Signs of Trust

Message Transcription

Well, if you have your Bible, invite you to turn over to John Chapter six. We're going to be there today. We're in a series I'm calling Signs as we look at the signs that John gives to us throughout his gospel, pointing us to Jesus. And our hope is that we don't just see them, but that we understand them, that we that we recognize who it is that they're pointing us toward. Each week I've tried to gather a few signs that I think might help speak to our current situation. And certainly in this parable, today is no different. Maybe down the road you've been driving along and seeing one of these signs. Do not enter. Do not go here. It's trying to direct us away from that path because we're going to run into oncoming traffic. Or maybe one of these signs you've seen. There's a detour ahead. I know this is the road that you want to go down, but. But you're going to have to make a change. You're going to have to turn. Sometimes those Detour signs come upon us pretty quickly, don't they? We don't. We don't often know to expect them. Maybe you've seen one of these signs. Who knows what the sign means? Slippery, right? Slippery when wet. Right. This reminder of slow down. All right. You're building up too much speed. And in this kind of place, with this kind of terrain, you can easily hit an icy patch or a wet spot, and then you're going to be out of control.

Slow down. We don't often like to see that sign. Dewey, this last one isn't so much of a sign, but it's. It's kind of a memory that I have growing up riding in the car with one of my parents when I first got to sit in the passenger seat, the front row. Right. And you looked out the little side view mirror. And I don't know if you can read in the bottom there, but it says objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. As a kid. I remember thinking about that and wondering why they would put that on there. As it became a driver myself, I began to understand, Yeah, sometimes when I see in a mirror, I don't realize how close I am to this particular object. There were a couple of times in my life when I wished I'd paid a little bit better attention to that, like when I was driving my dad's truck on our property and I kind of went around a tree and I thought I had enough room. It looked like I had enough room. That object was a little closer than it appeared, and it had a new relationship with the side of my dad's truck, which brought my dad and I into a new kind of relationship. But I want us to hold on to this idea that objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, because I think it's a sign that actually goes along with the sign that John gives to us today in John Chapter six.

Let's revisit here at the beginning of the chapter, verse one, sometime after this, Jesus crossed over to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is the Sea of Tiberius. And a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with His disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. And one of the things we'll learn about the Gospel of John is that when he writes, he doesn't put in fluff everything that he puts in his gospel. It's there on purpose. He wants us to see it. You see, this is the second time, if you've been reading along in John's Gospel that he's told us it's the Passover time. The first time he tells us about this is in chapter two. Remember that wedding miracle, that sign that we see at that wedding in Cana? Right after that, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem and it's the Passover time and he cleans the temple. John is going to tell us one more time about a time that Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover, and it's going to be the last time that Jesus ever gets to Jerusalem. But John's trying to weave these stories together, connect all of these dots and show us that this this this miracle story at the beginning of Chapter six, it's not floating off somewhere off by itself, but rather it's connected to this larger whole this larger story, the story of the Passover.

And the Exodus, part of which Brother Freudenberg helped us unpack around the table this morning, that there's the story of God's bringing his people out of slavery, out of bondage in Egypt, an end to freedom. This story of the Passover, of this marking of of God's willingness to do for his people what they couldn't do for themselves. Almost like the story is unfolding and it hasn't quite finished unfolding. You see, God provides in the midst of that story, he provides bread for hungry people at the Israel. Israelites were walking in the wilderness and they're starving and they're grumbling and they're complaining and God gives them bread from heaven. It's a powerful story he found in Exodus 16, as Chapter six opens up here in John's Gospel. We find another moment where where some of God's people are out in the wilderness, so to speak. They're off across the Sea of Galilee. They're in this huge mountainous area, and there are no towns or villages around from which to get some food. And they're hungry. And so Jesus is about to give them something to eat. Now, what's unique in John's telling of the story, all four gospels have it. But in this and John's version, a couple of guys get a speaking role.

For those of you who've ever tried out for a part in a play, you understand how significant it can be to just be a character who happens to be on stage versus one who's given an opportunity to speak. Here in John's gospel, Philip and Andrew get a speaking role. And what's kind of interesting in John's gospel is Philip and Andrew have this part to play. It's almost like they are the two most connected to people outside of their little circle of 12. And whenever we have a story of of someone wanting to find and discover Jesus who's an outsider, it's often Peter Andrew, who's on the on the scene. In Chapter 12, we learn that some Greeks have shown up in Jerusalem, and they want to they want to see Jesus. They want to meet with him. Who do they go see? Philip. Right. Philip's not quite sure what to do, so he gets his buddy Andrew and the two of them say, Let's go to Jesus right here in this story. It's the roles are flipped, right? Jesus is talking to Philip, and Philip kind of gets to engage, feed these people. Where are we going to get that kind of money? Jesus. And Andrew says, Hey, I got an idea. I was out just milling around, kind of being my best version of Tim Tarly just meeting people. And I happen to find somebody who's got five loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

