Go a little deeper
Pastor Keith Kirkpatrick opens with light questions about favorite bread and notes that in Jesus' day bread was daily sustenance rather than a side item. He introduces the sermon title from Jesus' words in John 6 about the bread of life, offered as sustenance for the soul.
Working through John 6, Pastor Keith describes crowds gathering to see Jesus and the feeding of a great multitude from a boy's five barley loaves and two fish. He focuses on Jesus testing Philip with the question of where to buy bread, and draws on Ezekiel's response to God as a picture of answering from trust rather than calculation. He notes that Jesus gave thanks before the miracle.
Pastor Keith turns to the disciples in a boat without Jesus, caught in wind and darkness, and Jesus walking on the sea and telling them not to be afraid. He emphasizes that Jesus came to them in the storm and that the boat immediately reached land, holding this up as a call to a bigger view of God and a smaller view of our problems.
In the bread of life discourse, Pastor Keith says the crowd sought Jesus because they had eaten their fill, not because they understood the signs. When they ask what works they must do, Jesus points to belief. Pastor Keith ties Jesus' declaration that he is the bread of life to God's self-revelation to Moses and explains the distinction between physical life and the spiritual life Jesus offers.
Pastor Keith applies this to the church he planted, confessing that he once wanted a big church full of good people and that trying to please everyone nearly led him to burnout, and insisting the church's mission is to equip people for Jesus rather than to provide programs. He closes by pointing to Jesus himself as the one we need, then leads the congregation through communion and a prayer of invitation.
Take this with you
Jesus invites us to think beyond the natural
When Jesus asked Philip where bread could be bought for the crowd, Philip calculated the cost and saw only impossibility. Pastor Keith reads the question as a test meant to move Philip beyond natural figuring toward trust in the one who provides, and he points to Ezekiel's answer to God as an example of responding from trust rather than calculation. The invitation is to bring impossible situations to the Lord rather than doing the math alone.
Thanksgiving comes before the miracle
Pastor Keith highlights that Jesus gave thanks before he broke the bread and fed the crowd, not after. He teaches that gratitude is the first response in whatever circumstance we face, ahead of seeing how anything will work out. This is drawn directly from the feeding account in John 6.
Jesus meets his people in the storm
The disciples went into the boat without Jesus, and the sea grew rough in the dark. Jesus came to them walking on the water and told them not to be afraid. Pastor Keith stresses that Jesus comes to them in the storm and not only in the calm, and connects this to the Lord's promise never to leave or forsake his people. Fear is addressed by the presence of Jesus himself.
Belief is the work God asks for
When the crowd asked what they must do to do the works of God, Jesus answered by calling them to believe in the one God sent. Pastor Keith says Jesus does not give a checklist of performances but goes deeper, to belief and inner change. He contrasts this with the older brother in the parable of the two sons, who counted up what he had done and resented his father. The teaching is that God is not impressed with outward performance but asks for faith.
Jesus is the bread of life, the true sustenance
Pastor Keith connects Jesus' statement that he is the bread of life to God revealing his name to Moses at the burning bush. He explains that the life Jesus offers is not merely physical life but spiritual life, and that whoever comes to him will not hunger. The sermon's aim is to turn attention from the stuff of this world to who Jesus is, rather than to what we can get from him.
The conversation,
in their words.
Transcript from the recording’s captions. Select any timestamp to hear the original audio.
now it's time for business hey today we're going to talk about bread we're going to talk about bread where's your favorite bread from come on Shout It Out where's your favorite bread uh this guy Sparrow Bakery I heard Sparrow Bakery whales what I didn't hear that one but I uh sisters sisters bakery okay any cheese Cheesecake Factory anybody love that bread they bring there I mean they bring you all kinds of different breads you get to choose which bread you want at Cheesecake Factory I like that one where else do you like anybody like Village Baker you ever go there they got some good bread down there uh how about Harvest downtown you ever been to harvest downtown they got some good bread uh Olive Garden Olive Garden they just bring out those sticks and they just keep bringing them to you right I mean they just keep bringing them to you uh you know bread is interesting
we we treat today bread like is just a side uh back in the day in fact in Jesus day bread was not just a side it was your sustenance because this was a day and age where meat was not the main thing in fact meat was something special meat was something maybe you would have at a celebration and so so bread was something that would actually be a main item like if you had bread you had what you needed today I want to talk to you here's the title of today's sermon it comes from Jesus own very words I want to talk to you about b-o-l the bread of life we're going to talk about bread of life so that you would understand the sustenance for for your own soul and I want to warn you in advance and I don't know how much time I have because David already had Church up in this house with the worship so that was awesome so you might have to stay for two services to
get the full message today but I'll tell you we're going to labor through some scripture what I mean by that is I'm going to share with you a plethora of scripture so I need you to labor with me I'll do most of the work but I'm going to need you to work with me here we find ourselves in John chapter 6. so if you brought your own Bible turn to John chapter six if you're a guest here and you don't have a Bible we've got tables throughout the auditorium with Bibles those are for you you could take one as a gift we want you to get in the Bible they may not be the the best quality Bible but it's a start we want you to get in the word so that the word of God would get into you if you don't know where your Bible is take one of those we want you to get in the word now there's Bible apps on your phone you can get out those but there's something about turning the page of of a paper so I just want to encourage you get in the Bible John chapter 6 is where we find
