Let us pray.
Father, we are in thy hands.
By thy will we are, by thy grace
we are too, and we praise thee for
this, Lord.
Now please guide us by thy Spirit.
Open all our hearts and minds for the
instant teaching of the Holy Ghost, that thou
would take us on into full manhood, maturity
in Christ.
That is thy concern, Lord, that thou shouldst
be pleased with us at the end, and
we shall be able to render our true
account.
We bless thee for this, Lord.
Thy ways are past finding out, but thou
wilt reveal to each his or her position
in it, humble though it may be.
Grant us, Lord, grace to walk in it
without murmuring.
Only praise unto thee and thy great Son.
Amen.
Well, I believe we are in John chapter
6.
Now you will know, of course, I believe
I might have mentioned it before, but if
I have, suffer me to repeat, you will
know how repetitious I am.
It seemed to be that God was, he
was always talking about the same thing in
a different way.
That this is the only miracle that's recorded
in all the Gospels, this one, we're going
to deal with today, because you will know
it's the feeding of the 5,000 and
so on.
The importance of it is that, like you
could say, some things have to do with
behaviour, cultural things.
Let me take one, for instance, the parable
of the Good Samaritan.
That's to do with behaviour.
That is to do with things that we
shall meet in our walk with God.
The greatest statement in that parable as I
may say, is contained in four words.
Just give you a clue, at least you'll
know what I think about it anyway.
Take care of him.
That's what it's about.
Take care of him.
That's how to behave yourself or to do
with your walk, work, whatever you want.
But this is a fundamental thing.
It has to do with history, this Jewish
history.
It has to do with so many things
that are basic in our faith.
So let's turn to it, shall we, in
John chapter 6.
After these things Jesus went over the Sea
of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
And a great multitude followed him because they
saw the miracles which he did on them
that were diseases.
Note that this instance recorded here and the
feeding, miracle, they call it a parable, it's
a miracle, has to do with Jewish history.
And has to be brought into the New
Testament.
Now you will understand this, that everything in
the Old Testament has to be and was
handled by Christ in such a way as
to bring the basic truth in it over
into the New Testament.
As we shall see, has to do with
history, with the present and with the future.
They followed him, verse 2, because they saw
the miracles which he did on them that
were disease.
But he's not now talking about miracles or
healing those who were diseased or lame or
anything like that.
It is, it's all summed up in those
words in verse 6.
He knew what he would do.
That's the thing.
We'll fill in the intervening words.
Jesus went up into a mountain and there
he sat with his disciples.
Please remember that great statements, great revelations, great
things of Jesus Christ's life have to do
with mountains.
They have to do with valleys as well.
If you're a reader of Oswald Chambers, you
will learn how that you have to go
down into the demon-possessed valley.
That's one of his lovely phrases.
You can't always live on the mountaintops.
So be sure that if Jesus Christ went
up on a mountain, there's something wonderful going
to happen to the mount where he gave
the sermon on the mount, as we call
it, or mount of transfiguration or anything like
that.
Keep it clear.
Mountains stand generally in the Bible for kingdoms.
He went up into a mountain, sat with
his disciples, and the Passover, the feast of
the Jews, was nigh.
Jesus lifted up his eyes, saw great company
come unto him.
He said unto Philip, When shall we buy
bread that these may eat?
This he said to prove him, for he
himself knew what he was about to do.
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread
is not sufficient for them that every one
of them take a little.
Wonderful, isn't it?
Has the Lord Jesus ever proved you by
asking you what he should do?
You think, well, I ask him what I
should do.
Just turn these things over.
Every word of scripture is important.
Don't gloss over anything.
Sometimes he'll put you to the test.
What would you do?
What can we do?
So on.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
said unto him, There is a lad here
which has five barley loaves and two small
fishes.
What are they among so many?
Jesus said, Make the men sit down.
Now there was much grass in the place,
so the men sat down in number about
five thousand.