I don't know if this will help, but Jesus, what do you think? Right. Something powerful. Again and again and again. John shows us the power of even when we don't know what's going on even, and we're not sure what to do with what we've got. Take it to Jesus. Take it to Jesus that he always finds some new and creative way that brings life into the situation. We don't know exactly how it's all going to work out. All we know is that Jesus can do something with whatever it is that we bring to Him. And maybe for you, that's the message you need continually beat into your head over this Lenten season. Take it to Jesus. Take it to Jesus, whatever is going on, whatever struggle, whatever challenge you are coming up against, even though what you look around you doesn't make sense. I'm not sure how we're going to add this equation up. Take it to Jesus. Take it to Jesus. It's an amazing story here. What Jesus does, he doesn't disappoint. He feeds 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. And just like an Exodus 16, it's not just enough for everyone to have a bite, right? Philip says. We could spend over half a year's wages and you just get a bite of bread. Jesus doesn't provide just a bite. Just enough. It says they eat until they're satisfied. The same. The same thing happens in Exodus 16.

They ate until they had enough. Again, it's amazing the reactions that that kind of power, that kind of sign produces. Notice how the people react. They notice this is this is someone special in our midst. Could this be someone important? Is this the prophet? Surely this is the prophet, the one that we've been waiting for. And they make this jump really quickly from prophet to Messiah to to king. And by that, they have a very earthly idea. Maybe this is the one we've been waiting for to to launch us out from the slavery that we're in right now. Now it's a bit ironic because Jesus is all of those things. He is a prophet. He is Messiah. He is the true king, but not in the way that they imagined. And so John tells us Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. And now what we'll find is the rest of chapter six is John helps us unpack who Jesus really is. What does it mean for Jesus to be Messiah, to be the King, to be that prophet who is to come? That evening, the disciples go down to the water. They get in the boat and they head out across the sea. Jesus has not gone with them, John tells us. And the other gospels, we're told he's either praying on the mountain side or he stays to dismiss the people and then he goes up on the mountain side.

All we know here in John is he's not with them. And as they get across the sea, the this wind blows. Have you ever been live somewhere where this, like, wind blows up and it just messes everything up, right? So this wind blows and they're battling against it. It's probably a 12 or so mile journey across the lake that they're headed over to Capernaum, and they're about a quarter, maybe half the way that they've been struggling for three or four miles. And Jesus shows up. And like many of us, probably would react in that time and that day they're terrified. And Jesus says, Don't be afraid. It's me. And they get him into the boat and they they arrive at their destination. Again, we're hearing these echoes of the Exodus story. Right. How did the Exodus story start of Israel leaving Egypt? It was through water or we got parts. This water in Israel goes through. And then he closes the water on their enemies. Right. This the seminal moment of them heading off into the promised land. And who is it that led them? It's a prophet. This prophet, Moses. And so it doesn't take two and two very long to realize maybe Jesus is this one, maybe he's re-enactor, maybe he's the new Moses, maybe he's the one who's going to do for us what we want him to do. Kick the Romans out, put us back into power.

But they don't quite understand. Jesus, how did you get here? I know you didn't go with your disciples because they left last night. And we saw you up on the mountainside. And then we took all the remaining boats. How did you get here? That's an interesting question. Jesus, when did you get here? Well, here's his response. Jesus answered very truly. I tell you, you were looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed verse 26, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you for on him. God, the father has placed the seal of approval. His seal of approval. Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works of God required, the works God requires? Jesus answered the work of God. Is this to believe in the one He has sent? So they asked him What sign then will you give so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness at his as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them very truly, I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Sir. They said, Always give us this bread. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. You see, Jesus is trying to open up the eyes of this crowd to help them see what's right in front of them. Who he really is. The bread of heaven. See the food he gave yesterday? It was just a sign pointing to the true gift that God had actually given to them in their midst. Not a full stomach. You see, that's the means, not the end. That sign was a means. It was not the end. It was pointing to the end. It's kind of like a child who gives a gift and every parent will know this, right? You give your child a gift and what do they play with? The box, not the gift. Right. The box was a means to the end. Right. Jesus is saying that sign was not just to fill your bellies. It was to point you to the true gift of God who is right in front of you. You see this new Passover, this new exodus? It's unfolding right in front of you that Jesus really is the true prophet, the one you have been waiting for. The ones sent into the world, not just to kick the Romans out of power and to put you back in charge.

That's not a big enough vision. He says you're losing the forest for the trees. You see, they saw the sign as a chance to grab power and receive freedom on their own terms. This guy can do for us something that will benefit us. Let's see if we can make it happen. He says, You're looking at me not because you understand the gift that you've been given, but because you're hungry and you got a free meal and you'd like to keep that gravy train rolling as long as possible. Even their question betrays their motives. What must we do to do the work God requires? What do we need to do so that God will be happy and give us what we want? Power, glory, wealth, whatever it may be. Now, before we start throwing stones here, let's make sure we're not living in glass houses church. Okay. So let me ask you this. How often are we asking the same question, but in our own way. Jesus. What do I need to do so that God will bless me? You know that new house or that new car or that new job or that new relationship or or whatever it is that I want. Now, we might not say it that way out loud. Not not ask that one audibly to the Lord. Instead, it comes out in our own churchy version of what must we do to do the work that God requires? That sounds like the right churchy question to ask.

