Second Message - Brandon Rickard
Message Description
Guest speaker Brandon Rickard begins the Second Message series teaching out of John 6 highlighting the shortsightedness of the people who wished to follow Jesus.
Message Transcript
It's interesting in life that there are just moments where time stands still, where things become clear and you start to understand this is what's important, and these things aren't as big of a deal. I think for many of us if you're old enough to remember 9/11 when it happened 20 years ago, it was one of those days when things just stopped. You stopped worrying about traffic or if somebody was taking too long in the front of the line at the grocery store. You started to think about your family and things that mattered.
But so much of life isn't really like that. It's like we get stuck in the selfishness of the mundane things that irritate us or frustrate us because we sort of gravitate towards the center of the universe and we get super irritated at the things that are inconveniences or frustrating. I've had some moments like this in my life. I remember just a few months ago I was driving through a drive-thru. We were waiting for our food to come out, and I just looked over at my son, it was just him and me in the car, and I thought, "Oh my goodness, I'm so glad to be a dad." I'm just staring at him, and he looks at me like, "Why are you looking at me? Stop looking at me, it's weird." I was blown away to be a dad. Or my daughter's doing this audition where she's just singing. I love hearing her voice, and I'm sitting there and I'm like, "Oh, this is wonderful. I'm so thankful for my family."
But more often what happens is like the other day, when we woke up in our hotel room and our kids were making noise. I came out of the bathroom, and I was like, "Shut up. Stop screaming. Act like a normal human being for 15 minutes. We're in the same room. Other people are listening to how you're acting. Stop being a crazy person." So much of life misses the significance of what really matters. We find ourselves irritated and frustrated. Now, even at that moment when I find myself frustrated and irritated with my kids, I reflect upon that, and I think that the root cause of that is my identity is wrapped up in how they're acting, how other people are going to look at me or them as a result of the decisions that they make.
I think what I'm doing is trying to satisfy my own soul with how they're acting. When I get really angry, it's because I've let myself revolve around them or hoping that people will see me a certain way. But the question that we're going to reflect upon, and Jesus is addressing in the passage in John 6, where we're going to be today, is will our souls ever be satisfied? The search of life, the thing that you're longing for, looking for real satisfaction, will we ever find it? Jesus talks about three things that we look to that are false satisfaction. The first thing is benefits in this life. We look to find things in this world that will benefit us, make us feel good. The second is work. We try to earn our way before God and feel like, "Look, I did it. I did enough. I've earned it." And the third thing is knowledge. We try to think, "Well, hey, if I know for certain or if God, you prove yourself to me, then I'll be satisfied if I know enough.”
The first thing He points to, that we shouldn't look to for satisfaction, that's false satisfaction, are benefits in this life. John 6, starting in verse 25. What has just happened previous to this is that Jesus has performed an incredible miracle where He takes lunch and feeds thousands of people. And then He crosses a lake, and these guys come after Him because, hey, this is pretty amazing. And so, they have this interaction with Jesus after He's done this incredible thing. This is the conversation that ensues from that. And Jesus cuts through, like He always does, all of the fog around the way we think, and He goes right after it. He goes right after the heart.
Starting in verse 25, "When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, you're looking for me not because you saw the signs that I performed 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 His seal of approval." These guys come over to Jesus, they saw Him do something incredible, and they're like, "Teacher, how'd you get here?" And Jesus is like, "Hey, I know why you're looking for me. You're looking for me because you ate that bread and your stomach was full. You're looking for me because you want something from me."
Now, this is often how we come to God. We come to God like He's some sort of cosmic genie, and we think, "Well, hey, God, if I just serve you, then I'll get a better job or I'll find the perfect spouse, or my kids will get into the best college that I'm hoping they'll get into." So, we come alongside Him, and we want a relationship with Him for what we think we can get out of it. And Jesus is like, "That means that you're toiling for food that spoils. Whatever it is in this world that you think is going to satisfy your soul will leave you empty and will ultimately crush you." And he says, "Now the real bread, actually what you're looking for, it's coming out of heaven, and it's me." He'll get to more explicitly saying that.
But we don't want to be in a relationship with people that just want something from us to enrich their lives. We have a phrase for this in our culture, it's called being a gold digger. You come alongside somebody that you know has some financial means, and you're like, "Hey, if I marry that person, I become friends with that person, maybe I'll get a little piece of the pie. Now, I'll get some of that for myself." That feels gross. Nobody wants to be on the other side of that. You don't want to be in a relationship with somebody because of that.
