Consuming Life

Consuming Life

Sunday Sermon / Communion Service / February 4th, 2007

Intro: Don’t you just love the smell of bread baking in the kitchen? I remember a kid coming home and smelling the evidence of what mom had been up to. We usually had “store” bought bread but occasionally mom would ‘spoil” us.

So much of life evolves around eating. Three squares and a bed are the basics of life.

The truth is, we are very food-centric. Probably more than you’d like. We crave certain foods, we despise others. We have our favorite meals and going out to eat is a great treat and the beginning of most dates.

Text:

John 6:47-60, 63 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48"I am the bread of life. 49"Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51"I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." 52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" 53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55"For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58"This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." 59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?"

63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

I. Our Greatest Hunger is for God

48"I am the bread of life. 49"Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.”

a. God uses food to demonstrate what a relationship with Him can really be.

• The Bread of Life is food for our deepest hunger.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

• Our deepest satisfaction and completeness comes only from God

• Our Hearts yearn to be filled with God.

The Psalmist says it like this, 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

Clovis G. Chappell tells a story that may help bring this Psalm to life: YEARS ago as a lad I was working one day in a field on the back side of my father’s farm. This field was washed by the songful waters of the Buffalo River. Away in the distance on the opposite side of the farm stood a range of rugged and majestic hills. Suddenly from among these hills I heard the baying of a pack of hounds…I knew that the pack was coming toward me. Then as I waited in expectation I was startled to see a deer suddenly come into view. The pursuing hounds were dreadfully close upon his heels. It was easy to see that the poor creature was almost spent. But on he came, running desperately for his life. Then as he saw me in his path, in an effort to turn, he dropped to his knees. Immediately the hounds had their cruel fangs at his throat and the long chase was over.

Why was this deer running in my direction? It was not that he expected any help at my hands. He was as fearful of me as of the hounds that hung upon his heels. He was running toward me because he was making for the river that lay just behind me. That brook offered everything to this poor spent creature. It offered escape from the deadly foes that were thirsting for his blood. It offered rest for his body that was wearied by long hours of desperate running. It offered satisfaction for his burning thirst. It offered life itself. "If I can only reach this brook," he might have said to himself, "I shall live. I shall again have an opportunity to realize my destiny in the glad freedom of my native hills." No wonder, therefore, that this poor, pursued hart was panting for the water brook.