First Baptist Arlington Sermons

Well, again, thank you, worship Ministry for leading us in worship today. We know that we are making our way through 2026, and we continue our journey of learning more about what it means to flourish together. And our theme for the Lenten and Easter season is the Good Shepherd. And you know that we are using the Gospel of John for to guide us during this season. In fact, the truths of John's Gospel are actually going to be woven throughout our entire year's journey.

This year, I'm teaching through the Gospel of John on Wednesdays in the Pastor's Bible Study. And if you're not able to be there for that, you can always look at it online later or you can join us to your lunch hour on Wednesdays. And we're going to just methodically make our way through the Gospel of John during the Lenten Easter season. We're going to read through the entire Gospel in our daily Bible readings and something we're going to do every Sunday morning for the rest of the season. We're going to remind ourselves that the Lord is our shepherd.

So we're going to put the 23rd Psalm on the screen for us, and I'm going to ask us all just to read it out loud together. And you know, I don't know about you, but I love the new international version of the Scripture. I think it really is the best translation for us today. But there are some passages that I memorize in the King James and I just can't get over it. And so please forgive me for that.

So in the next service, it might be a little challenge for some of our younger ones, but I think y' all will do just fine. So let's read the 23rd Psalm out loud together this morning. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I trust and hope and pray that that is your testimony today that the Lord is your shepherd, because he is a good shepherd.

So with that said, let's look at Our text for today, I've entitled the message Bread from Heaven. And the text is found in John 6. It's one of the longest pages in our Bible. And there is a lot that's going to happen in John 6. We're going to.

At least for the message today, we're going to just look at a portion of John 6, but I'll try to set the context for it all as we spend our time gathered around it today. So if you look with me at John the sixth page, we're going to begin reading in verse 30. You know, it's our custom to stand and honor the Lord Jesus when the Gospel is read. So I invite you to stand with me if you're able, and hear this reading. So they asked him, what sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?

What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, very truly, I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, sir.

They said, always give us this bread. And then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Thank you. You may be seated.

Well, this morning, as I said, we're going to celebrate the Lord's Supper today. And so I'm going to ask our deacons and our ministers who are going to help us with the Lord's Supper today. If you'd go ahead and make your way to the front and find your places. Obviously, when we celebrate the Lord's Supper and we figuratively, symbolically, if you will, gather around a table. In the ancient world, when this was first instituted, it wasn't a figurative thing.

They actually gathered around a table. And so the imagery is pretty powerful. Obviously, you and I, when we gather around a table, we are reminded of the fact that we're hungry and we then together. And so the symbolism for us at the Lord's Supper is that the Lord is our provider. You know, in the ancient world, in the first century in which Jesus lived, bread and wine were just the staples of life.

You would typically find bread and wine at almost every meal that the Jews would share with each other. And so Jesus actually takes those staples, if you will, knowing that they were used in the physical realm in the ancient world. And he will Take them and then use them to point us to a deeper hunger that we all have. He's going to take these very simple elements that were universal and he's going to point us to our need for a greater fulfillment. When you think about it, sure, we get hungry and we need to eat.

But there's something else afoot with human beings. We have a deeper hunger than that. We have a deeper need. And Jesus knew that. And so the Lord's Supper speaks to those deeper needs.

We need to be forgiven for our sin. We need to be cleansed from our sinfulness. And we need a guide to show us how we're supposed to live. Well, these elements represent all of that for us. This bread, we believe, points us to the very body of Jesus.

He, in that body, he lived a perfect life and he became our example to show us how to live. But not only that, we also know that it was in that body that he offered himself up as a sacrifice for us. That body of his was broken on our behalf. And this bread points us to that reality. And we know that this fruit of the vine reminds us that our salvation, even though it's offered freely to us, it has come at a great cost.

