Well, in God's great wisdom, he created mankind, putting within each person an innate desire to eat, brought on by natural hunger. And I don't have to ask any of you if you've ever hungered. A lot of us have said at times when we're so hungry that we think we're starving to death. By God's ingenious design, babies are born with a natural and unstoppable sense of hunger that drives them to instinctively cry for food. I used to think as you see people out on the street with signs that say, we'll work for food, babies should be born with a sign that says, we'll cry for food. Babies don't have to be taught how to eat. As surely as we are born, we hunger. And then think about how much of our life revolves around eating, how many grocery stores and restaurants there are. And every home I know of has a kitchen with a refrigerator and a pantry. And consider the food industry, stimulating the appetite and then satisfying that hunger is big business. Think of the nation's farms and the massive transportation systems needed to deliver food. Feeding people is big business because everybody eats. Of necessity we eat and sadly, we in the United States often eat when it is not of necessity. Christian fellowship often involves food. As Almighty God created us, hunger followed by eating to satisfy that hunger is common to all. People from every land and every nation, from every tribe and every tongue know what it is to hunger and are given to a daily hungering after that so they might be satisfied. So how wonderful it is that in the wisdom of God, our Lord Jesus ministers his truth to us through his word by employing food as an object lesson. It is astounding how the good Lord uses the most common things of the human experience, things every man, woman, and child can identify with to illustrate profound heavenly truths. It is by the mercy of God that our Lord Jesus Christ identifies himself as the bread of life. Further, as we read of the people of John chapter six, who had no spiritual appetite for the heavenly truth of Jesus being only concerned with satisfying their physical hunger, let us be a people who prayerfully consider what we most desire. What do we hunger and thirst after most? Let us ask of the Lord to grant us a voracious appetite for heavenly truth. If we are not concerned for and reverent toward the things of God, we will be like those of our text today, to whom the Lord ministered the truth of eternal life, but who altogether missed the truth of who Jesus is. They desire to make Jesus their earthly king, so he would serve their earthly purposes. But to be saved, one must know and believe Jesus, for who he is, he is the Son of God, Savior of the world, the bread of life. So in opening to the sixth chapter of John, we read as Jesus performed a great miracle, miraculously feeding the 5,000 by creatively multiplying the loaves and the fish. This miracle was so astounding that it captivated the people as they recognized Jesus to be the prophet, the prophet spoken of by Moses. They wanted to take Jesus by force. They were willing to war with the people in Jerusalem to make Jesus their earthly king, to serve their earthly purposes, overthrowing Rome, healing them of their diseases and miraculously feeding them without them having to labor. Knowing the wrong motives and their ill intentions, our Lord Jesus sent his disciples away to Capernaum while he went off by himself to the mountains. As we read last Lord's Day, when the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee on their way to Capernaum, a great storm came upon them in a powerful supernatural display of his divinity, Jesus came to the rescue by walking on the water. When they received Jesus into the boat, the scripture says the wind ceased, and the scripture says immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Matthew and Mark tell that the disciples were greatly astonished and worshiped him saying, you are certainly God's son, amen. We agree, Jesus certainly is God's son and all the church said, amen. Now I want to say something about that sermon last week or that text of Jesus walking on the water and rescuing his disciples. This week, I rarely listen to the Christian radio. I usually choose my, sermons I'm going to listen to or the songs I'm going to listen to, but this week I happened to turn on the Christian radio. And there was a pastor there, which I don't have anything negative to say about. I want to commend him. He's on the radio preaching from the Bible, but he was preaching on this text of Jesus walking on the water. And he was saying that that text is about us having faith to step out of the boat. I want to tell you that though that may be an application, that text is about the divinity of Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God. So don't settle for a lower application while missing the higher truth. That text is about Jesus being God the Son who saves His people from their sin, amen? Well, the following day after Jesus rescued those who were in the boat, the following day, those who had eaten of the miraculously supplied loaves of fish wondered where Jesus was. Sailing to Capernaum, they found him, and it was there that Jesus called them out. He exposed them for what they were. He told them that he knew that they were following him, not even for the signs he performed, but only for the food he provided. Seizing the opportunity, Jesus ministered to their greater and as yet unrecognized