The Disciple's Emotions

[0:00] Well, good morning again and welcome to faith. So glad to see everyone here if you have a Bible, and I hope that you do. We're going to be in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, this morning.

[0:12] And we will see that everything we have that satisfies us comes from God. I know last week I talked a little bit about steaks.

[0:26] And did it get any of you hungry? I know it got me hungry. As a matter of fact, Sunday evening I pulled out a leftover steak that I had grilled a few days before and had that for dinner.

[0:39] It got me so hungry last Sunday for steak. And I guess we could say that we all have cravings around the room today.

[0:50] Every one of us has desires. And are these desires in us for a reason? Or is it just kind of a quirk of our personality that we have certain desires within us?

[1:06] What I'd like to do this morning, as we ask that question, is dive in a little bit deeper, more than our craving for food, and see and talk about those cravings that we all have.

[1:23] And what we're going to do is go on a journey as Jesus challenges us to look to Him to fulfill those cravings that we have.

[1:34] So when we ask ourselves, why do we have these cravings? So where do these cravings come from? Has God created or given these cravings to us for a reason?

[1:51] And that's what we're going to look at this morning. So how does our faith relate to our cravings? How does our faith relate to our desires or our emotions?

[2:06] And a lot of times we might say, well, what does one have to do with the other? I know last week we talked about our mind and how our mind determines how we act.

[2:18] What we believe determines what we act and what we say. And I know that's key to our behavior. That's key to being what we do.

[2:30] But I think what we're going to see today is that it doesn't end with our minds. Yes, Jesus transforms our minds, and that's key.

[2:42] But there's also something that happens to our emotions when we trust Christ as our Savior. Our emotions are just as involved in our Christian life as our minds are.

[2:55] And I think we have a tendency to go to one side or to the other. And so in a way, we ask ourselves the question, how can truth, how can our minds and our emotions both come together?

[3:15] And I think they're intended to work together. I don't think we're intended to get carried away in our emotions and allow our emotions to dictate what we do, but also don't think that we can go to the opposite extreme and don't allow our emotions to impact what we do.

[3:36] I love reading biographies. I love reading from those who preached and those who wrote centuries ago. And one of those who preached in a different century was Jonathan Edwards.

[3:52] And in Jonathan Edwards' day, there were some who had gone over to emotionalism and were kind of neglecting the truth of God's Word.

[4:02] And there were others who went to the other side and said, we don't want to become like that, and so we're going to study the Word, and you won't ever see a smile on our face when we do.

[4:20] And so Jonathan Edwards is there on the scene, and one of my favorite quotes from his book, he wrote a book called Religious Affections, and I want to share with you one of the quotes from that book.

[4:33] Listen to what he said. Jonathan Edwards said, Our external delights, our earthly pleasures, and our reputation, our human relationships, for all these things our desires are eager, and our appetites strong.

[4:50] When it comes to these things, our hearts are tender, and sensitive, deeply impressed, easily moved, much concerned, and greatly engaged. We get depressed at our losses, and we're excited and joyful about any worldly success or prosperity.

[5:07] Then he makes a shift. He says, When it comes to spiritual matters, though, how dull we feel, how heavy and hard our hearts, we can sit and hear of the infinite height and length and breadth and love of God in Christ Jesus, of his giving his infinitely dear Son, and yet sit there cold and unmoved.

[5:31] If we're going to be excited about anything, shouldn't it be our spiritual lives? This was Jonathan Edwards over 100 years ago. And he says, Is there anything more inspiring, more exciting, more lovable, and desirable in heaven or on earth than the gospel of Jesus Christ?

[5:54] We should be utterly humbled that we are not more emotionally affected than we are in the church. And this is what's going on in John chapter 6 that we're going to be looking at this morning.

[6:10] That if we know God, we're going to be affected by God. If Jesus is in our lives, we are going to be emotionally involved in the process and in our life.

[6:24] That if we love God, we're going to have affection for him. And this is the foundational truth that we're going to look at this morning.

[6:35] And that is, we cannot separate faith in Christ from feelings for Christ. Now last week we talked about the mind.

[6:46] We talked about that God transforms, renews, metamorphosizes, if you will, our minds through the Word of God, through His Holy Spirit.

