John 6: 22-59

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Sermon Text: Scripture

Call to Worship

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1 Chronicles 16:29–31 CSB

29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; 30 let the whole earth tremble before him. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. 31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

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Passage:

Formation Journal Page Number: 4:14-4:56 12:11-1:02 4:07-5:00

John 6:22–46 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. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 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.” 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.” 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.” 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.” 34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 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.” 41 Therefore the Jews started grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to me—46 not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father.

Opening Illustration:

Crisis moment in Panama

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Getting into the Sermon

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Now we approach a pretty long stretch of Jesus’ teaching. We normally go verse by verse, but to make this week, we are going to take it in a bit more of a broadstrokes.

And I want to ask you a question to think about - it’s this- why does Mercy Hill exist? Now we have our Mission Statement - right - Mercy Hill exists to enjoy God, grow deep and love wide together.

And each thing means something. We want to enjoy God - shorter catechism - we want a vibrant relationship with God

We want to grow deep in our understanding of God

We want to love wide, with caring for people and evangelism

And we do it all together. We have a big emphasis on community and wanting to be together with community groups, discipleship groups, and such.

But let’s back it up a little more, why did we plant the church to begin with?

We planted Mercy Hill because the area has grown faster with people than with churches and it has a significant change in demographics. So we wanted something that would be welcoming to people no matter their ethnicity or economic status. Any of that.

But there is an underlying assumption behind that which exists in church world that I think is good and true.

Studies have shown that [CHURCH PLANTING is the most effective means to reach unchurched people. ]

You are a church planter

So if we want to reach the new people moving to the area and being born in the area, we need to plant churches. That’s why we are here, that’s why we dream about planting churches ourselves one day.

It would be great if we could plant churches in Lake Wales, Haines City, Davenport and beyond. I mean that’s the dream.

Here’s why that’s important, it’s important because Jesus is the bread of life. He’s the only way that people can be saved and he has chosen us to be the people he uses to reach the lost.

We are going to see the hope and encouragement to continue in the work of reaching people for Christ.

[God’s SOVEREIGNTY (his kingship) is our hope for reaching the lost.]

Chapter 1Jesus was baptized by John He called the disciples

In Chapter 2: He turned water into wine in chapter, He also cleansed the temple

In chapter 3, he had his famous conversation with nicodemus where he said For god so loved the world… that one

In Chapter 4 he went through Samaria with the woman at the well and then healed the officials son while in Cana but the son was in Capeneum

Now, in chapter 5 he is back in Jerusalem where we saw him heal the man by the pool of bethesda but it was a sabbath and that upset people and so he talked about that and how he is the judge

Last week - he was showing them that he was like Moses with feeding the 5,000 and walking on water

So let’s look at that in the text

First, let’s look at the setup

John 6:22–25 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. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

So the people understand that Jesus disappeared and they don’t know how he ended up in Capernaum. The testimony that Jesus walked on water isn’t only believable because of the disciples testimony, it’s believable because the thousands of witnesses agreed it was the only way that it was possible.

Now jesus see’s them and he knows what they want - they are after bread and food and here’s how he responds

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.”

Here’s what he is saying - he is saying that he knows that they want food but the food that they want is temporary food.

This is similar to his conversation with the woman at the well in chapter 4. If you weren’t here for that, Jesus meets a woman at a well and they start talking and he says that if someone drinks from that well, they will be thirsty again but if someone drinks from the water he provides, they will never be hungry again.

Now he is pivoting and he is pointing to food. There is a bread that lasts for eternal life.

Here’s what he is getting at. Everybody who lives quickly starts to notice that their lives aren’t as satisfying as they hoped it would be or as they dream it will be.

[When you eat the bread of the WORLD your hunger comes back.]

People don’t get so wealthy that they say, Ahh, I’m satisfied, I don’t need anything else! No, what happens. The guy who builds yachts builds a bigger and nicer one and goes to the rich person and says - but you don’t have one of these yet.

The guy who makes private jets, comes out with a better jet. Or a better car.

