1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,760 It's wonderful to be here with all of you today, and we welcome 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,240 you to the assembly and we're glad that you're here. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,200 And we have several of our number that are traveling and 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,680 perhaps that are ill and some that are up north at the Labor 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,440 Day meeting, the church meeting up north. 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,600 That's every year. And so, as I mentioned last 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,040 time, because of that, we're going to deviate from our series 8 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,360 and that is on the last 40 days or the 40 days that Jesus spent 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,360 with his disciples from the time that he rose from the dead until 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,480 the time that he ascended to his father for the last time in Acts 11 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:38,600 chapter 1. So we're going to deviate from 12 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,120 our series for just a week. Pick it up next time, next 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Sunday. But what I thought I would do is 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,160 I thought I would talk on one of the seven I am statements of 15 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:49,760 Jesus. It was the very first one that 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,280 he made in the Gospel of John. And you might remember that I 17 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,480 gave this series several years ago. 18 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,560 In fact, it was quite a while ago before I even got sick. 19 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,400 I began this series on the seven I am statements of Jesus, and 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,440 this is the first one. Now, what I've done is I've kind 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,360 of reworked and redone this sermon. 22 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,560 I've actually studied it a little deeper and came up with a 23 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,280 few more things, and perhaps these things would be edifying 24 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,400 and encouraging to you. What's interesting is in John 25 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,400 chapter 6 and verses 28 through 35, which is our introductory 26 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,720 text, it goes back. That is actually the New 27 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,440 Testament fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy or the Old 28 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,760 Testament picture or background found in Exodus 16, Deuteronomy 29 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,080 chapter 8, and Psalm 78. And I'm saying all that to say 30 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,560 this, the whole Bible is about Jesus. 31 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,360 The Old Testament is about Jesus. 32 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,720 And all of those prophetic types or pictures or shadows in the 33 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,720 Old Testament, they were all fulfilled by Jesus Christ 34 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,040 himself. And when it comes to the bread 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,320 that come down from heaven, Jesus was the ultimate 36 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,480 fulfillment of that. And we're going to study that in 37 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,800 our lesson this morning. John chapter 6, beginning in 38 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,600 verse 28. Then they said to him, What 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,040 shall we do that we may we may work the works of God? 40 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,400 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that 41 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:23,080 you believe in him whom he said. Therefore they said to him, What 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,920 sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe you, 43 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,960 what work will you do? Our fathers ate the manna in the 44 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,200 desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,160 to eat. Then Jesus said to them, Most 46 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,080 assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from 47 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,640 heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 48 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,840 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives 49 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,480 life to the world. Then they said to him, Lord, 50 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,880 give us this bread. And Jesus said to them, I am the 51 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,800 bread of life. He who comes to me shall never 52 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,200 hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 53 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,880 Just a little bit of a background here of this dialogue 54 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,800 and in context, Jesus is talking to Jewish people that 55 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,200 misunderstood. He was talking to Jewish people 56 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,240 that many of them were following Jesus. 57 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,800 And I'm just going to say it like this for the wrong reason. 58 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,600 And you know, sometimes people can follow Jesus today even for 59 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,160 the wrong reasons. And one of those reasons that's 60 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,800 wrong is when you're just trying to get something for yourself. 61 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,720 There were many that were Jewish people that were following Jesus 62 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,720 back then. And this is the set, this is the 63 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,360 setting of the narrative. They were following Jesus 64 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,400 because he fed them. And in particular, how about the 65 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:52,080 5000 when he fed 5000 with five barley loaves and two fishes? 66 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,600 So Jesus did that a long time ago, and there were a lot of 67 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,600 people that followed him for the wrong reason. 68 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,240 This is very shocking, though. This is the end of the Galilean 69 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,640 ministry of Jesus. Jesus taught Jewish people in 70 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,800 the synagogue in Capernaum, and now he's going to call himself 71 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,920 with this phrase, I am the bread of life. 72 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,480 As I mentioned in our introduction, this is the first 73 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,959 of the seven I am statements of Jesus, and here's all of them. 74 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:24,320 In the Gospel of John. He said I'm the bread of life. 75 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,080 Then he said I'm the light of the world. 76 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,240 He said I'm the door or the gate. 77 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,360 He said I am the Good Shepherd. He said I am the resurrection 78 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,280 and the life. He said I am the way, the truth 79 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,760 and the life. And finally, the last one, He 80 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,160 said I am the true vine. OK. 81 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,000 This was not the only time though, that Jesus called 82 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,440 himself I am or use that phrase. And I'm going to be very brief 83 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,240 about this because we just studied this when we talked 84 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,440 about when Jesus was arrested in the garden. 85 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,600 I'm just going to mention something and I'm going to throw 86 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,440 it out there first because I want to make a point. 87 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,920 This is what we already know and what we've already studied. 88 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:07,840 Then I want to make a point about that notice. 89 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,000 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops and 90 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,640 officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with 91 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:20,440 lanterns, torches, and weapons. This, we understand, is when 92 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,480 Jesus was arrested, and here comes Judas Iscariot, the great 93 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,680 betrayer. He makes a deal with the devil. 94 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,000 He said whosoever I kiss, that's him. 95 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,120 Lay hold on him. We all know the story, right? 96 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,680 Well, here comes Judas out in front, and he comes with a 97 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,880 detachment of troops. Hold that thought for just a 98 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,320 moment. He also came with officers from 99 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,480 the chief priests and the Pharisees, which really could be 100 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,800 summed up as the temple police. And they're coming to arrest 101 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,800 Jesus, and they're coming with lanterns and torches. 