[6:58] And it's with our minds that we believe what is right. And based upon what we believe, in turn, it will result in right behavior.

[7:09] Because what we believe determines how we behave. If you don't believe something's important, we're not going to place importance upon that. And vice versa.

[7:21] That is key. But the reality is, if something is true, and it is exciting, we ought to get excited about it. The Gospel is true, and the Gospel is exciting.

[7:35] And God, in our life, ought to excite us. And as the Apostle Paul, when we think of the Apostle Paul, we think of a very learned man. We think of a very hard man, a man who we see through his writings, spoke when it was necessary, said the hard things, and used tough love with God's people.

[7:59] But yet, when Paul the Apostle was writing about the riches in Christ, was writing about God, often he got carried away, and went on to this long monologue, if you will, about the height, the depth, the depth, the breath, the love, and everything that we have in Christ.

[8:21] And the Apostle Paul is getting excited. We see the Apostle Paul get excited numerous times in his writings in God's Word.

[8:32] And so we can't really separate faith in Christ from the feelings we have. And what we're going to see in John chapter 6 is that if we know God, we're going to be affected by Him.

[8:43] And you see the picture in your notes. We've been talking about this over the span of the last few weeks that we've been in this series. When Christ is in us, He is going to affect every area of our life.

[8:57] And they're like concentric rings that go out from the center. where Christ in us will affect our mind. Christ in us, the blank here, Christ will affect our emotions. Christ will affect our body.

[9:09] Christ will affect our will. And we're going to be talking about that in subsequent weeks. Christ will affect our relationships. And ultimately, Christ affects the mission that He has given us.

[9:21] So Christ in us will affect every area of our life. And the question that I want to ask this morning is, what if God not only intends for you to know Him, but what if He also intends for you to enjoy Him?

[9:37] That's a novel notion for some. They think Christianity is a religion. And it's a list of do's. And it's a list of don'ts. And if I do these things, and I stay away from those things, and you know what, if I'm able to be austere enough, if I'm able to be able to be, have enough willpower, and avoid the fun things in life, and you know, I can be a good Christian.

[10:04] And they don't realize that when He changes our pleasures, we can enjoy Him. And we can enjoy everything about the Christian life. And what we give up, as the Apostle Paul said, in Philippians, that we're going to refer to in just a little while, is all the things this world supplies, whether it's relationships, whether it's money, whether it's fame, whatever it is, Paul says, all these things are rubbish when I consider the greatness of Christ.

[10:35] And so we can enjoy Him as well. And I believe that would make sense that God would get glory, not only in saving us, but also in enjoying the relationship, and be enjoyed by His people.

[10:52] I want us to think about the disciples' emotions today. And based on the conversation that Jesus had in John chapter 6, we're going to unpack this.

[11:04] So as we look at John chapter 6, some of the background of what's going on, if you've got your Bibles, in John chapter 6, Jesus has fed 5,000 people.

[11:18] You know, they got their bellies full. And then His disciples end up going across the lake, across the sea to the other side.

[11:29] And Jesus goes up into a mountain to spend some time alone. And then, when they're about halfway, Jesus decides to cross the lake without the need for a boat.

[11:44] So Jesus is walking on water. He meets the guys in the middle. And this whole thing takes place. And then where we catch up with this story is verses 25 and following, where the crowds realized the disciples went across.

[12:02] They saw them leave on the boat. But during the night, Jesus went across. And so the next morning, they're going, where's Jesus? Where's Jesus? Where's Jesus? And then they go around to the other side and they realize, whoa, wait a minute.

[12:17] How did you get here? So let's look at John chapter 6, starting with verse 25. And it says, And when they found him, when they found Jesus on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you come here?

[12:34] Jesus answered them and said, Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek me. And we're going to see here in a minute that his answer really didn't follow their question, but it really did.

[12:48] Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him.

[13:08] Then they said to him, verse 28, What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.

[13:22] Therefore they said to him, What sign will you perform then that we may see it and believe you? What work will you do? What will you do for us?

[13:33] Verse 31, Our fathers ate the manna in the desert. As it is written, He gave to them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you true bread from heaven.

[13:49] For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to him, Lord, give us this bread always. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.

[14:03] He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. This is an incredible conversation that Jesus enters into with the crowds and all these people who were following him.