spiritual need. Jesus said to them, chapter six, verse 27, do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you. Failing to comprehend the spiritual implication of what Jesus said, they asked, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? And Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God, that you may believe in Him whom He has sent. So Jesus told them that God required that they believe in Him as the Son of God, whom God the Father sent. This is what God requires. You must believe in Jesus, that He is the Son of God sent by God the Father. Now, the people understood in part what Jesus was telling them. In order for them to have eternal life, they must believe in Him, that He is the Son of God sent by the Heavenly Father. And now then, we come to study John chapter six, verses 30 through 37, and we read of their fallen response to what Jesus said. Their response is fallen as they challenge Jesus, and then we read as Christ Jesus ministers his gospel to them, declaring himself to be the bread of life. With Bibles open to our text, John chapter six, preparing to read verses 30 through 37, please. As an outward display of our inward reverence for God, let us stand for the reading. Now, again, with the people hearing Jesus say that for them to have eternal life, they must believe in him as the one whom the father sent, verse 30, they said, therefore, to him, what then do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus therefore said to them, truly, truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you bread out of heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. They said therefore to him, Lord evermore give us this bread. 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. But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet you do not believe. All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Our Lord, as we have opened your word, we ask that you would open your word to us. Help us to understand that which you communicated 2,000 years ago to the people that you talk to, and then, Lord, today to us. We are just as needy as they were. Help us, Lord, to understand what it means that you are the bread of life, and then help us, Lord, to partake of you. We look to you, Lord. You are our only hope. You are Lord and God, and we will praise you. In Christ Jesus name I pray and the church said, amen. God bless you, you may be seated. Now to help us understand or to study this text, I offer this outline. Number one, the people's challenge. Number two, the Lord's correction. Number three, the people's goal. And number four, the Lord's gospel. And I have a very short and simple six word statement for our sermon today. Salvation is the work of God. And the church said, amen. The people's challenge. After Jesus explained that in order to gain eternal life, God requires that they believe in Him, that He is the Son of God sent by the Father, the people responded, verse 30, and they said therefore to Him, what then do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Their challenge is utterly ridiculous. They are among those who a few days earlier ate of the multiplied loaves and fish until everyone, including themselves, had their fill and their 12 basketfuls left over. And here they demand a sign from Jesus so they may see and believe that the Father sent him. demonstrating that they did not believe in Jesus as God requires, the people challenged him, asking him what miraculous sign he would work so they could see and believe him. And then we need to take special note here that while Jesus spoke of the necessity of believing in him, verse 29, they speak only of believing him. Now, I know we're a few months away from it, but in John chapter eight, I'm gonna spend some time talking about the difference of believing Jesus and believing in Jesus. So don't hold your breath, we'll get there soon enough. There is a difference between believing Him and believing in Him. They want something from Jesus. And in an effort to manipulate Him, they think to put Him to the test. They are saying, well, if you are the son sent by the Father, as you say, then prove it to us, show us, give us a sign that we may see and believe you. When the scribes and Pharisees of Matthew chapter 12 asked Jesus to show them a sign, Jesus answered them, Matthew 12, 39, and he said to them, an evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign. And as the scripture records, upon receiving a sign, the evil and adulterous generation still refuse to believe. As illustrated in Luke chapter 16, verse 31, if one will not receive the word of truth, neither will they be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead. As recorded at the end of Mark 15, at his crucifixion, the chief priests along with the scribes were mocking him saying, let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross so that we may see and believe. An evil and adulterous generation demands a supernatural sign. As John chapter 20 tells us, When Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead, Thomas said, unless I see in his hands the imprints of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand in his side, I will not believe. But after Jesus revealed himself to Thomas, and Thomas believed saying, my Lord and my God, Jesus said to him, because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed. We are called to believe in Jesus no matter what we see. Faith in Jesus is what