102 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,520 Here's the irony. In search of the light of the 103 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,840 world. And they came with weapons in 104 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:04,360 search of the Prince of Peace. What a tremendous 105 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,160 misunderstanding and misinterpretation of who Jesus 106 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,240 was. Notice this phrase. 107 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,600 Detachment of troops means Roman cohort. 108 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:19,080 Now Roman armies were made-up of legions and one Roman legion was 109 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,960 10 cohorts and 10 cohorts was 5000 men. 110 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:28,440 SO1 cohort that came for Jesus that day was about 500 men. 111 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,320 And like one scholar said one time, that's a whole lot of guys 112 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,440 that are coming to look for a Galilean Carpenter and his 113 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,120 friends. And I say it like that, not by 114 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,600 way of disrespect to the Lord. I'm saying it that way because 115 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,120 that's all they recognize Jesus was when they came to arrest 116 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:45,360 him. All right, here's my point. 117 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,760 When they came, notice what happened. 118 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,760 Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon him, 119 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,520 went forward and said to them, whom are you seeking? 120 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:00,040 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus said to them, I 121 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,920 am he. And Judas who betrayed him also 122 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,040 stood with them. When he said to them, I am He, 123 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,440 they drew back and they fell to the ground. 124 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,880 Notice in the original this word is not there. 125 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,880 The word He and the word he in this verse 2, it's an italics 126 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,960 meaning it was added by the translators. 127 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,760 It doesn't do any injustice to the context because it's 128 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,960 referring to Jesus. But in the original, it doesn't 129 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:31,320 say that Jesus says I am he. In the original it says I am. 130 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:39,640 How about that? And when he said that, they drew 131 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:45,200 back and they fell to the ground unfazed. 132 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,200 They get bad. They bounce right back up. 133 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,680 By the way, here's the point I'm trying to make. 134 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,280 There's something that's obvious here, and there's something that 135 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,520 is not obvious. Here's the obvious point. 136 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,520 The obvious point is Jesus was protecting his disciples. 137 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,200 How do I know that? Because in the very next verse, 138 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,320 Jesus asked them again after they picked themselves up off 139 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,680 the ground, He said, I'm asking you again who you're looking 140 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:11,200 for. They said, Jesus of Nazareth. 141 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,080 Jesus says I already told you that I am. 142 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,400 And because of that he said, let these go. 143 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,040 So the obvious part is he was protecting him them. 144 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:29,520 What's the nuts obvious part? He was protecting them with the 145 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,840 name of God, the power of the name of God. 146 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,080 Here's another example too, by the way. 147 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,880 Remember when Jesus says I'm the light of the world? 148 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,039 When Jesus says I am the light of the world, when he said I am, 149 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,800 it means I am deity. I am God the Son, not meaning 150 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,720 not God the Father, but God the Son. 151 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:53,600 When he said I am the light of the world, that means I am the 152 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:55,320 Messiah. You put those two together. 153 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,280 What do you have? Jesus said I am the divine 154 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:03,240 Messiah. OK, so the I am statements are 155 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,360 efforts on the part of the Lord to make clear that he is deity, 156 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:10,840 that he is God, and he uses metaphors to describe his nature 157 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,520 and his work. So in our sermon, he's talking 158 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,600 to Jewish people and he presents a very important claim number 1. 159 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:25,440 He says I am from God. And #2 He said, if you want 160 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:30,520 eternal life, you have to eat my flesh and you have to drink my 161 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,520 blood. I'm going to ask you to do 162 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,040 something for me. Please, please do not draw a 163 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,760 conclusion as to what Jesus meant when He says you got to 164 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,560 eat my flesh and drink my blood. We're going to get to that 165 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:45,760 later, I promise, in great detail. 166 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,800 But whatever thoughts are going through your mind about what you 167 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,520 think that might be, maybe just set that aside for now and we 168 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,480 will get to that. What did the Jews understand? 169 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,760 Number one, they understood the concept or the idea or the 170 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,800 thought of eternal life. Here comes Jesus and he says I 171 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,000 am the only means of eternal life. 172 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:08,600 In John 6 and 35, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. 173 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,680 He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in 174 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:18,400 me shall never thirst. OK, Jesus took Old Testament 175 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:24,080 background of of bread for God's people and now he claims to be I 176 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:29,000 am the bread of life. OK, I got to say, if I were to 177 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:34,760 ask anybody in this audience, where was Jesus born, everybody 178 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,880 knows the answer. Everybody knows it's Bethlehem. 179 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:42,920 But you know what the Hebrew, what Bethlehem means in Hebrew, 180 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,920 Bethlehem means House of bread in Hebrew. 181 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:51,680 I don't think there's an exact there that's an exact an 182 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:53,080 accident at all. I don't think that's a 183 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,560 coincidence whatsoever. Notice Jesus says I am the bread 184 00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:00,920 of life. He says I came from heaven, but 185 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,000 He was born in a place that was actually called the House of 186 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,880 bread. I don't think that's by 187 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,640 happenstance or coincidence at all. 188 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:12,000 OK, so here we go with our sermon in John chapter 6, 189 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,240 beginning in verse 32. There's a very long narrative, a 190 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,080 very long passage that Jesus preaches, but it can be divided 191 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:25,440 in two very familiar components #1 divine provision of the 192 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:26,880 bread. What do we mean by that? 193 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,800 And by the way, in our lesson, so don't get scared. 194 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,320 I'm not going to continue my speech until midnight, OK? 195 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,880 We're going to spend the majority of the time on the 196 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,280 divine provision of the bread. That's number one. 197 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,960 So when we spend a lot of time, we finally get to #2 we're 198 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,360 actually getting toward the conclusion of our lesson. 