Seeking Christ with right motives (Quality: Good)

[0:00] scripture to which I will direct your attention this evening, you will find in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel and verse 27. The 27th verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel by John.

[0:18] 2. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. For him hath God the Father sealed.

[0:43] 2. The 27th verse of the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. 2. John's Gospel stands out among the other Gospels in that it sets before us the divinity of Christ in a very particular way.

[1:14] 3. And the teaching throughout the Gospel of John is to bring this truth to bear upon our minds, that he is the Son of God.

[1:28] 3. And my friends, the burden of the miracles which John records is to set before us this doctrine of the Sonship of Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father.

[1:56] 4. Now, in this particular chapter, we have Christ's divinity set forth in the opening narrative with regard to the making of provision for 5,000 out of 5 barley loaves and 2 small 4 fishers. We see that although the provision was totally inadequate by all the powers of reason, yet under the blessing of Christ, it was more than sufficient.

[2:47] 5. In that the disciples could gather, ere all were filled, 12 basketfuls of fragments that remained.

[2:59] 5. And this miracle had its effect upon the minds of many that partook of the benefit of this miracle.

[3:17] 6. Now, after this was fulfilled, Christ gave command to his disciples to enter into a ship and to go over to the other side.

[3:33] 6. And, my friends, you remember in our reading tonight how that as they traversed the sea, they were caught by a terrible storm.

[3:47] 7. That threatened their destruction that threatened their destruction that brought all their powers and all their experience as fishermen to nothing.

[4:02] 7. By reason of the terrible wind that blew and the storm which broke. 7. And how that in the fourth watch of the night, when the hearts of the disciples was failing for fear, 7. Jesus himself drew near unto them, walking on the sea.

[4:27] 8. Divinity. Divinity. 9. Walking on the sea. 9. And, my friends, how those disciples cried out for fear, 9. And how the Lord spoke to them, 9. It is I, be not afraid.

[4:48] 10. And in his words, there was such kingly majesty. 10. It is I, be not afraid.

[5:00] 11. That all the terrifying circumstances associated with their experience 11. And the Lord was brought into captivity to the kingship of this glorious being, 11. The Son of God incarnate.

[5:22] 11. Well then, 12. After that experience was fulfilled, 12. The day following, 12. The people which had partaken of the loaves and fishes, 12. They came to look for the Lord.

[5:41] 12. And they couldn't work out the situation by reason of the fact that there was one boat and the disciples had gone in that boat and there was no boat for Jesus.

[5:54] 12. But Jesus had left. 13. He departed. 13. Now, my friends, they couldn't understand this. 14. By reason of their want of understanding of him, 15. Who he is, 15. The Son of God.

[6:13] 15. And 15. It seems 15. That although they had partaken 15. Of the 15. Great 15. Miracle and benefit of the 15. Loaves and fishes 15. Made sufficient to feed 15. Such a multitude with fragments remaining 15. And to spare 15. That still 15. They had insufficient 16. Understanding 16. To interpret the situation 16. That he had no need of a boat 16. To go to the other side of the sea.

[6:50] 17. That he could 17. Walk on the water 17. As Jesus, 17. The Son of God. and that all things were subject unto him.

[7:05] Well now with this, they sought means, they also took shipping and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

[7:21] It seems as though they wanted a contact with him, they had an interest in him, and that they were willing to take a journey to him.

[7:39] And my friends, that is the situation which brings us to the text. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

[8:00] Rabbi, that was an expression used by the Jews with regard to dignitaries, high personalities, teachers, among them, Rabbi, and they willingly used the expression, Christ would, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

[8:29] Now Jesus didn't answer the question directly, because a necessity was there which called for a different line of approach.

[8:50] And my friends, how free is the sovereign Lord God to answer us according to his wisdom, setting aside our question if occasion requires it.

[9:12] So we find that he sets aside their question and he puts his finger straight upon their spirit.

[9:25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, he acknowledges that, they'd taken a journey, they'd come from the other side of the sea, they'd expose themselves to danger by so doing.

[9:43] But my friends, he says, ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were still.

[9:55] so that the benefit which Christ saw to be the experience of those people from the other side of the sea when he blessed the five loaves and two fishes was materialistic, not spiritual.

