Bread of Life - Week 1 - John 6

Let’s open our bibles together to John chapter 6. The holidays are coming. For some of you, that sentence just brought a smile to your face. For others, I saw you physically tense up. Because while Hallmark shows us perfect family gatherings and Pinterest promises us stunning table settings, many of us are carrying a different reality of when it comes to the holiday season. Let me tell you a story… ”I’ll never forget my most depressing holiday season. I was in college, living with my best friend and his mother. They had become like family to me, which made it all the more painful when they left for their holiday festivities without saying a word. No invitation. No explanation. Just... silence. In my own family, we didn’t grow up with family traditions. So there I sat, alone on Christmas Eve, watching my friends' AOL Instant Messenger statuses scroll by. Each message was like a tiny digital knife: 'Making cookies with mom!' 'Best family Christmas ever!' 'So blessed to be home!’ I sat in darkness, hungry – yes, for food – but even more than food, deep down I was craving relationship.and connection, and even belonging. ”Do you know what's interesting?

Two thousand years ago, a crowd of people chased Jesus around a lake because they were hungry too. Earlier in this chapter, they had just experienced something amazing – they had been part of a crowd of 5,000 that Jesus fed with just five loaves and two fish. But less than 24 hours later, they were hungry again. And Jesus was about to teach them – and us – something profound about what we're really hungry for.”

Over the next seven weeks, as we move into and through Thanksgiving and then into the Advent season, we're going to be looking at Jesus's seven 'I Am' statements. Now, these are moments when Jesus tells us exactly who He is and what He offers. And it's no accident that we're starting with 'I am the bread of life.’ Because while traditionally we speak of gratefulness and being thankful during this season, and we focus on Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope during Advent, but here's the hard truth: For thousands of people gathering this holiday season, these words will feel hollow. Or Empty. Or Maybe even painful. Think about the people you see everyday… people you know, or even people you don’t know.. People at, At work. Your neighbor. People in the grocery store. Everywhere you go, you’re going to find people feeling: Broken Lost Hungry Ashamed & Disconnected from others” And one truth is this… we live in the most connected generation ever, but also disconnected at the same time. Let that sink in… we’re the most connect, but also the most lonely. And as a Christian… you will have the opportunity this holiday season to speak life into people and share the story of God’s faithfulness, and love. To be an encourager to them.. or to even invite them to something deeper and more meaningful. Where they can be connected, and loved, and find purpose. So let's look in our Bibles together to John chapter 6, and beginning in verse 22. And as we read, I want you to put yourself in this story. Keep in mind, that these aren't just ancient words on a page. This is about real hunger – yours and mine – and the only thing that can truly satisfy it.

Read John 6:22-3 One of the greatest truths about our faith is understanding that: "God wants to be the center of our greatest desires."

"Now, here is what fascinates me about this passage. Just when these people thought they had Jesus figured out – when they thought they knew exactly what they wanted from Him – Jesus completely shifts the conversation. Look with me at verse 26: 26 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Jesus begins with what I call a divine reality check. And watch how He does this – it's brilliant. He starts with loving confrontation. Sort of like with the woman at the well… He essentially says, 'Let's be honest about what's really happening here.'. Now, put yourself in their shoes for a moment. These people had just witnessed something extraordinary – the feeding of five thousand people from a little Hebrew boy's lunchable. They were there. They saw it. They ate the bread. They experienced the miracle. But Jesus says something shocking. He says, 'You're not here because you saw the signs. Now, Wait… what? Of course they saw the signs! They were there! They witnessed the whole thing! But here's what Jesus is getting at – and this is where it gets personal for us: They saw the miracle, but missed it’s meaning. Right? They experienced the provision, but missed the Provider. They wanted the bread, but missed the Baker. You see, Jesus isn't just giving them a harsh reality check. He's inviting them to go deeper than just whats on the surface of their faith. It's as if He's saying: 'Yes, you saw me multiply the bread, But did you see me multiply grace? Yes, you saw me feed bodies, But did you see me offering to feed souls?’ This is where loving confrontation becomes transformational invitation. Jesus isn't just pointing out their shallow seeking – He's inviting them to discover something far greater than free bread. He's inviting them to discover Him. Do you wanna know what I think is remarkable here? In this one conversation, Jesus exposes something profound about human nature. And this leads us to the first crucial truth we need to understand: We're all on a journey to find something to fulfill us. Think about what's happening in this story. These people crossed a lake looking for Jesus. They put in effort. They showed initiative. Why? Because they were hungry - not just for another meal, but for something more. Life is a journey. But it's not just any journey - it's a journey filled with desires we're trying to satisfy. These people seeking Jesus? They were pursuing Him because He had met one of our most basic desires. Do you know what our three most basic needs are? Shelter, clothing, and food. And so these people are following Jesus to meet a basic need. But here's what's fascinating: God created us that way. He deliberately designed us with desires, with needs, with cravings in our lives.”

