office and asks him for an update.

Boss: How’s the progress going on the deal?

Salesman: Sorry boss I haven't been working on it, so no progress on the deal, but great news, I cleaned all the windows in the office. I mean, it’s really hard to get to the top. I had to get a ladder…

The crowds worked very hard following Jesus but missed what matters most.

We too can work very hard at church and miss what matters most.

There are a lot of things you can work at in life but be sure your top priority, the thing you pour the most energy and effort into have an eternal impact.

Work at what matters most? But what is this?

But before you go off thinking Jesus is asking you to earn your salvation, let’s look at the work Jesus say is most important:

John 6:28-29

John 6:28–29 NKJV

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

So the crowds are ready to get to work.

Maybe following some more rules.

Maybe giving more to the temple.

Maybe installing Jesus as king.

But Jesus didn’t call for any of that. Jesus said the one thing you can do for God to receive eternal life is this: believe in the the one God sent: Jesus.

The top priority for the crowd two thousand years ago, the top priority for Haven Fellowship Church and for you today is this: believing in Jesus.

It is the only way to be saved, the only way to eternal life.

Service without faith misses what matters most, belief in Jesus isn’t the alternative to serving—it’s the engine that makes service faithful.

Conclusion- John 6:35

Jesus finally brings everything into focus in verse 35:

John 6:35 NKJV

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Here’s the irony of this whole scene: The crowds chased Jesus to be filled—and it left them empty. They wanted bread, signs, and satisfaction now. But Jesus offers something better: Himself.

And that difference matters deeply for how we serve.

There are many good works we can do at Haven.

Works of worship as we gather on Sundays.

Works of study as we open God’s Word.

Works of service as we love one another and our community.

But if those works are fueled by recognition, emotion, or obligation, they will eventually exhaust us.

Even good service becomes draining when we are the source.

Jesus says real life—enduring life—comes from believing in Him.

When belief comes first, service follows with joy. When Christ is the bread, service becomes an overflow, not a burden.

So today, as we talk about ministry and service, the question isn’t just “What will I do?”

The deeper question is: What is fueling what I do?

If you come to Jesus, if you believe in Him, He promises this: You will be filled. You will be sustained. And what you do for Him will matter—not just now, but forever.

Serve—but serve fueled by Christ, the Bread of Life.

John Reading Plan

John 7:1–8:20 – At the Feast of Booths, Jesus teaches publicly, provoking division among the people and opposition from religious leaders. He declares that rivers of living water will flow from those who believe in Him and that He is the light of the world. Here John shows how Jesus fulfills Israel’s feasts and temple rituals, offering Himself as the true source of life and light.

☐ Day 1 – John 7:1–13 + Deuteronomy 16:13–15

☐ Day 2 – John 7:14–31 + Isaiah 55:6–9

☐ Day 3 – John 7:32-53 + Isaiah 12:3-5

☐ Day 4 – John 8:1–11 + Micah 7:18–20

☐ Day 5 – John 8:12–20 + Isaiah 9:1–2

Sermon Notes

1. Quotes & Illustrations

THE WORK OF GOD

Many who sincerely seek God wonder what he wants them to do. The religions of the world have many answers to this question, but Jesus’ reply was brief and simple: Believe in him whom God has sent. Satisfying God does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. What does it mean to believe? The first step is accepting Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. We declare in prayer to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 NKJV). Accepting Jesus means giving him control of every area of life. To believe means to yield our wills, our desires, our plans, our strengths and weaknesses to Christ’s direction and safekeeping. It means moment-by-moment obedience. Believing is a relationship with the one who promises to live within, trusting him to guide and direct us to do his will.

Bruce B. Barton, John, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 131.

REAL SATISFACTION

Jesus offers the ultimate spiritual satisfaction: If we believe in him, we will never hunger or thirst. But we have heard the gospel wrong if we think Jesus offers an escape from life and its problems. Thousands of Christians still face physical hunger, and millions face crushing difficulties. The gospel frees us to face life. In the middle of the world’s pessimism and despair, the gospel unflinchingly claims that Jesus offers infinitely more than this life can give. We will be disappointed if we expect the presence of Jesus in us to mean that we are immune to sin, struggles, and failures. There are many ways to know hunger and thirst, and we will undoubtedly experience many of them.

