All right, let's turn back to
John 6. May the Lord help us and enable
us to enter into this. John chapter 6. Verse 1 and verses 2 say, After
these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is
the Sea of Tiberias, And a great multitude followed him, because
they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased."
A great multitude followed him. He went over the sea in the first
place, and a great multitude followed him over there in the
first place. All right? Verse 5 says, when Jesus then
lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, He saith
unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?
Verse 8 says, One of his disciples Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves
and two small fishes. But what are they among so many?
The Lord took those five loaves and the two small fishes, and
he fed this great multitude of 5,000. Verse 14 says, then those
men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is
of a truth, that prophet that should come into the world. When
Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him
by force to make him a king, He departed again into a mountain
himself alone. When the people saw this miracle,
five loaves, two fish, and 5,000 people were fed. They wanted
to take him by force and make him a king. And he wouldn't let
them do it. So he sent his disciples back
over the sea in a ship, told his disciples, you get in a ship,
He sent the people away and he went up into a mountain alone
to pray. Verse 18, and the sea arose by
reason of a great wind that blew. His disciples got into trouble
out at sea and they were fighting for their life in this storm
trying to get to the other side, trying to make it over to land.
But Mark's account, last week we looked at John and then Mark
and then Matthew. Mark's account said that our
Lord, the whole time he was up there, he had his eye on him.
The whole time. And he went to him walking on
the water. And he calmed him down and he
saved him. That's when Peter got out of
the ship, said, Lord, if it be thou, let me come unto thee.
And he got out of the ship and he saw the waves and he started
sinking and he cried, Lord, save me. And he saved him. And he
got back in the ship and immediately the ship was at land on the other
side of the sea. Now verse 22 starts our text. The day following, when the people
which stood on the other side of the sea, that's the side where
all the 5,000 are, When they saw that there was
none other boat there, save that one where into his disciples
were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into
the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone. Our Lord,
when he sent his disciples away, there was only one boat, one
boat in the sea. And they saw them get in this
one boat and go away, and they saw that the Lord wasn't with
them. The Lord went up into a mountain to pray by Himself. And so they
get up the next morning and they expect the Lord to be there.
There was only one boat. Right? And we expect things from
time to time, don't we? Only to find out that the Lord
is not subject to us. Not subject to us. They woke
up and He wasn't there. It says in verse 22, the day
following, when the people which stood on the other side of the
sea saw that there was none other boat there save that one where
into his disciples were entered and that Jesus went not with
his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone
away alone, how be it There came other boats from Tiberias nigh
unto the place where they did eat bread after that the Lord
had given thanks. As they were going around looking
for him, other boats were coming in that morning. That's how 5,000
people got to the other side. They're about to go looking for
him. Okay? It says in verse 23, how be it
there came other boats from Tiberias nine to 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. Now, before we move on, I want
us to notice something. One of the commentators pointed
this out and it was just, it was a great blessing to me. Verse 23 says, how be it there
came other boats from Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they
did eat bread. That's all that needed to be
said to point out their location. Okay? That's all that needed
to be said. But that's not all that needed
to be said. That's all that needed to be
said to point out their location. John, the Apostle John, under
the inspiration of the Spirit, he couldn't help himself and
he had to reminisce this thought, this thought, this experience
that he had. Hearing the Lord give thanks. Actually hearing Jesus Christ
pray to the Father. Can you imagine that? Can you
imagine that? Actually hearing the Lord give
thanks. Verse 23, Howbeit there came
other boats from Tiberias, nine to the place where they did eat
bread, after that the Lord had given thanks. Can you imagine
the Son of God speaking to God the Father? That's too big. That's too big. The sincerity
of His thanks. Prayer is a special and holy
thing. The genuine honesty of his thanks,
talking to his Father. The most perfect, beautiful words
that rolled off of his tongue. The joy in the tone of his voice. Joy because, number one, he's
talking to his Father. Number two, because he knows
what's about to happen. I love thinking about the character
of our Lord. his mannerisms. Turn with me
over to Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, verse 21 says, in that hour And
Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." What
things? The things of salvation. The mystery of His will. That's
what Ephesians 1 talks about. He's revealed to us the mystery
of His will. And he said, I thank thee, father,
that you've hid all these things from the wise and the prudent,
and you've revealed them unto babes. Even so, father, for it
seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me
of my father, and no man knoweth who the son is but the father,
and who the father is but the son. and He to whom the Son will
reveal Him." Do you think that's true or false? No man knoweth who the Son is.