[14:17] But these people had a misconception of who Jesus was. And then Jesus works to counter that misconception. And so what he does is he begins to address the deepest needs, the deepest desires that they have.

[14:33] Remember, they're talking about bread because they just had their bellies full. And so they're wondering, when are we going to get the next meal, the next free meal? And so what Jesus does is he addresses not the physical, not the surface needs that earthly things can provide, but he addresses much deeper cravings, much deeper desires, and he takes things many steps deeper than just talking about food to talk about the hunger that's in their soul, the hunger that's deep within them.

[15:07] And I want us this morning to see three wonderful truths, three glorious truths about our cravings, our God-given desires, and how God is able to fulfill those desires.

[15:22] And so in John chapter 6, it will give us a picture of the hunger that's at the core of each of our souls in this room this morning. And the first major idea, the first picture that we see of God fulfilling this craving is this, and it's this truth, that Christ alone can fulfill our desires.

[15:46] And we see that in the discourse Jesus has with the crowd. Christ alone can fulfill our desires.

[15:57] If you remember, Jesus ignored their question completely, almost completely. What do they ask? Jesus, when did you get here? And he totally bypasses the fact that he walked on the water.

[16:12] He bypasses the fact of how he got there, and even when he got there. So he doesn't answer their question. What he does is, he goes right to the heart of the issue and starts talking about food.

[16:25] So Jesus, when did you get here? Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

[16:35] Wow! He gets right to the heart of the matter. Oh, by the way, Jesus, when did you get here? The only reason that you're looking for me is because you want to get your bellies full.

[16:46] Wow, Jesus, that was a little bit tough. But Jesus did not want to play their game. Jesus did not want to get stuck in a conversation about how's the weather.

[16:59] When did you get here? How was the trip? He goes right to the key fact and that is, he says, you're only looking for me because of what you can get from me and he's going to go into detail about what they thought they were looking for and how they thought they were going to get their needs filled, but Jesus takes them on a journey of how to get your most basic soul craving filled.

[17:28] And so, he says, do not labor, verse 27, for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him.

[17:46] So, I want to pause here for a minute and see a picture all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. it's in Genesis chapter 2.

[17:57] If you've got your Bibles, turn there if you like, Genesis chapter 2. So, Jesus is talking about cravings. Jesus is talking about getting our desires fulfilled or filled, but it's not something new.

[18:14] It's something that's as old as creation. So, this is the truth that we see that Jesus brings out. God created us to crave.

[18:28] God created us to crave. Look at Genesis 2.15. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to keep or to tend and keep it.

[18:42] And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. So, the first command God gives is you're free to eat.

[18:54] Very, very first command. Obviously, God created mankind with a craving. A craving for food. Now, we ask ourselves the question, did Adam have needs?

[19:10] And some people might say, well, no, because he had everything. Adam had a lot of needs in the garden.

[19:26] Think about this. The very moment God breathed breath into Adam's nostrils, he had an extreme need for oxygen.

[19:40] Imagine for a moment if we could suck all the oxygen out of the air in this room. You and I would be craving quite a bit. Right? So, he created Adam with a craving and a need for air.

[19:54] He created Adam with a craving for food. Adam was going to get hungry, and he was going to be looking for some food pretty soon after creation. So, God preemptively said, Adam, look at what I've put in the garden.

[20:10] You are free to eat. And then he brings out, accept the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And we're going to see how that turned out in a moment. But God created him with a need.

[20:20] God created him with a need for relationship. We call her Eve. And so, God took care of these needs, these cravings that Adam had.

[20:32] So, God created us with cravings. God created us with needs, and with desires, and for those desires to be fulfilled.

[20:42] So, he had many, many other needs, but don't miss this. How did God expect Adam to get his needs fulfilled? Talk to me this morning.

[20:54] How did God expect Adam to get those needs fulfilled? Who was going to fulfill them? God was. Exactly. So, he created him with a whole lot of needs, but he had the creator to fulfill those very needs.

[21:09] And so, that was the unique relationship into which Adam was created, and also Eve. So, by the creator. So, here's the thing, here's the truth.

[21:19] Our cravings are designed to be satisfied by our creator. All of our needs, all of our cravings, all of our desires, everything we've got that we want, that we think we need, God created us to get those desires, or cravings, satisfied by him.