ourselves today I'm going to paraphrase through uh through most of the first half of the chapter and then we're going to find ourselves at the end of the chapter and there's a lot so if you're not tracking with me now you just write John 6 and go read it later and let the Holy Spirit keep speaking to you through this text so at this point in John chapter 6 John is writing the biographical account of Jesus life as he tells the story of Jesus life he's getting famous quickly we see today that you can go viral overnight that all you got to do is have something spectacular and Jesus is spectacular he's doing Miracles he's preaching and teaching like no other and people want to see Jesus and John tells us that the huge crowds are coming from all over the place to see Jesus to hear Jesus expecting something of Jesus
they're looking for a miracle and there's a place here in the scriptures in John 6 where Jesus is going to feed it's famously known as the five thousand Scholars agree it's significantly more than five thousand for only the men were counted so if you were to add the women and children there's some 10 to 20 000 people coming to see Jesus and in John 6 verse 5 it says lifting up his eyes lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him Jesus knows why they're there to see Jesus Jesus said to Philip now I have to wonder why he chose Philip why'd he pick on Philip was Philip right next to him and he's just the first one he's going to ask this question why did he choose Philip maybe he knew he had to
teach Philip unless maybe Philip is a baker maybe Philip is a chef and maybe I don't know why but Jesus chose Philip that day and I want you to know that that Jesus is choosing you today Jesus said to Philip where are we to buy bread Oh serious she thinks I'm looking for bread we're gonna rely on the Savior not Syria Jesus Jesus asked Philip he didn't ask Siri he asked Philip he said where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat remember 10 to 20 000 people where can we buy bread for these people to eat now Jesus it says in verse 6 Jesus said this to test him for Jesus himself knew
what he would do this was a test do you know that everything in your life is a test everything absolutely everything in your life is a test to see if what you have in your heart is real James says something peculiar in James chapter one considered Joy when you go through trials and the point of having Joy through trials is to see is your faith real it's easy to have faith when you're gathered around other people of Faith it's easy to have faith when life is really good and God has given you everything that you want but your faith is really tested when you have a trial when you have a problem
and what we see in the scriptures as we apply this to our lives is every problem in our life is an opportunity to allow God to work every problem and here God gives Philip an opportunity now when Jesus gives you a test he's the ultimate teacher in fact he's often called the rabbi which is a Jewish term for teacher Jesus point of giving us tests because some of us might wonder I don't want any more tests I don't like test Lord I've learned enough that I'm good Lord no he's going to keep giving you tests and I'll tell you why he wants you to think differently so if you keep thinking in the natural you're going to miss the test because in this test the Lord wants you to think
Supernatural so we think in what we know God wants us to think in what we don't know so so Philip he does the math he looks at the crowd and he starts to add up in his hands and Jesus said where are we going to get the bread and Jesus and Philip says listen Jesus it would take 200 Denari to feed this many people in fact it would take more than that now a Denari is a day's wage it would take 200 days wage eight months of wages wouldn't even feed all these people Philip is looking at the how Jesus asked where so many times when the Lord is asking us
a question we we answer it wrong we start to look well how is this going to happen how can I do this and we've all got problems in our lives it could be Financial it could be emotional it could be relational could be Health it could be spiritual we've all got problems and so many times what we do is we look at the natural and we look at how is God going to work this out that wasn't the question the question is where are we going to get this bread now Jesus wants us to think differently he doesn't want us to think in the in the Natural Way well we can get it from from uh Olive Garden or we can get it from uh cheesecake fat he doesn't want us to think about the natural he wants us to think differently now if I was
Philip because isn't it easy to read scripture and in hindsight say this is what I would do now if I was filled this is what I would do I would go back to the scriptures and in the Book of Ezekiel he's a prophet and God takes him to a valley in Ezekiel chapter 37. and in this Valley the Lord reveals to Ezekiel Dry Bones everywhere and the Lord asks Ezekiel A peculiar question can these Dry Bones live now we all know in the natural no absolutely not they're dead and they've been dead a long time there's no muscle there's no meat there's not even any tendons on these bones absolutely not but what Ezekiel does is what Philip should have done
Ezekiel says O Lord God you know he flips the script rather than getting the question wrong and saying no Lord because it's a trick question when the Lord tests you he wants you to think differently so when the Lord asks Philip where are we going to get bread Philip should have said to Jesus Oh Lord you know where where is it Lord and the reason Philip should have said that to the Lord Jesus is he's been walking with Jesus he's been talking with Jesus Philip was there when he saw these Miracles and if Jesus has done Miracles before he's able to do it again you may not see it you may not know how
you don't know may not know what he's going to do but you can know that who is able to do the miracle where the miracle is going to come from is not going to come from me it's not going to come from my money it certainly won't be with this ragtat group of 12 disciples that gave up the careers to follow Jesus he should have just pointed it right back to Jesus Oh Lord you know you're the one that turned water into wine but instead Philip starts stressing out any Phillips in the house today thankfully Philip wasn't alone because you're not alone today too you're surrounded by other people that are here to help you and what they do is they find a boy who's got a Happy Meal we know it's a Happy Meal because this is a Poor Boy's meal John notes that he has five barley lows barley loaves are the Poor Boy's bread
