← ArchiveThe JESUS StoryThe JESUS Story: I Am ____________DateJune 20, 2021SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamText—Passages in this sermonJohn 60:44John 89:53John 8:1210:03Revelation 2114:53John 1015:44John 1122:52John 1427:02Acts 928:39John 1530:06TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Music.0:30Okay, everyone, my name is Josh. If you're just now joining us or joining us online and I'm the lead pastor and have the joy of opening up the Word of God with you today on this Father's Day. So if you have your Bibles with you, either turn them on or open them up to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. And we're in the midst of a sermon series we call the Jesus Story. Now you might ask, well, what is the Jesus Story?0:58Natalie, who was baptized earlier, would say this. As Jesus died on the cross, so your sins can also die. And as He rose again, you can rise again to new life. See, baptism is saying that we have died to ourselves and that we are raised in new life. And when we do that, you find forgiveness and eternal life on the other end. That's the Jesus Story.1:27That's the story of the Gospel of John, which is in the New Testament. It's the fourth book in the New Testament. John chapter 6, this morning. If you're new here, and we have some guests. So my in-laws are here joining us on this Father's Day. If you are a guest, if you are new here or new-ish, we want to welcome you guys. If you're watching online, so let this round of applause be our welcome. We're not going to make you stand up.1:58We're not going to make you sign up for an extended warranty on your vehicle. We just want to say welcome because we believe God's doing something special when the people of God gather. And we believe God's going to do something in your life and radically change you because He's changed us. And if God can change my heart, He can change yours. So the book of John, as you turn there, I believe you can learn a lot about a person by listening to what they say about themselves.2:24For instance, there was a famous person that once said this. He said, I am what I am, and that's all that I am. I'm strong to the finish because I eat my spinach. I'm Popeye the sailor man. Now some of you are like, What is that? Just go back and, you know, the cartoons used to come on on Sunday, Saturday mornings only.2:53And so Popeye would be one of those. So Popeye was telling you he's strong when he eats his spinach. Kids, that's a life lesson. Eat your spinach and you'll be strong. I don't know if it's true, but that's what my parents told me. And in the book of John, we get to hear very clearly Jesus say something about Himself seven times. In the book of John, we have seven I am statements. As Popeye said, I am what I am.3:22And Jesus says to the world, I am this. I am plus predicate. And Jesus is speaking to us about salvation, about eternal life. Every I am statement tells you something about Jesus and something about salvation that is found in Him. So you will need your Bibles as you do every week, but we're going to look at all seven I am statements. I promise we'll get out before July 4th. That is my guarantee.3:53So join me in the book of John as we read John 6, 34 and 35. My sermon is simply titled, I am dot, dot, dot, dot. I am, Jesus says in John 6, verse 34 is the people. And they say to Jesus, sir, give us this bread always. Now we're going to come back to that context.4:23And this is what Jesus says in John 6, 35. He said, I am the bread of life. Jesus told them, no one who comes to me will ever be hungry. And no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. Let's pray. Father, there are many that say who you are. The world tells us what they think you are.4:53But Father, in this moment, may you tell us through the words of your Son, Jesus Christ, who He is. And how He lives through us. And how He died for us that we might live. And Lord, for those with us right now, listening online, listening later, listening in our midst physically. Lord, if they do not know you, may this be a Father's Day they will never forget.5:20May this be the first Father's Day where they can call you their Heavenly Father. Because they say yes to Jesus Christ in their place. Lord, stir our hearts. For those that do know you, Lord, may we leave here different. May we leave here changed. Because we have seen you face to face. Lord, we want to know you. And we want to know you as you really are. Lord, this is our prayer. We pray in Jesus' name.5:49Amen. John 6, the first I am. Jesus says, I am the bread of life. I am the bread of life. So here's the context. If you have your Bible, it actually tells you in the headings. Prior to this, really the day before, Jesus performs one of the greatest miracles in His ministry. He feeds 5,000 people. Now, that's a great miracle.6:18The fact that He feeds these 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two, the Bible says, small loaves and small fishes is a great miracle in itself. The fact that Jesus feeds 5,000 people the same meal and not one person complains about the service is the greatest miracle. And Jesus has done all this and then He goes away. And so the people find Him the next day on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.6:46And as you would and as I would, they ask Him, they say, Jesus, give us this bread again. Now, one day, I pray that I will be able to taste this bread in heaven. Because I have some thoughts of what the bread would have tasted like. I don't know, but I'm sure that was the best bread the world had ever