Bruce B. Barton, John, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 133.

2. Scripture References

I only addressed a portion of Jesus’ discourse on the bread of life which goes from John 6:22-59.

The following passages address manna in the wilderness.

Exodus 16

Numbers 11

Deuteronomy 8

Psalm 78:23-25

3. Additional Questions

How does John 6 connect to Communion/Lord' Supper? John 6 focuses primarily on union with Christ rather than the Lord’s Supper itself[1], yet the passage carries profound implications for understanding communion. Jesus presents himself as the bread of life and promises eternal life to those who become united to him through faith[1], using vivid language about consuming his flesh and blood to describe this spiritual reality.

The connection emerges through several layers. The feeding of the five thousand employs language—particularly “when he had given thanks”—that parallels the institution narratives of the Lord’s Supper across Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul’s account[2]. John appears to invite readers to connect Jesus’ provision for the five thousand with the provision he makes for all who trust him at the Lord’s Supper[2]. Yet this connection points beyond the ritual itself.

While eucharistic allusions exist in the passage, they prompt readers to look beyond the sacrament to that which the sacrament represents—Jesus’ saving work, particularly his cross-work[3]. Both the feeding miracle and the Lord’s table, rightly understood, parabolically illustrate what it means to receive Jesus Christ by faith[3]. The bread and wine in communion are symbols of remembrance; the flesh and blood discussed in John 6 represent spiritual realities in our appropriation of the power of the cross[4].

Importantly, John’s Christian readers are meant to read this passage in light of the Lord’s Supper[1], recognizing that the Supper is for those truly united to Christ, proclaims the salvation provided through his body and blood, and enables participants to feed on Christ himself[1]. John 6 does not directly speak of the eucharist; it exposes the true meaning of the Lord’s supper as clearly as any passage in Scripture[3]—grounding the sacrament in the deeper reality of personal, saving union with Christ.

[1] J. Knox Chamblin, Matthew: A Mentor Commentary, Mentor Commentaries (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor, 2010), 1304. [2] James M. Hamilton Jr. and Brian J. Vickers, John–Acts, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 9:128. [3] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 297–298. [4] Kenneth O. Gangel, John, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 4:136.

4. Bible Translation

I’m choosing the NKJV for preaching because I believe it offers the strongest balance of faithfulness to the historic text of Scripture, clarity for modern readers, and continuity with the church’s worshiping tradition.

At the same time, I deeply value other faithful translations—such as the NASB, ESV, CSB, and NIV—which also serve the church well and can enrich our understanding of God’s Word.

5. Commentary Recommendation's

I have found the following commentaries helpful in my study of John.

Introductory

Explore the book in greater depth. Ideal for curious church members, Bible study leaders, and Sunday School teachers who want a clearer understanding of the text without being overwhelmed by technical detail.

1. Holman New Testament Commentary: John by Kenneth O. Gangel

2. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in John by Matt Chandler and Josh Wredberg

3. Be Alive (John 1-12) and Be Transformed (John 13-21) by Warren Wiresbe

4. The Life Application Bible Commentary: John Editor: Grant Osborne

Intermediate

More advanced, with increased attention to historical context, theological nuances, and interpretive questions. Best for teachers or small group leaders seeking a scholarly yet accessible examination of passages.

1. Signs of the Messiah: An Introduction to John’s Gospel by Andreas J. Köstenberger

2. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: The Gospel of John by Grant Osborne

3. ESV Expository Commentary: John by James M. Hamilton Jr.

In-Depth Study

These are a bit more advanced than the previous recommendations and go into more depth. These resources are ideal for those preparing lessons or sermons and looking to engage more deeply with the biblical text.

1. New American Commentary: John 1-11 and John 12-21 by Gerald L. Borchert

2. Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson

3. New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John by Leon Morris