NBA has grow up poor we used to get the government's cheeses a big old block of cheese but it wasn't good cheese but but we had poor boys cheese and this is Poor Boy's meal this is five barley Loaves and two fish these probably would have been like sardines they would have been salted fish these aren't even the good fish they bring this to Jesus and I'll tell you Jesus doesn't need a lot from you he just needs you to give him what you have you give him a little he's able to do a lot with it and you know what Jesus does next you can read this on your own Jesus does what we should do in every area of Our Lives as he gives thanks he doesn't give thanks after the miracle he doesn't give things after he does the work before he does anything he gives
thanks now I know some of you all are going to eat a lot of food this week and before you eat that food you know what you should do give thanks I don't care what your circumstance is I don't care where you're at right now if you want a miracle of God it's going to start with giving thanks Jesus teaches us this principle whatever you're going through in life right now you may not see it you may not know what's going to happen you may not know how it's going to happen but the first thing you should do is give thanks Jesus gives thanks and all of a sudden it turned from A Poor Boy's meal to everybody's eating everybody's just getting fat on this food I mean I imagine that he broke this bread he turned that fish he turned it into steak he did something something miraculous I
say that because I don't like seafood and what John says is they ate and they had their fill some some translations say they were satisfied so much so that Jesus doesn't want anything wasted what you see as a leftover in life Jesus sees as an opportunity because we all know that leftovers can be good and Jesus says I want you to go collect the leftovers and guess how many baskets left there were 12. guess how many disciples there are shout it out 12. this is easy math here you think Jesus is trying to teach a lesson this was a test and the teacher is trying to say something next time you're in need I want you to remember that basket next time you you need provision next time you can't see how it's going to
happen I need you to remember where it happens and the where is actually a Who absolutely incredible Miracle now we fast forward in that story Jesus often when he would we when he would do Miracles when he would be with large crowds he would go get along with the Lord It's a rhythm we all need to have it's a rhythm of rest God's not asking just to put your head down and grind it and go do great things every day sometimes you got to just go spend some alone time with the father sometimes you need to go get filled up with the spirit and what we read in John 6 16 when evening came his disciples went down to the Sea they got into a boat and started across the sea to Capernaum it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them we know it's dark because they just had dinner they get in the boat without Jesus Verse
18 the sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing when they had rode about three or four miles now John the the author here is in the boat so he knows how far it was might have actually just been three quarters of a mile but he's going to tell us three or four miles it felt like they were rowing through the storm and they saw Jesus verse 19. they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat they were frightened can I just pause there for a moment they go from a miracle one moment to just hours later they're in the dark they're in a storm and they're full of fear so don't think because God works in one moment and just a moment later you won't
be freaking out don't think just because you're in a light one moment you don't end up in the dark you don't end up in the storm and even when you see Jesus in your life you misunderstand it and you're frightened Jesus comes to them in the dark in the storm not in the most natural way but he he comes to them walking on water in verse 20 but he said to them it is I do not be afraid if we can pause there this is the message of Jesus he never ever ever ever wants you to be afraid in fact Paul tells Timothy listen the Lord did not give you a spirit of fear but he gave you a spirit of power of love and self-control so some scriptures say A sound mind that whatever storm of life you're in you
think with sobriety my God is able I don't care where I am I don't care who I'm with I don't care how long I've been rowing through this I'm not going to freak out I'm not going to be frightened because my God promised me Jesus words he said I will never leave you I will never forsake you he is a god that is with you Emmanuel God With Us so he here he's with them and he said to them it is I do not be afraid verse 21 then they were glad aren't you glad Jesus was with you they were glad to take him into the boat this is a metaphor for your life and immediately immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going here's the first point of today's
message wow I mean we're like not even halfway through this chapter yet wow Jesus multiplies the bread the miracle he feeds thousands of people don't forget with what a little boy's Happy Meal then they get in the boat without Jesus and wow here's what wow stands for walk on water I need you to remember this because there's going to come a moment that you're going to forget how great God is this is a picture of Jesus this whole story John is painting a picture of Jesus he defies the natural we think in the natural how's Jesus going to meet me well he's not going to get in a boat and row to you we think natural how's Jesus going to meet your needs quit thinking naturally
because he defies the natural he is Supernatural he's going to defy your own dreams he defies your expectations he's not going to do what you think he's going to do because I'll tell you this Jesus is God and the reason I tell you point number one is wow Jesus walked on water is we need to be a little more wowed with Jesus in the world we live in today we have a small view of God and we have a big view of our problems just look back at election week and all you got to do is people want to make this world a big deal but we don't want to make God a big deal and then when we do that we start to be afraid we start to get frightened but with Jesus he eradicates fear look at verse 21 and immediately though the boat was at land to which they were going John does not