Jesus took the loaves, and when he had
given thanks, don't misinterpret that saying, when he
said his grace, he gave thanks for the
five loaves and two fishes, and he distributed
to the disciples and the disciples to them
that were set down, and likewise of the
fishes, as much as they would.
When they were filled, he said unto his
disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, but
nothing be lost.
Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve
baskets with the fragments of the five barley
loaves which remained over and above unto them
that had eaten.
Then those men, when they had seen the
miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of
a truth, that prophet which should come into
the world.
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come,
that is, the multitude, and take him by
force, beware, you can't do that, take him
by force to make him a king, he
departed again into a mountain himself alone.
And when he even was now come, his
disciples went down unto the sea, and entered
into a ship, and went over the sea
toward Capernaum.
And it was dark now, and Jesus had
not come to them.
And the sea arose by reason of a
great wind blow.
So when they had rowed about five and
twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking
on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the
ship, and they were afraid.
But he said unto them, It is I,
be not afraid.
Then they went over the sea, and willingly
received him into the ship, and immediately the
ship was at the land whither they went.
You will find this statement of this miracle
more detailed in other Gospels.
But it's very wonderful as each one, by
the Spirit, draw different conclusions from it, and
move as you might get a difference in
four different preachers.
I expect you notice there is a difference
between them.
But John, as I said earlier on, has
a great affinity with Moses.
Always keep that in your mind.
And we're going to see how the Mosaic
statement is taken up by the Lord, and
all the things concerned with the supply of
food in the Old Testament during their wandering
in the wilderness.
Now keep that clear.
What is called the wandering in the wilderness
was nothing of the kind really.
That is an easy evangelical phrase.
They didn't wander, they were led by a
pillar of cloud.
So when you hear this book about wandering
in the wilderness, and try to find a
niche for yourself in that, you must know
in your heart that they were turned into
the wilderness by God, and they were led
all the time.
And they were supplied all the time.
Very wonderful.
So don't fall carelessly into sloppy and untrue
evangelical thinking.
Know what God is doing.
Now from this, the Lord Jesus adduces, brings
out so much truth that you and I
need to know about.
They entered into the ship, they were on
the sea, here we are, and in verse
20 we read, he said to them at
his eye, be not afraid.
Then they willingly received him into the ship,
and immediately the ship was at the land
with which they went.
That's a sort of a miracle that sort
of missed over.
It missed over.
How many sermons have you heard on that
in your life?
They were immediately there.
They were home and dry.
Wonderful.
Once Christ stepped into the ship, very wonderful,
how it got to the other side so
quickly.
It didn't have any wings like an aeroplane,
nothing to do with chitty bang bang, keep
that very clear, but they were immediately, boat,
men, everything transported somehow by God's power.
May I draw that lesson to you, my
beloved, that immediately Christ is in the boat,
you're home and dried.
How about that?
Winds contrary, waves tossing you about, you're home
and dried when Christ comes in.
He told them to do this, that he
may display this great truth to them.
Wonderful.
I hear the little Christians, they're up and
down, just like waves, everything's against me, usually
they're depressants, and so on.
Immediately Christ is in the boat, you'll be
all right.
Hallelujah.
Entirely against nature, well of course it was
against nature, that is nature outwardly, but he's
addressing himself to men, and that's how he
addressed himself to men, it is I, don't
be afraid.
I expect they were as much afraid of
being at the further shore immediately than they
were of the sea.
Marvellous.
So don't moan, will you?
You won't be able to if you're a
truly born child of God and Christ is
filling the boat.
You won't be able to.
It's amazing how he changes human nature and
habits.
Amazing.
Ah, I'm one of these thoughtful people, as
though Christ never thought a thing.
Nobody else did, but you are the one
particular one.
You'd better get changed, if you like that.
Really the world's got enough of them, they
don't want you doing it.
So on we go, beloved.
