I Am the Bread of Life

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 IN A MUSEUM IN DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA THERE IS AN INSCRIPTION LEFT BY A DYING PROSPECTOR: "I LOST MY GUN. I LOST MY HORSE. I AM OUT OF FOOD. 2 THE INDIANS ARE AFTER ME. BUT I'VE GOT ALL THE GOLD I CAN CARRY!"  IN LIFE SOMETHING ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS 3 WE SOMETIMES GET CAUGHT UP WITH UNIMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW WORLDLY THINGS ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT AS WE THINK WE NEED TO KNOW OUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS VASTLY MORE IMPORTANT 4 TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN LOOKING AT THE “I AM” STATEMENTS OF JESUS IN THESE STATEMENTS CHRIST IS CLARIFYING WHO HE IS HE IS CLARIFYING WHAT HE IS OFFERING 5 THESE ARE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ETERNAL DESTINY TURN WITH ME TO JOHN 6:26 JESUS HAD JUST FEED 5000 PEOPLE WITH 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH 6 THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO MAKE HIM KING SO JESUS LEFT THEM AND WENT OFF ALONE THE DISCIPLES HEADED BACK ACROSS THE SEA AND A STORM HAD COME UP 7 JESUS CAME TO THEM WALKING ON THE WATER THE CROWDS FOLLOWED JESUS LOOKING FOR MORE BREAD 8 JOHN 6:26–40 JESUS ANSWERED THEM AND SAID, “TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, YOU SEEK ME, NOT BECAUSE YOU SAW SIGNS, BUT BECAUSE YOU ATE OF THE LOAVES AND WERE FILLED. 9 “DO NOT WORK FOR THE FOOD WHICH PERISHES, BUT FOR THE FOOD WHICH ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH THE SON OF MAN WILL GIVE TO YOU, FOR ON HIM THE FATHER, GOD, HAS SET HIS SEAL.” 10 THEREFORE THEY SAID TO HIM, “WHAT SHALL WE DO, SO THAT WE MAY WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?” JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, “THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YOU BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT.” 11 SO THEY SAID TO HIM, “WHAT THEN DO YOU DO FOR A SIGN, SO THAT WE MAY SEE, AND BELIEVE YOU? WHAT WORK DO YOU PERFORM? “OUR FATHERS ATE THE MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS; 12 AS IT IS WRITTEN, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’ ” JESUS THEN SAID TO THEM, “TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, IT IS NOT MOSES WHO HAS GIVEN YOU THE BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN, 13 BUT IT IS MY FATHER WHO GIVES YOU THE TRUE BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN. “FOR THE BREAD OF GOD IS THAT WHICH COMES DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN, AND GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD.” 14 THEN THEY SAID TO HIM, “LORD, ALWAYS GIVE US THIS BREAD.” JESUS SAID TO THEM, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; HE WHO COMES TO ME WILL NOT HUNGER, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST. 15 “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 THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL CERTAINLY NOT CAST OUT. 16 “FOR I HAVE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, NOT TO DO MY OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME. “THIS IS THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME, THAT OF ALL THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME I LOSE NOTHING, 17 BUT RAISE IT UP ON THE LAST DAY. “FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER, THAT EVERYONE WHO BEHOLDS THE SON AND BELIEVES IN HIM 18 WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, AND