Do Americans have a comfortable gospel, compared to the rest of the world? Lack of hunger for the things of God is an early warning signal of a Christian life that is not reaching its full potential. You should have an appetite for His things. You should have a craving for His Word. You should have a strong desire for His Presence. You should have an intensity about you to do His will. You should have a zeal to know Him better.

• Just recently read a book where the author maintains that Americans have a different gospel than the rest of the world. ¹ He uses the examples of believer’s in underground churches and their intense desire to learn the Word of God and compares what he saw in those ‘foreign places’ to what he sees in American churches.  On one trip to an Asian country, the author put together a short Bible study for 20 house church leaders (basically 20 pastors). They started at 2 PM – 8 hours later, they were still going strong. Here is some of the discussion on day one of the Bible study. “Can we meet again tomorrow?” was the question.“Can we start early in the morning?” was the next question. “How long would you like to study?” was the reply. “All day” was the response. For the next 10 days, 8-12 hours per day they studied the Bible. When they heard a story about Nehemiah, they asked to study the entire Old Testament.So they did, they plowed through the themes and the highlights of each Old Testament book which took this group to day 10, the last day of the study. On the last day this group asked this pastor to teach the entire New Testament in one day. He spent twelve hours the last day teaching the New Testament.

• So, here is the question, after hearing about this kind of hunger in these leaders of underground churches, what do you think?

QUESTION: Do Americans have a comfortable gospel, compared to the rest of the world?

QUESTION: What do you think of the kind of hunger displayed in the underground church described above? Do you have this type of hunger?

• Lack of hunger for the things of God is not good.
• It is an early warning signal of a back-slidden life.

ILLUSTRATION: Physical I just went for my physical. And yes, people that believe in divine healing should get a physical. At times it will reveal information about your body that you didn’t know that you need to believe God for. Some of these tests that they run on you are early warning signs of potential problems if those situations are not addressed.

• So in this series, Dr. Jesus is going to administer a physical; well really it’s a ‘spiritual’ and maybe we can make some adjustments so we don’t have problems up the road.
• Lack of hunger for the things of God is an early warning signal.
• You should have an appetite for His things.
• You should have a craving for His Word.
• You should have strong desire for His Presence.
• You should have an intensity about you to do His will.
• You should have a zeal to know Him better.

Spiritual Hunger for God’s Word

DEFINITION: hunger – A state of emptiness, reflecting a lack of physical or spiritual food.

Acts 17:11 (ESV) 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

• Do you see the hunger in these believers in Berea?
• Do you also see that the believers in Thessalonica did not have that hunger to the same degree?
• Which kind of believer do you aspire to be?
• Jesus addressing the issue of hunger, said these compelling words.

John 6:35 (ESV) 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

ILLUSTRATION: The Bit of Paper in India Sadhu Sundac Singh was distributing Gospels in the Central Province of India. He came to some non-Christians on the train and offered a man a copy of John’s Gospel. The man took it, tore it into pieces in anger and threw the pieces out of the window. That seemed the end. But it so happened, in the providence of God, there was a man hungering for truth walking along the line that very day, and he picked up, as he walked along, a little bit of paper and looked at it, and the words on it in his own language were “The Bread of life.” He did not know what it meant; but he inquired among his friends and one of them said, “I can tell you; it is out of the Christian book. You must not read it or you will be defiled.” The man thought for a moment and then said, “I want to read the book that contains that beautiful phrase!” and he bought a copy of the New Testament. He was shown where the sentence occurred—our Lord’s words “I am the Bread of Life”; and as he studied the Gospel, the light flooded into his heart. He came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he became a preacher of the gospel. That little bit of paper through God’s Spirit was indeed the Bread of Life to him, satisfying his deepest need.

• It is always important to look at things in context.
• So’ let’s look at this Bread of Life hungering statement that Jesus made in context.
• What is going on here in John 6?

