You are indeed fortunate, perhaps
even blessed, if you have heard one sermon that has truly changed
your life. It is certainly true that not every sermon is a life-saving
one. However, the truth that changes lives is often preached
but is not always heard, understood and accepted.
This story comes from Max Lucado's book, He
Still Moves Stones:
There is a story, that is the stuff of legend, that developed
around Alexander the Great. His horse ran away and an unknown
foot soldier ran after and caught Alexander the Great's
horse! When he brought the animal back, he was ushered into the
great General's presence and Alexander rose to thank him
and said:
"Thank you, Captain!"
With one word the foot soldier was elevated to the rank of
captain! When the General said it, it was a reality. What's
more, the foot soldier believed it! He went to the appropriate
place and selected a new uniform and put it on. He then went
to the tent compound where the officers stayed and selected
a bunk!
The reality of his promotion was nothing until he accepted
it and believed it and began to live it! We live within the
promise of God's grace and goodness, but we have to accept
it—live
it—respond to it.
There is the formula. If something is going to be life-changing
we have to hear it, believe it, accept it and live it. This is
what Jesus is attempting to accomplish with the crowds in the
6th chapter of John.
The chapter begins with Jesus feeding the multitude. Afterwards
the disciples of Jesus left in the only boat that was available.
Jesus remained behind, but during the night He joined the disciples
while they were encountering the wind and waves of a storm.
The next morning other boats came to where Jesus had been. Several
who had been fed got in the boats and went looking for Jesus.
When they found Him they asked Him how He had arrived there?
Jesus saw through their surface question to their real intent.
He knew that what they were really after was more food and having
Him use His powers on their behalf.
Jesus challenges them in John 6:27, "to not work for food
that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life,"
which Jesus desires to give to them. The people respond by asking
what they must do. They had been taught that they had to do things
like keeping the Law in order to win God's favor. It had
not yet sunk in they had done nothing in order to be fed other
than do what Jesus asked—to sit down and expect to be
fed in spite of there being almost no food.
They challenge Jesus to authenticate Himself by showing them
signs of His power. After all, He was a nobody from an ordinary
family in an insignificant town. They reminded him of how Moses
fed tens of thousands for forty years. Did He have that kind
of power? We ask the same questions today. Who are you, Jesus,
and is Your power even real? What can You do for us?
The heart of the chapter is found in John 6:33, "the bread
of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to
the world." It is the bread that is upon the table before
us. The bread is the Word of God which is given to us in love.
In order for its power to be effective for us, we have to take
it into our lives and act upon its truth. In John 6:53 Jesus
says, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink
His blood, you have no life in you."
This is not meant to be taken literally. The flesh and blood
we eat is the truth by which God wants us to live. What Jesus
invites us to is table fellowship that is designed to make us
lifelong friends. Jesus invites sinners to sit with Him at the
table so that our shame and guilt and self-hatred can be removed.
We cannot sit at this table and believe anything will come of
it unless we admit our need for what God offers. We cannot sit
at this table and have anything come from it unless we believe
Jesus is who He claims to be. We cannot sit at this table and
have anything come from it unless we are willing to act upon
the truth that Jesus shares.
Today, our world is in a precarious situation. The ideologies
of East and West are locked in combat that seems to be escalating.
At the foundation of the conflict is a battle over what people
want rather than what we need. In Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus says,
and I paraphrase, "don't worry about what you will
eat or wear. Don't worry about where you will live or how
much oil you will have. Strive for the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all of these things will be given to you as
well."
What we haven't heard or accepted to our peril is this
truth from Jesus. Even when we admit there is one God we all
still claim to have the truth of that God which justifies our
killing each other.
The truth is most of the world, including most who claim to
know God's truth, haven't yet really heard, understood
and accepted that truth. The proof is in how we actually live.
The author of Ephesians suggests we are to live in love. We
are to refrain from anger and to speak the truth. We are to put
away bitterness, wrath, hatred, wrangling slander and malice
and work to build up community both in the family, the Church
and the world.
Long ago the crowds were seeking Jesus to have Him meet their
immediate physical needs. At the time He offered them something
that was spiritual and eternal. Jesus makes the same offer today.
The question is whether or not we hear it, believe and accept
it. The proof is whether or not we put on a new uniform and move
to a different tent. If we do, this could be the life-changing
sermon we seldom seem to hear. |