I MYSELF WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY.” (PAUSE) 19 IN THESE VERSES WE FIND THE FIRST “I AM” JESUS SAYS “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; HE WHO COMES TO ME WILL NOT HUNGER, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST. 20 I AM THE GREAT PURPOSE OF THESE “I AM” STATEMENTS IS TO REVEAL WHO JESUS IS JESUS REVEALS SOME AMAZING THINGS ABOUT WHO HE IS IN THESE VERSES 21 IN VERSE 38 JESUS TELLS US HE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN WE DO NOT NEED TO REACH UP TO HEAVEN GOD HAS REACHED DOWN TO US ( RIFF ) 22 VERSE 27 TELLS US THAT GOD HAS SET HIS SEAL ON JESUS SETTING A SEAL ON SOMEONE IS GIVING THEM AUTHORITY JESUS HAS THE AUTHORITY OF GOD 23 WHAT EVER HE CLAIMS HE CAN DO IS CERTAIN HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO BACK UP IN VERSE 39 WE SEE ONE OF HIS CLAIMS ALL THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME I LOSE NOTHING, 24 BUT RAISE IT UP ON THE LAST DAY WE CAN TRUST THIS CLAIM BECAUSE HE CAME FROM HEAVEN AND HAS GOD’S SEAL UPON HIM 25 I AM THE BREAD JESUS SAID HE IS THE BREAD THEY CAME LOOKING FOR BREAD HE HAD FEED 5000 WITH 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH 26 NOW THEY ARE BACK FOR MORE IN VERSE 26 HE SAID “YOU SEEK ME, NOT BECAUSE YOU SAW SIGNS, BUT BECAUSE YOU ATE OF THE LOAVES AND WERE FILLED.” 27 AFTER HE FEED THEM THEY WANTED TO MAKE HIM KING THEY ARE SO VERY FOCUSED ON THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD JESUS IS TRYING TO DIRECT THEM TO THE THINGS THAT MATTER 28 ETERNAL THINGS SO THEY ASK HIM WHAT SIGN AND MENTION THE MANA AND HE TAKES THEM RIGHT BACK TO THE IMPORTANT THINGS 29 ETERNAL THINGS ( PAUSE ) IN VERSE 33 JESUS DESCRIBES THE IMPORTANT THINGS “FOR THE BREAD OF GOD IS THAT WHICH COMES DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN, AND GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD.” 30 THE WORD BEING USED HERE FOR BREAD MEANS MORE THAN BREAD TO THE PEOPLE LISTENING THE WORD FOR BREAD MEANT EVERYTHING WE NEEDED FOR LIFE 31 THE TERM WAS USED FOR ALL THE FOOD AND WATER YOU ATE EVERY DAY JESUS IS IN ESSENCE SAYING I AM EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR LIFE 32 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE IN VERSE 27 JESUS SAYS “DO NOT WORK FOR THE FOOD WHICH PERISHES, BUT FOR THE FOOD WHICH ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE, 33 JESUS HIMSELF IS THIS FOOD, THIS BREAD. HE IS EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE NOT THIS TEMPORARY LIFE BUT FOR ETERNAL LIFE 34 NOT JUST TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY HE IS EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LIVE ETERNALLY WITH GOD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING HERE 35 STOP MAKING A PRIORITY OUT OF THINGS THAT DO NOT LAST HE IS NOT SAYING “DO NOT GO TO WORK TO EARN MONEY TO BUY FOOD” HE IS SAYING STOP MAKING THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE ( PAUSE ) 36 THERE ARE THREE HUGE GATES THAT LEAD INTO A CATHEDRAL IN MILAN OVER ONE GATE THE RIGHT GATE IS AN INSCRIPTION THAT SAYS, "THE THINGS THAT PLEASE ARE TEMPORARY." 