199 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,920 Notice two things, The entire narrative, and we'll stretch out 200 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,640 this narrative and look at this narrative, but #1 the divine 201 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,560 provision of the bread #2 the human appropriation of the 202 00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:02,080 bread. What does that mean? 203 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,960 Appropriation. It's a fancy word that means 204 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,920 taking something for one's own use. 205 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:11,560 In other words, devoting to a special purpose. 206 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,160 So God's provision of the bread, that's God's part. 207 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:20,480 But man has to do something with the bread in his life in order 208 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,200 to apply it and have the benefits of it. 209 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:28,600 OK, so let's first look at the divine provision of the bread #1 210 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,840 and that's God's side. That is the heavenly side. 211 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,680 This is God's provision. Now notice some several features 212 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:40,320 about the bread. Number one, the bread is 213 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:46,000 divinely pre existent. In John chapter 6 and verse 32 214 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,000 it says Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you, Moses 215 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,120 did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you 216 00:12:55,120 --> 00:13:02,920 the true bread from heaven. OK, in verse 33 it says for the 217 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:07,360 bread of God is he who comes down from heaven. 218 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,640 And finally one more passage. Jesus says I have come down from 219 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:12,760 heaven. What's my point here? 220 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,000 What my point is this Jesus has always existed. 221 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,240 Jesus was pre existent. And you can just picture this. 222 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,840 Here's the Jews, the Jewish audience and they're listening 223 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,400 and all of a sudden they're wondering how in the world could 224 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,880 this be? How could it be as they grumbled 225 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:35,640 because they wondered how a man whose parents they knew could 226 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,600 come down from heaven? But every time we see this in 227 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,240 fact repeated over and over we find the pre existence of Jesus 228 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:49,160 Christ Noticed in in John chapter one in the beginning was 229 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,080 the Word. So in John chapter 1 Jesus is 230 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:57,160 referred to as the word. Here in John chapter 6 Jesus is 231 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,560 referred to as the bread. What do they have in common? 232 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:05,920 They were in the beginning with God in in John chapter 1 it says 233 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,240 in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and 234 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,080 the Word was God. The same was in the beginning 235 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,680 with God. All things were made by Him and 236 00:14:14,680 --> 00:14:17,120 without Him was not anything made that was made. 237 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:22,360 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld 238 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,320 His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 239 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:31,560 full of grace and truth. Jesus has always existed. 240 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,480 Why am I making a point about that? 241 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,240 In fact, he came up with a conversation recently with 242 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:41,800 someone. Some people believe that Jesus 243 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:50,360 was created. Jesus was not a created being. 244 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,520 It says in the beginning. Was the word Jesus existed in 245 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,920 the beginning in Genesis chapter 1, when all the creation was 246 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,600 made, it said let us make man in our image after our likeness. 247 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,600 That was God, that was Jesus, that was the Holy Spirit, and 248 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,440 they existed in the very beginning. 249 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,360 Somebody asked me just the other day, well, how can that be? 250 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:14,680 Everything has to have a beginning. 251 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,800 How can you wrap your mind around the fact that there is no 252 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,240 beginning when it comes to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit? 253 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:23,320 You know what my answer to that is? 254 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:24,680 I don't have to wrap my head around it. 255 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:29,240 Faith is the evidence of things that are not seen. 256 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,680 It is the substance of things that are hoped for. 257 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,120 I don't have to know how to wrap my head around it. 258 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,040 I don't have to understand it. I just know it's always been. 259 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,000 And by faith, I believe it. We had a great study the other 260 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,040 night and we were talking about the very idea, the very concept 261 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:55,800 that I know in my heart that Jesus is God's Son, that he was 262 00:15:55,800 --> 00:16:00,920 on this earth, that he died for our sins, and yet I never met 263 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:06,800 him while living in this life. And I know it to be not a 264 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,640 theory, not an idea, not a fun thought. 265 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,440 I know it as a fact. And we believe that by faith, 266 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,320 Jesus has always existed. So therefore, when it comes to 267 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,160 the bread divinely preexisted, notice this. 268 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,520 He is pre existent with God, He is coexistent with God. 269 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:33,040 He is self existent with God eternally, that is Jesus Christ. 270 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,960 OK, going back to John chapter 3 and verse 13 here, there's a 271 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,560 helpful statement that our Lord makes in his conversation with a 272 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:48,000 man by the name of Nicodemus. No one has ascended to heaven, 273 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:53,520 but he who came down from heaven, that is the Son of man 274 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:55,880 who is in heaven. I'm going to make a couple of 275 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,200 points about this. OK, first of all, who's this 276 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:04,240 talking about? Jesus says no one has ascended 277 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:07,119 to heaven. You're going to find out why I'm 278 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:08,359 making this big point in a minute. 279 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:14,560 No one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from 280 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,359 heaven, that is who That is the Son of Man. 281 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,560 Remember the phrase Son of Man is found 80 times in the 282 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,640 Gospels. It's referring to the Messiah, 283 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,680 but it's referring to the human side of the Messiah. 284 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:35,280 OK, We already said He was born in the flesh in Bethlehem a long 285 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:42,560 time ago to a virgin, OK? In the flesh becoming the Son of 286 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,320 Man, not meaning he had earthly parents, but by meaning that our 287 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:52,680 Messiah was fully human, He has always existed in that He is the 288 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:57,520 Son of God, meaning He is fully divine, our Messiah fully 289 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,040 divine, our Messiah fully human. So what did Jesus say? 290 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,800 Nobody ascended to heaven but the one that came down from 291 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,440 heaven. That is Jesus the Messiah who is 292 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:14,560 now in heaven. OK, Please remember this anytime 293 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,440 somebody says, or you read a book where somebody wrote a book 294 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,280 that said that they went to heaven, they took a trip to 295 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,360 heaven and then they got some information from God and then 296 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:25,320 they came back and told everybody about it. 297 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,480 You can find books like that. And listen folks, I'm not trying 298 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,720 to make fun. I'm just saying I want to look 299 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,600 to the word of God. I know there's a lot of well 300 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,440 meaning people. I also know there's a lot of 301 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,400 deceiving people and people that are being deceptive of others. 