Sermon: The recipe for imperishable food Summary: There are many kinds of "food" in the world that promises life, happiness, meaning, etc., but in reality are perishable dead ends, so we need to make sure we have "food" made the right way that gives true life, which is Jesus. In order to get this bread, we need to believe him and follow his instructions, and he will grant us this imperishable bread that brings true imperishable life. Text: John 6:26-29 Scripture Reading: John 10:9-10 Intro: 1. You like brownies, cookies? Ever made them? Measure, mix, bake a. Not if you are making military grade brownies or cookies b. Recipe 26 pages long. Leaves nothing to chance. Strictly regulated c. Excerpts from an article and the recipe itself 1 2. We are going to talk about food made the right way a. If not, it will go bad b. Without nourishment, become sickly, ultimately perish c. It is important to follow the instructions or it will go bad 3. Israel learned this lesson in the wilderness in Exodus 16 a. God provided Manna, and it came with very specific instructions - They were to gather for the day and keep none till the next day - To gather twice as much ONLY on 6th day and keep for 7th day b. They didn't heed his instructions - They kept it overnight and it became foul and bred worms - They didn't follow the instructions - On 6th day, they didn't gather twice as much and keep overnight - 7th day went out to gather as there wasn't any manna c. Ex 16:28 - "The Lord said, 'How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?" - They didn't follow God's instructions, their food spoiled - They didn't follow God's instructions and went hungry d. God is trying to teach them important life lesson (Dt 8:3) - Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God - If they were going to live, they needed to heed God's word 4. Text this morning builds on this - John 6 a. Jesus speaks of food that gives true life b. Will learn how to get that food that gives true life I. Avoid working for perishable food (Jn 6:26-27) A. Jesus said to avoid working for the food that perishes B. What is he talking about? Look at the context 1. Jesus just got done feeding 5,000 miraculously a. That is a LOT of people to feed b. Twelve baskets left over - Twelve, number of the tribes 2. Reaction - They saw the "sign" he performed, saw he a prophet a. v.15 - Were going to make him King by force b. Their dreams to be fulfilled in Him, but it misplaced - Their desires were worldly - They saw the "sign" but misunderstood - They going to force Jesus into what they wanted c. Jesus snuck away, walked on water to other side d. Leads to our passage - Do not work for food that perishes 3. What is perishable food? - Anything that will pass away a. How were these people working for perishable food? - Jesus fed them, fulfilled a desire, perform sign - Wanted to force Jesus to be their king - They had their own agenda, not God's agenda - Wanted Jesus to be king on their own terms b. If not careful, we can do the same thing with Jesus - Try to make Jesus into something we want - Some accept him as savior, but not as Lord - For some, he is just a character in a book - For some, he is something only for Sunday c. As result, Jesus becomes an "add on" to daily life - We engage in life's pursuits - Sunday with think of Jesus, life after death - Come Monday, we go back to life's pursuits d. Life's pursuits, anything wrong with it? - What does life pursuits include? = Working for wealth, status, reputation = Spending life accumulating things - Possessions, accomplishments, friends, popularity, etc. = Making a name for yourself, making your mark on society, doing something significant = Making a living, to eat, live, play, work - 5000 who followed Jesus interested in this? - These will pass away - They will not bring life, happiness, or meaning 4. Book of Ecclesiastes - Man engaged in all of life's pursuits a. Didn't find life, happiness, satisfaction, or meaning b. In fact, he found just the opposite c. He said it was all a meaningless striving after the wind d. Everything under the sun will not endure C. ILL: Ever heard of Andrew Carnegie? 1. His story a true rags to riches story a. Born in Scottland in one room weaver's cottage shared with another family b. Emmigrated to USA and worked in a cotton mill as bobbin boy 12 hours a day c. Worked hard, educated himself by reading & studying d. Advanced in various jobs, and became wealthy in steel industry and others 2. Wealthiest man second only to John D. Rockerfeller 3. Said that all his wealth did not make him particularly happy a. Most happiness, was his very first paycheck at first job b. That was it, no more happiness when get rich c. At age 33, he wrote in a memo - "...The amassing of wealth is one of the worse species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money." d. In the same memo he wrote that to keep from disgracing himself, he would pursue philanthropic giving because he believed "...the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced." D. So, this text tells us not to work for perishable food 1. There are many kinds of perishable food 2. Wealth, personal accomplishments, status, and all life's pursuits 3. Nothing wrong with them, but that is not what life is all about 4. While there are many kinds of perishable food, only one imperishable II. Work for the imperishable food (Jn 6:27-29) A. This is food that endures to eternal life B. Let's look at characteristics of this imperishable food 1. (v.32) It is true bread a. Implies there is such thing as untrue bread, or false bread b. There are counterfeits out there posing as true bread c. ILL: Go to the store, see many kinds of bread - Go to bread aisle, wheat, white, rye, pumpernickel - Then there are twinkies = Is this a true bread? No = No nutritional value = In fact, will not spoil, no food value = Try to live on twinkies, will waste away - You need real bread to live d. Not talking about bread from the store, but true bread - Everything in the store has a limited shelf life - But the bread of life has shelf life of eternity... 