The Bread Of Life Series

From "I am the bread of life" by Quintin Morrow, on www.sermoncentral.com

If you seek bread in the wrong area… go off down some bypass in your spiritual journey… the Saviour will lovingly point it out to you by

- disquiet

- hunger of the soul

- "withdrawing". Not totally. But enough.

These are symptoms of eating the wrong food. Symptoms sent by the Saviour

Author Jeanne Zornes describes how her hunger led her forward in maturity:

As a new Christian, I presumed Jesus’ main job was taking care of me. He led to me a job, roommates to share apartment costs, and a car that ran. But after a while my tastes got fussier. Like the Israelites waking up to manna every morning, I was tired of the same-old, same-old. I wanted a home with more privacy, a more interesting yet less stressful job, and a shinier new car. My list continued to grow. I wanted Jesus to perk me up when I was down, remove my difficulties, and make living a whole lot easier.

When those things didn’t come, I felt as if Jesus had walked away from me. What I didn’t realize was that He had put loving distance between us, just as He did with the crowd that night, knowing that they wanted to force Him to be king. For me, and for them, it took a stormy night to point out why those expectations were off base.

SOURCE: Quinton Morrow in "I am the Bread of Life" on www.sermoncentral.com

Ah! The storm again, the bread and the walking on water! The theme of my last few sermons!

BREAD

Jesus says "I am the bread"

The essential for life. Totally essential, then

The essential for everyone. Not just some (no wheat intolerances)

- it’s not: the Bible and intellect for some… the Spirit and internals for others.. the father and discipline for the rest

o He is the bread: for everyone

Note how it is worded: Jesus does not GIVE the bread. He IS the bread

- the Father gives the bread. He gives Jesus

What does this mean?

- Jesus doesn’t give you what you need. He IS what you need. Who you need

o Jesus is the answer!

o To the huger in your soul. To the restlessness, grumpiness, seeking, chasing

" To that hole within. As Augustine said "Thou hast made us for thyself and are hearts are restless till they find thee"

What’s the answer? (what’s the question?!)- Jesus!

- it is His name… nature: He is the bread of life. The bread your soul is seeking

- it’s in His birthplace name, actually: Bethlehem= "House of Bread"

GIVE US THIS DAY….

Okay! So how do we get this? Well- some of the answers are within here

1) V27. Seek. It’s a question of what you seek. God will give what you seek. So it’s as much a question of what you don’t seek as DO

- "do not work for food which spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life"

Stop seeking these other things FIRST. If God has shown them up tonight- dispose of them! Put them further down the list! Throw them out and trash them if they are destroying you!

2) v35 "Come to me" I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry

- but they did… because they didn’t COME

The barriers are not on God’s side. He is always willing. He has made every effort to come to us. He is not reluctant