302 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,640 I get that too. But I really do believe that 303 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,920 there are people sometimes that are well meaning that just 304 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:49,520 misunderstand. All that being said, Jesus says 305 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,760 nobody ascended to heaven but the one who came from heaven. 306 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,360 That is the Son of man who is in heaven. 307 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:57,800 OK, you might say, no, wait a minute, wait a minute, preacher, 308 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,720 wait a minute. Didn't I read something about 309 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,560 Paul? What about Paul? 310 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:05,520 Now, what are we talking about? We're talking about somebody 311 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:11,640 that says they went to heaven, saw God, got information, came 312 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,160 back and told others about it, maybe wrote a book. 313 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,120 Right? So you're saying what about 314 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,840 Paul? When Paul wrote the Corinthian 315 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,960 letter, the apostle Paul says I knew a man in Christ. 316 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,760 I knew a man about 14 years ago, whether in the body or out of 317 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,560 the body, I don't know. The Lord knows, right? 318 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,360 He said that same man, he was talking about himself. 319 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:36,360 He said that same man was given a view into the 3rd heaven. 320 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:40,880 That's where God is. Did he come back and tell us a 321 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:50,000 bunch of stuff the Bible says? Paul said, I can't even speak of 322 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:55,960 the things that were there. He was given a view into the 3rd 323 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,720 heaven and he couldn't even speak the things that were 324 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,920 there. They were inexpressible words. 325 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,120 And by the way, interestingly, the guy that actually was given 326 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:10,880 a view up into heaven wasn't very good for him for the rest 327 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,640 of his life from a physical standpoint. 328 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,000 He was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to 329 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,920 buffet him, right? He had nothing to return and 330 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,160 nothing to say regarding that experience. 331 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:29,120 Just remember, it is only Jesus that was the one that did that. 332 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,600 Nobody has gone to heaven and come back to instruct us except 333 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,560 Jesus. Here's further proof in John 6 334 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,320 and 46. Not that anyone has seen the 335 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,520 Father except he who is from God. 336 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:48,280 He has seen the Father. OK, again, this is exclusive to 337 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,640 the preexistent 1 and that is Jesus Christ. 338 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:55,080 So there's divine preexistence in the coming of the bread, but 339 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,520 secondly, there's divine purpose. 340 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:04,320 There's divine purpose that's tied to eternal preexistence and 341 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,440 involved in divine planning in verse 32. 342 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:12,080 Notice my Father, who gives you the true bread from heaven. 343 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,960 OK, that's a fact. There's a purpose in verse 38, 344 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,920 for I have come down from heaven not to do the will, my own will, 345 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,960 but the will of him who sent me. And I want to make a point about 346 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,560 this, please. Have you ever known somebody 347 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:31,200 that everything in their life in terms of their theories, 348 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:34,600 philosophies, what they think, what their desires are, what 349 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:41,080 their wishes are, their mental state, it is all about them. 350 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:47,720 You ever known anybody like that people that absolutely 351 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:54,800 everything about them is just about them narcissistic about 352 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,280 them. You're a stop to consider this 353 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,920 also came up in a great Bible study the other the other week 354 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:09,200 last week that living the Christian life isn't about you. 355 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:14,920 I'm going to clarify, say we're not involved and say we don't 356 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,480 get something from it. I'm saying the motive behind the 357 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:24,480 ACT isn't in our service to God. What we are going to get. 358 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,880 There's a lot of people that everything that they do 359 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,280 spiritually is based upon. What do I get? 360 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,880 Like a feeling? A lot of times people come to 361 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:38,120 worship and they say, you know what? 362 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:39,360 I just wouldn't get anything out of it. 363 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:41,040 Here's my answer. What were you putting in it? 364 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,160 When we worship God, for example, remember this, we are 365 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,960 the participants and God is the spectator. 366 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:52,800 That's what we do when we worship God, we are putting God 367 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,880 in that position. It is all about that. 368 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,240 Well, when sometimes in our life and I and I got to say something 369 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:04,720 too, I get it. At some point in time, all of us 370 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,920 could be even accidentally. We don't really mean to, but it 371 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,560 could be that all of us, at some point, it does become about us 372 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,360 in our life, about things. I get it. 373 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,560 That's called human nature. We think about us, We think 374 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,840 about #1 right, We get that. I'm just saying this. 375 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,040 If you want the greatest example of someone who it wasn't about 376 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,400 them and understood it, it's Jesus Christ is the one that 377 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,960 paid the greatest price of all. He said I came down from heaven 378 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,880 not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. 379 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,800 It was all about God with Jesus. What a great example. 380 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,560 What was God's promise? What was God's purpose? 381 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,760 What was God's plan that Jesus would be the sacrificial Lamb of 382 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,600 God to die for the sins of the world. 383 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,600 That was his purpose and known unto God are all his works even 384 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,320 from the beginning. And Jesus knew that. 385 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,640 So when Jesus decided that I'm going to fulfill what God said 386 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,720 and submit to what God said, he came to this earth and said, you 387 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,240 know what, it's not about me, it's about God. 388 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:10,840 Wow. God purposed to send his son, 389 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,560 but he also purposed what his Son would accomplish when he 390 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,880 arrived. Verse 40 And this is the will of 391 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:23,720 him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in 392 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:28,160 him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the 393 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,520 last day. So have you ever stopped to 394 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:36,640 consider what God's purpose is ultimately for everybody. 