Now, we're going to watch a video that sort of highlights some of these truths but let me just tell you a couple of things before we watch the video. The video is of Bernie Kosar. Now, I am aware that he was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. I lived here long enough to know that that's not a great thing, okay? But Bernie, first of all, had a losing record against the Steelers. So, feel good about that. And two, it's a horrible example of how messed up he is. So, you don't have to feel weird about it. Let's watch this video together, and we'll talk about it.
Video
Reporter: Your decision to really insist on playing in your hometown, how do you think that played out?
Kosar: I thought it would be easier because it's my hometown. It ended up actually being harder because everybody who you ever met is going to come up to you, every family member you ever had is going to try to track you down.
Madalena: People associate Bernie with money, and then here comes the greed. And I think that's why people tried to take advantage of him.
Reporter: Kosar's friend, Enzo Madalena, says that because he's so approachable, and so trusting, that Kosar has been viewed as a target by those looking for an easy mark.
Mdalena: He was just one of those victims that I think his kindness sometimes gotten mistaken for weakness.
Reporter: In 2009, Kosar declared bankruptcy.
Reporter: You once told me that you've had $300 million, and you had zero.
Kosar: Yep.
Reporter: How is that possible?
Kosar: I'm really good at making it, good at spending it, great at giving it away.
For so many of us, the idea of $300 million is unbelievable, right? How in the world could you lose that amount of money? He goes to his hometown and everybody who ever walked by this guy is like, "Hey, Bernie, we went to second grade together. Remember I shared my lunch with you. Can I have 50 grand to pay off my student loans?" Everybody's coming out of the woodwork to get something of what he has. I wonder how many of those people were there when he had $0. My guess is that number is by far fewer.
You see, nobody wants to be in a relationship where somebody only wants you for what they can get out of it. This is what we say at weddings, right? You say, "For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer." We watch love stories of people that they lose everything, but as long as they're together it's like, "I don't care what we have as long as we're going through it together. I love you for you." That's what you want. In the relationships that you have, you want that, you desire that, for somebody to be interested in being in a relationship with you simply for who you are.
It's actually no different than our relationship with God. We often come in and say to God, "Well, if I can get these good benefits, and I'll be with you." And the whole time He's saying, "Don't toil for food that spoils." The thing that you want, the thing that your deepest down desire is a relationship with Him. He is the benefit alone that you are looking for. And some of you are really, really good at working hard and toiling for food in this world, but this is just a reminder for us that that food is going to spoil. And no worldly benefit was ever created to satisfy your soul.
The only bread that will never spoil comes to us through the person of Jesus Christ. God says, "I want you for you, and I want you to want me for me." To be in a relationship with Him is the only thing that will satisfy. What are the benefits in this world that you find yourself gravitating toward, longing for, and thinking, "Well, God, I want you, but I also really desperately want this."? What would it look like for you to say, "God, I'm looking to you, and I know that you're enough? I want you just for you."?
And the crazy thing is all of the other benefits of this world are nothing in comparison to Him, how beautiful He is, how amazing He is. Amid all the things that we're going through, all the struggles that we have in this world, the stresses that we live through, when we find ourselves in Him, it's like all of a sudden, we realize what our souls were created for. He is the benefit that we desire. We look for false satisfaction to benefits in this world, and we think, "Well, if I just get that, then I'll feel okay." Jesus says, "I'm the bread. I'm the bread that you're looking for."
Sometimes we look to our own ability to earn it. We look to work for satisfaction in our souls. In the next couple of verses, this is how they respond. Jesus says, "Well, you're working for food that toils, and I'm the bread that endures to eternal life." "Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.'" The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent. I love these guys, just straight up ask Jesus, "All right, give me the list. Give me the good lists that I can just check off the boxes. And then once I check off those boxes, I can go and stand before God and say, 'Hey, God, look at the things I did. Boom. Hey, I don't swear anymore. I'm good with that. I control my anger. God, you're welcome."
We desperately want to feel like we're good enough. And this is exactly why Jesus says... Sometimes we say, "Well, oh, it's so easy to come to God and to put my faith and trust in Him." He says, "No, the work of God, it's actual work and hard work to believe and trust in the one that He has sent." Because what we are doing is we're saying, "God, you are doing something that I could never have done for myself." Our human souls want to be at the center of it. We want to earn it. We want to feel like we're good enough. But you never could be. You see, it's a hard truth, but it's a beautiful truth, that every single one of us is utterly broken and desperate before a holy imperfect God. It levels the playing field.
