John chapter 6. Y'all getting tired of John chapter 6 yet? Well, you shouldn't be. It's just really very good stuff here, very straight, making straight the way of the Lord. That's what it is. It's Jesus doing it. And it's very important. So sad to me. The longer I live, the more I realize that what those old timers were talking about, I heard them years ago, how the older they got, the more they believed that there were just very few people even really saved. And you think, man, that's terrible. That's discouraging. That's a downer. What if it's true? I believe that it's true. The more I read the Bible and the more I see how people are and Their motives behind everything, I'm convinced the same thing. I really do believe that what Jesus said when he said, few there be that find it. I believe that's the reality of this deal. There's few that find it. Don't look for the approval of God, we look for the approval of men. As long as we can dress up the outside so that it will convince others, we're good with that. We stop right there. That's good enough. There needs to be some real deep inward searching. Everybody. We're supposed to do that, aren't we? Examine ourselves. Examine yourself to see if you be in the faith. Don't just take it for granted. Don't take somebody else's word. You're okay. You're saved. You prayed this prayer. I know people that are going to bust hell wide open because they're counting on what somebody else believes about them when they really have no assurance in their heart. I know people who have lived their whole life as godly as you would expect anybody to live and they don't have any assurance in their heart. Something wrong. Something wrong. Your assurance don't come from that. Who dealt with our sin and who did something about it? Did I or did Jesus? God is the one who saved us by sending his son to die for us. We don't save ourselves by turning over a new leaf or just starting a program. Changing up, cleaning up, cutting our hair, dressing right, going to church. You can do that and there's going to be multitudes go to hell that way. That's more dangerous than just open infidelity. It is. All right, let's read. John chapter 6, let's read verses 22 through 27 to get started here. The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there save that one wherein two of his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone, parentheses, howbeit 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 to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, When camest thou hither?" Jesus answered them and said, and you know, you need to take note of how people address the Lord. What they call Him tells a lot about what they think of Him. It reveals what they've really judged Him to be. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek Me not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. 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." Let me see here. Let's just, here it is right in front of me and I can't see it here. Read the next verse. Then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Find that often in the Bible. What must I do? What must we do? What good deed shall I do? What good work shall I do that I might inherit eternal life? What must I do? What must I do? All right, now these people came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus, it says there. But why were they seeking Him? I want you to think with me this morning and look at what the Scripture says. Why were they seeking Him? What were they after? I mean, what was the motive behind their diligently seeking and crossing the sea and abandoning everything? Surely they had stuff to do back then. Other than that, what was their motive in it? They were puzzled about how and when he came to where he was. They got over there and there he was. They thought, how did you get here? When did you come here? We didn't see you leave. We saw the boat leave with the disciples and you didn't get in it. We know you didn't get in it. We don't know how you got here." He had withdrawn himself from them and left them alone. That's the deal. You don't even know when he leaves. That's the danger. That's the danger in churches. That's the danger in individual lives. You get off the track. You don't even know when the Lord has pulled back from you. hidden himself from you." That's what he did, isn't it? That's what he did to these people. Why? Well, because they were so headstrong about what they wanted to do with him that he didn't even try to talk them out of it. He just withdrew from them. Ain't no use talking to somebody when they've made up their mind what they're going to do and what they believe and what they want. You can't talk people out of stuff. Have you ever tried? Talking them out of it, reasoning them, reasoning with them about it, reasoning them out of it. Nope, nope. His will, his desires, his life wasn't their concern. Theirs was. Their life, their desires, their will, that's what they were concerned about and that's what they were after and they just wanted to use him to accomplish what they wanted to do in life. They wanted to make him a king by force, the Bible says, and we talked about that last week and read the verses here. When Jesus saw that they intended by force to make him a