tell us that the storm stopped it just that God got them where he wanted them to go all it takes for the Lord is a moment immediately feels like you've been rowing for a long time all it takes is a moment it's been months it's been years it's going to take a moment with the Lord immediately you're going to see it immediately you're going to say like I am not the place I used to be could anyone testify to that today I know where I used to be and I was stuck I was in the dark I was afraid but somehow I ended up in the place that God wanted me to be now we end up at the text I really want to turn our attention to remember I told you we're gonna have to work for this you ready verse 25. Jesus with the disciples they immediately end up on the shore when they found Jesus on the other side of the sea they said to him Rabbi when did
you come here remember 20 000 people they see Jesus leave his disciples they see Jesus they see Jesus go alone they see the disciples go out many of the boats also cross the shore because they were all following and all of a sudden they see Jesus in the boat with them this doesn't make any sense how did you get here Jesus now if I was Jesus which I'm not but I would be like wow I walked on water come on people this is who I am I multiplied the bread I do Miracles this is what this is who I am I'm the miracle working God I walked on what I can do anything you want to know how I got here yep yep yep that water I walked on that that's me and then the people would have believed and said this guy walks on water he breaks breath this guy is incredible he
didn't do that though instead Jesus answered he doesn't even answer their question Jesus answered them truly truly I say to you you are seeking me not because you saw signs that's another way of saying Miracles you're not here because of the miracle working God or even the Miracles I do but because you ate your fill of loaves here's what Jesus is saying you're not satisfied with stuff you want some more stuff you were hungry last night and I fed you and you had your fill but now it's a new day and guess what you're hungry again have you ever noticed that and I'm not just talking about food here you get in one relationship and you say oh this satisfies me don't worry it won't be long before that relationship is all messed up
and you got a choice am I going to try to find a new relationship are you going to keep getting hungry and hungry and hungry again you get a new car we got a new car this year first time we ever bought a new car well it wasn't new but it was used but it was new and um I bought a new car I was so excited I had every little bell and whistle on it that I've ever wanted in my whole life is so so exciting and now Facebook ads are coming up that there's a new 2023 model the car I just bought it's a little higher a little better I'm like I thought I bought the best of the best but now I'm hungry for more we're always wanting more Jesus says the reason you're here is because you want what more and he says in verse 27 do not work for
the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life now I'm not sure if you know how long eternity is but is a a long time like when you get into heaven there will not be a better version of Heaven 2.0 forever and ever and you should work for something to last forever he says which the son of man a favorite title he calls himself often going back to Daniel he's a fulfillment that Daniel talked about the son of man will give to you for on him the God the father has set his seal then they said verse 28 they said to Jesus well what must we do to be doing the works of God I just want to point out the question they asked what must we do much like Philip what must we do to
earn all the money to feed these people what must we do they ask Jesus to be doing the works of God and Jesus answered them this is the work of God that you believe everyone Shall Believe believe in him whom he has sent so he doesn't address the question he goes deeper because that's what Jesus wants for you he wants to go deeper he wants to go deeper he wants to go further he he wants you to see your purpose in life he doesn't want you to see the the things that won't satisfy you Jesus wants us to be thinking about the spiritual life not just the physical life we think about the natural Jesus wants us to think about the Supernatural and and as he's explaining these things the people are curious and they're interested and they ask this question in verse 28 what must we do it's the
question all of us naturally ask in fact in the day and age which we live in many people believe philosophically that what you do is what gets you into heaven I hear it all the time even from uh professing Christians that think that what they do is what gets them into heaven and often it's really the the underlining question is what must I not do to get into heaven I've never murdered anyone I've never robbed a bank I'm certainly not as bad as the next guy over clearly God's going to let me in compared to that person and they're they're they're asking that question how do we get this eternal life it's a what and Jesus wants to shatter this belief
that God is impressed with what you do he is not more impressed with you today because you went to church he wants you to be the church God God is not impressed with your good behaviors on the outside because here's the truth if it's all about the behaviors on the outside you will think it's about what you can do and you will always be let down we looked at this last week with the story of two sons remember there was a younger son an older son the older son says I did all these things and you didn't do for me you didn't give me a fattened calf you didn't throw a party for me and the father's like are you kidding me all this is yours you get everything it's yours and still the sun was consumed with but God I did this and you didn't do this now if you're not careful this will slip into your life and you'll say God I've done
all these things what are you doing for me and Jesus wants to make it really clear that that's not about what you can do it's about whom you believe in and it's not about what God's done for you it's about who God is Jesus wants to turn your attention to not the stuff of this world but who he is we tend to turn to the what I'll get really personal with you for just a moment I'll get vulnerable because I've been married nearly 20 years by the grace of God I mean there's moments that if you were to get real in our marriage you'd be like I'm not sure this one's going to make it but y'all wouldn't see that because it happened behind closed doors and I'll tell you there were many times in my marriage that I acted in such
