Volume 46, No. 25
John 6
Lord’s Day 50
Sermon prepared by Rev. Henry Jonker, Delta, B.C.
Proposed Order of Service
Opening of the Service
Welcome
God’s Greeting
We Greet Each Other (“The Peace of the Lord Be With You...”)
A Time of Praise (singing a medley of songs)
Suggestions: Hymns #237, #240, #280
Maranatha Praise (Expanded 3rd Edition):
Song #235, “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise”
#71, “Come Into the Holy of Holies”
#204, “We Have Come Into His House”
A Time of Confession
Prayer of Confession
Song or Hymn of Confession: Hymn #543, “Guide Me, O My Great
Redeemer”
Assurance of Pardon: Isaiah 55:1-3
God’s Will for Our Lives: Isaiah 55:6-7
Hymn of Rededication: #239, “Amid the Thronging Worshippers” (in
light of the readings from Isaiah, pay special attention to stanza 3)
A Time of Thanksgiving
Offering
The Prayers of and for the Congregation
(concluded with a prayer for the Spirit’s guidance for the sermon
reader)
A Time of Listening to God’s Word
Bible Reading: Excerpts from John 6, Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s
Day 50
Sermon: “Praying for Bread in Prosperous Times.”
Prayer of Application
Hymn of Response: #111:1, 3, 6, 7, “O Give the Lord Wholehearted
Praise!”
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper (optional)
Closing of the Service
God’s Blessing
Doxology Hymn #593:1, 2, 5, “My Song Forever Shall Record” or
Maranatha Praise (Expanded 2nd Edition) #230, “Praise the Name of
Jesus”
all who are able, please stand.
Note: the songs selected are only suggestions. Worship leaders may well
need to adjust song selection and music to meet their particular worship
environment.
Sermon
Dear Children of God:
When I was a child, I could never figure out why we prayed for our daily
bread when the Lord’s prayer was prayed at our meal times. It just
didn’t make a lot of sense to me to pray for the food that was already
lavishly spread before us on our dinner table. Especially, at those times
when the big thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner was put on. Why pray
for what you already had? Confusing or what! Especially for a pre-teen.
It took me a lot of years to figure it all out. Frankly, it didn’t
happen until I did my first in-depth study of the Lord’s Prayer (hereafter
LP). The thoughts and conclusions back then are still very relevant
for us today. So, here we go...! To understand the meaning of the 4th request
of the LP, we need to back up and make brief mention of the first 3 requests.
We need to take note that the first 3 requests focus on God: “hallowed
be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will
be done.”
Then there is this rather abrupt change from focus on God to focus on us.
Notice, not on me, myself and I, but on us. The community of the faithful,
you might say. After all, in the church of Christ no person is an island.
We note then that the first of the requests focussing on us has to do
with our daily bread. And that begs the question, why? Why
might the LP start with this request when the focus shifts to us, God’s
people?
Well... a significant clue comes when we read the LP backwards. So let’s
begin with the 4th request and move our way on up: “Give us this day
our daily bread, your will be done, your kingdom come, your name be hallowed
or praised.” What do you think — is there a light going on in
your heart yet? What the 4th request comes down to is this: God, give us
this day our daily bread, provide us with the necessities for living, so
that we may have the physical necessities to go about the business of doing
Your will...so that through our doing of your will...we may make a contribution
to your coming Kingdom...and in so doing will be busy hallowing, praising
Your most Holy Name.
What was Lord Jesus really doing here? He gave us a Biblical perspective
on receiving our daily bread. A perspective quite different from our common
materialistic notions concerning the necessities of life. The materialistic
understanding of this 4th request would result in little more than understanding
that we depend on God alone for our daily sustenance. Now...this is true,
of course, but the meaning of this request is significantly deeper. The Biblical
perspective on receiving the necessities for living relates these gifts to
the doing of God’s will. On the whole, even we in the Christian community,
do not make this connection very well.
Now I suppose we could take some comfort from the fact that the folks of
Jesus’ day didn’t get it either. A careful reading of John 6
will verify this. Jesus fed some 5000 people from 5 loaves of bread and a
couple of fish. And...oh boy...were these recipients of this miraculous supply
of food ever impressed. So impressed that they chased Him all over the countryside
because they wanted to make Him king. ‘Jesus is our ticket to life
on easy street!’ All He has to do is snap His fingers and He’ll
meet our every need. Now I ask you, who wouldn’t want a king, prime
minister or president like that?
But... Jesus saw through the selfish and materialistic motives of these
folks. He got away from them for a while but they were rather relentless
in their search. This man just had to be found. And... when they found Him,
what did they do? It’s like they called Him to account. When did you
get here Jesus? What did you think you were doing taking off on us just like
that? Jesus didn’t bite, did He? Instead He warned them not to labor
(chase after) the food that perishes but to chase after the food that endures
to eternal life. Jesus strongly rebuked them for following Him because they
had their tummies full. He berated them for following Him because of what
they thought He could provide, rather than following Him for who He really
is.