[21:42] Sometimes by work. Because Adam was created, mankind, do you realize this? Mankind was created with a need to be productive.

[21:54] That's why guys always have to be doing something. God created us with that need. And so, because God created Adam with a need to produce, and created Adam with a need to be productive, what did he tell Adam to do?

[22:11] Take care of this garden. Name all the animals. So God gave Adam a job the very first day of creation. Gave him multiple jobs. And so God knew that Adam had a need, so God fulfilled, or God used himself to fulfill those needs.

[22:27] So that's the picture back in Genesis 2, but when you get to Genesis 3, all that changes, because sin enters the picture. The result is, mankind begins to look for his needs elsewhere.

[22:43] He begins looking for his needs to be fulfilled by the things of the world instead of from the hand of the Creator. Because when Eve goes and looks at that fruit, whatever it is, we're not told what it is, but she looked upon it, what does the Bible say in Genesis 3?

[23:03] She saw that it was good for food, and she saw that it was pretty to look at. So whatever that fruit was, it looked pretty. It was maybe a bright color.

[23:14] Wow, it looked appetizing, and it looked to be good for food. And so what happened? Her emotions got involved. Ooh, that looks pretty.

[23:27] That's a pretty fruit. I want some of that. And so you ladies, nowhere emotions can come in and can get you in trouble. Now guys aren't immune from that either, by the way. And so Adam as well, in his emotions, probably because of his emotions for his wife, Eve, they take a bite of the fruit and realize now what is right and what is wrong.

[23:51] So with that background, I want us to go back to John chapter 6 and look in verse 30. John chapter 6 verse 30. So Jesus answers the question, when did you get here?

[24:05] By the only reason you're looking for me is because you want me to feed you again. You need to be looking to God to fulfill your needs. In verse 30, here's their response.

[24:17] Therefore they said to him, what sign will you perform then? That we may see it and believe you. What work will you do?

[24:29] And we're going to see here that they are comparing Jesus to Moses. What are you going to do for us? Look at how Jesus answers in verse 31, 32.

[24:42] They said verse 31, our fathers ate the manna in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. How did Jesus respond?

[24:54] Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you true bread from heaven.

[25:07] So they're saying, well, Moses did this for us. Jesus, what are you going to do for us? And they missed the whole point. They were looking to someone to fulfill their needs.

[25:18] They were looking for someone in this world. They were looking for an earthly thing to fulfill their desire. Where were they looking for satisfaction? Not in God, but in someone else.

[25:32] And so then Jesus gets very, very personal here. He shifts it in verse 33. Notice what he says. For the bread of God is he, a person.

[25:45] The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. He tells them, it's not a thing that you need. You need a person.

[25:57] And that person is me. And then they say, well, they're still missing the point. They say, well, give us this bread. Verse 35. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.

[26:12] He who comes down, or he who comes to me, shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. He says, I am the bread of life.

[26:24] Six other times in the New Testament, or in the Gospels, rather, Jesus says, I am, and then fill in the blank. I am the door.

[26:35] I am he. I am whatever. And that's a reference to the Old Testament where God says, I am. And what Jesus is doing in the Gospels in his I am statements, this one here, I am the bread of life, he is saying, I am God.

[26:54] He is declaring his deity. He says, I am the bread of life. Here's a picture. What Jesus is saying is, you were created with cravings that only the creator can satisfy.

[27:09] You want bread. What I'm telling you is, I am the true bread that comes from God that if you eat of this bread, now he was speaking metaphorically, he was speaking of them trusting him, he says, you will never get hungry ever again.

[27:27] Just like the woman of the well. Jesus said, you drink of this water that I give to you, you will never thirst again. She goes, give me some of that water. But he was speaking of himself.

[27:38] Same thing here. Don't miss it. Satisfaction is not primarily found in our gifts from God. No, we pray, God, give me this, give me that, give me health, give me this, give me safe trip, give me blah, blah, blah, give me whatever.

[27:55] And we say, oh, this is so awesome because God gave me this. When in reality, we ought not to find our satisfaction in the gifts from God, we are to find our satisfaction in God himself and whatever he chooses to supply.

[28:12] Because if God chooses never to provide us anything else again on this earth, we still have everything we need, if we have God.

