SPEAKER_00: Good morning.
SPEAKER_00: If you have your Bibles, open up to John chapter 6.
SPEAKER_00: John chapter 6.
SPEAKER_00: And as you turn there, I want you to think back to the last time you had your favorite meal.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, just go back in your mind.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it was yesterday, maybe it was for Father's Day, maybe it was, you know, a year ago.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: Think back to your last time you had your favorite meal.
SPEAKER_00: And for those of you who can't think back, just remember that time you had, like, you were at a nice steakhouse.
SPEAKER_00: And you ordered the 16-ounce ribeye.
SPEAKER_00: It comes to the table, it looks amazing, it smells amazing.
SPEAKER_00: There is this seared status of the steak.
SPEAKER_00: It's got the seasoning to perfection.
SPEAKER_00: It's got that garlic butter that's just kind of melting.
SPEAKER_00: Sorry if your taste buds are just drooling at this point.
SPEAKER_00: But you've been there, right?
SPEAKER_00: You've been to the stat the the point in the meal where it comes and your mouth is ready.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: Yes?
SPEAKER_00: You take that first bite, and it's like an explosion of flavor goes off in your mouth, right?
SPEAKER_00: It's something better than you've ever done yourself.
SPEAKER_00: That's why you spend more than you should at a steakhouse.
SPEAKER_00: And you eat it, and you're like, oh, this is delicious.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know why they bring sides with the steak, right?
SPEAKER_00: They're just filler.
SPEAKER_00: You can just push those to the side.
SPEAKER_00: And you eat another bite, and you have another bite, and you're like, I can't get enough.
SPEAKER_00: And then there's a point in the meal every time where you're like, I'm satisfied, I'm full.
SPEAKER_00: But you still have some left.
SPEAKER_00: And you know, there's a dilemma in your mind, right?
SPEAKER_00: I can take it home and reheat it later, and it doesn't taste as good.
SPEAKER_00: Or I can just stuff myself.
SPEAKER_00: And for most men, you would go, well, I'm just gonna stuff myself.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna keep eating because it's so good right now.
SPEAKER_00: And so you eat and you eat and you eat.
SPEAKER_00: And you leave the meal stuffed.
SPEAKER_00: But what happens a few hours later?
SPEAKER_00: A few hours later, the meal that you couldn't get enough of, the the experience, the taste buds, it's just it's so good.
SPEAKER_00: A few hours later, your stomach growls again, and you're like, hey, I'm hungry.
SPEAKER_00: We've all been there, right?
SPEAKER_00: The meal that you couldn't get enough of, and then you're so satisfied, so stuffed, you're like, oh, I want more.
SPEAKER_00: But we've not just been there with food.
SPEAKER_00: Many of us, we've been there in life.
SPEAKER_00: You see, humanity is searching for satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: Humanity is looking for something to fill their life that brings meaning, satisfaction, refreshment for the soul.
SPEAKER_00: And in some instances, it can drive you to succeed.
SPEAKER_00: That drive for satisfaction, that drive for meaning, it can drive you to succeed.
SPEAKER_00: It can drive you to explore new worlds, new options.
SPEAKER_00: It can cause you to achieve greatness.
SPEAKER_00: But at the end of the day, it leaves you empty.
SPEAKER_00: No matter where this search takes you in this world, there is no true satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: It reminds me of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.
SPEAKER_00: How many of you have seen the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
SPEAKER_00: Yes?
SPEAKER_00: Remember this?
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: Early in the movie, Elizabeth Swan is taken on board the Black Pearl, and she has a conversation with Captain Barbosa.
SPEAKER_00: And Captain Barbosa delivers the reality of the curse of the Black Pearl.
SPEAKER_00: The pirates that are on that ship are under a curse.
SPEAKER_00: And he delivers this line that explains the curse of the pirates, but in reality, what I think he's doing is delivering a line that shows us the curse of the human condition.
SPEAKER_00: This is the quote, this is the line that Captain Barbosa says.
SPEAKER_00: Think about it in light of the human condition.
SPEAKER_00: This is what he says.
SPEAKER_00: He says, For far too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it.
