Introduction
1970’s commercial
Is it live or is it Memorex
Sometimes it is hard to know the difference between that which is good and that which is the best.
In his book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t, Jim Collins points out that good is the enemy of great in that when an organization sees itself as good, it seldom pursues greatness. It becomes self satisfied.
Describing the Biblical Text
Back in the day when the Israelites were grumbling about their provisions in the Exodus from Egypt, God provided for them bread from heaven or manna.
This was such an important provision that manna was even preserved in the Ark of the Covenant.
To the Jews of Jesus day, manna was the only bread from heaven that could or would be.
But, the problem with the original manna was the same problem with the sacrificial system.
It had to be gathered over and over every day.
Now when Jesus fed the 5000 earlier in this chapter, he started something of a furor as people then continued to follow Him just because they got a free meal.
Narrate the Contextual application
Think about the situation.
It is late in the day and you are getting hungry and you are surrounded by throngs of people. Instead of going home you find that you are being instructed to sit down in small groups of people. And these baskets start going around and they never run out. If anything, they keep getting fuller. You eat your fill and then you see that there was even bred left over.
You thing Dang, can this guy do this every day?
You look for him when it’s time to eat because he met this need once and it did not cost anyone anything.
Then when it’s time to eat again, he nails your attitude.
You are just following me because I gave you something to eat.
Life Application (thesis)
Then Jesus gives you some real insight, insight about himself that has become the theme of this morning’s message.
Jesus is the true bread from heaven.
As we build outreaching this morning, we will build it on this theme by looking at two implications of Jesus as the true bread from heaven.
SO WHAT!! (Outline)
Faith in Christ always points to Christ.
Look at verse 26
Notice what Jesus said here is the work that leads to eternal life?
It is believing in the son of God.
There are so many things that we do even as followers of Christ that do not point to Christ.
Think about our committee meetings.
How many times in those meetings do we really center the meeting on how we are following Christ?
How often do we plan to do good stuff but really fail to plan to follow Christ?
All too often we are like the Jews of Jesus’ day.
They were looking for the benefit of following Christ rather than the fulfillment of Christ Himself.
They were staying with him for the free meal.
When he told them that God sent the manna but He was the true bread, what did these Jews do?
They asked Jesus for a sign.
IOW, they wanted more manna.
They wanted to eat some more.
They were interested in God and following Him for what they could get out of it.
Christ alone was not enough.
I want us to look at this in a couple of different ways.
Let’s say you were starving, really hungry. You had not eaten in 10 days and you ended up by some strange quirk of circumstances at a very fancy restaurant with hundreds of dollars to spend. The filet mignon on the menu would mean nothing to you in light of the basket of bread that was on the table. You have a need that has to be satisfied and bread is all that is necessary to satisfy that need.
We have a basic need in our lives for God.
That need arises from a condition that had made us devoid of anything spiritual.
That condition called sin separates us from God and the only remedy is the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
He sets us free from the penalty of sin which is eternal separation from God in hell.
When He died on the cross he paid our penalty and received our punishment so should our faith in Him be about him.
Another thing that we need to consider about that is Christ should be the supreme object of our affection.
I think too often we make other things actually more important than Christ himself.
Some people look at their church attendance as being supremely important but it is only as important as it being done to obey the savior.
Maybe it is time for us to pray this morning about what has taken the very first place in our lives and to make sure that it is occupied by Jesus and Jesus Alone.
Verse 36 is so telling isn’t it?
How many of us have seen the savior at work in our lives and in our church and yet we don’t believe.
Oh, we believe in Jesus as the savior and we have trusted him but our lives do not paint that picture.
I remember an older resume that I prepared and when a friend of mine from Northern Virginia looked at it, he commented that it looked like my hobbies were the most important thing in my life.
That was his way of saying that my resume did not reflect my skills or my experience as a pastor.
Well our lives have to reflect Christ and not all the religious trappings of our faith.
People won’t really care if we come to church, teach Sunday school, lead missions groups, sing in the choir, preach in the pulpit, or anything else if they don’t first see that we love Jesus with all our hearts.
Faith in Christ is always about Christ.
With that in mind, let’s think about this.
Faith in Christ always prepares us for a future with Christ.
This would be our second implication point to Jesus as the true bread from heaven.
Look at verse 40
On the last day we who have believed in Jesus will be raised up by Jesus.
The word raised up here is the verb form of the word resurrection.
This is an astounding statement because it points an awesome victory in Christ.
This is a victory that he accomplishes over death for us.
But, what is even more exciting is to see that God has prepared us for our faith in Jesus.
Look back up to verse 36. [read to verse 37
Jesus is essentially saying that you don’t believe because God has not given you to me. You are not called to have faith
Let’s read on picking up at verse 38
No one that comes to God can be cast out by God because they are given to Him by God.
This is the idea of Him losing nothing.
Now slide your eye down the page to verse 44-45.
Those who are taught by God come to Jesus.
In theology, this is an idea that is known as irresistible grace or another way to put it is effectual calling.
It simply means that those whom God calls to Jesus come to Jesus and they shall be lifted up on the last day.
I am glad that we don’t sing songs like the savior is waiting because He is not.
Jesus does not sit in the portals of heaven waiting with bated breath to see if someone will come to Him.
Jesus isn’t wringing his hands together saying, “I hope he gets saved today.”
He already knows that all that the Father has given him will come to him and unless the Father draws them, they cannot come.
They are much like these people who were miraculously fed by Jesus and yet in spite of seeing who he is can’t and won’t come to Him.
When Jesus says that the field is white unto harves, it is because he knows what is in the field.
I drove down the road this year and saw soy beans in the field because the field wasn’t worth cranking the tractor.
The farmers knew that with the drought they didn’t have any beans to harvest.
Jesus knows that the fields are white because God is calling and drawing people and Jesus knows them.
That is why Romans 8 says for whom he did foreknow them he did predestine.
That is also why Romans 8:30 ends with the statement them that he justified He also glorified.
They will be lifted up on the last day.
We are prepared for a future with Christ because we have a past with Christ.
It began in the realm of eternity past and it lasts to eternity future.
Are you feeling God’s call today?
Are you being drawn to the savior?
If God is calling you come.
Just come.
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