2. It gives life (v.33) a. Unlike everything of the world, this comes from Heaven b. Only the bread that comes from Heaven can give life c. What is this bread so that we can receive it? 3. (v.34-35) Jesus himself is the bread of life a. If you go to him, will not hunger nor will you thirst - Nothing of the world can nourish your heart and soul - Only Jesus can give you true life - This life begin here and last forever b. Same point chap 4 & 7 when speaks of giving living water c. True hunger and thirst, if not satisfied, will lead to death - Can only satisfy hunger of the body in this world - Only Jesus can satisfy hunger and thirst of the soul d. (v.39-40) - On last day, those who eat this bread will live 4. (v.52-58) It must become part of you - Not enough to just acknowledge it a. The image is ingesting something and it being part of you b. Similar to Gal 2:20 - Yet not I but Christ living in me c. ILL: Saying - you are what you eat - Can tell on the outside and the inside - Ever seen the movie "supersize me?" = 33 yr old man entire month, only McDonalds = If ask supersize, he would say yes = Gain 25 lbs, cholesterol through roof = Could visibly see change, he felt horrible d. If live on something other than bread of life, kill you - Jesus needs to be our life, inside and out - Not talking about Lord's Supper, but about Jesus - v.63 - Flesh profits nothing, his words are Spirit & life - We need to follow his words, his instructions, himself C. ILL: What happens when not follow instructions? 1. What if prepare military grade food not according to instruction? a. Food will be bad, it will perish, and they could perish b. Men & women in uniform malnourished and starve c. They not have energy to perform their job 2. Military grade food supposed to endure and have long shelf life a. Only way for that to happen is to follow the instructions b. They are there for a reason 3. Bread of life has a shelf life of eternity a. It will not go bad, will not perish b. Those who eat it and live on it and by it, not perish either 4. But cannot accept substitutes - only one bread of life - Jesus a. I am the way, truth, life, no one comes to Father but through me b. Not through Mohammed, Buddah, Enlightenment, etc. c. Not even through your own good works d. Only through Jesus D. So, we need to work only for imperishable food - Jesus 1. We accept no substitutes 2. He comes to live in us - which means he rules our life 3. We follow his instructions, model our lives after him 4. This is what it means to work for the food that doesn't perish Concl: 1. How do you take that first bite of the bread of life? a. Jn 6:29 - Jesus said work for food that not perish, how work for it? - Jesus said work of God was to believe in Him whom he sent - We need to start by believing in Jesus b. Who is Jesus? - Son of God, God, Man, crucified and risen Lord - Crucified for our sins, rose to give life - He is coming back - In the meantime, he offers forgiveness of sins, reconciliation c. He calls us to repent, be baptized 2. If already did this, he continues to call us to live on bread of life a. Sermon on Mount good summary of working for bread, Mt 5-7 - Poor in Spirit, hunger righteousness, merciful, pure - No angry w/brother, no lust, keep word, love enemy - Pray, not show off, not worry, seek kingdom - Not judge, take log out, ask & seek, golden rule b. Also look at Fruit of Spirit for Christian character to have, Gal 5:22-23 - Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control - Jesus said you shall know them by their fruit - What kind of fruit/food you eating? Bread of life? c. Look at 1 Cor 13 for definition of greatest command - love - Patient, kind, not jealous, not brag, not arrogant, - Not act unbecomingly, not seek own, not provoked - Not take into account wrong suffered, not rejoice in unrighteousness but with truth - bears all things, believes, hopes, endures all things d. Need to follow the instructions for life - No substitutes 3. Word about Evangelism - a. Definition - One beggar showing another beggar where to find bread b. We have bread of life, world is starving 1. Do we not have a calling to show others where to find bread? 2. Do we let them starve and die when we can save them? 3. Of course not, we would not do such a thing c. People may be at different places 1. Some may know something missing, but not know what it is 2. Others may not be aware of it at all, we can help with this too 3. We know where to find bread d. God wants us to share what we have found______________________
1 Excerpts from The Recipe, or "Formula"Baking brownies is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. Most recipes have fewer than 10 ingredients, and the instructions are simple — measure, mix, bake.
