SermonBread of Life for Everyone
An all-creatures Bible Message

Bread of Life for Everyone
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
9 August 2015
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

John 1:1-5
John 6:35-51
Ephesians 4:25-32
Ephesians 5:1-2

Bread of life refers to Jesus who is offered to everyone who believes and partakes.
 
The bread of life is the opposite of the ways of the world that bring death.
 
In John 6:35-51 Jesus explains how He is the bread of life.

35. Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Jesus is referring to true believers: the children of God who live in His heavenly will.
 
They recognize the spiritual message Jesus is giving them, and believe and understand by faith that they shall no longer spiritually hunger or thirst for they are now part of the spiritual realm.
 
These are not the people who claim to be believers, including church-goers, who still have one foot in the world and contribute to its corruption, pain, suffering, and death.
 
Thus Jesus says…

36. "But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
 
37. "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

Jesus is referring to those true believers who come to Him in spirit and truth.

38. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

In other words, Jesus is living in the heavenly will of God, just as we should be doing today.

39. "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
 
40. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

We often wonder why so many people would turn their backs on such a wonderful promise, and then we remember that we, too, were also one of the worldly ones, but thanks be to God, we woke up, believed, really believed, and changed into peacemaking children of God who live in His heavenly will.

41. The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven."

“The Jews” is referring to the pharisaical Jews who cling to the Law rather than the teachings of Jesus and the heavenly will of God.
 
But at the same time they recognize that Jesus is referring to Himself as Messiah God, which, because of their lack of faith, they consider to be blasphemy. 

42. And they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven'?"

They only see the physical Jesus, but fail to see into the spiritual realm and recognize Jesus for who He really is.

43. Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.
 
44. "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

This is what the Holy Spirit does.

45. "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

The key is that we hear and learn and understand through faith that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and desire to live in the heavenly will of God here on earth as it is in heaven.

46. "Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.
 
47. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
 
48. "I am the bread of life.

Jesus is trying to show them the spiritual realm, and the eternal life that He brings.

49. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

Jesus is explaining to these unbelievers that those who live in the world die in the world, even if they eat of the heavenly manna that physically came to earth, but referring to Himself, Jesus encourages them to see beyond the physical realm to the spiritual gift that Jesus is giving them in Himself and His teachings.

50. "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
 
51. "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." 
NASB

People who are spiritually blind have trouble seeing and understanding that this bread is the word of God manifested in Jesus and His teachings, which requires us to act upon our belief through faith.
 
This is very similar to what we are told in John 1:1-5.

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This word was the bread of life for everyone, that is, if they would accept it.

2. He was in the beginning with God.
 
3. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

This includes all other human beings, all the animals, and the physical world we live in, all of which God charges us with protecting and lovingly caring for every being.

4. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
 
5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
NASB

This is what we are talking about in our John 6 passage.
 
People who only look at the physical realm never see the reality of the spiritual realm until they reach out to the Lord in spirit and truth, and ask Him to save them from the evil ways of this corrupt world.
 
In Ephesians 4:25-32 Paul writes about the way of the people who spiritually eat of the bread of life.

25. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

In Christ we are bonded together spiritually and no longer part of this corrupt world where people do their own thing without considering the harm they do in the world, most commonly the harm their way of life inflicts upon animals and the people who care about them.
 
Just because most of the people in the world are complacent or indifferent to the pain and suffering they cause, it is no reason to lash out at them, for that only causes more violence that also separates us from the Lord.
 
This is the reason that we are told…

26. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
 
27. and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Yes, when we act like the corrupt and sinful ways of this world, we have turned our back on God and given the devil an opportunity to lead us further away from the Lord and the heavenly will of God.

28. Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.
 
29. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.

In other words, we are to feed them the bread of life in addition to whatever physical needs they may have.

30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
 
31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

We are to be the loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God, who live in the heavenly will of God, and do everything in our power to free creation from its present corruption.

32. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Think of ways to offer others the bread of life as we look at Ephesians 5:1-2…

1. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
 
2. and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
NASB

This is what we also have to do in order to offer others the bread of life, and life and hope to all humans and animals who suffer in the corrupt world around us.
 
We can and should be doing this.
 
Amen.

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