ignorance naivety and foolishness I'm going to just say this for somebody here today maybe a young man maybe a not so young man this is actually what I would do we would get in a fight right now I would know I would hurt my wife I know y'all wouldn't think I'd do that but I would hurt my wife and this is how young and dumb I was all right you ready for this I would actually say something like this sounds so stupid later but I would say something like this well what do you want me to do and I'll do it I know I've hurt you you tell me what to do and now you'll be happy because I'll do what you tell me to do are you guys tracking with me now she's looking at me saying are you stupid she didn't actually say those words but her face told me that because what my wife's not asking me to do is to be a robot and do what she
tells me to do she's asking me to be somebody she's saying I need you to be my husband that will love me because you'll love me it's taken me nearly 20 years to work this out that it's not about what I do it's about who I am because who I am on the inside will determine what I do on the outside but if on the outside I'm just trying to behave better I haven't changed and I didn't understand it in my youthfulness when I continued to repeat the bad behaviors that God's not asking me to change on the outside he's asking me to change on the inside so if we keep going for the stuff on the outside it's never going to satisfy us and we asked the wrong questions what do
you want me to do I mean I would get so dumb I can go back now because these were my younger years I would even say things like what do you want me to say I'll say it some of us play the same games with God what do you want me to say I'll say I'll pray the prayer I'll do the deed that's not what God's asking from you Jesus Jesus response is not a what he says believe the the what that you're asking you want works but I'll tell you what the work is believe I need you to have faith in me now doesn't that sound simple look what they say in verse 30. so they said to him well then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you
what work do you perform he just did the miracle he fed you when there was no food He Walked on Water he just appears and now you want more and then they give Jesus an example we can go back in the scriptures Jesus our fathers going back several Millennia earlier they ate the Manna in the wilderness as it is written he gave them bread from Heaven to eat they thought it was Moses that gave it to them Jesus then said to them truly truly I say to you for it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven but my father who gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world now they're interested and they say in
verse 34 they said to him sir give us this bread always now like the woman at the well a few chapters earlier they thought Jesus was actually talking about bread so if Moses who was the leader over the Israelites when they were on a journey From Slavery to Freedom if he gave them Manna what kind of manna are you going to give to us and Jesus starts explaining what this man will be that he'll give to them and they're like we want it we want it we want it give it to us give it to us but remember what Jesus said just a few verses early in 29 this is the work of God what that you may what believe here's what's interesting about believe in our culture
we often misunderstand what belief is we're getting ready to enter into the Christmas season where believe is a common theme and what we try to do to our young people is we get them to believe in a fictional fantasy and believe in magic and we have all these sayings around here and I'm not saying we should be the Grinch or that we should be grumpy over the Christmas season but I am trying to say God's put something inside of us to believe but often we we turn from the true belief that's found in Jesus and we turn to the things of this world so Jesus knows that they're not getting it so he makes it really clear and here's the theme here remember the Bol the bread of life Jesus said to them I am the bread of life I am the bread it's not something
it's not stuff it's me I am the bread of life whoever comes to me Jesus said shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst seems like it can't get any clear but I said to you that you have seen me and yet you do not believe you're not getting this he says you're not believing me all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out let me just stop there that phrase let me go back to verse 35 let's put verse 35 up that phrase I am the bread of life Jesus is relating himself to the Hebrew scriptures where God declares I am it's the first name that we see God gives of himself and it happens in the context where the Lord
speaks to Moses through a burning bush he's an all-consuming fire the bush is not being consumed the bush is burning it's Holy Ground Moses takes off his sandals he's speaking with God himself and God says Moses I've got a great plan for you I've got a great purpose for you and Moses does what many of us do he makes excuses over and over and over he makes excuses and finally one of the excuses he makes is in Exodus chapter 3 verse 13 Moses said to God if I come to the people of Israel and say to them the god of your fathers has sent me to you and what if they ask me well what's his name I don't even know your name what shall I say to them Moses would look at the context of Egypt in Egypt all the gods lowercase G have names and they worship these false gods with
names and I don't even know what to call the one true God and verse 14 God said to Moses I am who I am this is the name in Hebrew it's often said Yahweh it's translated in our English Lord but it doesn't do it justice because Yahweh was such a sacred name they wouldn't even say it because I am who I am he said say this to the people I am has sent me to you see I am is an all-encompassing name it's self-sufficient God does not need anyone he's eternally powerful he eternally filled with all knowledge he's he he can go anywhere anytime he is I am who I am he's the Eternal God and Jesus
said to them I am I am verse 35 I am Yahweh is right in front of you in the flesh I'm the bread of life the bread is not meant to be something that you think you have to eat or consume it's something that that will be your sustenance you don't live on bread alone that that word life here the bread of life and the original language when John writes this it was in Greek when you translate the Greek to the English sometimes the words into English don't translate as well from the original language for example the the word life has multiple Greek words that we translate into the one Greek word life for example bios bios is the word life and you'll see