395 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,320 Now I want to make a little side point here. 396 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:47,280 OK? I do believe that God uses every 397 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:53,160 individual Christian for his glory based upon the talents and 398 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:54,440 abilities that they've been given. 399 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,480 I do believe that. And I also believe that we have 400 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,360 the power of God in the hands of man, which is the word of God. 401 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,840 And I also be believed, as the apostle Paul says, we are 402 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,920 nothing but clay pots, but we got the treasure. 403 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,120 That's what Paul said, and the apostles had, and the treasures, 404 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:11,520 the word of God. I get that too. 405 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,520 And I do believe that specifically in our life we may 406 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,600 have, God may be using us in our life. 407 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,520 I do believe that, absolutely. That's called Providence. 408 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,320 I'm a preacher of the gospel. Jesus says ask and you shall 409 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,120 receive, seek and you shall find knock and it shall be open to 410 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:34,720 you. Does that mean if somebody's 411 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,840 asking, seeking, looking, that God puts me in their life? 412 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 I don't know and I don't care, but you know what? 413 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,720 I'm good with that. Does that mean that that person 414 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,040 is brought into my life? Maybe. 415 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,880 So what about you? What about every individual 416 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,480 person in your life? In life, you have somebody you 417 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,200 have an influence over. OK, all that being said, what 418 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,000 about God's purpose in general? I'm going to sum it up in three 419 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,280 ways. So those are specific ways and 420 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,720 specific things that God can use you for His purpose. 421 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:12,720 But what about in general? For everybody #1 obey Jesus #2 422 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:19,760 have eternal life and #3 be raised to be with God eternally. 423 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:26,040 That is God's eternal purpose. Have you ever stopped to 424 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,400 consider why or one of the reasons why God hates sin so 425 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,720 much? Now sin is ugly and God can't 426 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,680 even look at sin and God can't even lie and all those things 427 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,240 are true. But have you ever stopped to 428 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,440 consider that one of the reasons that God must hate sin so much 429 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,800 is it's the one thing that will keep man from Him for eternity? 430 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,640 That's why such a great price was paid. 431 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,960 It's God's will that we obey Jesus, have eternal life, and be 432 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,120 raised in the last days so we could be with Him. 433 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,960 Look at verse 44. Now no one can come to me unless 434 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:07,160 the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up the 435 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:08,520 last day. I want to make a point about 436 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:10,520 this word draws because it's misunderstood. 437 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,440 OK. Some people believe in the 438 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,640 doctrine of, and maybe you've heard of this doctrine, the 439 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,680 doctrine of predestination. Let me just tell you what that 440 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,960 means. The doctrine of predestination 441 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:28,240 is this, that God predetermined a specific people or number 442 00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:32,000 another words, specific people in life like you, you, not you 443 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,600 or whatever that are going to get to go to heaven. 444 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,960 And part of that is a misinterpretation of what this 445 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,840 word means, draw. Some people believe what this is 446 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,160 saying is you can't get to the Father except God chooses you. 447 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:50,800 You know what we got to do? All we got to do is find out 448 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,520 what the word draws here means and we're home free. 449 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,240 We know exactly who gets to come to the Father. 450 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:04,320 The word draw here means taught. That's what the word means. 451 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:06,320 So let's just spell it out like this. 452 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:12,680 No one comes unto me unless the Father who sent me taught him. 453 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,680 You know that fits the Old Testament too. 454 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,880 Jesus quotes this tonight in verse 45. 455 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,520 He said it's written in the prophets. 456 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,920 What is written in the prophets? What am I about to say? 457 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,600 And that's in Isaiah 54 and 13, He said, And they shall all be 458 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,960 taught by God. Therefore, everyone who has 459 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,480 heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 460 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,920 That doesn't sound like God hand picked an individual to go to 461 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,040 heaven and somebody else that he didn't pick. 462 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,920 You know what that tells me? He picks anybody that is taught 463 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,920 and decides to come to Jesus, gets to go to heaven. 464 00:28:56,580 --> 00:29:01,740 How is it? He purposes the sun, He set the 465 00:29:01,740 --> 00:29:03,960 sun. Who is the bread? 466 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:11,560 We are taught by God through means of the gospel, through 467 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:19,840 means of the Word of God. So in summary of this point, the 468 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,800 Son receives the people, He keeps the people, and He raises 469 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:28,200 the people from the dead to fulfill the Father's plan. 470 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:33,520 OK, so the bread is divinely preexistent and also fulfills 471 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:37,480 divine purpose. But thirdly, it has divine 472 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,480 promise. And This is why we want the 473 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,320 bread. What does the bread do for us? 474 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,760 And I really think all of us. It's kind of like in sales, you 475 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,680 know, there's always a price. And I get it. 476 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,240 When it comes to Christianity, Jesus says there's a cost. 477 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,760 You got to count the cost. There's always a price, always 478 00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,800 when it comes to selling, you got to know the value. 479 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,080 What am I going to get for it? And then you're willing to spend 480 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:07,360 it to have it. The promise here, I want to talk 481 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,200 about that for us. What do we get? 482 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:18,080 Verse 33 for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven 483 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,840 and gives life to the world. You know, there's two Greek 484 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,840 words for life. One of them is the Greek word 485 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:29,960 BIOS, which is biological life. And that's not what we're 486 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,040 talking about. We're talking about this, the 487 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,320 bread of God, which is Jesus Christ came down from heaven to 488 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,040 give spiritual life. That's the Greek word Zoe. 489 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:48,720 That's what you get. Spiritual life may notice also 490 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:53,040 some phrases that are used to describe this in verse 51. 491 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,560 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. 492 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,960 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. 