I am the living bread (Quality: Good)

[0:00] as the Lord may be pleased to help us shall we turn again to the 6th chapter of John and verse 51 the 51st verse I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world this important point here well we see the importance of it a man's living bread that which he can partake of and live forever now the thought comes to our minds like this bread for the living man and the bread that will enable him to live forever so it's very evident friends that this bread is not for the natural life and it's not the natural bread this is why the hearers at the time of the Lord speaking could not understand and it's the same today friends the true gospel of grace the grace of God is not understood by the world it's not wanted because they have no understanding of their real state but when a man is seeking for life spiritual eternal life then he understands and he feels and he's taught of the spirit that he must do his business and bring his wants to God himself who is in heaven now this man the man

[2:15] Christ Jesus he had come down from heaven God in his mercy towards his people sent his own son to fulfill all that which must be fulfilled on earth for God's own people therefore the Lord has validly God himself made his approach unto man in his own way it was not like the preacher today trying to find some novel way of what they say getting into a man's heart that he was verily God the living God the son of God come down to earth and he was coming down that he might perform that great work for the salvation of the church of God and what he did now as we have read at this time he still does this work he still gives himself as the bread for eternal life and so they were amazed and so they are today friends and if there is no hunger and thirsting after the bread of heaven and the water of life if there is no hunger and thirsting after righteousness then there is no understanding by those who never hunger and those who never thirst and think of it friends that it must truly be of a heavenly nature for God himself to send his own dear son to earth think of it that the God the holy God should come down in the person of the man that he might bring to earth bread from heaven think of it bread from heaven bread now the natural carnal religious minded man he might think and perform many things to appease a carnal appetite and do not forget that there are many who have a carnal appetite for religion they have a natural religion well they don't want heavenly food for that they don't want bread from heaven for a natural religion think of it it's very important if our religion springs from nature then nature must satisfy it but mind you nature's appetite and nature's provision will never feed a needy soul so it's possible for a man to have a religion and to be feeding on that which is a novelty in religion that never gives life and is not wanted by nature we all are dead interested than in sin there must be a life given to want the bread of life even as in nature we must be born into this world to become partakers of natural food and God in his mercy he provides man with his food it springs from the earth and where he puts in that wondrous work which brings in life eternal life then that eternal bread from heaven must be given to him it's God's great way of working friends of giving life and supplying what that life stands in need of so that it is no strange thing friends to have to go to

[6:30] God and ask him to provide and to help us and if so be he mercifully makes us to want his saving grace then saving grace must be fed from that provision even the bread from heaven so we must remember that this is the state of the world that by nature man is dead in trust with any sin but at the close of our text the Lord says he gives this bread for the life of the world well friends we know very well the whole world not living on the bread of heaven and doesn't want it but if there was no bread if there was not a living soul in this world the whole world will be lost for the whole world lies in wickedness and it is those whom the

[7:34] Lord takes out of this world that rescues them that he might preserve a world unto himself and feed them with the bread of life think of it if it's heavenly food friends there must be a heavenly appetite won't it the mother knows very well what the child must have and she feeds it accordingly and so the Lord knows what his people stands in need of if he's quickened your soul into life he's given you a appetite a desire for bread from heaven you can have your table well fed yea you can have an abundance of religious knowledge but you can still be without that felt need for heavenly food yea there's he says

