God’s Work and Man’s Work (John 6:20-40)

Let us bless one another, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I pray that all the people who are worshipping in the church and outside in the outdoor roof area and in their homes will receive the greatest blessing of God. God is living, and God desires to receive our worship. No matter how much this world tries to stop us from worshipping, God will always desire worship and will use those who worship Him.

Main

1. Man’s Work
   People in this world live centered on the power that people have. Even between nation and nation, this world is moving according to who is more powerful. Those who do not have power try to gain things from those who do have power. No matter what day or age we are living in, people who do not have God will live centered on people and the power of people.

The content we read today in John 6 was because Jesus Christ healed a man who was invalid for 38 years, and because they saw that sign, many people began to follow Jesus. One of the works of miracles that they witnessed Jesus Christ perform was turning five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand people, and all the crowds began to follow Jesus around, trying to make Him their king.

1) A Crowd of People
Every time a large crowd followed Jesus Christ without understanding who He truly was, He ran away from them. People will follow people around, centered on the power and success that they have. People will create groups and crowds to follow people who are famous politicians or leaders, famous celebrities or actresses or famous scholars. Why do you think they do that? They follow people around because there’s something they need. It is a fact that there are things we need, however, there is a deeper truth hidden within that.

These great crowds are following Jesus around and trying to find him. In order for you to cross the river of Galilee, they had to take a boat, so these people had packed their lunches and were following after Jesus, and finally they were able to find Jesus. Imagine how happy they must have been, because they believed that if they raised this man, Jesus, to be their king, their problems would be solved.

2) Motive of the Crowd
However, in verse 26, we see that Jesus replies to these people by telling them, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate your loaves and had your fill.” If they had really seen the works and signs that Jesus Christ performed, they would confess that He is the Messiah, the True God, and follow Him. However, the only thing they cared about is that, through those signs, they got to eat a full meal, so they are following the illusion of their satisfaction.

Jesus tells them in verse 27, “Do not work for food that spoils.” Food that spoils is anything we eat. He is telling you not to waste your life, chasing things like that. Humans who have departed from God try to live their life by their methods and their way. There are many places in the Bible that describe these people as, “Walking their own path.” In Isaiah 53, God describes these people as sheep who have gone their own way, separated from their Shepherd. In the book of Judges, after Joshua, the last prophet, died, God says that these people are going their own way.

3) Satan
What do you think our own way is? Our own way actually involves the work of Satan in Genesis 3, where he says, “if you eat this fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, you can decide what is good and bad.” Mankind, who has sinned, live as slaves to Satan and they have to live for their physical needs, so Satan will always tempt you with physical things.

If you’re hungry, don’t you think it is rightful that you should become full? Don’t you think it is rightful that, if you are hungry, we should invest our life and our money to get food and money? But that is actually Satan turning us to the same level as animals. We are spiritual beings and we have a blessing that sets us apart from animals; however, he makes it so that we only live for physical things and physical needs.

When Jesus Christ was fasting for 40 days in the desert, Satan comes and tempts Him saying, “Turn this rock into bread.” Because we are hungry, of course we have to eat, and Jesus Christ is in the middle of fasting prayer, so Satan will always tempt you with the physical desires and needs, what you eat, what you wear, and where you sleep, and he makes it so that you’re centered on the physical things you see with your eyes.

In Genesis 6, we see that all the people were so busy doing everything they needed to do, going to school, getting married, having a job, having a family, and one day, they meet the disaster of having a flood. Of course, you should get married, start a family, work, or study, but they’re living the same life as the crowd that was following Jesus in today’s passage. They’re living their entire lives for food that will spoil.

Food that spoils is food that will disappear eventually. When they meet Jesus Christ, they say, “Wow, I’ll never have to worry about food again,” and these words are true, because if you follow Jesus, He will provide things for you to eat. It’s right. It’s true, but it’s actually wrong. What does Jesus say? In John 6:27, He says, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” So, stop living your life for food that spoils, but live your life for food that endures to eternal life.

Then, what is that food? It is what the Son of Man will give you. The Son of Man is talking about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is saying, “I will give you eternal life,” for on Him, God the Father has placed His seal of approval. God has placed His seal of approval on Jesus Christ, and if you believe in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, you will receive God’s seal of approval, and you’ll receive the seal of the Holy Spirit where God regards you as His children and His people. You are now God’s possession.

