Turn with me, if you would, back
to John 6. John 6. We are going to observe
our Lord's table tonight. And knowing that we would do
so, I immediately went to John 6. I just turned straight to John
6. I felt that this was the text for the evening, and it's because
of what our Lord said in verses 53 and 54. Let's read those two
verses. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. Our Lord described spiritual
matters with physical things. He did that all the time. He
described these spiritual matters with physical things. And he
did that so we could understand them. He preached in parables
so we could understand these things. And here he describes
his body as bread. And he describes his blood as
wine. And he said, I want you to eat
this bread and I want you to drink this wine. Bread and wine
is a delicious meal. It really is. It's a delicious
meal. Bread is so satisfying. You know that it is. We all know
that it is. Bread is so, so satisfying. You can delight yourself with
fatness on bread. It'll make you fat. That's what
they say, isn't it? If you want to go on a diet,
don't touch bread. It'll bring fatness to you. Well,
what a spiritual illustration that is. If you want fatness,
spiritual fatness, then our Lord said, you eat this heavenly bread.
Eat this bread. And David said in Psalm 104,
he said, Wine makes the heart glad. The sweetness of it, the
warmth of it. I sincerely do thank the Lord. His wisdom is just so wonderful. And in His wisdom, He gave us
this ordinance of bread, unleavened bread, and wine. And as we partake
of this, it's another sense. With our eye, we read the word.
With our ear, we hear the Word. With our heart, we believe the
Word. With our mind, we think on the
Word. Well, in His ordinance of this table, with our mouth
and our taste and our stomachs, we feel this illustration of
our Lord's death. We do show His death. We lay
hold of it, and as David said, wine makes the heart glad. The enjoyment, the sweetness,
the warmth of it. So the same way that the flesh
desires actual bread and wine, the soul of a sinner that has
been made to truly feed on Christ, and that's what we do. We feed
on Christ. He is our spiritual nourishment. We can't go without Him. When
you truly feed on something and need something and grow by something
and are sustained on something, you can't go without it. You
don't want to miss it. And in that same way, all of God's people
crave and desire His body and His blood. Crave it, desire it,
need it. This is the very thing that we
enter into into observing the table. As a physical picture
of his body and his blood, that's what he has ordained, bread and
wine to eat and to drink. So this table is a picture of
Christ. That's what it is. That's the picture of the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body he gave, the blood that
he shed, as he kept saying through this, I believe he said it four
or five times and we just read it. He said, I will raise him
up at the last day. He broke his body and he shed
his blood in order to raise his people up at the last day. Now, let's read what he's written
here, beginning in verse 48. He said, I am that bread of life. He said, I am. That's the name that he gave
to Moses back in Exodus 3 when Moses said, what is your name? The Lord said, I want you to
go speak to my people on my behalf. And Moses said, what is your
name? When they asked me, what is the name of this God? What
should I tell them your name is? And the Lord said, I am. I am. That's the name of God. That's who is speaking here. The great I am. Look with me
at John chapter eight, John eight, verse 58. Jesus said unto them, verily,
verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am. I am. What an amazing thought that
is. What an eternal thought that is. This same God, one God, always
has been, always will be. I am. I am. Look at John 18. This has always been one of my
favorite accounts. Boy, I love this. John 18, verse
one, it says, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth
with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden into
the which he entered in his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, knew the place, for Jesus oft times resorted thither with
his disciples. Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priest and Pharisees,
cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus,
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went
forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus
of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am. He is in italics. He said, I
am. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then
asked he them again, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that
I am. If therefore you seek me, let
these go their way. that the saying might be fulfilled,
which he spake of them, which thou gavest me, I have lost none. I am, they said, we seek Jesus
of Nazareth. He said, I am, and they all fell
back like trees. And he said, now whom seek ye?
I love that. You're gonna come and take me
and crucify me and have your way with me? Okay, you can take me. I am. I am. He's the very one who came
to save His people. And He continually used these
critical needs of physical life to describe who He was to His
people. If you look at John 15, verse 1, He said, I am the true
vine. I'm the true vine. He went on
to say, you're the branch. I'm the vine. I'm your root.
I'm your source. I'm your stability. Look at John
14 verse six. We read quoted some of these
this morning. Jesus saith unto him, I'm the
way I'm the truth. I am the life. No man cometh
unto the father, but by me. Look at John 10 verse 11. He said, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. Every time I think of him as
my shepherd, it brings comfort to my soul. It brings comfort
to my heart. I love the thought of a shepherd. I want to be in a fold. I want
to be in his pen. I want to be protected by him. I want to be cared for by him.
