1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:04,500 Well, good morning Crossing Church. 2 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:08,200 How are you doing today? I hope you're ready to get into 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,200 the word and just let the Holy Spirit just roll over you and 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,500 reveal things to you. Because when we're in his word, 5 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:19,300 it becomes a very fertile place. For our hearts, our lives are 6 00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:23,000 impacted in the world. Our purpose, the things that God 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,600 has given us, I want to welcome all of our campuses that are 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,600 joining all over this region. So thankful for each and every 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,700 one of you today, if you're inside. 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,000 Online. We're also so thankful for you 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:43,600 and we're in this series in John, and I was studying. 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,200 And some things started kind of rising up occurring to me. 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,000 And I'm, so I'm going to take a moment and just be transparent 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,400 with you. I've always had a bit of a 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,000 problem being positive about people who have achieved great 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,800 success in Ministry. It's probably born out of some 17 00:01:04,099 --> 00:01:07,000 feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. 18 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:12,000 Probably a defense mechanism. That's just inside of me. 19 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,800 So in the past you know, being in little churches for much of 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,400 my Ministry was so easy to prop myself up by finding fault, with 21 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:27,700 some aspect of what some of these other churches had done, 22 00:01:27,700 --> 00:01:32,700 you know, just a point out some you know, some some way that 23 00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:35,100 they had done something a little less than what they should have 24 00:01:35,100 --> 00:01:39,600 done, that all changed in my life in 2007. 25 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,600 When I was invited to go to a conference of ministers for 26 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,500 large churches, you see being we're being in West Central and 27 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:50,800 in Indiana where I was before here. 28 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,300 And then, here, this is not the same as Metro areas and things 29 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:58,900 along those lines. And so, whatever. 30 00:01:58,900 --> 00:02:01,400 I had done or whatever the church had done that, I was 31 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,300 serving went relatively unnoticed and then all of a 32 00:02:04,308 --> 00:02:08,400 sudden, it was noticed. And I was invited to this 33 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,300 conference and that was a very strange feeling for me because I 34 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:14,800 felt like an outsider, I felt inferior. 35 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,800 These people are walking around and they're like Titans to me. 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,700 They're like these larger-than-life personalities 37 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:25,200 on these big stages. And I don't know how to respond 38 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,100 and deep down inside my heart. You know, I knew that I'd had 39 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:33,600 these thoughts about them because, you know, of these 40 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,500 feelings that I have, but it was, Amazing, what happened? 41 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:43,900 They welcomed me and they encouraged me and they sat down 42 00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:45,900 with me and they were real with me. 43 00:02:45,900 --> 00:02:50,400 And it was a weird experience for me because I didn't know how 44 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,700 to deal with that. I had kind of used some of that 45 00:02:54,700 --> 00:03:00,000 negativity to kind of fuel me to like I'll Stick it to the Man, 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,700 you know, I'll show you and then all of a sudden you know there 47 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:08,400 I'm the man. And is weird. and but it would 48 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,300 have showed me in that experience was just how 49 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:16,000 self-focused that I had been and how that had fueled a complete 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,800 misunderstanding of those people that I now know, and I have 51 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:26,500 relationships with and I cherish them And I am so thankful that 52 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:29,900 God gave me the grace of that wake-up. 53 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:34,700 Call 15 years ago to show me how wrong I was and how I was 54 00:03:34,700 --> 00:03:37,500 limiting. The things that God wanted to do 55 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:41,200 in me and through me that having a network of people like that 56 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,800 around me that I could I could experience that. 57 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,600 Is that connecting with any of you that maybe you've kind of 58 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,400 done that as well or my just a total jerk up here. 59 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,200 Well, maybe I am but maybe you are too. 60 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:54,000 I don't. No. 61 00:03:55,100 --> 00:03:59,100 Well how many wonderful things are there about Jesus and 62 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:03,700 following him, that we may never see because there is something 63 00:04:04,100 --> 00:04:08,500 some obstacle in the way that blocks our ability to either see 64 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:13,100 him or that, which we, he would want us to see, because it would 65 00:04:13,100 --> 00:04:17,100 enhance our faith. Enhance our Effectiveness for 66 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:21,100 the kingdom of God, in our families, with our friends, with 67 00:04:21,100 --> 00:04:26,400 our coworkers, And I think John wants to point that out to us. 68 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:28,400 And that's really what I want to share today. 69 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,600 You know that John didn't write just the Book of John. 70 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,600 He wrote first second, third John, he wrote Revelation as 71 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,600 well, right. But when I you think of that 72 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,200 term Revelation or the revealing, I really feel like 73 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:45,800 that the Gospel of John is like a second Revelation because it's 74 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:51,000 revealing who Jesus really is. This is what I really appreciate 75 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,800 about John's gospel, is why I encourage People to read it 76 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,800 first when they're first discovering, what it means to 77 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,400 have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ 78 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:06,000 because it is so revealing about him in so many different layers 79 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,000 and levels. It's so this is go back two 80 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,500 weeks. Two weeks ago, I discussed this 81 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:16,900 Foundation that John lays for us that that Jesus isn't just his 82 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:20,000 best friend. He's not just a Rabbi, he's not 83 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,700 just a great teacher, not even just a savior. 