[8:37] I give unto my sheep eternal life well then he must feed them and he feed them with that food that will give unto them and feed an eternal life friends for whosoever partakers of this bread he'll live forever says our text what live forever ah not this man friends not this body oh no if this body is only being fed this body is going to die but it's the soul friends the soul the immortal soul if lord god has taken hold of that for himself and quicken that soul into life then he says blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled so we find that god has a people on earth who must have the bread of life and don't be mistaken the bread of life is not just the reading of the word of god that's right that's god's word but it's in the letter of it and that will never feed a soul not that alone it's a word of direction a word of warning a word of guidance but the new man of grace must be fed his soul will hunger and thirst after the things which god has supplied think of the provision friends it's so important that the lord must send his son from heaven god himself sends his own son if the only one could be considered bread from heaven and therefore we can well understand the jews who had rejected christ and said we will not have this man to reign over us they certainly never knew many of them what heavenly food was and the lord reminded them he said your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and that manna god gave them as a nation because they must follow him through the wilderness he fed them from heaven only with the manna what for not to feed their souls no those that fed upon the manna and were satisfied with it it was only with their natural appetite but those who were given faith to feed upon the son of god could see in that manner that it would yet be fulfilled in the coming of christ as the bread of life sent down to this world from heaven lord said i am the living bread i am the living bread well who shall there be amongst this people who would receive the lord who could receive him only those that were in that state friends hungering after the bread of life and as we are favored even in this day and generation still to have the gospel so it is our desire that the lord will feed with the gospel of his grace that not only give the word and knowledge but also give the life through christ well now to use an everyday expression we would take this point and we would take it reverently when i say the ingredients of this bread what it's made of what there is in this bread well friends there's life in it yes and says the word and this life is in his son the bread of life it has life in it friends and the poor sinner who's seeking for life he's made to hunger after it that's all the difference friends than receiving religion or a natural gospel is life lord said i come that they might have life that they might have it more abundantly and it's to come down from heaven never can there be brought from earth friends that which will satisfy hunger after righteousness it's in christ yes this righteousness is in the holy son of god and even as the lord himself as he recognizes his own dear son and made it known that it was his own dear son upon earth this is my beloved son in whom

[14:16] I am glorified and satisfied and pleased so he looks upon his son and he sent his son down upon earth and friends it's not got to be such a naked earth that there's none to receive him no so long as the lord has his own people on this world in this earth so will he be pleased to send the bread of life and the gospel is that to the church of god but they must be given life to feed upon it friends natural life we are friends in creation in the world whatever the species of life is so it must be made and that is what god does do it is earth it is the fullness of the earth it is he has people it he has bread in heaven friends he has in the embodiment of his own dear son and the son to bring it and to make it possible assumes flesh and takes flesh takes the place of the creature that he might come to her and yet without sin and so that which is heavenly and that which is only from heaven god must does and he does raise up a heavenly body one to partake of that which is heavenly food i want to enforce this if i can the hungering for the bread of life is life in the soul itself it's not just religion no that's why there's such a distinction friends because they were here at this time they were jews pharisees sadducees all manner of men entered into some form of religion but when christ himself comes they can't receive him no because they were not those born from heaven to feed upon heaven gifts it's a great mercy to seek after that which comes from heaven we know the good

[16:53] God gives all manner of good things to the earth for the earth it is whilst he purposes to keep this earth unto himself so he will nourish it in his own way he does it in creation in vegetation and that which we must feed on naturally God will supply it there isn't a man that can make a tiny seed there's not a man clever as he might be many things that can raise a blade of grass the smallest thing that has life in it man cannot make friends that God in his mercy has taken up this world is he's peopled him and he will feed them as his purpose so he will feed the natural man with the natural food that the man of

[17:55] God must be fed from heaven and he sent his own dear son into the world to feed that soul now let us go a little further what is it at work in a needy soul to make it seek after such as found in Christ for there's every mercy needed for a poor sinner in the son of God and he brought him to earth is not a word a flash of lightning or anything sent down from heaven but he came right to earth he trod this earth he spoke to man with a voice as we have he rebuked he warned he groaned he did all that a natural man could do as a son of

[18:57] God he did it with a heavenly nature a holy nature and which enabled poor sinners to feed upon and trust in him it's life friends when a man is made to know he's dead in trust with sin by the operation of the spirit it's life he wants life some some will say well you must change this you must do that ah but it's something he can never do himself what hand did we have individually in our natural birth nothing whatever was we consulted no we was not there to be consulted he brought us this great God into this world and we are all being fed by the good hand of God from the earth that there are a people who are born again heaven's birth has entered into their soul and heavenly wants are there and a heavenly appetite is given and

