Bread of Life

The New Revised Standard Version The Bread from Heaven

24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves 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 come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for 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 for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Introduction- What you got?

It has been alarmingly difficult to focus this week, because it’s free agency season in the NHL.

While I’m writing this sermon, my news feed is open on my desktop right next to my bible to tell me if the Penguins sign anybody.

Fleury come back!

The whole being traded thing has always struck me as odd.

This is not something that happens in any other career.

No one is going to call me up and say that I’ve been traded to First Presbyterian Church of Portland for some draft picks and prospects, and I’m expected to report to VBS next week.

It’s even a bit more odd in baseball!

Players can be traded for cash!

It’s as if someone looks at you, at all the work you are doing on the field, at all you bring to the table as a human being, and says “Yeah, that guy is worth $100,000” or something like that.

Can you imagine only being valued for what you offer to other people?

And yet...

So many people view their relationship with God like that.

They value God only in so far as what they can actually get from God.

Blessings at home.

The really good parking spot at work.

Eternal life.

Today’s stories from the Bible both point in the direction of this.

Bible Breakdown Part One: Exodus

How We Got Here

Everyone remembers the story from the Ten Commandments when Charelton Heston splits the red sea?

This is like three seconds after the Red Sea!

The people that are in this story have just witnessed one of, if not the biggest miracles that God is known for.

There should be absolutely no doubt in their mind about the tremendous power of their God.

There should be absolutely no doubt in their mind about the leader that God has set before them.

There should be absolutely no doubt in their mind about deliverance.

And yet...

Somehow they’re so hungry they wish they were dead.

With all apologies to our Jewish brothers and sisters, the people of Israel in the Torah kind of sound like whiney middle schoolers.

The suffering of the present moment seems to have wiped out any memory of the previous suffering.

Yeah, we were slaves that were worked literally to death in a lot of places, but at least we had McDonalds!

And what crazy is actually the ask:

They wish that God had killed them in Egypt.

They don’t just wish that they had died in Egypt, or just to have stayed in their previous way of life as slaves.

They wish that God had taken them out. How crazy is that?

It’s kind of remarkable that God has to test people he’s just split a sea in front of.

So, in a text that kind of rings back to what Jesus was doing last week with Phillip, God says that he is going to test the Israelites.

Specifically the test is, whether they will follow God’s instruction or not.

If God tells them to do something, are they going to listen?

Or are they going to go on their own way?

In so many ways, this is the same test that God puts us through on a regular basis.

Are we going to listen to God when it comes to that annoying co-worker, or are we going to chart our own course?

Are we going to study the words of Scripture, or are we going to instead study the words of our chosen news media?

Are we going to love everyone the way that Jesus has commanded us, or do we have a better way in mind?

But I think for as much as this is the test that I have faced and failed a million times myself, I still think it’s remarkable that Isreal has to be in this place at all, right?

Forgetful Israel

We don’t have an exact pinpoint of time between the splitting of the sea, and this story in the scripture, but I’m telling you it wasn’t long.

How is it possible that these people are in this position?

Over and over again, we are told in the Scriptures that the people of Israel are forgetful.

And by this I don’t mean that they leave their coffee cups on the roof of their cars or leave their laundry in the machine...

They are forgetful, scripture tells us time and time again, of the work that God has done for them.

God splits the seas. The people forget and complain for bread.

God liberates them from slavery. The people forget and demand a king.

God sends them in to exile. The people forget and turn toward idols instead of back to God.

But let’s not point the finger at them.

Forgetful us?

I find that in my most trying and troubling times spiritually, it is almost always because I forget what God has been doing in my life.

In the seasons I don’t trust God, it is on some level because I’ve forgotten how far God has gotten me so far.

In the seasons when I am most angry and frustrated with my fellow humans, it’s because I forgot how much God loves us all.

In the seasons when I am least likely to hear God’s voice in my life, it’s because I forgot to listen instead of just always praying.

Watchumacallit

So God provides for his people.

They wake up one morning, and there’s this “fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.”

And the Israelite people look around at each other and keep saying Manna! Manna! Manna!

Because Manna in Hebrew literally translates to “What is it?”

It’s the biblical equivalent of “Whatchumacallit?”

And yet...

If I was an Israelite, and I was complaining about how little food there was, I don’t know that something that was as fine as dew on the ground would be what I had in mind...

In fact, in other places of this text, we hear that they were only supposed to collect what they needed, and not more.