And Jesus response cuts right to the quick. Notice he doesn't point back to behavior modification. Get it right. Quit sinning. This is the easy equation, fellas. That's not what he says. Instead, he says, the work that God desires is for you to believe. To believe. The work God requires is to believe in the one He sent. And again, right at the same time, but way off the mark, they respond for something else. Give us a sign. O believe. Great. Give us something to believe in. Show us a sign. Now. Again, ironically, it's something that points right to that Exodus story. Just in the original version, there was a lot of grumbling, a lot of complaining. Our ancestors ate the man in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven. Jesus. Here's a scripture. Show us a sign. And Jesus responds with a mirror. He says church he saw the sign yesterday. It was pointing you to true food, to the bread from heaven, the bread that is actually Jesus himself. Have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of sign were they wanting? Give us a sign. Jesus. What sign do you think they wanted? Maybe it's a political sign. Just anoint woo. You know, shining light from heaven. That's the sign. Or maybe it's this political uprising. Right. We're going to march around Jerusalem and we're going to blow the trumpets and all the Romans are just going to drop dead.

That would be amazing. Then we'd be back in control again. What kind of sign do you think they wanted? But again, before we pick up a stone and start throwing it. Can we ask ourselves, what sign do you want? What sign are you waiting for that you can really trust Jesus? Now you can take him at his word. You see, what I don't think they realized was that freedom that they saw in the mirror, it was closer than it appeared. They just didn't realize it. It was standing right in front of him. They missed it. So what's the sign that's keeping us from really trusting Jesus? My guess is that's at least one thing. That's. Whatever that sign is, that's at least one thing. Keeping you blind. That's keeping you from recognizing that object in the mirror. It's a lot closer than it appears. Jesus is not far off somewhere. He's right there. Jesus said that the sign that he gave at feeding wasn't. Wasn't just to feed your stomach. Just feed your soul. See that story back in Exodus 16. That wasn't just a story of of an amazing meal that showed up a have the original Happy Meal on time. But it was designed to feed their souls, right? To remind them you can trust God. God. We left everything behind. We have nothing here.

Moses. Did you bring us out here? Just to starve us? Just to see us die and. No, no, no, no. God. God will provide for you. God will take care of you. That's that original sign. It was this reminder that. The guy can provide, you can trust him. See, I think John is trying to tell us that same guy who was at work meeting that need in Exodus 16 is the same guy that's meeting that need in John's six. It's the same guy who's still at work meeting that need today. The same God. The same power is at work. See that sign is there to remind us that no matter what we face, God's with us. A God will lead us. God will provide for us even when we we don't really understand where things are going. Even though we don't understand why we've been given, what we've been given, we're not sure what to do with two fish and five loaves of bread and 5000 people. What are we doing with that? I don't know. All we know is Jesus can do something with that. And we can trust him. You see, until we recognize this, we may be fed with enough to satisfy our stomachs. But it will never satisfy our soul. What sign are we hoping for? Because Jesus says I am the bread of life who's come. Who's come to. The Feed the world. He. Who sees that? Who understands it. Who believes it? Who trusts it? He says we'll never be hungry again.

You'll never thirst again. So the question is, do we see it? That object in the mirror. It's closer than it appears. Church. Will we trust it? So that's my hope for us this day. As we encounter this sign. Once again, it's maybe a familiar story to many of us. Maybe it's a familiar experience for many of us that we've seen these signs and they provided for us in the moment. We got, like, that child with a gift. We were playing with the box. And we think if we just get a better box, all that hull oh then, then it would all make sense. Then I'd be happy, then I'd be fulfilled. Oh, Lord. Would you help us to see what's right in front of us? Help us to heed John's words today. And once again, the only requirement here is that somebody's hungry. As somebody thirsty. Somebody recognizes their world is not the way it's supposed to be. And we want more. We've got to have more from life. It can't just be this. Yeah. That's the only requirement is desire. And if we're willing to take that desire to, you got to trust you with it. Oh, God. You'll do amazing things. Sometimes that amazing thing just is helping us get through the day. Which I know for many of us, myself included, sometimes that's a miracle. Yeah. This is a season when we try to stop and recognize where are the places where we are hungry, where we are thirsty and God, we are tempted to pursue something else to put our trust in someone else.

Yeah, this is a season for us to stop and just get real honest with you and with one another. Lord, would you reveal it to us today? What's that thing? Who's that person? What's that job? What's that gift? He had attempted to think that if we just had that, then everything would be okay. Just like these folks on the side of a mountain getting a free meal. We can be tempted to just miss the gift of God right in front of us. So, God, would you help open our eyes again today to the signs that you have in front of us? Help us to see that that object in the mirror. That Messiah, that hope, that joy, that peace. It's way closer than than it appears. So God, would you give us the humility, the courage, Lord, to open our hearts up to you today? Lord, thank you for for this church that we can be real and honest with each other. We don't have to pretend. Instead. God, we can. We can bring ourselves fully to you. So God. Now, as we sing this song in response to the work and to the word that you have for us today, God, would you meet us here in this place, in this time? Would you encourage us and challenge us? We pray in Jesus name. Amen.