Participants: Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP102911
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00:06 From the campus of Andrews University
00:08 this is New Perception with Dr. Dwight K. Nelson. 00:19 Oh, God's children, we're all children. 00:21 Where you're children there, we are earth's children, 00:24 could it be we are starving to death? 00:29 We look well fed-- our tummies are full 00:33 but are we starving, are we on the point of death? 00:38 Its morning and Holy Scripture teaches, 00:40 let the teaching be clear 00:42 let us know how You would have us respond 00:44 we pray in Jesus name. 00:46 Amen. 00:48 You can't talk about starving without thinking famine, 00:50 you can't think about famine 00:51 without thinking of the Horn of East Africa. 00:53 Let me put a map of the Horn of East Africa up here. 00:55 Take a look at this. 00:57 The darker the color the more extreme the suffering, 01:01 that dark section in the middle. 01:03 These are the countries by the way of Somalia, 01:05 Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti. 01:08 You're getting into Somalia there that's catastrophic famine 01:12 according to the key that's catastrophic famine. 01:14 United Nations now estimates that more than 13 million people 01:19 on that map are suffering, are starving to death. 01:24 Sixty years they've gone without water, 01:25 60 years in the Horn of Africa. 01:27 And Somalia alone down where that's dark 01:30 four million are starving, 01:32 three million of whom 01:33 live in the southern portion of Somalia 01:35 so it just gets worse and worse as you move down. 01:38 They're estimating now that 750,000 people 01:43 face the risk of death in the next four months, 01:46 the UN says if help does not come. 01:49 Maybe you're gonna be there help they need, 01:52 I don't know. 01:54 But let me talk about the children. 01:56 The death rate now under five 02:00 15.43 deaths per 10,000 individuals daily, daily. 02:06 Thirty thousand children have died 02:08 to 2 per 10,000 is the threshold of famine, its 15.43. 02:13 But running numbers by it doesn't move you at all, 02:16 so let me put some faces by 02:17 and take a look at these suffering. 02:22 Look at that sitting in a little plastic bathtub, 02:26 starving to death. 02:27 Take a look at another face, family looking on 02:33 victims of starvation, look at them. 02:34 Look at one more. 02:38 That little baby looks like he's 80-years of age, 02:40 does he not? 02:41 He is starving to death. 02:44 Could it be that if you're putting 02:47 the faces of the starving our faces go up? 02:50 Yeah, right like we just prayed our tummies are full 02:53 but are we on the edge of spiritual starvation. 02:59 Fourth gospel confronts us with that question-- 03:03 familiar beloved narrative and then 03:05 a metaphor that many find disgusting. 03:08 We're getting to the metaphor but first the familiar narrative 03:11 that teaching today is entitled 03:15 "Starving to Death When the Pantry is Full." 03:19 Let us pray. 03:20 O God, amazing grace, 03:24 that You come to us full tummies. 03:31 But in this narrative 03:35 Holy Spirit confront us with our desperate need. 03:40 We pray in Jesus name, amen. 03:43 Open your Bible please to the fourth gospel, 03:46 the fourth gospel, the Gospel of John. 03:51 Beloved narrative-- do you know what, 03:52 this is the only miracle that all four gospels record. 03:56 That's how popular this miracle as you know 04:00 the miracle you grew up with it as a kid. 04:02 You know John Chapter 6, 04:05 but we return to this beloved narrative, 04:07 because a narrative sets us up 04:09 for this revolting metaphor 04:11 that it is impaired if we wrestle with 04:13 as we continue our journey through the last word. 04:16 That's the fourth gospel the Gospel of John 04:19 for the final generation. 04:21 Let's go to John Chapter 6. 04:22 I'm in the New King James Version 04:24 if you didn't bring a Bible 04:25 grab the pew Bible in front of you, 04:27 it will also be the New King James Version. 04:29 Let's get into the teaching together. 04:31 John Chapter 6, pick it up in verse 1. 04:35 Let's go 04:36 "After these things 04:37 Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, 04:38 which is a Sea of Tiberias." 04:40 John is the only one who refers to it by its Roman name, 04:43 because John has Gentile readers in mind. 04:45 It's written specifically for them. 04:47 So Jesus went over to the Sea of Tiberias. 04:49 Verse 2 "Then a great multitude followed Him, 04:52 because they saw His signs 04:54 which He performed on those who were diseased." 04:57 Jesus is at His heyday right now. 05:01 He has the popularity of a rock star 05:03 by the thousands people are flocking to Him. 05:06 I saw a news clip this last week of President Obama. 05:10 He's on the Denver Campus of the University of Colorado 05:12 and the place is just jammed and there's the camera panned 05:16 these young university students. 05:18 I mean, it's just a look of wow. 05:22 Jesus is in that same status. 05:23 The people at the edge the crowd 05:25 are holding up their iPhones and they're taking pictures 05:27 to email to their friends. 05:29 I'm near, I'm near the star himself. 05:33 But in a few short verses everything collapses. 05:36 "So they followed Him, because they've seen the signs 05:38 which He performed on those who were diseased." 05:39 Verse 3 "Jesus went up on the mountain, 05:41 and there He sat with His disciples. 05:42 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near." 05:47 Four times John will talk about the Passover, 05:49 four times he wants us to recall the images 05:51 not only in the ancient exodus, 05:53 he wants to read us 05:54 post Calvary to recall the images of the cross 05:57 and so he intentionally uses the word Passover. 06:00 And by the way this is his last Passover. 06:02 The next Passover it'scurtains, he dies. 06:06 He will be the Passover lamb. 06:09 John skips two-and-half years of Jesus ministry. 06:11 Boom, gone, and he plunges in to the crisis 06:14 and the crisis it's a picture right here. 06:18 "Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near." 06:20 Verse 5 "Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, 06:23 and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, 06:25 He said to Philip," 06:26 who have into grow up in Bethesda 06:28 a village near this mountain 06:29 where Jesus is going to perform this miracle. 06:32 "He happens to say to Philip, 06:34 'Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?' " 06:36 You know, Philip, you grow up in this town, 06:37 any supermarkets that can cover this crowd. 06:40 Now we're gonna find out there're 5,000 men-- 06:43 the only list of men. 06:45 Who senses back there that's the-- 06:47 those of the heads they count. 06:49 But if the men are married you're gonna throw in-- 06:51 probably you are gonna throw in what, 06:52 now they're 3,500 for. 06:54 Yeah, 3,500 then you're gonna throw in children. 06:57 We could be looking at a small baseball stadium AAA, 07:01 not World Series, 07:02 but AAA baseball stadium with 15, 000 people. 07:06 So "Philip 'where we're going to get bread?' 07:08 " But He said this Jesus did, verse 6 07:10 "He said this to test Philip for him, 07:12 He Himself knew what He would do, 07:13 " He wants to set this up so that 07:15 when Philip experiences this miracle 07:18 he will never forget it as long as he lives. 