It cost the very life, the very blood of Lord Jesus. And so this fruit of the vine points us to that reality. And so today, as we gather at this table, we'll invite you to receive these elements. Our deacons are going to distribute them in just a moment. And if you know the Lord Jesus, you've been baptized, you are welcome to participate with us.

You don't have to be a member of our church. This is the Lord's table, after all. And for those of you that need gluten free bread, those are found in the middle of each tray. But you'll also notice when, if you're new to our church, when the tray comes by, you'll notice that there are cups stacked one on top of the other. And so if you'll just take one stack of those cups and separate them, one has the bread, one has the juice.

We'll guide you through the partaking of the elements and we'll do all of that together. So as we prepare for that, let's pray together and ask God's blessing upon this, this bread and this fruit of the vine. And then our deacons and our ministers will share it with our congregation.

So, Lord, we pause in this moment once again mindful of our deep needs. Certainly, Lord, we have physical needs and we have many within our congregation today that are in need of healing. They're in need of your hand to be upon them and upon their lives as they're facing challenging days. And we lift them to you today. But we're also mindful, Lord, that we have deeper needs, needs that are profoundly spiritual, that speak to the very deepest part of who we are as human beings.

And we are grateful that we can call upon you today and know that you are good and that you care for us and that you are the one who speaks to those deepest needs. And we're mindful of that as we gather at this table today. That this bread symbolizes for us the very body of our Lord, that this fruit of the vine points us to the very blood of our Lord shed for our sins. So we pray now your blessings upon these elements and upon us as we will receive them. And we offer that prayer in Jesus name.

Amen. You and I now live in the reality of that future that Jesus shared that night. So the Bible says that he took bread that night and he blessed it, he brought, broke it, and he gave thanks. And he said, take and eat. This is my body.

At some point in that celebration, he took the cup and he said, whenever you do this, do this in remembrance of me. Drink this cup, all of you.

And all God's people said amen. Amen. Well, when we look at our text this morning, that is in John chapter six. Actually let me just share with you the context of what was happening. When we interrupt the story, if you will, in verse 30, it was Passover, Capernaum in the first century.

That's where we are in this text. If you still have your Bibles open, let's just leave our Bibles open this morning in John 6. If you'll notice in verse 59 of John 6, after this lengthy teaching, John tells us he said this while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. Well, some of you have been to Capernaum in Galilee. I've been to Capernaum and I'll show you this photo.

This is a photo of me standing in that very synagogue. Actually where I'm standing is in the ruins of the 4th century synagogue. But just below my feet would be the foundation of the original synagogue that was built in the first century, which was the fourth century, which was just built right on top of the ancient synagogue which was standing in the day Jesus. And so I'm standing in the very place where Jesus shared these words. And it was a powerful season of the year.

In fact, if you look back at John 6, if you go back to the beginning of John 6, if you look at verse 4, it says the Jewish Passover festival was near. And so Jesus is in Capernaum. When we read these words that we just read a moment ago in verses 30 through 35, and it's the Passover. Well, y' all are familiar enough with your Bibles to know why the Jews celebrated the Passover. They still celebrate it today.

It was that reminder to them that when they were in captivity in Egypt, that final plague that the Lord sent. Do you remember? And if the Jews had obeyed God and placed the blood of the lamb, you remember, on the doorframe of their homes, then the angel of death would pass over their homes and their children were spared. And so the Jews celebrated that year after year. But by the time Jesus was alive, the celebration was even more profound than just the memory of that one event.

It was a celebration of the entire Exodus. In fact, they called to mind every year at the Passover celebration the fact that Moses stood and stared at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army in pursuit. And when he raised that staff, you remember that God parted the waters and the miracle of the water took place. And the children of Israel walked across on dry ground. The Jews also, by the time of the first century, celebrated the fact that when they made it to the wilderness, that God didn't just part the Red Sea for them, he provided for them in a brand new season of life.

And you remember they woke up one morning and the ground was covered with this white stuff. Y' all remember that story? And you remember what the Jews said? What is it? You know what that Hebrew word is?

