Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / The Bread of Life
Transcript
- 0:00Well, I'd like us to turn back together to John chapter 6, and we can read again at verse 35.
- 0:07Jesus said to them,
- 0:18I am the bread of life.
- 0:21Whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
- 0:25and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
- 0:31As we said when we were picking up this reading,
- 0:35this discussion that Jesus has with the crowds comes immediately after two of his most famous miracles.
- 0:42The first part of John 6, you read about the feeding of the 5,000.
- 0:46That's followed by Jesus walking on the water.
- 0:50And these miracles, along with all of the other miracles recorded in the Gospels,
- 0:54are testifying to the identity of Jesus,
- 0:57helping us to see more of just who he is,
- 1:01that he's no ordinary person,
- 1:03and instead that in him,
- 1:06everything that God has promised in the Old Testament is being fulfilled.
- 1:10And the people around Jesus are starting to realize this more and more and more.
- 1:15As the disciples witness these miracles,
- 1:19they are one,
- 1:21on the one hand, they're amazed at what they see,
- 1:24and on the other hand,
- 1:26they're shaken,
- 1:28recognizing that this man that they are following is like no other.
- 1:34And so the identity of Jesus is being revealed more and more in the miracles that are recorded in John's Gospel.
- 1:42But alongside the miracles recorded by John,
- 1:45we also have some key statements of Jesus that tell us more about his identity.
- 1:52And chapter 6 onwards introduces seven great statements that are recorded in this Gospel.
- 2:00These are known as the I Am Sayings,
- 2:02and this is the first of them.
- 2:03I am the bread of life.
- 2:05Later, Jesus declares,
- 2:06I am the light of the world.
- 2:08I am the door.
- 2:09I am the good shepherd.
- 2:10I am the resurrection and the life.
- 2:12I am the way, the truth, and the life.
- 2:15And I am the true vine.
- 2:17These great statements are helping us to see who Jesus is.
- 2:21They're helping us to see what he's come to do.
- 2:24And they're all drawing us to put our faith in him.
- 2:29And I want us tonight to look at the first of these,
- 2:31the great statement that Jesus makes in verse 35,
- 2:34I am the bread of life.
- 2:37And that's a very, very rich statement.
- 2:39And this whole passage is bursting with amazing theology.
- 2:45But it's also a passage that resonates with us
- 2:47because it's using a very everyday object.
- 2:51And it resonates a lot with me because I absolutely love bread.
- 2:54And I don't know if you're like me.
- 2:56I don't know if you ever go to a nice restaurant
- 2:58and they come with a basket of bread.
- 2:59There's all these lovely rolls.
- 3:01I would just take that for my dinner
- 3:02and forget everything else
- 3:03and just eat all the bread for my meal.
- 3:08The passage, in a way, is a bit like that.
- 3:10It's a whole meal for us to chew on,
- 3:14to think about, and to learn from together.
- 3:19But sometimes passages like this,
- 3:21and John's Gospel is perhaps a very clear example of this,
- 3:26sometimes that can make it hard.
- 3:29Because when you read through a passage like this,
- 3:31you see the dialogue between Jesus and the crowds.
- 3:33You see all the different things that are being said.
- 3:36You see the allusions to the Old Testament.
- 3:38And sometimes we can get lost.
- 3:41And sometimes we can be tied in knots.
- 3:46Passages like this are both wonderful and challenging.
- 3:48Wonderful because there's so much to take in.
- 3:51But also challenging.
- 3:54Because it's hard to take it all in.
- 3:57And I don't know about you,
- 3:58but I know that certainly for me,
- 4:01many times I've come to passages like John 6,
- 4:03recognizing that these are amazing words,
- 4:06but also struggling to think,
- 4:07I can't quite follow everything that's being said.
- 4:11I am not taking all of this in.
- 4:14I hope that we can untie some of these knots
- 4:16a little bit together tonight.
- 4:18And when we find ourselves in that situation,
- 4:22one of the best things that we can do
- 4:24is just to try and keep things as simple as possible.
- 4:30And this is something that we must remember
- 4:31with the great I am statements that Jesus has made.
- 4:35These are some of the richest theological statements
- 4:38that you find in the whole Bible.
- 4:40But they're also simple and clear statements.
- 4:47And Jesus is using simple everyday language
- 4:51to help us understand more about him.
- 4:56And so first and foremost,
- 4:58as we come to this great statement in John 6, 35,
- 5:01Jesus is telling us that if we want to understand
- 5:04more about who he is,
- 5:07then we need to think about bread.
- 5:12Bread is something that we need every day.
- 5:16And that was particularly through the New Testament times.
- 5:20It was just a basic staple diet
- 5:22for people's day-to-day survival.
- 5:24In other words, bread, food,
- 5:26it's just talking about the daily nutrition
- 5:29that we need every day in order to stay alive.
- 5:33Bread is also something that we have access to.
- 5:37So bread is not the food of the elite.
- 5:40It's not the fancy, rare, specialist food
- 5:43that you only get in certain places
- 5:45or only certain times of year
- 5:46or only if you've got loads of money.
- 5:48It's not fancy.
- 5:49It's not rare.
- 5:50And unless something is majorly wrong
- 5:52in a particular part of the world,
- 5:54bread is available.
- 5:57Bread is also something that,
- 6:00to benefit from,
- 6:01we actually have to eat it.
- 6:03So bread is not nourishing us
- 6:05if it's sitting in our cupboard.
- 6:07It's not giving us what we need
- 6:10unless we take it and receive it.
- 6:12And if we refuse bread,
- 6:14then we are being unwise
- 6:16and we're being unhealthy.
- 6:18And bread is satisfying.
- 6:21It takes away our hunger.
- 6:24It gives us energy and nourishment.
- 6:27And a good, fresh loaf
- 6:30that's just come out of the oven
- 6:32is actually one of the nicest things you can eat.
- 6:36It's so good and so satisfying.
- 6:40All of these things are true of bread.
- 6:43All of these things are true of Jesus.
- 6:46And that's what I want us to see tonight.
- 6:50We're going to go through these four things together.
- 6:53The bread of life is needed.
- 6:56The bread of life is available.
- 6:59The bread of life has got to be received.
- 7:02The bread of life is so satisfying.
- 7:06So first of all, the bread of life is needed.
- 7:11The whole discussion in this passage begins
- 7:13with Jesus challenging the crowd
- 7:15in terms of their motivation
- 7:17for following him across the Sea of Galilee
- 7:20back to Capernaum.
- 7:21You see that in verse 26 and 27.
- 7:24He says,
- 7:24These are the people who've seen an amazing miracle.
- 7:42They've been well fed
- 7:44and they're thinking,
- 7:46This guy's amazing.
- 7:47Let's follow him.
- 7:48And let's just keep getting
- 7:49the provision that he can make for us.
- 7:52Jesus responds to that
- 7:54by majorly raising the stakes.
- 7:56And he's saying to them,
- 8:00Look, the thing that matters
- 8:01is not your next meal.
- 8:04The thing that matters
- 8:06is eternal life.
- 8:10Jesus is making them and us
- 8:13stop and think about eternity.
- 8:19About what matters more than anything else.
- 8:23And that prompts the crowd
- 8:24in verse 28 and 29 to say,
- 8:26What do we do?
- 8:27What should we do?
- 8:28What must we do
- 8:29to be doing the works of God?
- 8:33And Jesus responds with the wonderful words,
- 8:35This is the work of God
- 8:36that you believe in him
- 8:39whom he has sent.
- 8:42But the crowd are getting a bit sceptical
- 8:45and uncertain
- 8:46and they respond with the question
- 8:48that actually every one of us wants to ask.
- 8:51In verse 30, they say,
- 8:52Well, how do we know
- 8:54that you're the one we should believe?
- 8:57Verse 30,
- 8:58They say to him,
- 8:59Then what sign do you do
- 9:00that we may see and believe you?
- 9:02What work do you perform?
- 9:06In other words,
- 9:06they're saying the question
- 9:07that everybody says
- 9:08that when we're confronted
- 9:09with the reality of who Jesus is
- 9:11and the claims that the gospel makes,
- 9:13we're like,
- 9:13Well, how do we know?