tasted. And I believe these people are craving the bread that only Jesus can give them. And so they ask in verse 34, they say, give us this bread always.7:13They're saying, give it again and again and again. And Jesus says, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And that's interesting and it's odd at the same time. Because some of you who have found Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there are still moments in your life where you're hungry. So it's very clear, Jesus is not only speaking of physical hunger.7:43There's a deeper hunger in your life that only Christ can fill. There's a deeper hunger, there's a deeper identity that only Jesus can fill. And what He's telling the world and what He's telling us is that Jesus is the bread of God. This is not your worldly bread. He is the bread of God. And the reminder is for our lives that God never wants His children to go spiritually hungry.8:08He never wants you to go spiritually hungry. And that brings me such comfort because there's so many things in our world that people offer us that they say, if you do this, if you eat this, if you follow this, then you will find spiritual identity. And I found that sin and other institutions only leave me empty at the end of the day.8:32It might taste good in a moment, but it never satisfies your spiritual appetite. Only God can do that. And so Jesus says, I am the bread of life. And here's the take home. For Jesus, the I am the bread. The only way that you can receive the bread of life is to come to the table with humility and repentance.8:58And say, God, forgive me. Listen, the fact that Jesus would even invite you to the table is earth-shattering. The fact that Jesus could even give us bread from heaven and that we could have taste buds to eat. We sinful people is the greatest miracle in the history of the world. And to receive this bread, we must come to the table with self-commitment, with faith and belief that Jesus is the Messiah.9:28Do you believe that? If you do, you have everything you need for a satisfied soul. Jesus is the bread of life. But there's more. That's only one of seven I am statements. And so Jesus continues in John chapter 8. Not only does he say, I will satisfy your soul, but he says that he will illuminate our hearts and our souls.9:56John chapter 8, verse 12. John 8, 12. Jesus spoke to them. I'm going to give you the them shortly. Jesus spoke to them again and he said, I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.10:21So let me give you the context. Jesus has secretly journeyed to Jerusalem against better judgment from others. They say, Jesus, if you go to Jerusalem, they will kill you. And Jesus says, okay. But he journeys under the cloakedness of darkness. And so Jesus goes to the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot.10:48Here's what you need to know about the Feast of Tabernacles. It was once a year, the entire Jewish population would travel to Jerusalem. It was said of this feast that they would illuminate the lights of the temple so bright that there was not a house or a room that was not flooded with light during this week. This is the Feast of Sukkot. And in the greatest week of light, in the yearly calendar of Jerusalem, Jesus encounters people who are living in darkness.11:19So can you see the metaphor? There's religious light, but spiritual darkness. Baptists, we need to listen to that. Because we can do everything that we can to try to create religious light in our lives. But if you don't know Jesus, you're still living in darkness, in midst of religious light. And so Jesus speaks to certain people.11:50Now we know those people are our favorite friends called the Pharisees. Now before you point fingers at Pharisees, they are the most conservative, the most orthodox, and the most buttoned up people in Jerusalem. They are the people that if you really wanted to be religious, that's who you should look like and that's what you should sound like. So before we say, I can't believe they did that, that's who everyone wants to be. And they bring this woman to Jesus, caught in adultery.12:19And they say, Jesus, you tell us what to do. Now they know that the law of Moses says she should be stoned to death. And so Jesus says to them, as only he can, this is the background of all this. Jesus says to them, okay, we'll throw stones. But whoever is without sin, here you go. You take the first stone and you throw it. And the word of God says this about the council.12:48They started walking away. And do you know how they started filing out? The Bible says the oldest to the youngest. And in the midst of all this, Jesus speaks. And he says to this woman and to those listening still. He says, I am the light of the world. Now what we miss in the English is the order of the words.13:19Really what Jesus is saying in Greek is the I is at the end of the sentence for emphasis. Jesus puts the right emphasis on the right syllable. So Jesus says, really, the light of the world am I. Because he is everything that we need. And so Jesus is opening their eyes. And when he says this, we see in verse 13, the Pharisees say to him,13:48you are testifying about yourself and your testimony is not valid. So this is what disrupts the religious order. They don't have a problem with light. Because they are in the week of illumination. They don't have an issue with Jesus saying, I'm going to make your life better. I'm going to bring light on the dark places. That's not what they struggle with. The issue they have is that Jesus didn't say that he is a bringer of light.14:14They have