84 00:05:22,900 --> 00:05:28,000 I mean he is God in human form. What a weighty concept, what a 85 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:33,700 huge concept, and he describes that by revealing, that that 86 00:05:33,700 --> 00:05:37,600 Jesus is the creator that he was part of that whole creative 87 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,800 process that he was the author of life. 88 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,000 Nothing was made without him, nothing exists, without him 89 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,700 that. He's the glory of God, the 90 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:51,200 representation of his glory. So if you want to witness the 91 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:55,700 glory of God, you look at Jesus. And that's how you connect with 92 00:05:55,700 --> 00:06:00,600 that that he's the light of the world that he gives light to, to 93 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,700 all the world. And and we. 94 00:06:02,700 --> 00:06:06,500 So we have these huge concepts of God being these so big, and 95 00:06:06,508 --> 00:06:10,800 Jesus being. So amazingly, large, the 96 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,700 vastness of the universe. And in the second week, we 97 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:17,300 discussed. How even with the vastness of 98 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:21,500 all that Jesus is just as much Lord of all the smallest of 99 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:25,700 things, the tiny things. Things that go unnoticed by 100 00:06:25,700 --> 00:06:28,200 everyone else. The people that would go 101 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:33,900 unnoticed by everyone else, except for him, and it reveals 102 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:38,400 so much about the character of Jesus, about the nature of 103 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,800 Jesus. And most of all the love of 104 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:47,700 Jesus that he has for us. So today John is going to lead 105 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:52,200 us into some more specific context to understand who his 106 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:57,200 best friend really is and he's going to use it in words that 107 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:02,300 Jesus used to describe himself. Like he went, you know, he's 108 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:05,600 Jesus, right? The son of man, right? 109 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,800 But he uses these terms, these descriptive terms these 110 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:15,500 personifications in the Book of John that really helped us to 111 00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:19,500 understand him better. They will reveal deeper truths 112 00:07:19,500 --> 00:07:23,700 about the person that we desire to have an intimate personal 113 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:32,300 relationship with so, John reveals this in his gospel. 114 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:39,700 Butts to so many people. He's revealing a Jesus that they 115 00:07:39,700 --> 00:07:44,900 never knew. They missed it and they missed 116 00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:48,800 him because there was some obstacle, in the way, some, some 117 00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:52,200 light that needed to be turned on a switch that needed to be 118 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,700 found on the wall so that they can see it. 119 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:58,000 So they could receive it. So they could receive Jesus. 120 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:02,700 But missed it. So here's the first one. 121 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,600 Jesus describes himself as the bread of life. 122 00:08:08,500 --> 00:08:09,900 How many of you heard that before that? 123 00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:13,900 Jesus is the bread of life. It's from John chapter 6, 124 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:18,300 verses, 32, and following. It says, Jesus said to them very 125 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:20,500 truly. I tell you it is not Moses who 126 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:21,900 has given you the bread from Heaven. 127 00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:25,500 That's that's a story of the manna that fed the nation of 128 00:08:25,500 --> 00:08:29,400 Israel in the wilderness but it is my father who gives you the 129 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:34,299 true bread from heaven. For the bread of God, is the 130 00:08:34,299 --> 00:08:37,799 bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the 131 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,900 world sir. They said, always give us this 132 00:08:40,900 --> 00:08:45,400 bread. Jesus, declared I am the bread 133 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,100 of life. I'm the bread is what he's 134 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:51,600 saying. Whoever comes to me will never 135 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,900 go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 136 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,800 Wow, big promise. Now, Jesus spoke these words at 137 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:07,100 the end of a 24-hour, period, that was packed with emotion, 138 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:13,600 that was packed with drama. And if you take the four gospels 139 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,100 and you look at this period of time, like you A Harmony of the 140 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:21,200 gospels, it'll Amaze. You what happens in a day in the 141 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,700 life of Jesus. You know, we have so many days 142 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:27,600 that go by and there really isn't much that happens, but 143 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,700 just take a moment and understand a day in the life of 144 00:09:30,700 --> 00:09:33,700 Jesus. So this happens in a morning. 145 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:36,600 So I want we want to go back to the previous morning, the 146 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,400 previous morning, Jesus is in the same town, he's in 147 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:45,500 Capernaum, and just got up, just start the day and he has 148 00:09:45,500 --> 00:09:48,700 Messengers that come to him. That tell him that John the 149 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:53,700 Baptist has been beheaded How's that for a great way to start 150 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:57,700 your day at Jesus, who done Ministry with him, he was 151 00:09:57,700 --> 00:09:59,700 related to him. They were cousins. 152 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,800 He was the herald. That announced the coming of the 153 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,800 king, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world in any 154 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:12,100 years that he's been beheaded. Not only does he hear that but 155 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:16,600 here's a threat that goes along with it that Herod has beheaded 156 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,100 John the Baptist and now he's coming for you. 157 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:25,600 How would you like to start your day that way and while he's 158 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:29,200 managing the truth of that a while back? 159 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,100 He's 72 out to be ambassadors to go, share the good news of the 160 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:37,900 kingdom of God, to heal to cast out demons and he gave him, this 161 00:10:37,900 --> 00:10:41,600 power to be able to do that in that very same day, right? 162 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,300 After he hears this about John, here they come over the hills 163 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,500 and it's not just 72. Oh no, they brought a whole 164 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:54,500 bunch of people with them about Sent, can you imagine that? 165 00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:58,000 I'm in the town of Capernaum was a town during Jesus time of 166 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,100 about 1,200 people. Can you imagine 20,000 people 167 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:06,400 converging on a town of 1,200? And you know what they want, 168 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,800 they want to see the man that they've heard about. 