king, he withdrew. That's what the Bible says. Remember? Now they come seeking him, seeking Jesus, but still not for the right reason. They've followed him. They haven't given up. And Jesus didn't even answer their question. Rabbi, how'd you get here? When camest thou hither? Hither, hither, hither, hither. It's always, you gotta think different to talk like that. How'd you get here? When'd you come here? He didn't even answer them. He just, and that's kind of the way he does most of the time. He just ignores the questions. He declared the truth about the motives of their hearts and it wasn't flattering to them. Jesus answered them, verse 26, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. He uncovered their hypocrisy with those straightforward, plain words. Why are you here today? You know, why are you following Jesus? What do you want with him? What do you want with being a Christian? What's your motive behind it? Why? Why? Why do you seek me? He didn't ask him why, he told him why. He said, you don't seek me because you saw the miracles. You don't seek me because you realize who I am. You don't even seek me because you realize what I can do for you. All you're looking for is an easier ride in life. All you want is something for yourself. They only sought temporal benefits from Jesus. Now, that's what he said. He said, this ain't about the Son of God, it ain't about salvation, it ain't about your sin, it's about you wanting free food. That's what he said. That you don't have to work for. You want life to be easier for you, here and now. And that's why you follow me. It's not very flattering, is it? What if we searched our own selves this morning really diligently and honestly, what would be your answer about yourself? Why? Why? Why'd you start serving Jesus if you're serving him? Why'd you ever start coming to church? Why did you ever change things around in your life? I didn't used to go to church, neither did some of you. There's very few, well, not very few, about half of you probably have been in church all your life. Some of us haven't. They only sought temporal benefits from Jesus. And people who seek to associate themselves with Jesus because it's fashionable, or profitable for their business, or a way to get bread without toil, they are a fraud. They're a fraud. A fraud. A hypocrite. A phony. They didn't come, you know, these people had seen miracles but were more impressed with the food that filled their stomachs. Think about that. He fed 5,000 men plus women and children with five loaves and two fishes? And they just let that run off of them like water off a duck's back. Man, wasn't that good food? How can we get some more? Let's just stick with him. He feeds good." There's been people around here that lived around here, and they just floated around to all the churches, and whenever there was an eating going on, you bet they'd be there. It didn't matter what church it was, they'd show up. Just an example. They, you know, you can sit in church and you can see miracles happen, but still just be focused on what you want out of life and how this will benefit me. And what, you know, why would people go to church? Do you think people like businessmen go to church in order to help with their business? You ever hear that happening? Oh, I have. And I know and I can tell you where some of them are right now. And where some of them have been through the years since I've been in this deal. That is the reason they went to church in the first place, business contacts. And besides, it's an extra little embellishment on your life that makes you shine a little brighter in the community if you associate yourself with the church. But you're doing it for the loaves. You're not doing it because of the miracles that you see him do. They came, you know, they didn't come looking for more miracles. That isn't what they were looking for. Now they might have said that to cover, but Jesus knew their hearts like He always knows and He just spilled the beans on them right there. And told everybody, told them in front of everybody what they were doing there. Did they dispute it? No. Ain't no use disputing it when you're uncovered. And when the Lord uncovers you, ain't no use in denying it. They were willing to put on the appearance of being interested in what Jesus said about himself in order to get the bread. And so a pious fraud does more damage to the cause of Christ than an outspoken infidel does. Y'all understand that? We look outside and we think of all the wicked people and we look at them as the enemy of Christ and all of that, when the enemy is mostly sitting in the church people. Pretending. They're there for the loaves and the fishes. They're just there for what they can get out of it and how it benefits their life. Jesus began to urge him towards something more than just bread for the belly. He said, labor not for the meat that perisheth. Don't spend your life and strength seeking after daily bread. See, that's how the Lord is. He nailed them and uncovered their ugly motives for what they were doing. Made them feel like they ought to have been ashamed of themselves. But at the same time, he offers them help. He tries to instruct them in the way that is right. Labor not for the meat that perisheth. Why do you go