Manna. That's what manna means. What is it? Well, it was God's provision. It was the miracle of the bread.

And so Jesus is sharing this teaching at a time when the Jews are in a heightened spiritual season. They're very sensitive during this season of the year to the things of God. Their collective memory is being stirred and they're celebrating their history. They're celebrating the greatest story of redemption in the Old Testament. It's the story of the Exodus.

And they're celebrating one of their heroes, Moses, and how God used him to provide for them. So it's a powerful, powerful season. But we skipped over some stuff to get to verse 30. So can we just go back just a second in John 6? Because there are two very memorable events in John 6 that frame what Jesus teaches us.

Beginning in verse 30 and following when you open John 6, John recounts two miracles. The first one has to do with bread and the Other one has to do with water. Are y' all still with me? It's the Passover. Those are the kinds of images that are in the Jews minds anyway.

And the first miracle has to do with the feeding of the 5,000. Where Jesus is on this hillside, if you will. He's out in a rural area with a group of disciples who are flocking to hear him teach. And it's time to eat. And they're hungry.

And so what the Bible tells us if you read this story in Mark's Gospel, Mark says this about Jesus. It says he looked at the multitude, he realized they were hungry. And Jesus felt like they looked to him like sheep without a shepherd. And so he shepherded them, he taught them, he met their needs. John gives us a little more information than the other gospel writers.

All four gospel writers tell us this story. The feeding of the 5,000. John tells us a little bit more about it. John tells us that a little boy showed up that day with a lunch packed. He wasn't sure how long the sermon would go.

Y' all know how it is sometimes. And he was ready. But all he had was those five little loaves and two small fish. That was the lunch of a poor person. And Andrew collects that lunch from that boy and gives it to Jesus.

And y' all remember the miracle. John tells us that Jesus then has all the multitudes sit down and they get organized and they take that one little lunch and feed these 5,000 or so people. It was a powerful miracle. In fact, it called to mind another story for the Jews. You see, the Jews were very familiar with their scripture and they were hopeful that the Lord was going to send someone to them.

They were looking for a special person, the Anointed One. Sometimes they called him the prophet. Sometimes they just called him the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. And they knew the stories of the Old Testament. You may remember the story in Second Kings, chapter four, when Elisha was getting ready to feed a hundred men, but he didn't have any food.

And a man showed up with 20 small barley loaves just about the size of a little tortilla. Not tortilla. What do y' all call the round things that y' all eat food in here in Texas? Tortillas, whatever. They are very similar.

Here's what Elisha said. He looked at the guy that gave him that, and then realizing he's going to feed a hundred men. And someone says, how are you going to feed a hundred grown men with these 20 small pieces of bread? And Elisha says, Just let the Lord work. There will be food left over.

And there was a miracle that took place. Well, the Jews knew these stories and they firmly believed that when the Messiah showed up, he was going to do that kind of stuff. He was going to meet people's needs in ways they had never imagined before. And he was going to do it in an abundant way. As a matter of fact, if you'll look at the miracle of the five thousand feeding the five thousand, look at verse 14 of John 6.

When the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they couldn't help themselves. Everything came rushing forward in their collective memory. And they said, this is the prophet. Now that's a reference to a passage in the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 18. And the prophet was associated with the Messiah.

And so what are they saying? In other words, they're thinking about all their expectations and they're saying, it's being met right here in front of us. This is the Messiah, he's here. And so it was a time of recognition, if you will. Jesus then draws aside, Mark tells us, and he goes to a mountainside to pray.

And the crowd is still collected there. Got to spend the night, it's dark. And then the disciples, evidently, according to the other Gospel accounts, received the message from Jesus. Make your way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. And so the disciples in the evening got into a boat and headed across the Sea of Galilee towards Capernaum.

However, that night, John tells us here in John 6, it was a. It was a bad night. Weather wise, the weather was rough. Now these are hardy men, they're fishermen. They've been on this, this sea their whole lives.