2. God’s Work
   In John 6:28, they replied to Him after this, “What must we do to do the work God requires?” Jesus Christ tells them to do the work of God, then they ask, “What must we do?” That’s the level of people, we keep thinking we have to do something. Every human who is separated from God is centered on our actions, we try to gain rewards from our actions. It’s only the result of being separated from God, actually.

Religion is all about trying to gain blessings from God with our actions. There is a give-and-take relationship where, “If I give you all of my prayers, then you will protect my family and give me good things.” That’s why they build an idol and invest a lot of time there, and they have to do some kind of action, whether it’s giving money or giving prayers. Religion is simply human actions in order to get some kind of blessing in return.

1) Crowd of People
The people who followed Jesus also had a religious mindset, but every single person who has not met God through Jesus Christ has that religiousness, because the principle that runs this entire world is that input equals output; you have to invest to make money; you have to study to get good grades. But that is actually God’s law and principle with the things we see with our eyes, the physical things, but what does the Lord say?

2) Jesus
John 6:29, Jesus answered, “The work of God is this, to believe in the one He has sent.” The work of God is to believe. It’s not an action you can do; you can’t do anything. It’s not something you can buy with money. There is something you can only receive when you believe in Jesus Christ. People who come to church keep trying to do something. Because they have that religious mindset, they keep trying to do something to earn something from God. You should live like that for food that spoils, but the Lord has come to earth so that He can give us eternal food and eternal life, so all we have to do is believe.

The work of God is to believe. It’s not an action you can do… There is something you can only receive when you believe in Jesus Christ.

3) Jesus – Bread of Life
John 6:30, they asked Him, “What sign will you give that we may see and believe you? What will you do?” They’re asking the question, “If you claim that You are the Messiah, the True God, what is the sign you will do to prove it?” In verse 33, Jesus Christ responds, “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” He is saying that, Jesus Christ who is right in front of you, will give you eternal life, and believing in Him is what it means to believe in God.

Without faith, you cannot move God. God moves and does His work according to the laws that He has set. People, however, will move by giving and taking from other people based on their needs. However, God has everything and He is the Creator of everything. Even now, when God gives His Word, He can create something out of nothing. He can make people fail and succeed. He controls our breath while we’re on earth; He sends us to heaven and makes us die; and He brings new life. Believing in Him is the work of God.

In John 6:35, Jesus Christ declared, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry,” this means that anyone who goes to Jesus Christ will never go hungry. Do you know why the spiritual and mental problems in this world are so severe? It is because everyone is spiritually starving. If we are spiritually full, then all our mental afflictions go away. The depression, the anxiety, the bipolar disorder, all those things disappear when we are spiritually full.

“Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty,” Jesus says. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus Christ says, “Come to me, all You who are weary and burdened,” and secondly, “Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” We go to Jesus, we believe in Jesus. It’s the same thing. When He says, “Whoever comes to me,” it is speaking to the direction of your heart. Is the center of your heart pointing to the True God who has created you? If it is, you will never go hungry and never be thirsty.

Life is something that can overcome anything. If something has life, it means they will come to life no matter where they are. You can see that, even in asphalt, there are little plants that sprout up. No matter how thick that layer of asphalt may be, if there is life underneath, it will break through. You know the living water that flows in a river will overcome any obstacle. That’s the characteristic of life. Even the age of the coronavirus pandemic cannot overcome those who have life.

It is not that living water can be blocked by obstacles; if anything, the water overcomes those obstacles. In fact, if there is a river flowing and it meets some obstacle, the power of the water actually becomes stronger at that point. That is saying that, us going to Jesus and us believing in Jesus is the reason for us not to be spiritually hungry or thirsty.

3. God’s Will
   This Bible passage talks about the will of God today. John 6:40 says, “The Father’s will is that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.” What is the Father’s will? That everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and on the day of Jesus Christ’s second coming, our bodies will resurrect and be with God once again.

Who are the ones who believe in Jesus Christ, then? In John 6:37, “All those the Father gives me will come to me.” This means that everyone who has been prepared by the Father God will, without fail, find and go to Jesus. It is because that’s not something we do with our actions. There are people who receive the grace of God so that they believe and go to Jesus. On the last day, just as Jesus Christ resurrected, we will also resurrect, and that is the entirety of God’s will.