- 9:15How are you going to prove yourself to us
- 9:17that you are the one
- 9:19that we should trust?
- 9:23And because they're still thinking about food
- 9:26and about bread in the conversation,
- 9:28they look back to the Old Testament
- 9:30to the moment when God provided manna
- 9:34for the Israelites in the wilderness.
- 9:36Of course, this is referring back
- 9:37to Exodus chapter 16
- 9:38when God's people had been taken out of Egypt.
- 9:42They were wandering in the wilderness
- 9:43and they were very quickly confronted
- 9:45by the fact that they had no food
- 9:47and they realized that they were going to starve.
- 9:50And God made a miraculous provision for them
- 9:52that every morning when they woke up,
- 9:55there was a bread-like substance
- 9:57lying on the ground
- 9:58that they were able to gather
- 9:59and to eat for sustenance
- 10:01and nourishment.
- 10:03And that provision was made by God
- 10:05every day
- 10:06until they went into the promised land.
- 10:08And so they're saying,
- 10:09well, look, that's what Moses did.
- 10:11What are you going to do?
- 10:13As though Jesus needs to prove himself.
- 10:17Jesus responds to this
- 10:19by giving them and us a crucial lesson
- 10:22in terms of how to understand
- 10:24the relationship between the Old Testament
- 10:26and the New Testament.
- 10:28Jesus points out
- 10:29that everything in the Old Testament,
- 10:31including the manna,
- 10:32is just a shadow
- 10:34of the full provision
- 10:37that God is going to make.
- 10:40And it's really important
- 10:41to remember that
- 10:42when you look at anything
- 10:43in the Old Testament,
- 10:45whatever you see in the Old Testament
- 10:46is highlighting two things.
- 10:48It's pointing to a reality
- 10:50and it's revealing an inadequacy.
- 10:53So something in the Old Testament,
- 10:54it will point to a reality
- 10:55and it will reveal an inadequacy.
- 10:58So manna points to the reality
- 11:00that we are completely dependent on God
- 11:03to provide what we need for our survival.
- 11:04But it also highlights an inadequacy
- 11:08that the manna only lasted for 24 hours
- 11:10and then you needed more
- 11:13and then you needed more
- 11:14and then you needed more.
- 11:15And actually, as Jesus goes on to say,
- 11:17the people who ate manna still died.
- 11:19So it didn't actually keep them alive forever.
- 11:22It was never fully adequate
- 11:25and it was never meant to be.
- 11:27Because everything in the Old Testament
- 11:29points to a reality
- 11:30and reveals an inadequacy
- 11:33because the fullness of God's provision
- 11:35never comes in the Old Testament.
- 11:38It only comes in the new
- 11:40through the coming of the Lord Jesus.
- 11:44And that's what Jesus is revealing.
- 11:47He did the same thing with the temple.
- 11:49You see that earlier on
- 11:50in John's Gospel in chapter 2.
- 11:52The temple was this magnificent building
- 11:54highlighting a reality
- 11:55that we need access to God
- 11:59and we need atonement for our sins.
- 12:00But at the same time,
- 12:02the Old Testament temple
- 12:03was also revealing an inadequacy.
- 12:06It was never enough
- 12:06because it had been destroyed.
- 12:08They were in the process of rebuilding it
- 12:09and not long after,
- 12:11these days, only 40 years later,
- 12:14the temple would be destroyed again
- 12:15because it was never meant to be the answer.
- 12:19Instead, it was a sign,
- 12:21a shadow pointing
- 12:23towards the fullness of God's plan
- 12:25being revealed
- 12:26in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 12:28And so here you have the Jews
- 12:31talking about manna,
- 12:32talking about one of the most important miracles
- 12:35in the history of the Jews
- 12:36when God provided for a nation
- 12:38who otherwise were going to starve to death.
- 12:42And yet Jesus is telling them
- 12:43that that massive miracle
- 12:45is just a shadow.
- 12:49And as we said,
- 12:50that's highlighted later in the chapter,
- 12:5248 to 50, 58.
- 12:54It says they ate the manna,
- 12:56but they still died.
- 12:58That provision did not stop
- 13:00their ancestors' death.
- 13:02It was never meant to.
- 13:04It was just a shadow.
- 13:06The true bread is Jesus.
- 13:10But there's a crucial difference
- 13:13and a massive difference
- 13:14that he does not come
- 13:17to provide sustenance
- 13:19so that you can survive
- 13:21for another day
- 13:22like the manna did.
- 13:25Jesus comes
- 13:26to give eternal life
- 13:29so that you can live forever.
- 13:34The Old Testament was never enough.
- 13:36It was never meant to be.
- 13:38It was only and always
- 13:39a shadow
- 13:40of the Savior
- 13:42that they really needed.
- 13:44Alongside that, though,
- 13:48all of this
- 13:49is telling us
- 13:50that Jesus,
- 13:52the bread of life,
- 13:53has come
- 13:53for a particular type of person.
- 13:56He's come
- 13:57for the hungry
- 13:58and the needy.
- 14:01And that's emphasized
- 14:02so much,
- 14:03so clearly
- 14:04in verse 35.
- 14:06Whoever comes to me
- 14:06will never hunger.
- 14:08Whoever believes in me
- 14:10will never thirst.
- 14:11The miracle of the manna
- 14:12in the Exodus
- 14:13came in the context
- 14:15of imminent starvation
- 14:17for the people.
- 14:19And in the miracle
- 14:19of the feeding of the 5,000
- 14:20earlier in this chapter,
- 14:22it perhaps wasn't
- 14:22as urgent a situation
- 14:24as it was
- 14:25in the Exodus,
- 14:26but still,
- 14:27the people needed food.
- 14:28They were far from home.
- 14:29They were starving
- 14:30and they needed
- 14:32bread
- 14:33to survive.
- 14:35We need food
- 14:35if we are going to live.
- 14:38And the point
- 14:38that Jesus is making
- 14:40is that when it comes
- 14:41to eternal life,
- 14:43we desperately need
- 14:44the bread
- 14:45that will give us
- 14:47life.
- 14:49We desperately
- 14:50need
- 14:50him.
- 14:52And that tells you
- 14:53something so
- 14:54incredibly important
- 14:55about the gospel.
- 14:57It's telling you
- 14:57that the gospel
- 14:58is not
- 14:59for the people
- 15:00who've got it all.
- 15:02And it's not
- 15:03reserved
- 15:03for the spiritually
- 15:05elite
- 15:06because there's
- 15:07actually no such thing.
- 15:09The gospel
- 15:10is for those
- 15:12who desperately
- 15:13need it.
- 15:15In other words,
- 15:16the gospel
- 15:16is for the starving.
- 15:20Jesus
- 15:20has come
- 15:22for the hungry.
- 15:25And this is so
- 15:26important to recognize
- 15:27because
- 15:27no matter what stage
- 15:29you are in your
- 15:29journey of faith,
- 15:30whether you are a believer
- 15:31or whether you're not yet
- 15:32a believer,
- 15:34for many people,
- 15:35and maybe this is true
- 15:36of you,
- 15:36that in terms of your faith,
- 15:38all you can see
- 15:39is what you lack.
- 15:42And so you look at yourself
- 15:44and you think,
- 15:44I don't know enough.
- 15:46I don't feel
- 15:48good enough
- 15:50or settled enough
- 15:51in myself.
- 15:53I've
- 15:53made a ton
- 15:55of mistakes
- 15:55in my life.
- 15:56I'm struggling
- 15:57with doubts.
- 15:58I've got questions
- 15:59that I still feel
- 16:00unsettled by
- 16:01and unsure of.
- 16:02I know
- 16:03that I have left
- 16:04Jesus to one side
- 16:05in my life
- 16:06for too long.
- 16:07I know
- 16:08that I was maybe
- 16:08in a better place
- 16:10in the past
- 16:10and I'm not there.
- 16:12Today,
- 16:12I don't think
- 16:13that I pray enough.
- 16:14I don't read
- 16:14the Bible enough.