SPEAKER_00: For too long I've been starving to death and haven't died.
SPEAKER_00: I feel nothing.
SPEAKER_00: Not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh.
SPEAKER_00: You see, this is the human condition.
SPEAKER_00: Lost without hope, unable to quench thirst, always seeking for more, unable to eat and be full, striving for meaning and identity in life.
SPEAKER_00: And pleasure is a vapor.
SPEAKER_00: In the movie, no matter how much they amass a wealth for themselves, they are unsatisfied.
SPEAKER_00: No matter how successful they become, they always want more.
SPEAKER_00: And no matter what they look to to find satisfaction and rest for their soul, they're left empty.
SPEAKER_00: Sound familiar?
SPEAKER_00: This is the human condition.
SPEAKER_00: And this is where some of us find ourselves this morning.
SPEAKER_00: We're seeking satisfaction, we're seeking fulfillment, we're seeking meaning in life.
SPEAKER_00: And you're searching desperately.
SPEAKER_00: And some of us are looking for these things in our job, and it drives us to succeed, and we're the top in our field.
SPEAKER_00: We're excelling in all areas job-related.
SPEAKER_00: But our life is struggling.
SPEAKER_00: For some of us, it's our family.
SPEAKER_00: Our family is everything about us.
SPEAKER_00: Our whole life revolves around our family.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's hobbies and you're living for the weekend or living for the golf course.
SPEAKER_00: I love golf, by the way.
SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't, my life doesn't revolve around that.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's stuff and material possession, and you're always seeking to have more and more or the newest thing.
SPEAKER_00: And even when life is going well, even when from an outsider's perspective, it would appear that your life is smooth on cloud nine and there's not a trouble for the eyes to see.
SPEAKER_00: Something deep down shows you, that tells you that there's something more to life.
SPEAKER_00: There's gotta be.
SPEAKER_00: Or when life is struggling, when things are going poorly, when life is hard, there's a clarity of recognition that there must be more to life.
SPEAKER_00: You're tired, you're lost, and you're empty.
SPEAKER_00: And if you find yourself there this morning, I have good news for you.
SPEAKER_00: There is an answer.
SPEAKER_00: There is a solution.
SPEAKER_00: And some of you, this might be brand new this morning.
SPEAKER_00: The idea that Jesus satisfies our soul, that might be brand new.
SPEAKER_00: And for some of us, this might be a reminder.
SPEAKER_00: But the reality is, each and every one of us is searching for that satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: We're searching for fulfillment.
SPEAKER_00: And there is only one place where that can truly be found.
SPEAKER_00: So this morning, as we turn to our passage of Scripture, it reveals the truth that satisfaction and refreshment for our soul is found in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And as we look at this familiar passage, my hope and my prayer is that your soul, your very being, the essence of who you are, finds satisfaction in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: That you find peace and refreshment in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Because the main idea this morning is faith in Jesus brings satisfaction to your soul.
SPEAKER_00: So if you have your Bibles and you're turned with me to John chapter 6, please stand with me as we read God's word.
SPEAKER_00: We're going to start in verse 35.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.
SPEAKER_00: Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
SPEAKER_00: But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
SPEAKER_00: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
SPEAKER_00: For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
SPEAKER_00: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
SPEAKER_00: For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.
SPEAKER_00: And I will raise him up on the last day.
SPEAKER_00: As we walk through this passage, I want to highlight a few things that will hopefully deepen your love for the Lord, that will bring you into the presence of Jesus where you can find satisfaction for your soul.
SPEAKER_00: You may be seated.
SPEAKER_00: Would you join me in prayer as we look at this text?
SPEAKER_00: God, we thank you for this morning.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you for your word.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you that it is living and active.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you that it is true.
SPEAKER_00: And God, as we open it, God, we ask, we beg, we plead that you would open our hearts to you.
SPEAKER_00: Help us recognize the areas of our life where we are seeking satisfaction outside of you.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to realize the areas of our life where we are trying to find identity or meaning.
SPEAKER_00: God, help us to lay those aside.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to turn to you.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to run to the foot of the cross and find satisfaction in your son Jesus, who is the bread of life.
SPEAKER_00: Be with us this morning, God.