that in the scriptures that God created bios he created physical life when you study biology it's Bio Life and ology the study of so it's the study of life so that could be plants it could be animals it could be even the things we can't see with the natural eye it's physical life now when Jesus said I am the bread of life he didn't say I am the bread of BIOS he used another Greek word which is absolutely powerful it's Zoe everyone shout Zoe Zoe is not physical life it's spiritual life so what sets apart human beings from any other bios on the planet is we have a spirit we alone no other creature on the planet is made in God's image no fish no animal no plant is made in God's image we are because we are made in God's image he
put a spirit inside of us and what Jesus is trying to awaken us to is what we're Made In His Image and when he says I am the bread of Zoe he's saying if you really want to know what you're made for do you want to know your purpose do you want to know what you should live for do you want to know where your life is your belief will determine your Zoe and if you believe in the wrong you will not have the Zoe the life and so many are seeking the things of this world to satisfy you you have no Zoe and some of us even blame God for this and Jesus comes back to the truth of who here's who you need to seek you need to seek me John when he starts off his biography he says in him Jesus in him was Zoe life
the fullness of life and the Zoe verse 4 of John chapter 1 and the Zoe was the light of men when a woman's pregnant it's not uncommon that you would say to her you're glowing you should say that not you look bigger or you say things like this you're glowing it's almost like you have a light in him was life and the light was men when a woman carries a child we live in a world that's trying to determine when when a child is a child and what we're starting to do is stretch it so far to say it's a child if the parent wants the child and if the parent doesn't want it we actually say let's abort this life but
according to Jesus in him was life and the life was Enlightenment and the reason a woman is glowing that what's inside of her is Zoe not bios we think bios because it's something living and even scientists and doctors will agree there's something growing inside the womb of BIOS but if a woman doesn't want that then she can terminate the BIOS but but in Jesus it's not just bios there's Zoe there's something more significant we might see as an accident or unwanted or even a product of evil but God says every human being is made in my image and you reflect the the Zoe you reflect the light so when when a woman is glowing it's because there's something
inside of her that's from God we say it's from man and woman and don't touch my body no no don't touch God's Zoe this is God's life and Jesus is trying to get us to think differently but they're still missing it and the reason why that we often miss it is Jesus warns us in John 10 10 he says the thief there's a real enemy it's Satan and he's not alone he's got an army he's come to steal kill and destroy this is not some people he's out to get you to discourage you to deceive you to destroy your Zoe because if you can be focused on all the stuff on the outside you're going to miss the Zoe on the inside but Jesus says I came that they might have what
Zoe life spiritual life and not just a little not just the life you get at church but I want you to have it abundantly and the way we do that is we've got to do what the psalmist says in Psalm 54 4 behold God is my helper it's not the government it's not my family it's not somebody else it's not a parent it's not even the church you know I've had many Revelations lately about the church I planted this church I started it 13 years ago and some of you have heard my confession my repentance if you're you're new to journey I welcome you this church was started for you you're welcome to be a part of this family we have one Mission that's the lead people on a journey of transformation in Jesus this church is all about Jesus but I confess this is a repentance that when I
started this church I really wanted a big church full of good people I didn't actually articulate that but I actually thought you know what would be really cool is a lot of people doing really good things for God and I didn't realize that that's not the plan of God God takes really bad people and restores them and redeems them he takes the worst of the worst he takes the least of these he takes the overlooked he takes the poor the Widow the orphan he takes the one that is sinned and they know they've sinned and they repent that's who God uses and so my my whole life has changed with this but I'll say this you know I took a three-month sabbatical where I went and spent time with the Lord and during that time some families left Journey Church and some of you came during that time so I'm still getting to know some of the new families which is just an honor that you're here but I've just discovered this that we as Christians do the same thing that they
did to Jesus in the days of old they want stuff I want small group I want kids ministry I want some recovery groups and I I want good music I want good preaching we want stuff we want bread we don't want the bread of life and I'm I've been in the same boat so I say this not with judgment but the reality of what the church is the church is not here to give you small groups that's not our jobs our job is to equip you to be a minister so that you would be a minister in a small group our job is not to do the work people call the church hey we need somebody to to rent this apartment we need someone to rent this room we we need someone to work at our job we need to we're not
here to farm out people we're here to equip people for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that's hard because you know what I want to do deep down inside because I love you so much I want to please you and I did that for years and it almost led to complete burnout where I almost wanted to leave my career because I want to make you all happy I wasn't caring about Jesus I I want you to have an accurate perspective of what the church is according to this book and if we're going to find Jesus Christ I'll tell you the Holy Spirit God himself is going to work through us and it's going to be unstoppable and if we can only do what's in the book of Acts this city is going to be flipped upside down and it won't be because of the preacher won't be because of Music it won't be
because of programs we're not here to babysit your kids we have kids church kids are not the future Church kids are the church too when they believe in Jesus they get the same holy spirit so I've run out of time so I'm going to jump to the end listen I would do my best when I come up here today to point you not to a program or something you can do it's really easy for a preacher to try to say listen if you do this this and this then you're going to get this but I know for some of you you've tried this this and this and you've been let down and that really sucks nothing's worse than you know your marriage is falling apart and someone