Recap of John 6

• What’s going on here, in these first 15 verses?
• Jesus is feeding the 5000.
• Now look at verses 16-20 and ask yourself what’s going on there?
• Jesus is walking on water.
• Remember that the Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked on is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide.
• Both of these miracles took place in the same day!
• The feeding of the 5000 took place during the day time.
• The ‘walking on the water’ event took place in the evening.
• Ask yourself this question.
• If God used YOU to do just one of those things how would that make you feel?
• Wouldn’t you be floating on cloud 9?
• And if you fed 5000 people AND walked on water all in the same day, wouldn’t you say you had a pretty good day!
• But now look at what starts to happen in verse 22.
• The Bible says, ‘The next day’.

John 6:22, 24 22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

• The crowd that was fed by Jesus comes looking for Jesus.
• Jesus walked on water to get to the other side.
• The crowd takes a boat to get there.
• What’s the lesson here?
• If you make your travel plans with Jesus, you go first class!
• The crowd asks Jesus a question.
• Watch how this conversation goes between Jesus and the people.

John 6:25 (ESV) 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

• Note Jesus response to this question?
• He doesn’t have one!
• Jesus proceeds to not answer this question from the multitude.

John 6:26 (ESV) 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

• Why didn’t Jesus answer the question, ‘when did you get here’?
• Why did He ignore this question?
• Was Jesus being rude?
• Or was it because it wasn’t a genuine question?
• The crowd had a different motive.
• It wasn’t what they really wanted to know.
• Jesus puts His finger on that with His response, ‘You are not seeking me for the right reason.”
• So much for social politeness.
• Here is another side thought for you.
• You don’t have to answer every question that’s asked of you.
• When you get down to the real issue of things, the real core of things, how much of our conversation is nothing but fluff?
• How much of it is manipulation?
• You know the old adage.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say, but don’t be mean when you say it.
• Jesus put it this way in another place.

Matthew 5:37 (ESV) 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

• In this case, the crowd’s question wasn’t the real issue and Jesus called them on it by ignoring it and responding the way He did.

QUESTION: What was the crowd really looking for?  What was their real purpose in tracking Jesus down?

• The answer can be found in one word – lunch!
• Just the day before this crowd had a free meal at Jesus miraculous expense.
• But, yesterday’s meal is now gone.
• It has gone the same way all meals go, the way of the Dodo bird.
• The crowd’s real purpose was being driven by hunger.

HISTORICAL INFO: In the first century, almost fifty percent of the population bore the slave distinction. Some scholars set the ratio higher, as high as 85-90% (Hawthorne, Martin, & Reid, p. 881). Using the conservative figure, we note the many reasons that existed for the ‘one in two’ slave ratio. Overwhelming debt comprised a high percentage of this number. Eighty percent of the population consisted of farmers barely earning enough to get by. Many sold themselves as servants just to cover their debts. Only a small percentage, fewer than 5%, had any wealth; this group included imperial rulers, military higher-ups and the elite religious clan.

• They wanted to eat!
• Knowing this look at what Jesus does.

Jesus Upends the Multitude

John 6:27 (ESV) 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

• Jesus said, ‘Don’t labor for the food that perishes.
• Don’t labor for the food that goes the way of the Dodo.
• We are supposed to put heart effort into some things but food is not ion that list.
• Isn’t this the same thought here in John’s gospel as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount?

Matthew 6:25 (KJV) 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

• So, what is this statement in John 6:27 really about?
• Isn’t it about priorities, about putting the Word first in your life?
• The stuff that deals with eternal life should come first in your life.
• The stuff that deals with food, has to be handled, but that comes afterward.
• Do you understand that when the Bible talks about food in context like this, that it is not just talking about pizza, donuts or hamburgers?
• He is talking about the natural necessities of life, clothing and shelter would also be included here.
• Food is the bottom line in this story.
• Ask the animal kingdom if food is the bottom line; it is what drives that entire realm.
• Animals are always hunting for food.
• If you do not believe that come and meet Kobalt!
• In Bible times, wealth was measured by the amount of agriculture, the amount of livestock that one owned.

Genesis 13:2 (ESV) 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

• Look at what’s number one in the list, livestock.
• Livestock translates to silver and gold but it also translates to food.
• Money is not number one in this list for a reason.
• If you cannot translate gold and silver into food, it’s of little value.
• You can’t eat gold coins.
• Jesus said, ‘Don’t labor for the food that perishes rather seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).
• How do the people respond to that?  What was their reply to Jesus statement ‘don’t labor for the food that perishes’?