493 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,680 And the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give 494 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,760 for the life of the world. Notice some phrases contain 495 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:12,400 connected to Jesus living, live and life. 496 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:18,560 That's what we get. Those are things that we get now 497 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:25,280 verses 53 and 54. Then Jesus said to them, most 498 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:31,160 assuredly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of 499 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,800 man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 500 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:39,080 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I 501 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:44,120 will raise him up the last day. OK, as I said, as I said, please 502 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,880 don't draw a conclusion as to what it means to eat the flesh 503 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:48,520 and drink the blood. And maybe you're thinking, well, 504 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:49,760 has that made to do with community? 505 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,320 Tap the brakes. No it doesn't. 506 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,240 Stay with me. OK, going to get to that in a 507 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,480 minute. My question is how do we get 508 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:09,480 eternal life into mortal bodies? The only way that we get eternal 509 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:15,560 life into a mortal body is by coming in union with Jesus 510 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,240 Christ. Let's go to the Bible, Galatians 511 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:21,720 chapter 2 and verse 20. Notice I have been crucified 512 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,400 with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 513 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:32,080 Christ lives in me. So if I want to have eternal 514 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,960 life, spiritual life, and I'm still living in my fleshly body, 515 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,680 I've got to figure out how I come in union with Jesus. 516 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,720 Because when I come in union with Jesus, he's the bread of 517 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,400 life. He's the one that gives life. 518 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,880 I have to have Him living in me. I've got to have him living in 519 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:54,080 me. But Jesus is not in US. 520 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,360 Please get this. If you get nothing else, please 521 00:32:56,360 --> 00:33:02,720 get this. Jesus is not in US unless we are 522 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,920 in Him. In Galatians 327 For as many of 523 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:11,280 you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 524 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,720 One passage says Christ is in us. 525 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:18,560 Here we're baptized into Christ. One translation says in terms of 526 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:22,360 putting on Christ, it actually says have clothed themselves 527 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,880 with Christ. In other words, we are in Christ 528 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:31,720 and Christ is in US. OK, years and years and years 529 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:33,360 ago, I gave you this little example. 530 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,360 I don't even know what sermon it was that I used to use this in, 531 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:41,640 but it's an old example of a preacher who had a little boy. 532 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,600 And I think this really fits what I'm trying to say. 533 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,520 And the little boy is walking along with his father on a 534 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:55,800 Monday along the shore. And the little boy says to his 535 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,320 dad. He says, Dad, I've always heard 536 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:03,960 you say that Christ has to be in US, but yesterday in your sermon 537 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:08,880 I heard you say that we have to be in Christ. 538 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,679 He said, how can that be? How can I be in Christ and 539 00:34:13,679 --> 00:34:15,719 Christ be in me at the same time? 540 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:20,000 How is that possible? The preacher was very impressed 541 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,440 by his very good question from his little boy. 542 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,679 And all of a sudden they're walking along and they see an 543 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:31,120 empty bottle on the shore. And he picks up that empty 544 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,880 bottle and he said, son, look over here, see this empty bottle 545 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,239 that represents us? He said, watch this. 546 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,239 He walks over to the water. He takes the bottle. 547 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:43,400 He submerges it completely in the water all the way under and 548 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,880 he pulls it back up and he said, look, there's water in the 549 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:56,159 bottle that represents Jesus. He said the water is in the 550 00:34:56,159 --> 00:35:00,400 bottle because the bottle got in the water. 551 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,600 And that's exactly what happens when you're baptized for the 552 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,760 remission of your sins. When you're baptized for the 553 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:14,840 remission of your sins, you get in the water and Jesus Christ 554 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,440 gets in you. That's how both can happen at 555 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:23,080 the same time and start your relationship with God. 556 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:27,320 All right, but there's more. And I said after we were going 557 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,080 to preach about 35 minutes, we're almost done. 558 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:35,440 OK, let's talk about the human appropriation on our part. 559 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:38,880 Now, what's our responsibility? Because that's really what 560 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,080 really matters in our application in our life. 561 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:43,320 We've set the groundwork and we have to do that. 562 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,120 But now what is the human appropriation? 563 00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:48,920 First of all, let me just say this. 564 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,840 You can't have it on your own terms and you can't do it your 565 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:54,480 own way. You got to do it God's way. 566 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:58,480 What's our responsibility? Is our responsibility to just 567 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:00,240 kind of sit around and hope it happens? 568 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,080 Does that make any sense at all? Notice in verse 35. 569 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,880 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. 570 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:14,400 He who comes to me shall never hunger, and who who believes in 571 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:19,760 me shall never thirst. First of all, the word come. 572 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,960 Jesus said that very thing. Remember Jesus gave a parable 573 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,800 and he said all the invitations went out, but people were just 574 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,080 too busy. One after another after another. 575 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:29,760 And it was a shot at the children of Israel. 576 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,800 It was. What did Jesus say in that 577 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:34,840 parable? He said it's the marriage of the 578 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,080 King's son. And he says, you go out and you 579 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:42,800 invite whoever will, whoever will come. 580 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:46,560 So the first thing a person has to do is come to Jesus in order 581 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,880 to have Jesus. That's the first requirement. 582 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:51,200 But then there's a second requirement in verse 40. 583 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:55,880 And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees 584 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:00,200 the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I 585 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:01,720 will raise him up in the last day. 586 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:03,960 All right, What does the word see mean? 587 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:08,640 The word see comes from a Greek verb meaning scrutinize, study 588 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,600 and gaze on. In other words, it's not just a 589 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,040 passing glance. Why do I make that point? 590 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:20,120 I make the point folks, because I do believe and kind of sadly, 591 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,640 we live in a very non committed society. 