- 16:15I feel spiritually
- 16:16malnourished.
- 16:18And Jesus
- 16:19is saying,
- 16:20that's exactly
- 16:21who this bread
- 16:23is for.
- 16:28That's exactly
- 16:29who this bread
- 16:30is for.
- 16:33And so if you feel
- 16:34that your sin
- 16:35is awful,
- 16:37this bread
- 16:39is for you.
- 16:41And if you feel,
- 16:42I don't understand
- 16:43it all,
- 16:45this bread
- 16:46is for you.
- 16:49And if you think,
- 16:50I'm worried
- 16:50that I'm going
- 16:50to mess things up
- 16:51and let God down
- 16:52or let people
- 16:53around me down,
- 16:54this bread
- 16:55is for you.
- 16:56If you think,
- 16:56my life's a mess,
- 16:57I've made so many
- 16:58mistakes,
- 16:59this bread
- 17:00is for you.
- 17:02And if you're
- 17:04sitting here thinking,
- 17:05I am scared
- 17:08of what's going
- 17:10to happen
- 17:10when I die.
- 17:14This bread
- 17:15is for you.
- 17:19If you feel
- 17:20hungry
- 17:21for peace
- 17:24and security
- 17:25and joy
- 17:27and hope,
- 17:28if you feel
- 17:28hungry
- 17:29for that,
- 17:31then that
- 17:32is the
- 17:33need
- 17:34that Jesus
- 17:35has come
- 17:36to meet.
- 17:38And really,
- 17:40every one of us,
- 17:42everyone,
- 17:43everyone
- 17:44has got that hunger.
- 17:46Imagine,
- 17:47imagine,
- 17:47and maybe some of you
- 17:48don't even need to imagine this,
- 17:49maybe some of you
- 17:50did this today,
- 17:51maybe you've done it
- 17:51many times,
- 17:52but all of us
- 17:53think in your minds
- 17:54of standing
- 17:55at the graveside
- 17:56of your best friend
- 17:58or of your mother
- 18:01or your father,
- 18:02your husband,
- 18:04your wife,
- 18:06maybe even
- 18:07your child.
- 18:11As you imagine
- 18:12yourself standing there
- 18:13in that moment,
- 18:15are you satisfied
- 18:17to think,
- 18:19oh,
- 18:19well,
- 18:20they're gone,
- 18:20that's it?
- 18:20or are you
- 18:24hungry
- 18:25for hope?
- 18:30Hungry
- 18:30that there is hope
- 18:31for them
- 18:33and for you?
- 18:36Hungry
- 18:37for assurance
- 18:39that they are safe
- 18:40with Jesus
- 18:41and that one day
- 18:43you will see them
- 18:44again?
- 18:46That's
- 18:47the hunger
- 18:48that Jesus
- 18:48has come to satisfy.
- 18:51That's why
- 18:52Jesus
- 18:52raises the stakes
- 18:54to stop talking
- 18:55about the next meal
- 18:56of the crowd
- 18:56and instead
- 18:57to talk about
- 18:58their eternal destiny
- 18:59because this
- 19:01is what we need
- 19:02more than
- 19:03anything else.
- 19:05The bread of life
- 19:06is urgently
- 19:07and desperately
- 19:09needed.
- 19:10And you know,
- 19:10sometimes
- 19:11if you're wondering
- 19:12if God's working
- 19:14in your life,
- 19:15a great question
- 19:15to ask yourself
- 19:16is,
- 19:17are you hungry?
- 19:18are you hungry
- 19:20for security,
- 19:22for peace,
- 19:23for answers?
- 19:25Are you hungry
- 19:25to never have to
- 19:28be afraid
- 19:30of death
- 19:31again?
- 19:33If that hunger
- 19:34is in your heart,
- 19:36the Lord
- 19:38is drawing you.
- 19:40That's the hunger
- 19:41that Jesus
- 19:43has come
- 19:43to meet.
- 19:46The bread of life
- 19:46is needed.
- 19:47Secondly,
- 19:48the bread of life
- 19:48is available.
- 19:50As you read
- 19:51through this passage,
- 19:52you see that
- 19:52one of the things
- 19:53that Jesus
- 19:53emphasizes again
- 19:55and again
- 19:55is that
- 19:56he has come
- 19:56down from heaven.
- 19:57You see it
- 19:58if you look
- 19:59at verse 32
- 20:00to 33,
- 20:01Jesus says,
- 20:01truly,
- 20:02truly,
- 20:02I say to you,
- 20:03it was not Moses
- 20:03who gave you
- 20:04the bread from heaven,
- 20:05but my Father
- 20:05gives you
- 20:06the true bread
- 20:06from heaven,
- 20:07for the bread
- 20:07of heaven
- 20:07is he who
- 20:08comes down
- 20:08from heaven
- 20:09and gives life
- 20:10to the world.
- 20:11The same thing
- 20:12is repeated.
- 20:12If you look
- 20:13at verse 38,
- 20:14you can see it there.
- 20:15You can see it
- 20:15in 45 to 46.
- 20:17You can see it
- 20:17in verse 50
- 20:19to 51.
- 20:21In fact,
- 20:21this is the thing
- 20:22that offends
- 20:23the Jews.
- 20:26There's a kind
- 20:27of irony
- 20:27in what they're
- 20:27saying because
- 20:28they're saying
- 20:29to Jesus,
- 20:30prove yourself
- 20:30and he's saying,
- 20:31well,
- 20:32I'll tell you
- 20:33where I've come from
- 20:34and then he tells them
- 20:35and they don't like it
- 20:36and they're offended
- 20:37by what he's saying.
- 20:39All of it
- 20:40is emphasizing
- 20:42the fact that
- 20:43because Jesus
- 20:44has come,
- 20:46eternal life
- 20:48is available.
- 20:50And so the bread
- 20:51of life
- 20:52is not being
- 20:52kept secret.
- 20:54It's not reserved
- 20:55for the elite.
- 20:57The bread of life
- 20:59is available
- 21:00and it's brought
- 21:01out beautifully
- 21:02in verse 32
- 21:04to 33
- 21:04that we just
- 21:05read there.
- 21:06These verses
- 21:06contain
- 21:08some of the
- 21:09big theological
- 21:10concepts
- 21:11that explain
- 21:12what God
- 21:13is doing
- 21:13in order
- 21:14to make
- 21:15eternal life
- 21:16available.
- 21:17And these
- 21:18are big concepts
- 21:18that we want
- 21:19to learn
- 21:19and that we
- 21:20want to understand
- 21:20and John's
- 21:22gospel is so,
- 21:23so good
- 21:23for just
- 21:24leading us
- 21:25towards these
- 21:25big theological
- 21:26concepts
- 21:26that lie
- 21:27at the heart
- 21:27of the gospel.
- 21:28So Jesus
- 21:29speaks,
- 21:29first of all,
- 21:30of the Father
- 21:31giving the
- 21:32true bread
- 21:33from heaven.
- 21:35The Father
- 21:36gives you
- 21:36the true
- 21:37bread
- 21:38from heaven.
- 21:39And that's
- 21:39pointing us
- 21:40to the great
- 21:40theological
- 21:41concept of
- 21:41divine initiative.
- 21:43The fact
- 21:44that the
- 21:45salvation
- 21:45that's offered
- 21:45in the gospel
- 21:46is always
- 21:47initiated
- 21:49by God.
- 21:50That's one
- 21:50of the most
- 21:50important truths
- 21:51in the gospel.
- 21:53Sin has ruined
- 21:54our relationship
- 21:55with God.
- 21:56Sin's left
- 21:57humanity
- 21:57alienated from
- 21:58God.
- 21:59Our relationship
- 21:59with God
- 22:00is broken
- 22:00and we did
- 22:01that.
- 22:02It's humanity
- 22:03that caused
- 22:04that.
- 22:04the situation
- 22:06is our fault
- 22:07because we've
- 22:08rejected God.
- 22:10We've sinned
- 22:10against him.
- 22:12And yet when it
- 22:12comes to fixing
- 22:13that, it's
- 22:14God who acts
- 22:15first.
- 22:17It's God
- 22:18who takes
- 22:19the initiative.