to all this trouble to get here to get some more bread and fish? That's not what you need. And that's not what's going to matter in the future. Our fathers gave us manna in the wilderness. But it's all gone. He said that's all gone. They're all dead now. What good did that do in the long run? Labor not for the meated passion. Don't spend your life and your strength seeking after daily bread. Don't give your mind and your heart to temporal pursuits that'll amount to nothing. Have you figured out or when did you figure it out in your life that all of this is vanity? That working and grubbing and gathering and heaping to yourself all you can is absolute vanity and worthless? What's going to happen if you die today? I picked up a box that was in the way this morning and I told her, I walked all around the kitchen and all around the dining room and I went out in the garage carrying that box. I said, well, just look at this. We haven't even got a place that I can sit this box. What is all that? It's junk. But it's all junk that somebody's bought and paid for and drug in there and sat down somewhere and worked for it and spent money that could have been saved or put on a debt or put somewhere else where to do more good. But no, no, gotta have it, gotta have this, gotta have that. I figured it out a long time ago. I mean, when I was young, that's one of the things that changed my whole way of viewing everything. I thought, you know, this is pretty, this is dumb. You mean I'm going to work my whole life every day like this just to eat and sleep and get up and work again and eat and sleep? That's what life is about? Labor not for the meat that perisheth. What is labor? Well, it's spending ourselves. It's our strength. It's our blood and sweat. We wear ourselves out laboring. For what? For meat that perishes. Don't live your life like animals do. Constantly seeking food for the body. Isn't that what an animal does? That's why they go around with their nose on the ground all the time. Everything's looking for something to eat, and that's all their life is about. Me and Cody was coming to church yesterday morning, coming around the curve out there on the highway, and a little squirrel come off the bank. Right under us, just clunk, clunk, clunk. Well, he was in a big hurry to get whatever's on the other side of the road and carry it back to wherever he's a store and stuff, but he never made it, see? And that's just how it is. with people living their lives laboring for meat that perisheth. Jesus said in Matthew chapter four and verse four, now this is during the temptation, he's speaking to Satan who's tempting him saying, turn these stones into bread. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone. That's what he's saying in John chapter six here. but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Man cannot live by bread alone. You can work for it and labor for it, but it's not enough for you. But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, labor, there is a way to live on this earth without being swallowed up in the ways of those who do not know God. There's a way to live on this earth without living like an animal. With your only cares being no more than the cares of an animal. Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19 through 21. I'm just going to pick a few verses down through there. You know the passage, but Jesus said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. This is the Sermon on the Mount. Instruction from the Lord Himself in love and kindness and wisdom, telling us how to live, what to live for, what is important. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also Have you ever studied about what treasure in heaven really means and what it is? What it consists of? What does he mean when he says lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, that's what he's saying don't let for yourselves treasures on earth but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven and That's what you labor at, spend your life for, spend your strength for. In verse 25 he said, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on. For is not the life more than meat, and the body more than rain? So take no thought for your life what you shall eat. What are these people concerned about? Jesus said, you're following me because of the loaves. That's what you're concerned about. What are most people concerned about? Mostly. Think about it. I mean, this is really relevant to everybody right now. What is our life constructed around mostly? I mean, we've got to eat and we've got to eat in the morning, we've got to eat at noon, we've got to eat in the evening, we've got to have snacks, I mean, but we've got to eat. Work is all arranged around eating. I mean, when it comes lunchtime, everything stops no matter what. Well now, I'm not against stopping, having lunch, but boy listen, you know on these jobs and stuff, what do you do? You stop and two hours later you're still messing around, going or coming from lunch. And right in the middle of the day when you just got everything going, then you got to stop and go somewhere and eat and get all stuffed and come back and by that time you don't feel like working anymore and things don't get done. Everything is arranged around