Amazing, Amazing, Challenging, Challenging,

Overwhelming GraceOverwhelming Grace

August 9, 2015August 9, 2015

Proper 14 BProper 14 B

‘‘FeedingFeeding of the of the Five ThousandFive Thousand’’

• VitalVital to to EvangelistsEvangelists• All 4 All 4 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)• Most Detail Most Detail (outside of Passion)(outside of Passion)

• VitalVital to to Lectionary CompilersLectionary Compilers• Every year at this time of yearEvery year at this time of year

• Mark’sMark’s: 5 weeks : 5 weeks of of ‘John’‘John’• All All about about GRACEGRACE

• Revealing Revealing and and Giving Giving of of ‘Bread of Life’‘Bread of Life’

GRACEGRACE

• AmazingAmazing• ChallengingChallenging• OverwhelmingOverwhelming

• InsidersInsiders (Disciples) (Disciples)• OutsidersOutsiders (Crowds) (Crowds)

InsidersInsiders (Disciples): (Disciples):

• John 6: 1-15John 6: 1-15 FeedingFeeding of of 50005000• ‘‘Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “ “Where are Where are wewe to buy bread so that these people may eat to buy bread so that these people may eat?’ ?’

He said this to He said this to testtest him, for he himself knew what he would do.’ him, for he himself knew what he would do.’

• John 6:16-21 John 6:16-21 Walking on WaterWalking on Water• ‘…‘…and they were and they were frightenedfrightened’’

• ‘‘Who is this Who is this that even wind and sea obey himthat even wind and sea obey him?’?’

OutsidersOutsiders (Crowd) (Crowd)

• Participates in Participates in and and Benefits from Benefits from the ‘the ‘MiracleMiracle’’

• ‘‘ThisThis is indeed the is indeed the ProphetProphet who is to who is to come into come into the the worldworld!” !” • They wanted to make him They wanted to make him kingking!!

• DismissesDismisses, then , then ChallengesChallenges them: them: • ‘‘Truly, truly I say to youTruly, truly I say to you, you , you are are seeking meseeking me, , not not because you because you saw saw signssigns, ,

butbut because because you ate you ate your your fillfill of of breadbread.’ .’

Jesus’ Challenge Jesus’ Challenge to the to the CrowdCrowd::

• ““You You THINKTHINK you ‘ you ‘GET ITGET IT’!’!• ““You You THINK THINK you you KNOWKNOW what you what you NEEDNEED’’

• BUTBUT

• ‘‘If If you don’t you don’t THINK AGAIN/ARIGHTTHINK AGAIN/ARIGHT• ThenThen I cannot I cannot GIVEGIVE you you WHATWHAT you you TRULY TRULY NEEDNEED!”!”

Crowd’s Response Crowd’s Response to to Jesus’ Jesus’ ChallengeChallenge::

• ‘‘So the Jews So the Jews grumbledgrumbled about him, because he said, about him, because he said, ‘ ‘I am the bread I am the bread that that came downcame down from from heavenheaven..” ”

• ‘‘EatingEating mymy fleshflesh and and drinkingdrinking mymy bloodblood’’

• ““After this many of his disciples turned back After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” and no longer walked with him.”

John 6:66 John 6:66

Amazing, Challenging, Amazing, Challenging, Overwhelming Grace!Overwhelming Grace!

• WhatWhat about about UsUs??

• THISTHIS Feast Feast (obviously connected to (obviously connected to THAT FeastTHAT Feast))

• HowHow are we to are we to ComeCome??• So that So that we may we may RECEIVE RECEIVE

what what HEHE desires to desires to GIVE GIVE to us?to us?

Dialogue with Crowd:Dialogue with Crowd:• ‘‘Do not Do not workwork for the for the foodfood that that perishesperishes, but for the , but for the food food that that enduresendures to to

eternal lifeeternal life, which the , which the Son of Man Son of Man will will givegive to to youyou. . For For on him on him God the God the FatherFather has has setset his his sealseal.’ .’

• ‘‘ThisThis is the is the workwork of of GodGod, that , that youyou believebelieve in him in him whom whom hehe has has sent.sent.’ ’

• ‘‘For the For the bread of God bread of God is is hehe who who comes down comes down from heaven from heaven and and gives life gives life to the to the worldworld.’.’

• ‘‘I am the bread of lifeI am the bread of life, whoever , whoever comescomes to me shall not hunger, to me shall not hunger, and whoever and whoever believesbelieves in me shall never thirst.’ in me shall never thirst.’

Two Part ‘Two Part ‘WorkWork of of GodGod’’

• (2)(2) CommitmentCommitment• ‘‘BelieveBelieve in him’ in him’

• ‘‘ComeCome to me….. to me…..BelieveBelieve in me’ in me’

• (1)(1) DiscernmentDiscernment• ‘‘whom whom hehe has has sent.sent.””

• ““on him…. The on him…. The FatherFather has has setset his his sealseal””

Two Part ‘Two Part ‘WorkWork of of GodGod’’

• (1)(1) DiscernmentDiscernment• ‘‘whom whom hehe has has sent.sent.””

• ““on him…. The on him…. The FatherFather has has setset his his sealseal””

• ‘‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, The times of ignorance God overlooked, but but nownow he he commandscommands all people everywhere all people everywhere to repentto repent, , becausebecause he has he has fixedfixed a a dayday on which he will on which he will judgejudge the the worldworld

in righteousness in righteousness by a man by a man whom whom he has appointedhe has appointed; ; • and of this and of this he has given assurance he has given assurance to all to all

by raising him from the deadby raising him from the dead’ ’ Acts 17.30-31 Acts 17.30-31

Two Part ‘Two Part ‘WorkWork of of GodGod’’

• (2)(2) Commitment:Commitment:• ““BelieveBelieve in in himhim””

• ““ComeCome to me… to me… BelieveBelieve in me” in me”

• EntrustEntrust yourself to me yourself to me• Submit Submit yourself to meyourself to me

• ‘‘ReceiveReceive from me what from me what I desire I desire to to give give to to youyou• In the way In the way I desire to give it to you!’I desire to give it to you!’

‘‘Work of God’Work of God’

• Romans 10: 9-10Romans 10: 9-10

• ‘‘IfIf you you confessconfess with your with your mouthmouth that ‘ that ‘Jesus is LordJesus is Lord’ ’ and and believebelieve in your in your heartheart that that God raised him God raised him from the from the deaddead, , you you will be will be savedsaved. . For with the For with the heartheart one one believes believes and is and is justifiedjustified, , and with the and with the mouth mouth one one confesses confesses and is and is saved.saved.’ ’

• Do you Do you believebelieve in your heart that in your heart that THISTHIS is the is the ONEONE• ‘‘that that God raised God raised .. from the .. from the dead’dead’??

• ‘‘On On WhomWhom the the FatherFather has has placedplaced his his sealseal’?’?• ‘‘That That God sent God sent into the world into the world toto give life give life to the to the world’world’??

• Have you Have you confessedconfessed with your mouth that ‘ with your mouth that ‘Jesus is LordJesus is Lord’? ’? • (Lord of (Lord of allall; Lord of ; Lord of youyou!)!)• Have you ‘Have you ‘comecome’ to him?’ to him?• EntrustedEntrusted yourself to him? yourself to him?

• ‘

• Amazing, Challenging, Overwhelming QuestionsAmazing, Challenging, Overwhelming Questions• Such is the Such is the naturenature of of GraceGrace!!

• IFIF we come to we come to THISTHIS Feast Feast• With With THATTHAT kind of kind of FaithFaith

• HeHe will will give give usus ‘‘the Bread of Lifethe Bread of Life’!’!