Jesus, The Sustainer, Is With Us Series

Sermon preached by Pastor Larry Brincefield on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at Belleview Church of the Nazarene

Title: Jesus the Sustainer with us.

Text: John 6:29-40

Introduction

1. A little boy named Billy was taking to his mother after church…

He said, “my Sunday School teacher told me that God is everywhere, is that true?”

He mother said, “that’s right Billy”…

He went on and said, “Is God up in the sky?”…

And his mom said, “yes, I’m sure He is”….

Then Billy asked, “Is God in my belly?”

Now mom wasn’t quite sure where all this was going…

And she didn’t quite know how to answer him…

So she said, “well, I’m not sure, but I guess He is”…

Billy thought for a moment…and then said,

“Mommy, God wants a cookie”.

2. Christmas is a time for fun, celebration, decorations, and eating!!

I’ve read that the average person gains 10 pounds from Halloween until New Years.

That’s quite a load, isn’t it?

But, as one fast food commercial was always trying to tell us “you gotta eat”.

3. Last week, we talked about Jesus is the Creator…

And He is with us…

And that is the story of Christmas…

Jesus not only created all the world…

And all the life therein…

But He came to earth in the form of a baby in the manger…

And He continued to bring order from the chaos.

And He is still doing the same thing today…

He takes the darkness, the chaos, and pain, and the emptiness…

And gives us peace, and comfort, and love and forgiveness.

4. This morning, I’d like to talk to you about Jesus, the Sustainer, is with us.

Read Text: John 6:24-41

1. Jesus Sustains the World

A. There are some people who believe in God as Creator…

But they believe that God just set everything in motion…

Applied all the laws of science and physics…

And left the world to fend for itself…

And that God hasn’t had much to do with the world since creation.

B. But Jesus, as God, continues to be in this world…

Maintaining it…

And sustaining it.

Colossians chapter 1 says,

“He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”

Jesus not only created all things…

He holds them together…

In Psalm 75:3, God says, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”

Jesus, as God, is holding this old world together.

If Jesus would stop for one instant in His labors of holding this world together…

It would just fly apart from end to end.

In John 5:17, Jesus says, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

He working to sustain our world…

He doesn’t sleep…

He doesn’t take a vacation…

He is ALWAYS on the job!

He is maintaining His wonders of creation…

In spite of the efforts of man to tear it apart…

Jesus is holding it all together.

Let me give you one more Scriptural proof of Jesus the Sustainer, Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. ”

C. In the beginning was the Word,

His Name is Jesus…

And He not only created this world…

But He sustains it and maintains it…

By the power of His Word.

2. Jesus Sustains Us

A. Jesus not only sustains the world…

But He sustains us.

In the early part of John chapter 6,…

Jesus feeds over 5,000 people…

He provided them with physical sustenance in the form of an all you can eat bread and seafood buffet.

He also provided them spiritual sustenance…

With His teachings.

The next day, after Jesus fed them…

Jesus had gone on to the other side of the lake without them knowing…

The people, not finding Jesus, went in search of Him…

When they found Him…

They started talking to Him about how God provided manna in the wilderness…

And they were giving Jesus a not-to-subtle hint that…

Although they were full after the buffet…

They were now hungry again…

And they wanted Jesus to miraculously provide for another meal…

Jesus tells them, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”