- 22:20We have long
- 22:21forgotten about
- 22:22God.
- 22:22He has never
- 22:24forgotten about
- 22:25you.
- 22:26And so the
- 22:27whole gospel
- 22:28starts with
- 22:29him.
- 22:31And that
- 22:31divine initiative
- 22:32prompts what
- 22:34theologians
- 22:34have often
- 22:36called a
- 22:37voluntary
- 22:38condescension.
- 22:40And I think
- 22:40that is such
- 22:41a cool
- 22:41phrase.
- 22:42A voluntary
- 22:43condescension.
- 22:44You find it
- 22:44in the
- 22:45Westminster
- 22:45Confession
- 22:46of Faith.
- 22:47The Westminster
- 22:47Confession
- 22:47of Faith
- 22:48is a very
- 22:48important document
- 22:49for our
- 22:50church because
- 22:50we believe
- 22:51that the
- 22:51Westminster
- 22:52Confession
- 22:52of Faith
- 22:52is an
- 22:53accurate
- 22:53summary of
- 22:54what the
- 22:54Bible
- 22:54teaches.
- 22:55And so it
- 22:56was written
- 22:56about 400
- 22:56years ago.
- 22:57Very short,
- 22:58but it's got
- 22:59some really
- 23:00helpful summaries
- 23:00of what we
- 23:01believe the
- 23:02Bible says.
- 23:03And I'm
- 23:03going to
- 23:03read you
- 23:04the paragraph
- 23:04where you
- 23:05discover this
- 23:06cool phrase,
- 23:07voluntary
- 23:07condescension.
- 23:08It says in
- 23:09Westminster
- 23:09Confession
- 23:10of Faith,
- 23:11chapter 7,
- 23:11paragraph 1,
- 23:12the distance
- 23:12between God
- 23:13and the
- 23:14creature is
- 23:14so great
- 23:15that although
- 23:17reasonable
- 23:18creatures do
- 23:19owe
- 23:19obedience unto
- 23:20him as
- 23:21their creator,
- 23:23yet they
- 23:23could never
- 23:24have any
- 23:25fruition of
- 23:26him as
- 23:27their
- 23:27blessedness
- 23:28and reward,
- 23:29God,
- 23:30but by
- 23:30some
- 23:31voluntary
- 23:32condescension
- 23:33on God's
- 23:35part,
- 23:36which he
- 23:36has been
- 23:37pleased to
- 23:37express by
- 23:38way of
- 23:39covenant.
- 23:40In other
- 23:40words,
- 23:41what that's
- 23:41saying is
- 23:41that the
- 23:42distance
- 23:42between God
- 23:42and us
- 23:43is huge,
- 23:45it's
- 23:45enormous,
- 23:46it's so
- 23:47great,
- 23:49and in
- 23:49every way
- 23:50you could
- 23:50say,
- 23:51well,
- 23:51look,
- 23:51we're the
- 23:51ones who
- 23:52fell,
- 23:52we're the
- 23:53ones who
- 23:54owe him
- 23:54obedience,
- 23:55we're the
- 23:55ones who
- 23:56should work
- 23:56our way
- 23:56back up
- 23:57to God,
- 23:58sin has
- 23:58left us
- 23:58in a
- 23:58state where
- 23:59we cannot
- 23:59do that,
- 24:00and so
- 24:01if we
- 24:01try to
- 24:02work our
- 24:02way up
- 24:02to him,
- 24:03we're never
- 24:03going to
- 24:04get any
- 24:04blessing of
- 24:04knowing him,
- 24:06and so
- 24:07the only
- 24:07way that
- 24:08things can
- 24:09be put
- 24:09right is
- 24:10not if
- 24:10we make
- 24:10our way
- 24:11back up
- 24:11to him,
- 24:11but if
- 24:12he
- 24:12voluntarily
- 24:13condescends
- 24:14to us.
- 24:16In other
- 24:17words,
- 24:18if he
- 24:19chooses
- 24:20to come
- 24:21down
- 24:22to save
- 24:23us.
- 24:25And the
- 24:26reason he
- 24:26does that
- 24:27is to
- 24:28establish a
- 24:29relationship
- 24:30with us,
- 24:30a beautiful
- 24:31covenant
- 24:31relationship
- 24:32where he
- 24:34is our
- 24:34God and
- 24:35we are
- 24:36his
- 24:36people.
- 24:38But for
- 24:39that to
- 24:39be possible,
- 24:40our sin
- 24:41has to be
- 24:41dealt
- 24:42with,
- 24:43and as
- 24:45we think
- 24:45about that,
- 24:46we recognize
- 24:47that we
- 24:48need a
- 24:48saviour
- 24:49who's going
- 24:50to make
- 24:50atonement
- 24:51for our
- 24:51sins,
- 24:52and that
- 24:53needs to
- 24:54be one
- 24:54who can
- 24:55represent
- 24:55us,
- 24:56so he
- 24:57needs to
- 24:57be one
- 24:57of us,
- 24:58but it
- 24:59needs to
- 24:59be one
- 25:00who can
- 25:00fulfill
- 25:01everything
- 25:01that God
- 25:01requires,
- 25:02which is
- 25:03only something
- 25:03that God
- 25:04can do.
- 25:05So the
- 25:05mediator
- 25:06between God
- 25:06and man
- 25:07has to
- 25:07be God
- 25:08and man,
- 25:10and the
- 25:11big theological
- 25:12concept we
- 25:12talk about
- 25:13there is
- 25:13the incarnation,
- 25:15where God
- 25:15himself has
- 25:16come down
- 25:17to be one
- 25:18of us,
- 25:18and this
- 25:18is what
- 25:19John's
- 25:20gospel is
- 25:21revealing to
- 25:21us more
- 25:22and more
- 25:23and more,
- 25:23that this
- 25:23is who
- 25:24Jesus is.
- 25:24He is
- 25:25God the
- 25:25Son,
- 25:26and he
- 25:27has been
- 25:27made
- 25:27flesh,
- 25:29he's
- 25:30taken on
- 25:30our
- 25:30humanity,
- 25:32and so
- 25:32when we
- 25:32say
- 25:33incarnation,
- 25:34the
- 25:34carn bit
- 25:34of that
- 25:35word is
- 25:35the Latin
- 25:35word for
- 25:36flesh,
- 25:37so
- 25:37enfleshment,
- 25:38he's just
- 25:38become
- 25:39human,
- 25:39like us,
- 25:40that's how
- 25:41far God's
- 25:42come,
- 25:43not to
- 25:43appear above
- 25:44us,
- 25:44not to
- 25:44draw near
- 25:45to us,
- 25:46not even
- 25:46to touch
- 25:46us,
- 25:47but actually
- 25:48to be
- 25:48one of
- 25:49us.
- 25:49the
- 25:50eternal
- 25:51Son of
- 25:51God has
- 25:52become
- 25:53human,
- 25:54he's
- 25:54come to
- 25:55stand
- 25:55with
- 25:55us,
- 25:56to stand
- 25:57for us.
- 25:59So you've
- 25:59got divine
- 26:00initiative,
- 26:00voluntary
- 26:00condescension,
- 26:02culminating in
- 26:02the incarnation
- 26:03of God
- 26:03the Son,
- 26:04and because
- 26:05of that,
- 26:05he can be
- 26:06the mediator
- 26:07between God
- 26:08and humanity,
- 26:09and that
- 26:09work of
- 26:10mediation
- 26:11involves him
- 26:12standing in
- 26:12our place,
- 26:13which ultimately
- 26:14involved him
- 26:15dying in
- 26:16our place,
- 26:18which is
- 26:19what Jesus
- 26:19goes on to
- 26:20speak about
- 26:20at the end
- 26:21of the
- 26:21chapter,
- 26:22where he
- 26:22says that
- 26:23the bread
- 26:26that I
- 26:27will give
- 26:27for the
- 26:27life of
- 26:28the world
- 26:28is my
- 26:30flesh.