07:21 So "Philip answers Him" verse 7 I thought about it, 07:23 you know what, Lord, 07:24 "Two hundred denarii worth of bread 07:26 is not sufficient for them, 07:27 that every one of them may have a little." 07:29 Now Philip has grabbed a big number. 07:31 This is 200 days of a common labor, 07:33 its $8 an hour minimum wage. 07:35 So that's eight hours a day 07:37 so that be 64 times 200, $12,800 07:40 even if we could $12,800 drawn from our ATM machines 07:44 all of us at the same time using our debit cards 07:46 it wouldn't be enough to pay for food for these. 07:48 Ah, that's a point. 07:49 Jesus wants Philips to get. 07:50 Now Philip and Andrew are buddies 07:52 they appear in chapter 1 together, 07:53 they appear here together, 07:54 they will appear in chapter 12 together, 07:56 they both grew up in the same town. 07:57 So where Phillip is you'll find Andrew. 07:59 And Andrew either is overhearing 08:02 or he is standing beside Philip. 08:04 And Andrew pipes up. 08:06 Verse 8 "One of His disciples, 08:07 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him," 08:10 hey wait a minute, "there is a lad here 08:12 who has five barley loaves and two small fish, 08:15 but what are they among so many?" 08:22 Jesus says to the two men. 08:26 Make the people sit down. 08:27 This is verse 10 "'Make the people sit down.' 08:29 Now there was much grass in the place." 08:31 that's John the eyewitness 08:32 because it's springtime Passover here so this mountain, 08:35 it's not a mountain, say hillside. 08:36 We call it hill today. 08:37 But this mountain is just as verdant green carpet 08:40 that goes all the way up to the top. 08:42 Nice soft carpet, Jesus says "'Make everybody sit down.' 08:45 Now there was much grass in the place. 08:47 So the men sat down, in number about five thousand." 08:50 Plus the women, plus the children-- 08:52 we're looking at 15,000 perhaps. 08:54 Verse 11 "And Jesus took the loaves, 08:57 and when He had given thanks" 09:00 His characteristic behavior at the beginning of a meal 09:04 He takes a loaves, "and when He had given thanks 09:07 He distributed them to the disciples, 09:10 and the disciples to those sitting down, 09:11 and likewise of the fish." 09:13 The fish was used as a relish. 09:15 Those were actually sandwiches that little boy brought. 09:18 A barley sandwiches. 09:20 Now barley is not your-- 09:22 is not the top of the menu request. 09:25 In fact Philo 09:27 the Jewish philosopher described barley 09:29 which is a cheaper substitute for wheat. 09:31 Barley he described it as fit for irrational animals 09:34 and men in unhappy circumstances. 09:37 It's awful food. 09:39 Only the poor, the poor eat barley. 09:41 So Andrew finds this poor kid. 09:44 He said, hey, boy let me just, 09:46 let me just have your lunch, five barley loaves. 09:49 The fish, little sardine or whatever that's just relish. 09:52 He just-- mother sent them slices 09:54 and he has to put it on. 09:55 So he gives the relish and the five loaves. 10:01 "Jesus breaks it, gives it to the disciples, 10:03 the disciples then given to those sitting down." 10:05 This is the end of verse 11. 10:06 "And likewise at the fish, as much as they wanted." 10:09 So verse 12 "When they were filled, 10:11 Jesus said to His disciples 10:12 'Gather up the fragments of remain, 10:14 so that nothing is lost.' 10:15 " We waste nothing in my kingdom. 10:18 I know a commentator named Robert Smith 10:20 delightful commentary on the fourth gospel 10:22 and he makes the point. 10:24 He says you know what, Jesus isn't so concerned 10:25 about the fragments. 10:26 Yes He is, but He is making a point about humanity. 10:29 I don't want any fragments of humanity lost. 10:32 I want every men, women, and child 10:34 picked up for the kingdom. 10:35 Do you understand? Nobody get's left behind. 10:38 That be a good-- that be a good slogan, wouldn't it? 10:40 No child left behind everyone comes. 10:45 You get them all, you hear me? 10:47 Get them all. 10:48 And they go out and they gather up the fragment. 10:51 This is verse 13 10:52 "Therefore they gathered them up, 10:53 they filled twelve baskets 10:55 with the fragments of the five barley loaves 10:57 which were left over by those who had eaten. 10:58 And then those men, when" 11:00 these are the men sitting underground. 11:02 "When they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said," truly, 11:05 "'This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.' 11:10 " And by the way this is capital "P" Prophet, 11:12 because they are thinking of Moses in Deuteronomy 18 11:14 it says "One day God is gonna send a prophet 11:17 just like me and he will leads you." 11:20 This is the capital "P" Prophet. 11:21 Hey, wait a minute guys, come here, come here. 11:23 Think about this, we would if when we go into battle 11:26 we would never be hungry, 11:28 we could be fed night and day 11:29 and guess what if any of us got hit 11:32 He will heal us on the spot. 11:34 We need this guy to become king. 11:39 Exactly what's happening here. 11:41 Look at that verse 15 "Therefore when Jesus perceived 11:45 that they were about to come 11:47 and take Him by force and make Him king, 11:53 He departed again to the mountain 11:54 by Himself alone." 11:55 Now the deal is John cuts out two key points 11:59 that the synoptics insert right here. 12:01 Number one, 12:03 knowing the intentions of the crowd. 12:05 The synoptics tell us Jesus turned to the disciples and 12:08 He says get in that boat, 12:09 get in that boat push off the shore now. 12:13 And Desire of Ages describes this way. 12:15 The disciples protested 12:16 but Jesus now spoke with an authority 12:18 He had never before assume toward them 12:21 and in silence, steaming, 12:27 but in silence they turn toward the sea. 12:31 Now, go and then He turns, He turns to the crowd. 12:35 And going to the synoptics He dismisses the crowd 12:38 with the air of an authority. 12:39 There were strong men in the crowd. 12:40 Desire of Ages says strong men 12:42 who were ready to force their will to be done. 12:44 Jesus speaks to them with a divinity 12:48 that dispels the crowd. 12:50 And then heartbroken, you know, His heart has broken, 12:53 because now the big plunge He knows what lies ahead. 12:58 Heart broken He climbs that mountain, 12:59 that tall hill to be alone with His Father. 13:06 And the disciples-- look at this verse 16. 13:12 "Now when evening came, 13:13 His disciples went down to the sea." 13:14 So they obey Jesus that far they go down to the sea. 13:16 "Got into the boat, 13:18 and went over the sea toward Capernaum. 13:20 And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them." 13:22 In other words, they actually waited. 13:23 They didn't push off, they waited. 13:26 Desire of Ages fills us in on the psyche of these disciples 13:30 at this moment of terrible disappointment. 13:33 I want to read this to you. I'll put it on the screen. 13:35 I want to read this to you, because I find it very familiar 13:38 as to what happens in my own spiritual journey. 13:41 Watch this, maybe it happens to you too. 13:43 Words on the screen. 