SPEAKER_00: May you be glorified.
SPEAKER_00: It's in your Son's name we pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Now, a little background before we get into our text, just to set us up.
SPEAKER_00: In John chapter 6, it begins with a crowd amassing.
SPEAKER_00: This is early on in Jesus' ministry.
SPEAKER_00: He's done many signs, he's cast out demons, he's healed the sick, and word is beginning to spread.
SPEAKER_00: And so people are coming to see Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And so we find ourselves at the beginning of John chapter 6 with a giant crowd.
SPEAKER_00: And the disciples come to Jesus and say, Jesus, these people are probably hungry.
SPEAKER_00: You should send them home.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says, Well, why don't you feed them?
SPEAKER_00: Now, I don't know about you, but if I get asked like a task like that from my boss, I'd be like, wait, what?
SPEAKER_00: The logistics of feeding 5,000, over 5,000 people are crazy.
SPEAKER_00: Not to mention the amount of resources that it would take to feed 5,000.
SPEAKER_00: And so the disciples are like, Jesus, this is a task that we can't do.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus asks them, well, what do you have?
SPEAKER_00: And so they search the crowd and they find a little boy who has five loaves of bread and two fish.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says, Well, that's enough.
SPEAKER_00: Go tell the people to start sitting down.
SPEAKER_00: So Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish, and he prays, and he breaks it, and he starts passing it out, and Jesus feeds over five thousand people.
SPEAKER_00: It's a miracle.
SPEAKER_00: And it says, Everybody ate their fill, and they collected twelve baskets of leftovers.
SPEAKER_00: Now, what we read in John chapter 6, verse 14, we see the heart of the crowd.
SPEAKER_00: When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, This indeed is the prophet who is to come into the world.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: They're recognizing that what Jesus just did is not normal.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus, verse 15 of John chapter 6, perceiving then that they are going to take him by force and make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
SPEAKER_00: You see, the crowd was satisfied by their physical needs for the moment.
SPEAKER_00: They perceived Jesus was the prophet who was to come, but because the crowd was satisfied in their physical needs, they were like, let's make this guy king and I'm gonna follow him.
SPEAKER_00: Which makes sense.
SPEAKER_00: If you're out in the desert and this guy prays and bread is just being passed out and fish and everybody's eating, you're like, how is this even possible?
SPEAKER_00: And you're satisfied, and you're like, man, I'm gonna follow this guy because he provides for me.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus and his disciples, they withdrew.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus sends his disciples across the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna meet up with them later.
SPEAKER_00: He goes up into a mountain and prays, and then later he goes across the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples take a boat, Jesus walked.
SPEAKER_00: That's a baller move, and we'll talk about that at another sermon.
SPEAKER_00: Um, walking across the Sea of Galilee, who does that, right?
SPEAKER_00: But then the next day the crowds seek after Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And as you're reading the scripture, you're thinking, oh, this is a good thing.
SPEAKER_00: The crowd seeking after Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: That's good.
SPEAKER_00: But you see, they're not seeking Jesus because he's the Messiah.
SPEAKER_00: They're seeking Jesus because they're hungry again.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says to them in verse 26, he says, Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs, not because you think I'm the Messiah, not because I'm the one who came into this world to take away the sins of the world.
SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
SPEAKER_00: You're seeking me because you ate your fill of the loaves.
SPEAKER_00: See, and then they have the audacity to ask Jesus for another sign.
SPEAKER_00: Give us a sign.
SPEAKER_00: Prove to us who you are.
SPEAKER_00: It's like, did you just not see what I just did?
SPEAKER_00: They say, our fathers ate manna in the wilderness.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says, it wasn't Moses who gave you the manna, it was my father in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: And he gives you the true bread from heaven.
SPEAKER_00: And again, the crowd is confused and they say, Well, give us that bread then.
SPEAKER_00: Again, they're thinking physically.
SPEAKER_00: They're thinking, just provide for us our needs physically.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus replies with the first I am statement of the book of John.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus replies with this divine claim.
SPEAKER_00: Not just I'm the Messiah, I am God.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, I don't know how to make this any clearer.
SPEAKER_00: I am the bread of life.