- 26:32And so
- 26:32Jesus here
- 26:32is unfolding
- 26:33the great
- 26:33theological
- 26:34truths that
- 26:34lie at the
- 26:35heart of
- 26:35the gospel,
- 26:36that from
- 26:36God's
- 26:37initiative,
- 26:38there's a
- 26:38voluntary
- 26:38condescension
- 26:39of God
- 26:39the Son
- 26:40becoming
- 26:40flesh,
- 26:41so that
- 26:42he can be
- 26:42our mediator,
- 26:44and in
- 26:45order to be
- 26:45our mediator,
- 26:47he needs
- 26:47to die
- 26:47for us,
- 26:49and in
- 26:50doing all
- 26:50that,
- 26:51God is
- 26:52giving life
- 26:53to the
- 26:54world,
- 26:54that takes
- 26:54us back
- 26:55to verse
- 26:5633,
- 26:57the bread
- 26:58of God
- 26:58is he
- 26:58who comes
- 26:59down from
- 27:00heaven,
- 27:01and gives
- 27:01life to
- 27:03the world,
- 27:04and that
- 27:05salvation
- 27:05is a
- 27:07gift
- 27:08available
- 27:09to all,
- 27:11and that's
- 27:12all because
- 27:13of God's
- 27:14grace,
- 27:16and so
- 27:17that's what
- 27:18makes the
- 27:18bread of
- 27:19life
- 27:19available,
- 27:20that's what
- 27:21makes salvation
- 27:22possible,
- 27:23so our
- 27:23heading is
- 27:23the bread
- 27:24of life
- 27:24is available,
- 27:25behind that
- 27:25heading lies
- 27:26all the
- 27:26massive
- 27:27concepts
- 27:27of our
- 27:29theology,
- 27:30the gospel
- 27:30is never
- 27:30about us
- 27:31working our
- 27:31way up to
- 27:32God,
- 27:32it's about
- 27:32God
- 27:33coming down
- 27:33to us,
- 27:35and this
- 27:36is where we
- 27:36see something
- 27:37so beautiful
- 27:38and so
- 27:39amazing
- 27:39in the
- 27:40gospel,
- 27:41because in
- 27:41terms of
- 27:42how the
- 27:42gospel works
- 27:43out,
- 27:44on God's
- 27:45side,
- 27:47the availability
- 27:47of eternal
- 27:49life is
- 27:50captured by
- 27:50these great
- 27:51theological
- 27:52concepts that
- 27:53we've listed,
- 27:54divine initiative,
- 27:55voluntary
- 27:55condescension,
- 27:56incarnation,
- 27:58mediator,
- 27:58grace,
- 27:59these are
- 27:59amazing,
- 28:00big theological
- 28:01words,
- 28:02that's what
- 28:02God had to
- 28:03do,
- 28:03that summarizes
- 28:04everything from
- 28:05God's side
- 28:06in terms of
- 28:07the gospel,
- 28:07but from
- 28:08our side,
- 28:10the availability
- 28:10of the
- 28:12bread of
- 28:12life is
- 28:13summed up
- 28:13in just
- 28:14one word,
- 28:17and you
- 28:17see it in
- 28:18verse 35,
- 28:20whoever,
- 28:26and that
- 28:27is such
- 28:28an incredible
- 28:30word,
- 28:32whoever
- 28:33comes to
- 28:34Jesus,
- 28:36whoever
- 28:36believes in
- 28:38Jesus,
- 28:39whoever,
- 28:41and every
- 28:44single person
- 28:44in here
- 28:45tonight is
- 28:45a whoever,
- 28:48doesn't
- 28:49matter what
- 28:49your background
- 28:50is,
- 28:51and it
- 28:52does not
- 28:52matter what
- 28:53baggage you
- 28:54come with,
- 28:55and it
- 28:56doesn't matter
- 28:56if you look
- 28:57around this
- 28:57room tonight
- 28:58and you
- 28:58think everybody
- 28:58else is
- 28:59different from
- 28:59me,
- 29:00everybody
- 29:00else is
- 29:00better than
- 29:01me,
- 29:01and nobody
- 29:01else has
- 29:02done what
- 29:03I have
- 29:04done,
- 29:04nobody else
- 29:05doubts the
- 29:06way I
- 29:06doubt,
- 29:06nobody
- 29:06else has
- 29:07the questions
- 29:07that I
- 29:07have,
- 29:08nobody
- 29:09else's
- 29:10heart is
- 29:10as cold
- 29:11as my
- 29:12heart,
- 29:12all of
- 29:13those thoughts
- 29:14are just
- 29:14blown away
- 29:16by the
- 29:16word
- 29:16whoever.
- 29:17you could
- 29:20have a
- 29:20million
- 29:21reasons
- 29:22that makes
- 29:24you think
- 29:24you're not
- 29:25worthy of
- 29:25Jesus,
- 29:26whoever
- 29:26trumps
- 29:27them all.
- 29:32And
- 29:32it does
- 29:34not matter
- 29:35who is
- 29:37coming,
- 29:39the only
- 29:41thing that
- 29:42matters
- 29:42is who
- 29:44you are
- 29:44coming to.
- 29:47you come
- 29:49to Jesus,
- 29:50the bread
- 29:51of life.
- 29:54And so
- 29:54the bread
- 29:54of life
- 29:54is available.
- 29:56That takes
- 29:56us to our
- 29:56third point,
- 29:57we're running
- 29:58out of time.
- 29:59The bread
- 29:59of life
- 30:00has got to
- 30:00be received,
- 30:01so the bread
- 30:01of life
- 30:02is needed,
- 30:03we need it
- 30:03more than
- 30:03anything else,
- 30:04the bread
- 30:04of life
- 30:04is available,
- 30:05Jesus has
- 30:06actually come,
- 30:07but we
- 30:07have got to
- 30:08respond,
- 30:09we have to
- 30:10receive what
- 30:12he's offering
- 30:13us.
- 30:13And you
- 30:15can see that
- 30:15the crowd
- 30:16want this in
- 30:16verse 34,
- 30:17they say
- 30:17to Jesus,
- 30:18give us
- 30:18this bread
- 30:19always,
- 30:20they want
- 30:20what he's
- 30:21offering,
- 30:21and in
- 30:22verse 35,
- 30:23Jesus tells
- 30:23them what
- 30:24to do,
- 30:24I'm the
- 30:24bread of
- 30:24life,
- 30:25whoever
- 30:25comes to
- 30:26me shall
- 30:27not hunger,
- 30:28and whoever
- 30:29believes in
- 30:30me shall
- 30:31never thirst.
- 30:33And there's
- 30:34two key
- 30:35verbs in
- 30:37that verse
- 30:37that tell us
- 30:38exactly what
- 30:39we have to
- 30:40do,
- 30:41we have to
- 30:42come,
- 30:43and we
- 30:43have to
- 30:44believe.
- 30:44come is
- 30:46such a
- 30:47beautiful
- 30:47word,
- 30:48it's an
- 30:48invitation,
- 30:49and it
- 30:50tells you
- 30:50that God
- 30:50wants you
- 30:51close to
- 30:51him,
- 30:52that God
- 30:53is calling
- 30:53you,
- 30:54commanding
- 30:54you,
- 30:55urging you
- 30:55to come
- 30:56to him.
- 30:57The
- 30:57voluntary
- 30:58condescension
- 30:58of God,
- 30:59the incarnation
- 31:00of the
- 31:01son of
- 31:01God,
- 31:02the mediation
- 31:02of the
- 31:03Christ,
- 31:04and every
- 31:04other
- 31:05massive
- 31:05theological
- 31:06concept
- 31:06that we
- 31:07have in
- 31:07the gospel
- 31:07is all
- 31:08because God
- 31:09actually
- 31:10wants you.
- 31:13And whether
- 31:13you have
- 31:14been a
- 31:14Christian for
- 31:15years,
- 31:16or whether
- 31:16you are not
- 31:17yet a
- 31:17Christian,
- 31:18or not
- 31:18sure if
- 31:19you're a
- 31:19Christian,
- 31:20you've got
- 31:20to write
- 31:21these words
- 31:21on your
- 31:22heart,
- 31:22that God
- 31:22actually
- 31:23wants you,
- 31:24because it
- 31:25is so easy
- 31:26to feel
- 31:26unwantable
- 31:27before God.