eating. When Jesus told us not to make our life about that. Are we ever going to convince anybody? Probably not. Nope. Nope. We're going to just go right on eating and drinking like they did in Noah's day. And that wasn't the first thing that Jesus said. Isn't that the first thing Jesus said about that day? As it was in the days of Noah. So shall it also be in the days of Canaan. For they were eating and drinking. and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the earth." Well, you say, but everybody's got to eat. Yeah, but that's not what life's about. And that should not be the greatest pleasure we have in life. Everything has to be just so-so, and it has to just taste just right, and it has to be what we like. Or it has to be according to whatever diet we're on at the time, you know. blah, blah, blah. We spend too much time. He said, take no thought for your life what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on. But how many obey that? How many live by that? Ain't nobody lives by that. It's about all everybody thinks about. eating, drinking, and planning on the next one. You've always got the next one in sight. Before you get done with this, you're already thinking about the next one. And clothes. You talk about clothes in Sunday school there a little bit. People used to have one or maybe two sets of clothes. That's it. Didn't have to have a a walk-in closet that's as big as a bedroom now. We've got a big closet. It's full. I mean, you step in the door, and you got to... And she says it's me. She says I'm crowding her out of the closet. I don't wear... Y'all see what I wear. I mean, I wear the same three or four things. So... That's okay with me. But let me do it because she'll throw away my good stuff. You see what I mean? If we get a little room, we run off to the flea market or the junk store or the Catholic yard sale and buy some more and bring it home. Because it's just so cheap. Can't pass this up. What a bargain. Quarter a piece for all these shirts. None of them fit. That's usually the way it is. But seek ye first the kingdom of God. and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." See, this is the chapter here, John chapter 6. This is what Jesus is driving at all the way through, and He gets so stern and so beyond them in His language about eating my flesh and drinking my blood that it passes them, it goes over their heads. But this is what He's talking about. This is what He's saying. that he must be our life. Our life can't be about pleasure and eating and drinking and making merry. We can enjoy life, and we can eat, and we can drink, and we can be merry, but that's not what life is about. That's what these people's life was about, don't you see? They weren't seeking the Lord, they were seeking food. They were seeking fellowship. They were seeking an easy ride. Jesus isn't teaching that men should be lazy and just wait on God to put the food in front of them. We know that. The Bible tells us also that if any man don't work, he shouldn't eat. I ain't quoting it exactly right. Isn't that what the message is? If you don't work, neither should he eat. So we're to labor. That's what the whole thing was set up for. You see how tricky it is? Everybody says, well, that's the way God made it to be. No, no, Jesus wouldn't be saying labor, not for the meat which perisheth, if that's what God meant it to be. We're to work. But what does the New Testament tell us about why we're supposed to work? With our hands. So we may have to give to him that is in need. That's why God takes care of us. Yeah, we're supposed to labor. That's why Jesus said labor. He doesn't mean for us to just sit down and wait for food to fall in our plate. That's not faith. Faith without works is dead. Can faith alone save you? Of course not! But this is exactly what these people were wanting to do. He's not telling us to be lazy, but that's what they're wanting to do. Free food. How do you get your food? How do y'all get your food? Now most of it, y'all got a farm. Everybody's got gardens and grows some of it and all that, but for the most part, where do you get your food? Well, it costs you. You have to buy it. So how do you buy it? You have to have money. Where'd you get the money? Well, you worked for it. It's a whole lot better if you don't have to work for it, ain't it? It's a whole lot easier. I mean, if you just got some kind of a way that you can just get what you want without paying for it, isn't that everybody's dream? Somehow get it without paying for it, but not steal it, because that's wrong. I hope I can get this across. Jesus is teaching here that there is a much higher guiding principle for life than eating and drinking and covetousness. The vital principle of our life changes when we're born again. The thing that drives us, the thing that our life is about, the way we think, our desires, what we aspire to, it all changes when you're really born again. We have a new vital principle of our life. And we don't live unto ourselves or unto the world around us, but unto the Lord. For in Him we live and move and have our being. For we also are also His offspring. The Bible says in Acts chapter 17 verse 28, Paul talking to the pagans there. In Him we live and move and have our being. Christ didn't seek