We read this afternoon from God's precious word. It's our great joy and privilege to come and to declare his word this afternoon. I hope that you take some time to listen to God's precious word. It concerns our time and eternity. We are creatures not only of time here upon earth, but there is an eternity. We have never dying souls. We have a spirit. We are made in the image of God our Creator. And I read these words from John in the sixth chapter, words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says this in John 6, 35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you that ye also have seen me, and believe not, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life. And I will raise Him up at the last day. The Lord's help this afternoon, I wish to speak on these verses very briefly. bring to you this message that the Lord Jesus Christ declares that he is the bread of life. At this point in the time in which he spoke these words, he had just fed thousands of people. There were well over 5,000 men plus women and children that he fed with just a few loaves. And of course He multiplied those and there were again those baskets filled again showing that He indeed is very God. There was a miracle. But there was a miracle before that that took place for 40 years in the wilderness when God fed the people of Israel. Every day fell down from the heavens bread, which is called manna, that fed the people. They lived on this manna for over 40 years, we're told. And we are told that amongst the number of men, there were 660,000 men, plus women, plus children, plus a mixed multitude of people who were not Hebrews. And conservative estimates come to the conclusion that there somewhere were around two million people that left, a great vast company of people that left Egypt in those days. Now you may wonder at many things in the Bible. The proof that God is, not only is that he has made everything that we can see, In this world, and it is true, the scientists will tell you, matter can neither be created or destroyed. In other words, nothing cannot make everything. But the Bible begins by saying, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the Lord had promised to those people that left Egypt, the Hebrew people that multiplied in the days of Pharaoh, that he would bring them out into the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And of course, God did that. But the people began to disobey the Lord. And as a result, Many of them perished in the wilderness, and they were to live in the wilderness for some 40 years. That's what God had said to Moses. And how in the world would they survive in a desert without food? Well, you know, one of the greatest miracles in the Bible is God sending down manna from heaven. And it was an omen For each person, every day, we're told. And that manna came down. Again, if there were somewhere around 2 million people, it would have been round about with the weight of an omer, 5,000 tons of manna coming down from heaven every day to feed the Hebrew people. And this is quite extraordinary. And of course, all of this was foreshadowing. that God would send the Lord Jesus Christ, who says here in this chapter, I am the bread which has come down from heaven, the very one who multiplied these loaves and who fed the multitude of people who were hungry. Of course, in this world, when we look at man, when we look at mankind, he has strayed from God, I like you. from my mother's womb came forth, speaking lies. And as David says, we come forth as sinners. And our sins have offended a holy God. And as a result, friends, of our sin, the Bible says our sins separate us from God. But here the Lord Jesus is saying that He is the manna which has come from heaven. He said in this chapter, He said, your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. Yes, you may be provided with food and sustenance for the body, but friend, there is something far more important than the body, and that is your soul. You can look after the body in this life. People take great care and try to, as it were, look after the body so that they can live longer. But friends, the body is going to die because of sin. We were not made to die, but sin has, we're told the Bible said, spread to all men, therefore all will die. And of course, this is the consequence God has said in His Word. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. And right there in the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve had sinned, the Lord had promised to send the Lord Jesus Christ into this world, His only begotten Son, who is the bread of life, the one in whom there is life, the one who has made life. You know, the Bible tells us, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who is described as the Word, and the Word was made flesh. He who is God was made the manna which came down from heaven. The Lord Jesus, the very giver of life, the giver of food, the giver of all things, became man. He came to give his life, the Bible says, as a ransom for many, to redeem many souls. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ was sent. He said it in this chapter here, that He would lay down His life for His people, that He would suffer, that He would die for them, that He would shed His precious blood. My dear friends, He is that bread of life. The Lord Jesus is no liar. He speaks the truth. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And he says, and no man comes to the Father but by me. But the Lord Jesus says here, he that believeth on me shall never thirst. And here, of course, he is speaking of spiritual thirst. We may ask some very basic questions today. Why am I here? How did I get here? Am I just a freak of nature? Am I just an accident? Am I just some creature passing through time? Or am I made for better and higher things? Well friends, these questions are all answered by the Bible. The Bible that is the truth. The Bible that explains to us. everything, the history of the world, how we got here, why we're in such a state. And we may even ask questions here today, why is the world in such a mess? Well, a simple answer to that is man. Man is the cause of the problems in this world. Every war, every conflict, Every adulterous relationship, every robbery, every theft, every act of violence is committed by man. Man has sinned. It's not hard to see, friends, that this world is in a terrible state. A man is thirsting after other things. He's thirsting for satisfaction, for meaning of life, for happiness, that you can't have it. Solomon, who was the richest man and a man of great wealth and resource in his day, he said these words in Ecclesiastes, the eye is never satisfied, the ear is never filled. Solomon had amassed great wealth and kingdoms, many things. But he realized, as he lived this life, he said all is vanity. And indeed, summarized by the Lord Jesus, what will it profit a man if he gained the whole world and yet lose his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Friends, you have a soul, And soul is made for God for eternity. We think so much of the body, we tend to so much of our physical needs, but what about the soul? Is your soul right with God today? Do you know the Lord Jesus to be the bread of life? Well, here the Lord Jesus says of He being the bread of life, He said, at the manor in the wilderness. Well, they ate, they were filled, but they died. But the Lord Jesus Christ gives eternal life. Oh, my dear friends, eternal life. He also gives a real life here now. He gives substance to the life. And He prepares a soul for eternal life. Are you prepared for that? Well, how does the Lord do this? Well, He even says here that He came to save all that the Father had given Him. And He says in this very chapter, all that the Father has given Him will come to Him, and they will believe upon Him. At this time, we read later on in the chapter, many of His so-called disciples, who were really being taught of Him, they followed Him no more. The things that He said were too hard for them. Well, He began to speak about His body being that bread, and that His blood was necessary for that eternal life. You see, the Lord Jesus, in that very body of His, He had to fully obey the law of God. How is it God can save His people. Well, we're told in Galatians chapter 4, the verse 4, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, made under the law. Friends, you know, we're all under the law of God. The law of God, we think of the law of God, those 10 commandments, in which we've all broken The law is spiritual. Let me just give you one example of this. We think of the law of adultery. Whosoever committed adultery, well, breaks the law of God. And some people think adultery is merely something we do as a physical act. But the Lord Jesus Christ makes very clear that if a man thinks on another woman who is not his spouse and he lusts after her, that very man commits adultery. That's just one of the breaking of the Ten Commandments. And we've all broken God's commandments. And the Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says none are righteous. No, not one. There is not one, says the Bible, that is just. For all have sinned, but the Lord Jesus had no sin. In fact, the Bible says He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. My dear friends, the Lord Jesus in that body, He who is the bread of life, honoured the law. The Bible says He would magnify the law and He would make it honourable. He was without sin. He is that perfect man, the God-man. In fact, the Bible says God was manifest in the flesh. The Jehovah's Witnesses deny this. The Lord Jesus Christ being the way, the truth and the life, my friends, the Saviour, the Saviour of sinners, God who was manifest in the flesh. He could say, I am the bread of life. Do you know of Him? Many people seek the Lord for earthly things. There was one that followed after him and he said, you sought me because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Well, he had just performed that miracle. But many do not seek Him. They might seek the blessings of God, you know, but they do not desire Him. The Lord Jesus, my dear friends, is the Savior and He alone saves. How does He save? He saves by His body. Yes, in that very body was full adherence to God's law, fully obeyed God's perfect word. No infraction of any of God's commandments in the Lord Jesus. He was without sin. But then, at the end of his life, he laid down his life here. He went to the cross. He said, I give my life for the sheep. And he said, my sheep hear my voice. They come unto me and I give them eternal life. You see, he had to go to the cross because God is just and Christ was the sin bearer of all that would come to him. It says in Isaiah 53, verse 11, that He would bear the sin of many. This bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ, is that manner which is to eternal life. Friends, bread will not give you life eternal. We all love the smell, do we not, of fresh Baked bread. It's a lovely smell. But friends, that ultimately doesn't satisfy and will not give you eternal life. But the Lord Jesus said, I am the bread of life. Why? Because He is very God become man. To