592 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,240 First of all, I'm going to tell you when people say today we 593 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:29,920 live in a godless society, that is not true. 594 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:35,720 I don't believe that at all. I believe there's a lot of 595 00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:41,160 people in the world in the United States of America, let's 596 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:45,680 get specific that are seeking and searching for God. 597 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,160 Somebody might say what about all the sin? 598 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:52,280 Well, there's always been sin. How about how about Genesis 6? 599 00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:55,520 The thoughts of man's heart were ever evil continually and God 600 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:57,720 destroyed the whole world with the flood and ain't that bad 601 00:37:57,720 --> 00:37:59,160 yet. I'm sorry for the word ain't. 602 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:07,720 This is how a dog. It's not that bad. 603 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:12,560 Yet we don't live in a godless society. 604 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:21,000 We live in a non committed society and people want God on 605 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,280 their own terms and in their own little dose. 606 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,320 In other words, I don't want to change anything. 607 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,040 Here's a frank ISM as Diana Camarillo says. 608 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,920 She calls it a frank ISM. Just want to add a little Jesus 609 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,880 to it. That's the Frankism, I guess, 610 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:41,920 and that's what a lot of people want to do. 611 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:46,040 Jesus says you got to come to me. 612 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:50,320 And then he says you got to see that scrutinize, study and gaze 613 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:51,760 on. That's commitment. 614 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,320 You got to decide, wait a minute, what's this going to do 615 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:58,640 to change my life? That's why Jesus said when he 616 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:01,880 talks about counting the cost, he said a man builds a tower out 617 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:05,360 in a vineyard and he decides I don't have enough to finish it. 618 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:07,040 He goes about, you know, people are going to say, oh, he didn't 619 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,400 have enough to finish it. So what's a man got to do? 620 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,160 You got to sit down and count the cost. 621 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:16,720 There is a cost. It's part of scrutinizing, 622 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,200 studying and gazing on and decide, will I be committed to 623 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,880 Jesus in order to have it? Two things. 624 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:25,480 If I want Jesus, I want eternal life. 625 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:29,600 I got to come to him and I have to see him by way of what the 626 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,480 word of God says. How is Jesus going to change my 627 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:35,360 life? There's another very critical 628 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,160 word that's very much misunderstood and is found in 629 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:42,560 verse 35. And Jesus said to them, I am the 630 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:46,560 bread of life. He who comes to me shall never 631 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:52,760 hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 632 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:57,560 First of all, going back to the metaphor of bread, we want to 633 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,320 ask ourselves the question though, what is believing mean? 634 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:05,840 What does it mean to believe? We go to verse 50, and by the 635 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,720 way, beginning in verse 50 is really the invitation to this 636 00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:10,560 masterful sermon. The Lord preaches. 637 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,920 He says this. This is the bread which comes 638 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:20,120 down from heaven, that one may eat of it and never die. 639 00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:29,720 So let me ask you a question. What is believing in context 640 00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:31,760 here? Believing. 641 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:38,320 Is eating OK? It's going to make sense in a 642 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:44,040 minute, I promise. Then eating then, is taking in, 643 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:50,600 receiving and appropriating for your own use in your life. 644 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:53,720 Everybody has to make that choice. 645 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:59,720 Then in verse 51, I am the living bread which came down 646 00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:01,880 from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he 647 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:05,240 will live forever. Notice that's a pretty great 648 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:09,880 statement, right? If you eat this bread, you will 649 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:12,280 live forever. OK. 650 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:17,640 And the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I give for 651 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,240 the life of the world. A very powerful metaphor. 652 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,000 In other words, Jesus is saying you have to take me in. 653 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:26,560 So it's not enough to come and listen. 654 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:29,800 It's not enough to admire, to get some information. 655 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,840 You got to receive it. You got to take it in and you 656 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:36,600 got to eat it. But there's more beginning in 657 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,440 verse 53. Then Jesus makes this statement 658 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:45,560 that so much misunderstood. Jesus said this most assuredly. 659 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:50,440 I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and 660 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:52,240 drink his blood, you have no life in you. 661 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:59,000 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I 662 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:03,240 will raise him up the last day. For my flesh is food and deed, 663 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:06,480 and my blood is drink. Indeed, he who eats my flesh and 664 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:11,480 drinks my blood abides in him and bites in me, and I in him. 665 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,760 You know, this must have been very shocking for this Jewish 666 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:15,760 audience. You know why? 667 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:18,840 In the synagogue that day when they would have heard Jesus 668 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:22,080 preaching, I'm surprised that it didn't cause a riot. 669 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:24,160 You know why? Because Leviticus 17, 670 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:31,640 Deuteronomy 12, and Deuteronomy 15, it forbade drinking blood. 671 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:37,160 And here comes Jesus. He says whoever eats my flesh 672 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:38,920 and drinks my blood has eternal life. 673 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:44,200 The question is this or the point is this. 674 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:50,600 Jesus is not talking about drinking literal blood, and he's 675 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:54,440 not talking about the communion, and he's not talking about the 676 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:59,400 Lord's Supper. The word blood is a fancy word 677 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,760 here, a metonomy. What's that mean? 678 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:06,000 A metonomy is when one word is used to describe something else. 679 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:13,320 When Jesus says blood, the word blood is a metonomy for my 680 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:17,840 sacrificial death. That was his point. 681 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,200 So blood is not used literally to drink. 682 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:27,240 Blood here is used as a metonymy or a word used for another word 683 00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:30,720 to describe his sacrificial death. 684 00:43:30,880 --> 00:43:33,760 Why is that important? The Jews didn't believe, oh, 685 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,400 they believed that Messiah was coming, misunderstood the 686 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:38,920 Messianic Kingdom. They did believe in Messiah was 687 00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:40,120 coming. You know what they didn't 688 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:43,080 believe in? That the Messiah could actually 689 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:46,360 die or be sacrificed. And they didn't understand that. 690 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:48,360 And that's exactly what Jesus was preaching. 691 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:53,240 He says you got to accept exactly what's going to happen 692 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:58,400 to the Messiah to me. So we've got bread here and 693 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,880 we've got blood. What does it represent? 