Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the Gospel of John chapter 6. I'd like to this morning deal
with verses 22 to 27. Before we begin, let's ask our
Lord a blessing. have absolutely permitted us
by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, having justified us,
you now will hear our prayer for Christ's sake. By the Holy Spirit who prays
for us groanings that cannot be uttered, we lift our hearts
before you and ask you, Lord help us. We are needy people,
frail creatures. We are dust. Lord, thank you
that you have set forth, that you remember that. Would you
bless the word to our hearts. May Christ be honored. In his
name we pray. Amen. The scripture is set forth that
our Lord fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children,
and that after He had performed that miracle, there were some
that wanted to take it by force and make Him, the scripture says,
a king. And he, according to their interpretation,
would be able to serve all of their temporary needs. Anyone that could take five loaves
of bread and two fishes, surely he could do anything. Well, the scripture says that
the Lord departed from that place into a mountain. And he sent
his disciples away to a place called Capernaum. Well, while
they were out on the water, the scripture says that a great wind
rose. The water became very turbulent,
and we know that our Lord tried them, proved them, proved his
sufficiency and their absolute need of him. Now, we take up
now in verse 22, and we'll go through verse 27, but let's just
read verses 22 to 25 right now. And it says, "...the day following,
after they had," in verse 21, "...arrived at the land where
they were." when the people which stood on the other side of the
sea saw that there was none other boat there save that one where
to his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with
his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone
away alone. Howbeit there came other boats
from Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they did eat bread.
After that the Lord had given thanks, When the people therefore
saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also
took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus. And when they
had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him,
Rabbi, when came this out here? Now, this multitude, or at least
some of them, that had been sent away, by the Lord after he had
fed the 5,000 plus the women and children. They looked for
it, but they couldn't find it. They saw that there were some
other boats in the vicinity where that miracle had taken place,
but the Lord and his disciples weren't anywhere to be found.
Well, when they couldn't find the Lord, they took some boats. It says that there were some
other boats, verse 23 from Tiberius, that had come, and they had taken
some of those other boats, and they went over to Capernaum. And there they found it, and
when they found it, they asked this question, Rabbi, when camest
thou here? Lord, when did you get here? We were looking for you on the
other side, and we couldn't find you, and we just thought we'd
come over. Well, outwardly, there appeared
to be nothing wrong with us. Outwardly, it seems like that's
kind of a good opening introduction. They're finding him and turning
him. But our Lord's answer revealed their heart. Verse 26 says, Jesus
answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek
me not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the
loaves and were filled. They saw him. They took planes to go across,
and they found him over in Capernaum, and they asked him, when did
you come here? When did you arrive in this place?
And his answer to them absolutely exposed their true intent. Ye
seek me not because you saw the miracles. I read that again yesterday and
this thought hit me. How sober is the thought of our
Lord's omniscience. He knows. He knows. Just that very thought right
now causes me to think. Lord, we know. Nobody's hiding anything from
Him. I'm standing here behind the pulpit. They're sitting there
listening. And He knows. Boy, the seriousness
of just coming to that point, to where we stop, I think about
Peter when the Lord had told him, lovest thou me more than
these? And Peter said, Lord, you know all things. You know. Lord, you know my heart. You
know the frailty. You know the struggles that I
have right now. You know the fear that I have.
I'm standing here right now. And I'm, you know, somebody said,
well, I don't I don't see that. I'm standing here right now just
nervous. Well, Arvin, you've been preaching
all these years. You've been preaching since the
70s? Yeah. And I'm standing here right
now and the Lord knows. He knows my need. He knows my thoughts. Lord, when
did you come here? You seek me not because you saw
miracles. Oh, how the wicked heart of unbelief
is exposed. In verse 2 of this amazing thing,
It says in verse 2 of this chapter, as soon as you turn back, it
says, A great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles,
which he did on them that were diseased. The Lord had healed
an infinite man. Remember that at the pool of
Bethesda. And they followed him, the scripture
says, because they saw the miracles. that he did on those that were
sick. That was the reason he followed
him. But you know without a new heart,
a heart that is governed by the grace of God, by the Spirit of
God, a new heart to behold and to long and act to. His glory,
His honor, His grace, then that which is only a novelty
soon becomes unattractive. I remember, Brother Henry made
a statement one time, and it was on that scripture where the
rich man and Lazarus, and the rich man died, Lazarus died and
went to the bosom of Abraham, the rich man died and lifted
his eyes, the scripture says, out of hell. And said to Father
Abraham, Father Abraham would you have Lazarus just, if he
would just dip his finger in a little bit of water and just
cool my tongue. I am tormented in these flames.
And the Lord told him, it's a great goal. You know the story. And
then the rich man said, well if you have Lazarus, go back. I've got some brothers that are
They're not prepared to leave this world. And I don't want
them to come to this place. If you're going to have laughter,
just go back and tell them, sure, sure, if one came back from the
dead, they'll believe. And the Lord told him, he said,
if one, if they don't believe, this word, they will not believe,
though one came back from the dead." Did the Lord rise from
the dead? How many people believed merely
because they saw the Lord Jesus Christ raised from the dead?
How many believed merely because on their own, by their own free
will? How many? None. None. No, that which is a novelty soon
becomes unattractive. They followed him at first because
they saw the miracles. Next time, he said, you see me
not because you saw the miracles, but the reason now is because
you ate something. You got something to eat. Oh,
how blessed that the new man, that inward man is renewed. day
by day. How thankful I am that Almighty
God would give me or any needy sinner a heart to want to seek
Him again. Lord, the reason that I need
You is because I need You. The reason I want to hear is
because I need to hear You. Lord, You speak. Speak, but I
serve her. You seek me because you ate the
loaves and the fill. Oh, how striking is the realization
of the wickedness of this carnal heart. Our Lord knows why men
do what they do. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. It is seldom, and only when it
is, by the grace of God, that Lord Jesus Christ is sought for
Christ's sake. You seek Him for Christ's sake.