do what man could not do and cannot do. And that is to satisfy God's law. And then to bear the penalty of the sin of all His people who believe upon Him. You know, the Bible says without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin. But this Lord Jesus, friends, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, no sin in Him. It was His love that He should lay down His life for sinners, that He should shed His precious blood, that He should bear divine justice, friend. What do you think of Christ? What is He to you? To some people, He is just a name. To some people, sadly, He is a swear word. Friends, He is God's eternal Son, who always was with the Father. God is one, and yet in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Of course, God is Spirit, but He who is Spirit took on Himself real human flesh. You know, He said, I am coming again. He said in Revelation chapter 22, lo, I come quickly. That is suddenly. People marked at God's judgment in the old world. I'll read to you some words from Peter, 2 Peter and the chapter 3. Here Peter is reminding people how in the last days men will mock the coming of Christ, men will ridicule His second coming. It says this in verse 3 of 2 Peter 3, knowing this first that there shall come in the last days, scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." Well, those people are wrong, because things haven't continued since the beginning of creation. And Peter goes on to explain that they forget that the ancient world was destroyed by a flood. And I know there are people that laugh and scoff and mock at this idea. But it is true. This is how we can explain how the dinosaurs became extinct because they were not upon that ark. But the Lord destroyed this present world. Many years ago God had warned the wicked world. In Genesis chapter 6 we are told that wickedness had abounded so much that it grieved the heart of God that He had made man. and he destroyed every living creature save which was upon that ark. And Peter reminds us here that in the last days scoffers will come saying, where is the promise of his coming? And then Peter tells us that this they forget, whereby that the world that was being overflowed with water perished, but the heavens and the earth which are now We are told by the same words are kept in store reserved under fire. God destroyed this earth with water first, but ultimately it will be destroyed with fire. Yes, a most severe thing. We're told that the elements that we see, the earth and everything that is in, will melt with fervent heat at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sin of many. And he shall appear that second time, and their bodies shall be raised. When the Christian dies now, The spirit goes to be with the Lord who gave it. My dear friend, are you ready for that hour that the Lord might even take you from this life? Are you ready to meet the Lord? The Lord Jesus said, I am the bread of life. He that comes to him shall never thirst. In this life, the Lord gives peace, meaning of life, forgiveness of sin, It is only through his perfect body and his shed blood that sinners are received. He said, no man comes to the Father but by me. Sinners are received by Jesus Christ. Friends, it's not by one's so-called good works. For many, friends, think that they're saved by good works. That's what other religions tell you. Other religions will tell you this is what you need to do to be right with God. But the Bible simply tells us what God has done in the Lord Jesus Christ for those who are His people. They come to Him and they believe upon Him and they have eternal life. They can know that they have eternal life because of what Christ has done for them. You see, Christianity is for the humble, the humble who realizes and understands that in Him, as the Apostle Paul said, in me dwells no good thing. Now, we might do many good things, I suppose, in life, but so often those good deeds are tainted with pride. Friends, have we anything to be proud about? Even our best deeds, maybe even our prayers, we've been proud over. But friends, what can sinners do to present themselves before a holy God? Nothing, nothing. It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that sinners are received. Not by works of righteousness, says the Apostle Paul. It's not by works of righteousness that we are saved, but it is by Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. And many mark the idea of a God that judges sin. Well, friends, He does judge sin. The proof, again, is seen every day. by people dying. We die because of our sin. The wages of sin, says the Bible, is death. There's not a single person here upon the high street, I believe, that could ever say, or anywhere in the world, that I've never sinned, that I've never done anything wrong. It's true of all of us. We have sinned. We have come short of God's standards. And we must not imagine somehow that the Lord is accommodating to any sin. You know, it's not. .. Some people have this idea that it's only really bad people that go to hell. But friends, all are bad. All have sinned. And we mustn't imagine that heaven really is for good people. No, it's for saved people, for people who know the Lord Jesus. He said, no man, no person, no old man, no young man, no old woman, no young woman can come to the Father but by Me. Friends, He is that Bread of Life. You think of the people, as we were speaking earlier about the Hebrews, they were utterly reliant upon that manna that was coming down from heaven every day. There was no food in the wilderness. It was a barren place. And