Hungry for God

Are you hungry?

How hungry are you?

Hunger is a term which has three meanings (Oxford English Dictionary 1971)

the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite. Also the exhausted condition caused by want of food the want or scarcity of food in a country a strong desire or craving

From <http://www.worldhunger.org/2015-world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics/#hunger-number>

Hunger is real and there are thousands if not millions of people every night some right here in Wichita, KS who don't know what they will be able to eat for their next meal.

Food and eating is often used in the Bible as a sign of Spiritual blessing or happiness.

Matthew 8:11 (KJV)

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 26:29 (KJV)

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Luke 14:15 (KJV)

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:30 (KJV)

30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Revelation 2:17 (KJV)

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Those who were made partakers of the Holy Spirit are said by St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 12:13, to be made to drink into (or of) one Spirit.

Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke's Commentary, (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1826), WORDsearchCROSS e-book, Under: "John".

1 Corinthians 12:13 (KJV)

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we beJews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

I want us to read about one of the "Hard Sayings" of Jesus in John 6:25-59

I See in this passage a Declaration -

If you are not Hungry for God - You will never find God.

Sometimes we say we are hungry because we haven't eaten in some time. Sometimes we say we are hungry for a particular item.

Every once in a while I will tell Angie - "I'm hungry for something sweet" This usually means a piece of chocolate cake, or brownie or my all time favorite Brownie fudge Sundae from Freddy's. But I'm not really hungry. I don't have to eat something sweet in order to live. Sometimes we are hungry but we don't like what is being fixed. (Maybe this is a more think we're hungry) I remember Bro. Lewis Henry telling one time as a POW in WWII how he was so hungry that he fought over a rat that wandered into the prison cell. Let me ask again Are you hungry? How hungry are you? How hungry are you for the things of God? But when it comes to spiritual things - If I am not hungry for God - I will not find God. Our passage gave us some truths as to this point - in John 6:53 (KJV) 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, (A double Amen) I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Now Jesus is not referring to cannibalism nor Communion. He is talking about a spiritual injesting of His body and His blood.

Eating and drinking Christ's flesh and blood thus appears to be a very graphic way of saying that people must take Christ into their innermost being.

Leon Morris, The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Gospel According to John, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), WORDsearchCROSS e-book, 334.

Have you taken Jesus in, have you eaten the flesh of the Son of man, and drank of his blood?

Not only is there a declaration but a revelation -

Jesus is the bread of life - verses 34 & 51

It wasn't a special bread. It wasn't even the Manna that fell in the wilderness. (Which by the way Jesus corrects the view that it was from Moses verse 32-33) But it was Jesus himself - the bread of life that came down from heaven. Jesus makes the first of several I Am statements in the book of John - That He is source of sustenance.

Not only have we seen a declaration -a revelation- but now I want us to see the inspiration -

We must receive and partake of the "Bread of Life" to live. When we do we receive five wonderful things

Eternal Life that conquers death by resurrection - v54 Real Satisfaction - v5

The word "indeed" (alēthēs PWS: 2137) means true as opposed to false (see Deeper Study #1—John 1:9). The things of the world do not feed and fill men, not with a true satisfaction. Worldly pleasures and satisfactions are false; and false satisfaction does not last, not permanently, not with full assurance and confidence and security. Worldly pleasures and satisfactions always leave men somewhat empty, dissatisfied, craving, void, unassured and wondering if this world is all there is—wondering if there is not more to life than what this world and its possessions have to offer.

2. True satisfaction comes from receiving Christ into one's life, and it comes only through Christ. This is the Lord's point in this verse. Just as real life on the earth comes from eating and drinking food, so real and abundant life comes from eating and drinking Christ. One must receive Christ in the closest and most intimate and nourishing sense in order to have true life

, The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – John, (Chattanooga: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1991), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "G. The results of Partaking of the Bread of Life, 6:52-58".

Blessed companionship and fellowship v56 A purposeful and meaningful life v57 An Ever Living Forever v 58

⇒ The manna eaten by Israel in the Old Testament did come from the clouds above, but it did not give life to the people. They were all dead.

⇒ "This [the Lord Himself] is that Bread which came down from heaven...he that eateth of this bread shall live forever."

The idea is striking: it is the Living Bread, Christ Himself, who energizes and quickens a man to live forever. Christ has the quality, the power, the substance to energize a man and give him eternal life. However, He and He alone has such energizing power.

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

"For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself" (John 5:26).

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10).

, The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – John, (Chattanooga: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1991), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "G. The results of Partaking of the Bread of Life, 6:52-58".

Now I want to make an application -

Have you ate the Bread of Life? Have you found Him real? Do you know what it is to be Spiritually satisfied. Can you sing along with the songwriter - "Hallelujah I have found Him whom my soul so long has craved. Jesus satisfies my longing through his blood I now am saved."

Or are you still hungry? are you still thirsty? Jesus said in his sermon on the mount - blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. Are you filled? You can be. You don't have to live another moment with spiritual hunger.

He is here, he will fill you so that you never hunger again.

Maybe you are hear and it's been awhile since you have tasted him. You want to draw closer to him. You need to as it were to take another bite. He tells us in another place if that if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us.

Do you feel a wandering, a straying. It doesn't mean you have left the fold or backslid - it just means you are being honest and responsible and saying I need seconds. I need a refill. I need another touch from God.

If all of us are honest this morning we would probabbly fit in one of those two groups.

Why don't you come and lets gather in around this altar and lets come and eat of the bread of life this morning.