[28:23] And that's, I think, the point that Jesus is trying to get across to them. God himself, and here's the next point, satisfaction is not found in the gifts, but in the giver.

[28:38] The crowds were looking to Jesus for satisfaction in what he could give to them. Give us bread. Hey, we'll take more of that fish. We'll take more of that bread. It was pretty good.

[28:49] And so they wanted the free meals. God has created within us a craving in our souls, a hunger in our souls that can only be satisfied by him, over and above his gifts.

[29:01] So what we really need is him. So let's really dive into this, just for a moment. Think about it this way. If we had all these things, all these gifts from God, family, relationships, a lot of money, good job, great health, great friends, all the fun in the world, if you had all these things, without God, would you still be happy?

[29:37] Now wait a minute before you answer. That's what Jesus, Jesus was talking to a very materialistic crowd. God. And so the average individual might say, well, yeah, if I had a great job and a lot of money, great family, good friends, and life was great, and many people would say, you know what, that's all I need.

[30:03] But they don't realize is, how long does this last? 70 years, 80 years, 50 years, 40 years, 90 years? I think the oldest Holocaust survivor, I think, was 113, I read in the paper this week, or the news this week, so maybe even 113 years.

[30:24] But what is that in comparison to eternity? So would we be happy or would we be satisfied without God? And that I really would venture to say, if we knew God as God wants us to know Him, everything else would pale in comparison, and there's no way we could be satisfied without Him.

[30:44] What we've got to realize is our deepest craving is not for something, but for someone. That's where our deepest craving is, for someone. Exactly what Paul, I mentioned earlier in Philippians chapter 3, where he says, I take all these things that the world offers and consider them rubbish for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, the greatness of Christ.

[31:08] So that's the picture. Even if you take away everything this world has to offer me, Paul says, I've got all I want in Christ. Now as we think about sin, and as we think about satisfaction, thinking about what satisfies us in this world, what's the trigger of sin?

[31:26] What is it that triggers us to go ahead and do what we want to do anyway? Remember Eve? She saw the fruit was pleasing, she saw that it was good to eat, and she ate.

[31:40] So the trigger of sin is this. If we think about it, the trigger for us when we sin is looking to the things of this world to satisfy us apart from the creator.

[31:54] That's sin. That's a trigger of sin. Thinking that this activity, this person, this amount of money, this job, this will satisfy us instead of the creator.

[32:08] And the tragedy of sin is this, we run from the one our soul longs for the most. Often in life you see people running for stuff, running for things, when all they need to be doing is running toward God, and God will supply everything they need.

[32:28] So the core truth that Jesus, I believe, is trying to get across to them is that he alone can fulfill their desires. He alone can fulfill our desires.

[32:38] We have cravings, all of us in this room have cravings, and they are meant to be satisfied by him. So this week, what are the things that are driving us from him?

[32:52] And consider how can Christ transform our desires and draw us to him? This leads us to the second truth, and that's this.

[33:03] Christ alone can transform our taste. First thing we saw is Christ alone can fulfill our desires, but then you might be saying to yourself, well, what about if I still have desires that don't really please God?

[33:18] Well, the reality is this. When you come to Christ, and see that picture that we have? When Christ is in you, he affects, he radiates and affects every area of our life if we allow him to.

[33:31] He can change all these areas. So here's the problem, okay? Christ is the bread of life. He alone can fulfill our desires, but we may still struggle with sin.

[33:45] And you say, well, pastor, how do I deal with sin? How do I deal with the stuff that I still want? How do I deal with desires for things in this world as opposed to our desires for Christ and our desire for Christ alone?

[34:02] Let's look at verse 28 of John chapter 6. John chapter 6, verse 28. Then they said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God?

[34:14] A thoroughly Jewish statement. What they were saying was, Jesus, tell us what to do, and we'll do those things. things. That's typical religion.

[34:27] Give us a list of things to do. Literally, what kind of works do we need to do in order to be right with God? Give us a list. Outline what you want us to work on, and we'll do those things.

[34:43] And that tends to be our way too. But notice what Jesus said. His answer was, the work of God. They said, plural, what are the works we can do?