for people to follow Him, but for people who would let Him live through them. Jesus didn't try to gather crowds. He didn't encourage people to follow Him. They just did. Because He did miracles. He fed them. He healed them. He'd done all kinds of things to help them, kind, benevolent things that were a lot to do with the physical, carnal things of this life. And yet they missed Him by wanting those things. You reckon it's the same way now? Again, I ask you, why do you come to church? Why do you want to live the way you're living? Why do you want to profess to be a Christian and call yourself a Christian and be associated with people that say they're Christians? Why? Why do you do it? What's your motive? To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to lose our life for his sake. And the life that we now live in the flesh is no longer our life, but Christ's living in us. In Galatians chapter two and verse 20, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. Paul is exactly describing the same thing Jesus is talking about here in John chapter 6, about, I am the bread of life. Not physical life. We're not talking about that. He's the one who feeds us. Like we said about the miracle of the multitudes. Two fish and five loaves fed a whole multitude. He does that same miracle every day. For the whole world and for every creature that lives on it. But we get hung up on the food, the things, the easy life. This is what he is leading up to when he says he's the bread of life. You ever hear this saying, you are what you eat. You ever hear that saying? Somebody say yeah or no or shake your head and blink. I mean just breathe, breathe. And Christ has to be what sustains our life. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. For me to live is Christ. What's my life about? It's about Him. It's not about goals and achievements and riches or ease of life here. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable. You gotta have your eyes set somewhere else besides in this life. This is what he's leading up to and this is what he's talking about. It is Christ that sustains our life, and our life is more than meat. In Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25, we read a while ago, and then in Luke chapter 12 and verse 23, it says the same thing. The life is more than meat. As He is assimilated into our soul and spirit and into our mind and heart, it becomes Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 27. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ not in you, what hope do you have? What hope do you have of glory if Christ be not in you? See, we've been taught all through the years you just pray this prayer and you're going to heaven whether you want to or not, no matter what you do. You can become an infidel, still go to heaven if you prayed this prayer. That's what we've been taught. You say, not me. I heard it plenty, straight out, just like that. It's not true. Christ has to be in you. You have to eat his flesh and drink his blood. He's the bread of life. He must be what sustains you. You must assimilate him into your life. He has to become what you are. What are you following Jesus for? Is it for the loaves and the fishes? Or is it because you love Him and recognize Him as the Lord God Almighty? Why? Some point in your life you've got to get this settled. You've got to get it settled. You're just serving because of what good it will do you. In all different ways. How other people look at you. How it makes you feel inside. It calms your evil conscience. Is that why? You're just following because you want to go to heaven when you die. See, that's been the offer. That's been the selling point for years. You can have a better life. See, a lot of the ministries, almost all of them, are geared to this, to promising people a better life, a way out of that awful life of yours, that wrecked life that you've made a mess of with drugs and immorality and divorce and whatever else. You can just think, it'll be so much of a better life if you just follow Jesus. That's loaves and fishes. It's loaves and fishes. It ignores the whole matter of what salvation is about. It ignores the whole matter of why Jesus came, why He died on the cross, why He suffered for us, and why He's coming again. It denies all of that. This ignores all of it. It sets it aside so we can have more loaves and fishes. So our life can be better. So it can be easier. So it can be more pleasant. Y'all understand? You're looking at me like you don't understand what I'm talking about. Do you go to church and associate yourself with Jesus and his people because it's a better way to live? And life is easier that way? Why do you think most people start coming to church? They start coming for the loaves and the fishes. It's very, very seldom that anybody comes for any other reason. They get sick of this filthy, ungodly, evil, wretched world that they live in and the wretched life that they've been living. And all the violence and they looking for a sanctuary, a place of peace, a people they could be around that would make life more peaceful and better for them. We've got to be careful. Now what did Jesus do with a crowd like that? He removed himself from it. He withdrew from it. We should search our hearts diligently