But what it also means is that you could never earn it, and He did it for you. You see, your level of belief isn't the significant thing, it's the direction that the belief is placed in. Imagine two people go to the doctor. They both have the same sickness. They're both sick, and the doctor prescribes medication for them that will heal their sickness. They get the medication, they go home. Both people, separate houses, set the bottle of medication and a bottle of water on the table in front of them. Both people believe they're going to be healed, but one takes the medication, and one only drinks the water. But they both believe equally. The person that takes the medication believes, "This is going to heal me." And the person that drinks the water is like, "This water will heal me." At the end of the day, one will be healed because the medication applies to the disease that they have.
You see, you can believe with all your mind that your job's going to save you, that your family will make you feel good enough. But there will come a time when you feel empty and broken because the only cure for the thing that's ailing your soul and mine is the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and the work that He did on your behalf. I know there are people in this room that are probably going through painful things, difficult things. It's so important for us as we wrestle with the truth of trying to earn our way to God or feeling like, "Man, I'm just not good enough." or "I'm going through pain. I feel so far away." we need to look at the work of what Jesus did and see a God that stepped into this world. And when you feel pain, you can run to Jesus and say, "Jesus, you know how my pain feels. You experienced pain yourself."
And as we believe and place our trust in Him, we do the work of God because Jesus is the work of God. He, through coming to this world, did the thing that you and I couldn't do. He lived a perfect life and paid the ultimate price so that we could be brought home. Where are you placing your faith and trust? What do you find yourself believing in? Will that thing matter in 500 years? Will it be able to save you? Not just in this world, but into eternity? This is the work, the hope that God calls us to. And if you have been trying to toil and be good enough, and you've wondered, "Why don't I feel like I'm good enough?" it's because you're not. And it's because I'm not. Because the work of God is to believe in the one, He has sent. And it is work, and you have to remind yourself daily, "I can't do it. I need you again today."
And it's out of that surrender that obedience follows. Because we're going to fail. But Jesus, He never does. The work of God is to believe in the one He has sent. Sometimes we look to benefits in the world. We look to our own ability to earn. And sometimes we say, "Prove it. Prove it to me, God. Give me the knowledge, the ability to know that for 100% you are real, you are God." This is where they go next. These guys continue to interact with Jesus in verses 30 through 33.
"So they asked Him, 'What sign then will you give us that we may see it and believe you?'" Okay, these guys are just talking to someone who fed thousands of people with lunch, and they're like, "Hey, no, no, no, no, no, right now, right here, put up or shut up. Show me some stuff, Jesus, I want to see it." What will you do?" And then they give an example in verse 31, "Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
Jesus's response is so perfect. "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.'" You see, these guys, they come to Jesus. And everybody at this time knew the Old Testament extremely well. So, when he references Moses in the desert with the Israelites, they're all thinking exactly the same thing. He says, "Hey, he," and when they use the word, “he” in the passage, they're thinking Moses, "proved that he was a prophet of God by bringing the bread out of heaven." Jesus knows what they're thinking, and they reference this. And His response is, "You thought that that bread from heaven was from Moses? Moses didn't do anything. That bread came from my Father, from God."
Part of your problem, and part of mine, is we look at amazing things that happen in the world, all around us, and we're tempted to do one of two things, either give credit to the people in the world that maybe do those things or give credit to ourselves because we think we're pretty special. When we do that, we completely miss the beauty that all of the good gifts, all of the fingerprints that are in your past and mine, that God has been at work showing us how amazing He is. We misdirect credit for those things, and we steal glory from God. You see, they say, "Well, Moses, he gave bread, what are you going to do?" He's like, "You know what that bread was about?" Jesus says to them, "That bread was about me. That bread that came out of heaven was only to illustrate that I am the ultimate bread that will come out of heaven into this world that people will eat and will be satisfied."
I remember when I was working in Chicago at a youth group. I was really young. There was a family in the church that had kids in the youth group, and they were like, "Hey, Brandon, we want to help you renovate the youth room." And I was like, "That sounds awesome. Let's renovate the youth room." But what they meant was, "We're going to order 3000 pounds of carpet, and you get to carry it upstairs." That didn't sound as exciting to me. But when it showed up, I was the guy who was there, so carried it up the stairs a little bit at a time, not all 3000 pounds. I know how you think I'm ripped or whatever, but it was a little bit at a time.
