God-Hungry Souls

During the great famine of China, the people made “bread” from a kind of edible earth. But this ingredient was devoid of any nutrients, so those who ate the loaves, starved. Meyer also refers to the nardoo plant which grows in Australia. The spores of this clover fern can be made into bread and porridge. But they contain no proteins, carbohydrates, or vitamins—the essentials for sustaining life. Those who depend upon it for food will have their stomachs filled, but they’ll eventually die.

We have a gnawing hunger within for both the physical and the spiritual. He hungers for both food and material things and for God and spiritual things, things such as love and joy and peace. Therefore, most of man's time and energy are spent in seeking to satisfy his hunger.

Practical Observations.

1. Too many seek Christ for the loaves and fishes. Persons often choose a church to improve their social condition, or to secure a professional practice, or to build up a trade.

Our passage deals with the answer to man's great hunger.

(1) First, is to recognize the hunger, a great need (v.22-25).

The people knew that they had a need, a need for the Messiah(wanted to make Him King, 1-5)

They noted Jesus absence(the next day)

Point(1a): We do have a great need for God’s Messiah. Note: if Christ is absent, our needs goes wanting.

The people sought Jesus. Believing that Jesus was the answer to their need, they diligently seek Him.

Point(1b): We should search diligently to find Christ. We should seek and seek until the Lord is found.(, , Isaiah 55:6)

(NKJV) 9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

(NKJV) 6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

(NKJV) 6Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

6Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

The people had questioned Jesus’ absence

Point(1c): We, as every generation do wonder and question the fact: “If Jesus is really the Messiah, why does He so often seem absent and far away, especially in times of trouble.

The answer is what the passages is about

A. Seek God

1. The Necessity of Seeking God

a) All People Are Commanded to Seek Him( , , , , , , , , )

(ESV)

8You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

(ESV) 16Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord.

16Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord.

(ESV) 12Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

19And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

6“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

(ESV) 12Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

12Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

(ESV)4For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

4For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

(ESV) 3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.

5those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom,

6those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

(ESV)

3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.

(ESV) 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

b) God Desires That People Seek Him (, )

(ESV) 2God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

2God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

2. Answer 2: acknowledge that man's motive is corrupt (v.26-27).

(ESV) 27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

(2) Secondly, acknowledge that our motive is corrupt (v.26-27).

Man seeks a Messiah (Savior), but not to worship and serve Him. He seeks a Messiah for what he can get out of Him.

Man is interested in getting his needs met, whether by someone human or divine.

Man seeks food that perishes

Point(2) the earthly pleasures and feelings do not satisfy. (, , , )

They still leave a man empty, incomplete, unfulfilled, hungry, dissatisfied, seeking more and more

(ESV) 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

(ESV) 7All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

7All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

(ESV) 8As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating, and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking, and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.

8As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating, and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking, and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.

(ESV) 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Point(3) labor for food that endures—that gives eternal life (v.27).

Point(3) labor for food that endures—that gives eternal life (v.27).[, , John 6:33-35]

Point(3) labor for food that endures—that gives eternal life (v.27).

(ESV) 14but 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.”

14but 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.”

(ESV) 37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

(ESV) 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

The nourishment that comes from Jesus is not fast food.

The nourishment that comes from Jesus is not fast food. It is soul food

The basic hunger within man is for... • an abundant life(). • an eternal life()

(ESV) 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

, a life that is complete and fulfilled, full of love, joy, peace and all the good things of life

(ESV) 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

, a life that survives, that is not snatched away, but goes on forever and ever

3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. , a life that survives, that is not snatched away, but goes on forever and ever

Jesus said that the Son of Man is the One who can give food that lasts forever, the One who can give life that is both abundant and eternal.

4. Answer 4: do the work of God—believe (v.28-29).

Conclusion: Jesus Christ, the true Bread, is that to the soul which bread is to the body, nourishing and supporting the spiritual life.

Our bodies could live better without food than our souls without Christ. Those who have received this Bread are to be the distributors of it to other hungry souls.

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