Why are you here today?
I would like to believe that you are here because of the amazing preaching or because the music just rocks. But it could be about the food or you just like hanging out with us.
But maybe you're hear out of obligation or guilt. Maybe you've been hurt and need to be lifted up and supported by your church family. Maybe you're just looking for answers.
There are lots of reasons why you are here today . . . but of all the possible reasons, let’s assume that you are all here because you are trying to follow Jesus . . . to be a disciple.
And you believe that this is the primary place to help you do that because it’s here that you are exposed to God’s word and to music that helps you connect emotionally to God. And for you with children, you know that your kids are cared for and nurtured by people who love God and love your kids.
And often times you leave this place feeling good about your experience. Just fired up about what God is doing at Logos Dei and you’re so excited to be a part of it.
No matter what your reason, I think that the sign we see in John's gospel might challenge all of us . . .
There was just something exciting and magnetic about the personality of Jesus that drew huge crowds wherever he went. And they all came for different reasons.
Some had heard about his preaching and teaching;
Others had heard about his miracles and they wanted to get close enough to experience the unusual energy that seemed to surround him.
And there were some who were critics and just wanted to challenge his every move.
And this has been going on for a lengthy season . . . so as you can imagine . . . Jesus is exhausted.
He tells the disciples to pull up the boat and to take him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee so that he might actually get a day off because the Sea of Galilee is 12 miles across and they’re in a row boat so it’s going to take a while.
And when they get to the other side, they climbed a mountain and sat down to catch their breath and spend some time together but when they look up, can you believe it . . . here they come.
The crowd had somehow found their way to Jesus . . . I don’t know if they had walked around the sea or rented boats to cross the sea but there they were, 5,000 of them and that was only counting the men. It doesn’t include the women and children so it could have easily been a crowd of 20,000 people.
Men, women, children, young, old, middle aged, healthy, the sick, the lonely, the confused, ones struggling with life and all of them climbing up the mountain to be with Jesus.
And when Jesus saw them, he saw an opportunity for ministry . . . so he looks at Phillip and says, “We've got to feed these people. Got any ideas about how we’re going to make that happen?”
Now the text tells us that this was a test because Jesus already knew what he was going to do but Phillip doesn’t know . . .
So he did some quick calculations in his head and when he multiplied the cost of a McDonald’s value meal by 20,000 and looked at the budget, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. To feed this many people would take six months of paychecks.
This was way out of their budget and besides if word gets out that Jesus not only teaches and preaches and heals and casts out demons but also gives out free meals . . . can you imagine how many more people will be following them around but now expecting a free dinner to go along with the show or at least a BOGO, right?
So he tells Jesus, this isn’t going to work. I'm sure it's a great idea but we just don't have the resources to pull off something this big. Maybe someday we'll have what it takes but not now.
Well Andrew at least gives it a shot and he goes out and collects as much food as he can but he only comes up with a 5 slices of bread and a couple of fish sticks from some kid he found in the crowd.
Surely that’s not enough.
But Jesus takes the slices of bread and fish sticks, blesses them, and starts passing it out to the crowd telling them to take as much as they want and when everyone was full, he tells the disciples to go around and collect what was left over; and can you believe it, there are 12 baskets full of bread left over, enough for each of the disciples to have one of their own.
Isn't it amazing how God takes whatever little we have to offer and does great things with it?
When the crowd sees what Jesus has done they started thinking to themselves, “This is the guy. This is the king we’ve been waiting for. The one who will deliver us from Roman oppression and re-establish the Jewish Nation. Let’s coronate him right here, right now. Then we'll make some protest signs, and climb down this mountain and march right into the city and overthrow the Roman government.”
Jesus knows what they were thinking so he slips away from the crowd.
A little while later . . . we’ll skip the part where he walks on water because that’s not really a big deal . . . but a little while later the people find him and they ask, “Dude, why did you leave us? We were fired up and ready to follow you and make things happen."
Jesus says, "I left because you guys aren’t really interested in me. You’re following me because you see these miracles and I’m really not interested in you just coming and expecting me do stuff that get's you pumped up. You guys don’t even know who I am."
And here he uses the first of the I AM statements found in the gospel of John, “I AM the bread of life”.
This is a powerful because when they hear the words I AM, they couldn’t help but remember Moses and the exodus. When Moses is tasked to go to Pharaoh and instruct him to set God’s people free . . . Moses asked, "who do I tell them sent me" and God say’s, "tell them that I AM sent you".
Do you hear what Jesus is saying?
He’s saying, “Looks guys, I am God and I’m offering more than you can imagine, but you’re missing it because you’re focusing on the signs."
Do you know what signs are for? They point you in a direction to a destination and when you arrive to that destination, guess what . . . you don’t need the signs any longer.
Sure, signs are great. Like when you’re driving home from a really long trip and you see that first sign that reads Tampa, 378 miles and you’re like, “yes” and then you come across the next sign that says Tampa, 375 miles . . . seriously, I've been driving for like a month, how can I have only 3 miles?
And this goes on and on for miles but when you finally arrive in Tampa, you don’t really need the signs any more because you can tell that you’re in Tampa. The whole “Tampa City Limits” sign and the big buildings kind of gave it away, right?
Jesus multiplied the bread as a sign that points to him and so he says, “You guys, quite focusing on the signs because it's not about the signs, it's about me. I am the bread of life and you should be longing after me but you’re only longing for what temporarily fills you up and that’s why I ran away from you.”
You see, Jesus doesn’t want followers who just want things from him. Jesus wants total commitment.
And that can be a really hard message to for us to hear . . .
He’s not thrilled because we showed up on a Sunday morning and thought I might be able to get something from Jesus today. Add a little religion to help balance out my crazy life. I might take a few good thoughts from the sermon or get emotionally lifted by the songs we sing. You know, just sprinkle a little Jesus in my life.
Jesus wants followers who are all in and are willing to say, "You know what, Jesus is enough and I am no longer satisfied with filling my temporary cravings."
• Even if the sermon wasn't all that good
• or the music didn't do anything for you
• or the words on the screen were messed up . . . again
• or we ran out of bagels and coffee
• or the person you were expecting to see and you really need a hug from didn't show up.
• It's OK because "Jesus is enough"
• To be able to gather together, in the presence of a Holy God . . . a God who loves us so much that he would send his son to die for us
• that we get to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood each week is enough.
That's what Jesus is asking for and that's why the crowd on that day was offended.
They were ok with someone who came along to do some miracles; turn water into wine, heal a dying child, straighten the legs of a man who couldn't walk for 38 years.
They were very comfortable with someone who would help them do well on their final exams, or find a meaningful relationship with someone who won't break their heart, make their car work another day, or at least help them get a good paying job so they can pay someone to make their car work.
If Jesus could just do this for me, fill that place in my life that feel so empty, then everything will be so much better in my life.
But Jesus says, "Guys, even if you get all that you want from me . . . you're still going to feel empty. That's why I left you because it's not about what I do but rather about who I AM"
When the crowds heard Jesus' words, the turned back and no longer followed him.
There are a lot of reasons why you came here this morning but I wonder, when this is all over and you head out back to your lives will you be able to say, "you know what, Jesus is enough"?