Sermon Central
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Food With An Attitude
Contributed by Paul Decker on Jun 30, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus is a reality to be known and lived.
FOOD WITH AN ATTITUDE
S: Jesus
Th: Relationship with Jesus
Pr: JESUS IS A REALITY TO BE KNOWN AND LIVED.
?: How? How do we get to this reality?
Inductive
KW: Phases
TS: As we continue our study in John 6, we will find five phases as Jesus explains the importance of being the bread of life.
The _____ phase is…
I. COMPLAINT (41-42)
II. COMEBACK (43-47)
III. CONTENTMENT (48-51)
IV. CONTENTION (52)
V. COMPANIONSHIP (53-59)
Version: ESV
RMBC 30 June 02 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Misunderstand (Upjohn)
At their busy stock brokerage, John Hunt knows that it is hard to find time for small talk. So he was caught off guard when a co--worker leaned over to him and asked, “What’s up, John?”
Welcoming a brief break, John told him about his hectic weekend and the trou-ble he was having with his car. The co-worker seemed a little distracted, however. After their con-versation ended, John saw him lean over to another colleague. “Hey, Robert,” he said. “What’s the ticker symbol for ’Upjohn’ pharmaceuticals?”
Have you ever had trouble understanding what was going on?
We have all have had times when we didn’t quite understand what was said…right?
TRANSITION:
Well, in the same way…
1. People were having a difficult time understanding Jesus.
As we have already noted in our study of John 6, that the miracles Jesus was doing were great.
They were exciting!
In fact, the people were so excited about Him that it was their thought to take Him by force and make Him the king.
Such an attempt, of course, would be futile.
For Jesus knew the best way to put off such endeavors.
He would just say things that were hard.
And He did, for…
2. Jesus made unusual and extraordinary claims.
In the gospel of John, seven times we hear Him say “I I am.”
We noted last week that this was a claim to deity.
So when Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” it held huge significance.
Jesus would go on to say, “I am the light of the world.”
“I am the door.”
“I am the good shepherd.”
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
“I am the vine.”
Today, though we go back to the first claim, “I am the bread of life.”
And…
3. As we continue our study in John 6, we will find five phases as Jesus explains the importance of being the bread of life.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first phase is COMPLAINT (41-42).
[41] So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” [42] They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
The text here describes murmuring.
It is a confused sound running through the crowd.
And it is occurring in response to Jesus’ claim “I am the bread of heaven that came down from heaven.”
For…
1. Jesus draws criticism because He set Himself higher than the rest.
He says that He is the real thing.
He is the real bread.
ILL Notebook: Criticism (real apple)
There is an old story of a woman who made artificial fruits so perfectly that people could not tell them from the real fruit. But she had some critics who would find fault with the shape of the fruit, the color, and other things. One day as the critics stood before a table on which she had placed several pieces of fruit, they criticized particularly one apple. "It looked too artificial," they said. When they had finished, the woman picked up the apple, cut it in half, and began to eat it. It was a real apple.
Some of the people may not have liked what Jesus said, or how He said it, but that didn’t matter.
What did matter is the truth.
But still people did not believe Him.
2. His critics base their disagreement on their knowledge of Him.
They felt His claims were outrageous.
After all, Jesus was well known to them.
He grew up in Nazareth.
He was the ordinary, natural son of Joseph and Mary.
Yet, these complainers were a bit stuck.
Jesus was performing signs and wonders.
Nevertheless, they would not cross over a barrier of their own making, and embrace Jesus.
This brings us now to…
II. The second phase is COMEBACK (43-47).
[43] Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. [44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. [45] It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me [46] not that anyone has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. [47] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”