[34:53] What things can we do? How does Jesus answer? Jesus answered and said, this is the what? Work, singular. Not works, not list, not, you know, you follow these seven pillars, you know, these eight foundational truths and you can be right with me.

[35:11] No, he says, this is the work of God that you believe. That you believe in him who he sent. So we've got two options. As we look at our battles with sin across this room, we really have two options.

[35:28] The first thing is this. We can conquer sin by working hard to change our deeds. We can work hard on changing our deeds, like give us a list, you know, give us something we can check off.

[35:44] Yes, we've read the Bible. Yes, we've prayed. Yes, we've shared our faith. Yes, we've done this. Yes, we did our quiet time Bible study every day this week.

[35:56] And so we're good, right? And Jesus says, no, this is the work of God that you believe on me. And we conquer sin by allowing Christ to transform our desires.

[36:12] This is the pattern of the religious world. Give us this list. Jesus says, let me change you. It's not you doing all these things. So that's one option. Work hard to try to change our behavior.

[36:25] Second option is we can conquer sin by trusting Christ to change our desires. Let's look at verse 37. Jesus says, all that the Father gives to me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.

[36:45] In other words, what Jesus is saying is if you want to conquer sin in your life, then come to me, believe in me, trust in me as the only one who can satisfy you.

[36:59] And that goes so much deeper. So faith is no longer a prayer that you pray or a card that you fill out. Faith in Christ is what matters.

[37:12] So as we think about our faith, how will we overcome the pleasures of sin? How will we overcome the pleasures of sin? By this.

[37:25] By letting Christ overcome us with the power of his satisfaction. Meaning, when we gain our satisfaction in Christ and the power that that brings us, we no longer need our desires or our cravings satisfied by the world.

[37:46] This is Galatians 5 24. I know we're moving through this rather quickly, but this is Galatians 5 24. And those who are Christ have done what? Crucify the flesh with his passions and desires.

[38:01] Romans chapter 6 talks about that we are dead with respect to sin. We don't have to sin. We sin because we want to. Our sin nature literally has been rendered inactive in us.

[38:14] It has been rendered inert. And when we sin, we sin because we want to, not like the Philip Wilson of old who says, the devil made me do it and I had no choice.

[38:26] Those who are in Christ have the choice. We can allow the power of Christ through his Holy Spirit to change what we desire or we can do it on our own.

[38:40] Remember last week we talked about what God had to offer that nothing else could satisfy. That's the picture in Jeremiah. We don't have time to turn there this morning, but Jeremiah 2 verses 13 and 14.

[38:53] You can read it this week. Jeremiah 2, 13 and 14. But it's an incredible thing that God said to his people. He said, I have given you a fountain of life, but you have gone to broken cisterns in this world.

[39:10] He said, that can't even hold water. And he says, you're trying to drink from those and they don't satisfy. And that's what it's like when we go to the things of this world.

[39:20] Money, job satisfaction, a bank account, all these things. He says, when you go to that for your satisfaction, you'll find that it's like a cistern that can't hold water.

[39:33] He also, the New Testament says in another place, it's like trying to keep your money. in a bag with holes in it. He keeps stuffing it in, but it keeps falling right out. That's where pleasureless world are.

[39:47] They're fun for a moment, but then they don't last, and we need more. We wonder where the fun went. And so this is our prayer. This is our prayer. Now, bear with me for a moment.

[39:58] I'll explain what I mean by it. So if our prayer is like Jesus was saying to this group here, God increase, our desire for pleasure.

[40:11] And you're saying, Pastor, what do you mean by that? I thought when we became a Christian, we should say no to pleasure. Right? And the Christian life should not have any pleasure in it.

[40:21] You're not supposed to have fun when you're a Christian. Now, that's not what it means to be a follower of Christ. As a matter of fact, when you come to Christ, what you're saying is, I want the greatest pleasure.

[40:36] I want the best pleasure that there is available, and that's in Christ. As a matter of fact, another great writer, and that's C.S. Lewis. I love his writings.

[40:46] This is another favorite quote from one of his books. And it starts off, If There Lurks. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit to you that this notion has crept in from the world and is no part of the Christian faith.

[41:09] Meaning, if there is enjoyment to be had in this world, and enjoyment of that is a bad thing, C.S.