I want to be loved by him. He said, I'm the good shepherd
that gave his life for the sheep. Verse nine, right here, he said,
I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and go in and out and find pasture. John eight,
look at John eight, verse 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them
saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." All
of these necessary things of life. And back in John 6, back
in our text, verse 48, he said, I am that bread of life. I am that satisfaction. I am what your soul can delight
in. And he is, he is what our souls
can delight in and feed on. Verse 49, he said, your fathers
ate bread. Your fathers did eat manna in
the wilderness and are dead. He said, that's not the kind
of bread I'm talking about. I'm not talking about that kind
of bread. Verse 50, he said, this bread that I'm speaking
of, this is the bread which came down from heaven that a man may
eat thereof and not die. I'm speaking of a bread that
if a man eats it, he won't die. To eat something physically,
you think about eating something physically, you sit down at a
table and there's food on the table. To eat something physically
is to number one, have a hunger for it. That's where it starts. It's you have a hunger for it.
You have a desire for it. To eat something physically is
to lay hold of it. It's to receive it to yourself. It's to become one with it. When
you eat something, you take something that was there and you become
one with it. It's to live because of it. It's
to be nourished by it. Well, to eat something spiritually
is the same thing. It's the same thing. And if any
soul is going to eat something spiritually, God must create
this meal, God must create this hunger. If a soul has a hunger
for something, if a soul desires something, God must create it,
but that's what it is, and it's there. It's to have a hunger
for Christ, and it's to have a desire for Christ. And all
of God's people cry, Lord, give me a greater desire for Christ. I have a desire, increase my
desire. I have a hunger, Lord, increase
my hunger. Spiritually, to eat something
is to lay hold of Christ. It's to receive Christ to yourself. We know that we don't accept
Him or reject Him. His grace is irresistible, but
His people are willing in the day of His power. They lay hold
of Him and say, I want Him. I gladly receive Him. I desire
Him. I wanna be one with Him. I live
because of Him. I'm sustained by Him. That's
what it is to eat Him. In verse 50, our Lord said, this
bread which came down from heaven, this is the bread which came
down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die, to eat
of Him and to drink of Him. Here's what it is. It's to believe
on Him. That's what it is. If you want
to get to the heart of it, it's to believe on Him. That's exactly
what faith does. That's what faith does for a
sinner. It creates a hunger for Christ. When faith is not there,
there's no hunger for Christ. There's spiritual malnourishment. When faith is not there, there's
no desire for Christ. That's what it creates in a sinner,
a desire for Him. God-given faith lays hold of
Christ. It gladly receives Christ. Through faith, we become one
with Christ. We live on Him. We're sustained
on Him. He said, I am that bread. that came down for the life of
my people, and this is what faith says. I believe that. I'm glad
to receive that. I gladly welcome that. I live
on that. That sustains me. Look with me
at 1 Timothy 1, 1 Timothy chapter one. First Timothy one, verse 15.
It says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom
I am chief. Faith says, amen. I eat that. That's what faith
says. I eat that. I drink that. I believe that. He is the manna that came down
to give sinners like us life. Amen. Amen. Go back to John 6. John six, verse 51. He said,
I am the living bread. I'm the living bread. He is the
living God. He's the living God. What comfort
that is. He is the living God. He's not
just a God that set some things in order. He's the living God. These elements remind us of the
fact that He was dead. That's why He gave us this. It's
to remind us, do in remembrance of the fact that He died. He was dead. He did give His
life. As He's about to say, I gave
my flesh. That's what He said. I'll give
my flesh. the life of His people. But this
is what Revelation 1 18 says, He said, I am He that liveth
and was dead and behold I'm alive forevermore. Amen. Verse 51,
He said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven If
any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life
of this world. I'll give my body, I'll give
my flesh, I'll give my living flesh for the life of Jew and
Gentile. the world. He said, if any man
eats, if any man believes, if any man lays hold of and becomes
one with the life that I give for my people, that man will
live forever. He said in John 11 verse 25,
he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I think about that often. I think
about what will that moment be like? We just said that someone,
the Lord called someone home. What will that moment be like?
Well, it won't be death. He that lives and believes in
me will never die. Eternal life. Eternal life. 1 John 5 verse 12 says, He that
hath the Son hath life. He said, I'm the living bread.