We've got to go quickly, time's fleeting quick.
The day following, when the people which stood
on the other side of the sea saw
that there was none other boat there, save
the one we're into, his disciples were entered,
and that Jesus was not with his, went
not with his disciples into the boat, but
that his disciples were gone away alone, albeit
there came other boats from Tiberias, nigh unto
the place where they did eat bread, after
that the Lord had given thanks.
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was
not there, neither his disciples, they also took
shipping and came unto Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
And when they had found him on the
other side of the sea, they said unto
him, Rabbi, when camest thou here?
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, you seek me, not because
ye saw the miracles, but because ye did
eat the loaves when they were filled.
A pretty low-down motive, wasn't it?
I mean, if they had come to be
healed and have a miracle and all this
done for them, but when all you're thinking
about is your belly, then you're in a
bad way.
And that's what he said, you know, the
Lord's very penetrating, you must let him penetrate,
you never try to hide when he speaks.
They used to teach me a course when
I was at school, Sunday school, show me
thyself and show me my Saviour.
No, show me myself and show me my
Saviour.
And talking about the Bible, make the book
live to me.
I don't think that now, they say, clap
your hands and be happy.
That about sums up the present chorus structure.
The Lord taught these great things.
He said, lay them not for the meat
that perishes, 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.
Then said they unto him, what shall we
do that we might work the works of
God?
Insulting, wasn't it?
Jesus answered and said unto them, this is
the work of God, that you believe on
him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, what sign showest
thou then, that we may see and believe
thee, what dost thou work?
Our fathers, now we're going back into history,
our fathers did eat manna in the desert.
As it is written, he gave them bread
from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily.
I say unto you, Moses gave you not
that bread, from heaven, but my Father giveth
you the true bread from heaven.
Now you see how ignorant they were.
They thought that Moses had given them manna.
They now promoted Moses to the position of
national idol.
That's the Jewish background into which Jesus was
born.
He said, Moses didn't give you that bread
from heaven?
My Father giveth you the true bread from
heaven, for the bread of God is he
which cometh down from heaven and giveth life
unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord evermore give
us this bread.
So there you have the whole thing that
he knew he was going to do.
Oh, not just give them the bread and
break five loaves up and two fishes, mighty
miracle though it was.
He was moving toward the place where he
would debunk their position toward Moses, their attitude,
and remove him from the position he never
wanted to be God giving them bread from
heaven.
You wouldn't have thought that a nation so
blessed as they would be thinking as they
did, our nation is worse.
Whatever nation you come from is ten times
worse than that, but still here is the
thing, beloved, you can get into a wrong
attitude in your thinking unless you are constantly
aware of the fact that God is giving
you bread from heaven.
Let's stay there a moment.
At the very beginning on this other mountain
top teaching in Matthew chapter 5, he taught
those disciples to pray a prayer, give us
this day our daily bread.
That's what the Israelites had through their wilderness
wandering, if you like to use that word,
it was a directed path.
They had to get up before the sun
got hot, God won't tolerate lazy bones that
love their bed too much.
Every day except the Sabbath they had to
get up very early and go outside a
camp which was at and
keep walking until they got to the place
where upon the dewy tablecloth God laid their
bread every morning.
Would you have lived in?
I mean you love sleeping in, don't you?
That's well known for students, they want to
sleep away all the weekend if they can,
except they've got something they want to do.
Here's the thing, beloved, know your tendencies because
they'll be your enemies unless you let God
rule in them.
Here's the very great thing, you see, that's
the first thing he taught them, you give
us, remember what I did to Israel of
all thousands of years back, I gave them
daily bread.
It wasn't Moses who gave it, so it's
built on them.
He's parody almost of the truth, it isn't
that, but here it is.
All right now, you're going to get your
daily bread, don't ask me for it, you
start by saying father, give us our daily
bread.
That's right, and he was now going to
build on that.