SPEAKER_00: So, number one, on your notes, we see the source of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: The source of salvation is Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: He says, I am the bread of life.
SPEAKER_00: The manna your fathers ate in the wilderness was not enough.
SPEAKER_00: It was a picture that they would be reliant upon me.
SPEAKER_00: And each and every day they relied upon God to provide for them their needs.
SPEAKER_00: And the question we have to ask ourselves is, do we depend upon God?
SPEAKER_00: And I think that question is really hard for a 21st century Western Christian.
SPEAKER_00: Because it's functionally, I don't really depend upon God.
SPEAKER_00: I go to work, I get a paycheck, I go to the store, I buy food, I live my life.
SPEAKER_00: You can functionally live autonomously from God.
SPEAKER_00: The Old Testament, the nation of Israel, they were literally in the desert.
SPEAKER_00: They had to depend upon God to bring manna, or else they would starve.
SPEAKER_00: They had to depend upon God to provide water that came out of a rock, or else they would die of thirst.
SPEAKER_00: You see, they recognized what it meant to depend upon God.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, even the nation of Israel, many of them perished.
SPEAKER_00: Many of them, it says, didn't enter God's rest.
SPEAKER_00: For though they depended upon God physically, they were not believing and trusting in God spiritually.
SPEAKER_00: You see, satisfaction for our soul is not met in our physical needs being met.
SPEAKER_00: Satisfaction for our soul is found in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: He is the source of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Salvation from sin, salvation from the penalty of sin that we deserve, salvation from the endless hopelessness and aimless living.
SPEAKER_00: There's only one source of this salvation.
SPEAKER_00: It would be as if we live in Memphis, it's hot, it's humid.
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever been outside and you're just parched of thirst?
SPEAKER_00: You're like dying of thirst because you're outside, it's hot, it's humid, it's sweaty, you're gross, right?
SPEAKER_00: And you're wanting a glass of water.
SPEAKER_00: You know, if I said I have three glasses of water, but they come from three different sources.
SPEAKER_00: One source is a swamp, one source is the ocean, and one source is the faucet from my house.
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna be really careful in where you go what glass you grab to make sure that you grab the right source, right?
SPEAKER_00: You grab that source that's the swamp and you drink it, it's full of bacteria, it tastes gross.
SPEAKER_00: Your insides are gonna get turned upside down, you're gonna get na it's gross, right?
SPEAKER_00: You grab the glass of water that's from the ocean, you're gonna drink it, you're gonna chug it down, and then you're gonna vomit it right back up because it's all salty, it doesn't refresh, it's not refreshing.
SPEAKER_00: But you grab that ice cold glass of water that comes from a good source, you drink it in the hot Memphis humidity, man, there's nothing better.
SPEAKER_00: You can't get enough.
SPEAKER_00: You're like, oh, that refreshment you feel.
SPEAKER_00: Where you search for satisfaction matters.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says, it's him.
SPEAKER_00: I am where satisfaction is found.
SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly what he says, number two on your notes, the result of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: The second part of 35, he says, Whoever comes to me shall never hunger.
SPEAKER_00: Whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
SPEAKER_00: He would say on the Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: For they will be satisfied.
SPEAKER_00: Those who come to Jesus, those who believe in Jesus will find satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: They will find refreshment for their soul, no matter what's going on in life.
SPEAKER_00: You've probably heard the phrase, the gospel is everything.
SPEAKER_00: You ever heard that phrase?
SPEAKER_00: The gospel is everything.
SPEAKER_00: And that's a true statement.
SPEAKER_00: The truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
SPEAKER_00: The truth that Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty that you and I deserve.
SPEAKER_00: The truth that you can be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Those are all true statements.
SPEAKER_00: Those are very important true statements.
SPEAKER_00: But just because they're true statements doesn't mean we believe in them.
SPEAKER_00: Look at what Jesus says.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says, whoever comes to me, whoever believes in me.
SPEAKER_00: You see, belief is more in just more than just agreeing on statements.
SPEAKER_00: Belief is living in light of them.
SPEAKER_00: Belief is letting the truths define and influence everything you do.