People get so rich that they’ll buy designer bags that look like trash bags- this is $2,100

Why? Why do people do that? Because they are trying to find their fulfillment in this life but the hunger comes back

How about in romance? Why do so many people go from relationship to relationship. Why are people so unsatisfied - because they are looking at the relationship to fill them up. They eat the bread of this life but the hunger comes back.

The same can be for vacations, job status

there are 115 congressmen and senators over the age of 70 (24 are over 80) 4 of the 9 supreme court justices are over 70

Why? Why not retire and enjoy life. They are all probably rich. They’ve worked hard, they’ve accomplished a lot. Why can’t they stop?

Because their lives aren’t fulfilling without their power and prestige.

These extreme examples point to something true about us though too. Right, because they have achieved a lot of what we dream about. They have the big house, financial security, name recognition, everything that you think will satisfy you.

Michael Jordan still tries to convince people he was the best who ever played. Why does he care?

Because they have all eaten the bread of this life but they are left unfulfilled.

Why are they unfulfilled - because we were made for more. We were made for a relationship with God.

That’s what Jesus is telling them. Jesus could give them all the bread they want, and they are going to be hungry again.

So what Jesus is telling them is that he is the one who makes eternal life - and really eternal satisfaction possible. He is the bread that can change everything.

The reason why we feel the way we do is because we are separated from God and under the weight of the punishment of our sins. We are facing that but Jesus offers us another way.

Jesus came as a man and died for the punishment of sins. He died and rose again so that now if we turn to him

Repent and believe

{ABC’s of repentance}

But they weren’t thinking about eternity. that wasn’t really what the people wanted. They wanted this life. They wanted things in the world. That was their priority. That’s what they wanted. They craved it.

It should break our hearts, when we see our friends and neighbors, lost and discouraged seeking after empty promises and remaining unfulfilled.

Look, why are we planting a church: because church plants are the best way to reach unchurched people who are spinning their wheels and thinking that they just need the satisfaction of the world and then everything will be ok.

They are thinking that if only they could get more money, more sex, more power, more fame, more whatever, as long as I can get it then I will be filled but you can’t. It doesn’t work.

And you should have compassion on them. It’s a tragedy. Jesus had compassion on the crowds. He knew that they were desperate.

But it isn’t easy, because people don’t get it. They don’t understand.

Look at verse 30-21

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.”

[You can’t ARGUE someone out of misplaced love.]

It reminds me of stage parents.

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is that no matter how many child stars get ruined by fame and fortune, you will still never see a shortage of parents who want their kids to be the next star.

We can name celebrity after celebrity of people who achieved fame and fortune, whether through sports, acting, celebrity CEO’s, muscians . And the percentage of people who have it all and then are well adjusted contented people are vanishingly small.

Their kids are messed up, they don’t seem happy at all.

And yet, and yet, I will never convince you that you shouldn’t want those things. It doesn’t work. You can’t convince someone out of it.

And neither could. They couldn’t get talked out of wanting the bread.

Jesus again, explains that they need heavenly bread

Then in verse 34

John 6:34 CSB

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

Now this seems like they are getting on board. They are going to really understand and follow along.

But as Jesus explains it yet again, they start to get upset.

John 6:41–42 CSB

41 Therefore the Jews started grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

See the progression. They were going to make him king last week, they took boats to capernaum to visit him, they demanded the bread and then heavinly bread and now they are like:

Yeah, but who are you? You think you are so special.

The moment they don’t get what they want they turn on Jesus. Next week we are going to see that a lot of them actually leave Jesus.

So here’s the question- why?

Why is our evangelism sometimes unsuccessful?

Sometimes we can share the gospel with someone or invite them to church and they don’t respond. They don’t turn and we think “it must have been something wrong with what I said” I wasn’t clear enough. We get upset and disillusioned. If only I was better.

Now, that may be true in some extreme circumstances.

I went to UCF and I remember we had an open area with grass where anybody could speak. It was a free speech green and we occasionally had people who would come and preach, we called them Green Preachers

The way they started was by calling everyone whores and homosexuals. That’s what they would say. You are all a bunch of this. And i remember thinking- I lead a Bible study! You don’t know me!

Yeah, don’t do that. If you do that, maybe you need to rethink how you do it.