13:44 "They the disciples had left Jesus with dissatisfied hearts, 13:47 more impatient with Him than ever before 13:50 since acknowledging Him as their Lord. 13:52 They murmured because they had not been 13:53 permitted to proclaim Him king. 13:55 They blamed themselves for yielding 13:57 so readily to His command." 13:58 I told you why don't you stand up, 14:00 what a whip? 14:01 Well, why don't you stand up? 14:03 They're blaming each other. 14:05 "For yielding so readily to His command. 14:07 They reasoned that if they had been more persistent." 14:10 This was the golden moment, He is a star. 14:14 "If they had been more persistent 14:15 they might have accomplished their purpose. 14:17 Unbelief." 14:18 Now keep reading. 14:19 "Unbelief was taking possession of their minds." 14:26 Because that's what happens whenever I catch myself 14:29 moving into a little pour me pity party 14:33 when I start feeling sorry for myself 14:35 God you really let me down on this one, 14:38 I can't believe it. 14:40 The moment I start moving into that thinking 14:42 I tell you what, it is self-perpetuating, 14:44 it just kicks into gear and suddenly questions 14:46 you would have never thought of start popping up in your mind. 14:49 Watch this with them. 14:50 "Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts." 14:52 Now here comes a series of questions. 14:53 Number one. 14:54 "Were they always to be accounted 14:56 followers of a false prophet?" 14:57 You know how hard that is on my pride. 15:00 Number two. 15:01 "Would Christ never assert His authority as king? 15:03 Number three. 15:04 "Why didn't He who possessed such power 15:06 reveal Himself in His true character, 15:08 and make their own way less painful?" 15:09 Number four. 15:10 "Why had He not saved John the Baptist 15:12 from a violent death?" 15:13 whoa, whoa, time out. 15:15 How you getting into John the Baptist, 15:16 he has nothing to do with this. 15:19 But when you move into that pour me dark thinking 15:24 suddenly the enemy of your soul is able to slip in 15:27 totally unrelated doubts that will continue the way you down. 15:32 His goal kill your heart, kill your faith, 15:37 cuts you off. 15:39 And they are going down. 15:41 "Thus the disciples reasoned" isn't it something 15:44 "until they brought upon themselves 15:45 great spiritual darkness." 15:48 Last question, can you believe this? 15:50 "They questioned, could Jesus be an imposter, 15:53 as the Pharisees asserted?" 15:55 Maybe guys, maybe, maybe, He is a fake. 16:01 Can you imagine? 16:05 "Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable." 16:08 You know what, I found this to be true 16:10 that's I wanted this line in that quote. 16:12 "And the Lord gave them something else 16:15 to afflict their souls and occupy their minds." 16:20 When you and I move into that 16:22 sicky pour me pity for me thinking, 16:26 I found in my own journey that's when I'm blindsided. 16:30 But He allows it to take my mind off me, me, me, me 16:36 and refocus and why I live any way. 16:41 "Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable." 16:42 Guess what, they get a storm. 16:44 "God often does this when men and women create burdens, 16:46 and troubles for themselves. 16:47 The disciples had no need to make trouble. 16:50 Already danger was fast approaching." 16:54 You know, just one of the topographical 16:55 features of the eastern shore of Galilee, 16:57 those towering hills they call them mounts, we call them hills, 17:00 but they are severed by this massive deep gorge 17:03 that runs straight to the lake. 17:05 It is a veritable wind tunnel and out of nowhere 17:08 those gales would come exploding out of that gorge 17:12 onto the helpless Sea of Galilee 17:14 and that's exactly what God allows to happen tonight. 17:19 Verse 18. 17:21 "Then the sea arose 17:23 because a great wind was blowing." 17:25 "So verse 19, when they had rowed about 17:27 three or four miles." 17:28 Can you imagine rowing for three or four miles? 17:30 "When they had rowed about three or four miles, 17:31 they saw Jesus walking on the sea 17:34 and drawing near the boat, 17:35 and they were afraid." 17:36 It is a ghost this is realm we're going down. 17:39 David Jones locker here we come 17:41 this is death and they scream 17:44 into the howling gale they cry out. 17:47 And I love this, verse 20. 17:49 "But Jesus said to them." 17:51 In the Greek. 17:53 Read just like this. 17:55 "I am, I am that's all. 18:00 "I am, do not be afraid." 18:04 "I am, do not be afraid." 18:13 "Then they willingly received Him in the boat, 18:14 and immediately the boat was at the land." 18:16 Supernatural miracle gets in the boat, 18:18 it's there, they disembark. 18:20 We need to hit the pause button right here. 18:23 We are moving into this disgusting metaphor 18:25 but there are two life lessons 18:27 I wish we would jot down right now. 18:29 Would you grab your study guides in your worship bulletin? 18:33 I want to get these two life lessons 18:34 we can't, we can't hurry through this story and miss 18:37 what's imbedded in this beloved narrative. 18:39 And so 18:40 grab the worship bulletin, pull it out. 18:43 Ushers, thank you for slipping by 18:45 and making sure everybody gets. 18:47 So, if didn't get one hold you hand up in the balcony 18:48 an overflow wherever you are, 18:50 I want to make sure you get that study guide. 18:52 Those are who you watching on television 18:54 we're delighted to have you. 18:55 You are live streaming right now, good? 18:57 I'm gonna put the website on the screen for you 18:59 and you will see their, 19:01 that you see right now www.pmchurch.tv 19:07 In a serious the last word this is, 19:10 I can't believe its part nine, already. 19:11 We are flying through this gospel. 19:13 Title of this teaching today 19:14 "Starving For Bread When the Pantry Is Full." 19:16 So you see the last word, 19:18 then you go to starving for bread, 19:19 and it says study guide you click on a study guide, 19:21 you'll have the same study guide. 19:22 Jot down with us please, those of you are watching. 19:24 Right now jot down with us the-- these two life lessons, 19:27 just a little lessons 19:28 then we plunge into this revolting 19:30 some consider a metaphor. 19:32 Let's go. 19:33 Lesson number one, would you please jot it down? 19:35 No matter how small your gift, 19:38 that lad with a five barley loaves and two fishes. 19:41 No matter how small your gift in the hands of a Master 19:45 it can feed the world. 19:49 Did you write that down, please? 19:51 No matter how small, 19:52 your little gift in the hand Jesus, 19:55 nails scarred hands. 19:56 He will feed the world through you. 19:58 This is Desire of Ages. 19:59 Keep your pen moving. 20:02 "The means in our possession may seem to be-- 20:04 may not seem to be sufficient for the work." 20:06 What can God do with my all humble little tiny gift? 20:10 It doesn't seem sufficient. 20:11 God you cant do anything big on this planet through me. 20:13 "But if we will move forward in faith." 20:16 Hold down now, 20:17 "believing in the all sufficient power of God, 20:20 abundant resources will open before us." 20:22 I love that. 20:23 Just step forward, just step forward, 20:25 the little you have God will provide 20:27 and in the emphasis is mine here. 20:29 "If the work be of God, 20:31 He himself will provide 20:32 the means for its accomplishment." 