No biggie sizing the Manna.

There’s a bit of a gulf between what we think we need and what God knows to give.

There are the things that I want:

Another bike

A bigger house

A nicer car

But there are the things that I actually need:

Sustainable food and housing.

Character virtues like generosity and patience and forgiveness.

Most of all, a relationship with our loving and living Jesus.

And that leads us to our Gospel lesson...

Bible Breakdown Part Two: John

Previously on church...

Jesus miraculously feeds 5000 men, plus women and children.

The story that the lectionary keeps dancing around: Jesus walking on water.

I’m sure we’ll come around to it at some point, if not in a sermon then definitely in a Adult Bible Study in the future.

There’s a lot of meat in that story, and in fact it’s one of my favorites to take a deep dive with, so we’ll come back to it.

But what happens today is just after Jesus has walked on the water, and Peter went for a walk with him but wound up with a bath.

Crowds come looking.

It is worth mentioning…Jesus isn’t where anyone expects to find him.

This crowd is looking for Jesus in the places they assume that they’ll find him.

He was over here with the boats, right?

He has to be over on this side of the lake, right? I mean unless the guy can walk on water...

Should we try the other side of the lake? There’s no way he’s over there...

This is a smaller question in today’s message, but one worth exploring for a second...

How much of our life is spent looking for Jesus in all the wrong places?

There are places where we expect to have an encounter with Jesus.

Right here in this sanctuary is surely one.

Maybe a favorite camp like Pine Springs or just a tent in the woods.

Maybe a favorite song or hymn or CD to listen to in the car.

And I’m so very glad that we can find Jesus in those places.

But what about the places we are less likely to expect to find Jesus:

What about finding Jesus in an expertly made Chick-Fil-A Sandwhich?

What about finding Jesus in the cereal asile of the grocery store?

What about finding Jesus when hanging out with a friend for the first time in years?

These are just a few examples, but they are specifically examples from my own journey with Christ.

It’s not enough for us to look for Jesus in the places that we expect to find him, but we have to have our eyes open all the time for where Jesus might just show up.

When the crowd shows up, Jesus does something kind of surprising.

Jesus calls them out.

Essentially, Jesus questions their intentions for seeking him out.

Interesting to note: It’s not enough to be looking for Jesus.

The question Jesus has for them is one that we each ought to consider on a regular basis:

What do you love? Me, or what I can give you?

Jesus is essentially asking them:

Do you love me, or do you love the free lunch I gave you?

Do you love me, or do you love getting more and more blessings?

(Gut level question for us today) Do you love me, or do you love the idea of getting in to heaven?

Could you love Jesus for who he is, whether or not he gave you what you needed?

When that question is presented to the crowd, they have what I think is an interesting response:

The Crowd: How do we get in on that?

Rather than run away from Jesus, rather than say they love the blessings more than the man, they ask how they can get in on that.

“What do we have to do to perform the works of God?”

Essentially they say “Yeah, we’re in Jesus. We’re with you. What are our membership dues?”

Do we need to go to church every week?

Do we need to kick a few extra bucks in the offering plate?

Do we need to be missionaries to far away lands?

Do we need to give our lives as martyrs for your kingdom?

These are questions that the followers of Jesus have been asking for thousands and thousands of years, and yet Jesus offers a calming answer right here in the pages of scripture:

Take away the anxiety

Just believe.

All you have to do to be on board with Jesus is to believe in the one God has sent.

Essentially, believe in Jesus.

While this is a bit bigger than believing that Jesus actually existed,

dipping in to ideas like believing Jesus when he says he loves us,

believing Jesus when he tells us that generosity is a better way to live than stingyness

believing Jesus when he tells us that it’s actually better to love our enemies than to hate them

believing Jesus when he says that we are loved exactly the way we are,

That’s it.

We just have to believe in Jesus.

Let’s say it again. Just believe.

Whatever anxiety anyone might feel about getting on board with the works of God, listen to how simple this sounds:

What must we do to perform the works of God?

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Set the anxiety down.

If you’re in with Jesus, then you have nothing to worry about or fear.

How can we trust you?

A reasonable question when someone asks you to trust them:

How can we trust you?

If you’re asking us to believe in you, what sign are you going to show us that you’re worth believing in?

And Jesus, rather than pulling a rabbit out of his hat or something like that, points back to our first story this morning.

He points them back to the God who Gives.

He reminds them of the God who gives us not what we want, but what we need.