SPEAKER_00: You see, I believe in gravity.
SPEAKER_00: Not just that gravity is there, not just that if you jump off a building that you're gonna fall perilously to your doom.
SPEAKER_00: I believe that.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, I don't jump off buildings, right?
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, every time I get into an airplane in this massive cylinder that's seemingly breaking the laws of physics because it weighs so much and you're just flying through the sky.
SPEAKER_00: It's crazy to me.
SPEAKER_00: And yet we go on there very easily because we believe that the law of aerodynamics breaks the laws of gravity.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: What about the traffic laws?
SPEAKER_00: There are lots of traffic laws, and that all of you believe in them because you abide by them.
SPEAKER_00: You don't drive on the wrong side of the road.
SPEAKER_00: When you come to a red light, you stop.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because you know that we are all living by those rules.
SPEAKER_00: And if we don't live by those rules, if we just drive aimlessly as we drive on the wrong side of the road, we blast through red lights, we're taking our life into our own hands and others around us.
SPEAKER_00: But we believe in the traffic laws, we think they're good, and so we abide by them most of the time, as long as you're not speeding.
SPEAKER_00: Now the question is: does belief in Jesus control every aspect of your life?
SPEAKER_00: It's not just affirming statements about Jesus, it's shifting your perspective and your priorities to focus on Jesus and not on yourself.
SPEAKER_00: And when we do that, Jesus says, whoever believes in me will never thirst.
SPEAKER_00: That brings the satisfaction to our soul, the belief in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know about you, but sometimes I need to remember this often.
SPEAKER_00: I need to constantly refocus my attention off of myself.
SPEAKER_00: I need to constantly refocus my attention off of my desires, my pursuits, and fix them back upon Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Often this happens to me in the middle of the night.
SPEAKER_00: Even last night, this happened.
SPEAKER_00: My one-year-old will wake up crying.
SPEAKER_00: He wants to go back to sleep.
SPEAKER_00: I don't he doesn't know why he woke up.
SPEAKER_00: He's screaming, and you're just looking at him thinking, This there's got to be more to life.
SPEAKER_00: I just want to go back to bed.
SPEAKER_00: It's three in the morning.
SPEAKER_00: Why are you awake?
SPEAKER_00: Has that ever happened to you?
SPEAKER_00: It's in those moments, it's very easy to be discouraged, unsatisfied, aimless, looking at your one-year-old thinking, why are you not asleep?
SPEAKER_00: Just go to sleep.
SPEAKER_00: And he's just screaming.
SPEAKER_00: Literally happened last night.
SPEAKER_00: But then as I refocus my heart, as I take the attention off of myself and what I want, which is sleep, I think about what God has called me to.
SPEAKER_00: I look at my son who's screaming his head off.
SPEAKER_00: I have a moment of clarity, and I pray for him.
SPEAKER_00: No matter what's going on in life, as we live for Jesus, as we believe in Jesus to bring the satisfaction to our soul, the refreshment to our soul, our identity, the fulfillment in life, no matter what we're going through, we can shift our perspective off of ourself back upon Christ, and we can do the task that it's at hand for Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: It's no longer a rat race trying to get ahead.
SPEAKER_00: Life becomes the meaningful existence of bringing people into the relationship with Jesus because he is the only one who satisfies.
SPEAKER_00: Living for Jesus is what we were created to do.
SPEAKER_00: And it's only then, when we are doing it, we are living for Jesus, that we are living life to the fullest.
SPEAKER_00: And then Jesus turns to the crowd and he tells them the means of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Number three on your notes, the means of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 36.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to the crowd, but I said to you that you have seen me and yet you do not believe.
SPEAKER_00: Again, it's not just about seeing Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: It's not just about agreeing with some facts, being in the proximity of Jesus, participating in the events that Jesus is doing.
SPEAKER_00: It's about faith.
SPEAKER_00: It's about trust.
SPEAKER_00: It's about belief.
SPEAKER_00: Some people come to church every week.
SPEAKER_00: Some people enjoy the service, they enjoy the programs, they enjoy what the church has to offer.
SPEAKER_00: But it's just what they do.
SPEAKER_00: It's not who they are.
