Series 4 The Bread Of Life
Sermon 4: The Bread of Life
Text: John 6:35
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Introduction: Scripture Reading- John 6:31-35
Bread as a Symbol of Sustenance
- The essential nature of bread in ancient times.
- Manna as a foreshadowing of Christ (Exodus 16:1-4, John 6:49-51).
Discussion:
I. Christ as the Bread of Life
- Jesus offers spiritual sustenance that endures to eternal life (John 6:26-27). The people went to Capernaum seeking Jesus
- The difference between physical and spiritual hunger (John 6:60-63).
- “What brings them in keeps them in.”
- We must always offer the true bread of life to grow both physically in number and spiritually.
- If we only offer to cure the physical problem of hunger, then people will not truly desire Christ and His Word.
II. Receiving the Bread of Life
- The invitation to come and believe in Him (John 6:34-36).
- God isn’t going to force feed people. We are invited to come, hear, and believe.
- Those who reject the invitation will be rejected by God (Matt. 22: 1-14).
- Jesus as the source of spiritual nourishment, sustaining believers in their walk.
- We will never go hungry, spiritually. We should always be wanting to learn more and more about the will of God, through His Word.
- I Peter 2:1-3 (tasted- eat figuratively, experienced)
- God graciously offers the Word, the bread of Life, and we should be willing to accept the offer if we want to receive life. It will not be forced on us.
- These verses are directly opposed to one of the tenants of Calvinism, Irresistible Grace.
- “Simply put, the doctrine of irresistible grace refers to the biblical truth that whatever God decrees to happen will inevitably come to pass, even in the salvation of individuals. The Holy Spirit will work in the lives of the elect so that they inevitably will come to faith in Christ.” Gotquestions.org
- They quote John 6:37-40 and say that if a person does something to believe and not God working on them, then they are responsible for or earn their salvation.
- We cannot earn salvation by obeying the commands of God. Luke 17:10 The ruler is not going to thank the servant for doing what he was commanded to do. “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
III. The Satisfaction of the Soul
- Those who come to Christ will never hunger or thirst spiritually (Matthew 5:6). “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
- The completeness and sufficiency of Christ for our every need.
- Matt. 6:25-34 These are physical blessing and God grants physical blessings to all. Matt. 5:45 “for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- Eph. 1:3 Grammatically, “all spiritual blessings are…in Christ.”
- Being in Christ is the same as being in the body or the church (Col. 1:18 “ And he is the head of the body, the church:”).
- If we are in Christ, or in the body, or in the church and walk in the light of his Word (as we looked at this morning), then our soul has all that it needs.
IV. Application: Abiding in Christ
- How we "feed" on Christ through the Word and through communion with Him (John 6:56-58).
- The Lord’s Supper, not literally feeding on his body, but spiritually, remember his death for us.
- John 1 says that Jesus is the Word or logos of God, we can feed on his flesh by studying God’s Word and obeying his commands.
- James tells us to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. Meaning we don’t just read it and forget, but we obey it. (James 1:21-24)
- The call to prioritize spiritual nourishment over worldly pursuits (Matthew 6:31-33).
- Don’t worry about what you will eat or drink, vs. 33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Conclusion: The Eternal Feast
- Revelation 19:6-9
- Invitation