[20:09] Christ alone can give it to them life life is a sinner's cry for I'm dead in trust and in sin and he says here he shall live forever well then that's eternal life yes eternal life rich eternal life most of us in our way we're concerned about natural life sometimes there's the fear of death which means to say when death comes this life will be no more but the child of God God in his mercy shows him teaches him reveals to him that he has a never dying soul never dying soul and when that is applied that brings more fear than his natural death for how many there are thinking that they can do and finish everything will take their own life to finish this life but the soul is in the hand of

[21:21] God the immortal soul it's that which he made and gave to man it is man's being and that life will live forever and it will go on after time in eternity either in heaven or in hell it's very solemn that this is the word of God so when the Lord Jesus Christ when he spake to the people on earth they could not receive him and they can't today and they don't want it who wants to hear what I'm talking about tonight many will say the old man doesn't know what he's talking about that friends those who are living in Jerusalem who are hungering for the bread of life they want to know they want to hear they want to feel that

[22:22] God is taking notice of them and reminding them that he has bread in heaven for them and that the son that he sent to earth this living bread he ascended into heaven and that same bread that was on earth is in heaven now the eternal son of God and you look up to him you that hunger for this bread you would you would thank him and do for many natural gifts oh but your soul needs that satisfying portion which only Christ could give and mind you not merely that was much what he did but friends he gave himself he gave himself you might say how did he give himself he died didn't he he died he gave up the ghost he shed all the blood in his sacred veins he was as one as a body that could be handled and put in the tomb with no life in it did the bread of heaven die the bread of heaven ever lived friends but the man

[23:50] Christ Jesus that brought the bread to earth he gave it fully in as much as he died and he suffered in his dying that he ever lives to make intercession for his people and the blessed spirit the holy spirit of God the third person in the trinity he takes the things of Christ and what does he do he first of all creates a hunger after this bread he puts life in your soul he makes you to hunger after it and then he brings the bread he does he spreads the table he points a precious Christ and say that in him in him alone is all your salvation and therefore you alone are satisfied can only be satisfied for what

[24:52] Christ has done for you and what he is still doing because he ever liveth even now the living God I give unto my sheep eternal life and as in our text they shall live forever and he says to his disciples because I live you shall live also and doesn't the child of God have to give up many things in this world that won't feed him it can do him no good he has no appetite or taste for it the world thinks he's foolish the world can feed on what the world supplies the ingenuity of man the attractions of man so called enjoyment but the sinner that's being fed from heaven can't feed on it and the world marvel at it they marvel at these disciples they hated the disciples they were ready to persecute anyone that followed after this man

[26:09] Christ Jesus there's every evidence friends that out of Christ man is dead in trespasses and in sin and God will not permit his people whom he has chosen unto himself he will not permit them to remain in such a state and the spirit the third person quickens into life Christ said himself it's a new life I will give you I said am the bread from heaven and no man no man can't partake of it it's a sovereign gift there's no substitute friends I say reverently there's no substitute for this bread when you come to think of it I say carefully that's the flour that we use in the making of the bread and it makes other things as well confectionery and man might feed on it but

[27:25] God has made it so that even in nature bread is our stable diet and spiritually it is so friends yes how many there are with a religious mind satisfied that mind with a carnal religion carnal religion they like to speak of these things and to speak of the scripture as word of god that the word to the church of god is life the word is christ the word is bread and the word is the gospel of his grace and by it the church of god live they live in him well then these Jews how could they receive it can this man give us his flesh to eat well says the lord your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and they're dead you have now the manna from heaven and you have no felt need of it therefore there's no life in you to receive it so that those that turn away from christ then there's no life want in it but when the soul is quickened into life then there comes forth that hunger after the bread of heaven but again no man can substitute that now whatever man does is man's own work not the work of the spirit not the life of

[29:19] God in the soul no it's all the work of the triune God Father Son and Holy Spirit let us make man in our own image and they did and we will feed the man and they did they feed the natural man with the natural food that the man that born in the second Adam he must be fed his own soul must be fed from heaven yes it is all the work of God to give supply the need and give life so that a living soul is fed from heaven fed from heaven and the Lord did all that he possibly could do and I say that with reverence because he died the church might live he takes all their affairs in hand in him they live and move and have a being he takes them to the father he has taken them he lives in heaven to make intercession for them they are the gift of