and be honest about it. Are we like the woman who will marry a rich man for his money so her life will be secure and easier? To me, that ain't nothing but a prostitute. That's right. She's selling herself. She's willing to do that just to have the loaves and the fishes. The adulteress will seek the precious life. That's what it means. The world calls them gold diggers. You see these 25-year-old women that marry these 90-year-old men that are billionaires because they love them. You've got to be crazy to believe such nonsense as that. Is that why you're following Jesus? Do you see why it's an abomination to him? How do you think he'd feel about that? How would you feel if somebody was just your friend because of what they could get from you? They were only kind to you because they thought that you would give them something or you would make their life easier. How would you feel about that? Well, how do you think the Lord feels about that? When you ignore who He is and what He's done, and you just follow Him for what He can do for you. Now, I ask you, if you turn on the radio and you listen to the preaching out there all over the TV and everywhere else, what are you going to hear? This is the bait they use to fish with. What's that song we heard about? He'll solve all your problems and he'll take care of all your, you know, he'll just fix everything for you and then life will be wonderful. Hallelujah. Just so wonderful to live for Jesus. Don't you want to live for Jesus and have a wonderful life too? Jesus didn't go around with His food truck feeding everybody to make everybody happy. So they would follow Him and identify with Him. It's not how He won them. Or do we follow Jesus because we love Him? And if He never gave us anything and life was harder instead of easier, would we still cling to Him? At the end of this chapter, the whole crowd walks off. All this multitude, thousands of people that had followed him across the sea and others stood there and listened and they just said, this is too hard. We ain't, no. Bread ain't worth this. Nope. They walked off. He turned to the twelve and said, will you also go away? Because it's the truth. And this is the way it is. And if you walk away too, then so be it. I'm not going to change the message to keep you either. Peter said, Lord, where can we go? That's the words of eternal life. All these As you read through history and the people, men through the years that's written stuff and comments and all of that, commentaries and whatever, there's a few that understood. You can see the ones that understood what we're talking about here this morning. But most never understand. It's just all about the loaves and the fishes. And it's never anything more. And as long as everybody will just follow the rules and toe the lines, we're just a big happy family and we're all going to, we're just waiting on that great reunion in the sky when we're all going to get together and have a, we're just going to continue what we got going here for eternity. And it's not going to be that way at all. Would you follow him? Would you still go to church if life was harder for you instead of easier? Well, in these countries where people are so persecuted for being a Christian, they do. They're few, but they do. They put their life on the line to be a Christian. They're not after the loaves and the fishes. They don't preach this kind of prosperity, easy living gospel in North Korea. or in Iraq or in places like that. They don't tell those people just trust Christ today and the communists will leave you alone and you'll have riches and honor from everybody. They wouldn't believe such nonsense. Why do the fools of this country believe that? Fools who are drowning in their wealth and their abundance and plenty. Why do they believe such that? Does your heart seek after Jesus more than food for your body? The psalmist said, I have esteemed thee more than my necessary food. He sought after God. Jesus said, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. You get to desire the right thing, and Jesus will satisfy you. As long as you're desiring the loaves and the fishes, you'll never be satisfied. He that loveth silver is never satisfied with silver. The only one that satisfies is Jesus. That's what he meant when he said, he that believeth in me, he that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. See the woman at the well? He's talking about the same thing here. Remember? The water? It's the same story he's telling over and over. Same message over and over that he's hammering. Only this time he's really... I mean, every chapter he's just... it's just intensifying more. It's being honed down sharper and sharper to what this is really about. Is He enough? Is Jesus enough to satisfy your heart, your mind, your doubts, your insecurities, your longings? Or does it take something more than that to keep you in the fold? They come for loaves. What if Jesus had said, How many of them would have stayed? He could have dispersed the crowd real easy, saying, you think I'm going to do that again? Nope. That's all you want? That's all you're following me for? Nope. Well, easy enough for you. Is the Word of God, God's promises, Jesus, what He's done, who He is, what He's promised to do, is that enough for