God requires. We walk by faith and not by sight. Having heard of Jesus, let us believe his word. Church, Jesus said, blessed are they who did not see and yet believe. Now here in the text. The Lord told the people who had witnessed the miracle of the loaves and the fish that they were to believe that he was sent by the Father. But because they wanted another meal for their belly rather than life for their soul, they demanded that he work a seeable sign claiming that if he would work that, if he would feed them, they would believe him. They are trying to manipulate Jesus. If you do what we say, you give us another free fish sandwich, we'll believe in you. Beloved, if seeing Jesus perform a sign would be enough for them to believe in him, then they would have already believed for they ate of the loaves and the fish. In an effort then, again, to manipulate Jesus, they continued to challenge him and they said this, verse 31, our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, he gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Now Jesus just confronted them saying that the only reason they followed him was for the food. Here, by their own words, they verified the truth of our Lord's indictment. Their desire is not for Jesus, but for the physical food he can provide. And I'm afraid today, perhaps our churches are full of people who want what Jesus will give them, but do not want Jesus himself. They want Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. And beloved, if he is your Savior, he is your Lord. What sign would these have Jesus give that they may, as they claim, see and believe? They wanted him to feed them, again, but this time they want manna from heaven. What's behind their grumbling mouths and rumbling tummies? In agreement with other resources, FF Bruce wrote, the rabbis of the day taught that the new age would be marked by the restoration of the gift of manna. the people may have meant. In the messianic age, the gift of manna will be renewed. Give us manna that we may know that the messianic age has truly dawned." With this in mind, the loaves and the fish that Jesus prayed over and multiplied were from earth, from a boy's lunch. But Moses fed their forefathers manna from heaven. In their fallenness, the loaves and fish were insufficient proof. They insisted that in order to believe in Him, He must feed them manna from heaven. It was to say, Jesus of Nazareth, you say you are sent from heaven? Well, prove it by feeding us from heaven. Call down food from heaven. Now surely, we see the duplicity of their challenge. A day before, when they were fed from his hand, they said he was the prophet spoken of by Moses, but now they are hungry again, they want to be fed, and they say that he must feed them from heaven. They insist that he feeds them manna from heaven, as did Moses. Of course, church, if Jesus fed them manna from heaven, they would end up grumbling about it just as their forefathers did in the wilderness. Nevertheless, We might, while we might wonder at these who would challenge the Lord in such a way, I ask, how often do we lay godless challenges before the Lord? How often do we set conditions upon Him that we expect in the meat if we are to believe or trust in Him? How often do we question the Lord and think He should respond as we want or demand? Now, it's one thing to say, Lord, I don't understand this, why are you doing this? But it's another thing to say, Lord, why are you doing this? How often do we think to try to manipulate God into giving us our wants rather than worshiping Him because of who He is? How often do we fail to be content and thankful for what he has given us, but give us more Lord. We're not grateful for what we got, but what you've given us, but give us more. Let us rightly examine our motives and be sure that we are not so arrogant as to insist that the Christ who died for us must prove himself to us once again by meeting our earthly desires. Let us believe every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God on account that it proceeds out of the mouth of God. Some years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker. Some of you might remember this. Not many of you are as old as I am. Some years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker that said, God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Well, that bumper sticker is an error. It should say, God said it. That says it. Well, the Lord is not to be about to be manipulated. And he certainly is not intimidated that he would have to prove himself as they demand. Nor was this truth somehow dependent upon their believing it. Truth is truth, whether we believe it or not. but in divine love and with a great desire to minister the gospel that they might hear and believe in him, the Lord corrected them. So we have the Lord's correction, verses 32 and 33. Jesus therefore said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. So the Lord underscores the significance of what he is about to say by saying, truly, truly. If you hear anything, hear this. The people have something wrong, and it is very basic. And if they have something so basic wrong, think of the major errors they must hold on to. Hear this, Jesus says. He begins to correct him. It is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is my father. Moses didn't give bread from heaven as they claimed. The he they spoke of in verse 31 was Moses. Referring to Moses, they said, he gave