37 OVER THE LEFT GATE, THE INSCRIPTION READS: "THE THINGS THAT DISTURB US ARE TEMPORARY." HOWEVER, THE CENTRAL GATE, THE LARGER GATE IS A BIG INSCRIPTION SAYING, 38 "ETERNAL ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS." WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ETERNAL THINGS BECAUSE OF THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING THEM 39 “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; HE WHO COMES TO ME WILL NOT HUNGER, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST. 40 HE WHO COMES JESUS EXPLAINS HERE HOW TO GET THIS BREAD OF LIFE KNOWING JESUS IS THE BREAD, ALL THAT WE NEED 41 DOES NOT ACTUALLY HELP ANYONE THEY REMAIN EMPTY TO COME, WE MOVE FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE HE IS 42 TO COME.. WE HAVE TO LEAVE SOMETHING IF WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD WE WILL NOT MOVE, WE WILL STAY WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE WHEN WE COME IT CAN’T BE TO JUST ANYONE ( PAUSE ) 43 HE WHO COMES TO ME SINCE JESUS IS THE BREAD, EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE IT WILL NOT DO TO COME TO JUST ANYONE WE MUST COME TO HIM AND HIM ALONE 44 IN VERSE 37 JESUS SAYS “AND THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL CERTAINLY NOT CAST OUT.” JESUS IS THE ONE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN 45 JESUS IS THE ONE WHOM GOD PLACED HIS SEAL UPON JESUS & NO ONE ELSE ( RIFF ) NOT ONLY IS JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE HE IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE ( PAUSE ) 46 JOHN 14:6 JESUS SAID TO HIM, “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME. 47 IF ETERNAL THINGS ARE OUR PRIORITY IF WE SEEK THEM ABOVE THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD THE ONLY PLACE WE MAY COME TO FIND THEM IS IN CHRIST WHAT IS THE RESULT OF FINDING THEM BY COMING TO CHRIST? 48 HE WHO COMES TO ME WILL NOT HUNGER THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE SATISFACTION WE HAVE IN CHRIST IN VERSE 33 IT DESCRIBES THIS BREAD AS GIVING LIFE TO THE WORLD 49 WHEN WE ARE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WE ARE EVERLASTINGLY SATISFIED THOSE LISTENING WERE FOCUSED ON THEIR EARTHLY HUNGER 50 WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WAS COMING FROM I UNDERSTAND THIS WE CAN ALL GET CAUGHT UP IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD WE DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE THINGS 51 BUT WE CANNOT LET THESE TEMPORARY THINGS DISTRACT US FROM ETERNAL THINGS THOSE WHO COME TO CHRIST ARE ETERNALLY FILLED BECAUSE THEY ARE ETERNALLY SECURE 52 W. B. HINSON, THE GREAT PREACHER, WROTE JUST BEFORE HE DIED. "I REMEMBER A YEAR AGO WHEN A DOCTOR TOLD ME, 'YOU HAVE AN ILLNESS FROM WHICH YOU WON'T RECOVER.' 53 I WALKED OUT TO WHERE I LIVE AND I LOOKED ACROSS AT THAT MOUNTAIN THAT I LOVE. I LOOKED AT THE RIVER IN WHICH I REJOICE. 54 I LOOKED AT THE STATELY TREES THAT ARE ALWAYS GOD'S OWN POETRY TO MY SOUL. THEN IN THE EVENING I LOOKED UP INTO THE GREAT SKY WHERE GOD WAS LIGHTING HIS LAMPS, 55 AND I SAID, ' I MAY NOT SEE YOU MANY MORE TIMES, BUT MOUNTAIN, I SHALL BE ALIVE WHEN YOU ARE GONE; AND RIVER, I SHALL BE ALIVE 56 WHEN YOU CEASE RUNNING TOWARD THE SEA; AND STARS, I SHALL BE ALIVE WHEN YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM YOUR SOCKETS IN THE GREAT DOWN PULLING OF THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE!' ( PAUSE ) 57 YES WE HAVE ETERNAL SECURITY IN JESUS CHRIST THE BREAD OF LIFE THE QUESTION IS, “HOW EXACTLY DO WE “COME” TO HIM?” 58 “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; HE WHO COMES TO ME WILL NOT HUNGER, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST. ” JESUS SAYS HOW WE COME TO HIM 59 AND HE WHO BELIEVES WE COME TO JESUS BY FAITH BY BELIEVING THAT IS THE ONLY MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN COME 60 NOT BY OUR GOOD WORKS NOT BY OUR GOOD BEHAVIOR NOT BY OUR WEALTH BUT BY OUR FAITH ( RIFF ) IN VERSE 36 JESUS SAY 61 “YOU HAVE SEEN ME, AND YET DO