But this one was a particularly rough storm. And then the most amazing thing happens. They look up in the middle of the tempest and guess who they see? Jesus. And he's.

He's walking on the water. You know what the Bible says? The Bible says. And they were terrified, not of the storm, but of Jesus walking on water. And you know, in their minds, Moses had to part the Red Sea and walk on dry ground.

Jesus just walks on the water. What do you think these guys are saying to each other? It had to be a powerful memory for them. And so they write this story. Now.

So the next day what's fascinating is to pick up where we are in John 6. What happens is the disciples now make their way to Capernaum. And guess what? You get to about verse 24 or so of John 6. And the crowd starts looking for Jesus the next day.

Now why do you think they're looking for Jesus? The next day they're hungry again and they can't find him. And they had seen the disciples get in the boat the night before and leave without Jesus. And they're trying to figure out, where's Jesus. They end up getting in boats and make their way.

Some of them probably even walked around, make their way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. And guess who's there? Jesus. And when they see Jesus, they ask him, how did you get here?

How did this happen? Now they know about the miracle of the bread. They don't know about the miracle of the water because they didn't see that. But they asked Jesus, so how did you get here? We're looking for you.

Jesus says this to them, why are you looking for me? Why are you so desperate now to find me? He said, I've performed all these signs in front of you, but I don't think that's why you're looking for me. Because, you see these signs are pointing you to the greater fulfillment of the kingdom of God. But I don't think that's what you're interested in.

In fact, Jesus says basically to them, the reason that you're looking for me is because you're hungry again. And they pretty much agree, we want to eat again. So where have you been and what are you going to do for us? They want to know. These folks are.

They're marveling, obviously, at the miracle of the provision of bread. And they even say to Jesus, well, you know, our forefathers had this very experience. They were with Moses in the wilderness, and they had manna to eat. That's what the scriptures tell us. What are you going to give us?

What's going to be the sign you provide for us? Now, before we judge them for that, y', all, let me just say this about me and you. We can't help it. We're hungry. We are, too.

We're not that much different from them. They said, man, we had manna to eat in the wilderness. What about now? We're hungry. You know, physical hunger is universal.

Y' all ever been hungry? I mean, have you? You know, I've got friends here in this room. I'm not a foodie, okay? Some of y' all know me.

Well, I'm not. I don't. I don't live to eat, Okay? I have friends of mine. We'll be at a meal, and they will take a picture of their food.

You know, I've done it occasionally just to fit in, but I don't typically take pictures of food. I just eat food, you know, I mean, I'm not enamored by it. There's some food I like. There's some food I don't really care for, you know, Mexican food. But don't judge me, okay?

But if I'm hungry, I'll eat. Have you all ever brought a baby home from the hospital? Have you? Y' all ever brought a little baby home? If she's hungry, there's nothing you can do to soothe her.

You ever notice that? You can hold her, you can cuddle her, you can tell her how much you love her. You can promise her you're going to take care of her. She doesn't care. She wants to eat, right?

It's just a. It's just something inside of us. It's a very natural desire. We all have it. Well, we all know what it's like to be hungry.

As a matter of fact, God doesn't judge us for that. You can't help it. Jesus knew they were hungry. But the point of this story, y', all, is that Jesus is going to show these people there's a hunger you have that's deeper than your physical hunger. It connects to the very deepest part of who you are.

And it's a desire that the Lord has put inside of every one of us. I don't know if y' all have ever read mere Christianity by C.S. lewis, but, you know, C.S. lewis was at really the end of the day. He was more of a philosopher than he was a theologian, but he was a theologian.

But C.S. lewis, when he talks about evidences for God's existence, you know, philosophers have debated that for centuries. C.S. lewis, he says his favorite argument, if I can paraphrase him, for the existence of God, is what he called the argument from desire. In other words, CS Lewis says there's evidence for God's existence because we have a spiritual hunger inside of us that can't be met physically.

