John 6:22-29
Hide and Seek
I. Looking for Love in all the wrong places - v. 22-26
They were only looking for temporary need fulfillment.
They weren’t even looking for entertainment...they didn’t notice the miracle of the loaves and fishes! - v. 26
Example: Those who come looking for handouts, but will not listen. The vast majority of those who come to us for food, gas, or money will not come to hear the Word of God. Their interest is only in physical needs, not spiritual needs.
A. The good news--they were diligent in seeking for Jesus
People do not know what they really need
Illustration: "Forrest Gump"
In the film "Forrest Gump" Forrest’s friend, Lieutenant Dan, was watching a church choir sing on television. In a sarcastic tone Dan asked Forrest, "Gump, have you found Jesus yet?"
Forrest answered, "I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for Him."
Most people go through life thinking their needs are simple --
• Food • Clothing • Shelter • Career • Family • Toys • Health
...but don’t forget that what you see around you is only a part of what you get!
Your spiritual side needs to be taken care of too!
B. The bad news--they didn’t understand Who He was!
They wanted only what He could provide...what He could do...instead of for Himself!
People’s motives for seeking God are not always right
But notice---they asked Him, "When did you come here?"
What they really wanted to know was, "HOW did you come here?"
He could have told them! Most preachers would have!
"I walked on the water! This proves that I am the Messiah!"
But He did not. Accepting Him is still by faith....not by sight.
II. Working for food with all the wrong traces - v. 27
A. Don’t seek temporary, perishable food
This admonition is very similar to that which Jesus gave to the woman at the well in John 4 -
John 4:13-14 - Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The idea here is that the things we tend to seek in life afford only temporary fulfillment and temporary security.
Illustration: "Just Jiggle the Wire"
A woman’s car was stalled at an intersection. The hood was up, and she flagged a man down to help.
"I can’t get it started," she said, "but if you jiggle the wire on the battery, I think it will work."
The man grabbed the positive battery cable and it came off in his hand. The cable was too loose.
"The terminal needs to be tightened up," he told her. "I can fix it if you have some tools."
"My husband says to just jiggle the wire," she said. "It always works. Why don’t you just try that?"
He said, "Ma’am, if I jiggle the wire, you’re going to need someone else to do it every time you shut the engine off. If you’ll give me two minutes and a wrench, we can solve the problem and you can forget about it."
Reluctantly, she reached under the front seat and then extended a crescent wrench through the window of the old car. Soon she was on her way.
How many times have you asked God to simply "jiggle the wires" of your life?
"No, Lord, I don’t have time to allow you to fix me permanently. I need to go my own way---just jiggle the wires a bit, so I can continue on my way."
This includes things like
• Financial security - you have no guarantee that the money you’ve saved will be there when you need it
• Family security - you have no guarantee that the person you have committed you life to....will remain committed to you
• Medical security - you have no guarantee that the clean bill of health you now enjoy will still be there a year from now
• Religious security - you have no guarantee that the religion you practice will provide eternal life
B. Seek to obtain permanent, eternal food
Rather than seeking such guarantees from financial counselors, family, physicians, and religion --- look for them in Jesus Christ!
There is a "food" (meat) that will last forever!
John 6:27 - Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
It will provide material security - all your physical needs forever!
It will provide family security - in God’s family forever!
It will provide medical security - no more illness forever!
It will provide religious security - get this - no more religion forever!
C. This eternal food is a gift provided by Jesus Christ
Notice the last half of v. 27 - "which the Son of man shall give unto you:"
It’s a gift! It’s free!
III. Striving to work for all the wrong graces - v. 28-29
A. People need the Lord - not what He can do for us!
God is not a vending machine! Drop in a prayer...get a blessing!
B. He is found by two simple steps -
1. Repentance
Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
2. Faith
There is a natural tendency for humans to want to DO something to earn our salvation - baptism, penance, fasting, prayer, church attendance, giving money, trying to be good, etc.
The question always is..."What can we DO?" (v. 28)
v. 28 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
It’s so easy---most people simply don’t believe it!
John 6:28-29 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
It only requires belief!
This clearly states that the only "work" we can do is to believe!
Illustration: "The Parachute"
In April 1988 the evening news reported a story about a photographer who was a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized he was freefalling without a parachute.
Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him, for his faith was in a parachute never buckled on. That’s the condition of everyone without faith in Christ: they are in a freefall to death and hell’s destruction. The only thing that can save them is faith in Christ and in Christ alone.
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Don’t settle for the temporary fix---look for the eternal Solution!