And so, to understand this journey, we need to go back to the beginning. Back to the Garden of Eden. You know, sometimes we have this misconception about this oasis of paradise that we call the garden of Eden. We think, 'Well, in the Garden of Eden, when everything was perfect, man had no needs.’ And That’s not entirely true… Now, don’t get ahead of me. Think about Adam: He needed air to breathe He needed food to sustain him And most significantly, God Himself said, 'It is not good for man to be alone’ He needed companionship. You see, God intentionally created and wired us with cravings, with needs, with an empty stomach that needed to be filled. And this leads us to two crucial truths about desire: First - desires are not bad. They're part of God's design. But second - and this is key - in the Garden, it wasn't that man didn't have needs. The picture in Eden was that man had needs that were intended to be met only by God, in the way God designed. But then something happened, right?. Something that would change everything about how we handle our desires. Look with me in Genesis chapter 3, verse 6. Watch how desire gets distorted: 'When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make ones wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.’ This passage is absolutely dripping with desire. Do you see the language? She saw - thats a desire of her eyes. It was good for food - which means meeting the basic needs A delight to the eyes - there was attractive pleasure And the tree was to be Desired to make on wise - so now theres the intellectual craving to know more. then ……. She took - this is the action that is driven by her desires. And I want to point out just for a moment.. men.. before you think about pointing to the woman and saying anything about, oh man.. the woman messed it all up… you know for a fact every man in this room has the same desires that she had. In fact, if we're being honest, some of you are thinking about what you want for lunch right now. And lets be real, how many of you made a decision this week based purely on what your eyes wanted? You see, whether we're men or women, we all face this same battle with desire… And so, right here in Genesis, we witness something unmatched in human history: for the first time, the cravings of humanity drive them to meet their needs outside of their Creator. She took, and the action of her desire that was outside of his and her creator is the center of their sin. But don't miss the trigger of sin in this story. The trigger of sin is looking to things of this world to satisfy us apart from our Creator; it is thinking that something is good, or better than God. Now, think about it. Every sin I've ever committed. Every sin you commit. We sin because we think it would be good. We think it would be delightful. We desire comfort, and we long to be filled…. The truth is…….. “No one wants to be empty.” But did you know what it means to be filled? It means to be in its grip. That's what it means to be filled. Even when we feel empty, we're not. Because you can be filled with almost anything from physical food to internal emotions. And so, we desire things: Material things Adultery & lust Greed & Envy Theres a whole list of things in the book of Galatians that we can be filled with. We desire these things because we believe they will fill us, while also fulfilling the longing within us. But it's not the truth. What we end up doing, when we fill our lives with desires that are not of God, and look to this world to satisfy us apart from our Father, we end up running from the one our souls long for and need most. I don't know about you, but I am tired of running. I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of running away and being controlled by things that do not satisfy me. Now, think about this.. if being filled means to be within the grip of something.. How different would Ephesians 5:18 hit when we hear the word of God saying to us, “Be filled with the Spirit.” We can either fill ourselves, by our own desire, by our own power with all the things this word has to offer, or we can surrender our lives to Christ, by faith, and be filled by the Father with the very presence of Christ. And just a reminder, you can fill yourself with things of Christ.… we’ve got to surrender that need, that desire, and we come by faith and say, God I want what you want. You fill me.. Now, come back with me to John chapter 6. Because watch what happens with these people following hard after Jesus. Now Don’t forget… these people were running in the right direction. They had a desire, they needed it to be filled, and they were running after Jesus. But yet even in their running and following and seeking Jesus, they missed what Jesus was trying to teach them. Jesus gives them a phrase that will completely go over their heads. Look with me at verse 27 'Don't work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.’ Did you catch it? The key word here is 'eternal life.' In fact, twelve times in this chapter alone, Jesus says 'eternal life.' And these people? They're still thinking about that last amazing lunch they had with Jesus. It completely goes over their heads that they are following Jesus for the wrong reasons! They just don't understand it. They are following him to meet a physical need, and Jesus is saying no.. you’re real need is eternal. Now, here's something fascinating about the Greek language. There are two different words for ‘life’: First, there's 'bio' - that's where we get our word 'biology' from. It's about physical life, breathing, and existing. This life is about our natural biological bodies and it’s needs. But then there's 'Zoe' - and this is something completely different. This means the absolute fullness of life. Real, genuine life. Active life. Life that is devoted to its creator. Life that is filled by grace, and mercy.