you? Or do you have to have everything just right in your life also? Meaning, if He won't take care of that bill when it needs taking care of, if He won't heal you when you're sick, if He won't give you what you want and solve all your problems and get rid of all your fears, if He won't take care of you that way, are you done with Him? If you got him on trial, that's what they say, try Jesus. Try Jesus. You tried everything else, try Jesus. I tell you, that ain't going to work. You don't try Jesus. He don't shack with nobody. You don't try him. Many people begin following Jesus for the loaves and fishes and end up following Him because they love Him. You know, I believe that's why that I've seen so many in my lifetime who've sat in church for years and years saying they're saved and then suddenly they get born again. I believe that's why. They came for the loaves and fishes. And that's the way this was. You know, we see this multitude disperse here and we see it in other places where they turned and walked away. And in the Book of Acts we can read when Peter and then later Paul, when they started preaching, they went to some place and it says, some believed and some didn't. A bunch of them said, nah, we ain't believing this stuff, and they walked away. But some believed. That's kind of how it is in churches. It's got to face that fact. Most are here for the loaves and fishes. that it'll make their life better. And they're hoping that God will give them an easy life if they go to church and do what everybody says. And I think the way in is just to do. What must I do? Tell me what to do. What we read there in Colossians this morning about, you know, the commandments of men. Touch not, taste not, handle not. That's in parentheses. He's talking about that's what men command you to do. All right, just give me the rule book. Tell me where the lines are. Tell me what's permitted and what's not permitted. I'll conform. If it will help me, if this will, you know, people will do anything for any kind of benefit in their life. I read a word, witchcraft is a big business. I mean billions, like $27 billion a year business now. I mean, they're advertising all over social media, the Internet and everything, and people will hire them to cast a spell on their unfaithful husband or somebody like that. I mean, they believe that stuff. They'll do whatever. Give them money. There's a sucker born every minute. Now there's plenty of suckers still being born, let me tell you. But people will do the same thing with Jesus, and that's so offensive to Him. The Lord, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world, the promise of God from before the foundation of the world, the wonder of wonders, the bridegroom. And he gets treated like that. Do you just follow him for what you want? He's more than that. Let me tell you something, there's a lot more to be had than that. It's what Jesus said, don't labor for the meat that perishes, but for everlasting life that endureth unto everlasting life. There's more out of life to be had. There's more to life than just living. There's more to life than just seeking an easy way. Amen. Examine yourself. I think everybody ought to. Why do I serve the Lord? And what if he never spoke to me again? What if he never did a thing for me again that I could tell everybody, the Lord answer my prayer, or the Lord help me? Would you still serve the Lord? Job said, with everything gone, and his health and everything gone, and the only thing he had left was his wife, who was saying, curse God and die. Dost thou still retain his own wife? The only thing left. And Job said, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Now that's how it ought to be. Job had it right. This is what Jesus is preaching to these people. It's what I'm preaching to you this morning. There's got to be more to it than just religion. There's got to be more to it than just self-seeking. And that goes real deep. Why? Why do you serve the Lord? Go on and think about that. Really. Amen. Father, thank you. Thank you for the Word of God. Thank you for the truth in this chapter. So much to deal with here. And it's so clear and straightforward. And yet, it's such an easy place for the devil to confuse and blind the minds of people. Lord, help us to be able to make it as clear as we can with words. But even then, this is a spiritual battle right here to get this truth across to the minds and hearts of others. Lord, I pray that you'd keep the devil from blinding anybody that's hearing this. to the gospel, to the true gospel, to the truth of salvation and deliverance from sin and a promise of eternity with you by seeking after these loaves and fishes. Help everybody to understand, Lord, I've tried my best. I feel like I haven't been able to get it across like it needs to be. I pray, Holy Spirit, you'd be the interpreter, that you'd drive it home in every heart and mind here and everybody that would hear this, and help them to understand, and help us all, Lord, to look inside ourselves real deep and be real honest with ourselves, and then to do something about it. and abandon this life of vanity and worldly, temporal seeking that is not going to last but just a little while longer. Please bless the Word to our heart now in Jesus' name. Amen.