169 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,600 They want, they want to see him, do what they had seen, like, 170 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,700 some of that from the 72, they want to experience Jesus, and so 171 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,600 they drop everything, and they come all the way over to 172 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,100 Capernaum to see him. But, you know, Jesus is really 173 00:11:23,100 --> 00:11:27,300 not in the mood. He doesn't really want to spend 174 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:34,500 a lot of time with them. He wants some time to decompress 175 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:37,200 from what he's just hurt. So he tells his Apostles, let's 176 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,000 get in the boat. Let's go across the lake. 177 00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:42,800 Let's go across the Sea of Galilee which is like a big lake 178 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,300 and, and, and let's do that. And so he gets in the boat with 179 00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:49,500 his disciples. They go across the lake. 180 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:53,000 They're experienced fisherman, experienced in Saline. 181 00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:56,200 But, you know, those people are not going to be denied and they 182 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,300 walk across all the way on the shoreline very long way. 183 00:11:59,700 --> 00:12:02,400 Because They want time with Jesus. 184 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,400 Oh, Jesus gets out of the boat on the other side of the Sea of 185 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,200 Galilee and there's 20,000 people there. 186 00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:12,100 Great. So, instead of being able to 187 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:15,400 take a breath because of what he experienced early in the 188 00:12:15,408 --> 00:12:18,400 morning, he starts teaching and healing all day. 189 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,200 Now, you already know this about Jesus. 190 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,500 John's already revealed this, that Jesus wouldn't look at a 191 00:12:23,500 --> 00:12:25,200 crowd. Like, I'm looking at right now 192 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:30,100 and just go, all you are healed. He wouldn't do that. 193 00:12:31,300 --> 00:12:33,100 He would go to each one. Wouldn't he? 194 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,000 He'd hear their story? He would talk to them, he would 195 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,300 interact with them because he loved people that way, and then 196 00:12:41,300 --> 00:12:43,700 he would heal them and he would go to another one. 197 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:45,800 And he will, you go to another one and he would. 198 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,000 Can you imagine doing that all day? 199 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,600 Can you imagine teaching in between the healing? 200 00:12:50,700 --> 00:12:53,900 Can you imagine doing that all day long? 201 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,500 I mean, how tiring would that be especially when you started in 202 00:12:58,508 --> 00:13:02,300 this deficit position and so he does that all day long. 203 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:05,300 The Sun starts going down. The apostles tell Jesus. 204 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:08,800 You need to send these people away because they need to eat. 205 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:13,300 so Jesus says, you give him something to eat and they're 206 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:17,400 like, what do you We don't have any money, there's not a 207 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:18,700 Kentucky Fried Chicken around here. 208 00:13:18,700 --> 00:13:19,800 I don't know what we're going to do. 209 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,700 They find some kids got Five Loaves and two fishes in lunch. 210 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:30,000 They go. Here's what we found for 20,000 211 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:35,200 people. Jesus Takes Five Loaves and two 212 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:40,300 fish, and prays a prayer. And that food begins to 213 00:13:40,300 --> 00:13:43,500 multiply, they start handing it out. 214 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,600 Everyone gets their fill, the Bible, says 5,000 men. 215 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:51,400 Doesn't take into account, all the women, all the children. 216 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,500 Feeds all of them and when they take up the leftovers, there are 217 00:13:56,508 --> 00:14:00,400 twelve basketfuls of leftovers. Incredible. 218 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:05,600 Now it's getting really late and so Jesus tells his Apostles, why 219 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,900 don't you just get in the boat you go on back across over to 220 00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,400 Capernaum. I'm just going to spend some 221 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,000 time here in solitude Pray to my father. 222 00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:19,700 So they get in the boat but like it does on the Sea of Galilee 223 00:14:19,700 --> 00:14:23,300 often. There's a storm that rises up in 224 00:14:23,308 --> 00:14:27,400 a wind that rises up and even though they're experienced 225 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,300 fisherman and experienced in a boat and sailing, they can't 226 00:14:31,300 --> 00:14:36,900 make it back to Capernaum. So it's the Third Watch of the 227 00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:40,800 night, the middle of the night and they're looking out across 228 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:45,600 the waves and they see something, and it kind of freaks 229 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,600 them out. Of course, if you are out in the 230 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,300 middle of the night and there was a storm and you saw 231 00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:55,200 something In the middle of a body of water that would 232 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,100 probably freak you out as well. And the closer that whatever 233 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:02,600 this thing is gets, they begin to recognize that. 234 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,600 It's not a thing. It's a person and that person Is 235 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:11,400 Jesus walking on the water. Now, now when it's storming on 236 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,700 the Sea of Galilee, you're really not walking on the water, 237 00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:15,700 you're walking on the crest of waves. 238 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:20,400 And here he is. You have unit. 239 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,000 Gets close to the boat. They're trying to have a, 240 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,200 they're having a hard time deciding. 241 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,700 What should I be afraid? Should I be excited? 242 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:30,800 Should I be as what should I be? I don't know. 243 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:35,000 Well, Simon Peter that crazy dude he just says, Hey, Jesus 244 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,300 bid me to come on the waters. I can walk on the water with you 245 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:43,100 and Jesus was okay, come on. As long as he keeps his eyes on 246 00:15:43,100 --> 00:15:46,400 Jesus. He's walking on the water that 247 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:51,300 power of Jesus emanates to him and he has this ability to walk 248 00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:53,200 on water. But when he notices the wind and 249 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,500 the waves, he takes his eyes off. 250 00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:58,900 Jesus and Jesus has to perform a water rescue. 