He reminds them of the God who we’re told values us even more than the sparrows.

He reminds them of the God who is more than enough for our needs, if we’re willing to see them.

He reminds them that while people like Moses and John and even Pastor J are good at talking about and pointing to God, it’s God who gives the gifts, no his messengers.

He reminds them that God is all about giving people life, not the generic substitute we keep imagining we want.

And at the end of those reminders, the people are sold.

Give us that kind of bread always.

Application

I think all of that raises a few questions for me.

What do you need from God?

A few years ago I was in a coaching program with a guy I’m sure I mentioned before named Mark Oestricher.

Marko would regularly set aside time for us to genuinely check in, to get off our chests whatever was standing in our way of life or love or spirituality or ministry.

And always, someone would step up and (sometimes tearfully) share what they were struggling with in that season of life.

Marko is a guy who is crazy in tune with where the Spirit is leading, and I’m kind of jealous of it.

But he would almost always start these conversations by looking at the person who shared and say “What do you need from God right now?”

What a simple question, but one that I know at least in my life, I don’t ask enough to myself.

What do you need from God right now?

Where are you hurting?

Where are you lacking?

Where in your soul do you need to be more full?

This is different from just asking what do you need right now.

I think that it’s pretty easy to turn that question in to the kind of wish lists we were talking about earlier.

The question is “What do you need from God right now?”

And truth be told, I think God really appreciates this question.

Being a father will teach you a whole lot about what God’s perspective toward his children is, and I don’t really mind when my kids genuinely need something from me.

Though sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming (because I’m not God!), it’s always my good pleasure to give them whatever they need.

God is no different with us.

But that opens us up to another question we need to be careful with:

What is God already providing that we can’t name?

Have I mentioned here before that I love the show “The West Wing?”

(We’re watching it again, so it’s on my mind)

At one point in the show the President’s secretary is killed in a drunk driving accident.

A few weeks after she’s gone, the President is complaining to an aide that he never has pens anymore.

He used to always have awesome pens he says, but now he never has them.

And the aide looks really sad, and lets the President know that in fact his secretary used to put the pen in his coat pocket every morning when he wasn’t looking, to make sure that he had what he needed.

I have come to learn that this happens all the time in our faith, doesn’t it?

God is providing things, and we rarely notice what God is up to.

When the blessings can be as small as a frost like bread portion, or a sunny day, or just the gift of air in our lungs, it can be pretty easy to miss what God is providing on a regular basis.

And in fact, our predisposition as humans is to notice all the things we don’t have before we notice the things we do.

My challenge to us today is to actually make a list: What is God providing to you?

I’ll be willing to bet that everyone’s list in this room will include some big, miraculous level things.

And I’m certain that everyone in this room will have a few things that you may not have noticed God is providing, until we stop to look a little bit.

What has God given you already?

Love People, Use Things. The opposite never works.

A few years ago I came across a couple of guys who call themselves the minimalists because they’re determined to get by with as few material possessions as they can.

And I’m not there at all, but I think they’re really compelling.

One of their catch phrases has always struck me:

Love people, use things. The opposite never works.

This is true on two levels of course:

We don’t want to use our friends, family, or neighbors just to be sources of good gifts.

We want to value their relationships and love them the way that Jesus has invited us to.

But today, I want to think of this on a spiritual plane:

Love Jesus

Love Jesus for who he is.

Love Jesus for the love he pours back in to us.

Love Jesus because what Jesus desires most is to have a relationship with us.

Love Jesus just for the sake of love.

Use the blessings that Jesus gives us.

The point of this sermon is not that Jesus will never bless us.

Of course he will!

And we should absolutely make use of those blessings.

In fact, Scripture reminds us, that any time God has blessed us it is because we are ourselves to be a blessing.

Love Jesus, use the blessings.

Because the opposite never works.

Jesus is not a slot machine.

Jesus is not a 7-11

Jesus is not a product.

Instead, Jesus is God come in flesh to be the lover of our souls.

We ought to love him back.

Believe

Jesus reminds us that all we need to do to get on board with him is believe.

So I thought maybe it would be a good place to end with some of the things Jesus says about us that he’s inviting us to believe today:

That Jesus has come that we have life to the fullest.

That Jesus will never drive away anyone who comes to him.

That Jesus has called us his friends.

That Jesus has, does, and always will love you exactly as you are right here, right now.

Do you believe that? I hope you do!