[30:40] God unto himself for God the father gave this church to the son to save them to feed them to give them eternal life and Christ came right to earth as I said before to do this not alone a message from heaven no Christ himself the express image of God in the likeness of sinful flesh without sin he comes to earth so that God himself could do nothing more or more fully than he has done for the church of God and therefore what God gives he will give man a hunger and thirst so that his people may be kept alive and preserved the world cannot understand the religious world cannot understand because if there's no life spiritual life spiritual things cannot be received and neither are they wanted if there's no right spirit within us no spirit of life then the living principles of life can never be received because the work of grace is to quicken the soul into life as the word says you must be born again to be born into such a life with such a nature friends as must have bread from heaven

[32:32] God to feed the soul and satisfy oh some might say but I'm enjoying myself and I'm having a good life and this that and other I take to God all my wants and he supplies them well friends that sounds right but it's all wrong because it's all a natural religion it's all what the sinner is doing for himself but when you're emptied of self you have to look to heaven there's not a grain of grace on earth without Christ it's not a crumb from heaven without Christ no that which man purports to be the bread of heaven if it is not it leaves the soul not hungering no it leaves the soul in that dead state not even a hungering but an eternal death that I give unto my sheep eternal life see that's gone on all ages see how the psalmist brought it to us this gospel he said he's a good shepherd he has his sheep he leads them upon green pasture he feeds them and he satisfies them and he does all things for them he is their shepherd my shepherd shall supply my need and when it comes to the man then the man must be fed so wherever the scripture places a poor sinner under the mighty hand of

[34:24] God heaven's God will watch over him care for him feed him and help him Lord we often say Lord give us this bread from him then I'm going to touch on another point how the Lord left us with his disciples the last meal no the last time he administered the Passover and then when he took up the bread and break it and he said this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me I'm the bread from heaven and I'm going to return to heaven and for your remembrance your comfort and guidance now we take this piece of bread it's only a morsel but it's an emblem of the bread of life it's my body which is broken for you take ye and eat of it and divide it amongst yourselves for it is for the true disciples of the kingdom they must be made from him so friends we have this to remind us the ordinance as we often try to administer and ever pray the

[35:56] Lord for the Lord's presence to feel his body broken and we partake us of what he did for how many there are friends who will acknowledge the crucifixion all they do up goes the cross if they build a new place there must be a cross and to attract people they must illuminate it but what do they know of the crucifixion of the son of God who gives himself for the church what do they know what do they know of the bread from heaven being broken on their behalf they don't want it friends no true religion is more than notion something must be known and felt those who glory in the cross of Christ they glory in this that he takes them up and he takes them unto himself and he gives them a hunger after righteousness and he satisfies them with his own self his own body this is my body which is broken for you broken for you a wonderful means it is so simple so powerfully good that the sinner delights in doing that which will put in his mind and heart a love for him who gave himself for the church he died for he died that you might live and he'll keep that life going for us oh yes he will and so sure as he's come to quicken the soul into life so sure will the bread of heaven be found to feed the needy soul that born again yes not of this life again but of the new birth it's a heavenly birth in it there's a heavenly want a heavenly desire those who might say well we don't understand it no and neither will anyone until they're born into that kingdom and made to want to want and to know the reality and truth of this that Christ

[38:28] Jesus came into this world to save his people to bring unto himself and to give unto them eternal life eternal life and the bread that I will give is my flesh that's why the Lord you see the Son of God must come down and take flesh unto himself become a man that he might have flesh he got to feed the church of God with himself and it's so real you see the flesh is the creature the creature poor man Christ Jesus must die the flesh must suffer for he had sinned and yet he bears that suffering not because of his own sin but the sins of his people so in the main it is this the church of God living upon the dying and yet the living flesh of Christ for he gave himself that the church of God might live and which he says

[39:44] I will give for the life of the world yes to think that this world would never ever live in soul no that could not be no here is the place where he prepares them for him in the world in the world he teaches them that he says you're not of it you're not of it I'll bring you out of it and heaven is a place and portion of the church of God Christ said I am the bread of life amen