To hear Pastor Yolanda preaching this GOOD NEWS message, please click the link above.
SCRIPTURE
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
SERMON
For the last five weeks we have been in the Gospel of John listening and observing as Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish and then attempted to explain to his followers that whilst the physical bread he provided was wonderful, the spiritual bread he was offering was even more so!
Over and over again Jesus reiterates in this narrative, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Jesus attempts to explain to his followers that He is absolutely everything that they need to be healthy, happy, holy, and whole. He is the only one who is able to satisfy their soul’s hunger and thirst for God.
Over the last month I have meditated extensively about what spiritual hunger and thirst looks like in human beings and I have decided that ultimately it comes down to our looking for love in all the wrong places.
Rather than looking to God to fill the God-sized hole in our hearts, we look to the things of this world seeking love, affirmation, and respect from family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, and enemies alike.
If we think about it, we see the signs of a broken, hungry, and thirsty humanity everywhere. People are looking for love in promiscuous relationships of every kind. People are looking for respect as they work 40-60-80-100 hours per week to get the money, to buy the stuff, they think they need, in order to be respected by their neighbors, friends, and family. People are looking for affirmation by any means necessary lying, cheating, stealing, and backstabbing, all in an effort to get to the top.
My Lord! Everywhere we look we see starving and dehydrated people--some with smiles on their faces, many others with tears in their eyes--and on their pillows--in the midnight hour.
What can be done to help so many people with broken and empty hearts? The answer is simple, my friends! We, who are not perpetually hungry and thirsty, must tell our friends that, “Jesus is the bread of life. Whoever comes to Him will never be thirsty and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.”
When we put all of our hope in Jesus, the Bible says that, “we begin to abide in Jesus, and Jesus begins to abide in us!”
So what does it mean to abide? Well, I looked it up in the dictionary and it says, “to remain, continue, stay, or act in accordance with.”
WOW! Isn’t it amazing that Jesus wants to abide with us?
The Bible teaches us that God loves the world so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. It also says that Jesus did not stay dead, but was resurrected on the third day, just like he promised that he would!
I am so honored, thrilled, and giddy, that the very same Jesus who laid down his life to secure my forever life, wants to abide with me even now…
Although I am far from perfect, Jesus wants to abide with me. Although I still sin and fall short of the mark, Jesus still wants to abide with me. Although I sometimes say things I shouldn’t say and do things I shouldn’t do, Jesus still wants to abide with me and although I don’t always represent Jesus well despite my best intentions, Jesus still wants to abide with me, and with you, and with you, and with you, and with all of us 24/7/365!
Isn’t that amazing?! But, my friends, that isn’t even where all of the good news stops for us today! Jesus is abiding with us, but we are also abiding in Him.
As we abide in Jesus, something marvelous happens. The Bible says that we are taken from glory to glory in Christ! In other words, we become more and more like Jesus, as we spend more and more time with Him.
Jesus is love, so we become more loving. Jesus is compassionate, so we become more compassionate. Jesus is generous, so we become more generous.
Jesus’ spirit instills within us all of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that we need to be full in body, mind, and spirit.
Now, this may feel like a difficult concept to grasp! In fact, when Jesus’ followers heard Him say, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them,” they became very anxious and agitated. They said in response, “This teaching is difficult, who can accept it?”
In response to their anxiety, Jesus stated, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe…”
I am sure that we all have non-Christian friends who have said in some form or fashion, “This teaching is difficult, who can accept it?” They may have said that they can’t have faith, if they don’t have faith. They may have even said that they want to believe, but simply cannot.
In response to these types of statements, I often challenge my skeptical friends to show me one human being who doesn’t live by faith—and with mystery—every single day.
For example, most people do not check the stability of their chair before they sit in it; they just sit down and trust that their weight will be supported. My friends, this is an act of faith.
Most mothers and fathers do not understand how they can love their baby—who is a complete stranger—so very much at first glance, but they have no trouble living with the mystery and enjoying their child.