Do you think it's true that people have no idea who Jesus Christ
is? Yes, I do. No man knoweth who the Son is
but the Father. And no man knows who the Father
is but the Son. and He to whom the Son will reveal
Him." This thing has got to be revealed. The wise can't figure
it out. Right? It's got to be revealed. Verse 23 says, And He turned
him unto His disciples and said privately, Blessed are the eyes
which see the things that you see. For I tell you that many
preachers Prophets and kings have desired
to see those things which ye see and have not seen them, and
to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them. What a blessing for God to reveal
Jesus Christ in this word. What a blessing. He rejoiced
in spirit. Can you imagine watching him
laugh? Really? His smile? Rejoiced in spirit. Man, that's
something. The glory of hearing Him with
reverence and honor and humility give thanks to His Father. That'd
be something that you couldn't help but bring up again and again
and again. We'll go back over to John 6. John chapter 6, verse 22 says,
The day following, when the people which stood on the other side
of the sea saw that there was none other boat there save that
one whereinto 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, none to 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, whence camest thou hither?" Now here's the first truth in
this. All who seek Him find Him. All who seek Him, find Him."
Whatever we seek, that's what we're going to find. And all
who seek Him are going to find Him. The end of verse 24 says,
they came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus and when they had found
Him. All who seek Him are going to
find Him. And here is why. Here's why. Turn with me over to John 5,
one page in my Bible. John 5 verse 40. Our Lord said, and you will not
come to me that you might have life. We're just saying just
as I am, I come, I come. What does that mean? He said
right here, you will not come to me that you might have life.
Who's he talking to? Well clearly somebody other than
me, I'll come to him. Well look at chapter 6 verse
44. Chapter 6 verse 44 says, No man
can come to me. Did you know that includes me?
No man can come to me. No man. The Father which hath sent me,
draw him, and I will raise him up at the
last day." No man. Why can no man come? It's because
Ephesians 2 says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in
trespasses and sins. I'm dead. I love this though,
he says, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent
me draw him and then I'm gonna raise him up. He's gonna drag
this old dead body to Christ and then I'm gonna raise him
up. Look at verse 63, John 6 verse 63. Our Lord said, 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. 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 by my father. Well, you know,
I just, sat him down and talked to him and I just led him to
God right there. No you didn't. No you didn't. Nobody has ever
led anybody to God. No man can come. No man can come. Except the Father draw him. I preach to men and women all
the time telling them seek the Lord, knowing that they can't. They can't. We are dead in our
trespasses and sins. So why do I do it? Why do I do
it? Why? You know why? It's because if God ever seeks
a sinner, That sinner will, in turn, start
seeking God. You know that? It is the evidence. Turn with me over to Isaiah 65. Isaiah 65 verse 1 says, I am
sought of them that ask not for me. I am found of them that sought
me not. Never even seeking. I said, behold me. Behold me unto a nation that
was not called by my name. That's how it works. Look at
Psalm 27. Psalm 27, verse eight says, when thou saidst, Seek ye my
face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek.
When you said, seek my face, that's when my heart said, thy
face will I seek. If a sinner ever seeks Christ,
it's the evidence that God has sought him. That's what it is. And so therefore, all who seek
Him are going to find Him, because they've already been found. Turn
over to Matthew 7 now. Matthew chapter 7, verse 7 says,
ask and it shall be given you. You know why? It's because it
has to be given you before you can ask. We're dead. We're dead. It has to be. Every sinner who truly asks,
Lord, will you give me Christ? Will you give me Christ? Every
sinner who asks that is gonna hear the father say, you already
have him. That's why you're asking. You
know that? Every sinner who cries out has
already been given life. That child is born, that baby's
born. And the first thing is, does
it cry? Does it cry? When did life begin? Not at conception. It begins as soon as the baby
starts crying. Nine months later. No. That cry is in order to see
if it's already alive. Is this baby already alive? I
don't know. Make it cry. Lord, help me. Save me. I already have. It's the evidence. Salvation is a gift. It's not
a work. Isn't it? Salvation is a gift. It says right here in verse 7,
Matthew 7, verse 7, Seek and you shall find. You shall. You
know why? It's because you have to be found
before you can seek. You have to be. Every sinner who says, Lord,
I need the truth. I need the truth. I'm searching
for the truth. Will you help me find the truth?" Every sinner who God calls us
to go searching for the truth is going to hear Christ say through
His Word, I am the truth. I am. Verse 7 says, knock and it shall
be opened unto you. It shall. You know why? It's because you have to be already
in Him in order to knock. You're already in. Outside of Him, we're dead, dead,
dead. In Him, we live and move and
have our being. Go with me to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, verse 8 says, For by grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the
gift of God. Being saved is the gift of God. Verse 9 says, Not of works, lest
any man should boast." And I'm telling you from experience,
that's exactly what this man will do. Anything that I get
a pat on the back for, my heart is immediately going to want
to boast. Thanks be to God, He shoves me back down. But it's
not of works, lest any man should boast. It's a gift. There's nothing
we can do to earn our way to heaven. Nothing. God must do
the work. Verse 10 right there says, For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Back over in our text, John 6, this crowd came seeking and they
found the problem for this crowd was this. They sought Him for
the wrong things. They sought Him for the wrong
things. They weren't seeking Christ. They weren't seeking the truth,
and most people are not. And I'm not patting myself on
the back, but for the grace of God, neither would I. But they weren't seeking Christ
or the truth. They were seeking the things
of the flesh. And that's what most people are
seeking. Most people want to find Jesus because He'll help
me out of the problems I'm in. That's what they want. Verse
24 in our text, John 6 verse 24 says, 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 camest thou hither? He didn't tell him he walked.
