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man up - A father's day sermon Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship 1 Timothy 6:11 June 21st, 2009
INTRODUCTION This morning we are going to have communion. Before we do that I want to look at this passage that was just read and reflect on what Jesus said, how it relates to our lives and to the practice we call “The Lord’s Supper” or holy communion. I want to make four observations from this passage and then bring out the implications as we come to the communion table: 1. EVERYONE NEEDS AND DESIRES FOOD God made everyone with the need and desire for food. We need and desire food: § To avoid the pain of hunger § To nourish and give healthy life to the body § To enjoy the pleasure it brings § To enjoy the fellowship it can bring In many ways food points out the metaphor of need or dependency in our lives. We have needs – physical, emotional, relational and spiritual. We need people. We need love. We need meaning and purpose. We need to be accepted. We need relationship. We need… The people in John 6 needed and desired physical food. In verses 1-15 Jesus fed 5000 men. They came to him and Jesus gives us insight into their desire - “you are seeking me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (v 26) Jesus then points them away from their physical need/desire for food and to the spiritual need that is far greater: John 6:27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." The word of God teaches us that man does not live by bread alone by every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Deut 8/ Matthew 4). 2. JESUS OFFERS THE FOOD WE TRULY NEED AND DESIRE – ETERNAL LIFE Jesus offers people food – “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…” Jesus was talking with a woman from Samaria in John 4 and he says this: John 4:13-15 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (15) The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." This takes the regenerating work of God for us to see and feel this need. Our souls are so worldly and so often we never ponder the fact that we need something that is beyond the here and now. We think we need physical food…but we need spiritual food that will give us eternal life. We think we need acceptance by others… but we really need acceptance from God. We think we need to do a little better…but what we really need is the forgiveness of God. We think we need a little more money…we need the wealth that comes through poverty in Spirit. The food that Jesus gives brings eternal life to all those who eat. Those who eat food will die. Those who drink water will eventually expire. The food that Jesus brings results in Eternal life. John 6:48-51 I am the bread of life. (49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50) This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. (51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." What physical food promises us temporally, God in Jesus promises us in Eternal life: § No Hunger pain but everlasting provision § Energy, life, health § Pleasure and joy § Fellowship like never before 3. JESUS IS THE FOOD THAT HE OFFERS THROUGH HIS BODY It is possible for people to come to Jesus to get our needs and desires met. There is a big problem with this as you can see in this story of John 6. To come to Jesus for anything apart from desiring Him alone is idolatry. It is not only possible but it is the pattern of everyone apart from God’s grace that we will come to Jesus because we want something other than Him and not He himself. The food that Jesus offers is not more physical food, good marriages, financial success, emotional stability, job security and secure friendships – HE SAYS – I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. What a bold and ridiculous statement unless you really are God. This is the essence of Christianity: Christianity is not about meeting people’s perceived needs and the Gospel (good news) is not the offer that your “needs” will be met by Christ. Christianity through the Gospel transforms people by showing them that their perceived needs were mere shadows of our NEED of ONE –The one who is the bread, drink, life and hope who doesn’t “meet our needs” but instead is our real NEED and the meeting of that need all in one. Jesus says something very offensive and radical to the people in John 6: Verse 51 - “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (or body) Jesus is the bread and sustenance of our lives because He became man and in that took our place and became our substitute – bearing all of our sins in his own body (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 4. WE EAT JESUS’ FOOD BY BELIEVING ON HIM Jesus says that it should not surprise us that not everyone eats of this amazing meal from God – “no one can come to me unless it has been granted by the Father” (v 65) But everyone who does come to Jesus and eats will have live. So how do we eat? – BY BELIEVING. John 6:28-29 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" (29) Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:35-36 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (36) But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44-47 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (45) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-- (46) not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. (47) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 7:37-38 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, (26) and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" John 12:46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. But this BELIEF is not just an intellectual assent. It is not an academic exercise. Believe in the sense Jesus is talking about is a life changing realty that impacts the emotions and life of a person. From Dave VanAcker: If believing that there is a bomb in your room that is about to go off compels you to emotional highs and aggressive action, believing that there is a God in the universe should overwhelm your soul and completely captivate your body because it is an infinitely more radical claim. And, if you recognize the utter fatalness of one who does not or cannot respond in great alarm to the knowledge that there is a live bomb in their room, then you must also recognize the eternal fatalness of one who does not recognize the magnitude of the claim that God exists. Here are some helpful questions of believing? 1. Do you believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that your sins are so serious that they must be punished by death? Do you believe that because of this you need someone to save you? 2. Do you believe that Jesus is God? Do you believe that because Jesus is God He is the only one that can save you from your sins? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross? Do you believe that He rose from the dead? Do you believe that you are saved from your sins only through faith in Jesus—who He is and what He has done? 3. Do you have faith in Jesus—who He is and what He has done? 4. Are you turning away from and fighting against your sins by faith and with God’s help? 5. Do you believe that the devil is your enemy? Do you believe that you are to love God more than anything on this earth? Do you understand that you are to follow Jesus by faith with God’s help? IMPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNION Matthew 26:26-29 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." (27) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, (28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (20) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, (24) and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (25) In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Now Look at What Jesus said in John: John 6:53-58 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. (56) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. (58) This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." When we come to the Table we are reminded: § That we need and desire food § That the food we truly need and need to desire is spiritual food from God § That this food that give us true life is from and is Jesus – who he is and what he has done § That we must believe and he give us bread and wine to rekindle our believing in who is and what he has done.
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