It is also important, you won't need me
to tell you where to find that, it's
also important for you to know this, you'll
have to find in Deuteronomy, you won't have
to read very far, but shall I not
teach you, I'll tell you the chapter.
In Deuteronomy chapter 8, you will find Moses
now at the end of the wilderness journey,
he was yielding up to Joshua, who was
soon going to take over, he said the
reason why God led them through the wilderness,
he said, I led you through this and
fed you with manna, that you may learn
that man does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds out of
the mouth of God.
Are you living like that?
I'm not asking you whether you believe John
3.16. Are you living by the words
that proceed out of the mouth of God,
or out of that lecture, if it is
a lecture of a man named North, or
whoever may be your favourite lecturer, preacher or
what not, are you so intimately associated with
Jesus Christ, I mean have you been born
into the godly family, is he your father,
or are you just a believer?
Here is the thing, you see, you are
born into his family, and have you learned
what Israel never learned?
That they got to live by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God,
and at that time they had received the
whole law as given in Leviticus, and other
things that God added as they went through.
Oh, so that was the reason for manna
in the wilderness, was it?
Now, now you see the affinity with Moses,
he said, my father gives you the true
bread from heaven.
The bread from heaven, angels live on it,
archangels live on it, the father lives on
it, he eats his son, you know in
love, I've heard many a woman say, look
at somebody who has a baby, they all
go round and say, I could eat it,
that's right.
Ever heard the expression?
Or is it only my ignorance being born
in London?
Alright, and that's how it is between the
members of the Godhead, did you know that?
Women are moved by emotion, perhaps.
Oh, so are men.
I'm illustrating what Jesus is talking about.
Are you as hungry as that?
Or just delighted with being able to sing
joy, joy, my heart is full of joy.
What is it that you're after?
Because you'll be no good in this world,
not the God anyway, unless you're in that
position.
It's a big thing for, to let the
Lord teach you, he didn't do any miracles,
he didn't heal anybody that was sick, all
those kind of minor miracles, they didn't do
that.
He came away from it, went up a
mountain, gave another statement of truth from the
top of the mountain.
He, he, may those mountains be many in
your life.
Things that you might call peak experiences.
May they be so many, it's rather like
Everest in the Himalayan range, but when you
look at it amongst all the other peaks,
it doesn't look as high as some of
them.
Everest isn't something like this sticking up out
of the earth, there's a whole range of
mountains.
Keep it clear, keep it clear, I've looked
at Everest when I was, out in places
that Norman goes to now, and I don't.
But, beloved, there's peak after peak after peak
after peak, and it's not suddenly sticking up
like that, you've been up this one and
there's sort of a bit of a valley
between them, and then you go up another
one and you come down, that is if
you're a mountaineer.
Just keep it clean in your heart, will
you beloved?
Because this is, he's exposing the superstitious belief
of a very religious people.
And, and we have to see this.
The father feeds on the son, and the
son feeds on the father.
What my father says, what my father wants.
I'm only here to please my father.
Did you know that he talked like that?
Well that's the implication of what he said.
He pleases me well, but that's not his
first importance.
If I don't want his father, beloved, and
father's decreed that you don't want his son,
there's no place for us in his kingdom.
And this is the thing for us to
grasp.
I'm treating you as already fundamentally educated men
and women.
You have to be educated in the things
of God.
And if you lack this, sorry indeed is
your position.
You have to go on and up into
the things of God.
These are not things addressed to your mind
only, or even firstly.
And, and we have to see this.
Listen, Jesus said, I am the bread of
life.
And it wasn't Moses that gave me to
you.
And neither was Moses that gave the manna
in the wilderness.
Oh, they said, evermore give us this bread.
I'm the bread of life that cometh to
me.
And any man comes to me, shall never
hunger.
And he that believeth on me shall never
thirst, which may make you ask the question
whether you've really come to him.
He that cometh to me.