them bread out of heaven to eat, but they are wrong. It was God the Father who gave bread from heaven. Exodus 16 verse four. Then the Lord said to Moses, behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day. This shows just how spiritually blind and deficient these people were. They misunderstood and failed to believe their own scriptures concerning Moses, manna, and God. Scripture unmistakably credits God for sending the manna from heaven. In merciful kindness, Jesus corrected the people by showing them their error and shining light on their spiritual darkness. He expresses that they are deficient in their comprehension of heavenly things. He is showing them that they need much more than food for their stomach and a miraculous sign for their eyes. They need the work God works work in them so they may believe in Jesus. He's showing them their deficiencies. They are so lost and so confused that they didn't even understand it wasn't Moses who gave their father's bread, but God, Almighty God. God is the provider and the church says, amen. As God was the provider of the manna in the wilderness, God presently is the provider of the bread which endures into eternal life. So in one statement, Jesus showed a contrast between the perishable bread God gave back then in the wilderness, and which they desired, and the true spiritual bread God gives and endures unto eternal life, which they are ignorant of. Just as it was not Moses who gave their father's bread out of heaven, but God, it is God who gives true bread. Don't hunger for false bread or for temporary bread, but hunger for true bread. Let him who has ears to hear hear what the Spirit says. The bread God provided their fathers in the wilderness foreshadowed the true bread which the Father now gives and stands before them. Do you see the transition Jesus makes? He wisely moves them from their earthly thoughts to heavenly truth. from natural bread, the natural bread God gave, to the spiritual bread God gives, from man-centeredness to God-exalting truth. Jesus said, it is my Father who gives you true bread out of heaven. Now, no doubt, they wondered what in the world Jesus was talking about. What is this true bread that God gives out of heaven? And Jesus explains, verse 33, for the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. Jesus speaks of a bread that is of God. And let's not miss those two little words, of God, great words. Let's not miss it. Jesus speaks of a bread that is of God, that is of the substance of God and gives life to the world. Throughout this gospel, the Greek word zo, or zoe, translated life, and the phrase gives life to the world, refers to spiritual life everlasting. That's how John uses it throughout his gospel. In contrast to the God-given manna that he sent from heaven during Moses' day, which temporarily sustained physical life, this true bread of God, which that manna foreshadowed, which God is supplying, presently supplying, is that which comes down out of heaven and gives spiritual life everlasting. Well, this true bread is of an entirely different quality than that manna. This spiritual bread of God, of the substance of God, gives eternal spiritual life to the world. is not a bread that falls from heaven for the nation of Israel alone, but it will give life to all the nations of the world. As the apostle Peter wrote in Acts 10, 34 through 35, God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation, the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. And the scripture says, Romans 10, 13, whoever shall call upon his name shall be saved. Having ministered these truths to the crowd, correcting them of their error and pointing them to the spiritual, verse 34, they said therefore to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. So now we have the people's goal. Their desire for Jesus to prove himself was a ploy for more food. And with their fallen physical appetite not allowing for their dull minds to ascend to the spiritual realm, earthly food remains their fallen goal. Upon hearing Jesus speak of the bread of which God gives that comes from heaven and gives life to the world, the people implored Jesus that he should evermore give them that bread. When they say evermore, give us this bread, they are saying always from now on, give us this bread. Their hope being that he would be their king, so they would never hunger again, nor have to labor for their food. And remember, laboring for food was a part of the curse, Genesis 3, 17 through 19. So when they talk about getting manna from heaven, part of the wonder of that manna from heaven is coming out from under the curse. We don't even have to work for it. They understand Jesus to be saying that this bread of God which comes from heaven would ever satisfy with an eternal supply enough for the entire world that they would not have to work for it. And they were right that Jesus was saying, but still they continue to hear and think in physical terms, not spiritual. They are seeking food for their belly, ease from toil, and not salvation for their soul. Their response was very much akin to the initial response of the woman at the well. When the Samaritan woman heard that the Lord could give water that would satisfy her thirst forever, she responded saying what? Chapter four, verse 15. Sir, give me this water so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw. Do you see that? So I don't thirst and I don't have to work for it. Obviously