John 6:28 (ESV) 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

• The crowd tries to ask another question and goes the spiritual route with Jesus.
• Jesus is talking to them about spiritual concepts and so they try to put on a spiritual face.
• Translating the crowds intent, though, into 21st century language, ‘Jesus, show us how to do the works of God; show us how to do that multiplying the food trick!’
• You see, this crowd, was like so many church members are today, not listening at all.
• Here is a side note: Did you ever notice in the miracle of the multiplying of fish that the food was already cooked or smoked!
• Jesus multiplied it and they served it up, ready to go.
• Now here is a real miracle, no pots and pans!
• You know everybody wants to know how to do that trick!
• So, what does Jesus do with this latest question?
• Jesus proceeds to not answer the real motive of that question either!

John 6:29 (ESV) 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

• He answered the second question, ‘show us how to do the works of God, the multiplying trick’ by addressing the issue of believing.
• In effect Jesus is saying, ‘This [believing] is the actual work of God; it is not the result of the miracle.’
• Again, Jesus here addresses the issue of priority.
• Believing first, food second.
• And for one very simple reason.
• Number one produces number two.
• Believing produces food.
• So the people try yet another way

John 6:30-31 (ESV) 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

• “Jesus what sign do you do?”
• Can you read between the lines here?
• The people are again implying, “If we have a choice of signs, how about that quick meal sign? Our Fathers ate manna in the wilderness supernaturally. How about doing that one?”
• What the crowd did here is ask for a sign and at the same time gave Jesus a suggestion for which particular sign they would like to see, a food sign.
• Jesus stays true to course.
• He is so patient.
• Jesus doesn’t respond to the real intent of that question either.

John 6:32–33 (ESV) 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

• The conversation is obviously on two different planes.
• The people are down here with food on their mind and Jesus is up here trying to pull the people’s thinking up to heaven’s level.
• The people are talking about a loaf of bread and Jesus is talking about the Bread of Life, the Word of God.
• Jesus understands that spiritual manna produces physical manna.
• This entire conversation is a pictorial representation of what preaching and teaching is at its essential core.
• Preaching and teaching is about movement not information.
• Getting people from down low to up high, from lower plane living to higher plane living.
• If there is no movement, if there is no growth in your life, what do you really have?
• You cannot sit and listen and grow.
• You have to get up and walk and move.
• You walk out your salvation.
• Walking implies movement.

The Bread of Life Statement

John 6:35 (ESV) 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

• What’s the main reason for detailing this back and forth conversation between Jesus and the people?
• What actually is propelling this conversation?
• Why is it going this way?
• What caused these people to get on a boat, cross the sea, track down Jesus and coax Him and prod Him and push Him to do the same miracle He did the day before?
• One word – HUNGER!

Hunger Drives Everything!

• It wasn’t those people that drove that boat across the sea – it was hunger that drove it – hunger drove the boat!!!
• You get a man hungry enough and you’ll get all kinds of things out of him.  You’ll get all kinds of action.
• What about Jesus?
• In this story, there is actually a mini-picture of Jesus hunger level.
• He’s up here on this higher plane.
• What’s driving Him?
• Why is Jesus walking on the water at night when He already had a stupendous miracle earlier in the day?
• Why didn’t Jesus just lay down, take a nap and put His feet up?
• He already had a good day multiplying that food!
• What’s driving Jesus?
• What drove Jesus is the same thing that drove that crowd, hunger. But, instead of physical hunger motivating Him, it’s spiritual hunger driving Him.
• Jesus said, ‘My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.’   John 4:34
• Why is He walking on the water, at night?
• He still had work to do.
• He was hungry to finish.
• He was hungry for the higher purpose.
• The crowd was hungry for the lower purpose.

Hunger Drives Everything:  It Is King In All Realms.