SPEAKER_00: Here Jesus says to the crowd, You have seen me.
SPEAKER_00: You've experienced what I have to offer.
SPEAKER_00: You have got your fill.
SPEAKER_00: And yet you are seeking me because you just want more stuff.
SPEAKER_00: They do not believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God.
SPEAKER_00: They've not had a response of faith.
SPEAKER_00: They've had a response of curiosity.
SPEAKER_00: They've had a response of physical appetite.
SPEAKER_00: They've had a response of political ambition.
SPEAKER_00: But they're using Jesus for a means to an end.
SPEAKER_00: But then Jesus moves into an explanation of why the crowd has seen him and not believed.
SPEAKER_00: And this verse hopefully brings encouragement to you.
SPEAKER_00: Number four, the security of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Because I don't know about you, but I love the truth that we are secure in our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 37 says this.
SPEAKER_00: Again, Jesus is talking to the crowd.
SPEAKER_00: He says, All that the Father gives me will come to me.
SPEAKER_00: And whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
SPEAKER_00: You see, the crowd has rejected Jesus because they were satisfied in their stomach and they were seeking more food.
SPEAKER_00: The crowd rejects Jesus because God had not given them to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: In that very moment, this is not to say that some of the crowd would not come to Jesus and believe in him at a later time, but in that very moment, God had not given them to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: But the security of salvation is just that.
SPEAKER_00: That God has given you to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Think about the most precious gift you've ever been given.
SPEAKER_00: I'll give you a moment just to think back in your life.
SPEAKER_00: What is the most precious gift that you have ever been given?
SPEAKER_00: Something that you care for, something that you cherish, something that you don't want anything bad to happen to.
SPEAKER_00: You got that thing in your mind?
SPEAKER_00: God has given you as a precious gift to his son.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus loves and cherishes those whom God has given him.
SPEAKER_00: Because it's a precious gift from his Father.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says that those whom God has given me, I will never cast them out.
SPEAKER_00: The security of that is beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: The love that Jesus holds you with as something precious from the Father.
SPEAKER_00: And this moves us to verse 38, number five on your notes, the heart of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: The heart of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: This is a verse that's vital to understand this passage.
SPEAKER_00: Where Jesus says, Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
SPEAKER_00: The reason this is true, the heart of salvation, where belief in Jesus brings satisfaction to our soul.
SPEAKER_00: The reason this is true is because Jesus is doing this very thing with the Father.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is satisfied in living a life fully obedient to his Father.
SPEAKER_00: Earlier in John chapter 4, the woman at the well.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to go over the whole story, but Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, tells her all that who she is and what she's done, and she's amazed, and she has this theological conversation with the Son of God, which is crazy.
SPEAKER_00: She believes in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: She's amazed at what Jesus is doing.
SPEAKER_00: She goes and she tells the town something that she tried to avoid.
SPEAKER_00: Said, you gotta come see this man.
SPEAKER_00: He's told me everything that I've ever done.
SPEAKER_00: He is the Son of God, the Messiah.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples come and they find Jesus and they offer him some food because he's been working and traveling and he's hungry.
SPEAKER_00: They offer him some food, and they and Jesus says, I don't need that food.
SPEAKER_00: That's not what sustains me.
SPEAKER_00: That's not what satisfies me.
SPEAKER_00: And he says in John chapter 4, verse 33.
SPEAKER_00: He says, So the disciples said to one another, Has someone brought him something to eat?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to them, My food, the thing that satisfies me, is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
SPEAKER_00: You see, Jesus is fulfilling that.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 38 in our passage, For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
SPEAKER_00: You see, Jesus is fully submitted to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: He is living in humility, and he's demonstrating complete dependency and obedience.
SPEAKER_00: And he is fully satisfied in his Father.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, You want that same satisfaction?
SPEAKER_00: You want that same fulfillment of what you were created to do?
SPEAKER_00: You just gotta follow me.
SPEAKER_00: The Father loves you.
SPEAKER_00: The heart of salvation is Jesus humbling himself to bring you into a relationship with his Father.