says hey have you read this book when you're depressed and someone says hey have you seen a counselor have you tried this pill have you smoked that when you're in a crisis you don't need someone to fix you you need someone and the someone it's the same person for every one of us it's Jesus Christ God came and revealed himself to us and I I tell you this past week the Lord was so gracious to me that he showed me some stories here at Journey Church we're literally one day a marriage is seeking divorce literally divorced not just thinking about it but seeking divorce and the next day it's
off the table because of Jesus Christ we didn't sit down and counsel them we didn't do this no it's a regenerate heart regenerate means there's change there's change there's change and it's on the inside out so what Jesus wants from you today is he's just going to ask you the same question he asked those who are following him do you believe in the Son of God the son of man do you believe in The Miracle Worker not in the miracle because here's the problem with Miracles you're going to keep needing more miracles and God will he can do Miracles he can do it he can provide bread he can provide healing he can save your marriage but there will always be something that you'll need so can be can Jesus be enough for you
the psalmist says it this way taste and see that the Lord is good I'm so glad that the psalmist didn't say taste and see that all of the miracles of god are good all the signs of God are good although wonders of God Jesus see that the Lord blessed is the man who takes refuge in who him God's not asking you to do this alone he's asking you to trust him well so this group of people they didn't get it and so Jesus had to go further and say okay let me just explain this you've got to eat my flesh and drink my blood to be saved this is where the people they lost it this got so weird so fast when you follow Jesus it's going to get weird and it will happen fast and as if they didn't get it because
they were still thinking in the natural Jesus wants us to think differently this is a test when he says eat my flesh and drink my blood this is a test think differently think differently think differently he was pointing forward to what he would do on the cross and the Very night he was betrayed before he was arrested before he was abandoned by his own friends before he would be cursed at before he'd be slapped before his beard would be ripped out before he'd be beaten before he'd be whipped over and over that according to Isaiah by his stripes you are healed his stripes you keep coming back to Jesus you need healing come back to Jesus you need healing come back to Jesus claim the promises of God is through his stripes and he would not only just be whipped over and over where he was so bloody he was unrecognizable they would mock him
as a king they threw a robe on him and they thrust a crown of thorns upon his head and his blood is gushing down his body they took him and they laid him on a tree and they nailed him to a cross They Crucified him and Jesus on that very night before all of that happens there's was participating in a Passover meal there's all these beautiful elements with deep meaning and he paused and he just simplistically takes all of these great means and he takes two elements I want to just take a moment and focus on what Jesus meant in John 6 when he said you've got to eat my flesh and drink my blood he's not talking physically he's talking spiritually you're Zoe your life is not coming from what you eat
but what you believe where do you find your your sustenance where do you find your Miracle is it in the things of this world or is it the one that made the world so Jesus took two elements and we're going to participate in what's been called communion it's been known as the Lord's Supper some call it the Eucharist which is just a way of saying to give thanks because Jesus before he gave these elements he gave thanks before he would do any Miracle he would give thanks if you don't have one of these and you're in person would you throw up your hand and we'll make sure that you get one we've got a hand over here keep it nice and high and we'll make sure that we get you one of these if you're watching at home just go grab two elements crackers and juice or bread and
water we're just gonna remember Jesus body and his blood and we're going to do that together as a body because Jesus more than anything wanted us to be a body United one body in John 17 before he went to the Cross he prayed to the father and we see this long prayer in John 17 that just as he and the father were one Jesus prayed that we would be one with him and we would be one with each other Jesus wants us to be in unity [Music] and there are all sorts of people in this room and many watching online and around the world and we're so different some of you voted blue and some of you voted red and some of you aren't even old enough to vote yet and some of you are poor right now and you're in debt
financially and some of you are are wealthy right now and some of you are single some of you are are widowed some of you are married some of you are engaged some of you are all over the place but the one thing we have in common is Jesus Christ it's not the color of our skin it's not the health of our bodies it's who we believe in Jesus is just so profound that he gives us two elements to turn our hearts to him and after giving thanks he took the bread and he broke it and I want you to get out the bread now we're going to take it together [Music] I want you to just look this is only a cracker but I want you to go in your mind to not the physical but the supernatural
what Jesus went through [Music] which was horrific God came to this earth the Creator became the created he who was without sin bore our sin on the cross his body was broken for you let's take and remember Jesus together [Music] at this meal there were various cups signifying different meanings there was a cup reserved for the Messiah the Christ this would be the one God would send to save the world many thought he would be a political savior but Jesus came to show us that
politics don't save at all and he would take that cup and he said this is a new covenant a covenant is a commitment it can be done in business it can be spiritual and Jesus said this is a new covenant this is unlike any commitment that's ever been done in history and there's been none like it since then the writer of the book of Hebrews says this is a forever Covenant it cannot be broken this cup represents Jesus Bloodshed for the Forgiveness of every single one of your sins you are not defined by sins you are defined by what you believe When You Believe In Jesus you are forgiven of every single one of your sins as far as the East is from the West you will never be able to find your sins in heaven because he took your sins his blood was shed so that you can have eternal life