• That’s why Jesus addressed it so much – “you seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you”.
• Why did He say this?
• Because all over the planet today, people day are taking boat trips chasing after food!
• Hunger is the captain of their ship!
• People all over the planet right now as we sit here are looking for food.
• Some are making business deals and involved with corporate life, but the bottom line is what it has always been, food.
• Hunger drives everything.
• All the while that the business of planet earth churns and churns, Jesus is yet saying ‘I AM the Bread of Life.’

Hunger in the Higher Plane or the Spiritual Dimension

Matt. 5:6 (ESV) 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

• “Shall be” is the strongest assertion in the English language.
• You cannot say it any stronger.
• You could put all kinds of adjectives with it, but the bottom line is “shall be” gets it done.
• If you hunger, you shall be filled.
• You shall be satisfied.
• How do you satisfy a hungry man?
• There is only one way; give him what he is hungry for!
• Read it again!
• According to Jesus if I am hungry enough, I will get the thing that I am hungering for.
• What happens is that people try to reach out for things without hungering for it first.

QUESTION: What’s the difference between hungering and lusting?

• Jesus said if you hunger you will receive, you will be filled.  This is not lusting.
• Work on the hungering part not the receiving part!
• How does that work?
• We already mentioned it, ‘You get all kind of things out of a hungry man’.
• What happens is that people try to receive and acquire without hunger driving the ship.
• When they do, they run into the inevitable obstacles that always come our way in life.
• And so many quit; they lay down; they come up with all the reasons why it didn’t work.
• But a hungry man is different.
• He is full of the energy of God.
• He is like a steam locomotive, and he’ll plow over thing in his way.
• He will plow over every reason, every excuse and over every devil, demon or evil spirit that gets in his way.
• His motto is ‘get with me or get out the way!’
• When you hunger like that you will be filled!
• When you hunger for the Bread of life like that, you will get some of it!
• Hunger supplies the added motivation for you to get the thing you need.
• You will turn the world upside down if you are hungry.
• Ask any pregnant woman.
• Do they have cravings or what?
• So, let’s put forth the question again.
• Do Americans have a comfortable gospel?

The Story of the Azusa Street Revival

• Have you ever seen a picture of the church at Azusa?
• Here is a question ‘Would you attend this church, looking as shabby as it looked?”
• William Seymour, one of the leaders of the revival, prayed for 5 hours a day for 2 1/2 years and then the Spirit told him to increase it and he increased it to 7 hours a day for another 1 1/2.
• They started services at the mission on April 6th 1906 and by mid-May there was as many 1500 people in that building.
• Services went almost round the clock.
• There was no music but angels could be head singing by some.
• There were no offerings taken but there was a receptacle at the door.
• There was no church organization but the services were orchestrated by the Spirit.
• One would get up and testify; another would sing a song; then they prayed for the sick and for people to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
• There were periods of silence where people waited on God.
• There was just an incredibly deep Holy Ghost presence; it saturated the place for over 7 years.
• People got healed left and right of all kind of things; there was no struggle getting people healed; it was easy.
• People came from all over the world but the core membership of that church was only 50 people, but in any given service there was anywhere from 300 to 1500 people who sat in those services.
• They got healed.
• They got filled with Holy Ghost and took that presence and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, largely unknown in the church at that time, everywhere.
• The reason why Pentecostals are the fastest growing arm of the church for decades is because a small group of people got really hungry for God.
• 4 major denominations came out of that move
• Church of God in Christ
• Assemblies of God
• United Pentecostal Church
• Pentecostal Church of God
• The reason why we all enjoy the baptism of the Holy Ghost today with the evidence of speaking in tongues all has its roots in a small group of people that got hungry for God – they got hungry for the Bread of Life.
• Every spirit filled person has roots back to Azusa.

Call to Action

Hunger drives everything. Are you willing to examine your life in the light of this lesson today? Am I so focused on acquiring and maintaining life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that I have inadvertently put my spiritual life second instead of where it should be, first? If your appetite for spiritual things has waned, just tell the Lord about that and ask Him to quicken that flame on the inside of you. Ask Him to stir in you a hunger for Him. Question: Was there a particular time in your life when you were so hungry for God? Would you please detail that for us in the comments section below? _________ References