[10:22] materialistic, materialistic, not spiritual. And my friends, he speaks in the text against materialism.

[10:40] He warns of it as a danger. He tells us that it's something to be set aside while we labor for higher things, better things, more enduring things.

[11:00] Now I ask you the question this evening in the spirit of the text.

[11:12] What is your spirit in coming here this evening? Have you come speaking for Jesus?

[11:24] If so, what do you hope to derive from so come? My friends, is it spiritual profit?

[11:40] Is it something upon a higher plane? Or is it just natural interest? Carnal advantage?

[11:55] Something which will begin and end in the faculties of the flesh and be of no greater consequence than maybe and is most surely confined to the limits of time and sense.

[12:19] Now you see here the Lord in his wisdom and knowledge of the spirit that was in man.

[12:31] He puts his finger upon the question and he says verily verily without doubt a double confirmation verily verily I say unto you ye see me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled my friends what a solemn thing to be so closely associated with the miracles of Jesus Christ and only derive from them material benefits well I hope that that remark will enable us to approach the text this evening with some introspection looking upon our own hearts and examining our own motives and I do say this in continuing that one of the prime evals of our generation is materialism and my friends this materialism is threatening the very vitals of our nation and it's emptying our churches and it's occasioning the damnation of multitude of souls now it's a great evil and as

[14:18] Christ exposed it in the experience of these who took this journey so we would seek to examine it because the Lord never warned against anything unnecessarily and when he gave this clarion call to those who were seeking him yes they were seeking him they taken a journey to that end he puts his finger upon their motive and says to them virtually your motive is not right now labour not for the meat which perisheth meat which perisheth is of fleshly consequence associated with time confined to the gratification of the flesh and the sense and the

[15:26] Lord warns against this and my friends it is possible to be religiously minded it is possible to be interested in religious exercises it is possible to have a real lively attraction to the things of God and truth but it's all fleshly it's all natural it's something that can be attained to by the limits of human nature labor not for the meat that perishes labor not for the meat that perishes don't look for satisfaction to the flesh only in these religious exercises for my friends fleshly religion is the ruination of soul we need something deeper than that we need something more vital than that we need that which is spiritual as opposed to that which is natural that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the spirit is spirit and there's a distinction a vital distinction between the two now labor not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life life now here the Lord shows to these followers that there is something which endures to everlasting life something which the Lord

[17:50] Jesus Christ alone can give something which is spiritual and eternal in its nature and in its consequences and this my friends he exhorts these persons to labor for labor not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give unto you and now briefly and quickly the spiritual meat is to be labored for it's to be labored for the Lord doesn't condemn the exercise he condemns the motive and purpose object and end he doesn't say that they were wrong in laboring but what they were laboring for was where they were misguided and my friends

[19:10] I would exhort you to labor because to all labor there is profit and the word of God is consistent in exhorting us to labor spiritually strive to enter in at the straight gate or straight is the way straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that findeth my friends to strive to enter in the exhortation is active laborious labor labor and then we have many exhortations of similar character that show to us the activity of spiritual principle and exercise under the leading and teaching of God the Holy

[20:24] Ghost now labor not for that meat for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endures to everlasting life there's one thing in earth that hasn't got the seed of death in it and the stamp of dissolution upon it and only one thing and only one thing and that is a God given religion all other things have got the seed of death in them and the stamp of dissolution upon them and my friends that life which is eternal is in the

[21:27] Son of God and that endures forevermore that is everlasting and everything therefore which is of an enduring nature is of the Son in the Son now he says labor for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life oh what importance is here impressed upon our minds to labor for things which last to labor for things which last as opposed to those things which dissolve and fall away my friends have you ever sought for anything that will endure forevermore or has your whole life been associated with perishables what I'm seeking to do is ask you to consider the whole drift of living the whole drift of your conduct and spirit and attitude is it all associated with perishables or have one moment of your life been truly spent considering the things which eternally endure you know