God provided just what they needed. And it's amazing really to think how God brought that whole nation through from Egypt into the Promised Land. It's a glorious, a wonderful miracle, dear friends, that the Lord Jesus Christ did such a thing. The Lord is very gracious. Thank you, friend. Very gracious and kind. And this is what he did. He was so merciful in giving his dear son, who is the bread of life. He who gives eternal life again, You may not be a Christian, but you only have to look at the miraculous way that God brought the people there from Egypt into the Promised Land. For 40 years they were in the wilderness. All the nations trembled because God had brought them out in such a mighty way that furthermore there was water that came from the rock. There was a time when Moses brought the elders to that rock and the Lord had shown him and he struck the rock with his staff and water flowed from that rock and it sustained all the people. They drank and they were satisfied and Paul tells us that that rock was Christ. It was emblematic of him. Christ is that water of life. Friends, He is the one that is sustaining you right now. The one that is giving you a breathing lung and a beating heart. You are not living alone without God. He is sustaining you. He is keeping you. Friends, there is eternal life. Have you given thought to this? Many people spend so much time thinking about this life. There is that parable which the Lord Jesus Christ gave concerning the wealthy farmer. One year had a great abundance of crop and he thought, he said to his soul that he would build more barns and so he went ahead and built more barns to put all of his grain in and That night the Lord said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee. Friends, we might be storing up riches, wealth, but you don't really know how long you have here. Do you know? Can you tell me how long you have to live? And are you ready for eternity? Christ, my friend, is the only one that can fit a man or a woman, a boy or a girl for eternity. He is the bread of life. In Him there is forgiveness of sins. In Him there is hope for heaven. He saves to the uttermost God. All who come unto Him by Christ Jesus. Why? Because He is the Saviour. He is the appointed means in which God is determined to save His people. The Father has given Him a people. They will be given faith. They will be changed in their heart. They will come to their senses and they will realize that they have sinned. Friends, it's senseless to be upon this high street here today and to think that we can stand before a holy God. It's absolutely Mind-blowing to me. When I think of people that think that they could stand before an infinitely holy God, we cannot. You know, we cannot look at the sun for a minute without being blind. But we're told in the Word of God that God dwells in unapproachable light. We would be, as it were, burned by His holiness and His wrath. Who shall stand his fiery day of judgment? Men did not stand in the judgment when God flooded the earth. Men mocked Noah for preaching God's word. What is this man doing, building this ark, this great big monstrosity? Of course, we're told in those days men hadn't seen rain. There was a mist that covered the earth. But God did flood because God judged and the whole earth was destroyed. And only eight people were spared. Those that went into that ark, they were spared. And Christ, my dear friends, is the only Savior in this world. We're told there is no other name under heaven given amongst men. whereby we must be saved. You cannot be saved any other way. There are not many roads to God. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. Have you sought him, friend? He's a gracious Lord, ready to pardon, ready to receive sinners. His people will Know and understand the Lord Jesus. They will be taught of God. Has God shown you, friends, you are a sinner? Well, those who are Christ's will come for sure. Not one, he said, shall be lost, but shall all come to him. This is our hope, that the Lord will call people Here from Hemel Hempstead I've seen a number of people listening. We would like you to take a tract afterwards today and invite you to the church, as I said at the outset, we're a local Bible-believing church here in Hemel Hempstead in Nash Mills on the corner of Lower Road and Red Lion Lane. And we meet this Lord's Day. What day is that? It's Sunday when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. That's why we speak of it as the Lord's Day. This coming Sunday, 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the corner of Lower Road and Red Line Lane. As I said, we're a local Bible-believing church. This coming year, we'll be thanking the Lord for preserving us for some 217 years here in Hemel Hempstead. It's a long time and it's the same message of the Bible that we preach. It's the unchanging message that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and I can assure you if you came along you'd receive a very warm welcome and no Prior knowledge of the Bible is necessary if you come along, and we'll even give you a Bible if you come along to hear God's Word. So do come and give your soul no rest, friends, until you seek the Lord with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, I am the bread of life. Do you know the Lord Jesus, friend? to be that bread of life. Is he your life now? Do you long for his coming? Well, we do if we're Christians. We love him because he first loved us, he gave his life for us, he shed his precious blood that we would be forgiven of all of our sins. May God bless his word.