Verse 52, The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying,
How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Until God reveals
Christ to be all to a sinner. Until God truly reveals Christ
to be everything. all that a sinner needs, a person
will never understand that. You can speak of these things
and they'll never see it, they'll never understand it. Verse 52,
the Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, how can this
man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, verily,
verily, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the son
of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Christ was
the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. And
every sinner that he was slain for will lay hold of him. as their only sacrifice before
God, they will all believe on him, all of them. They will all
lay hold of, they will all eat, they will all drink because God
will give them faith to do so. Back a few verses in verse 37,
he said, all that the father giveth me shall come to me, all
of them. and him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. So verse 54, he said, whoso eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. Hath eternal life, not will have. Hath, believing and trusting
and laying hold of, that's not the cause of life. That's the
evidence of life. All who have been given God's
eternal life, if a sinner has received it, if a sinner hath
life, he will lay hold of Christ. He will, all of them will. All
who do, Christ said, that's the evidence that I will raise them
up at the last day. Look with me at John 5. John 5 verse 24 says, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth
on him that sent me hath everlasting life. The one that hears and
believes has life. and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live."
Has life, that's the evidence. Whoever hears, whoever believes,
has life. So back in John 6, verse 55 says, My flesh is meat indeed and my
blood is drink indeed. It is satisfaction indeed. It is fulfillment indeed to man
and to God. What else do you want besides
the broken body and the shed blood of Christ? Really? When it comes to our hope before
God and what we desire before God, what do you want besides
the broken body and the shed blood of Christ? It is everything
that man needs. It's everything that God needs. Everything God demands. It satisfies
justice and righteousness. It satisfies death and life. It's everything a sinner needs.
Verse 56, he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth
in me and I in him, as the living father hath sent me and I live
by the father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. He said, eateth, drinketh, dwelleth. That's not a one-time thing of
the past, is it? That's a continual union. That's a current, continual union
with Christ. Eateth, drinketh, dwelleth. Verse 58, He said, This is that
bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna
and are dead. He that eateth of this bread
shall live forever. These things said he in the synagogue,
as he taught in Capernaum. Many, therefore, of his disciples,
when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying. Who can
hear it? The answer is only those that
God gives ears to hear it. The only ones who can lay hold
of Christ and truly believe on him are those who God causes
to do so. And if a sinner does, If a sinner
does partake of his flesh and partake of his blood, that sinner
can't take any credit for it. None. It's a work of God in that
center. Verse 60, many therefore of his
disciples, when they had heard this said, this is a hard saying,
who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that
his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, does this
offend you? And let's ask ourselves that
question. Does Christ is all offend us? Does it offend us? We'll answer that in whether
or not we partake of His table. Verse 62 says, What and if you
shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? It is
the spirit that quickeneth the flesh, profiteth nothing. The
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are
life. But there are some of you that
believe not." He said, some are going through the motions. Some
have not truly eaten of his body and drank of his blood in spirit
and in truth. And I pray that is not us. I
pray that's not us. I pray God will cause Christ
to be our all. That's what we need. We need
God to do this. Pray God will cause Christ to
be our all. Verse 64, he said, there are
some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not and who should betray him. And
he said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto
me except it were given unto him of my father. From that time,
many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the 12, will you also go away? Now that's a question we need
to pose to ourselves. Ask yourself, will I also go away? Isn't that
a scary question to ask myself? He said, what a question. He
asked it to the 12, will you also go away? He asked Peter,
he said, Peter, do you love me? You know, Peter said, you know. If
I do, it's because you put it there. Will you go away? Lord, you know. If I don't, it's
because you're keeping me. I'm so prone to wander, Lord,
I feel it, so prone to leave the God who gave His life for
me. But in partaking of this table,
those who the Lord has given faith to believe and led our
hearts to partake of this table, as we do this here in just a
second, let's realize that in partaking this table, This is
our answer to his question. He said, will you also go away?
Well, if we take this table, here's the answer to that question.
Verse 68, then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal
life. Verse 69, he said, and we believe
and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God. Will you also go away, Lord? To whom else can we go? There's
no one else to go to. There's nowhere else to go. There's
no one else to go to. That's what it is to lay hold
of Christ, honestly. That's what it is to eat His
flesh and drink His blood truly and spiritually. It's to say,
you are all that I have, period. You're all that I have before
the judgment throne of God. You're all that I have to sustain
me. I have nowhere else to go. I'll never live. I'll never survive. I have nowhere else to turn.
We believe and are sure that you are the Christ. We believe you're the union between
God and man. We believe you're the only savior
that there is. The son of the living God. Well,
if you believe that, if that's your only hope, then let's take
this table together in remembrance of his bread and wine, his body
that he broke for us and his blood that he shed for our sins. All right, Brother Dwight, would
you come and read for us?