[23:21] I believe it's possible to go through this life and to partake of the benefits of God's providence to be the subject of miracle which the sustenance of natural life is a miracle my friends the quantity consumed by a person that lives upon this earth is never contributed by that person we all take more out of the world than we ever put in it all of us without exception and every living thing does it takes more out than it ever put you say well what sustains everything God God sustains everything that's the secret of the maintenance of the universe generation by generation the living God but my friends I return has your whole life hitherto been devoted to perishable things material benefit material advantage things which are associated with this time state purely and simply and have their gratification in the flesh and in the sense or has

[24:46] God ever given you wisdom to turn from these things for a moment and say I've got a soul and it must live forever in heaven or in town labour not for the things that perish my friends we've got to leave them shortly don't be blinded by the great enemy don't be blinded by the common trend of our generation that's materialistic but remember that as man was born with a living soul so man today has a living soul and as man died and his soul returned to God in ages past so man today dies and his soul returns to God as ever man's soul did return what about your soul and what about my soul labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life now what a wonderful thing that there is something in this dying world that endure that never can be destroyed world without end and my friends the secret of that is in the son of

[26:30] God him who God gave sent into this world that life should be restored to a dying perishing universe and that that life in him was life and the life was the light of men and my friends there's no life outside of the son of God and now he says labour not for that meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life you might say to me well now how are we going to labour for it well my friends there are spiritual exercises which are consistent with this exhortation one is to seek you say but these came to the

[27:51] Lord seeking for Jesus yes but their motive was materialistic I'm speaking to you now of everlasting life and that life is in the son nowhere else he that hath the son hath life and he that hath not the son of God hath not life and my friends therefore we would seek for everlasting life in the son of God we would pray to Jesus Christ for the blessing of eternal life and it is a labour it is a labour oh you may ask the son of God for life and still feel dead you may seek life at the hand of the son of God and not immediately receive the blessing that you seek after my friends the things of

[29:14] God and truth are too precious to come easily we to labour our sincerity is proved the reality of our desire is proved in the continuation of our seeking oh do you know what it is to labour in seeking for the blessing of eternal life through the son of God labour labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life labour and then the promise of eternal life is in the word it's in the word of God but it's not to be presumptuously claimed it's not just to be picked up as you would pick up anything my friends the blessing of eternal life through the word is to be sought after laboured for search the scripture for in them ye think ye have eternal life oh search the scripture search it prayerfully search it diligently seek to identify yourself on the sacred page look into it as into a mirror where do you stand how do you stand with regard to life eternal labour for the meat that perishes labour not for the meat that perishes but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life and we labour in our attendance upon the ordinances of the gospel sacrifice is associated with labour and my friends there are certain sacrifices attendant upon a regular waiting upon the

[31:46] Lord in the means of grace but it's a most profitable labour all from time to time the Lord gives command that that a handful shall fall of purpose for gleaning souls in the field of the heavenly boas I I cite root in my remarks and my friends the labour of gleaning in the heavenly field is well rewarded if we find but a grain or two of living true upon which our souls may feed which may nourish and strengthen our spirits and as the Lord blesses the word of his grace through the ordinances of his gospel are we not assured of our interest in Jesus Christ and his great salvation are we not sometimes favoured to lay hold on eternal life labour labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the

[33:11] Son of Man shall give unto you if by God's grace our labour is spiritual labour and we are speaking for eternal verities in those ways which God has ordained we shall receive the blessing through the Son which the Son of Man shall give unto you God in his word says this ask and ye shall receive seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be open unto you it's a labour my friends it's a labour oh don't think that it's something that's done once and then forgotten and we're automatically in possession

[34:14] I say it's a lifelong experience it's the very expression of grace in the soul we're not asking once we're asking all the way through the pilgrimage we're not seeking once we're seeking all the way through the pilgrimage and we're not knocking once we're knocking all the way through the pilgrimage it's the very hallmark of a gracious life asking seeking knocking but my friends there is the promise attack it's not labour in vain there's no labour under the sun better spent there's no labour that brings a better reward a greater reward because there's no greater benefit that can be known under the sun an everlasting life everlasting life now you want just to be clearer from this point and I must hasten that the benefit is not because we labour it says here which the son of man shall give unto you shall give unto you now this may be to some a difficult point to understand but nevertheless it's very clear to those who have an understanding of the things of