I walked. The ship was eight or nine miles
out in sea. He came walking on the water.
How'd you get over here? He didn't tell him that. That
would have confused the issue. That's what it would have done.
Physical miracles are not what sinners need. Health, wealth,
and happiness is not what sinners need. There is one thing needful
in this life. I need one thing before I die.
One thing. Look at verse 48 right here in
John 6. The thing that I need is the
bread of life that the Lord is about to talk about. Verse 48,
he said, I am that bread of life. I am that bread Christ alone. That that's all we need. That's
all we need. Christ alone. Christ alone is
what every child of God seeks. Christ alone. Verse 27 says,
"...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 God the Father sealed."
That word labor is an expression of intense and earnest desire. He's saying, don't have an intense
and earnest desire for the things of this earth that are going
to perish. but for the meat which endureth
unto everlasting life." Labor for that meat. Labor for it.
Now, is he saying work for it? Work for it. Is he saying salvation
is by works? No, he's not, because verse 27
says, right after that, "...which the Son of Man shall give unto
you." It's a gift. It's completely and totally a
gift. Earnestly desire that gift. What
is it? Verse 27 says, it goes on to
say, for Him, the gift is Christ. For Him, John 3.16 says, for
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, He
gave a gift, Christ. desire Him, labor for Him, seek
Him. It says, for Him hath God the
Father sealed. If I have Him, if I'm in Him,
if He has sought me and found me, if I've been quickened in
Him, every sinner who's in Him is sealed in Him. Sealed. I am so fickle. I really am. The only way I can have any rest
in this life is knowing that I'm sealed in Him. Sealed. I cannot keep myself. I can't
keep myself. I cannot earn my way. But I'm sealed in Him. That's
the good news. I'm sealed in Him. God the Father
sealed Him and He sealed me in Him. Verse 28 says, Then said
they unto Him, What shall we do that we might work the works
of God? What must I do to be saved? There's got to be some work that
I must do to be saved. What shall we do that we might
work the works of God? You know what the Lord told them?
You don't have to do anything. It's already been done. It's
already been done. Look at verse 29, Jesus answered
and said unto them, this is the work of God, that you believe
on him whom he has sent. You know what he told him? Look
to Christ. Just believe on him. Believe
means look to. Trust, rely on him. Don't look to your walk. It's
no good. Don't trust in your deeds. I
know myself. I mean, I could lie to you. But I'd be fooling me and fooling
you. If I have to rely on my perfection, then there is no
hope for me, honestly. Christ said to think it is to
do it. I know my thoughts. There's no hope for me. If I'm
relying on me, forget it. But if I look to Christ, if I trust in His walk before
God, 33 and a half years, what a perfect walk. And I look to
that and I see what He did. If I rely on His righteousness
and His perfection, I'm relying on how perfect He is. A man made a statement that's
wonderful. Am I satisfied with God? That's
not the question. You know that? Is God satisfied
with me? That's not the question. Is God satisfied with my substitute? That's the question. God the
Father looked at God the Son and said, I'm well pleased. And if I'm inside Him, then He
is well pleased. Look to Him and you're gonna
find some hope. If we're sealed in Him, if we
seek Him only to find out we've already been sealed in Him, then
His walk is my walk. His deeds are my deeds. His righteousness and His perfection
is my righteousness and my perfection. That's something worth seeking,
isn't it? earnestly desire that. I earnestly desire that. I need
that. How can I have that? Turn to
one more place. Go with me to Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah chapter 29. Jeremiah 29 verse 13 says, and
you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me
with all your heart, all your heart. Rest in Christ, resting
with all your heart. Just rest in Christ, trust in
His work. He finished it. He did it. He
satisfied God. Trust in that. Cast your all
on Him. If you do, if you do, I could
walk into a funeral home and tell all the dead people in all
the caskets, cast your all on Christ. Nothing's gonna happen. I can
blast it on the radio, cast your all on Christ. And if we're left
in our trespasses and sins, dead, nothing's gonna happen. But if
you do, if you truly cast your all on Christ and you truly,
honestly trust Christ and look to Him and believe Him, then
what it means is God the Father has drawn you. Faith is the evidence of a work
that's already finished. You know that? That's what it
is. I pray the Lord would cause me
to seek Him with all my heart. Those who have already found
Him spend the rest of their life seeking Him. Those who are already
in Him spend the rest of their life crying, don't let me be
without You. Let me in. Because they're alive. They're alive. A sinner who's dead does nothing.
Won't cry, won't... Make me alive. Make me alive. I hope the Lord will bless that.
Let's stand together.