Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 25th May 2008
John 6v38-40. Intro:
As we have seen the people are on the hunt for Jesus.
They follow after him because they see him as a cheap meal ticked.
26 Jesus answered, "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.
The people are thinking only about their immediate physical needs rather than their spiritual needs!
This at one level is understandable because the crowds who were following Jesus at this stage were mainly the poor people of society - not the leaders, the rich etc.
Thus food was not only a daily need but also a daily concern. How & where were they going to get the next meal?!
To this group of people Jesus begins to teach. V59 “teaching in the synagogue”
He is teaching them a lot, so for our thoughts today we will look particularly at v38-40
1) Jesus teaches about the incarnation - self denial / giving up rights.
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
Jesus is teaching the people that he is not like them: “I have come down from heaven”
They thought he was just a man: v 42.
They were looking for bread from heaven - like the manna of old.
Jesus is teaching them that he is that Bread!
He is the one who has come down from heaven! Why?
To satisfy all their spiritual needs!
True bread that satisfies, true water that quenches eternally v35.
Think of the background: the desert wanderings. The people were still in the wilderness. Still hungry and thirsty! Jesus came to end all that spiritual need.
Think of the cost involved - Phil 2v6-8.
Jesus wanted the people to know that He was the answer!
App:
Today nothing has changed. Jesus is still the answer. The Manna has not been withdrawn from the desert. The food and water is still freely available!
2) he teaches the people why He come, what was his motivation?
To carry out the mission of God - what is that mission?
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
Part of the humiliation, self humbling of Christ was this great fact that is revealed to us here: he came to do the will of Another!
In other words he was not following his own agenda!
He came to do Gods will!
This of course is a great mystery. That the Word who was with God and who was God, humbles himself and becomes obedient!
But he came willingly, happily - knowing the great end of his mission!
App:
Obedience is the key to spiritual life.
Jesus was obedient - life became available to the whole word. Bread from heaven for all, as we will see next.
In following Jesus the only way for growth is through obedience!
Growth does not come by praying for an experience - hoping for some kind of second blessing! Growth comes every day as we decide to follow Jesus obediently no matter the cost.
3) he teaches what Gods will is? to save the elect.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
Jesus was sent to do Gods will. And as it turns out, contrary to how often we perceive Gods will to be, His will was gracious and life giving!
Gods will is that none of the great number that have been “given” be lost!
Indeed, not only not lost, but “raised up” gloriously in the end!
Gods plan is to save fully!
Not losing any to begin with and then glorifying us all to finish with!
App:
Take great confidence in Gods commitment towards you!
He does not just save us to begin with and then leave us alone to work it out!
The great end of his plan is to “raise us up at the last day”!
4) Finally Jesus teaches about those whom God has “given”.
40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Gods plan of salvation is a plan for everyone.
No one can say to God “what about me”?
Gods will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes will have eternal life!
How does this work?
Think again of the desert wanderings: Read Number 21v4-9.
What is it to look and believe?
Simply it means that in you trust Gods way of salvation!
sunday evening
1john2v1
1) John is writing so that they will not sin
1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin….
He loves them. “dear children”. He wants what is best for them. That is that they will not sin!
To help them not to sin what has he done for them? He has written to them!
Written about: eternal life v2, fellowship with God v3-8, our sin and how it is dealt with v8-10
Having written about these things he tells them that these things should help them not to sin!
How does that work?
It works by way of a reminder to holy living.
John reminds them of the Gospel: they have eternal life, they have fellowship with God and even when they sin in that fellowship they have a way of dealing with it i.e. repentance.
This reminder should be a spur for them not to sin!
App:
The point is the same for us. We need to remember the glory of our position.
We are children of God. We are in fellowship with God. How then can we sin!
Whenever we sin we forget the glorious dignity of what God has done for us and how that has changed us! We forget who we are!
Remember the deeply disappointing aspect of sin. The literal definition of sin is missing the mark. Falling short! How disappointing it is to miss the target! To really want to do something well and end up falling short! How sad!
So John writes us to remind us to aim for perfection!
Note also the importance of the written word! John wrote with this great goal in mind! He didn’t do a miracle, sent money, or anything else that may seem more helpful or amazing! He simply wrote!
We need to take the word, meditate upon it, memorise it, apply it!
2) yet if anyone does sin we have one who speaks to the Father on our behalf
“But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
The literal translation for this verse, as you will know from other versions, is that we have an Advocate with the father.
The NIV takes that to mean that we have one who “speaks” for us.
John is a realist. He does not want us to sin but he acknowledges that we do sin!
Yet, even if we do sin, God does not give up on us! God in Christ defends us!
Speaks for us! Pleads our case. Notes all the reasons and circumstances.
Further, he is most qualified to Speak for us because he is not only our Advocate but he is also the “Righteous”.
That is he has conformed to Gods standards! He has hit the mark. He has not sinned!
That speaks of his right to speak to God for us!
None of us have a right to speak to God.
By grace we can speak to God, we must speak to God, but only Jesus Christ has the right! And with that earned right to speak, He speaks on our behalf!
Note:
See here the fullness of salvation that is available for all who come!
God forgives us our sin when we come to him the first time at the point of new birth.
That is what we call Justification.
Then as we progress through life, the process of sanctification, we find that we still sin!
And take note, it is the new man that sins! We can’t blame the old man, the pre-converted person! He / she is dead and gone.
The sin we still commit is our sin, our responsibility!
Thus there can be no excuses given to the effect that we blame not ourselves but the “old man”
What are we to do with that new sin?
Take it to the Righteous One! He who speaks for us before the Father!
Christ’s role in our salvation did not finish after his resurrection and ascension to glory again! He sent the Spirit to be with us on earth, while He was in Heaven doing what? Pleading our case before God! Still working out our salvation for us!
3) but, how can our post conversion sins be forgiven?
Surely if we have been made right with God, justified and forgiven, and then we sin again, surely it is all over. Our hope is gone? Well not so:
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
John’s pastoral heart is seen very clearly here. He does not want them to sin, yet he acknowledges that they will sin. But he does not want them to be to worried or upset about that either! Thus, he points them again to their great salvation!
Our post conversion sins can be forgiven because ultimately they already have been forgiven!
Christ died to take away all our sin, to deal with all our sin, pre and post conversion!
Jesus is the “atoning sacrifice for our sins”
And to underline that fact, to drive the point home, that his sacrifice is enough to deal with all our sins, his sacrifice is also enough to deal with the sins of the “whole world”!
In fact the word in the original is the entire cosmos!
Not just the earth as we know it but the whole universe!
App:
All of this points to our Great Saviour!
He is our Advocate.
He is our Righteous One.
He is our Atoning Sacrifice.
Your salvation is complete and secure because of Jesus Christ. He is the Righteous One who has died for you to deal with your sins, and who now lives for you, to speak with God on your behalf!
Therefore; rejoice and live life eternally now for the glory of God.