1) Eternal Life
So, we’re talking about eternal life. In John 6:54, Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” To eat Jesus’ flesh and drink Jesus’ blood will give eternal life, “and I will raise him up on the last day.” So, in order to believe in Jesus Christ, in order to have eternal life, you need to eat His flesh and drink His blood. In the Old Testament, God made the Israelites receive salvation through the sign of the Passover. In the Old Testament, they had the age of the Tabernacle where they had to break the bread and drink the wine and worship God. All those things represent Jesus Christ who would be beaten in the body and pour out His blood to solve the curses and sins and disasters of mankind. We, who were lost in eternal death and curses and disasters have been saved to eternal life through Jesus Christ.

2) Bread of Life – Jesus
He describes and expresses it here as, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood.” Catholic theologians believe in transubstantiation happens, where the wine and bread we eat during communion is literally transformed into the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ. We don’t believe that; we believe it symbolically, so we believe and receive it with faith.

It is the fact that we are regarding Jesus Christ’s death on the cross to mean my death on the cross. That’s what it means to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink Jesus’ blood. When you eat Jesus’ flesh and drink Jesus’ blood, it means that Jesus Christ did not die on the cross alone, but you died on the cross with Him. He has received all the disasters on the cross for us, and He has overcome the authority of hell and death, and resurrected. Believing in that means that I died on the cross and I resurrected.

In John 6:56, He says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in Me and I in them.” He is saying that, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in Me and I in them.” He is talking about unity, just like when He says, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” If the branch is attached to the vine, you will bear fruit.

How can we enjoy eternal life? When the Lord is in me and I’m in the Lord. What does that mean? It means that even my weakness is not a problem, why? Because I’m content with the Lord. My problems are not a problem because I’ve been unified with the Lord. You eat that and you enjoy life with it. That’s what it means to realistically believe in Jesus.

How can we enjoy eternal life? When the Lord is in me and I’m in the Lord… my problems are not a problem because I’ve been unified with the Lord

You might be facing difficulties because of the coronavirus pandemic and because of the economy, you don’t know what’s going to happen to the economy in the future. However, the Lord is telling you not to work for food that spoils, but instead, for food that endures to eternal life. People who work for food that spoils will live in fear; however, those who are enjoying eternal life will be with the Lord, going forward.

Every single leader lived his life like that, and as Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave, he lived this eternal life. Because he had life, he was able to overcome any obstacle. There is no such thing as an obstacle with the Lord, and for anyone who has been unified with the Lord, there is no such thing as an obstacle, because anything that has been an impediment will actually be a blessing.

During the age of Noah’s flood, many people were living for the food that spoils and they faced a disaster and died. However, for Noah who lived his life with God, enjoying eternal life, the disaster of the flood actually became an opportunity for blessings. It’s the same for David, in fact, the more dangerous the circumstance is, it becomes an even greater blessing. Why is that? It is because you have become unified with the Lord. That’s why Paul confessed, “When I am weakest, then I am strong,” why? Because I have been united with the Lord.

The more difficulties you face, the more greatly God works, so believing in that is what it means to enjoy eternal life. Stop trying to do things with actions, but believe. You receive faith by listening, and when you hear, you hear the words of God. You hear the words of Jesus Christ from God who sent Him, and you receive faith from the words of Jesus.

Believing in Jesus Christ is actually a greater boon than winning the lottery. If I were to meet this coronavirus pandemic as a nonbeliever, I would be alone, trembling and shaking, freaking out. Because things are not going to the plans I had set, I would be struggling, panicking, and freaking out. Because I would have been living according to my plans, I would have met a great obstacle and I would be trying to solve it on my own. I would see everything so negatively and extremely.

But now that I believe in Jesus, it’s so great because it’s not me. The old “me” is dead on the cross, the “me” that was struggling because I didn’t know who I was has been crucified on the cross, and now I’m with the Lord and now we overcome with the Lord, and now I’m excited to see what perfect plan the Lord has planned for me. It’s not about my power, but it’s the power of the Lord that comes upon me. That’s what it means to live united with God. That’s what it means to enjoy life, and that’s actually what it means to have faith.

Anything is okay because nothing is a problem to the Lord. If I am with the Lord, nothing is a problem for me. David confessed, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” No matter how strong David may have been, if he faced death, he would have no choice but to be afraid. But, he was able to overcome because the Lord was with him.