Most people do not go to bed anxious that gravity and oxygen will fail them as they sleep, rather, they trust that all will be well as they slumber.
All of these actions are acts of faith, or instances of living with mystery, and yet most human beings—Christian or not—accomplish them every single day. So, I wonder why it is so difficult for some of our non-Christian friends to embrace this particular mystery when every day they embrace others by faith and with great joy?!
I remember that when I was a little girl I asked my mother what she would do if she found out that non-believers were right and Jesus was a fake. She looked at me and spoke some words that changed my life. She said, “If I’m wrong, nothing will happen. My body will just rest in the ground when I die. But, if they’re wrong, they will miss out on eternal life. Who would you rather be?”
Oh my goodness! In that moment I realized that there was no harm in believing, but there could be great harm in choosing not to believe. Choosing not to believe means walking away from the greatest love of your life!
This is why Jesus said, “The spirit gives life, the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
I have found that believing in Jesus is not something that we can accomplish simply with our intellect and with our brains. Faith is an act of Spirit and spirit gives life! Putting all of our hope in Jesus is something that we simply must elect to do with our hearts and souls and then trust God to do the rest…
Well, there were some in the crowd, who could not believe Jesus’ message for whatever reason. At his words, they turned away and no longer followed him. Upon experiencing this rejection, Jesus said to his disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?”
In response, Simon Peter stated, “Lord to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Today, I hear Jesus asking us, “Do you also wish to go away?”
Isn’t it sad that although Jesus’ followers had experienced his love and his provision through the feeding of the five thousand, they still walked away from him? And isn’t it sad that although some of our non-Christian friends have experienced the love of God, heard the story of Jesus’ love, death and resurrection, and experienced the radical hospitality of Jesus’ followers time and time again, they too choose to walk away from the love and care of God as revealed through Christ Jesus?
Today, Jesus is asking us to make a wiser and better choice. I hear Jesus asking us, “Do you wish to go away?”
This is a moment of decision my friends and the choice that you make today could impact the entire trajectory of not only your life, but every generation to come.
Will you make the choice to put all of your hope in Jesus believing that God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save you from your sin and gift you with eternal life? Will you live into the mystery that Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ shall come again? Will you accept the free gift of salvation or will you turn away because this truth is difficult to hear—and to accept?
I hope that you will choose Jesus! I hope that you will help your friends to choose Jesus! As we share the good news that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost, we will help our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and enemies to know and believe that Jesus is the bread of life! Let us go out and share this bread with others…
In the Name of God the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
INVITATION
Today there may be someone who wants to put all of their hope in Jesus after hearing this good news message. If so, won’t you pray with me:
Holy God, thank you that you love me so much that you gave Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life. I believe that he did not stay dead, but was resurrected on the third day just as he promised! Today, I am putting all of my hope in Jesus. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. I do not wish to walk away from You; instead, I will follow you wherever you choose to lead me. I love you and I want to share Your Love with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
SPECIAL NOTE
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!
Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!
Peace be with you and thanks for listening to GOOD NEWS LIVING with Pastor Yolanda.
*If you made this decision today, won’t you please take a moment to let me know by clicking “YES” at the upper right hand side of the page? Thank you!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRING PASTOR YOLANDA TO YOUR HOME TOWN--Would you like to invite Pastor Yolanda Lehman to come speak or preach at your church or Christian ministry event? Please use the form to the right. Once you click “submit” your information will be privately conveyed to her email address! Pastor Yolanda is available for church anniversaries, pastoral appreciations, women’s day, missionary day, retreats, revivals, conferences, and so much more! Fill out the form to the right to get onto her preaching or teaching schedule!
LISTEN TO PASTOR YOLANDA’S SERMONS ONLINE--To listen to audio recordings of Pastor Yolanda's Sunday sermons, please visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/57814 or click the widget to the right on this page!
PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/
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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
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