WALKING WITH JESUS: Walking With The Word: The Word Became Flesh

 Walking With The Word: The Word Became Flesh John 6:66 What Then Is IT Have you ever noticed people say, The Bible Says - often? I wonder how much we know what we mean by that. The Bible says lots of things, but we need to understand what is being said within it’s own context. Let me say it like this - have you ever had a conversation and said, “oh man if anyone were to overhear us right now, they’d get the totally wrong idea”, similar thing. Have you ever seen the picture of a motivational calendar with a quote from Luke that says: “if thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine, Luke 4:7”… Luke 4:7 Thursday July 3rd, go ahead and turn there: Luke 4:7 (ESV) 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” So you see, yes the Bible says that, but maybe it doesn’t mean what you’re thinking, it’s a conversation that if simply overheard and not understood can be misinterpreted. The Bible also isn’t Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth - it’s so much more it’s. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. And so, as we’re in this series walking with Jesus we find this odd seeming discourse in John chapter 6:66 lets read our passage for today so you’ll know what I mean: John 6:66 (ESV) 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. We’ve been walking with Jesus now for 3 weeks. We’ve walked with Christ through forgiveness, in race riots, through the foxhole and now we come to this, where many turn back and no longer follow, it’s a point in the gospel of John of departure and solidification. It’s a point in our own lives where we ask, “will I follow on”. I pray that we’ll each be individually challenged to consider, what’s next in my walk - what is a milestone in following for me? Do I need to abide more in Christ, rest more in Christ, and trust more in Christ - am I called now to salvation and baptism? I want us to be encouraged to that next step - so lets see what pushed these disciples in not following: John 6:58 (ESV) 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” This discourse has been going on for a while guys - I want to give us a little overview - Jesus just fed 5000 people with a small boys lunch, there were baskets and baskets of leftovers. The people were pretty into an easy life where Jesus would feed them and they’d just sit around (think back to the motivational calendar quote in Luke) not much has changed. Then they get really blown away because the disciples go into the sea in a boat and cross over the sea to Capernaum, there was a rough see then, 3/4 miles out, they see Jesus walking across the water. I want to pause here and point out - things are getting weird. The crowds of people who were on the shore now, woke up, looked around and realized that Jesus had crossed, so then did they - because they wanted the bread, not Jesus, but we’ll see that. We’re in verse 25 they asked Jesus in verse 25 - “when did you get here, Jesus”. Jesus a man of His own motive answered their question to His end. Jesus was a master at answers other’s questions to His own end. What was His end? To expose their desire for bread over God - and to turn them, the question then for us is as Jesus answers their question to His own end, and we see that it’s an answer designed to demand a decision, what will ours be. Here is what Jesus said in ease 26: John 6:26–27 (ESV) 26 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. 27 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.” Here church - here is the decision, we must decide, we must know, we must realize that we want bread that does not perish, but that endures to eternal life - that bread Jesus will now tell them is Him, and He is the eternal son of God, who has been since the beginning and will be, who is the Word of God, become flesh, who is spirit and flesh, and life - our decision becomes an easy one in light of the facts. My prayer is that someone today sees Jesus as the word and the words of life, that Jesus questions force a decision in us, I pray a baptism Sunday is upon us. They ask how the get in on this food in verse 28 but they’re thinking it’s works, how can we work for this bread they ask, and Jesus says - it’s God’s work, that you desire the bread, that you believe in him who he has sent, they ask Jesus for a sign. Now I want to stop here and point out that he just made food manifest to an excess, for 5000 people, previously they’d been so impressed by this that in verse 15 they wanted to forcibly take Jesus, then though he didn’t get into a boat and there was ONLY one boat that was now gone (verse 22) he crosses the sea… But they need a sign. What about you and what about me, need a sign? Jesus isn’t a show pony that can kick out the answer to addition problems at your command, or a gene in a bottle (not like Christina Aguilera but like Aladdin) He’s the God man, the sent one of God to be the lamb that reconciles sinful man to a holy God. Jesus will draw on the story in the Exodus, not because it’s a great teaching tool to show them Himself as the God-man, but rather because it’s the story God planned through time and humanity to show that Jesus IS the God