People who are living inside of death, inside of slavery to Satan, are always in a state of fear, but we are no longer living in death; we have been changed to life, so it doesn’t matter whether this happens or that happens; I have been changed to life. “I am the vine, you are the branches,” and as I’m living my life, the great fruits of the Lord will be in my life. The Lord is giving us the answer today, knowing the circumstances of today, through the words that He wrote a long time ago.

3) Method of Living (John 6:57)
If that’s the case, what’s the method for life, how do we live? We need to first believe in Jesus Christ, that I have been crucified on the cross with Christ, and now I’m living with the Lord in me, because He is living inside of me. At any point, our life must begin from there; even today, you need to start from there. That is the method for you to enjoy eternal life.

If you’ve received eternal life, you should enjoy it, but the only method to enjoy that life is to begin by accepting Jesus Christ. You are living your life with the Immanuel, of being with the Lord, because Jesus Christ is living inside of you. Then, even the devil won’t be able to fight you. Nothing in this world can block Jesus Christ who lives inside of me because He has all authority in heaven and on earth. In fact, if anything, we are using the coronavirus pandemic to look for the will and plan of God.

God is telling all the churches that are looking for physical food that will spoil, telling them to change to look for the spiritual eternal food. Honestly, most of the Israelites died in the wilderness as they were going into Canaan. At that time, God gave them manna from heaven every day. However, the Israelite people were not concentrating on God who gave them the manna; they were only focused on the manna itself. Through the signs that people saw in today’s passage, they should look and say, “Who is person who did the signs as the Messiah?” Instead, they’re only focused on the signs of food.

If, through this coronavrius pandemic, you’re able to look for God and find out who Jesus Christ is, then this pandemic will actually turn into a great blessing for you. Even if you’re facing great economic hardship because of the pandemic, if at this time, you’re able to find who God and Jesus Christ truly are, it will become a great blessing to you. That is how Jesus Christ’s power will become my power, and Jesus’ methods become my methods, and Jesus’ plans become my plans. That means, I don’t have any plans of my own; Jesus Christ’s plans have become my plans, and I am united with Him. Whatever Jesus Christ sees is what I see, and that is what it means to be united.
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Conclusion

1. Believing in Jesus Christ is the Work of God
   So, where should our interest be? It should be in Jesus Christ who lives inside us. Then, Jesus Christ can complete His work through me, and believing in that is the work of God. How thankful are we? This is why religion can never ever solve mankind’s problems. We can never solve mankind’s problems with our own efforts or work. Believing in the work of God, which is sending Jesus Christ, is the only way mankind to be saved, and the one who is truly wise is the one who never loses hold of the spiritual blessings because of the physical things you do with your eyes. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then you do the work of God.
2. Life of Being United with Jesus Christ
   How can you keep that up? You have to keep living with Him. So, set a time and make a time for you to enjoy life. You need to have that set time where you force yourself to look at Jesus Christ because everything else in your everyday lives is pointing towards physical things. You’re concentrating on the fact that Jesus Christ is living within you and is carrying out the plan that God has already put inside of you. All the wisdom, power, and methods you need are within that, Jesus Christ.
3. Save Lives through Jesus Christ
   So, what are you looking forward to? I believe that God is guiding us in the direction of saving the many people in this world who are dying without Jesus, then nothing will be a problem for you because you’re living an eternal life with the Lord. Even if you die, you will live; if you live, you will live. Even if you have a disease or a spiritual problem or a mental problem, you will live because Jesus Christ who is eternal life and the source of life is with me. And, all the shadows of fear and death have been blown away by Jesus Christ.

There is only hope in Jesus; our only hope is in Jesus, and our method of healing is only Jesus Christ, and that is the only way to solve your spiritual hunger and thirst. Within Jesus Christ’s life is your business and career. Your career needs to be used as the spiritual food to save lives. Jesus Christ contains your studies, the studies that will save lives. What a great blessing that is.

Message Prayer
Do not be shaken this week, do not fall into the temptation of the physical things you see with your eyes, but instead I pray that you will live a blessed week with the Lord. Enjoying eternal life, let us hold onto the work that God has given to us and pray together. When we pray, the Holy Spirit works, and when the Holy Spirit works, the kingdom of Satan are broken down. Let us pray together.