Oh, I've come for rest.
Yeah.
But unless you enjoy rest from self and
sin, you haven't really come to any rest
at all.
Amen.
And God wants to take us on.
You'll never thirst if you believe on me.
You'll never thirst.
I never thirst.
And you'll never thirst.
I'm sharing myself with you.
My experience.
Not just telling you things.
Telling is a poor way of communicating really.
I mean, for instance, some of you men
may grow up to have the fortune of
meeting a nice young lady and you tell
her you love her.
But unless you give yourself to her and
for her, you've betrayed her.
Vice versa, the same too.
And this is the thing.
I mustn't discuss marriage.
That's not my point.
Let's go on.
Listen.
I said unto you that you also have
seen me and believe not.
All that the Father giveth me shall come
to me.
Him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out.
For I came down from heaven not to
do mine own will, but the will of
him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which has
sent me that of all which he hath
given me I should lose nothing but should
raise it up again at the last day.
This is the will of him that sent
me that every one which seeth the sun
and believeth on him may have everlasting life.
And I will raise him up at the
last day.
The Jews then murmured at him because he
said I am the bread which came down
from heaven.
And they said is not this Jesus the
son of Joseph?
You've got a comma after Jesus, it shouldn't
be there.
This Jesus, there were plenty of Jesuses on
the earth when Jesus was on, quite a
common name.
Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph?
Who is father and mother we know.
How is it then that he saith I
came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto murmur not
among yourselves no man can come to me
except the father which has sent me draw
him and I will raise him up at
the last day.
That's right.
Did you know you had to be drawn
to Jesus?
I decided for Jesus.
Aren't you a wonderful person then?
You are drawn to him.
When it was happening, except that you'd probably
been in churches all your life, you wondered
what this strange drawing was.
Sometimes perhaps against your will.
Drawn.
I must confess I'm very weak.
He drew me fairly easily.
But you don't want to be strong in
stubborn self and sin, do you?
Here is the thing for us to lay
hold of beloved.
No man can come to me except my
father.
Draw him.
Verse 44.
And I will raise that person.
Him is the inclusive with female is amount.
I will raise that person up at the
last day.
It is written in the prophets and they
shall all be taught of God.
How about that?
Wonderful isn't it?
You were taught a long time before up
here you knew about it.
You, your soul, your spirit was laid hold
of by God and drew you and you
couldn't understand and you were as ignorant as
an animal.
Me too.
You understand you were drawn.
Drawn.
You had to find Jesus irresistible.
I hope a man or woman under whom
you sit as well talk to these things.
Amen.
They shall all be taught of God.
God taught your dumb spirit.
Drew you.
Your understanding just sort of came to life
a bit after that.
Ignorant, talk about ignorant, with such an educated
nation now, in fact the whole world, the
western world anyway, is taught so much about
the human psyche.
We have a science called psychology or Mr
E out.
That's right.
Now everybody knows everything.
They don't know a thing most of them
that teach it.
They don't know the fundamental difference between spirit
and soul.
I'll ask you a question.
Are you spiritually aware of God?
I don't mean at the odd times when
you pray or go to church.
Or soulishly aware at times.
Is there a difference?
Yes, it's only slight, but it's there.
But I won't discuss psychology or such as
judgment, a judge upon them.
The thing you have to know, beloved, is
this mysterious spirit that they can't talk about
because their spirit is dead inside them.
So they don't know.
And only those who've been drawn by God.
Hallelujah.
Do you know what he's doing?
He's selecting a bride for his bridegroom's son.
I'm coming along in the car.
We discussed a little bit about this.
Not like, you see, but we will know
the truth.
The four of us had a great time.
I did a lot of listening.
We are not aware of the things that
are happening inside us.
No, you don't.
You've only got a soulish experience.
Of course you have.
There's something much more wonderful.
That's why several times, twice, I think in
the Old Testament, we're told we must dwell
deep, deep.