694 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:04,520 Jesus as bread nourishes us spiritually. 695 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:16,440 As blood he cleanses us OK spiritually, how does he do it? 696 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,480 Acts 2216 and now why are you waiting? 697 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:26,520 Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the 698 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:30,320 name of the Lord. We contact the blood of Jesus 699 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:33,520 when we're baptized for the remission of our sins and we are 700 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:38,560 cleansed by His blood. We are nourished at in the fact 701 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:42,760 that He is the bread of life. We are cleansed in that He has 702 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,200 shed His blood for the sins of the world. 703 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:50,960 The human appropriation is my obedience to the gospel. 704 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,320 To be baptized for the remission of sins, to have my sins washed 705 00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:57,280 away. All my sins from before are 706 00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:59,240 gone. But what about moving forward 707 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:02,800 first, John 1:00 and 9:00. If we confess our sins, He's 708 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:06,600 faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from 709 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,520 all unrighteousness again, After you contact the blood of Jesus 710 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,360 at baptism, in the future, when you ask God to forgive you and 711 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:18,560 you confess that sin to God, the blood of Christ washes that sin 712 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:23,240 away too. It's a beautiful thing to be a 713 00:45:23,240 --> 00:45:26,000 Christian. That's by confession and prayer. 714 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,280 So in other words, eating the flesh and drinking the blood is 715 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:31,280 this. Here it is. 716 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:36,040 You have to be willing to eat His flesh in the sense that you 717 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:39,240 take Him as the one who nourishes the soul. 718 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:43,120 That's done so by obedience. And you have to be willing to 719 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:46,440 drink his blood in the sense that you accept his sacrificial 720 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:50,560 death on the cross and all that comes with that. 721 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:54,680 How do you do that? Romans 6, beginning in verse 3, 722 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,680 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into 723 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:02,880 Christ Jesus were baptized into His death, therefore we are 724 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:05,120 buried with Him through baptism into death. 725 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:07,760 That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of 726 00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:12,360 the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. 727 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:18,200 Now let me just say this about hunger for just a moment. 728 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:23,640 Eating is our response to hunger. 729 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:29,040 We get that it's an aching of the heart from a spiritual 730 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:32,120 perspective, though, for spiritual hunger of one who 731 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:36,160 knows he's empty. To take in the bread of life is 732 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:41,280 personal and transformational, but not everybody's willing to 733 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:43,760 do that. And you know what? 734 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:45,520 Nothing is new. Look at verse 60. 735 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,000 Therefore, many of the disciples when they heard this, said, this 736 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:53,320 is a hard saying. Who can understand it? 737 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:57,880 Verse 61 when Jesus knew in himself and his disciples 738 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,840 complained about this, He said to them, does this offend you? 739 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,200 Then in verse 66, from that time many of his disciples went back 740 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:08,760 and walked with him. No more. 741 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:15,000 Sometimes people see the cost and the price and they say 742 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:20,320 that's just too much in my service to God and they walk 743 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:23,680 away. Remember last Sunday afternoon I 744 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:25,800 talked about when people drift, they drift from the Lord. 745 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:28,920 Please get this. This is another perfect example. 746 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:32,320 That's exactly what happens. They walked away from Jesus. 747 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:38,200 Finally, 67 and 68. Then Jesus said to the 12, do 748 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:41,960 you also want to go away? But Simon Peter answered him, 749 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:45,440 Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal 750 00:47:45,440 --> 00:47:47,960 life. Where are we going to go? 751 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:51,440 Jesus has the words of eternal life. 752 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:53,240 There is no choice when it comes to that. 753 00:47:55,800 --> 00:48:00,280 Maybe the Lord is asking you today, but your life, maybe 754 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,240 you're not a Christian. Maybe you have never taken 755 00:48:03,240 --> 00:48:06,560 advantage of what we're talking about this morning. 756 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:09,520 The invitation to become a Christian, though, is very 757 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:11,560 simple. You got to hear the Word of God. 758 00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:14,640 Romans 10/17. So faith comes by hearing, and 759 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:18,680 hearing by the word of God. After hearing the word of God, 760 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:20,240 we have to believe with all our heart. 761 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:23,280 Hebrews 11 and 6. Without faith it's impossible to 762 00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:26,960 please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and 763 00:48:26,960 --> 00:48:29,640 that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 764 00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:33,160 Then what? We got to change some things, 765 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,400 got to repent of our sins. Acts 17 and 30. 766 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:38,600 Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands 767 00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:42,680 all men everywhere to repent. Then we must be willing to make 768 00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:45,080 the greatest statement we will ever make, and that is to 769 00:48:45,080 --> 00:48:47,520 confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God. 770 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:50,720 Acts 837 That Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, 771 00:48:50,720 --> 00:48:52,680 you may. And he answered and said, I 772 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:58,720 believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and then must be 773 00:48:58,720 --> 00:49:00,320 baptized for the remission of our sins. 774 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:03,120 Mark 1616. He who believes and is baptized 775 00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:06,480 will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. 776 00:49:06,720 --> 00:49:10,120 Is it necessary for salvation first? 777 00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:13,760 Peter 321 the like figure where the even baptism does also now 778 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:16,960 save us, not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the 779 00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:20,520 answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection 780 00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:23,680 of Jesus Christ. Maybe you've never taken those 781 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:25,960 steps of obedience to become a Christian. 782 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:29,360 If you've never taken those steps, we would love to assist 783 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:31,200 you in that and become a child of God today. 784 00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:33,920 Be baptized for the remission of your sins and rise to walk in 785 00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:37,320 newness of life. Contact the blood of Jesus that 786 00:49:37,320 --> 00:49:40,440 we talked about in this lesson. Maybe you have though. 787 00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:42,680 Maybe there are some things in your life that are not what they 788 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:44,240 should be. Then just repent of that. 789 00:49:44,240 --> 00:49:46,400 Confess that. We'll pray with you and for you, 790 00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:47,760 and God will forgive and restore. 791 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:50,680 If you want to be the class, come forward while we stand 792 00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:51,160 while we see.