at that point, her concern was physical, not spiritual. And here, as the text bears out, these show a similar fallen response. So sadly, their goal and their response, Lord, evermore give us this bread, was to receive food for the physical body while being delivered from the curse of toiling for that food. They are not concerned for the salvation of their soul. Though their request is sincere, it is fallen, and not born of faith in Jesus. And speaking plainly, leaving no room for misunderstanding, verse 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. So now we have the Lord's gospel. Here, Jesus told them in the clearest terms that he was speaking of himself. He is the bread of life whom the Father has sent. He is the true bread the Father gives out of heaven, which the manna in the wilderness illustrated. He is the bread of God, of the substance of God, which comes down from heaven and gives everlasting life to the world. Jesus is saying, remove physical food from your thoughts. I'm not talking about physical loaves of barley bread. I'm not saying that I have some kind of mystical bread made from water and flour that I will call down from heaven, that if you eat it, you will ever be satisfied. I am referring to myself. I am the true bread of God, of the substance of God. I am the bread of life sent by God, my Father, to save you and all who believe in me. Therefore, the one who comes to me believing in me shall be satisfied forevermore with life everlasting. To make clear that I am not talking about physical material bread, but using bread as an illustration, I reemphasize this truth by saying this, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. If you will partake of Jesus, What does it mean to partake in Jesus? To believe in Him. To believe in Him as Savior and Lord. If you will partake of Jesus as the true bread of life and the true living water, that is, if you will believe in Him as the true Son of God sent by God the Father, you will inherit eternal life. Now here is the problem with these people, and I think oftentimes we miss this. Here is the problem with these people. They don't think they need to be saved. They think that by birthright, because of their bloodline, they are right with God. They are not thinking to be saved by faith in Jesus. They're not thinking to repent of their sin, but they are waiting for the kingdom to come to them, for them as God's chosen people to be ushered into the eternal state. But here all along and consistently, Jesus is teaching that all need to be born again. You must be born again. All souls need God to do a sovereign work within them. We need his saving grace, for we are not right with God by birthright, nor by any meritorious work of our own, but by faith alone in Christ alone. For he alone is the Son of God sent from heaven by God his Father. It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, what you've been born into, how much you have or how pious you may be. To be right with God, to be saved from sin to eternal life, you must believe in Jesus for he is the bread of God, the bread of life. Partake of him and live. Believe in Christ Jesus and you will be saved. You must be born again. You must be saved. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 55, verses one through seven. Ho, everyone whose thirst come to the waters. And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me. Listen that you may live. and I will make an everlasting covenant with you according to the faithful mercies shown to David. Behold, I have made him a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know and a nation which knows you not will run to you because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found, "'Call upon him while he is near. "'Let the wicked forsake his way "'and the unrighteous man his thoughts, "'and let him return to the Lord, "'and he will have compassion on him, "'and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.'" This is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believe in him and be saved from the wages of sin to life everlasting. Jesus called the people to come to him in faith believing, promising that all who believed in him, all who partook in him as the bread of life would be spiritually forever satisfied. Jesus commands, come to me, come to me. MacArthur writes, to come to Christ is to forsake the old life of sin and rebellion and submit to him as Lord. Though John does not use the term repentance in his gospel, the concept is clearly implied in the idea of coming to Christ. As Charles Spurgeon put it, you and your sins must separate or you and your God will never come together. To believe in Christ is to trust completely in him as Messiah and Son of God, to acknowledge that salvation comes slowly through faith in him. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. To repent is to turn from sin, and to believe is to turn to the Savior. End quote. Jesus called the people to come to him, believing him to be the bread of everlasting life, of the substance of the Father, sent from his heavenly Father. And Jesus states, he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. Jesus is calling upon the people to believe in him, and in so doing, he confronts their unbelief. They challenged him. What then do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you? And here he exposes their willful unbelief, verse 36, but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Since the word said is in the past tense, we comprehend that God, that Jesus is repeating what he said at some earlier point. They say that they want a sign so they may believe, see and believe, but indeed they have seen him and yet did not believe. Though they saw him, they did not recognize his glory. A.W. Pink wrote, even the sight of Christ in the flesh, and the beholding of his wondrous miracles did not bring men to believe on him. Oh, the depravity of the human heart. In great mercy and saving grace, Jesus exposed their blatant unbelief. They have seen him and yet have not believed. They saw him. The testimony had gone out when John baptized him and the father bore witness of him as his son. This is my son in whom I'm well pleased. That's when John the Baptist realized that his cousin was the Christ. They've seen him twice in Jerusalem as he confronted the temple merchants and worked many signs. They saw Him as He healed their sick and multiplied the loaves and fish and they ate. And still refusing to believe in Jesus, they challenged Him to show them a sign, feeding them once again. Then will they believe? They deceived themselves. Do you see, dear church? Instead of crying out to God for mercy, repenting of their sin, they sought to justify their unbelief. but they must own their unbelief just as we must own our unbelief. Jesus said, you have seen me and yet do not believe. They are without excuse. Their failure to believe in him is theirs and to their own condemnation, John 3, 17 and 18. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. And he who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe in Him has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So they say, show us a convincing sign, then we will believe. And Jesus answered, you are mistaken, for you have seen me, you have seen my signs, and still you do not believe. Seeing another sign will not bring you to faith, for you are a faithless people. In our outline, I have titled this section, The Lord's Gospel. As we know, the good news of Jesus Christ is so good because the bad news is so bad. When you talk to somebody about being saved, you have to tell them what they need to be saved from and to. In these verses of scripture, Jesus has shown these poor souls that they are lost. They seek to justify their unbelief, saying they need more seeable proof. But Jesus tells them that they have seen him and still they don't believe. He is telling them they are lost in their sin of unbelief, that they do not have eternal life and that they cannot save themselves. And this is a part of the Lord's gospel. Before one will get saved, they must understand that they are in need of salvation. They are in need of saving grace. having shown them their losses and the great need for eternal life, they should be reasoning then within themselves saying, Jesus is right. I have seen him. I said if he does something seeable, I'll believe, but I have seen him and still I don't believe. Jesus is right. Another sign will not convince me. I don't believe because I don't believe. The guilt is on me, the onus of unbelief is on me. We could be like those in the book of Romans whom Paul confronted and they said, well, if God is sovereign over all things, then how can he hold me accountable? And what does Paul say? Who are you, oh man, to talk back to God? Will the pot say to the potter, why did you make me like this? Church, the onus of unbelief is on the unbeliever. Well, having unveiled their unbelief, Jesus continues by telling them how one is saved. Then he says, verse 37, all that the Father gives me shall come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. Our Lord Jesus spoke to them about the sovereignty of God in salvation, of the sovereign grace of God in granting saving faith. Jesus is teaching a man's total depravity and total dependency upon God for His saving grace. He announced, all that the Father gives me shall come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. No one will believe in Jesus until the Father gives it to them, as Jesus said, verse 29, this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. This is the work of God. that you believe in him whom he has sent. With unwavering confidence, Jesus speaks the truth, all that the Father gives me shall come to me. They said they would believe if Jesus showed them a sign, but Jesus took that lie of an excuse away, pointing out to them that they have seen him in his signs, yet they don't believe. Seeing is not the substance of faith. The one excuse they claim for their unbelief was taken away, the rug has been pulled out from under them. Here all along they thought they were in being the chosen people of God. We're Jews, we're of the chosen nation, we're in a church. God choosing to favor a nation is not a guarantee of individual salvation. Only a remnant will be saved. So when Jesus says, all that the Father gives me shall come to me, it comes to them that they must consider the why of their unbelief. Why don't I believe in Jesus? And the answer is a startling reality. Let's put ourselves back in their shoes. as Jews, the favored nation of God, to whom the scripture is given, to whom Christ has come. The answer, why they don't believe, is a startling reality. If it is true, and it is, that all whom the Father gives Jesus shall come to Jesus, and I have not come to Jesus, then it is apparent that the Father has not given me to him. Now think of