Now, if you were to go through this entire chapter, you'd discover something remarkable. Jesus never uses 'bio.' Not once. But 'Zoe'? He uses “Zoe” twelve times! He keeps saying: I am eternal life (Zoe) I am the bread of life (Zoe) I am the active life devoted to the Father (Zoe) I am the fullness of life (Zoe) And they're asking Jesus the same question every single one of us asks when we come to faith in Christ….. What do we need to do to get it?’ Whats the recipe? What do I need to do to fill my life, my way, when I want it, and how I want it to give me Life. Can you imagine? Jesus saying, 'I'm offering you the secret to life itself,' and they're arguing about their grandparents' bread recipe! That's like my wife Alicia telling me she knows how to cook something I love, and me responding, 'Well, my mom used to make it this way.’ And we all know that's a no-no in marriage. You never tell your wife that mom made it better! Can I get really honest with you for a moment? When you came to faith in Christ Jesus by faith, and you heard this phrase, 'it's by faith alone, not by works'... what did you do? I almost want to bet many of you made it about what you did…Because I know I did. I didn’t know any better. 'How do I live by faith? Oh, I know…' 'I go to church when I felt like it’ 'I gave…when I could.’ 'I show up for worship when I had time' I served, when it benefited me. So often, We make faith about what we do rather than us becoming like Christ. That means these people in our story were focusing on what they did, more than being transformed from within, that controls all of our desires, and hungers, and passions. "How many of us has, or had turned 'faith alone' into a new to-do list?” "It's like we traded one performance system for another. I went from performing in my old life, to adopting how to perform a Christian life. And so, They weren't getting it! They were so focused on what they desired and asking what they could do to get it, that Jesus must have been thinking, 'People, are you not listening to anything I'm saying?’ The people even bring Moses into the conversation in verse 31 - 'Well, Moses fed us in the wilderness.’ And Jesus is like, 'Uh, no... Moses didn't feed you. MY Father fed you.’ And then Jesus does something beautiful. He says, just as manna came down from heaven, the Father sends the Son down from heaven to be the bread for ZOE - eternal life. 'I am that bread. I am the bread of life. I am the one God the Father has sent down like the manna, and I am now here with you. And whoever comes to me will never go hungry or thirsty again.’”