Well, not if you're baking for the Pentagon. If you are going to bake military grade brownies, then you need to follow their recipe. The latest viral sensation to hit the Internet is a 26-page document laying out all the rules and regulations you need to follow to make them.
The recipe, or "formula" as they call it, leaves nothing to chance. Everything is strictly regulated. Take these Sections
3.2.4 Shortening, hydrogenated. Shortening shall be a refined, hydrogenated vegetable oil or combination of refined vegetable oils which are in common use by the baking industry. Coconut and palm kernel oils may be used only in the coating. The shortening shall have a stability of not less than 100 hours as determined by the Active Oxygen Method (AOM) in Method Cd 12-57 of the Commercial Fats and Oils chapter in the Official and Tentative Methods of the American Oil Chemists Society. The shortening may contain alpha monoglycerides and an antioxidant or combination of antioxidants, as permitted by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder.
3.2.6 Whole egges, liquid or frozen. Whole eggs may be liquid or frozen and shall have been processed and labeled in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Inspection of Eggs and Egg Products (7 CFR Part 59). The whole eggs shall be egg whites and egg yolks in their natural proportions as broken directly from the shell eggs as evidenced by a USDA Egg Products Inspection Certificate. The liguie whole eggs, the USDA certificate shall state the date and time of pasteurization. Liquid whole eggs shall be held at a temperature of 40 degrees Farenheit or lower and shall be held for not more than 72 hours from the time of pasteurization until the start of formulation of the product in which they are used. Frozen eggs shall be held at 10degrees Farenheit or lower and used withing 120 days from the date of production. The whole eggs shall be free from off-odors and off-flavors, such as sulfide-lik, fruity, sour, musty, or metallic, and shall be free from foreign materials.
3.2.5.3 Nuts, walnuts, shelled. Shelled walnut pieces shall be of the small piece size classification, shall be of a light color, and shall be U.S. No. 1 of the U.S. Standards for Shelled English Walnuts. A minimum of 90 percent, by weight, of the pieces shall pass through a 4/16-in diameter round hole screen and not more than 1 percent, by weight, shall pass through a 2/16-inch diameter round hole scree. The shelled walnuts shall be coated with an approved food grade antioxidant and shall be of the latest season's crop.
3.4, f - The dimension of the coated brownie shall not exceed 3-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches by 5/8 inch.
3.4, I - The rectangular shaped oatmeal cookie shall not exceed 3-1/2 inches by 2-1/2 inches and shall not exceed 7/16 inch in thickness.
Jeremy Whitsitt, with the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate, told NPR that the recipe is intended to produce food capable of withstanding the most brutal field conditions.
''What would happen if you cooked a meal, stored it in a stifling hot warehouse, dropped it out of an airplane, dragged it through the mud, left it out with bugs and vermin, and ate it three years later?'" If it were a military meal, Whitsitt says, it would still be edible and maybe even tasty.