this. It's awful quiet in here. Now think of this. They were so bold as to challenge Jesus, but here Jesus is very much challenging them and their common system of belief. They as a people think they are saved and possess eternal life by bloodline because of their heritage that they are just born into it. Therefore they are not relying on God for his saving grace. Oh, they're looking for the promised Messiah, they sure are. And they trust that God will send him but only to save them from Rome to automatically usher them into the golden age. They see no need to ask Messiah to save them from their sin and grant them everlasting life or their end. They are not dependent upon God for saving grace for they think they need no saving grace. If it is true, that all whom the Father gives Jesus shall come to him in faith believing, and one has not come to him in faith believing, then the reality is God has not yet given it to them. This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. If I have not come to Jesus in faith believing, then I do not believe, then the work of God works has not been worked in me. And if I'm hearing these words of Jesus and I realize I have not come to Him for I'm lost in my sin, then I have but one plea. I must throw myself on the mercies of God for God is the one who saves. I must cry out, Lord, save me the sinner, Christ Jesus, Son of God, save me the sinner. and before I cry out to him, his promise is already given, that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Thus Jesus emphatically states, and the one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out. So here the concern is moved from the father giving me to Jesus to whether or not I will cry out to him and cry out, come to Jesus. Our Lord Jesus receives all who come to Him in faith believing. If you would come to Jesus, if you would cry out to the Father for His mercy and His grace, then the Father has given you to His Son, whom He sent to be the Savior of the world. And His Son, our Lord Jesus, receives you in. One must own their unbelief, they must confess their sin, and they must throw themselves before God's throne of mercy. We must come to Jesus by faith, believing in him. If you will, then the Father has given you to a son and Jesus receives you to himself. He is the bread of life, believe in him. This nonsense, where someone will read the scripture and say, well, I'm not of the elect, therefore I don't believe. You must own your unbelief. you must own it, you cannot throw it off on God. Jesus says, whoever comes to me, I will not cast out. So we have to understand I'm in sin, I need a savior, I can't save myself, my bloodline, my piety will not save me, my righteousness is a filthy rag before God, I must throw myself at his mercy, and he saves. Conclusion. May we who are in the church not be like the Jews of Jesus' day. Let us not think that because of proximity or bloodline or heritage that we are in. But as Jesus spoke to the church in Laodicea, let us apply his words to ourselves. The Lord said, Revelation 3, 19 through 22, those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him and he with me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Salvation is a matter of being born again, of being born of God. Dear and most precious soul, insufficient evidence is never the cause of one's failure to believe in Jesus. but one refuses to believe because they refuse to humbly come before God, confessing their sin, pleading his mercy and grace. They refuse to believe in Jesus because they love their sin, even in the church, their sin of self-righteousness, more than they love Jesus. They want his gifts, but they don't want him as Lord. If one does not believe in Jesus, again, it is not for lack of evidence, but it is because they are dead in their trespasses and sin. If you would be saved, then you must depend upon the Lord God alone. If you would believe in Jesus, if you would have Jesus, then you must receive him unto yourself. You must believe in him, you must cry out to God for his mercy and his saving grace. and all whom the Father gives to Him, come to Him. And whoever comes to Him, He will not cast out, but He will receive you unto Himself. It doesn't matter how good or bad you have been, how high or low of a life you lived, Jesus saves the sinner. Confess your sins and come to Him. Jesus said, I am the bread of life, He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Our heavenly Father, we bow before you after the preaching of your word. And Lord, I pray that each one who has heard will take what is of you and receive it. And may your word be planted deep in their heart that they and I myself might not sin against you. I pray Heavenly Father for all who hear this message who have not believed in Jesus and made every excuse in the world not to believe. They have questioned the scripture. They have questioned the truths of Christ. They look around and they doubt. Lord, I pray today that they will own their sin that they will realize the onus of their unbelief is upon them, and Lord, realizing that they do not believe because they have chosen not to believe, that they will fall before you, Lord, and plead your mercy and your grace, and confess Jesus as Christ. Lord, may we not be a people who believe some things about you, Jesus, but who believe in you. Grant these things, I pray in Christ's name, amen. Let's stand to our feet and worship our Lord by singing a song together.