man, the perfect satisfaction of law, and the only way to be reconciled with God. Jesus doesn’t leverage the Old Testament for teaching helps; Jesus was sewn into the story so that you and I could see it. We get hungry - right, I mean Golden Corral, Old Country Buffet, Mission BBQ - we go because we’re hungry. Jesus is saying through this living illustration of hunger, to a crowd who wanted to forcibly take him because he fed them, through HIS story of the exodus and Manna that God provided from heaven to his chosen people, that now He, Jesus, the word of God become flesh was the bread of life. Some interesting points on food that you’re going to understand because like me you eat: 1. Food not eaten does nothing for you: Jesus as savior that we don't believe in and trust is no good, it’s bread not eaten. John 6:36–38 (ESV) 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever 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. Do you believe? Is Jesus the bread of life you’re hungry for? 2. Full people don't eat: When we’re satisfied, that list of restaurants, their buffet and menu, are not interesting, but when we’re hungry we jump in and go hog-wild. Similarly when we’re satisfied by our sin, we’re not hungry for anything spiritual, including Christ. But when God awakens us, and allows us to see how Holy, how different, how set apart and perfectly loving He is, we’re drawn to Him, we’re hungry, and we see Jesus is the bread of life. John 6:43–45 (ESV) 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble 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 heard and learned from the Father comes to me— We like to argue about this, can we choose God. The simple answer is yes; Jesus just demonstrated that in verse 44, we have no ability to come to God, unless God draws us. And so, are you drawn to God in Christ - come, God makes you able. This is the decision. Will you come, will you walk with Christ? As His teaching to this crowd, the 5000 that were fed then followed him across the sea continued he says: John 6:60-61 (ESV) The Words of Eternal Life 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? At what? At the concept of ingesting His flesh. It’s insanely offensive, what he said, read it: John 6:55–58 (ESV) 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus isn’t making this easy - but the world is hard, and God is good. Jesus knows that all who the father has sent to Him, will follow Him, don’t take my word for it, HE JUST said it: John 6:39–40 (ESV) 39 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. 40 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.” John’s gospel started like this: John 1:1–5 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The beginning, is created earth - the Word was there (Jesus), the word was both WITH God and God (the God man) all things were made through Him, Jesus is the active agent of creation, HE is the Light that shines in darkness - HE is the illumination that we should be hungry for GOD. That’s why we’ve walked with Jesus to see Him as a contrast to our dark hearts that desire evil and evil things - this is why God doesn’t simply destroy evil, because we’re of the evil fabric of the world, it’s why we’d never want our internal monologue out for all to see and hear. And so God, then in the form of a man, in Christ lived among us, so that we’d be redeemed, and as He lives in each redeemed believer from that point forward, in the gathered church, HIS word the bread of life would be proclaimed for all the see. Will you walk, now as Christ’s? Maybe this morning you’re hungry. Maybe you’ve seen Jesus as we’ve walked together with Christ through forgiveness, in race riots, through the foxhole and now we come to this, where many turn back and no longer follow, has the bread of life made you hungry? I want you to become saved today, this morning, a re-joined creation of God. Will you pray now to God, “save me”? He’ll do it. If you’ve been saved and are a believer, will you now walk with Christ, as a living example of the bread of life - and tell everyone who’ll listen and even some who wont, how good God is? Church individuals in the pew today I’d love to know about your baptism. Online, from your phone at www.transcendchurch.info will you tell me A) when you were baptized, or B) that you need to be baptized. Alternatively write it on your visitor card or back of your bulletin right now, I’ll wait a few minutes while you write. I want the plate full of cards and notes, the web alerting right and left of digital cards filled out, I want us full of the bread of life - because we know Jesus said, “all the father gives me will come” so this morning I’m believing that and asking you to come. As we close out, folks are upfront to pray with you if you need encouragement to follow, if you’ve followed for the first time, and even if you want to ask about baptism - come and pray together. Also, as we close, I’m asking you church I’m begging you come forward, if you feel compelled to pray, to talk about baptism, to talk about discipleship, to live out the God-man’s call. After This WALKING WITH JESUS: Gospel For Today Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 6 of 6 Sunday 8/13/2017