20:34 You say, what kind of work we talk about God? 20:36 Well God, says, any work you do for me 20:39 that can be your career. 20:40 The career you moving into the career, you are ready in, 20:42 if you're doing it for Me 20:44 I will advance your cause. 20:46 You get an ambition for Me, 20:49 I will provide the means for its accomplishment. 20:51 And then in that last sentence 20:52 "He will reward honest, simple, reliance upon Him. 20:56 The little" don't you love this, 20:58 "The little bit as wisely economically 20:59 used in the service of the Lord of heaven 21:02 will increase in that very act of imparting." 21:05 You just let go of it, just let go that. 21:07 Have a little gift? 21:08 I know it seems like nothing, 21:09 you know what that's what the devil is gonna 21:10 do to you by the away, 21:12 don't let him fool you. 21:14 He's gonna come as, you an insignificant nobody 21:16 just like that little lad, you don't have what it takes, 21:19 but if you take the little you have 21:21 and put it in His hands got promises to feed your world. 21:27 And here is lesson number two, then the metaphor. 21:29 Lesson number two, ambition for power 21:32 will destroy you. 21:33 You know, you live in an institution like this 21:35 there's a lot of moving around, there's a lot of jockeying, 21:37 there's a lot of who's, who's silo is was this? 21:40 Who spaces this? 21:41 I mean, who's got there? 21:42 What grade am I? 21:43 Where am I in the pecking order? 21:47 I wish you jot that down and life lesson number two, 21:49 ambition for power will destroy you. 21:52 I mean, why else did Lucifer come? 21:54 And he reserves for the final, 21:56 the final blast after 40 days and 40 nights of praying 21:59 Jesus in the wilderness 22:00 why does Lucifer reserve number three for the end, 22:03 because it's most deadly. 22:05 If you bow down to me, hey, hey boy, listen to me, 22:07 if you bow down to me, you give me your life, 22:11 I will give you this world, 22:12 I will make you the most powerful the most popular, 22:15 I will move you to position you've never been before. 22:19 That's why I save it through the end 22:22 because we're so vulnerable. 22:23 How many stars of Hollywood, how many stars of washed and 22:26 how many stars a Wall Street 22:27 have cut this Faustian bargain with the devil? 22:30 All right I'll sell my soul but you make me number one. 22:33 Numero Uno, you make me Numero Uno and I'll follow. 22:40 Robert Smith in his commentary Wounded Lord, 22:43 its there in your study guide. 22:44 "The crowds are astonished." 22:47 Boy is this insight for what? 22:48 "The crowds are astonished by this great sign, 22:50 " the feeding of the 15,000. 22:52 "They call Jesus 'the prophet.' 22:54 And impressed by his powers," 22:56 get this "they want to make him 'king.' 22:58 The prophet and king are high compliments," 23:01 but hold on, "not high enough." 23:06 The devil will always get you to sell yourself short 23:08 through your ambition. 23:10 He said, hey listen, I'll get you up to here but 23:12 he will never raise you to where God can raise you. 23:15 Jesus isn't a prophet, He's not a king, He is the I am. 23:19 If He hear to that siren song of those crowds 23:22 He to cut Himself down to prophet and king 23:24 when He is the eternal I am. 23:27 The devil will never let you rise 23:30 to your divine potential. 23:32 He will sell your ambition, he will sell you here, 23:34 stop you here. 23:36 And then you live never having life raised 23:41 to the heights God will for you. 23:44 Take the humble road. 23:47 Forget that position, let it go. 23:49 One day you're gonna sit on the throne 23:51 of the humble in the kingdom of God 23:54 and that ought to be payoff enough. 23:56 Two little life lessons along the way, 24:00 but how can we meet the ambition 24:05 that takes us to that kingdom. 24:07 Now I come, now we are confronted 24:09 with the strong metaphor. 24:10 Some feel almost on the border of disgusting. 24:14 Let's go. 24:15 Let's pick it up in verse 25. 24:17 The crowd by the way is waiting for Jesus 24:19 when the boat comes in they're trying to figure out hey, 24:21 how would you get it because they want another miracle. 24:22 Jesus cuts through all of that. 24:24 Verse 25 "And when they found Him 24:26 the crowd on the other side of the sea, 24:28 they said to Him, 'Rabbi, when did You come here?' 24:29 Jesus answered," verse 26 "and He said to them. 24:31 'Most assuredly, amen, amen." 24:34 Twenty five times in the gospel of John, 24:35 four of them are right here in chapter 6. 24:37 Whenever we run into that double amen 24:39 remember there is a giant red flags say yo reader, so down, 24:42 this is big stuff. 24:44 "Amen, amen, I say to you. 24:47 You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, 24:49 not because you remove by the glory of God, 24:51 but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." 24:53 You just want your tummies filled 24/7. 24:56 Verse 27 "Do not labor for the food which parishes, 25:00 but for the food which endures to everlasting life, 25:03 which the Son a Man will give you, 25:05 because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 25:08 And the crowd is primed and ready. 25:09 Man, this is the rock star, this is the miracle worker. 25:13 "And they said to Him, 'what shall we do, 25:15 that we may work the works of God?' 25:17 And Jesus answered," verse 29. 25:18 And He said to them, "This is the work of God, 25:21 that you believe in Him whom He sent." 25:24 And "Therefore they said to Him." 25:25 Oh, come on, you're not talking about you, are you? 25:27 See they are bating Him. 25:29 They want more. 25:31 "What sign will you performed then, 25:32 that we may see it and believe You? 25:34 What work do you do?" 25:35 Because you see there was a rumor going around 25:37 the Jewish community at that time 25:38 that when the Messiah comes, 25:40 He would give them manna day after day after day. 25:44 All right, one fine meal you gave us, 25:47 but we want the big sign. 25:48 Can you feed us for the rest of our lives? 25:54 "Our fathers" verse 31 "ate the manna in the desert, 25:56 it is written," it is written "as it is written, 25:58 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' 26:00 " Can you do the same? 26:01 Then Jesus said to them verse 32 26:03 "Most assuredly amen, amen, listen to me, 26:07 Moses didn't give you the bread from heaven, 26:09 but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven 26:11 for the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven 26:14 and gives life to the world. 26:16 And then they said to Him, 26:18 'Lord, give us this bread always.'" 26:21 Just like this Samaritan woman they have missed the point. 26:24 Give me this water, 26:25 so I don't have to come back to this well ever again. 26:26 Lord, give me this bread, 26:28 so that I never get hungry again. 26:30 They missed it. "And Jesus said to them." 26:32 Here we go now. 26:34 "I am," its ego eimi, it's the same I am 26:38 as He said on the high seas. 26:40 "I am the bread of life. 26:42 He who comes to me shall never hunger, 26:44 and she who believes in Me shall never thirst." 26:50 Verse 47 "Most assuredly, amen, amen." 26:54 There is the fourth one. 26:55 "I say to you, 26:57 he who believes in Me has everlasting life." 27:00 For verse 48 "I am the bread a life." 27:06 "I am the bread of life." 27:13 I want to walk over to the table now. 27:16 Can see the table from where you are? 27:19 All right. 27:20 let me just remove this lovely little doily at the top. 27:28 You know that is, don't not? 27:30 Yeah, the whole world knows what that is. 27:32 You know what, every culture, very society has bread. 27:38 South of the border doesn't look like this, 27:40 they called them tortillas. 27:42 Isn't that right? 27:43 Yeah, it's a bread. 27:46 In France it's long and narrowing. 27:48 Huge, I was over in Paris, you know, 27:49 I went to a restaurant this long thing. 27:52 They call them baguettes. 27:54 Over in India they are thicken flat and round 27:57 and they're called naan. 28:00 They have it in Asia, they have it in Africa 28:02 small and whites it's called rice. 28:07 Don't you laugh. 28:09 I grew up in Asia, all right. 28:12 Rice was a staple. 28:13 We never ate, we hardly ever ate bread maybe on a Sabbath. 28:18 My wife grew up in an old American family. 28:20 Bread every single meal, seven days a week. 28:24 But that's the world. 28:26 The whole world this by the way 28:30 is created by there's lovely little 28:32 bread maker in our village name Murnau Witsel, 28:36 she is the bread maker. 28:38 So I had to make two loaves 28:41 because I get to keep them after this is over. 28:43 Okay, so I'm going to slice bread, all right, 28:45 I'm a slice the bread, I mean, 28:46 every culture in the world knows, 28:50 that this is what you do with bread. 28:55 That's a homemade by the way. 28:58 You know, I wonder why Jesus-- 29:00 I wonder why Jesus chose His metaphor, 29:02 I mean, please bread. 29:04 Why did Jesus use a metaphor a bread and say hey world, 29:08 I am the bread of life. 29:10 There must be something in this. 29:12 It's got to be. 29:16 I can't slice it all. 29:18 How about three nice little slices? 29:19 Oh, it's beautiful. 29:21 Okay, here's the deal, you see that, 29:23 you got a camera on it. 29:25 I want to put Jesus words on the screen now. 29:30 Now that you've seen the bread and I'm gonna ask you, 29:33 I'm gonna ask you to call out to me. 29:35 We've never done this before. 29:36 I'm gonna ask you to call out to me, 29:39 what the human race, 29:41 what benefits do we human earth, 29:43 do we earth children gain from eating bread? 29:46 There are benefits, come on, doesn't matter 29:48 what you call the bread in the land 29:49 where you live there are benefits. 29:51 And so let's put it on the screen. 29:52 I am the bread of life. 29:54 And I'm going to give you the first one. 29:55 I'm gonna-- there are seven blanks in your study guide, 29:57 you're gonna fill them in 29:59 whatever you say goes in that blank, 30:00 all right, so I have no idea what you're gonna say, 30:02 but whatever you say it will go in the blank 30:04 and there is our producer up there sitting behind a keyboard 30:07 and she is gonna get it when I repeat it to her, 30:09 I'll hear it and then I'll repeat it. 30:11 But let's put one up, let's just say number one 30:14 what is it that bread does it nourishes you, 30:18 isn't that true? 30:19 Bread nourishes you. 30:21 Now we got six more blacks 30:22 on your study guide to fill it in. 30:24 So you call it in and let's filled it. 30:26 It has to begin with it and then something you, 30:29 all right, let's go. 30:30 Tell me what benefits do humans accrue from bread? 30:35 It comforts. 30:36 I heard comfort let's fill that in please. 30:39 It comforts you. 30:42 Hey, you know what, that's true isn't it? 30:43 When somebody comes up from 30:44 south of the border to north of the border 30:47 feeling lonely, feeling abandoned, 30:50 if you can just get a hold of some bread from home, 30:52 some tortilla there is a comfort. 30:56 You know what, that's true. 30:58 When an American travels overseas in a country 31:00 where there isn't a lot of bread and you go to a restaurant 31:02 and they have bread it's a comfort food I like that. 31:05 Yeah, it comforts you that's what bread does, 31:06 it comforts us. 31:07 All right, let's put another one. 31:09 How about another one? 31:12 Keeps you alive. 31:13 Now I want to put-- keeps you alive. 31:16 Let's put that up there. 31:17 It keeps-- well it's-- 31:20 Okay, it keeps alive you. 31:24 Let's do that. 31:27 All right, Jenna, just put it up there, 31:30 it keeps you alive. That'll be fine. 31:31 It keeps you alive. That's good. 31:34 Just keep it a one word, if you can. 31:36 All right, it keeps you alive. 31:38 See they're trying to figure out. 31:40 Yeah there it is, it keeps you alive. 31:42 Okay, what else does bread do? 31:43 What are the benefits? 31:44 Jesus says "I am the bread of life." 31:46 If you eat this bread this is what happened you. 31:48 It nourishes you, it comforts you, 31:50 it keeps you alive. 31:51 Give me another one. 31:56 Little louder. 31:57 It fills. 31:58 Okay, I got fills, I heard that. 32:00 It fills you. 32:02 Yeah, it does, it fills you. 32:05 You know why, that's why the poor 32:06 by the way eat the barley bread. 32:08 It wasn't the greatest file asset, 32:11 but it fills your tummy. 32:13 You eat that barley bread it just fills you. 32:14 If you can't have can't have broccoli and Thai salad 32:17 that's can't afford it, but you eat the bread, 32:18 it fills the stomach. 32:21 Yeah, that's good, it's fill you. 32:23 All right, I got to come over this way a bit more, 32:25 'cause I'm hear a lot of voices from over there. 32:26 What else is it do? Over here. 32:28 It pleases you. 32:30 I heard that. Pleases you. 32:32 It pleases you. 32:34 Well, I like that. 32:36 Yeah, why does it please you? 32:38 Because I have something at last, 32:40 my hunger is satiated by that which pleases me. 32:45 I love my bread, I love my naan, I love my baguette, 32:48 I love my tortilla, I love my rice, it pleases me. 32:50 All right, one, two, three, four five. 32:52 We can do two more. 32:53 How about this side here? 32:56 What part? 32:58 It energizes. I like that. 33:00 It energizes you. 33:02 Why we're now consumes this bread 33:04 I draw strength from a donut 33:05 and it's just like putting on-- 33:07 the change in my Duracell batteries. 33:09 And now I'm energized. 33:11 Oh, I like that, it energizes you. 33:12 One, two, three, I got one more. 33:15 What does bread-- what are the benefits 33:16 that accrue from bread? 33:18 One more. 33:20 Satisfies. 33:21 It's not up there, let's put it up. 33:23 I like that satisfies you. 33:24 It satisfies you. 33:27 I don't have to go anywhere else. 33:29 You give me a loaf of bread, you give me that naan, 33:32 you give me that baguette I'm happy, I'm satisfied. 33:36 Very good. 33:37 Now here's a deal guys, leave it up there please. 33:39 I want to look at, by the way, 33:40 you can fill it in your study guide, 33:41 fill those in, those seven. 33:43 Here's a deal. 33:44 Does Jesus who says I am the bread of life, 33:47 does Jesus do the same? 33:51 Let's go to that list. 33:53 Does Jesus nourish you? 33:54 But He does. 33:56 He said, I will nourish you, 33:58 I'll put those vitamins 34:00 into your spiritual body and vitamins, 34:02 I will nourish you. 34:03 Does Jesus comfort you? 34:05 Oh, but of course. 34:06 Does Jesus keep you alive? 34:08 Yes. 34:09 Does Jesus fill you? 34:12 Yeah, fill me till I, that old song 34:14 feed me till I want no more. 34:17 Fill me. 34:18 Does Jesus please you? 34:20 Yeah, does He? 34:21 Yeah, but of course. 34:22 Does Jesus energies you? 34:25 How does He energies you? 34:28 I mean, how does He energies you? 34:30 What's He do? 34:34 Gives you the strength and powers you for the moment. 34:39 One more does Jesus satisfy? 34:42 Nobody, that old gospel hymn, nobody satisfies like Jesus. 34:47 Jesus says, hey, guys, look, look, look, look, look, 34:50 you see this bread. 34:53 I am, I am the bread of life for you. 34:59 Now having made that point 35:00 who He pivots to this revolting metaphor. 35:04 Come on, we can't skip it. 35:05 Let's confront it, let's go verse 51. 35:12 "I am" Jesus speaking now "I am the living bread 35:15 which came down from heaven. 35:16 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, 35:18 and the bread that I shall give is" My what? 35:21 "Is my flesh, 35:25 that I shall give for the life of the world." 35:30 Wait, wait, wait, hey, do you hear what He just said? 35:32 Did He say what I thought I heard Him say, yep, yep, yep. 35:36 And in fact, the Greek here in verse 52. 35:38 "The Jews therefore quarreled" 35:39 the Greek means they came to fight, 35:41 they came to fight 35:42 so that some commentators wonder 35:44 if they were not physical altercations 35:46 in the synagogue of Capernaum 35:48 when Jesus comes and says 35:49 it's my flesh I'm talking about. 35:51 They quarreled. 35:52 He didn't say. Yes, He did. 35:53 He did? Yes He did. 35:54 Then Jesus says all right, I want this metaphor 35:57 to be crystal clear and four times in a row now, 35:59 four times in case we missed at the first and the second, 36:02 four times He will state the metaphor. 36:04 Here we go, verse 53. 36:06 "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, 36:07 here it comes, amen, amen. 36:10 "I say to you." 36:11 This is huge now, red flag. 36:13 Listen reader. 36:14 "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of God 36:17 and drink His blood, you have no life in you." 36:22 That's number one. 36:23 Number two, verse 54. 36:24 "Whoever eats My flesh 36:25 and drinks My blood has eternal life, 36:27 and I will raise her up at the last day." 36:29 Here comes number three. 36:31 "For My flesh is food indeed, 36:33 and My blood is drink indeed." 36:34 And here comes number four. 36:35 "He who eats My flesh 36:37 and drinks My blood abides in Me, 36:40 and I in him." 36:43 That is revolting. 36:46 Can't miss it. 36:47 You know this earthquake in Turkey 36:48 we've been following just this week. 36:50 A previous earthquake 36:51 I'll never forget the story as long as I live. 36:53 The previous earthquake, a mother and little child 36:56 were trapped beneath the rubble for days. 36:59 They find it, halleluiah, found them alive 37:01 and they asked the mother, 37:02 how did you keep your little child alive? 37:05 And the mother said, I let my child drink my blood. 37:10 That's what it makes you feel, doesn't it? 37:14 Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood you live. 37:21 That was on the border of revolting. 37:25 So what's Jesus saying here? 37:28 For a long time scholars have thought, 37:30 you know what He's doing, 37:31 He is slipping in a little homilies on the Lord's supper 37:34 because Matthew, Mark and Luke 37:36 all have the Lord supper in them 37:38 and there is no Lord supper in John, 37:40 no Lord supper. 37:42 So this is John's way of slipping the Lord's supper 37:44 in a little bit early to make sure that 37:45 he still get the value of Lord supper. 37:47 But scholars now and I'm Craig Keener 37:50 whom I'm leaning on rather heavily 37:53 in the writing of these teachings. 37:57 Craig Keener makes the point. 37:59 He says wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute 38:00 if this were really a Lord supper 38:02 a homilies there is something huge is missing, 38:05 the word wine is never used in the paschal 38:08 or the Passover supper and the Lord supper. 38:10 You always have bread and wine. 38:11 We have the bread, no word about wine. 38:14 And he says by the way, flesh, 38:17 the word here for flesh is socks in the Lord supper formula 38:20 it's not socks it's soma it's body. 38:23 Jesus says this is My body. 38:25 He never says this is My flesh broken for you. 38:28 Keener says John is doing this for a reason. 38:31 Now put it on the screen. 38:33 You have in your study guide as well. 38:34 "Flesh and blood." What's the point? 38:36 "Flesh and blood show the believer's 38:38 absolutely dependence on Christ's death. 38:40 John not only omits the final paschal 38:43 Lord supper meal in his Passion Narrative, 38:46 he makes Jesus actual death the real Passover." 38:50 Now listen, scholars, what happens is 38:53 the Passover occurs when Jesus dies 38:55 in John's gospel that's the Passover. 38:58 There is no Passover Thursday night. 39:00 The Passover is when He dies. 39:03 Keep reading. 39:04 "John plainly moves the Passover 39:06 from the Last Supper to the crucifixion. 39:08 In the context of the entire Gospel, 39:10 John's Eucharistic language 39:12 thus applies directly to Jesus' death 39:16 the way one partakes is through faith and the Spirit. 39:19 John's words invite his audience 39:21 to look to Christ's death itself, 39:22 not merely to those symbols which point to his death." 39:26 Now here's the point, listen carefully. 39:29 Sometimes we get to thinking 39:30 when we celebrate the Lord supper 39:32 that it's all wrapped up in the emblems themselves. 39:36 There are some of our friends who by the grace of God 39:40 would try to go to a mass every single day 39:42 so that they get the symbols and they become a part of Me. 39:47 But John is working overtime to remove, 39:51 to remove the focus on the symbols 39:53 and said, no, no, no, no, no. 39:54 What counts is Calvary itself the real flesh, 39:57 the real blood of the cross that's what Jesus is calling 40:03 you and me to come to, not the symbols, 40:07 but the event itself, Calvary, Calvary. 40:13 In fact, would you jot this down please. 40:15 "Christ's bold language is His call to His disciples 40:18 to meet Him at the foot of the cross." 40:20 When He says eat my flesh, drink My blood. 40:22 Come here, come here, quick, quick, quick, quick 40:24 come here to the foot of the cross. 40:25 Meet Me here as the Passover lamb. 40:31 So what does it mean? 40:33 What is that mean to eat the flesh 40:35 and drink the blood of Christ? 40:36 I want to end with this one more quotation. 40:38 Desire of Ages. 40:39 You have it in your study guide, 40:41 you have to fill it in. Let's go. 40:43 "To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ 40:46 is to receive Him as a personal Savior." 40:49 Not a collective savior, not a campus wide savior, 40:51 not a congregational savior, personal your own, 40:55 not your family, not your daddy, 40:56 not your mommy, your Savior. 40:59 Have you accepted Him as your Savior? 41:01 That's what it means. 41:02 To accept Him as a personal Savior. 41:03 "Believing that He forgives my sins, 41:06 and that I am complete in Him. 41:08 It is by beholding His love" at the foot of the cross, 41:11 "by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, 41:13 that we are to become partakers of His nature." 41:15 Now jot this down. 41:16 "What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul." 41:21 We'll come back to that line. 41:22 That's the point of this radical metaphor. 41:26 "What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul. 41:29 Food cannot benefit us unless we eat it, 41:31 unless it becomes a part of our being. 41:33 So Christ is of, no value to us 41:34 if we don't know His as a personal Savior. 41:36 A theoretical knowledge will do us no good." 41:38 I don't care how many religious hours 41:40 you have to take in order to get your degree. 41:42 Here in Andrews University it will matter a hell of beans 41:46 unless you personally encounter the Christ 41:48 that has been taught. 41:50 "We must feed upon Him, 41:52 we must receive Him into the heart, 41:54 so that His life becomes ours. 41:56 His love," I love this. 41:57 "His love, His grace, must be assimilated." 42:02 Take it in. 42:06 Take it in. 42:07 His love, and His grace, must be assimilated. 42:10 You say now come on, Dwight, give me some specific. 42:12 How can I eat the flesh 42:13 and drink the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ? 42:15 Let me leave these five with you here. 42:17 Jot this down. Would you please? 42:18 This is how. 42:19 Number one, Take time alone with Jesus daily. 42:25 You said, I've already heard this before. 42:26 You are hearing it again. 42:28 Take time alone with Jesus daily. 42:31 Number two, One slice a day, 42:33 one Gospel story a day. 42:35 One slice a day. 42:38 Number three, Chew, chew that slice. 42:42 Ruminate over it, brood over it, wrestle with it, 42:45 meditate out, chew the bread, chew it. 42:49 Number four, Respond to the picture of Jesus 42:52 that the Spirit will reveal to you. 42:54 You'll see a picture of Him and respond to that. 42:57 We can say this is how I respond, Lord. 42:59 And finally number five, Kneel, 43:02 kneel before the crucified One and offer Him your day. 43:06 You say, Dwight, you just say offer Him your life. 43:08 Of course, but He needs your day, 43:10 today, and today, and today until I come 43:12 give me your day, just give today. 43:15 Offer to Him today. 43:18 Now is that rocket science, ladies and gentlemen? 43:20 It is not rocket science. 43:21 Is that difficult? It is not difficult. 43:25 The Desire of Ages put it. 43:26 His life, His love, His grace must be assimilated. 43:30 So in a few moments when the last time when I said, 43:34 if you would like to tweet this message, 43:36 if you would like to tweet this teaching 43:38 to your friends and family in a 140 characters or less 43:42 I'm gonna give you the one line would you please send this line. 43:45 Pass this line to your friends, 43:46 pass this line to your family, 43:48 get them to come to the website, 43:49 get them to go to that podcast. 43:51 Here's the line that you tweet to them please. 43:54 Jesus is your soul food. 44:00 Tweet it. 44:02 Jesus is your soul food. 44:05 And by the way, I don't care 44:07 if you misspell the word soul. 44:12 I don't care if you spell it sole instead of soul, 44:15 because it's still true. 44:17 Mention I lived by bread alone, 44:18 but every word that proceeds 44:20 out of the mouth of Christ our Lord. 44:22 Jesus is your soul food. 44:26 Have you had your bread today? 44:30 Jesus is your soul food. 44:32 You say, come on, Dwight, that's too simple, 44:34 I need something little more complicated. 44:36 I need to be really stretching me intellectually. 44:38 My friend, that's been the problem. 44:41 We have saw to stretch each other 44:42 till we are stretched out. 44:45 We're living at the edge of eternity, 44:47 we are at the end of time and here is my concern. 44:49 I'll be just--this is pastor to pastor time now. 44:51 No, no, here's my concern. 44:54 I'm concerned that is the people, 44:57 because we have no assurance if this really is the end 45:02 that we are treating life now business as usual. 45:06 The problem with our community of faith, 45:08 I don't want to say this, gentlemen. 45:09 The problem with our community of faith 45:11 it's a okay problem to have. 45:14 We tend to frontload everything 45:17 at the beginning of the spiritual journey. 45:19 My friend Ron Clouse I tell you what, 45:21 I've been just praising God tonight is his last night and 45:23 he has been anointed by the Holy Spirit. 45:26 He want to catch those one areas because he haven't gone to any, 45:28 the others coming just pack it into 45:30 the youth chapel tonight his last lecture. 45:33 But my friend Ron Clouse has been teaching, 45:35 teaching for four weeks now, but we tend to that, 45:38 we kind of frontload it at the beginning of the journey 45:42 and then most of us come in that way, 45:44 and then we spend the rest of our lives 45:45 just kind of just feeding off of the fumes. 45:49 We miss the metaphor. 45:51 The point of the metaphor is now let me show it to you. 45:54 The point of the metaphor is here in verse 35 45:56 we just swift through it a moment ago. 45:57 Now read this and you are hearing verse 35. 45:59 "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life.' 46:02 " Now watch what happens in the original language. 46:04 He who the Greek reads keeps on coming to me. 46:10 "He who keeps on coming to Me shall never hunger. 46:14 And she who keeps on believing in Me 46:17 shall never thirst." 46:19 It's not front-end loaded, it's frontloaded at all. 46:21 It's day, after day, after day. 46:24 You got to keep coming. 46:25 The story Jesus told about the 10 virgins, 46:27 five of them when the crisis hits 46:29 and the world is falling apart five of them 46:32 have not been coming every day. 46:33 They have nothing, 46:35 there is nothing they can scare up, 46:36 there is nothing-- you can't borrow it from your friends, 46:38 you just give me your spirituality, 46:40 give me bread of life that you been eating. 46:41 You can't it's too late, it's too late. 46:44 If you are waiting for adrenaline to be your call 46:46 to draw near to Jesus, can't be adrenaline. 46:49 I am the bread of life. 46:52 You come back to Me continues repetitive action, 46:56 you come back to Me. 46:58 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, 47:02 the Lord our righteousness 47:03 blessed are those who hunger and thirst after me. 47:06 Is what He is saying. 47:07 I am the bread of life. 47:10 I am your bread today, I am your bread today, 47:13 I am your bread today. 47:14 There is no tomorrow with me. 47:15 I am your bread today, I am your bread today. 47:17 I am what you are hungry for, come to me. 47:23 Some of us are thinking well, you know, 47:25 I'm just-- this is so simple, 47:28 this devotional life business. 47:30 My friends, we will rise or fall 47:34 on the simplicity of this truth the bread of life. 47:38 If we don't get it we starved to death 47:42 and its curtains spiritually. 47:46 Eat, and eat, and eat. 47:50 Oh, Dwight, can I do it on my iPhone? 47:52 I don't care where you do it. 47:54 Eat the Word, follow the gospel, 47:56 one slice at a time well over there. 47:59 How much time? Forget how much time. 48:00 That's always a question we ask and then we get-- 48:02 we get rare road side tracked, forget it. 48:06 Time, one slice, chew it, respond to it, 48:12 kneel down and say God 48:14 bread of life let us go together. 48:16 Ladies and gentlemen, that's what it means 48:18 to live on the edge of eternity. 