251 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,600 And get him out of the water back in the boat. 252 00:16:04,900 --> 00:16:08,300 Then Jesus has the ability to stop those waves and to get that 253 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:12,000 boat back to Capernaum, right? About Dawn. 254 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,700 And guess what's waiting for him on shore? 255 00:16:17,300 --> 00:16:19,700 Twenty thousand people looking for breakfast. 256 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:23,600 Fish. And chips was great last night. 257 00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:26,200 What do you do for breakfast? Jesus. 258 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,400 I want you to understand that in that 24 hour period, these 259 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,600 people were not Jesus enemies. He loved them. 260 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,200 He saw them as sheep without a Shepherd. 261 00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:44,000 He wanted to heal them. He wanted to teach them but like 262 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,000 us, Jesus in his Humanity was tired. 263 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,200 And yet he pushes it aside to minister to them. 264 00:16:52,300 --> 00:16:54,200 I just need for you to understand, they were not his 265 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,800 enemies. They weren't trying to hurt him 266 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,300 or discredit him or anything. And so then Jesus begins by 267 00:17:00,300 --> 00:17:04,500 teaching this truth, from John chapter 6, which sounds great at 268 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:07,800 the beginning, right? That I'm the bread of life. 269 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,800 If you eat this bread, you'll never be hungry. 270 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,700 Again, you'll never be thirsty again. 271 00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:17,200 And then he starts talking about who he is. 272 00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:20,200 Is and how that relates to the bread of life and it starts to 273 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:24,200 get weird. The the teaching starts to get 274 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,099 weird and he starts losing people. 275 00:17:26,300 --> 00:17:29,800 They start looking like your dog does when you talk to them. 276 00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:38,000 Like huh. And then he gets to this part 277 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,300 near the end of the John 6 bread of life sermon where he says 278 00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:44,900 this. Unless you eat my flesh and 279 00:17:44,900 --> 00:17:47,900 drink my blood, you have no life in you. 280 00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:51,900 But if you eat my flesh and drink, my sounds like a great 281 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:56,100 Halloween sermon, if you eat my flesh and drink, my blood, I 282 00:17:56,100 --> 00:17:59,600 will raise you up from Death to life on the last day. 283 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,100 And by that time, he's lost a mall. 284 00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:06,100 All of them because the Bible says they all left him, 20,000 285 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:11,200 people, Who are so excited to see him in a 24-hour period. 286 00:18:13,100 --> 00:18:17,900 All leave him. And mentally and emotionally the 287 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:23,300 12 leave him as well. Even the 12 now, they didn't 288 00:18:23,300 --> 00:18:27,800 leave leave Because Jesus asked him are you going to leave me as 289 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:29,800 well and they go why we are where we going to go? 290 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,400 What are we going to do? You have the words of life? 291 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,400 So the only difference between the 12 that stayed and the 292 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,500 20,000 that left Was that even though they didn't understood, 293 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:46,100 they weren't going to abandon Jesus, they stayed because of 294 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:49,800 what they did know about Jesus. You know what? 295 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,400 How does that apply to you? What is John want you to know 296 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,600 about you? Sometimes you're not going to 297 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,400 get the answers to your questions? 298 00:18:58,200 --> 00:18:59,900 Are you carrying some of those right now? 299 00:18:59,900 --> 00:19:02,600 Big at Big questions? That don't have answers God, 300 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,600 why, why did this happen to me? Why did this happen in my 301 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,800 family? Why is this occurring right now 302 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:10,900 in our world? Why is this happening in our 303 00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:13,400 community? Maybe there are these questions 304 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,400 that go out and you want answers and silence? 305 00:19:17,500 --> 00:19:20,800 You get no answer. Not at least right away. 306 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,400 Maybe we'll get it. Maybe will understand it when 307 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,700 we're a little older, maybe when we're more equipped to receive 308 00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:32,100 it. The apostles didn't get an 309 00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:36,300 answer. For the questions that rose up 310 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:38,700 in the bread of life sermon, but they got it later. 311 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,900 Three years later. They got it in the last 312 00:19:42,900 --> 00:19:46,500 passover. So Jesus is celebrating 313 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:48,600 Passover. To Eve is before right, before 314 00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:52,800 he dies on the cross, and there's bread and there's wine 315 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,600 that's used in the Passover meal and he lifts up the bread and he 316 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,100 breaks it. And he says this, this is my 317 00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:03,500 body. Which is broken for you. 318 00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:08,500 Take it, eat it. Do this in remembrance of me. 319 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:11,200 Don't you think some of those guys were going? 320 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:16,000 But you remember when he said, unless you eat my flesh and we 321 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:22,000 didn't get that After the meal, he lifts up the cup of wine and 322 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,700 he says, this is the blood of the New Covenant that I'm 323 00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:29,400 shedding for you. The you're shedding your blood, 324 00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:34,600 he didn't understand that. But he was calling the the wine 325 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,100 in the cup, his blood and he says drink all of it. 326 00:20:38,500 --> 00:20:43,300 It's a new covenant. And you have to think that the 327 00:20:43,300 --> 00:20:46,300 lights were coming on, like, oh, this was the thing that he told 328 00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:51,400 us about, and now I'm maybe beginning to understand what he 329 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:58,300 meant, but for the 20,000 people that didn't stay with Jesus, he 330 00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:01,000 was the Jesus that they never knew. 331 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,100 Not in this way. Only ones, only the ones who 332 00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:08,200 stayed had the privilege of understanding. 