1 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE JOHN 6:35-59 You're driving down the ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

assume that Jesus only came for people who society considers to be losers, while those same losers conclude Jesus is only for winners. Morally upright folk think Jesus came for those who are terrible sinners, while terrible sinners conclude that Jesus only came for “goody-goodies.” But Jesus is for everyone! We all need Jesus, because we all need the food He alone can give. Himself! He is the Bread of Life. As a pastor, I can tell you that there’s nothing more discouraging than to encounter a person who’s convinced himself or herself that he or she just doesn’t need Jesus. You can see the hunger in their hearts, but they refuse the bread from heaven. They choose to starve to death spiritually. Just as much as your body needs food, your heart needs Jesus. “I am the bread of life.” As the bread of life, Jesus saves. Here’s a second concept. AS THE BREAD OF LIFE, JESUS SATISFIES. It’s one thing to eat in order to keep from starving. It’s quite another to eat to be satisfied. Most of us here today are followers of Jesus. Oddly enough, however, many of us have placed ourselves on a kind of self-inflicted starvation diet spiritually speaking. God invites you to a feast, but you can sort of pick at what He provides as if there was a famine! Jesus saves you. But are you allowing Jesus, the Bread of Life, to satisfy you Just because you became a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean your heart stays full all the time, does it One of the necessary discoveries of your relationship with God is figuring out how you personally can keep on feeding on the Bread of Life. No one here stopped eating after just one meal. You learned the importance of eating regularly very quickly! In the same way, you need to keep on feeding on Jesus. Your first meal – when you first trusted in Jesus and what He did for you – wasn’t meant to be all you’d ever need. Jesus is your spiritual food. You need to keep on eating so to speak! Jesus said, “I Am the Bread of Life.” Jesus satisfies. Followers of Jesus should keep on having hungry hearts. Not starving hearts, no; but hearts that still hunger for more of Jesus, yes. Your hunger for God can be a gift; it’s one piece of evidence that you belong to Him. If your heart is hungry for God today, praise the Lord! That simply means God is drawing you just now to the only One who can satisfy - Jesus, the Bread of Life. For instance, your heart might be aching today. So many things cause heartache. You failed at something. You missed an opportunity. Someone rebuffed you. You’ve been mistreated or misunderstood. A precious relationship is broken. You’ve said words you wish now you could retract. Someone so dear to you has died. Your future seems dark at worst and uncertain at best. Heartache is real and it hurts. Someone once said, “An aching heart is a hungry heart.” Heartache is a spiritual hunger pang. You recognize that hollow feeling in your stomach that tells you that you need food. Heartache is God’s way of telling you that you need the spiritual nutrition He alone can give. True, heartaches can be our own fault many times, but the ache is the same. So is the recipe. Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life.” Jesus satisfies. 4
The next time you walk into a J.C. Penny store, remember this story about him. J.C. was a good, honest man, but his life focus was on becoming a success and making money. “When I worked for $6 a week, it was my ambition to be worth $100,000. When I reached that goal, I felt a certain temporary satisfaction, but it soon wore off and my sights were set on becoming worth $1 million.” J.C. Penny and his wife worked hard to expand their business, but one day she caught cold, developed pneumonia and died. It was then that J.C. Penny realized that having money was a poor substitute for the real purpose in living. “When she died, my world crashed around me. To build a business, to make a success in the eyes of men, to accumulate money – what was the purpose of life I felt mocked by life, even by God Himself.” After several other major heartaches, J.C. Penny was financially ruined and in deep distress. But that’s when God began to deal with his self-righteous nature and his love for money. Late in his life, He became a follower of Jesus. “I had to pass through fiery ordeals before reaching glimmerings of conviction that it is not enough for men to be upright and moral men. When I was brought to humility and the knowledge of dependence on God, sincerely and earnestly seeking God’s aid, it was forthcoming, and a light illumined my being. I cannot otherwise describe it than to say it changed me as a man.” Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life.” Jesus satisfies. We all have basic needs: food, clothing shelter; financial security; the approval of people we value; a sense of being useful; having a purpose; love. But sometimes circumstances prevent some of those perceived needs from being satisfied. What then Jesus promises to satisfy your deepest needs, but not every want or every desire that you think you need. And sometimes life is discovering the difference between what you think you need and what you really need. Kids think they need candy every day. Kids think they need to play video games five hours a day. Kids think they need more time to play and less time for chores. But a loving parent provides what a child truly needs: love, guidance, encouragement, boundaries and discipline. Here’s a question: can you trust Jesus to know the difference between your wants and your needs and can you trust Him to meet every true need in your life It’s OK to ask for wants and desires, but if Jesus says, “No” or “Wait”, will you still trust Him He did say, “I AM the Bread of Life.” That means He satisfies. Do you really believe that What’s the ache in your heart about today Is to be loved Jesus loves you and delights in you. Is it to be clean inside Jesus waits to forgive you. Is it to be a part of something bigger than you Jesus invites you to do mission in His Kingdom. Is it loneliness Jesus offers His companionship. Is it death or the fear of death Jesus promises eternal life. Whatever name you give that ache in your heart today, Jesus is the Bread of Life that satisfies. The Bible says, “For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” (Psalm 107:9 NLT) When you eat food, you get new strength and energy to live physically. When 5
Page 1 and 2: I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE JOHN 6:35-59
Page 3: What happens next You believe - you

1 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE JOHN 6:35-59 You're driving down the ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?