SPEAKER_00: You see, God loved you so much that he sent his son into this world to live the life that you couldn't live, to fulfill all righteousness and to die on the cross, taking the penalty that you deserved, so that Jesus could bring you into a relationship with his Father.
SPEAKER_00: All that the Father gives me will come to me.
SPEAKER_00: The only one who can bridge the gap between God and man is God Himself, who took on humanity.
SPEAKER_00: So the Son takes on humanity to take humanity to God.
SPEAKER_00: And this brings us to number six on your notes.
SPEAKER_00: The guarantee of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: The guarantee.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 39, and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raises it up on the last day.
SPEAKER_00: Think about how often in Scripture the phrase the will of God is used.
SPEAKER_00: It's not used very often.
SPEAKER_00: But just we're going to do a little theology one-on-one sidebar here.
SPEAKER_00: The will of God is used in two different ways.
SPEAKER_00: The sovereign decretive will of God, which means what God says will come to pass no matter what.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing that can thwart it, nothing that can do anything about it.
SPEAKER_00: God's will will come to pass.
SPEAKER_00: And then there's the commanded will of God, which God commands us to do certain things, to love our neighbor as ourself, to love him, to not have any idols, right?
SPEAKER_00: He commands us to live a certain way, but that will of God we break.
SPEAKER_00: We fail.
SPEAKER_00: We don't keep it.
SPEAKER_00: Now the guarantee here of salvation, when it says, this is the will of my Father, this is the will of him who sent me, is it the decretive will of God or the commanded will of God?
SPEAKER_00: Well, guess what?
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_00: Because if it's the sovereign will of God, the decretive will of God, then it will come to pass that all who have been given to Jesus will come to him.
SPEAKER_00: And if it's the commanded will of God, then who is it commanded to?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And he's going to fulfill all righteousness, and he's going to obey perfectly.
SPEAKER_00: So whether it's the decretive will or the commanded will, Jesus never fails.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus brings you to his Father.
SPEAKER_00: And this should bring comfort to your soul because God loves you, sent his son to this earth to die on the cross for you, so that you would be brought into the presence of God through belief and faith in his son.
SPEAKER_00: So that you can have life in him abundantly.
SPEAKER_00: This guarantee is more secure and more permanent than the ground underneath your feet.
SPEAKER_00: The ground underneath your feet will pass away one day.
SPEAKER_00: The promise of God to bring you into relationship with him, that's never going to fade.
SPEAKER_00: That's never going to fail.
SPEAKER_00: Number seven, finally, last thing on your notes, not only the guarantee, but the promise of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Look at the parallel between verse 40 and verse 39.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 39, we see the guarantee from the Father.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 30 or verse 40, we see the promise of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.
SPEAKER_00: And here's the promise: Jesus' response, and I will raise him up on the last day.
SPEAKER_00: For those who believe in Jesus, because the Father has given them to Jesus as a precious gift, Jesus promises that they will have eternal life.
SPEAKER_00: And in the last day he will raise you up.
SPEAKER_00: But eternal life, that's not something to look forward to.
SPEAKER_00: Eternal life is something to experience right now.
SPEAKER_00: Later in Jesus' ministry, near the end of Jesus' ministry, right before he's arrested and crucified, there's a chapter in John, chapter 17.
SPEAKER_00: It's called Jesus' High Priestly Prayer.
SPEAKER_00: And it's the moment right before he's crucified, right before he's arrested.
SPEAKER_00: And he's praying to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: In John 17, verse 1, this is what it says.
SPEAKER_00: When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.
SPEAKER_00: The crucifixion, the moment where he's going to take on the sins of the world and the wrath of God is going to come be poured out upon him.
SPEAKER_00: Father, the hour has come.
SPEAKER_00: Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you.
SPEAKER_00: Since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
SPEAKER_00: Does that sound familiar to our passage?
SPEAKER_00: That God has given those to Jesus and they will come to him?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is going to give them eternal life.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 3, what is that eternal life?
SPEAKER_00: What is it that belief in Jesus satisfies our soul?
SPEAKER_00: This is eternal life, verse 3.
SPEAKER_00: That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
SPEAKER_00: Eternal life is an intimate relationship with the Father.
SPEAKER_00: He loves you.