333 00:21:11,900 --> 00:21:14,600 I don't want Jesus and John doesn't want Jesus to be the 334 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,300 Jesus, you never knew. Do you know him as the bread of 335 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:21,700 life? Is he your bread of life? 336 00:21:22,100 --> 00:21:26,700 Is he your daily bread? When he was being tempted by the 337 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:31,100 devil and the devil commanded him to make stone make stones 338 00:21:31,100 --> 00:21:34,700 and change them into bread? He said, man shall not live by 339 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:38,300 bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of 340 00:21:38,300 --> 00:21:40,300 God. Is he your word? 341 00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:45,500 Is that word that proceeds from his mouth better than bread to 342 00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:49,700 you? Or is he the Jesus? 343 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:58,300 You never knew. Second one living water look at 344 00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:01,900 John chapter 7, verses 37 and following on the last and 345 00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:05,700 greatest day of the festival. Jesus, stood and said, in a loud 346 00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:08,000 voice. Let anyone who is thirsty? 347 00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:14,000 Come to me, and drink whoever believes in me, as the scripture 348 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:18,700 has said, rivers of Living Water will flow from within, then he 349 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:21,600 calls himself The Living Water by this. 350 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,800 He meant the spirit whom those who believed. 351 00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:27,500 Him were two later receive up to that time. 352 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:31,400 The spirit had not been given you know, if it had overshadowed 353 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,400 people but it never indwelt anyone. 354 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,300 Since Jesus had not yet been glorified which means died been 355 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:42,000 buried, and rose from the dead on hearing these words. 356 00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:45,000 Some of the people said, surely this man is a prophet. 357 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,400 Other said, he's the Messiah still others. 358 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:50,700 How can the Messiah Come From Galilee? 359 00:22:50,700 --> 00:22:52,300 I love this. It tells you how much people 360 00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:55,700 didn't know about, Jesus? Does not the scripture. 361 00:22:55,700 --> 00:22:59,200 Say the Messiah will come from David's, descendants, which by 362 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,200 the way he did, and you can read that in Matthew, 1 and Luke 3, 363 00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:06,400 and from Bethlehem, the town were Jesus live, which you can 364 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,600 read in Luke 2, right? That's the people were divided. 365 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,700 They were arguing even though Jesus was from Bethlehem, they 366 00:23:14,700 --> 00:23:17,300 were arguing, some wanted to seize him. 367 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:22,400 But no one laid a hand on him, this happened at the Feast of 368 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,700 booths or the Feast of Tabernacles. 369 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,400 That was a commanded feast in the Old Testament and it was 370 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:34,100 designed To help the Israelites. Remember when God was with them 371 00:23:34,100 --> 00:23:38,700 in the wilderness, When they were living in tents and and 372 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:41,500 they all encamped around the Tabernacle that's makeshift 373 00:23:41,500 --> 00:23:44,700 Temple. And God was there with them and 374 00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:48,700 he was a pillar of fire night and he was a cloud by day. 375 00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:53,800 And so you remember that that's how he provided warmth and 376 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,400 that's in a desert and that's how he provided shade In the 377 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,200 Heat of the day time. And of course the manna that 378 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,100 fell down from heaven, you know man. 379 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:05,300 It doesn't mean bread. It means what is it? 380 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,100 Did you know that? That's that I'm not kidding. 381 00:24:08,700 --> 00:24:10,200 It's Hebrew for. What is it? 382 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:19,400 Mana. So they were remembering, this 383 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,600 Feast, you may also remember that when they were in the 384 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:27,000 wilderness when they were thirsty, God told Moses to speak 385 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:28,900 to Iraq. This is really kind of 386 00:24:28,900 --> 00:24:30,600 interesting. You know, I want you to speak to 387 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,800 a rock really, they're thirsty. You want me talking to a rock? 388 00:24:34,300 --> 00:24:36,700 Yeah. Speak to a rock and then I'm 389 00:24:36,700 --> 00:24:41,200 going to bring water out of it. But instead of doing what God 390 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:46,100 Said, Moses took his staff and struck the Rock and then took 391 00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:49,600 credit away from God. Because he said, shall I bring 392 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,200 water out of this rock for you? He couldn't bring. 393 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:58,300 You couldn't do that. And for that reason, God 394 00:24:58,300 --> 00:25:01,700 punished him disciplined him and said, he could look into the 395 00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:04,200 promised land, but he was not going to be allowed to go in. 396 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,200 So here in the story of Jesus Calling himself the Water of 397 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:14,000 Life, you actually see this Feast is Festival actually being 398 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,400 fulfilled. Jesus is God in human form. 399 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,900 John's already told you that and he is living with these people. 400 00:25:20,900 --> 00:25:23,400 He is dwelling with these people. 401 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:27,300 God, with us Emmanuel. He's there. 402 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,700 Right in the wilderness of their lives. 403 00:25:33,300 --> 00:25:36,000 In the thirstiness of their souls. 404 00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:40,400 And he says, I'm the Living Water. 405 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,100 If you drink of me, you will never be thirsty again. 406 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,500 John further relates that Jesus was referring not just to 407 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:53,400 himself, but to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God that was 408 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,200 coming. But how many of them would be 409 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:01,300 there when he was teaching this on, the Feast of booths of the 410 00:26:01,300 --> 00:26:03,900 Feast of Tabernacles? How many of them would be there 411 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,900 at Pentecost? After Jesus had risen? 412 00:26:07,100 --> 00:26:10,700 Ascended into heaven. When the Holy Spirit actually 413 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:15,000 did come down. Once again. 414 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:18,400 That would be the Jesus. They never knew. 415 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:24,600 Because intimacy with Jesus comes when we receive the Holy 416 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,700 Spirit, even if they heard him, talk about the Water of Life, 417 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:33,700 unless they had experienced, the reality of that coming to past, 418 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,000 they would never know. Him, that way only the ones who 419 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,300 invited the Holy Spirit to come into their life, would 420 00:26:41,300 --> 00:26:45,700 understand how a River of Life could flow from them. 421 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,000 See, that's what the that's what Peter said in the very first 422 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,100 sermon. We just sang about how how the 423 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,000 Church of Christ was born in the spirit. 