- 31:29It's so easy
- 31:30to feel
- 31:30unlovable,
- 31:31and it's so
- 31:31easy to feel
- 31:32like we are
- 31:32just so far
- 31:34from what
- 31:35we wish
- 31:36we were,
- 31:38and Jesus
- 31:39is saying,
- 31:41the whole
- 31:42reason I
- 31:43have come
- 31:43is because
- 31:44I want
- 31:45you.
- 31:47And so
- 31:48Jesus wants
- 31:48you to
- 31:49come to
- 31:49him.
- 31:50He wants
- 31:50to hear
- 31:51your voice
- 31:52praying.
- 31:54He wants
- 31:55to hear
- 31:55your voice
- 31:56tonight,
- 31:57whether
- 31:58that is the
- 31:59first time
- 32:00that he'll
- 32:00have heard
- 32:00your voice
- 32:01praying in
- 32:02decades,
- 32:03he wants
- 32:06to hear
- 32:06that
- 32:06tonight.
- 32:09And
- 32:10whether you've
- 32:10prayed every
- 32:11day for as
- 32:11long as you
- 32:11can remember,
- 32:12he wants
- 32:13to hear
- 32:13your voice
- 32:14again.
- 32:16And he
- 32:16wants your
- 32:17ears to
- 32:18listen to
- 32:19what he's
- 32:20saying in
- 32:21his word,
- 32:22and he
- 32:23wants your
- 32:24hearts to
- 32:25rest in
- 32:26him for
- 32:28every moment
- 32:28of your
- 32:29life.
- 32:30He wants
- 32:30you to
- 32:30come.
- 32:31and he
- 32:33wants you
- 32:33to believe.
- 32:35That's the
- 32:36language of
- 32:37trust.
- 32:39And so
- 32:39as we
- 32:40come to
- 32:40Jesus,
- 32:41we come
- 32:42placing our
- 32:43reliance on
- 32:44him.
- 32:44In other
- 32:44words, we
- 32:45just come
- 32:45and lean
- 32:46on him.
- 32:47We come
- 32:48and receive
- 32:49and rest
- 32:50upon him
- 32:51for our
- 32:52salvation.
- 32:53And that's
- 32:53just such a
- 32:53beautiful,
- 32:54beautiful picture
- 32:55that it's
- 32:56like Jesus
- 32:57wants us to
- 32:57come and
- 32:58he wants
- 32:58us to lean
- 32:59on him.
- 32:59Not to
- 33:00come and
- 33:00be impressed
- 33:01not to
- 33:01come for
- 33:01a job
- 33:02interview
- 33:02where you
- 33:02have to
- 33:03be at
- 33:03your best,
- 33:04but actually
- 33:04just to
- 33:04come and
- 33:05fall into
- 33:05his arms.
- 33:08That's
- 33:08the response
- 33:09that God
- 33:10is looking
- 33:11for.
- 33:12That we
- 33:13are to
- 33:13believe in
- 33:14Jesus.
- 33:16That's how
- 33:18the gospel
- 33:18works.
- 33:19We're saved
- 33:20by faith.
- 33:20That doesn't
- 33:21mean knowing
- 33:21everything.
- 33:23And in so
- 33:23many ways,
- 33:24faith is an
- 33:24expression of
- 33:25the fact that
- 33:25we don't
- 33:26know everything,
- 33:27but we know
- 33:28that Jesus
- 33:28is trustworthy.
- 33:29And we
- 33:30will lean
- 33:30on him.
- 33:31And believing
- 33:32in Jesus
- 33:33doesn't mean
- 33:33never doubting.
- 33:34All of us
- 33:35doubt.
- 33:35All of us
- 33:35stumble.
- 33:37But the
- 33:37whole point
- 33:37is that when
- 33:38we doubt,
- 33:39when we stumble,
- 33:39all of these
- 33:40are expressions
- 33:41of our
- 33:41hunger,
- 33:42which is
- 33:42just a
- 33:43reason to
- 33:43go straight
- 33:43to Jesus
- 33:44and to
- 33:45fall into
- 33:46his arms
- 33:46again.
- 33:48And believing
- 33:49in Jesus
- 33:49does not
- 33:50mean feeling
- 33:52strong or
- 33:53confident.
- 33:54confident,
- 33:55it's actually
- 33:56just recognizing
- 33:57how weak
- 33:57we are.
- 34:00And the
- 34:01thing that's
- 34:01strong in
- 34:03terms of
- 34:04our faith is
- 34:05not the
- 34:06person doing
- 34:06the believing,
- 34:08it's the
- 34:09person that
- 34:10we believe
- 34:10in.
- 34:12He's the
- 34:13one who's
- 34:14strong.
- 34:16It means
- 34:17knowing that
- 34:17you can't
- 34:18stand on
- 34:18your own.
- 34:19It means
- 34:19knowing that
- 34:19I have to
- 34:20rely on what
- 34:21Jesus has
- 34:21done for
- 34:21me on the
- 34:22cross.
- 34:22And it
- 34:23means realizing
- 34:24that we
- 34:25need him
- 34:26more than
- 34:27we need
- 34:28anything else.
- 34:29It doesn't
- 34:30mean knowing
- 34:31it all.
- 34:32And, you
- 34:33know, that's
- 34:35definitely how I
- 34:35could express
- 34:36my own
- 34:36conversion.
- 34:38I became a
- 34:40Christian when
- 34:40I was about
- 34:4014 and
- 34:42honestly, I
- 34:43think I knew
- 34:43pretty much
- 34:44nothing except
- 34:46one thing.
- 34:48I knew that
- 34:50I needed
- 34:50Jesus.
- 34:52And that's
- 34:53what we
- 34:54need to
- 34:55know.
- 34:56That will
- 34:56drive us
- 34:57to Christ.
- 35:00And the
- 35:01amazing thing
- 35:02is that his
- 35:02promise is
- 35:03that as we
- 35:03fall into
- 35:04his arms,
- 35:05he will
- 35:06carry us
- 35:07all the
- 35:09way.
- 35:11Jesus
- 35:12is the
- 35:14bread of
- 35:15life.
- 35:16And the
- 35:17bread of
- 35:17life has
- 35:19got to
- 35:19be
- 35:20received.
- 35:21believed.
- 35:22And
- 35:23sometimes,
- 35:23you know,
- 35:24this is a
- 35:25key, this
- 35:26is I think a
- 35:26really important
- 35:27thing for us
- 35:27to recognize
- 35:28because sometimes
- 35:29like the
- 35:29people in
- 35:29this crowd,
- 35:30we kind
- 35:30of want
- 35:31proof about
- 35:33Jesus and
- 35:34we want to
- 35:36be able to
- 35:37sort of think,
- 35:37well, how do
- 35:38we know for
- 35:39certain?
- 35:39And we want
- 35:39to sort of
- 35:40test Jesus,
- 35:41test evidence,
- 35:41test arguments,
- 35:43test the
- 35:43Bible against
- 35:44other viewpoints,
- 35:45whatever it
- 35:45might be.
- 35:46And we kind
- 35:46of think, I
- 35:46just want that
- 35:47proof that this
- 35:48is true.
- 35:49And sometimes
- 35:49we also think,
- 35:50well, I also
- 35:51just want that
- 35:51proof that I
- 35:52really am
- 35:53converted, that
- 35:54there has to
- 35:54be that sign,
- 35:55that clarity,
- 35:56that event,
- 35:56that something
- 35:57that is going
- 35:58to make it
- 35:58clear.
- 36:00And we want
- 36:01that proof.
- 36:03But again,
- 36:03think about
- 36:04bread.
- 36:05There's a piece
- 36:06of bread in
- 36:06front of you
- 36:07and you think,
- 36:08I want proof
- 36:09that that's
- 36:09bread.