And so, I carry it up the stairs and we renovate the room. It looks awesome. It looks great. I got to know this family and over the next few months got to know their kids. It was beautiful, we had a good relationship. One day, the dad of the family pulled me aside, and he said, "Hey, Brandon, we really appreciate you, and we're really thankful for you. I know it's expensive to live here in Chicago." And he just handed me a check for what at that time was 10% of my annual income. I remember just being blown away. My temptation was to do one of two things. First, was to say, "Hey, wow, Brad, you are amazing. What an incredible guy you are, that you'd be so generous to bless my family, bless me. Thank you so much, that's awesome." But more likely and more nefarious is for me to be like, "Yeah, that's right, I'm pretty good. I'm pretty awesome that this guy would bless me with this gift. I've done a really good job."
But what Jesus reminds us in this passage and what I need to remind my heart of over and over and over is that the blessings of God in my life are only from Him. They're not about somebody else, and they're not about me. Thank goodness, because if it was, it would all fall apart. What are the blessings in your life that you've been tempted to either take credit for or give somebody else credit for that God is just trying to put His glory on display for you?
You see, He ultimately proved Himself. You might be thinking to yourself, "Well, I don't have a lot of blessings in my life. My life's pretty hard right now." You see, Jesus, when He came to this earth and went to the cross, did what these guys are asking Him to do. They say, "Prove it. What sign are you going to give to us?" All of us have the benefit of looking back at the historical figure of Jesus who lived and died and raised from the grave and conquered the grave, and we can say, "You did that for me." That's my hope. No matter what this world looks like, no matter how deep in the valley you may feel like you are, we look to the cross, and we can say, "That is my proof. I can know for certain that my savior lives. And he went through hell, separated from the Father so I could be welcomed home, cast into darkness so that we can experience light.”
Are you looking for proof because where you should look is to the cross because He proved Himself to us there? When we point our eyes in the right direction, we will not be let down. Some of us run to benefits in this world, and we think, "God, well, if I could just get this, I'll feel good about myself." Some of us try to earn our way to God and say, "Well, if I just do all the right things, then I'll be acceptable to you." The third false way to try to find satisfaction for your soul is to think that you can just, "God, prove it to me. If I just have the knowledge and you could just show me for certain that you exist and love me and care about the people around me, then I'll follow after you."
He wraps up this conversation in verses 34 and 35. He talks about this incredible bread from heaven that will always satisfy and gives life to the entire world. Their response is, "'Sir... '" They sound excited at this point. "'Sir,' they said, 'always give us this bread.'" We want it. We want this. Please give it to us. "Then Jesus declared, and here's our moment, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you longing for something? Run to Jesus. Go to the cross. And I can say that with 100% confidence that when we run to Him and submit to Him, He completely satisfies our soul. It's not just something that you get or an achievement that you finally reach and think, "Oh, that's okay." He is enough. He's beautiful and more beautiful to the depths of which we will never reach.
One of my favorite books that I've read recently is Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon. I don't know if you know who that is. He's an old preacher who's considered the prince of preachers, one of the best preachers to ever have lived. I went through this book, and he was talking to his students, and he told this story. He said there was a preacher at a church and an older woman came to visit this church one day. She listened to the message, and she thought, "That is incredible. I love that message." And then the next week she came back, and she listened to him preach a second week. She walked up after the message. Don't do this by the way because it's weird for preachers, but I'm going to tell you what... She walked up, and she said, "Hey, Pastor, I listened to you last week, and it was awesome. This week I came, and it was okay. I wasn't that into it."
His response to her is, "I think I know what happened. The first week you came to the church, and you were looking for Jesus. You found Him, and you were satisfied. The second week you came looking for me, and I let you down." You see, if you're looking to any human, doesn't matter if it's your mom or your dad, a pastor, a friend, will ultimately be disappointing. But when we turn our eyes to the cross, we find complete and full satisfaction in Him because He is the benefit that you're looking for, that will never let you down. He is the work of God that accomplished what we could not by living a perfect life and making the ultimate sacrifice. He is the knowledge and wisdom of God that puts the philosophies of the world to shame. How many thoughts and philosophers have come and gone in the last 2000 years, yet there's one truth that remains?
He's the benefit. He did the work, and Jesus Himself is the wisdom and knowledge of God. Where are you placing your trust, and will that belief satisfy your soul? Let's pray, and then we'll close. God, thank you for your Word. Thank you for how you're at work in and around us. God, I pray for anybody who is struggling by putting their faith and trust in this world that they would turn their eyes to you, find their hope in you. Let our souls see that there's only one benefit that we're looking for, and it's you. Remind our hearts that we can't earn it, but you did it. And when we long for proof and knowledge, let your Holy Spirit show us more of who Jesus is. God, thank you for the ways in which you're at work, and thank you for your Word. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.