Too much superficiality now takes the place of
praise and worship of the genuine thought in
churches.
Usually it's the happiness of man that's being
expressed.
I was preaching on this yesterday morning.
Well, not quite these lines, associated.
When God has harmonized you, spirit, soul, and
body, with the proper man, Jesus Christ, his
son, you're beginning to make progress.
Your whole spirit, soul, and body, one whole.
All divisions of a human personality are artificial.
You are one.
And you have to come into a realization
of this.
In other words, your body will display what
your spirit is.
Now you be careful how you dress it.
You be careful what you do with it.
If you can get your mother to make
you a seamless dress, you're all right.
See, this man's talking in riddles, using phrases
I'm not used to.
Well, your mother, friend, in your new birth,
even as your father is the father, and
you are the son that's born, is the
Holy Ghost that had to come on Mary
before she could bear the child.
This is the wonder.
This doesn't leave you at liberty to do
what you want, unless your wants are God's
wants.
Amen.
Now, I didn't intend to say all that
to you, but then I'm not a lecturer,
as you can see.
Here the thing is put before us very
plainly.
They shall all be taught of God.
Every man, therefore, that hath heard and
hath learned of or from the Father, cometh
unto me.
That's the net result of it.
If I hear what God is saying, and
if I learn what God is saying, the
net result is the Jesus life in me.
I come to Jesus.
Oh, I've always thought of Jesus Christ, so
my mother said, come to me.
Oh, yeah, yeah, it's quite valid.
But he simplified it into milksop stuff then.
This is the truth that's the heart of
everything.
If you're searching, you're searching for the Father.
If you're still searching for Jesus Christ, you've
never really begun.
So God wants us to see and understand
this great truth.
Now, let's go on.
I've labored that purposely.
Not that any man has seen the Father,
save he which is of God.
He hath seen the Father.
I've seen him.
Have you?
Oh, I don't mean with these eyes.
I've seen him.
We were talking about this yesterday morning for
those that have come from Warrington.
We've seen, we've heard, we've handled.
You haven't got a valid testimony that that's
Christ, whatever, and your testimony is, well, I
was in drugs, or I was a drunkard,
or I was a thief, or I was
this and that and the other, and so
on and so on.
It's good testimony.
It's not good enough when you stand before
that throne.
That was a beginning for you.
That was only a beginning.
But we've got itching ears, and we import
these people, come and give you a testimony,
a wonderful testimony you've got.
You come and we'll give you a Sunday
night to give you a testimony or something
like that.
It's good to hear what God can do.
But how about some people, people like, well,
I was one of them.
I don't think I ever swore about three
or four times in my life.
I was born in the gutters of Bethnal
Green.
I didn't know what drugs was.
To alcohol, I detested the sound of it,
let alone the taste of it, let alone
the smell of it.
They say, now, you're goody, goody.
No, I wasn't a goody, goody.
I couldn't do it.
When the boys in the street used to
gamble with cards, I would stand and watch
them, and I was never, though they said,
Northy, come on.
Northy couldn't.
I don't know.
You understand?
Well, oh, nothing, no, but it's no good
trying to preach sermons outside your experience.
That's the trouble with pulpits.
Because it's in the Bible, they want to
preach it.
You never make the Bible live unless it's
coming through you.
Do you understand?
The Word was with God.
This is where we started in the first
chapter.
The Word was made flesh.
Amen, amen, and amen to.
I'm the bread of life, he said.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness
and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from
heaven, the man may eat thereof and not
die.
Not die.
I am the living bread which, oh dear,
let me just finish reading.
Time's gone, but I'll just finish this.
I'm the living bread which came down from
heaven.
I'm the living bread, living bread.
Notice that's different from saying I am the
bread of life.
Notice the change of grammar.
And I'll live in you if you eat
me.
If any man is to eat 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.
Amen.
Break.
Cup of tea, please.