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Eat This, Not That!

Sunday, January 8, 2023
Pastor Jojo Ma

 

22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

I.         Food that spoils
II.        Food that lasts

I.         Food that spoils
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

24-25 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

“Instead of seeing in the bread the sign, they had seen in the sign only the bread.”

26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."

What Jesus condemns is not a proper concern for physical needs but rather a materialistic mentality that usurps spiritual priorities.

R.C. Sproul: “If you will worship God, you need to do it His way. Pandering to people and offering them the world doesn’t work with God.”

Who is Jesus and what’s he worth to you? This is one test of true spirituality: saying “yes” to Jesus when the world says “no”.

27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes.” Here Jesus is speaking to all the passing pleasures of this temporal life.

27 Do not labor for the food that perishes. What drives your life? What are your dreams, your life amibitions? What are you laboring for means what are you living for?

II.        Food that lasts
27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Spiritual things must have priority over material things.

Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “The great tragedy of the world is that, though it gives itself to seek for happiness, it never seems to be able to find it…We are not to hunger and thirst after blessedness; we are not to hunger and thirst after happiness. But that is what most people are doing. We put happiness and blessedness as the one thing that we desire, and thus we always miss it; it always eludes us. According to the Scriptures, happiness is never something that should be sought directly. It is always something that results from seeking something else.”

“They alone are truly happy who are seeking to be righteous. Put happiness in the place of righteousness and you will never get it.”

27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.

28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"

We gather each Sunday as celebrators, rejoicing in Christ our Savior.

29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

God designed salvation such that He gets all the gloryandwe get all the grace.