[41:19] Lewis said, it's not from God, it's from the world. He says, indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises, reward, and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

[41:40] We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

[42:00] Think about that. If we think that as a Christian we should not enjoy life and the pleasures of this life, he said, that did not come from God, that came from the world.

[42:13] He said, why do you think God gave us all these things richly to enjoy? He says, we ought to enjoy what God gives us. Because if we go on toying with the pleasures of this world, he said it's like a child in a slum playing with mud pies when he could have the enjoyment by the sea.

[42:34] And I look at it this way. Last week we talked about $300 steaks. If you weren't here last week, you just had to be there. But if we look to this world to offer pleasure and figure out, you know what, it's going to be in money or in power or in relationships, going to be in a bank account, whatever, and that is what's going to satisfy me.

[43:00] Rather, I think, as C.S. Lewis would say, you're setting your sights too low. Your pleasures are not strong enough. You should want the best pleasure.

[43:12] It's like settling for ramen noodles when you could have a steak. Now, I'm not saying ramen noodles taste bad. Those things are pretty good. They're like a bazillion grams of sodium, but they taste good, but the fact is they're bad for you.

[43:29] So the pleasures of this world that we get involved in, whatever those are, and we think, wow, this is great. I'm satisfied. C.S. Lewis would say, you're setting your sights too low.

[43:42] You're satisfied. Your pleasure seeker is not strong enough. It's like settling for Holly Beach when you could have the crystal clear waters and white beaches of St. Croix or some of these other places that some of you have been.

[44:04] If you could afford to go to the Caymans all the time and enjoy the white beaches, why would you go to Holly Beach? Those of you who haven't been there, you have no clue what I'm talking about.

[44:16] Brown sand, well, they've pulled in some sand since, some white sand since Rita. But the fact is, the water's still nasty. So the thing is, it's like, why would we settle for the things of this world where the pleasures only last for a little while, they're ultimately bad for you, when we could have the pleasures that God's offering.

[44:41] And so our prayer is, God increase our desire for pleasure, the good kind, the kind that you provide, the kind that you give. I want to get pleasure in reading your word. I want to get pleasure in spending time with those who know Christ, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

[44:56] I want to get pleasure in sharing the gospel. I want to get the pleasure that comes from knowing that I have a relationship with the God of the universe. And not everybody has that.

[45:08] But I would want everyone to have that, and so that's why we're on the mission that we're on, to spread the gospel. So God increase our desire for pleasure. And that brings us to the next thing.

[45:20] Christ alone can guarantee our satisfaction. That's the third main idea. Christ alone can guarantee our satisfaction.

[45:32] We're going to run through these. Verse 34, John chapter 6. Then they said to him, Lord, give us this bread always.

[45:44] Well, give it to us. We want it. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. It's me you need to want. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

[46:01] And then he goes on in the same chapter talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. And it got kind of weird for them. And they said, whoa, that's a little bit too weird for us.

[46:13] And so at the end, who was left? Just his disciples. The whole crowd left and said, whoa, I don't want any of that stuff. That's cannibalism.

[46:25] And I don't think we can handle what you're wanting us to do. And so his disciples were the only ones left. But what Jesus meant by that was the cross.

[46:36] He was going to be going to the cross and dying on the cross. And he said, if you want to be a part of me, you've got to be willing to die as well. And the crowd said, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. We're having no part of that.

[46:48] Because that's not what we bargained for. We just wanted the food. And so here's what we see. What is the basis of this guarantee that he says, he who comes to me shall never hunger.

[46:59] He who believes in me shall never thirst. First of all, it's the initiative of the Father. Six times in John 6, Jesus talks about the Father giving him people, giving him those who would come to know him as their Savior.

[47:14] So it's the initiative of the Father. This is the one who's working. Look at verse 37. And all that the Father gives me will come to me. And the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out.

[47:28] So based on the initiative of God the Father, giving us to him, he says, all that the Father gives to me will come to me. And the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out.

[47:39] So the initiative of the Father. Next, the obedience of the Son. Listen to what it says in verse 38. For I have come down from heaven not to do what?

[47:55] My own will, but the will of him who sent me. So Jesus was obedient to go all the way to the cross. And so we have what we have in Christ because of the obedience of the Son.

[48:08] Jesus knew that obedience to the Father brought the most satisfaction. And then third, the promise of a resurrection. The promise of a resurrection.