It points to something beyond our physical realm. That's what Jesus is going to teach us in this story today. He knows we're hungry. He gets that. That's universal.

But he also knows we're hungry. That's universal, too. It's a deep hunger. It's powerful. Let me read to you a quote from Mere Christianity.

CS Lewis says creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. Baby feels hunger. Well, there's such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim. Well, there's such a thing as water.

Here's what he says. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy. The most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. I love that. If there's something inside of me, he says, that needs.

It's a need that needs to be met. That's a signal to me, you know, you think about when it comes to eating, when you're physically hungry, if you continually eat food that doesn't really provide the nutrients your body needs, you can fill yourself up with the wrong things and you're still hungry. You know what I mean by that? Well, what do you think happens to us when we do that spiritually? Here's what I've learned after all these years of following the Lord and serving as a pastor.

If you try to meet the deepest spiritual needs of your life with anything else but Jesus, you're going to stay hungry. In fact, I'll give you your testimony. If you choose to try to fill the deepest need in your life with anything else but Jesus, let me give you your testimony. I can't get no satisfaction. That'll be your song because it's just the way it is, you know?

This week in our daily Bible readings, we read John 4. I love the story in John 4. And Kurt, thank you for your commentary on John 4 this week. That Samaritan woman at the well, you remember her? She was thirsty, wasn't she?

She was physically thirsty. She was at the well in the middle of the day to get water. But Jesus knew she wasn't just physically thirsty. And she had been trying to somehow quench her thirst. She had been victimized probably by at least five men, maybe more.

We don't know what happened to that girl. But when Jesus looked at her and said, you know, you're going to. You're going to get this water, that'll satisfy you for a little bit. But I tell you what, what if I give you water to drink, you'll never be thirst again. She said, give me that.

She knew there was something inside of her that longed for that. So do you. So do I. We're all thirsty. As a matter of fact, we're hungry.

Jesus knew that. And that's why this text is so powerful. That's why it's so easy to communicate. In fact, if you'll just look at. Look at this text.

These folks want to know what is it you're going to do for us. So look what Jesus says in verse 33 of John 6. He says, the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. And you see what these people said. They said, lord, give that to us.

Give us that bread. You gave us bread to eat a couple days ago, and we're hungry again. What is this kind of bread? And look at what Jesus says in verse 35. Well, I'm the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. Whoever believes in me, he says, will never be thirsty. So have you learned that already? Has my culture learned that? I watch the people in my society try to quench their thirst, satisfy their hunger, and they look so often in the wrong places, don't they?

I hope you don't. Can I just contrast two very famous, successful athletes this morning? Y' all know Tom Brady, Scotty Scheffler, right? Would y' all not agree? These are two accomplished athletes.

My goodness. Maybe one of the greatest quarterbacks that ever played and the greatest golfer on planet Earth. Scotty may not be the greatest golfer in the universe, but he's the greatest golfer on our planet right now. Do you know, back in 2005, Tom Brady was interviewed about his life. I don't know if y' all saw that interview on 60 Minutes.

And he said some powerful things in an interview. He said, why is it that I have three super bowl rings and I still think there's something out there greater for me? He said, there's got to be more than this. What else is there? And the interviewer said, what's the answer?

And Tom Brady said, I wish I knew.

I wish I knew. Last July, Scotty Scheffler was being interviewed at the British Open. He's already accomplished, as I said, the greatest golfer on the planet and won the Byron Nelson, which to him was pinnacle for him because he grew up here in Dallas. And he said, you know, I won the Byron Nelson the other day was awesome. Got to celebrate with my family.

It was great for just a few minutes, he said. Then we looked at each other and said, where am I going to eat supper? He said, just like that, it was over. He said, then, if I win the British Open next week, y' all are going to ask me, think you'll win the FedEx Cup? He said, so what's the point?