424 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,200 Lit, the flame. Did you hear those words? 425 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,600 When they all looked at Peter and the rest of the Apostles and 426 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,200 said, what do we do? And he said, repent and be 427 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,600 baptized every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ, for 428 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:13,300 the remission of your sins and you will receive the gift of the 429 00:27:13,300 --> 00:27:17,700 Holy Spirit. And 3000 said, yes. 430 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,500 That day. But for everyone else. 431 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:27,500 It was the Jesus. That they never knew is Jesus 432 00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:31,900 your living water? Is he making the desert of your 433 00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:35,200 life Bloom? Is he making the desert of your 434 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,800 past Bloom? Is he the fountain that washes 435 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:43,100 away your sins. Or is he the Jesus you never 436 00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:47,200 knew. Third illustration, that John 437 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:51,100 gives us Jesus calls himself, the light of the world, John 438 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:54,800 8:12, to 14, when Jesus spoke again to the people. 439 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,300 He said, I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will 440 00:27:58,300 --> 00:28:01,900 never walk in darkness, but will have the light of Life. 441 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:07,700 The Pharisees challenged him. Here you are appearing as your 442 00:28:07,700 --> 00:28:11,200 own witness. Your testimony is not valid 443 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,400 basically calling him a liar. Jesus answered, even if I Fie on 444 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:19,000 my own behalf. My testimony is valid for I know 445 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,400 where I came from and I know where I'm going. 446 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:28,100 You see they didn't He did they didn't but you have no idea 447 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,100 where I came from or where I'm going. 448 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,500 No, they didn't know about him and they didn't know about 449 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:36,700 themselves. Jesus answered, even if I 450 00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:40,700 testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid for. 451 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:43,100 I know where I came from and I know where I'm going. 452 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,800 You have no idea where I come from or where I'm going. 453 00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:49,800 You see, Jesus is teaching and he's being challenged by the 454 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,700 Pharisees which was common during his ministry and he 455 00:28:54,700 --> 00:28:59,100 promises this awesome thing. You'll Never Walk in darkness, 456 00:28:59,100 --> 00:29:03,200 you'll have the light of life See the truth about these 457 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,400 Pharisees was they were walking in darkness. 458 00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:09,300 They were walking in darkness and they didn't have any light 459 00:29:09,300 --> 00:29:12,700 to share with anyone and they didn't have any life to share 460 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,400 with anyone. We go on in John 8, verse 19 to 461 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,200 20, and they asked him. Where is your father? 462 00:29:18,700 --> 00:29:23,000 You do not know me or my father. Jesus replied. 463 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:27,300 If you knew me you would know my father also talking about the 464 00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:30,500 darkness that they're walking in and the fact I have no life or 465 00:29:30,500 --> 00:29:33,600 light to give he spoke these words while teaching in the 466 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,700 temple courts near the place where the offerings were put 467 00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:39,900 yet. No one sees him because his hour 468 00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:43,800 had not yet. Come look at the 27th of the 469 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:48,900 30th verse They did not understand that he was telling 470 00:29:48,900 --> 00:29:53,400 them about his father. So Jesus said, when you have 471 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,400 lifted up the son of man, you know what? 472 00:29:55,400 --> 00:30:00,200 That's referring to you, right? The cross then you'll know that 473 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:04,300 I'm, he and that I do nothing on my own but I speak just what the 474 00:30:04,308 --> 00:30:08,700 father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me, 475 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:12,300 he's not left me alone. For I always do what pleases 476 00:30:12,300 --> 00:30:16,300 him. Even as he spoke many believed 477 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:24,000 in him. when you get the most benefit of a light, Is it is it 478 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,600 when you like hold it down, maybe if you want to look at 479 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:29,300 something really close. But if you really want that 480 00:30:29,300 --> 00:30:32,900 light to have an effect on the space that's around you, you 481 00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:38,900 lift it up, right? And when Jesus was lifted up on 482 00:30:38,900 --> 00:30:43,200 that cross, for those who believed him, he was a beacon of 483 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:49,700 light, a beacon of light of lot of life, and of hope that was 484 00:30:49,700 --> 00:30:55,700 sent out into the whole world. But only received by those who 485 00:30:55,700 --> 00:31:02,300 believed him for the Pharisees. This was the Jesus they never 486 00:31:02,300 --> 00:31:05,500 knew. And they never knew him because 487 00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:09,700 they valued the darkness that was around me. 488 00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:17,600 Is this how you know, Jesus? Is he the light of Your World? 489 00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:22,600 Is he dispelling? The darkness that's around. 490 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,000 You is he illuminating your path? 491 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,800 Is he the light that is lifted up on a cross to enable you to 492 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,600 see the world as it truly is and yourself as you truly are. 493 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:38,900 Or is he the Jesus you never knew. 494 00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:46,600 You see what John's doing? He's helping you to understand 495 00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:52,100 Jesus bread of life, living water light of the world, one 496 00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:56,400 more. The Good Shepherd, we read about 497 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,700 this in John 10. I'm the Good Shepherd. 498 00:31:59,700 --> 00:32:04,400 The Good Shepherd, lays down his life for the Sheep, so he's 499 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:08,600 prophesying about his death. The Hired Hand is not the 500 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,500 shepherd and does not own the Sheep. 501 00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:13,900 So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons, the sheep and runs 502 00:32:13,900 --> 00:32:17,200 away, then the wolf attacks in the flock, the flock, and 503 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,400 scatters it. The man runs away because he's a 504 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,400 Hired Hand cares. Nothing for the Sheep. 