[48:19] He says that twice at the end of verses 38, excuse me, verses 39 and 40. Verse 39 says, this is the will of the Father who sent me that of all he has given me, I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.

[48:37] Talking about the resurrection. Death cannot stop this satisfaction. Look at verse 40. And this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life.

[48:51] And I will raise him up at the last day. So that ultimate satisfaction is made possible because as long as we live on planet Earth, it's nothing in comparison to eternity.

[49:09] And so Jesus says, you follow me, you get your satisfaction in me, it will pay off and the rewards will be out of this world. Because on the last day, we will be raised up and we will spend eternity with the Father in heaven.

[49:24] The bottom line is we have two options. First thing, we can live for the fleeting pleasures of this world. Live for money. Live for power. Live for the biggest bank account.

[49:37] Live to get to retirement and enjoy that retirement. Live for all these things. Live for the pleasure of this world. Or we can live for the everlasting pleasures of the world to come.

[49:51] Don't get me wrong. I don't believe God does not intend for us to enjoy money. I don't believe God does not intend for us to enjoy a good job.

[50:03] I don't believe that God does not intend for us to enjoy our family, to enjoy whatever prestige or power that he's provided us.

[50:16] He's given us those things to enjoy. Understanding that they came from him and understanding that the ultimate enjoyment is in him. Because what happens if he takes away all those things?

[50:29] We can still have the same joy and satisfaction. Because we didn't find them in the fleeting pleasures of this world. We found them in the everlasting pleasure in the world to come.

[50:41] So what does he do? He promises to fulfill our deepest cravings. He promises to fulfill our deepest cravings. Not only that, he even prevents us, he can prevent us from even craving anything else.

[50:59] That's how his Holy Spirit is able to work in us. And then, lastly, he preserves our salvation for all eternity.

[51:12] Is it possible for us to follow Christ and not desire him? Is it possible for us to follow Christ and not like him? Is it possible for us to follow Christ and not emotionally get involved in that relationship that we have with him?

[51:26] And get excited when we hear about Jesus? And get upset when someone puts him down? Or talks or ridicules? Our emotions have a very important part in our walk with Christ.

[51:41] Because think about this. We said our beliefs determine our behavior. But it's our emotions that motivate us.

[51:54] Think about it. Our emotions, if you get excited about Jesus, I guarantee you those emotions about Jesus will motivate you to please him, to enjoy him, to spend time with him.

[52:08] So, living a life devoid of emotion and just stuck on truth is a very, very boring life. And I think it's not the life that God wants us to have.

[52:20] But when we take his truth and pair it with God-given emotion, what we can have is an exciting, joy-filled, fulfilled life.

[52:33] Here on earth, knowing that he will take place, all of that was going to be taken care of in heaven. So this morning, my main question, do you know Jesus as your Savior?

[52:47] Have you come to that point in your life when you said, God, I know I'm a sinner. God, I know that you know, I'm wicked.

[52:59] Your Bible tells me that. And Lord, I want you in my life.

[53:10] Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know you died on the cross in my place. Lord Jesus, I'm trusting you right now to forgive my sin, to place me into your family.

[53:24] Lord Jesus, I want you. And I believe you are the Son of God. Save me, not only now, but for all eternity.

[53:36] If that's where you are this morning and you have, you believe that, you have prayed that prayer in your heart, then by the authority of the Word of God, you are now part of God's family.

[53:50] Because it is by grace, through faith that we're saved, not of works, lest anyone should be able to boast about it. Let's pray. Father, this morning, as we have come together, Lord, I pray that, first of all, if there's anyone here who doesn't know Jesus as their Savior, who's never trusted Jesus alone for their salvation, to forgive their sin, to be right with you, then I pray, Lord God, this morning, that they would make it right with you.

[54:21] And I pray as well, Father, that maybe the rest of us, maybe who are not sure where our pleasure and our cravings fit into this Christian life, Lord, help us to realize that you want us to be emotionally involved in following you.

[54:45] and you want us to get excited about this relationship we have and excited about the truths that make a difference in our lives. So, Father, please help us to crave the greatest pleasure, the pleasure with you.

[55:03] Be with us today. May we honor you and glorify you in all we do. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.