NOT BELIEVE” THEY HAD SEEN THE MIRACLES AND DID NOT BELIEVE THEY HAD COME TO HIM TO BE FEED AGAIN 62 BUT DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE MIRACLES BUT GOD’S ORDER IS BELIEVE AND SEE 63 NOT SEE AND BELIEVE BELIEVE IN CHRIST AND SEE GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY 64 AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME FAITH, OR BELIEF IS MEANS, BUT IT MUST BE IN THE RIGHT OBJECT IT IS NOT THE FAITH THAT SAVES 65 IT IS THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH THAT SAVES JESUS CHRIST IN VERSE 29 JESUS SAID “THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YOU BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT.” 66 THEY HAD ASKED TO DO TO WORK THE WORKS OF GOD JESUS TELLS THEM TO BELIEVE IN THE ONE GOD SENT IN JESUS CHRIST ( RIFF NOT IN) 67 HE IS NOT SAYING IT IS WORK TO BELIEVE HE IS TELLING THEM GOD’S REQUIREMENT IS NOT YOUR WORKS IT IS YOUR BELIEF, TRUST IN CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE 68 WE ARE TO TRUST THAT CHRIST IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS, GOD THAT HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO DIE ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS 69 AND THAT THE RESULT WILL BE THE RESULT HE SAYS WILL HAPPEN THAT WE WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE ( PAUSE ) 70 AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST THIS IS A PARALLEL STATEMENT TO NEVER HUNGER THAT TERM BREAD STOOD FOR ALL THAT YOU NEED 71 BOTH FOOD AND DRINK JESUS REPEATS THAT IDEA SO WE WILL UNDERSTAND WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM 72 IN VERSE 40 JESUS SAYS “I MYSELF WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY.” THIS AFFIRMS THE STATEMENT “WILL NEVER THIRST” 73 WE CAN KNOW WE WILL STAY SECURE BECAUSE WE WERE NOT SAVED BY OUR EFFORTS NEITHER ARE WERE SECURE BY OUR EFFORTS 74 WE ARE SECURE BECAUSE WE IN CHRIST THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH ( RIFF ) SOMEONE ONCE SAID SALVATION IS LIKE NOAH INVITING A PAGAN TO COME IN TO THE ARK. 75 SOME FOLKS SEEM TO SEE SALVATION MORE A PEG ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ARK. "IF YOU JUST HANG ON THROUGH THE STORM, YOU'LL BE SAVED." 76 SALVATION IS NOT DEPENDENT ON OUR HOLDING ON TO GOD BUT ON OUR BEING SECURELY HELD BY AND IN CHRIST ( PAUSE ) 77 THE OLD PROSPECTOR WROTE AS HE LAY DYING "I LOST MY GUN. I LOST MY HORSE. I AM OUT OF FOOD. THE INDIANS ARE AFTER ME. BUT I'VE GOT ALL THE GOLD I CAN CARRY!"  78 WILL WE HAVE ALL THE GOLD WE CAN CARRY OR WILL WE BE CARRIED BY CHRIST WILL WE HAVE SPENT OUR LIVES GATHERING FOOD THAT PERISHES? OR WILL WE HAVE GATHERED THAT WHICH ENDURE TO ETERNAL LIFE? 79 WE MUST KNOW WHO IT IS THAT IS CALLING US TO THIS JESUS SAYS “I AM” HE IS THE ONE CALLING US, GOD COME IN THE FLESH WE MUST KNOW WHAT HE CLAIMS HE CAN DO 80 BE THE BREAD THAT SUSTAINS US ETERNALLY BE ALL THAT WE NEED FOR ALL TIME TO GET THIS BREAD WE MUST COME TO HIM 81 AND TO HIM ALONE THERE IS NO OTHER SOURCE FOR THIS BREAD THE RESULT OF COMING TO HIM IS WE WILL NEVER HUNGER 82 ETERNALLY, NOT JUST TODAY, NOT JUST THIS WEEK BUT FOR ALL TIMES OUR SPIRITUAL NEED WILL BE FILLED WE NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE COME TO HIM 83 WE COME BY FAITH, BY BELIEF AND TRUST NOT BY WORKS, OR GOOD BEHAVIOR, BUT BY FAITH AND THE OBJECT OF THIS FAITH MUST BE JESUS CHRIST 84 AND NOTHING AND NO ONE ELSE BECAUSE ONLY IN CHRIST ARE WE SECURE ONLY IN CHRIST ARE WE ETERNALLY SATISFIED ( PAUSE ) IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT TRUSTED IN JESUS CHRIST… 85 86