[35:55] God and truth it's the difference between the root and the fruit in this way but for the grace of God we are all materialistic earthly fleshly in our outlook and my friends those that are of the earth seek earthly things never seek spiritual things they never rise above their level until God by his grace quickens them calls them from spiritual death into spiritual life and then they begin to desire spiritual things things now when this text says the son of man shall give to you it's all the gift of the son the fact that we labor after spiritual things is the gift of the son the whole exercise of grace is a divine gift it's something supernatural it's something totally distinct from man's condition fallen dead condition by nature so there's no inconsistency when we read this expression the son of man shall give unto you everything we have is the gift of the son without exception for now he says for him hath

[37:43] God the father sealed him hath God the father sealed the son of man who was speaking here is the Christ the Christ for him hath God the father sealed he's the only one qualified to give the gift of everlasting life if you think you've obtained everlasting life from any other quarter than from Jesus Christ beware beware the judgment will reveal a deception and it will then be too late eternal life is in the son and nowhere else nowhere else for now him hath

[39:20] God the father sealed a seal is an attestation of genuineness when we have a legal document and we put a seal upon it that attests the genuineness of the document concern and my friends God has put a seal upon Jesus Christ that he is the Christ of God the promised Messiah the son of God incarnate Emmanuel God with us now you might say well how has God sealed that Jesus Christ is indeed the Christ well my friends I take you to John's baptism and

[40:21] John bear record saying I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon him and I knew him not but he that sent me which is God but he that sent me to baptize with water the same said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God my friends God set his seal at Jordan's river that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and John bore witness did he not by the confirmation of the divine commission he had received upon whom thou seest the spirit descending and remaining on him now my friends he saw the spirit descend at

[41:45] Jordan like a dove and remained on the Son of God the man Christ Jesus him who came to John and said for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness and my friends John and Jesus descended into the waters of Jordan and John baptized him knowing that he whom he baptized was indeed the Christ the Son of God John bears witness in the first chapter of this gospel of the truth that God the Father had sealed the

[42:46] Son by the dove descending and remaining on Jesus Christ the God man well then there is another sealing of a similar character given at the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter James and John ascended the mount with the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured before them and you remember how wonderful that experience was as is recorded in the 17th chapter of the gospel by Matthew these three favored disciples Peter James and John they saw the face of

[43:47] Jesus shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light and behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him and and and while Peter spake behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him hear ye him then if I may take your minds to the resurrection of Jesus

[44:56] Christ from the dead as another occasion of sealing my friends how the angels from heaven bore testimony unto the women that came that first day of the week to the sepulchre he is not here he is risen he is risen I have power to lay down my life I have power to take it again says Christ he was sealed of the father as the son of God in the resurrection from the dead he was sealed in the miracles which he did the miracles upon the disease upon the pulses upon the dead themselves he was sealed as the son of God he was sealed by the word that he spake compelling many to say never man spake like this man my friends

[46:03] Jesus Christ is the son of God and in him and in him alone is eternal life only the son of God has the power to forgive sins blessed be his holy name he has power on earth to forgive sins so that he could say to the sick of the false son thy sins are all forgiven thee and my friends I believe there are those here tonight that know that the son of God has power on earth to forgive sins yes and all if sin is forgiven the cause of death is removed for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus

[47:04] Christ our Lord if our sin is forgiven we have no need to fear death because the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ so labor not for the meat which perisheth for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father seal my friends what is the great hope what is the prime evidence of the foolishness of man that he's seeking satisfaction outside of Jesus

[48:04] Christ Christ now that's the greatest evidence of human polish that he seeks satisfaction outside of Jesus Christ whereas the only enduring satisfaction and my friends it will be a satisfaction of eternal consequence here we do taste the streams at most but in heaven a fountain a fountain of satisfaction issuing forth without cessation will without end and the whole of that is in the Son it's in the Son labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the

[49:06] Son of Man shall give unto you for him has God the Father sealed my friends if you're seeking for eternal life in Jesus Christ you can't be deceived the whole scripture bears witness and testimony you can't be deceived the whole church of Christ in all ages those made wise unto salvation unite in their testimony you can't be deceived but if you're seeking everlasting life in anything else or anything less than the Son of God there's death in it and deception in it for him has God the Father seen may the Lord bless these two remorse Amen