SPEAKER_00: He chose you.
SPEAKER_00: He brought you to His Son.
SPEAKER_00: He sent His Son to die on the cross to take your penalty, to bring you to Himself, to have a relationship with Him.
SPEAKER_00: And not just to have a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: We're not just friends of God, we're sons of God.
SPEAKER_00: We're daughters of God.
SPEAKER_00: This is what you were created for.
SPEAKER_00: To be satisfied in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And as I go through my day, there are moments of monotony.
SPEAKER_00: Have you had moments of monotony in your day?
SPEAKER_00: In your life, in your week, where you kind of do the same thing over and over again?
SPEAKER_00: I get home from work, I get ready for dinner, I have three kids under five.
SPEAKER_00: It's like living in a zoo.
SPEAKER_00: Discipline is necessary, correction, refereeing squabbles, cleaning up after dinner, bath time, getting them ready for bed, cleaning up from the day.
SPEAKER_00: And there are moments where it just seems monotonous.
SPEAKER_00: Where day after day you do the same thing.
SPEAKER_00: But then I remember.
SPEAKER_00: But I remember I'm not satisfied in my family.
SPEAKER_00: I love my family.
SPEAKER_00: I would give my life for my family.
SPEAKER_00: But they are not what brings satisfaction to my soul.
SPEAKER_00: I'm satisfied in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And my life in Jesus calls me to be a father to these three little humans and referee all their little squabbles.
SPEAKER_00: Because God has entrusted them to me.
SPEAKER_00: To love, to nurture, to teach, and to point them to Jesus, the greatest treasure and pleasure of life.
SPEAKER_00: The tasks of life don't change.
SPEAKER_00: They don't get easier, they don't get harder.
SPEAKER_00: The tasks of life stay the same.
SPEAKER_00: But where my soul finds refreshment and satisfaction changes.
SPEAKER_00: It's not found in my job.
SPEAKER_00: It's not found in my family.
SPEAKER_00: It's not found in my free time.
SPEAKER_00: It's found in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus looks to you.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, I came to get you.
SPEAKER_00: The Father gave you to me.
SPEAKER_00: But there was a rift.
SPEAKER_00: There was separation between God and man.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus came to this earth, took on human flesh, died on the cross for you.
SPEAKER_00: It says that he redeemed you, he bought you by shedding of his blood.
SPEAKER_00: So that you could have life abundantly.
SPEAKER_00: For some of you this morning, you don't feel like you are living life abundantly.
SPEAKER_00: My charge to you is to run to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Believe in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Believe that the only source of satisfaction and fulfillment of this life is found in Jesus and Jesus alone.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Father, we thank you for your word.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you for who you are.
SPEAKER_00: That you are a good and gracious God.
SPEAKER_00: That you love us.
SPEAKER_00: That you sent your son to die on the cross for us.
SPEAKER_00: And that you invite us into your family as sons and daughters.
SPEAKER_00: God, I pray for each of these individuals in this room.
SPEAKER_00: God, I pray that they would find satisfaction in you, in living for you, in being obedient to you, in putting their eyes upon you and not on themselves.
SPEAKER_00: God, give us help.
SPEAKER_00: And we know that you give us help, for you sent your spirit to help us, to continue to intercede on our behalf, to teach us, to guide us.
SPEAKER_00: We just have to cry out to you, God.
SPEAKER_00: We just have to cry out for dependency.
SPEAKER_00: And we need you.
SPEAKER_00: Our true Father who loves us.
SPEAKER_00: Who sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us.
SPEAKER_00: So, God, we thank you for who you are.
SPEAKER_00: If there is any in this room who have not given their life to you, God, I pray that they would think now to do that.
SPEAKER_00: That they would cry out in recognition that they've been trying to live this life for themselves.
SPEAKER_00: They've been on the rat race of life trying to find satisfaction in all the things the world has to offer.
SPEAKER_00: But they're empty.
SPEAKER_00: So, God, we pray that you would fill them with your spirit.
SPEAKER_00: They would cry out to you for salvation, the one true source found in your son Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: God, we thank you, we praise you.
SPEAKER_00: It's in your Son's name we pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.