And then he said this. He said, I don't want my life to be a role model for other golfers to just get better at golf, because I've learned this doesn't satisfy the deepest things in a person's heart. Isn't that interesting? I've heard Scotty give his testimony. I went to a breakfast and listened to Him.

He found the answer. Jesus. He gave his life to Jesus. And he knows that. He knows.

He loves being a good golfer. I cheer for him every golf tournament I do. He's my new favorite. Well, I mean, Jordan Spieth is still, you know, my favorite, but I'm. I'm temporarily.

Put Jordan aside. I'm a Scotty guy now. But if Jordan comes back, y' all look out. That's what I would say. Okay, But Jesus.

Now, I need, as your pastor, though, to give you a word of caution this morning. Is that okay? And here's what I'll make sure. We all know. Jesus is the one who meets the deepest need in our lives.

But Jesus cannot be taken by force. And I just want to say to every one of us, myself included, be careful. In fact, if you look back at this story, the feeding of the 5,000, you get to verse 15. Jesus knowing they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew. He always does.

You see, you don't take Jesus by force. It's tempting. I get it. It is. It's tempting.

But if you want to treat Jesus like he is, a religious figure who merely exists to accomplish your agenda, you're going to be sadly mistaken. That is not who Jesus is. You don't force him into your mold, and I don't either. So can I just say this very directly and you hear my heart? Can I?

Jesus Christ is not a Republican.

Jesus Christ is not a democrat.

Jesus Christ not a socialist.

Jesus Christ is not a communist. Jesus Christ is the eternal word of God. He is God in the flesh. He is the Son of man. He is the Son of God, and he is soon to come back as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And you don't take him by force.

He's God in the flesh. And here's what I've learned about Jesus. His agenda transcends any puny agenda that any human imagination will ever conjure up. His agenda is so much grander. It's so much greater.

It's so much more expansive. It's so much deeper. It's so much richer. It's so. It is so much more eternal than anything you and I could ever imagine, because he is our Lord.

And so, as tempting as it is to try to somehow fit him into our mold, that won't work. You know what he'll do? Withdraw. That's what he did. Then, in fact, you know who he is.

He's who he says he is. He's a bread of life. He's come down from heaven, and only he can satisfy. Can we just praise his name this morning? Is that not the truth?

Is that not how you have discovered who he really is? Isn't that true? Amen. That's fine. You can clap for me.

It's all good. Because here's the thing. He's inviting you and me into an eternal personal relationship with him because he knows that's the only way your deepest hunger can be met. These people ask Jesus, what's the work of God? He said, believe in him, in the one he sense.

Well, that would be Jesus. And so here's what I would encourage you to do. Let him be your shepherd. You know what he'll do? He'll lead you into those green pastures.

He'll help you find those cool waters. He'll restore your soul when you need it. He'll anoint your head with oil when you're hungry. He'll prepare a table for you. And when you go through those hard days, when you think he's forgotten about you, when you've been hurt, when you've experienced loss, call it whatever you want to call it.

David called it the shadow, the valley, the shadow of death. He's with you. You know why? He's the good shepherd. As a matter of fact, he's the bread that's come down from heaven.

And if you'll let him, he'll lead you to a life that's abundant, eternal, significant and meaningful, where your deepest hunger will be filled. Praise his name. Let's pray together.

Lord, we love you. We thank you for your love for us. We thank you today for Jesus, the bread of heaven. We thank you, Lord, that you know we're hungry.

And we know that you meet our needs, our physical needs so often, Lord, those are our prayers. But you meet the deep needs in us. You come into those places in our lives where we need the oil that you bring, the medicinal touch that only you can provide. You speak to that deepest part of a human being, that part of us that causes us to lie awake at night and ponder, why is this happening to me? What's this all about?

It's in those very moments that we meet you as the good shepherd. So on behalf of these people, Lord, I lift them to you. And I just pray that you will speak to their deepest need and that they will experience you as the bread that's come down from heaven. And they'll never go hungry again. May it be so.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen.