A Full Breakfast

We can turn back to our reading in John's Gospel, chapter 6.

We're going to look at just this section, verse 25, down to verse 51,

where Jesus is speaking to this large crowd who have come,

seeking after him, having seen a miracle that he performed,

especially the miracle of feeding the 5,000.

And in verse 26, we read there,

Jesus answered them,

Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs,

but because you ate your fill of loaves.

Do not labor for food that perishes,

but for the food that endures to eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give to you, and so on.

So they came because of a miracle that Jesus had performed,

but Jesus wants to give them now the word,

give him his word, and to remind them who he is

and hear how he describes himself as the bread of life.

Maybe you've gathered here today, you've come here today,

maybe you were given an invitation as you were walking out in the street this morning

to come and enjoy a breakfast,

to come and enjoy maybe a bacon roll and a cup of tea.

Maybe you've come with that in mind,

and perhaps then you were invited to come in to the church.

And it's great that many of you have come in,

and it's good for us just to come together in this way

to hear God's word and to share from it.

Because we are reminded in God's word that it's good for us to eat

and to enjoy all of these things,

that if we want to enjoy life to the full,

that we need an extra ingredient,

and that is the Lord Jesus himself.

We've all enjoyed a breakfast, I'm sure, this morning of some sort,

whether it was in the hall or at home.

Breakfast, as they say, is the most important meal of the day.

But I want us now to enjoy a full breakfast,

to round off the food that we've enjoyed

by coming to the word of God and to Jesus,

who is describing himself here as the bread of life.

But food, it's such a big part of our lives,

we cannot do without it.

As I was saying to the younger ones before they went out,

as we walk around the town this week,

there's always that smell of food coming from somewhere,

catching our attention.

And as soon as we smell that food,

we start thinking about eating, about sitting and eating.

And we spend so much time maybe talking about food.

What are we going to have for dinner?

What are we going to have in the week ahead?

Our thoughts are so much taken up by food.

It has that kind of pull on us.

Even as you start talking about bacon rolls,

or if you start talking about what are we having for dinner,

maybe your mind just wanders and you start thinking about these things.

I want you to come back.

Come back.

Forget about these things for a moment.

Just let's focus our thoughts on what we have before us here.

Because here we have Jesus talking about a different kind of food.

And something that should occupy our thoughts and our minds more and more,

each and every day.

Does Jesus have that same pull on your life today as the thought of food does?

Is Jesus as appealing as the thought of a good meal to you today?

Well, as we read here in John's Gospel, chapter 6,

what we find is a people for whom food was a big part of their lives.

And to go without food meant to go hungry just in the same way as it does for us.

They ate just like we do.

They went hungry just as we do.

And at the beginning of this chapter,

we find that that first section, verse 1 to 15,

there was a hunger in their midst.

There was a hunger in their midst because they had been with Jesus.

They had been listening to him and the large crowd had come.

And there in verse 5, it says,

Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?

There was a hunger in their midst.

They didn't have anywhere to go and buy food,

but food appeared from a little boy who provided for them.

And Jesus multiplied that food for them.

A miracle happened.

And so that's where they've come from now.

They've come and followed Jesus.

They've come and followed him looking to see what else that he might be able to give.

And when we come into verse 26 and 27,

here Jesus gives them a challenge.

What now are you looking for from me is the question that he has.

Verse 26,

Truly, truly, I say to you,

you are seeking me not because you saw signs,

but because you ate your fill of loaves.

Do not labor for the food that perishes,

but for the food that endures to eternal life.

That's the challenge that he puts before them.

What are they coming for?

What are they really looking for in life?

A festival has come to an end here in the town.

People have come.

People have gone.

People are on their way away from here.

But what now in life?

What's next?

What are we hungry for now?

Where are we going?

What are we going to do in our lives?

Well, Jesus here gives us a way to find life with him.

There's three things I want us to look at here together.

Three things that we can see Jesus speaking about here

that we find ourselves doing in life as well.

Well, we find first a people laboring or working.

Laboring and working, they both mean the same thing.

A people laboring.

That's what maybe many of us will go back to.

We also find a people longing.

They're looking for something.

They're longing for something.

And again, maybe that's your life today as well.

You're longing for something.

Then thirdly, we see a people living.

A people living.

A people with that sense of,

I've got something I'm living for.

And we see here a people who find life and meaning in Jesus.

Where do you find yourself today?

Are you someone who's laboring in life?

A person who's working hard for many different things?

Are you a person who's got great longings?

You're like looking for something.

You're looking for answers.

You're looking for meaning in life.

Or are you someone who is living?

And you've got a living purpose in your heart today.

And especially that living for Jesus.

That's the three things we're going to look at together.

Just for a short time just now.

So first of all, we see a people laboring.

A people working.

We see this in verse 827.

When Jesus says to them there,

Do not labor for food that perishes.

He's asking them,

What are you doing?

What's your purpose in life?

What are you laboring for today?

What are you working for today?

The same way that food takes up so much of our thoughts and so much of our times.

So much of our day-to-day life is taken up in this way of thinking about laboring in life.

Working in life.

And what are you working for?

Because that's what one of our great designs in life is.

That we work and we have a goal in mind.

Sometimes it's just to get by day by day.

A sense of survival.

I need to labor.

I need to work.

Just to get by day by day.

Sometimes you're working.

You're laboring because you've got something in mind.

Perhaps you've been laboring hard to come and visit the island.

To come to the festival this year.

You've had to earn that money to buy that holiday.

To buy that trip.

You can be working or laboring with something in mind.

Maybe you're laboring.

You're working just to get you a comfortable life.

A home.

To support a family.

To support children through university or education or early life.

We can have so many reasons and purposes for laboring.

But what's behind it all?

What's the real purpose behind it all?

The way we are, there's almost something that always has our focus, our attention when it comes to laboring.

But is it something that will satisfy?

Is it something that will last?

That's what Jesus is asking there in verse 27.

Do not labor for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life.

He's saying labor in a way that you see that there is a real purpose.

A major sports star in America, Tom Brady, an American footballer.

Quite early on in his career, he was interviewed.

And he'd had a very successful career by this point.

He had won three Super Bowls.

That's the biggest prize in American football.

But as he was interviewed, this is something that he said.

Why, having won three Super Bowls, do I still think there's something greater out there for me?

I think there's got to be more to it than this.

I mean, this isn't it.

This can't be what it's all, all that it's cracked up to be.

You see, there was something missing in his life.

And the journalist who was interviewing him asked him the question,

What's the answer then, Tom?

And Tom Brady's response was, I wish I knew.

It's quite a sad interview in many ways that a man who was very successful in his career,

who had won great things in his career, but all the time thinking,

there's got to be more to it than this.

And asked, what do you think it is?

I wish I knew.

There was something missing.

And it's such a common story in life today for many people.

Laboring, working away, even successful in life,

but still there's something missing.

Still there's something lacking.

And perhaps like Tom Brady, you say today,

I wish I knew what that was.

I wish I knew.

Well, as Jesus meets the crowd here,

what he does is he addresses this question of,

I wish I knew.

And in so doing, he describes himself as the missing link.

When they're saying here,

Do not labor for that which perishes,

but that which lasts,

but the food that endures to eternal life.

They ask the question,

Where can we find this?

How can I do this work?

But he comes to the point where he says,

I am the bread of life.

I am the bread of life.

I am is one of these great seeings that Jesus has,

especially in the Gospel of John.

But it's throughout the Scriptures

where Jesus or the Lord is saying who he is

and how much we need him.

They often go back to the Old Testament.

They often remind us of just how our lives are so often consumed

by the things of this world.

You go back to Isaiah chapter 55.

Isaiah 55 · chapter mention

There the prophet Isaiah says,

Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread?

And why do you labor for that which does not satisfy?

So the problem in the Old Testament with Isaiah

is the same one here in John's Gospel.

Why are you laboring for that which does not satisfy?

He's not saying don't work.

That's to be a part of our lives.

But he's saying,

Why are you living in a way where you don't see a purpose

in all that you do?

And he says to them here,

You know, you're not coming to me for me.

You're coming because you saw me perform great miracles.

What are you really looking for?

I hope you didn't come here today just to enjoy a breakfast.

I hope you don't go from here today just to enjoy a meal somewhere

or to go on laboring in this world with no purpose,

thinking I wish I knew what the purpose was

when the purpose is here before us.

What are you laboring for?

That's the challenge that we have in these words.

Is Jesus the center of your attention?

And then that leads us into the second point,

which is a people longing.

A people with a sense of longing,

which is what we often are as well.

It's the way we live our lives.

We're longing for something.

We're looking for something that will fulfill our lives.

So what do you want from Jesus?

What would you want from Jesus today

if you were able to ask him for one thing?

Why do you listen to his word?

Why do you come looking for him?

Because everyone is looking for something in life.

But what is it for you?

Well, in verse 28 to verse 34 here,

we see a people who are longing for a number of different things.

They say in verse 28,

what must we do?

What must we do to be doing the works of God?

So they're asking these questions.

How do we please God?

Is there something we can do?

Is there a sign?

He goes on, show us a sign.

You have that question as well.

They've got all these questions.

How are we going to come and believe in Jesus?

How can we find this bread that you are speaking about?

There's a longing.

And that's the same in our lives.

There's usually a longing for something in our lives.

But what we see here is it's a people who are confused.

A people who are mixed up.

People who don't really,

they know they're missing something,

but they don't know how to find it.

There's a desire and a longing for good,

but they're in a muddle.

They're mixed up.

They're blowing this way and that way.

And again, that's the way our lives can so often be.

We've pulled in different directions.

Just think of how often we're told in our diets

what's good for us and what's not,

and how often it changes.

How often have we been told

that chocolate is bad?

But then maybe another day,

chocolate is good.

How often have we been told to avoid dairy products?

And then the next day you're told

dairy products are good.

To avoid fats,

and then you say you need fats.

To avoid sugar,

and you need sugar.

There can be so much confusion.

But we know a bad diet is bad for us

in different ways.

Not just outwardly,

but inwardly.

We know that there is a concern

if our diet is wrong

and it's starting to affect our organs

like our heart or something.

We know that's not good.

That's a concern

and that a doctor shows to us.

When we're wondering,

what's good?

What's bad for me?

What am I meant to do in life?

We go to the doctor.

We seek advice.

But Jesus here is concerned

not about our physical health,

but about our spiritual health.

He's seeing a people who are confused,

who have little direction in their life,

who don't know where to go,

what to turn to.

They've got a longing,

but they don't know where to look.

Well, Jesus is saying,

this is where you're to look.

Look to me.

Because he has a great concern for us.

You see this in verse 33 to 35.

For the bread of God

is he who comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.

They said to him,

sir, give us this bread always.

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.

And so there is the answer.

In their confusion,

in their muddle,

in their wondering which direction to go in,

Jesus is saying,

I am the bread of life.

Have your focus on me.

If you have a pet,

or if you,

maybe a dog,

any time there's food on the go,

the dog is going to appear,

suddenly seems to appear out of nowhere,

and just looks at you longingly

for some of that food.

I'm sure many of you have experienced that.

Well,

a famous Christian in the past,

a man called Martin Luther,

who lived many years ago,

but he was a strong Christian

in many ways.

But he said he often learned from his dog.

He said,

oh,

if I only could pray

the way this dog watches the meat.

All his thoughts are concentrated

on that piece of meat.

He has no other thought,

wish,

or hope.

And he was saying,

that's the way I wish I could come

to God in prayer.

Because we're so often distracted.

We're so often led away.

We're so often our longings

are pulled in different directions.

But Jesus is saying here,

narrow it in.

Don't get distracted by other things.

I am the bread of life.

I am the one

who is able to satisfy you.

And so there is where he takes him.

All who take the bread in this world

is a bread that perishes.

But if we come and take of him

who is the bread of life,

he gives us guarantees

for eternity.

And so is your focus,

is your longing

on him.

That is where

we are to go.

Because then thirdly,

we see if that is the case,

we find ourselves

as a people living.

A people living

for him.

Do you believe that every meal

that you eat each day

keeps you alive?

Of course you do.

Because that's why you eat.

You don't come to the conclusion

and say,

I've had enough.

We can feel

so full

after a big meal

and say,

oh,

I won't have to eat again

for days.

But within hours,

you're going into the cupboard

for something else to eat.

Because that's the way we are.

We eat,

but we need more.

We need more.

We cannot go on.

We stop eating.

We die.

Do you say the same

about Jesus though?

I can't live

without him?

Or are you saying,

I can live

without him?

Which is it?

If you say,

I can live without him,

you'll realize perhaps

when it's too late

that you can't.

but the word of God

here is showing us

that in him

we can live.

This is what we see

in verse 41 and 42.

They had this attitude

of we can manage

without Jesus.

The Jews grumbled

about him

and said,

because he said,

I am the bread

that came down

from heaven.

They said,

is this not Jesus,

the son of Joseph

whose father and mother

we know?

Is this not just

an ordinary man?

Is this not just

someone who's not

that important?

That's the way

we can be with Jesus.

We can say

he's not that important

to us.

Or we can see

that he is truly

important to us.

That we cannot live

without him.

The bread of this world

as it says,

bread that perishes,

bread that doesn't satisfy,

is just like chasing

after the wind.

We cannot catch it.

We cannot find it.

It never satisfies.

In Greek mythology,

there was a man

called King Tantalus.

And he was punished

by being chained.

Where he was chained,

there was a lake

and the lake would rise

up to his chin.

And any time

he put his chin down

to get a drink of water,

the lake would subside.

The water would subside away.

And above him

was a tree

with branches

with fruit

that was just

dropping down to him.

But any time

he would reach up

his hand

to get some of that fruit

that branch

would lift away,

he could never get it.

King Tantalus

was his name.

And that's where

we get the word

tantalize from.

Something that is

tantalizing

is something

that is so close

that we can almost

feel it,

we can almost touch it,

but we just

can't get it.

And that's

what chasing

after things

in this life

is like so often.

We're looking

for satisfaction,

we're looking

for fulfillment

in so many

different things.

It's teasing us,

it's tantalizing,

but we cannot reach it,

we cannot touch it.

There's a frustration.

Well,

Jesus is here

to show us

that it's not just

tantalizing for us,

but that it's truth,

that it's real,

that it's something

that we can have.

A Savior

who can give

eternal life

is not just

something teasing,

it's not just

something tantalizing,

it's a reality

of what we read

here in this passage.

In verse 37,

Jesus says,

all that the Father

gives me

will come to me

and whoever comes

I will never

cast out.

You're saying,

but I'm not

good enough

for it.

Well,

Jesus says,

come,

come,

trust,

believe,

repent of your sins

and turn to me

and I will never

cast you out,

I will never

put you away.

In verse 40,

for this is the will

of my Father

that whoever

looks on the Son

and believes in him

should have

eternal life.

That is the promise

that you have

in his word.

It's not just

tantalizing,

it's truth.

In verse 47

and 48,

truly,

truly I say to you,

whoever believes

has eternal life,

I am the bread

of life.

Will you not

come to him

today?

That's the question

for us.

Are you laboring

today?

Are you longing

today?

These two things

so often go

hand in hand.

We're working,

we're laboring

away for something

that does not

satisfy.

We're longing

for something

to fulfill us,

to give us

that true

satisfaction

in life.

While Jesus

is saying,

I am

the bread

of life.

You will find

fulfillment,

you will find

satisfaction

with me.

We all

need

food.

food.

We will

all have

enjoyed food

this morning.

We will

all go

and enjoy

food

after

this service.

We will

all go

on laboring.

We will

all go

on longing.

But what's

fulfilling us?

What's

helping us

live?

We need

Jesus

because

Jesus

is

the bread

of life.

life.

Why

do you

labor

for that

which

perishes

instead of

what endures

to eternal

life?

That is what

Jesus is

leading us

to.

And may

he lead

you today

and in all

the days

ahead.

May he

lead you

to know

the wonder

of him

as the one

who satisfies

that longing,

the one

who fulfills

all that

laboring

by living

for him

who is

the bread

of life.

Let's just

bow our heads

in a word

of prayer.

Let us pray.

Lord,

our gracious

God,

we thank

you that

your word

speaks,

that your

word guides

us and

helps us.

We thank

you,

Lord,

that you

remind us

of what

our lives

are like

so often,

of how

we labor

and how

we long

for so

much in

this world.

But we

pray to

find that

sense of

life and

living

in you

as the

bread of

life.

May we

know it,

experience it

and touch

it and

know the

reality of

it day

by day

as we

seek your

good upon

us.

In

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

conclude by

singing again

to God's

praise this

time in

Psalm 34.

You'll find

it on page

247 of

the Psalm

books,

the Scottish

Psalter

version.

Psalm 34

Psalms 34:8

verse 8.

We'll sing

three verses

to verse 11.

The tune is

St. David.

Again,

this Psalm

just reminds

us where

to come

and find

that goodness

of God.

Oh,

taste and

see that

God is

good,

who trusts

in him

is blessed.

Fear God

is saints,

and not in

fear shall

be with

want

oppressed.

We'll sing

from verse

8 to

11 to

God's

praise.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

O taste

and see

that

God

is

good,

who

trusts

in him

is

blessed.

Fear God

is

safe,

none

that

him

fear

shall

be

with

want

to

press.

The

lions

young

may

agree

be,

and

they

may

lack

their

burden,

but

they

that

truly

seek

the

Lord

shall

not

lack

any

good.

O

children

hither

do

ye

come

and

unto

me

give

ear.

I

shall

you

teach

to

understand

how

ye

the

Lord

should

hear.

We'll

close with a

benediction,

and after that

I'll go to

the main

door.

Now may

grace,

mercy,

and peace

from God,

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit,

rest upon

and abide

with you

all,

now and

forevermore.

Amen.

Amen.

.