- 36:10And you could
- 36:10do some
- 36:11scientific
- 36:11experiments on
- 36:12it or you
- 36:13could take
- 36:13out a whole
- 36:13pile of
- 36:13books and
- 36:14you could
- 36:15compare the
- 36:17bread in
- 36:17front of you
- 36:18with some
- 36:18photos or
- 36:19you could
- 36:19listen to
- 36:19some bread
- 36:20expert who
- 36:20might be
- 36:20able to
- 36:21say, well,
- 36:21there's a
- 36:21little bit
- 36:22here that
- 36:22says it's
- 36:22bread or
- 36:23not.
- 36:23You could
- 36:23do all
- 36:24of that.
- 36:24It's not
- 36:25really going
- 36:25to work.
- 36:26How are
- 36:26you going
- 36:26to know
- 36:26that that's
- 36:27bread?
- 36:29Stick it in
- 36:30your mouth
- 36:30and eat it.
- 36:32Just take
- 36:33it.
- 36:36If you want
- 36:37proof that
- 36:37Jesus is real,
- 36:38that he's
- 36:39your saviour,
- 36:40then just
- 36:42trust him
- 36:42and follow
- 36:44him.
- 36:44that bread
- 36:47is to be
- 36:48received.
- 36:52And so
- 36:53the bread
- 36:53of life
- 36:54is needed.
- 36:56The bread
- 36:56of life
- 36:56is available.
- 36:58The bread
- 36:58of life
- 36:58has got
- 36:59to be
- 36:59received.
- 37:01Last of
- 37:01all,
- 37:03the bread
- 37:03of life
- 37:04is so,
- 37:06so
- 37:07satisfying.
- 37:09And that's
- 37:12because
- 37:12Jesus
- 37:13gives us
- 37:15what we
- 37:16long for.
- 37:17This is one
- 37:18of the biggest
- 37:18mistakes that
- 37:19people can
- 37:19make.
- 37:20They can
- 37:21think that
- 37:22becoming a
- 37:22Christian means
- 37:23giving up
- 37:25the things
- 37:26that we
- 37:27really like.
- 37:31That's one
- 37:32of the devil's
- 37:32biggest lies.
- 37:34Because
- 37:35putting your
- 37:35faith in
- 37:36Jesus means
- 37:36that you
- 37:37actually
- 37:37finally
- 37:38find
- 37:39everything
- 37:41that you
- 37:42have really
- 37:43longed for.
- 37:46And in
- 37:46fact,
- 37:47you find
- 37:47that it
- 37:47reorders
- 37:48your life
- 37:48so that
- 37:48all the
- 37:49other things
- 37:49actually
- 37:49become way
- 37:50better.
- 37:52And that
- 37:52enjoyment
- 37:53increases so
- 37:54much once
- 37:55Jesus takes
- 37:57his rightful
- 37:57place as
- 37:58the Lord
- 37:59that we
- 38:00are following.
- 38:02Jesus gives
- 38:02us what
- 38:04we long
- 38:04for.
- 38:06He satisfies
- 38:06our hunger
- 38:07for identity
- 38:09and purpose
- 38:11in our
- 38:13lives.
- 38:14We all
- 38:15want to have
- 38:16purpose.
- 38:16We all
- 38:16want to be
- 38:17special.
- 38:17None of
- 38:17us want
- 38:18to be a
- 38:18waste of
- 38:18space or
- 38:19a failure.
- 38:20We all
- 38:20want a
- 38:20part to
- 38:21play.
- 38:22Jesus
- 38:22gives us
- 38:23that like
- 38:23nothing else.
- 38:25Jesus
- 38:25satisfies our
- 38:27hunger for
- 38:28hope.
- 38:30Nobody,
- 38:31nobody can
- 38:32live without
- 38:32hope.
- 38:32hope is
- 38:35like the
- 38:36I don't
- 38:38know how
- 38:38to describe
- 38:39this.
- 38:41Hope is
- 38:42like the
- 38:42sniper rifle
- 38:44for the
- 38:45atheist.
- 38:46Because the
- 38:46atheist,
- 38:47a terrible
- 38:47illustration,
- 38:48but anyway,
- 38:48might as well
- 38:49go with it.
- 38:50The atheist
- 38:51goes along
- 38:51and they're
- 38:52like, I'm a
- 38:52consistent
- 38:53atheist, I'm
- 38:54not believing
- 38:54in anything,
- 38:55I'm not
- 38:55believing in
- 38:55anything,
- 38:55I'm not
- 38:56believing in
- 38:56anything,
- 38:56da da da da da da da da.
- 38:57Someone they love
- 38:58dies, I hope I'll see
- 39:01them again.
- 39:03And the
- 39:04sniper of hope
- 39:04has just
- 39:05shot their
- 39:05atheism to
- 39:06pieces.
- 39:09Because they're
- 39:10desperate for
- 39:10hope.
- 39:12We're all
- 39:13desperate for
- 39:14hope, Jesus
- 39:14gives it to
- 39:15us.
- 39:16Jesus
- 39:16satisfies our
- 39:18hunger for
- 39:20security.
- 39:22And we
- 39:23long for
- 39:23that, don't
- 39:24we?
- 39:24Life changes
- 39:25and sometimes
- 39:28things happen
- 39:29that we
- 39:29dread.
- 39:31And maybe
- 39:31right now
- 39:32some of
- 39:32you have
- 39:33received a
- 39:33diagnosis or
- 39:34news about
- 39:34a family
- 39:35member or
- 39:35a friend that
- 39:36is your
- 39:36worst nightmare
- 39:37and you
- 39:39feel so
- 39:39vulnerable and
- 39:42yet you are
- 39:44never, ever,
- 39:46ever outside
- 39:47the arms of
- 39:48Jesus if
- 39:50you're following
- 39:51him.
- 39:52That satisfies
- 39:53our hunger for
- 39:54security.
- 39:56And Jesus
- 39:56satisfies our
- 39:58hunger for
- 40:00love.
- 40:02Because in
- 40:03Jesus we
- 40:04find perfect
- 40:05love, eternal
- 40:08love,
- 40:11immeasurable
- 40:11love, love
- 40:13that will
- 40:15never grow
- 40:15cold, love
- 40:18that will
- 40:18never let us
- 40:19go.
- 40:19The bread of
- 40:20life is so
- 40:21satisfying.
- 40:22and this
- 40:27is seen,
- 40:28this is
- 40:29captured so
- 40:30beautifully
- 40:30in verse
- 40:3235 but in
- 40:35order to see
- 40:35that we have
- 40:35to actually go
- 40:36back to the
- 40:37Greek of
- 40:39verse 35.
- 40:39The New
- 40:39Testament was
- 40:40written in
- 40:40Greek and
- 40:42we are
- 40:45always working
- 40:47with a
- 40:47translation and
- 40:48our translations
- 40:49are brilliant,
- 40:50the ESV is a
- 40:50brilliant translation,
- 40:51but sometimes
- 40:52there's things
- 40:52that just are
- 40:53hard to get
- 40:53across in
- 40:55English.
- 40:56Now Greek
- 40:57is a little
- 40:58bit different
- 40:59from English
- 41:00in terms of
- 41:01saying no
- 41:03about something.
- 41:05So if we
- 41:05say I am
- 41:07not, not
- 41:09going to
- 41:11the fellowship
- 41:11afterwards,
- 41:12what have I
- 41:12just said in
- 41:12English?
- 41:14So I've said
- 41:14I'm going
- 41:15because the
- 41:16not, not
- 41:16cancels each
- 41:17other out.
- 41:17So if I
- 41:17said I'm
- 41:17not, not
- 41:18going to the
- 41:19fellowship, it
- 41:20means I am
- 41:21going to the
- 41:21fellowship.
- 41:22Not, not
- 41:22in English, the
- 41:23two cancel
- 41:23each other
- 41:24out.
- 41:24That's not
- 41:25how it
- 41:25works in
- 41:25Greek.
- 41:26In Greek,
- 41:27not, not
- 41:27is an
- 41:28intensification.
- 41:30So it's
- 41:31like absolutely
- 41:32not.
- 41:34So we
- 41:35would say
- 41:35that if we
- 41:35said no,
- 41:36no, that's
- 41:37like an
- 41:38intensification.
- 41:39Not, not
- 41:40in Greek is
- 41:41the same.
