Sermon Title: Dealing with Perishables Summary: Jesus shows us that we must not expend ourselves chasing after the things of this world since they are literally a dead end. Instead, we must pursue a union with Christ because this union is the only thing that can provide true life. This union can only come about when when we trustingly obey the words of Christ, which are our life. There is no other place to go for life but Christ Function: To motivate the hearers to prioritize their life and put God in the center Text: John 6:21-71 Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:1-2 Intro: 1. Store manager overheard clerk tell customer - a. We don’t have any, and wont for some time b. Manager rushed over and interupted - - “Not true Ma’am, we’ll have some soon, we ordered it” c. Afterward, mgr growled at clerk - “Never say we not have it - Tell them we placed an order for it recently” d. What did she want anyway? Clerk smiled and said, “rain” 2. There are some things we cannot provide - What we can provide are perishables - limited 3. We must look to Jesus for all things I. Perishables perish and do not satisfy A. There was a deep significance to feeding 5,000 B. (v.26-233) The feeding was a “sign” - deeper significance 1. They were focused on the bread a. Feeding of 5000 reminded of Exodus - God provided bread from Heaven miraculously - Jesus miraculously provided bread to an army b. They got excited (6:14-15, 22-25) - Moses said God would raise up a prophet - They looking for another Moses to deliver them c. They went looking for him 2. They thought a military leader was the answer a. They could stop paying taxes to pagan rulers b. Pagan culture from infiltrating their culture c. Restore sense of pride and dignity d. Another Exodus from Rome 3. Problem: Exodus from Rome was a perishable C. ILL: What do you usually mean by “perishable?” 1. Foods that have to be refrigerated, or go bad 2. Remember ground beef in bottom of deep freeze - 4 years a. Freezer burned b. Didn’t seem fit to eat 3. Any kind of food, perishable or non-perishable will go bad 4. Nothing will last indefinitely D. That’s the problem with Exodus from Rome 1. Political/social freedom is a perishable, it is limited 2. It doesn’t deal with deeper human needs 3. Even if they had political “peace” that not bring true peace 4. They would still have a deep hunger for something II. Imperishable food is the source of living (v.33-35) A. Can see that no real satisfaction came from miraculous feeding 1. 5000 had a feast, as much as they wanted a. Kick back under shade tree b. Might have even said, “now this is living!” c. Following day - Hungry again! 2. Emptiness and hunger still there 3. Even if eat miraculous bread, will still die (6:49) 3. Life is more than food and the body more than clothing, Mt 6:25 B. Where does satisfaction and fulfillment come from? 1. The bread of life from Heaven - Jesus himself 2. In hunger and thirst, looked for satisfaction a. Didn’t know where to find it b. Looked for it in many places - Zealots tried to find it in revolts - Scribes tried to find it in knowing scripture - Pharisees in practicing law perfectly - Essenes in being Jewish Monks - Tax Collectors in lining pockets 3. Everyone looking forward to something better 4. Do people do that today? C. ILL: Campaign speech from Bill Clinton 1. Good things come from a little place called “hope” a. That is where he was from b. People put their “hope” in his promises 2. Is life really that different since he in office? 3. People look for happiness in many places today a. Government, music, clothes, hairstyle, cologne b. Job, family, children, school, sports 4. Some get desperate and try to escape the emptiness a. Fill selves with alcohol, drugs, promiscuous lifestyle b. The more they fill themselves, the emptier they get c. It is all literally a dead end d. Irony - Some who do this are wealthy D. Only one substance to satisfy your hunger and thirst 1. The bread of Life - Jesus himself 2. Must come to him, must believe him 3. But there is more III. We must eat the imperishable food (6:48-52) A. People were more and more perplexed 1. Jesus says we must eat his flesh?? 2. v.51 - See an allusion to his sacrifice a. Bread for life of the world is his flesh b. Gave himself as a sacrifice 3. But what does it mean to eat his flesh??? B. (v. 53-58) - Jesus answer makes it more difficult than simpler 1. Went from being difficult to being offensive to the Jews a. Life of the flesh was in the blood b. No one ever was to eat blood c. Now Jesus saying we to drink his blood 2. What does he mean? Key in v.56-57 a. 4:34 - My food is to do the will of him who sent me b. 5:19 - Son does nothing unless Father does it c. 6:56 - Mutual abiding d. *14:10 - Mutual abiding and obedience 3. Talking about mutual abiding - Trusting obedience a. Jesus and Father one, so Jesus did Father’s will b. Eating and drinking him = lose identity to him C. Problem: Everyone had differing ideas on what Messiah was 1. 6:15 - Wanted to seize Jesus and “make him” their king a. Military leader - Political independence b. Others looked for a Messianic age 2. Careful not to baptize own agenda in religious language - Will make us blind to our error 3. Examples: a. Social Gospel - Jesus became a sidebar b. Legalism = Perfectionism in religious dress c. Health and Wealth Gospel = Selfishness disguised 4. That’s what it means to “seize” him - Don’t do it D. ILL: Man hanging from cliff - Help! 1. his way - LET GO 2. Hard to “let go” but that what it means to eat and drink him a. Means we live according to his will and not ours b. That’s what it means to believe IN him Concl: 1. What kind of food do you pursue? 2. Can you recognize that everying on this earth is perishable 3. Phil 1:21 - To live is Christ, to die is gain a. Goes beyond knowing scripture b. Passion is knowing Christ c. When truly know Christ, then can say, “This is living” - Not sitting on a beach sipping lemonade - Not living in big house with cool car - Not wearing brand name clothing, or certain hair style d. Life with those things have shelf life - perishable 4. Only life with Christ will last - imperishable (Invitation) 5. ILL: Traveling and staying at motel - never unpack and use dressers 1. What you think if person unpacked, hung pictures, filled fridge? 2. What you think if he only there for a day? He is crazy! 3. That’s what it is like to work for the bread which perishes (shelf life) 4. Work for the bread which endures to eternal life (no shelf life) - Life with Christ 6. Isa 55:1-2