All this, of course, developed into a further discussion. It began with
the question: “if we’re not supposed to be laboring for the food
which perishes, then what must we be doing to be doing the
works of God.” Take careful note of the startling answer Jesus gave: “this
is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (6:29)
The issue is not what we need to do, this is all about what God is seeking
to do. God wants us to enter into the things that He is doing and that begins
with believing in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. “This is the work
of God: that you believe in Him...” A little later: “no
one comes to me unless the Father has enabled Him.” (6:65) It’s
a call to faith. Yes, but wait a minute Jesus, ”what sign do you
do that we might see and believe in You?” (6:30) Oh, and by the
way Jesus, “our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness.” (6:31) Hint,
hint!
Where is this comment coming from? It’s no doubt a comment that
has as background the Jewish expectation that Messiah’s coming would
be preceded by a renewed manna miracle at Passover time. Now, note carefully:
according to John 6:4 the celebration Passover was near. All this is taking
place within the context of Passover. A time when anticipation of Messiah’s
possible arrival heightened somewhat.
Conclusion? They would only see and believe in Jesus as Messiah if there
was a repeat of the manna miracle. Obviously, the miraculous feeding of the
5000 just didn’t quite cut it as a sign.
How did Jesus respond? Well... if that’s the bread you’re looking
for, you’ve really missed the boat. You see, folks, I am the manna — the
bread — “which comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world.” (cf. 6:33)
And the crowd? What’s their response? “Lord, give us this
bread always.” (6:34 RSV)
That response sounds a lot like the 4th request of the LP doesn’t
it? “Lord, give us this day our daily bread.” It was
only then... in response to the crowd’s request “give us
this bread always” that Jesus fully identified Himself as the
Bread of Life. And... what was the further response? They grumble!!! (6:41).
They got into sharp and bitter arguments (6:52). Even many of
His disciples stopped following Him. (6:66).
Jesus is the Bread of Life. He gave them a sign in feeding the 5000 plus
folks. He is the one who completely did God’s will. He learned
obedience through what He suffered even unto death on the cross. Through
Jesus’ doing of God’s will, the coming Kingdom of God was inaugurated.
God’s name was fully hallowed, made holy. And... this is the
work of God that we may believe in Him whom He has sent...Jesus...Messiah!
What will your and my response be?
Remember, the folks and even many of the disciples stopped following Him
because He just didn’t measure up to their expectations. We can easily
find ourselves in the same boat, when God or Christ just doesn’t measure
up. When He doesn’t supply us with the things we think we need (and
it would be good to admit that most of what we think we need are not needs
at all but wants).
Today, we as believers, as followers of Christ are called to live out
of and in the Spirit of Christ... When we pray for our daily bread, for the
necessities of life, we pray that the very food that graces our kitchen and
dinner tables will nourish, refresh and strengthen us for the doing of God’s
will... For making positive contributions to His coming Kingdom. And so,
to praise, hallow, His most Holy Name!
So, when we see the abundance of food that lavishes our tables on a daily
basis, remember, these gifts are there for us to eat, to enjoy and to ready
us for doing His will. For living in obedience to His commands and His mission.
The perspective for us Christians on food, clothing and shelter is much
different from the world’s perspective. We eat in order to
work while the unbelieving world thinks it needs to work in order
to eat. That’s pretty radical stuff don’t you agree? Eat in order
to work?
We too are easily fooled into thinking that it needs to be the other way
around. But, from the beginning it was not so. Take it from the Bible. Eating
in order to work has been the order all along. God provided our first parents,
Adam and Eve, with a food-filled garden. They hadn’t lifted a finger
to cultivate that garden and yet they had food.
Israel was given the entire promised land. They were able to eat to their
hearts content before they had to set up shop in their new surroundings.
And God has provided us with Jesus, the Bread of Life, before we could even
lift a finger to earn our salvation. Amazing isn’t it? God provides
the necessities of life (even Jesus the Bread of Life) so that we will have
the strength, the things necessary for the doing of His will.
It makes me think of those beautiful words of Psalm 111:5: “God
provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.” That’s
right — the very food on our tables: a sign of His covenant faithfulness — even
today.
Let us then respond to God’s wonderful, extravagant provision and
faithfully serve Him — so that through the doing of His will, we may
make contributions to His coming Kingdom and in the process hallow, praise
His great name. Let us eat in order to work both at our dinner tables and
at the Lord’s table. Let us eat in order to work soli deo gloria (only
to the glory of God).
Amen.