505 00:32:24,300 --> 00:32:26,700 I'm the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep. 506 00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:30,700 My sheep know me just as the father knows me. 507 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:34,500 And I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep. 508 00:32:35,500 --> 00:32:38,200 I have other sheep that are not from this sheep in. 509 00:32:38,500 --> 00:32:42,500 That's you because, you know, this ministry was to the Jews, 510 00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:44,300 but he wasn't coming just for the Jews. 511 00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:47,800 He was coming for the whole world Gentiles as well. 512 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:52,200 I must bring them also that should bring us to They too 513 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,100 will. Listen to my voice and there 514 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:56,300 shall be one flock, and one Shepherd. 515 00:32:56,300 --> 00:32:59,600 And that beautiful, the reason, my father loves me, is that I 516 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,900 lay down my life, only to take it up again, that's powerful. 517 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:07,100 No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own accord. 518 00:33:07,300 --> 00:33:10,400 I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up. 519 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:16,900 Again, this command I received from my father, now, shepherding 520 00:33:16,900 --> 00:33:21,700 was familiar, very familiar to the nation of Israel. 521 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:24,700 It was in their culture, goes all the way back 1,000 years 522 00:33:24,700 --> 00:33:30,000 before this, even before that. But it was really made a part of 523 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:33,400 their culture, when David, who was a Shepherd boy, became a 524 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,500 king and wrote things like the Lord is my shepherd. 525 00:33:36,500 --> 00:33:39,500 I shall not want. And he goes on. 526 00:33:39,500 --> 00:33:44,300 So it became a symbol of God leading His People, Israel. 527 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,400 Now I'm Ask you a question from what position? 528 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:52,400 Does a shepherd shepherd. His sheep. 529 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:57,800 How does he lead his sheep? Some of you might think, well, 530 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:02,200 he leads from the front because he knows the way to go and the 531 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,500 Sheep follow aft. And if you if you say he that 532 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:07,900 the shepherd leads from the front, you're exactly right. 533 00:34:07,900 --> 00:34:10,199 He does. He leads from the front. 534 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:12,800 You know why? Because the Sheep knows Shepherd 535 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,800 and they trust the shepherd. And so wherever he leads, they 536 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:21,100 follow because they know that he sustains them, he sustains them 537 00:34:21,100 --> 00:34:24,900 with Green Pastures, he sustains them was Still Waters. 538 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:30,300 He he Them by having leading them to Safe places. 539 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,900 Some of you like I knew, I thought I knew that answer, 540 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,699 right? Some of you are like, oh man, I 541 00:34:38,699 --> 00:34:42,300 thought I've seen pictures where the Sheep are in front and the 542 00:34:42,300 --> 00:34:44,199 shepherd is actually behind them. 543 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,699 So if you thought that the shepherd leads from behind, 544 00:34:48,699 --> 00:34:50,800 guess what? You're exactly right. 545 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,200 Because it's that way. He's able to minister to the 546 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,600 Sheep. When their obstinate, any 547 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:04,200 obstinate sheep in the room, any obstinance sheep and it left her 548 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,800 locations online or inside. Oh yeah, we can definitely be 549 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:11,000 obstinate. We can be you prideful. 550 00:35:11,100 --> 00:35:14,600 We can be egocentric. We want what we want and we can 551 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,500 get distracted, you know, sheep or not, really, particularly 552 00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:21,300 intelligent animals, they are they look down and they see 553 00:35:21,300 --> 00:35:24,600 grass and they go. And then they eat and then they 554 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,600 move a little forward. There's some grass and they eat 555 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,900 and then they poop and then they eat it, some more. 556 00:35:31,300 --> 00:35:34,000 And when you're, when you're living your life with your head 557 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,200 down all the time, it's easy to get distracted and then to get 558 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,800 lost, right? And so when the shepherd is 559 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:45,000 behind, he's able to watch for that. 560 00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:48,300 And if the Shepherd of the sheep start going this way, or that 561 00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:51,300 way, he's able to him, them back in and keep them in the 562 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:55,900 protection of the full flock, he keeps his eyes on them and he 563 00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:59,600 protects them actually from themselves, right? 564 00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:03,400 Some of you are really, really clever. 565 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,500 When I ask that question and you didn't think either in front or 566 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:11,400 behind, you know, you're that you're that like extra special 567 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,900 person. Who said, I think that the 568 00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:21,300 shepherd is beside The Sheep. You're exactly right. 569 00:36:22,900 --> 00:36:26,500 He is beside the Sheep, that's why he carries his rod and 570 00:36:26,500 --> 00:36:31,200 staff, because if there's some Predator that wants to come in, 571 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,200 he makes he puts himself in between the predator and the 572 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:36,500 prey. Right. 573 00:36:36,900 --> 00:36:41,700 And he uses that rod and staff to fight off the predator. 574 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:44,100 And because he's right there with them. 575 00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:49,200 Next to them, he's reassuring them with his closeness that 576 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,700 they know he's willing to die for them. 577 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,800 You might be saying, well, wait a minute, Jerry a shipper can 578 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:57,700 only be at one place at one time, right? 579 00:36:57,700 --> 00:37:00,300 So, maybe they move from one place to another, depending on 580 00:37:00,300 --> 00:37:04,500 the circumstances and you'd be right in every case, except for 581 00:37:04,500 --> 00:37:09,500 one, because our Good Shepherd can be in all three places at 582 00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:14,400 once he can lead us from front, he can lead us from behind and 583 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,400 walk behind beside us at the same time. 584 00:37:18,300 --> 00:37:21,600 But for those religious leaders, this was the Jesus. 585 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,900 They never knew. Jesus was leading. 586 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:29,700 But they were not going to follow. 587 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,900 I want to ask you today is Jesus. 588 00:37:33,900 --> 00:37:38,500 The Shepherd of your soul. Is he directing your path from 589 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,900 before you? Is he hitting you in from behind 590 00:37:41,900 --> 00:37:44,100 you. Is he protecting you from being? 