- 41:41And when it
- 41:42says at the
- 41:43end there that
- 41:44whoever believes
- 41:44in me shall
- 41:46never thirst,
- 41:47thirst, literally
- 41:48what that
- 41:48actually says
- 41:49is whoever
- 41:50believes in
- 41:50me shall
- 41:51not, not
- 41:53thirst, shall
- 41:53absolutely not
- 41:56thirst ever.
- 42:02You will
- 42:03never thirst
- 42:04again.
- 42:07And that is
- 42:08because Jesus,
- 42:10the bread of
- 42:10life, is so,
- 42:12so satisfying.
- 42:14And that is
- 42:15something that I
- 42:16want, if anybody's
- 42:17here who's not
- 42:17yet a Christian
- 42:18or thinking about
- 42:18becoming a
- 42:19Christian or
- 42:19thinking about
- 42:20just taking that
- 42:21next step, that
- 42:22is the thing I
- 42:23want to press
- 42:23into your heart
- 42:24more than
- 42:24anything else.
- 42:25I can't promise
- 42:26you that it
- 42:26will always be
- 42:27easy and I
- 42:27can't promise
- 42:28you that things
- 42:28will always go
- 42:28well and
- 42:29sometimes you
- 42:29will have
- 42:30rubbish days
- 42:30because we
- 42:31all have
- 42:32rubbish days,
- 42:33but I can
- 42:33tell you this,
- 42:34that if you
- 42:34follow Jesus,
- 42:35you will
- 42:36absolutely
- 42:37never thirst
- 42:39again,
- 42:40ever.
- 42:46Surely,
- 42:47you want
- 42:48that.
- 42:52Amen.
- 42:53Let's pray.
- 43:01Lord Jesus,
- 43:02we thank you
- 43:03so much that
- 43:04you are the
- 43:05bread of
- 43:05life.
- 43:08And we
- 43:09pray that we
- 43:09would all
- 43:10come to
- 43:11you and
- 43:13believe in
- 43:13you and
- 43:15experience the
- 43:16wonder of
- 43:18never
- 43:18hungering and
- 43:20never
- 43:21thirsting
- 43:21again.
- 43:23Please bless
- 43:23your word to
- 43:24us all.
- 43:26Please press
- 43:26it into our
- 43:27hearts and
- 43:28please may
- 43:29your spirit
- 43:29bring forth
- 43:31fruit to
- 43:32your glory.
- 43:32amen.
- 43:34Amen.
- 43:41We're going
- 43:42to close in
- 43:43the Sing
- 43:43Psalms version
- 43:44of Psalm
- 43:4463 on
- 43:47page 80.
- 43:54Sing
- 43:54Psalms
- 43:5563 on
- 43:56page 80.
- 43:57O God,
- 43:58you are my
- 43:58God alone.
- 44:00I seek
- 44:00your face
- 44:01with eagerness.
- 44:02My soul
- 44:03and body
- 44:03thirst for
- 44:04you in
- 44:05this dry
- 44:06weary
- 44:06wilderness.
- 44:08Singing
- 44:09to the end
- 44:09of verse
- 44:108.
- 44:11And if
- 44:14you are
- 44:14at that
- 44:16point where
- 44:16you know
- 44:17you want
- 44:18to put your
- 44:19faith in
- 44:19Jesus,
- 44:19then just
- 44:20make verse
- 44:207 and
- 44:218 your
- 44:21prayer.
- 44:21because
- 44:22you're
- 44:22my
- 44:22help
- 44:23alone.
- 44:24In
- 44:24shadow
- 44:24of your
- 44:24wings
- 44:24I'll
- 44:25sing.
- 44:26You
- 44:26hold
- 44:26me
- 44:26up
- 44:27with
- 44:27your
- 44:27right
- 44:27hand.
- 44:28To
- 44:28you,
- 44:29O God,
- 44:30my soul
- 44:30will cling.
- 44:32That's a
- 44:32prayer of
- 44:33conversion.
- 44:34And we
- 44:35can all
- 44:35make it
- 44:35our
- 44:35prayer as
- 44:36we stand
- 44:36and sing
- 44:37together.
- 44:43O God,
- 44:45you are
- 44:46my
- 44:47God
- 44:49alone.
- 44:50I
- 44:51seek
- 44:53your
- 44:54face
- 44:55with
- 44:56weakness.
- 44:59My
- 45:00soul
- 45:01and
- 45:01body
- 45:03urge
- 45:05for
- 45:06you
- 45:07and
- 45:08bless
- 45:09my
- 45:10living
- 45:12wilderness.
- 45:16I
- 45:17sing
- 45:18you
- 45:19praise.
- 45:20When
- 45:20your
- 45:21holy
- 45:22place,
- 45:24your
- 45:25heart
- 45:26and
- 45:27glory
- 45:28held
- 45:30my
- 45:31gains,
- 45:32our
- 45:34better
- 45:34is
- 45:36your
- 45:37love
- 45:39and
- 45:39life,
- 45:40and
- 45:41so
- 45:42my
- 45:43lips
- 45:44will
- 45:46sing
- 45:47your
- 45:48praise.
- 45:49I
- 45:51I'll
- 45:51bless you,
- 45:53Lord,
- 45:54throughout
- 45:55my
- 45:56life,
- 45:58and
- 45:59raise
- 46:00my
- 46:01heart
- 46:02to
- 46:03you
- 46:04in
- 46:05place.
- 46:06My
- 46:07joyful
- 46:08lips
- 46:09will
- 46:11sing
- 46:13praise.
- 46:15My
- 46:16soul
- 46:17is
- 46:18fed
- 46:19with
- 46:20riches
- 46:21!
- 46:22fail.
- 46:23Upon
- 46:24bed
- 46:25I
- 46:29lie
- 46:30awake
- 46:32and
- 46:34in
- 46:35my
- 46:36thoughts
- 46:37remember
- 46:38you.
- 46:39I
- 46:40meditate
- 46:41throughout
- 46:42the
- 46:43night
- 46:44and
- 46:46keep
- 46:47your
- 46:48constant
- 46:49love
- 46:50in
- 46:51view
- 46:52because
- 46:53you
- 46:54are
- 46:55my
- 46:56help
- 46:57alone
- 46:58in
- 46:59of
- 47:00your
- 47:01and
- 47:02you
- 47:03are
- 47:04my
- 47:05help
- 47:06alone
- 47:07in
- 47:08shadow
- 47:09of
- 47:10your
- 47:11wings
- 47:12I'll
- 47:14sing
- 47:16you
- 47:17hold
- 47:18me
- 47:19up
- 47:20with
- 47:21your
- 47:22bright
- 47:23hand
- 47:24to
- 47:25you
- 47:26O
- 47:27God
- 47:28my
- 47:29soul
- 47:30will
- 47:31play
- 47:32Just
- 47:34to say
- 47:36I forgot
- 47:37at the beginning
- 47:38fellowship
- 47:39hall next
- 47:40which
- 47:41everybody
- 47:42is
- 47:43will hear
- 47:44a little
- 47:45bit more
- 47:46from
- 47:47Thomas
- 47:48and
- 47:49about
- 47:50their
- 47:51and
- 47:52so
- 47:53you're
- 47:54all
- 47:55not
- 47:56going
- 47:57do
- 47:58come
- 47:59through
- 48:00if
- 48:01able
- 48:02to
- 48:03thank
- 48:04you
- 48:05for
- 48:06your
- 48:07thank
- 48:08you
- 48:09the
- 48:10fellowship
- 48:11that
- 48:12we're
- 48:13able
- 48:14to
- 48:15share
- 48:16we
- 48:17pray
- 48:18that
- 48:19that
- 48:20be
- 48:21that
- 48:22our hearts
- 48:23and
- 48:24will
- 48:25rest
- 48:26upon
- 48:27all
- 48:28we
- 48:29week
- 48:30week
- 48:31our
- 48:31to
- 48:32your
- 48:33Amen
- 48:34to
- 48:36the
- 48:37to
- 48:38to
- 48:39may
- 48:40may
- 48:41may
- 49:09Thank you.