You see what he said? You seek me because you are filled. Oh, how blessed to hear in my
heart the Spirit of God speak to me and say to me, seek Him
for His sake. Hear Him for His sake. For my
good and his honor, after the Lord exposes their true intent,
and it's only by the grace of God that he does, he compassionately
gives them some instruction that I want us to consider just for
a few minutes. Some needful instruction that
we must all hear. Here's the first thing he does. These something. He tells these
that were speaking. Look what he tells us too. Remember
this, as we read these words. These are the words of the Lord. This is His voice. You say, I'm
hearing a preacher. I'm a voice. These words are life. They speak
of Him. Paul says, we preach to you in
Christ's stead as the Lord himself. These are his words. Listen to
this. He tells us something, first
of all, that is forbidden. Verse 27. Something that is forbidden. Labor not for the meat which
perisheth. Labor not for the meat. Now, obviously, I know that he's
not telling us to make no effort in the supply of our daily needs,
the meat that perishes. I know that he's not telling
us to be slothful. I mean, the Scripture says, 2
Thessalonians 3, 10, for even when we were with you, we commanded
you that if any would not work, neither should he eat. It's right
that a man make a living for his family. It's right. It's
right that we work. But this is not what our Lord
is setting forth when he says, labor not for that meat that
perishes. It means a whole lot more than
those physical things. It's setting forth, labor not. for that which the carnal heart
spiritually hungers for. That is false, man-centered,
free-will, self-righteous works. Don't labor for that. Don't strive
after that. Don't strive after those things
that have no significance. Labor not for the meat, labor
not for the meat that perishes. That meat that has an eye only
to pride, only to man's self-centeredness. Now, I know that that's what
it means. I know that that's what it means.
You know how I know? Not because I'm so smart. Because
of the next statement that our Lord sets forth. Here's the clarification
of what he just said, the last meaning shown to be that which
doesn't endure. False, self-righteous works,
self-centered, man-centered works trying to establish a man's standing
before God. I know that because of what he
says, labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that
meat which endures. under everlasting life. Now he's
just clarified something. He's talking about something
that you don't labor for. Meat that perishes. What is that,
Lord? But he explains it by saying
you labor for the meat that endures under everlasting life. Men,
women, regenerated by the grace of God, are passionately earnest
for the well-being of their souls. Boy, that's a mark of a believer. They strive to enter in the straight
gate. They give diligence to make their
calling and election sure. They endeavor to keep the unity
of the spirit and the bond of peace Now that's just scripture, that's
just, that's the word of God. Strive, endeavor, long after,
hunger after, thirst after. But all the while, that these
spiritually motivated pains concerning their eternal souls are being
absolutely done. Let me, Lord, speak to you. Lord, bless my heart today. Lord, take these words and make
these words real to me. While they're absolutely doing
just exactly what the Lord sets forth, striving after that meat
that doesn't perish, they absolutely find no confidence whatsoever
in their flesh. They know. If I strive, if I
hunger, if I endeavor, if I labor for that meat which endures unto
everlasting life, I have nothing to glory in. Why's that? Because I know that I'm not the
originator of it. How do you know? Well, here again,
here's the safest thing. If you want to know the safest
thing to do, go to the Word of God. Let God Almighty speak for
God Himself. Labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting
life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. For Him hath the
Father, you see. Labor for that which God alone
can give you. If you have this morning a heart
that longs after that meat which endures, that food, that sustenance
that endures unto everlasting life, realize this, that didn't
come from me. The Lord gave me that. Lord, thank you this morning
that I would even wake up today believing you. Thank you that
you've even given me a heart today again to hunger. Thank you that you've permitted
me by your grace and mercy, long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, that you've
allowed me to be here to hear your gospel one more time. Lord,
thank you that I would have a heart to strive, to labor, to hunger,
to repent, to believe. Thank you. Thank you that you've
blessed me. And I know all the while, Lord,
you receive all the honor and glory and praise because you've
given this to me. Thank you. But by grace are you
saved. Through faith. And that not of
yourselves, it's the gift of God. Labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for him have God the
Father sealed. For him hath God the Father identified. For him hath the Father ordained
to be the one that gives. When he says, which the Son of
Man shall give unto you, for him Has the Father sealed? What he's saying right there
is he is the only one that can give it. He's the only one that
the Father has ordained to give it. I can't give it to myself. I can't muster up all the ability. I don't have any. John, I'll
just read this in closing, John 17. John 17.2. This absolutely, in our Lord's
high priesthood prayer, this is exactly what he's saying.
And it says, for him hath the Father sealed. John 17.2. And as thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. In whose hands, here's the bottom
line, in whose hands is life eternal? In water. It is in the hands of him that
the Father is sealed. Labor not, strive not. I'm telling you, false religion
He encourages men to labor, to strive at it, to seek at it,
that need which perishes. And that day many will say unto
me, the Lord said, Lord, Lord, we've prophesied in your name. We've cast out devils in your
name. We've done many mighty works in your name. And I will say unto them, depart
from me into everlasting damnation. I
never leave you. My friend, labor not for the meat that perishes. There is only one meat that endures
unto everlasting life. One sustenance, one bread. One water, one rock, there's
one. And it's given unto you to believe. Trust not in those things that
you think you can do. If you believe in this morning,
that is a miracle of God's grace that a man would believe God.
Oh, how lightly the men speak. Believe in God. What a miracle
of God's grace. The Apostle Paul said, Galatians
2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. who loved
me and gave himself for me. Lord, I believe you. Help mine unbelief. May the Lord
bless these words to our hearts. For Christ's sake.