591 00:37:44,100 --> 00:37:47,700 Besides you does he open the gate for you so that, you know, 592 00:37:47,700 --> 00:37:51,300 that you're a part of his flock? Is he the one who lays down his 593 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:54,500 life for you so that you could be saved? 594 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:57,000 Or is he the Jesus? You never knew. 595 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:06,000 Ultimately John gives you these forward pictures that Jesus 596 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,700 provided him so that you'll know him better. 597 00:38:12,300 --> 00:38:16,100 I want you. To be my bread of life. 598 00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:21,800 I want you to be the Living Water that not just flows into 599 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:26,200 me, but out of me through me and out of me to a world that's 600 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:30,500 parched with thirst. I want you to be my light, the 601 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:36,100 light of my world so that I see it and you and myself as it 602 00:38:36,100 --> 00:38:42,500 truly is and I want you to be my good shepherd, Because I can't 603 00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:44,600 get to my destination without you. 604 00:38:45,900 --> 00:38:48,900 This is how, you know, Jesus, intimately. 605 00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:53,800 And personally and I want to ask you what obstacle is in the way 606 00:38:53,800 --> 00:39:00,100 of you seeing him. And following him right now so 607 00:39:00,100 --> 00:39:03,300 that he can be the Jesus, you knew. 608 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,100 We're moving to a time, a decision. 609 00:39:12,100 --> 00:39:16,600 Some of you going. That's like five chapters from 610 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,900 The Book of John there. Yeah, it's a lot because you 611 00:39:19,900 --> 00:39:24,400 could you could do a series of sermons on a half a verse In 612 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,600 John, but maybe this is good for us to get the big picture. 613 00:39:29,900 --> 00:39:32,200 I would imagine that. There's some people here in this 614 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:36,400 room today. That you might know about Jesus. 615 00:39:37,500 --> 00:39:40,100 You might have some Notions about Jesus. 616 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,700 Beliefs about religion and how that should fit in your life. 617 00:39:48,700 --> 00:39:56,600 so, did all of those people that never knew him They had some 618 00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:01,500 presuppositions about Jesus. whether it applied to Healing, 619 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:10,600 teaching the next meal, Right, but they never really knew. 620 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,000 You're here today and you don't have an intimate personal 621 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:19,700 relationship with Jesus Christ. Don't let this day end. 622 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,400 With Jesus being the Jesus, you never knew. 623 00:40:25,700 --> 00:40:32,500 Make this day that day. the day that you refuse to leave, even 624 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:36,600 if you didn't understand, even if it doesn't, all make sense to 625 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:42,000 you, The day that you say, I want to have a relationship with 626 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,500 you because where else am I going to go? 627 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,300 You have the words of Life Jesus, there's going to be 628 00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:51,600 somebody right over there by that baptistry, that would love 629 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:55,800 nothing more than to talk to you about your next steps walking 630 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,600 with the Lord. And this day will be the most 631 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,100 pivotal important day of your life. 632 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:06,100 And there's only one obstacle standing in the way of you and 633 00:41:06,100 --> 00:41:12,300 that outcome. And that's you So, maybe today 634 00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:16,300 is the day you get yourself out of the way and let Jesus have 635 00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:21,300 his way. For many of you here today 636 00:41:21,900 --> 00:41:25,500 you're saying I can't, I don't I know Jesus that way. 637 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:30,500 I know him that way and I think well, that's fantastic, that's 638 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:33,900 great. But I wonder right now. 639 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:42,000 How you're actually feeling if you search your soul, are you 640 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:45,400 thirsty? Do you feel like that you're in 641 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:48,200 a dry land? Does your life feel parts right 642 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,900 now? Do you need to be reminded? 643 00:41:53,500 --> 00:41:59,000 That he has a River of Life that he can flow into you and they 644 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:03,100 can proceed out of you. Are you hungry? 645 00:42:04,700 --> 00:42:07,500 Maybe not for the things of this world and you can satisfy that 646 00:42:07,500 --> 00:42:11,300 with lunch in a little bit. But I'm talking about the things 647 00:42:11,300 --> 00:42:16,600 that satisfy for all time. Are you hungry? 648 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:22,700 I need something substantial. I'm not up here. 649 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,000 To make you feel better about yourself. 650 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,400 I'm not up here to give you therapy. 651 00:42:27,700 --> 00:42:31,700 I'm here for one reason, and that is to tell you the word of 652 00:42:31,700 --> 00:42:34,300 God, because that's the only thing that will change you. 653 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,900 And Jesus is the only thing that will change you. 654 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,500 And the Holy Spirit is the only thing that will change you. 655 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:47,600 Not me, not this church him. And that's where the power comes 656 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:52,400 from, from his word. And right now you might be 657 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:56,200 feeling hungry or thirsty or you might feel like you're stumbling 658 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:58,700 around in the darkness because you've been playing where the 659 00:42:58,700 --> 00:43:02,000 darkness and the light come together a little too long and 660 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,700 I'm telling you come up here, you get down on your knees and 661 00:43:04,700 --> 00:43:07,500 you tell the Lord, I want you to be my living bread. 662 00:43:07,500 --> 00:43:09,000 I want you to be my Living Water. 663 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:12,400 I want you to light my world and he'll be your Shepherd. 664 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:21,400 He's there right now. He's with you right now in this 665 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:30,300 room right now. I want you to consider that. 666 00:43:30,300 --> 00:43:35,400 Would you stand with me? Take advantage of this moment. 667 00:43:37,900 --> 00:43:43,200 let this be the moment where, you know, Jesus Heavenly father, 668 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,700 I pray in Jesus name that you would all the obstacles. 669 00:43:48,300 --> 00:43:53,100 All of the inadequacies, all the insecurities, all the ego, all 670 00:43:53,100 --> 00:43:56,300 the pride. All of the stuff that we bring 671 00:43:56,300 --> 00:44:00,000 into this room right now. Father, would you let it fall? 672 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,200 Would you tear it apart? Like you did the veil in the 673 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:09,400 temple? So that we can just see your 674 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:13,800 son. And run to him. 675 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:20,200 And let him do what only he can do in Jesus name. 676 00:44:20,900 --> 00:44:17,400 Amen. And let him do what only he can 677 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:21,500 do in Jesus name. Amen.