But here's the real problem in our sinfulness: we are prone to desire the world more than we desire God. It's true. Think about it. Every day, even every week, we can get completely wrapped up in things that don't ultimately matter. We get excited when our football team wins, depressed when they lose. Our emotions swing wildly over things that have no eternal significance. Right now, people are fighting over the election. But there is One who does matter. And He deserves more than just our intellectual belief - He deserves our emotional affection as well. He deserves our desires, our joy, and our complete satisfaction. The danger is, if we're not careful, we'll fill our stomachs and gorge ourselves on everything this world has to offer - things that don't matter to our eternal security in Christ. And just like these people who were seeking and following Jesus, we can get so caught up in our busyness that we miss the point of His teaching - that we're to be desiring and seeking the one the father sent above all other things in this life. ………Jesus is trying to teach us that we need to get the taste of this world out of our mouths and begin to have a thirst and a taste for the things of God, for Christ Himself. You see, in this story we read, they never get it. They're willing to follow Jesus around, get free meals, feel connected with a large group of people. But they never realize that their faith needs to go deeper in trusting, believing, and abiding in Jesus. Isn't that what we experience in this life and in the churches we attend today? Churches are filled with people following hard after Jesus but never truly going deeper in their faith. Theres no cost to the grace that many of them desire. Even Paul talks about this in Corinthians when he calls them 'Carnal Christians' - divided, arguing, smearing others' names, without realizing they're pursuing their old life instead of the holy life Jesus offers. We live in a world where we get caught up in just being like these people.... Do you want to know what they're really doing? They’re just... existing. To them, bread is just to sustain them to exist, but there is no living life within them. And many times in our world today, we find Christians just coming to churches, living lives all week long, trying to just exist. Don't you want to live? To feel alive! To have purpose and meaning in your life? Because in this life, if our greatest desire is to just exist, our life will always be indifferent to what Jesus desires for you. In our constant chase after being content, our eyes become set on resources we don't have rather than what God is already willing to give us.

"Are you empty this morning? Before we close our service, I want to ask you two searching questions. And I want you to really sit with these: First: What are you already filled with that leaves no room for Jesus? You know, there's an infinite fountain of satisfaction to be found in Christ, but so often we don't come to His table because we're already stuffed with other things. It's kinda like showing up for our thanksgiving dinners but stopping at a fast food drive-through first, before we arrive. Some of you here and online will leave or sign off of here today unchanged. And you know what? During this holiday season, you might come across that familiar verse in Luke that says: ‘And they laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn.’ And I wonder... is that still true today? No room? No room for Jesus in our lives? Maybe it's busyness. Maybe it's worry. Maybe it's the constant noise of social media. Maybe it's just settling for less because it's all you've known. Which leads me to ask: What will you choose to fill yourself with instead? Have you ever noticed that faith has choices? That's the beauty of faith. God doesn't force-feed us. He sets before us a feast and invites us to taste and see that He is good. Think about it: Moses told the people, 'Choose this day whom you will serve’ Joshua declared, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ Even Jesus asked His disciples within this chapter said, 'Do you also want to go away?’ Every day, every moment, we're making choices about what we'll fill ourselves with. What if every time you felt hungry - physically or spiritually - you saw it as a sacred moment of choice? And here's the beautiful thing about these choices: even when we choose poorly, God's grace keeps inviting us back to the feast. "Here's what I want you to remember as you leave today: You don't have to figure this all out perfectly. The same God who created you, who knows exactly what satisfies you, is drawing you to Himself. He's not just offering you better bread - He's offering you Himself as the Bread of Life. And when Jesus Christ becomes your satisfaction, when you believe He is all-satisfying, He will transform the way you live. Amen?

Amen. Let’s stand together for our bebidection. Benediction "And now, may the Lord who is the Bread of Life Fill your deepest hunger with His presence, Satisfy your greatest longings with His love, And transform your ordinary existence into abundant life. May you taste and see that He is good, Finding in Him the satisfaction your heart craves, Until your life overflows with His fullness, And others see in you the feast they're searching for. May you go from this place not just fed, but transformed, Not just existing, but truly living, As you make Christ the center of your satisfaction Today and all the days to come. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, the true Bread of Life, Now and forever. Amen.” *