an issue that Jesus says, the light of the world am I. And they understood what he was saying. Jesus was saying that he is the Messiah. Jesus was saying you can have all the religious light that you want in your life. But if you don't have the Messiah, you are living in darkness. They didn't like that. I found that people, dark people, don't like places of light.14:42And Jesus tells us that we don't have to live in darkness. One of my favorite passages is Revelation 21. And it talks about the new heavens and the new earth. And it says that there will be gates, but they'll be open. There's no need for the gates. And there will be the sun and the moon. But they're not going to give light. Because the light is the glory of God proceeding from the throne.15:06It's as if the world, it's as if the sun is trying to tell us right now. I told you Jesus was the light. I was just pointing to the greater light. Church, there is so much light in Jesus Christ. If you're walking in darkness, you don't have to walk in darkness. Because He is the light that God has provided for you. He is the bread that satisfies.15:36He is the light that shines brightness into every dark corner of our lives. But Jesus continues even further in John 10, verse 7. He says, I am bread and I am light. In Jesus 10, verse 7. He says again, truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Now let me give you the context of this. Some of these great I am statements always come on the back end of a powerful miracle.16:06Right? Feeding 5,000, I am the bread. Rebuking the Pharisees. Forgiving this woman in adultery. I am the light. Now Jesus has just healed a man that was born from birth. It was a great teaching lesson for the disciples because they asked, Well, Jesus, why was this man born blind? Obviously, either he sinned or his parents sinned. And Jesus says, no.16:36But that the glory of God might be revealed. So Jesus gives a blind man sight. That's reason to celebrate, church. But the Pharisees didn't celebrate. So they bring him before them and say, You tell us who healed you. He says, I don't know. I didn't see him. I was blind. You can't make, this is exactly what happened. You can't make this stuff up. And they kick him out of the temple complex. They've had enough because they can't deny that he was blind.17:06And they can't deny that he can see. So they kick him out. And then guess who finds the blind man again? Or the former blind man. He's now face to face with Jesus Christ right before this passage. And Jesus interacts with them. And from this, we now have this next teaching. He says, I am the door. Often, people of God are compared to a flock. And they would not have missed this point.17:35Israel is compared to the sheep of God. And Jesus is not saying that I am a door to the sheep. Or I am not a door to the good shepherd. He's saying, I am the door. There was a man in history that believed what Jesus said. His name was John, the brother of Jesus Christ. And one of the church fathers records how the death of James went down. They said that the Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, bring James to the temple, the pinnacle of the temple.18:02And they give him a chance to recount the story of Jesus. And they are hoping that he will dismiss Jesus as Messiah. And this is what history records about the death of James. So the people cry out to James. They say, the people are led astray after Jesus. The crucified one. Declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus?18:32And in essence, James declares to the people, there is not a gate to Jesus. He is the gate. And history records that they throw him off the pinnacle of the temple and kill him. Because they could not stand to hear that Jesus is the open door. Think about that. What does it say about our Savior that we have an open door to God?19:02In Jesus Christ, you have an open gate to the Father through the Son, by the Spirit. I don't know about you, but I look at my life and I say, God, if anything, I deserve a closed door. I deserve exclusion from your throne. And yet Jesus says, but Josh, because I died for you, I am the gate.19:28And there is an open door with uninterrupted access to the presence of God because of what Jesus did. Church, never forget that he is the gate. And there is only one. And Jesus continues in the same passage. Not only is he the open door to the sheep or for the sheep, but he says that I am the good shepherd. Look at verse 11. It says, I am the good shepherd.19:57The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The mark of any good shepherd is that he knows his sheep, right? If you are in Christ, he knows you and you can call him yours. But I've often wrestled with, Lord, why a good shepherd protects his sheep, right? Am I, is everyone on board with me to say, good shepherd, they care for the sheep, they protect the sheep.20:24This means yes. Okay, just making sure you're with me. But this good shepherd is different. This good shepherd does what? He lays down his life. How can a dead shepherd be a good shepherd? Because a dead shepherd cannot protect the sheep from the wolves. A dead shepherd cannot lead the sheep to still waters.20:51A dead shepherd cannot care for the sheep or find the one who is lost. How can this shepherd be good unless by dying he offers protection? John Calvin said about this statement, he said that God is so anxious for your salvation that he does not even spare his own life. God is so anxious for your salvation that he did not even spare the son of his, the life of his only begotten son.21:21And in ancient Near East, we know what shepherds would do. They would rise early and they would take the flock, all of them, even the unruly ones. They would take them outside of the pen and that they would give them green pastures. And then they would lead them to quiet waters. And about noon in the heat of the day, they would find rest and shade. And again, around 6 o'clock in the evening, they would find green pastures and lead them to quiet waters.21:52And then they would lead them to the place where they can lie down and rest. When Jesus laid down his life for you, he offered you eternal protection. He offered you eternal water that will quench your thirst. He led you to green pastures church. Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, is your eternal protection. He is everything that we need. He laid down his life for us.22:21And the shepherding of the goodness of God is eternal life. Anyone thankful that we have a good shepherd? He's not a hired hands. He's not someone that just tolerates you. But he is a good shepherd who loves his own. That's the power of the great I am. But there's more. Not only is he the bread, not only is he the light, not only is he the gate, not only is he the good shepherd,22:46but Jesus in John 11 says in 25, he says, I am the resurrection and the life. So I know what you're thinking. Pastor, what's the context? I can't wait to tell you this. Jesus in John 11 is going to a funeral. It's not any funeral. It's the funeral of one of his best friends. A man named Lazarus in a town called Bethany.23:14You might not know Lazarus, but you might have heard that Lazarus had two sisters. One that was, she was skilled in getting stuff done. Her name was Martha. She's a doer. You need it done, you ask Martha and she's going to do it. There's another one named Mary. And she was skilled in being present in the moment. She wanted to soak up whatever she could.23:43If she was with Christ, she was there. And so Jesus is going to this funeral because Lazarus has died. Now, Jesus knew several days prior that he was sick and about to die, but Jesus didn't go. But now Jesus is going to a funeral. And on the way to meet the dead guy, Martha comes out, sister. And this is the encounter of Martha in John 11. She says, Lord, if you had been here, Lazarus would not have died.24:12Yet even now, I believe whatever you ask in the name of God will be given. What a major statement of faith, by the way. To see Jesus coming and say, Jesus, if you would have been here, he would not have died. But he is dead. And whatever you ask, God will give it. So Jesus says to her, I am the resurrection and the life.24:36I am. What John Piper says about this, I love. He says, in this moment, Jesus says, the one who believes in me, even though he dies. Piper says, that's for Lazarus. That's for dead people. Jesus is saying to Lazarus, even if you die, you will live. And then he says, and everyone who lives, that's for Mary and Martha, and us, even the one who lives and believes in me will never die.25:04Do you believe this? Here is what Jesus is saying in this, I am statements. He is saying that he is the resurrection and the life. By the way, Jesus, he goes to a funeral and he leaves a birthday party.25:30You say, well, how does that happen? Jesus goes and Lazarus is dead. When Jesus leaves, Lazarus is alive because Jesus raises him from the dead. We believe, we follow a God who can turn funerals into birthday parties. And the power of Jesus Christ is that when you say yes to Jesus, as Natalie has done, you saw her funeral and her birthday party earlier.25:56She said, I have died to myself, and when I die to myself, I have new life in Jesus Christ. We follow a Savior who turns funerals into birthdays. And I don't know about you, but I like birthdays more. So thankful that we have eternal life. Jesus is asking her if her faith can go beyond quiet confidence. Jesus is asking her, do you really believe what you are saying?26:26And I think that is a question every person needs to ask themselves on a daily basis. Do you really believe Jesus is who he says he is? You say, well, of course, I am in church. I get that. Let's put away the platitudes. Do you really believe what you say you believe? Do we believe in the power of the great I am? The one who is the resurrection and the life.26:54But there is more. Jesus says in John 14, this is in the midst of the final supper he will ever eat in his physical body. This is the same night that Jesus is about to be betrayed. This is the eve of his crucifixion. So the disciples can see the agitation in Jesus and they can tell he is upset and they can tell something is worrying him.27:19And so Jesus tells them, I am about to go to the Father. And they ask him simply, would Jesus show us the way? We want to go where you are. Jesus says in John 14, verse 6, Jesus says to them, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father.27:49From now on, you do know him and you have seen him. John Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress understood what Jesus was saying. Because John Bunyan describes that the way is not a literal pathway, but it's a person. You know, oftentimes in our humanity, we want God to show us the path. God, if you just tell me what my life will look like, then I'll follow. God, give me ten steps and I'll follow ten steps.28:18And God says, I didn't give you steps, I gave you my son. I didn't give you a pathway, I gave you a person. His name is Jesus Christ. If you believe in him, if you follow him, you see the Father. This is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. It