48:20 You are eating bread today and today and today 48:24 until Jesus comes. 48:30 Otherwise you starved to death. 48:32 You die. 48:34 Why would you die when the pantry is full? 48:44 I want to give you an opportunity to respond today. 48:48 I'm going to give a piece of bread. 48:52 Like if you line up right here 48:53 I'll go through this pretty quick. 48:56 I'm gonna give you a piece of bread. 48:57 No it's not this right here. 49:00 Our ushers are ready right now to come your way. 49:02 I want everybody here to receive a piece of bread. 49:04 It's close enough to dinner you can eat it without fallen up 49:06 your digestive system, all right. 49:08 Ushers, let's go, let's just come, 49:10 in the balcony, ushers, let's go, 49:12 half way back, ushers, let's go, 49:13 in the youth chapel let's go. 49:16 Take some bread if you're really hungry 49:18 take two or three pieces, its okay. 49:21 This is not communion, this is not communion. 49:24 We're not having communion here. 49:25 This is a chance to take the bread of life and 49:28 symbolically say to you and to say to Jesus. 49:30 You know what, Jesus, You are my bread of life. 49:33 Jesus, I have not had the time that I needed with You, 49:36 but Jesus, I am eating this bread right now 49:39 as a commitment that starting today, Jesus, starting today. 49:45 I will eat the bread. 49:48 I will drink the water. 49:51 I want to be nearer and nearer to You. 49:54 I'd rather have You Jesus 49:55 in any thing in the whole wide world. 49:57 I don't need power, I don't need fame, 50:00 I don't need riches, I don't need land, 50:06 I want you Jesus, 50:07 I don't need success, I don't need the adrenaline 50:12 of a pumped up life hunting and hurting for success. 50:18 I want you Jesus. 50:20 And when I eat this Jesus, I am saying to you-- 50:22 don't eat it yet. 50:23 Well, you already ate it, okay. 50:27 All right, well, just with that I'm going to eat it too. 50:34 But, Jesus, when I eat this, Jesus, what I'm saying is, 50:36 I want You in me, I want Your nature in me, 50:38 I want what You are to be Dwight. 50:42 I want Dwight to be You. 50:45 I'm such a mess Jesus, I'll let you down so often, 50:49 but please every morning feed me till I want no more. 50:54 You know, that old song, " Feed me till I want no more." 50:56 I got to thank you between services. 50:57 It really should say feed me till I want some more, 51:01 because you never run out of wanting this, guys, 51:03 you never have. 51:04 I had a great, I had a great meal yesterday. 51:05 Do you ever do that? 51:06 I had a great breakfast yesterday, 51:07 I'm dropping breakfasts for the rest of my life. 51:10 No. 51:11 I want a great breakfast today 51:12 and I want a great breakfast tomorrow. 51:14 You just keep coming back, this is the bread. 51:18 We're gonna sing that old gospel hymn 51:19 along we sing two stanzas of it. 51:21 I want to make sure the ushers have time. 51:22 And those of you watching on the screen right now, 51:26 I tell you what, you go to your little pantry, 51:28 you got a loaf of bread and then 51:29 you put that loaf of bread out. 51:30 This is not special bread, this is just bread. 51:33 Jesus says what special is it's a symbol of Me. 51:36 You go pull the piece of bread out, you eat it. 51:38 Well, eat it right now 51:39 and you make the same comment. 51:41 It's time for God's people. 51:43 It's time, guys, we have fiddled dabbled around 51:48 for too long. 51:50 God is ready to draw us deeper than 51:52 we have ever gone before. 51:55 I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold. 51:57 Let's sing that together. 52:02 All right, let's stand together. 52:06 I'd rather have Jesus 52:11 than silver or gold 52:16 I'd rather be His 52:19 than have riches untold 52:24 I'd rather have Jesus 52:28 than houses or lands 52:33 I'd rather be led 52:37 by His nail-pierced hand 52:42 Than to be the king 52:46 of a vast domain 52:51 Or be held in sin's 52:56 dread sway 53:00 I'd rather have Jesus 53:05 than anything 53:10 This world affords today 53:21 I'd rather have Jesus 53:26 than men's applause 53:30 I'd rather be faithful 53:35 to His dear cause 53:40 I'd rather have Jesus 53:45 than worldwide fame 53:49 I'd rather be true 53:54 to His holy name 54:00 Than to be the king 54:04 of a vast domain 54:09 Or be held in sin's 54:14 dread sway 54:20 I'd rather have Jesus 54:25 than anything 54:30 This world affords today 54:43 And so every morning an answer to that desire 54:45 that you just sang what do we do, 54:47 go down in that little corner 54:49 and we break bread 54:52 and we put the bread in us inside ourselves 54:55 and we feed on that bread for the journey of that day. 54:59 Next morning we're back down. 55:01 We break bread again. 55:03 And some of you have been saving your piece. 55:06 You and me right now and by this symbol 55:10 we are assimilating. 55:12 You do it all the time. 55:20 It nourishes, it satisfies. 55:26 I know you're not supposed to talk with your mouthful. 55:29 My mother said. 55:31 It energies, fills you, 55:38 keeps you alive. 55:41 I am the bread of life. 55:44 Come to me, 55:46 she he who eats will live forever. 55:50 Amen. 55:52 O God, such a simple metaphor 55:57 radical in the expression of eating His flesh 56:00 and drinking His blood, 56:01 but at the foot of the cross we do the radical, 56:05 we break bread alone with our bread of life, 56:09 Savior and companion we assimilate, 56:13 we chew, we swallow, we go forth 56:17 for this people, Holy Father, 56:20 please at this time take us into Your heart today, 56:27 and today, and today until Jesus comes. 56:31 Let all the people say. 56:33 Amen. 56:49 Before you go I'd like to take a moment 56:51 and talk to you about your relationship with Jesus. 56:54 So often we go to church, we listen to a sermon 56:56 about the things that Jesus said or that which Jesus did. 56:59 We learn all these facts about Him. 57:01 Yeah, but when it comes down to it we sometimes realize 57:03 we have an actually come to know Him personally ourselves. 57:07 Now perhaps you've only recently discovered the love of Christ 57:10 and you wondering where you go from here. 57:12 That's why I'd like to invite you to take 57:13 advantage of this free book offer 57:14 the little classic steps to Christ. 57:16 Since this book was first penned a century ago, 57:19 it sold over 50 million copies, 57:21 it's been translated into a 135 different languages. 57:24 You know what, the good news of the gospel is so direct 57:27 and so sublimely simple that we often look right past it. 57:31 So what this does is it will help you see the good news 57:33 in all its glory, in all its beauty. 57:35 What you're gonna discover here a clear, 57:38 simple steps to help you enter 57:40 into the most important friendship of your life. 57:42 So please give us a call. 57:44 Toll free number you see it on your screen 877 57:47 and then the two words His-Will, 877-His-Will. 57:50 Ask one of our friendly operators 57:52 for your free copy of Steps to Christ. 57:54 By the way, years ago this book led me to Christ 57:57 and I pray that it will lead you too Him as well. 58:00 So give us a call and in the meantime 58:02 God be with you every step of the way 58:03 until we're here again next time. |
Revised 2014-12-17