But here’s the point I want to make, Jesus gives a sermon, telling them how to have eternal life and they respond by what? Leaving him.

If Jesus couldn’t persuade them with miracles and teaching you will have a hard time too.

So what’s the problem then? What’s at work?

Look at John 6:35-49

John 6:35–37 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.

There is a key here: The people who believe and accept Jesus are the ones who the father gives Jesus.

Now, back when we were going through Galatians we talked about this and we said that your relationship with God existed before you existed.

That the father has his plan for salvation and he has given some people to Jesus so that they would be saved.

The way we experience this is that we are spiritually dead, and we are unable to choose God without divine intervention. That happens when the spirit comes and makes our soul alive - we called that Regeneration before.

He makes us alive and then we can choose him.

Let’s pause a second and just own the fact that this is a touchy subject. That God the Father gives people to jesus is one of the hot button issues of theology forever.

Theologically, we call this [God’s SOVEREIGNTY over salvation - that God is king and will accomplish his plan.]

If you were here when we talked about the economic trinity - that the Father Plans, the son accomplishes and the spirit applies.

All of that is at play here.

But, like I said, it is something that causes a lot of emotions. There are probably people in the room who have a hard time with it.

But it shouldn’t be as controversial as it is. First, because I’m just reading what Jesus says but second because even people who don’t believe it theologically live it out practically.

Ok, let’s do a quick test. This test comes from a theologian J. I. Packer. There are two questions, one I want you to answer and one I want you to just consider:

Ok raise your hand if you have ever prayed for someone to get saved? Maybe a friend or a family member. Raise your hand.

Now I want you to consider why you did that? You did that because you recognize intuitively that God is the king of salvation. He’s the one who makes people alive. He works in people’s hearts and brings them to repentance.

[We recognize in our PRAYERS that salvation is God’s work.]

Ok here is a second question where I want you to consider. When you thank God for your salvation - what do yo u say? Do you say “thanks jesus for your part, but also, I’m pretty thankful for my part. It’s really great that I was able to come up with this idea to accept you. I mean, props to you Jesus for your part and kudos to past Tony for his part.”

Is that what you do? NO it isn’t.

When you thank God for your salvation what do you say, “Wow, Lord, i really didn’t deserve this. You did it all. You get all the credit. You saved me!”

[We recognize in our THANKFULNESS that salvation is God’s work.]

So, why do we exist as Mercy Hill - we exist because church planting is the best way to reach unchurched people and they need it. They desperately need to learn and to be discipled. Nothing else will fill them

But, the hard part, is that we can’t manipulate anyone into heaven. We can’t on our own power save anyone. Doesn’t that kind of lower the energy we have for inviting and evangelizing? Shouldn’t this cause us some significant doubt?

Salvation is the father plans, son accomplishes, the holy applies through the work of the church

Here’s the deal, the reason why most Christians feel burned out about evangelism and even inviting people to church is because they are disillusioned with what they see as their own failures.

It didn’t work. I messed up.

But listen - it’s not on you. That’s the point. It’s not on you.

Look at verse 37

John 6:37–39 CSB

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.

[God as the king of salvation is what gives us HOPE in evangelism.]

It was confidence in God’s kingly rule over salvation that fueled missionaries to the hardest parts of the world, facing disease, death, discouragement. Many missionaries went years without seeing a single convert. It’s hard work to work for God.

What kept them energized for this? What kept them going? The very promise that it was God’s work not theirs.

The fact that they will come and Jesus will lose none. That’s what gives us the energy year after year.

William Carey, the great missionary in his first sermon on missions, before it was really a thing, said this [“EXPECT great things from God, ATTEMPT great things for God.”]

Why can we expect them - because everyone the father gives to Jesus will come. Because Jesus will lose no one.

{Photo of baptism}

Why can we attempt great things for God? because God does all the heavy lifting. We attempt because of God’s promise.

The Father’s plan will be accomplished by the son through the Holy Spirit and he does that by working through his church.

Why did we plant Mercy Hill, why are we here? Because we are filled with confidence in God, because church planting is the best way to reach unchurched people and we want to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God - together.

Lord’s Supper:

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.