is fitting in Acts 9 that early Christians weren't called Christians. And they didn't have races, I said WWJD. Early Christians were called people of the way.28:49People of the way. Why? Because we follow the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. I love what Thomas Kempis, how he describes this. I'll put this on the screen for you. He says, follow thou me, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Without the way, there is no going.29:17Without the truth, there is no knowing. And without the life, there is no living. What a powerful statement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without knowing the life of Jesus, there is no living. And Jesus now specifically tells us, I am after I am after I am. This is how you can be saved.29:46Follow me. And the last I am is now talking to those who have followed him. So if you are not a Christian, if you are not a Christ follower, the six were for you. If you say, well, okay, I've done that. I am a Christ follower. I'm in. This is for you. Jesus says in John 15, beginning in verse 1, he says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.30:06Now, vineyard imagery was prevalent in the ancient world. Clearly, in the Old Testament, Israel is often described as the vineyard. We have, in the second temple, as you go into the temple, right above the temple is a large vine.30:30A fruitful vine that is recognizing the provision of God, Yahweh, Adonai, for the Jewish people. Often, especially in Isaiah, we have vineyard songs that are songs to God, from God to his people. So Israel would not have missed this imagery. But why would Jesus tell his church, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener?30:56So if God is the gardener, that makes us crops, right? We're the seeds. But Jesus is saying this, without nurturing your spiritual relationship, you'll shrivel up. Without nurturing your relationship in Jesus Christ, you'll die on the vine. We see in the rest of this text that anything that's not giving fruit, Jesus prunes.31:25He cuts away so that you might be more fruitful. Jesus is the true vine. Are you nurturing your relationship with him today? I believe that you can learn a lot by listening to what a person says about themselves. If you've never given your life to Jesus Christ, I want you to know that he died on the cross for your sins.31:52You say, well, okay, pastor, which sins? Because I have a lot of them. All. I'm so thankful that Jesus didn't die for one of my sins. He died for all of my sins. That I might have complete forgiveness. That you might have complete redemption. That he might take your shame and give you joy. That he might take your sin and give you healing. That's the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.32:20And if you've never confessed him as Lord, you can do that today. You say, well, how do I do that? God always hears a prayer of repentance from an authentic heart. You could pray a prayer like this. God, I know I am a sinner. And today I need your light. Today I need your bread. Today I need the resurrection and the life. Lord, I know you are the only open door. I know that you are the good shepherd. Lord, I know that you are the vine. And I want to follow you today.32:48And I don't know what God, how he responds in English. But I think the Greek translation and the Hebrew translation would be this. I thought you would never ask. Here's forgiveness. Here's abundant life because of what Jesus Christ has done on your behalf. If you've never come to Christ, do not delay. Today is the day that God is calling.33:17Maybe you're here and you're spiritually hungry and you're in need of strength. Fear not. God, his son, Jesus, is the bread of life. Maybe you're here and you say, well, I'm in a dark place. I have a diagnosis and I know I'm not going to live much longer. Or I have a wayward child and I just can't see the light. Jesus is the light of the world. Maybe you're here and you feel excluded and marginalized.33:46And you feel like every door in your life has been shut continually. Jesus is the open door, church. Maybe you are in need of refreshment and protection. Jesus reminds you today that he is the good shepherd. Maybe you are here and you are dying and lifeless. To you, Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. Maybe you're here and you're lost and you have no purpose.34:15You're just spinning your wheels. To you, Jesus says, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Maybe today you are disconnected and you're withers. And you're thinking, why did I even come to this place? Because to you, Jesus is saying, I am the vine. And you will bear much fruit if you abide in me and I in you. Jesus says to us, follow thou me. I am the way, the truth, and the life.34:45Without the way, there is no going. Without the truth, there is no knowing. In church, without the life, there is no living. If you need to respond, I'll be down front. You can use that green connect card and we will guide you and pray for you this week. But what a great God that we serve. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. He is everything that we need. And so because of that, we will sing differently.35:15Because of that, we will live differently. Because of that, we will show the world that he is everything that they need for life and for godliness. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you sent.← Previous in The JESUS StoryThe JESUS Story: Water, Well, and WorshipNext in The JESUS Story →The JESUS Story: Burn the Boats – The Cost of Following Jesus