so we take this cup would you remember you are forgiven you are set free in Jesus let's take Lord we come before you now in the name of Jesus and ask that we would have the Revelation the enlightening of our hearts to know who you are the significance of what you did on the cross that it changes everything that you took our sin you died you were buried but on the third days you Rose from the grave you are the Zoe I pray that that Holy Spirit that Rose you from the grave would Empower us to do the impossible that we wouldn't live in the natural that we would believe that when it looks like it's over you are able to do the miracle
we don't just want Miracles we want you the great miracle you are the Living Water you are the bread of life I thank you for all the I am's you are the I am who I am you are enough Lord if you're here today and while I'm praying you've never begun a relationship with Jesus you've wondered what that looks like and today you've got the reality in your heart to follow Jesus I want to ask if you want to receive Jesus as your savior of your sentence would you just slip your hand up I want to pray with you I want to see that hand nice and high praise God he's so proud of you anyone else yes praise God slip your hand up nice and high so I can see you it doesn't matter where you've come from
where you were born what you've done what matters is who you believe in praise God men women anyone else [Music] you are so loved by God he's revealed himself to you he wants you to know that your hope is found in him that no matter where you are he's with you you pray something like this Lord Jesus I trust you I confess my sins to you and now I want you no more me more of you and less of me I receive the gift of Salvation And the gift of eternal life if you've prayed that prayer you've also received the Holy Spirit God now dwells in you so Lord we receive your Holy Spirit and we say fill us up
remove the sin the garbage the gunk the things of this world remove our desires and replace them with your desires may we be fully satisfied with you as you multiply the little that we have may we see who you are we turn our attention to you today in Jesus name amen and a
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Thinking Supernaturally Under Pressure
In John 6, Jesus asks Philip where bread can be bought for a great crowd. Pastor Keith treats the question as a test meant to move Philip beyond calculation toward trust, and points to Ezekiel, who answered God's question about the dry bones by turning it back to the Lord. This session explores how we respond when a need looks impossible.
John 6:5-6 · Ezekiel 37
- Pastor Keith says the question was 'where' rather than 'how.' How does that distinction change the way you bring a need to God?
- Ezekiel answered God's question by turning it back to him. What would it look like to respond to God that way in a situation you face now?
- Pastor Keith notes that Philip had already seen Jesus do miracles. How does remembering what God has done shape how you face a present impossibility?
Gratitude Before the Miracle
Pastor Keith points out that Jesus gave thanks before he broke the bread and before any miracle occurred. He teaches that gratitude is the first response in any circumstance, ahead of seeing how things will work out.
John 6:11
- Why might giving thanks before seeing a solution be difficult? What gets in the way?
- Pastor Keith says gratitude is where a miracle starts. How does that fit with the way Jesus prayed in the feeding account?
- Pastor Keith teaches that thanksgiving should come before we see how a situation will work out. What makes that order difficult to practice?
Belief, Not Performance
When the crowd asked what they must do to do the works of God, Jesus answered by calling them to believe in the one he sent. Pastor Keith says this goes deeper than external behavior, and he points to the older brother in the parable of the two sons, who counted his own deeds and resented his father.
John 6:28-29 · Luke 15
- Pastor Keith says Jesus did not answer the crowd's 'what must we do' on its own terms. Why does belief go deeper than a list of actions?
- The older brother in the parable kept score of what he had done. Where do you notice that tendency in yourself?
- Pastor Keith says who we are on the inside determines what we do on the outside. How does that differ from trying to behave better?
The Bread of Life and the Name of God
Jesus calls himself the bread of life, echoing God's self-revelation to Moses as the I AM. Pastor Keith explains that the life Jesus offers is spiritual life, not merely physical, and that whoever comes to him will not hunger.
John 6:35 · Exodus 3:13-14
- Pastor Keith connects Jesus' self-identification to God's name revealed at the burning bush. What does that connection emphasize about who Jesus is?
- What comfort does Jesus' promise that whoever comes to him will not hunger hold out?
- Pastor Keith distinguishes physical life from spiritual life. How does that shape what we look to for lasting satisfaction?
Answers from this recording
Start a conversation.
Why did Pastor Keith spend so much time on bread?+
Pastor Keith explains that in Jesus' day bread was daily sustenance rather than a side dish, which made it a fitting picture for the sermon's theme. He uses it to introduce Jesus' words about the bread of life in John 6, where the crowd who had been fed came back seeking more food. The sermon turns that scene into a question for the hearer: are we seeking Jesus himself, or only what he gives?
What does the sermon say about Jesus walking on water?+
Pastor Keith describes the scene in John 6:16-21, where the disciples set out in the boat without Jesus, the sea grows rough in the dark, and Jesus comes to them on the water, telling them not to be afraid. He emphasizes that Jesus came to them in the storm and that the boat immediately reached land. The sermon treats this as a call to a larger view of God and connects Jesus' words with the promise that he will never leave or forsake his people.
What does belief mean in this sermon?+
Pastor Keith draws on John 6:28-29, where the crowd asks what they must do to do the works of God and Jesus answers by calling them to believe in the one God sent. The sermon says Jesus does not give a checklist of performances but points to belief and inner change, contrasting this with the older brother in the parable of the two sons who counted his own deeds. Pastor Keith concludes that the work God asks for is faith in Jesus.
