I can’t get no satisfaction.
John 6:35. I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
The year was 1984 a BBC documentary by Michael Burke hit our screens it was the famine in Ethiopia, this Documentary brought home the true horror of the situation in Ethiopia to people here in Britain. On November 25th 1984 Bob Geldof set about with 40 other pop stars of his generation to release a record called “Feed the world”. He expected to raise $72.000. It became the best selling record ever with over 3 million copies sold; he raised 8 million pounds worldwide awareness of the plight of Ethiopia
Since that day we continually see situations in our media where people are going without basic necessities like food and water as famine and starvation hits a nation decimating millions of men women and children.
But today I want to raise awareness of the need in our own land not a famine of food and water in the physical sense but something far more eternal a famine of the word of God and as a result as we look upon our nation we will see signs spiritual undernourishment.
The defunct cultural magazine THE FACE put it like this, ” young Britain is a schizoid manic depressive with bomb site self esteem, our status as the most boozed up, drugs skewed, pregnancy prone wasters in Europe is pretty much unchallenged. Mark Greene of the L.I.C.C said about the need in our nation, “You don’t have to be a Christian to be concerned about the state of our country, you just have to be awake.”
We live today in a spiritually bankrupt nation, that is seeking real satisfaction as the 60’s pop group the Rolling Stones sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Or the lyrics of U2 hit “I still haven’t found what I am looking for” both these songs lyrics really hit the heart beat of the nation. I believe the lyrics underline a deep rooted problem in our society, an endless quest for satisfaction in life. A hunger is evident for real meaningful satisfaction in life...... Yet time and time again whatever people pour their energies into whether its fame – money – pleasure – possessions – family - yet even with all this there still appears to be a really lack of satisfaction in many people’s lives today...
A few quotes.
Freddie Mercury in one of his songs entitled, “Does anybody know what were living for?”
John Rockefeller once said, “I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. I would barter them all for the days I sat on a office stool in Cleveland and count myself rich on $3 dollars a week.”
Victoria Wood “I’m terribly torn about being born. What is the whole thing about?
Boris Becker said I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich . I had all the material possessions I needed; money, cars, women, everything.....I know that this is a cliché . It’s
the old song of the movie and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so un happy....I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.
Kenneth Williams (found written in the Diary day after death.) “I wonder if anyone will know the emptiness of my life.”
Bob Geldof speaking after the suicide of former wife Paula Yates. Said. “Life without love is pointless” In the last five years of the 20th century has been “universes of grief and deserts of emptiness. He also said “There is this blank hole inside and it never goes away.” source Readers digest
Kurt Cobain story with Nirvana successful/ who left a child and a wife/ suicide note; April 8th 1994. “I can’t fool you, any one of you; it simply isn’t fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it, and pretending as if I am having 100% fun.”
Princess Diana said, “Being a princess is not all its cracked up to be.”
Want to tell you a little story about a little 5 year old boy it was his first day at school, this little boy had one goal in life to have as much fun as possible. He was really excited and filled with apprehension being his first day at school but he was determined to have fun at all cost. Mum kissed him goodbye at the school gate and then she returned home to continue running the home. Well at about lunch time there was a familiar knock at the door it was her son returning home, mother exclaimed “What are you doing here?” “ I’ve quit school!” came the reply, “Why?” said mum, “It’s too hard, to long, and to boring” replied the boy Mother retorted in love, “ we need to get back on the bus you’ve just described life!”
Life is tough if were honest, at times we may have the mindset of that little boy we just want to have fun, but fun doesn’t always deliver the satisfaction we desire. Yes I’ve had fun, I’ve lived life, I’ve been free to do what I’ve wanted to do. But I must confess, it hasn’t delivered large part of my life has been lived totally unsatisfied. I’ve found myself returning to that point the little boy found himself at the front door with his mother, “It too hard, to long and to boring.”
Do you feel like this little boy about life? Friends I did have to be honest with you… But if it wasn’t for my relationship with Jesus Christ I would be utterly miserable in this life because he is the reason that I live he is the one who has finally brought me lasting satisfaction.
John 6:35. I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. What must we see…….
Jesus the great I AM
In the context here people were following Jesus because he had just feed 5,000 and more people from five loaves and two fish an awesome miracle in itself Jesus had brought physical nourishment to their stomach’s and they were physically satisfied and they wanted to be around him for here and now reasons ( John 6:26) but spiritually there were still unsatisfied with Jesus. They didn’t believe in Jesus as the great IAM. This miracle was a sign pointing Him to be the great I AM/GOD . Yet they still wanted to see more miracles (John 6:3O) Jesus wasn’t here to entertain them with miracles.
The earlier miracle testifies to the ID and the points to a greater one to come (John 6:33) The death and resurrection… Through this we see the confirmation of his identity and the reality of lasting satisfaction through the one who gives His life to the World. To find real satisfaction we must come to terms with the person Jesus Christ, we must come to Him and realize whose presence we are in.
• A missionary in Paraguay wrote, “While …serving in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on my porch. I was eating and went out to see what he wanted. He responded, "Ham, henek met." Again I asked what I could do for him, but the answer was the same. I understood what he was saying but not its significance: "I don’t want anything; I have just come near." I later shared the incident with a local veteran missionary. He explained that it was Rafael’s way of honoring me. He really didn’t want anything; he just wanted to sit on my porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near me.
Jesus brings lasting satisfaction
When Jesus is saying he is the Bread of life he is saying that he can bring lasting satisfaction into your Body and soul that he can satisfy your deepest longings. Because through His death and resurrection satisfaction has been made possible between God and humanity. Jesus alone can satisfy our lives, he is the one who brings lasting spiritual nourishment.
• There is nothing quite like fresh bread as its being baked in the oven (10 years I was a baker) as it comes out of the oven you can see it golden brown colour, you can smell the freshness, your taste buds start to salivate, your tummy starts to rumble (and mine did many times) and not until you bite into the bread and eat do you truly experience the benefits inside.
Friends tonight I am saying to you that Jesus Christ is the one who can bring real permanent lasting satisfaction into your life…. Today he being brought out to you notout of the oven but the Word of God You might be seeing and listening tonight and even moved by what you hear tonight .. But that’s not enough you need to experience you need to Taste and see that the Lord is good.
To be really satisfied you need to come to the one who said John 6:35. I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. Bread is common to us all we all eat it friends we all need Jesus to experience lasting satisfaction.
Will you come to Him?
That what Jesus offers He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty look what Jesus guarantees from there on in you will never be hungry you will never be thirsty again you will be satisfied with a deep relationship with God Himself.
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack I the distance.
He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note.
The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed.
Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveller.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”!
We have the same choice to make, do we hold on to what we have because we don’t believe there are better things in store for us, and settle for immediate satisfaction? Or do we trust God and give up all that we have to get what God has promised us?
I think the choice is obvious. We need to pour in all the water, trust God with everything.
Then once we have experienced what God has to offer, the living water, we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump, believe me it works”!
Friends He does work, He does satisfy, believe me it works! So I am going to give you the opportunity to experience a deep down satisfaction by receiving Jesus Christ into your life tonight to enter into a relationship with Him, to finally receive lasting satisfaction that this world cannot give a satisfaction that takes you through this life and the one to come.. AMEN.
Aubrey Vaughan @ www.cbchurch.org.uk
