Do Not Labor For Food That Perishes!

John 6:22-35; Numbers 23:19; Philippians 4:19; John 6:47-48; Nehemiah 8:10; Jeremiah 15:16; Psalm 37:34; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Corinthians 2:9; John 14:2-3; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Matthew 6:19-21
 
We are walking in today:  Do Not Labor For Food That Perishes! 

John 6:22-35 22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; 23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) 24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.  I AM the bread of life, whosoever comes to Me shall not hunger and whosoever believes in Me shall never thirst!  This is what Jesus declares to the people, as well as us this morning.  As Americans we worship our work and work at our play and play at our worship.  It seems the only thing we don't take seriously is our worship.  You have worked hard to provide a home for your family and to put food on the table.  Do you work as hard to make that home a place of prayer?  Jesus calls us to seek after eternal food, for holy food that has forever benefits.  Not like the food of this world that will perish. We have been rebuked and chastised by His words and in repentance we ask like the crowd what must we do to be doing the work of God?  What deeds are necessary for us to receive this eternal food.  We are used to working for our food--the perishing food of this world.  And so we are ready to work for that eternal food.  But the answer of Jesus is shocking--this is the work of God that you believe in, Him who He has sent.  God does all of the work. He sends His Son to this earth, who gives to us this food that endures to eternal life.  Indeed as Jesus said at the end of verse 27 on Him, God has set His seal.  The Son of Man, Jesus Christ Himself has been sealed as the Messiah, marked as the one whom God will give this food that endures.  All that is required to receive eternal food is faith.  To believe in Him who He has sent--that faith is the work of God.  It is God's work within you.  He creates faith, He is the one working in you, so that you can believe in Jesus.  So that you can receive and partake of eternal food that He gives.  Jesus is the eternal bread.  The bread that gives life because He has come to conquer death.  That was the work and the labor that was ahead of Him.  His was a race of endurance.  He endured the insults of men, the temptation of satan, the wrath of God and even death itself.  His labor was more intense.  His work more difficult than anything that you or I or anyone else has ever faced.  And He conquered it.  He won victory upon the cross.  From there the bread of life was offered for the sins of the world.  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit--all work together to bring you the bread of life.  The only thing that endures, the only bread that gives life.  You will enjoy that bread for all eternity, all who receive this bread will live forever.  When Jesus said I AM the bread of life, He alone can satisfy our deepest needs.  But His mission on earth was to satisfy our deepest supernatural needs.  Jesus alone can fully satisfy you.  Perish is defined as starved, famished, die of food deprivation.  Jesus is saying labor has a wider meaning--don't focus on nor give all of your time to that which perishes.  Even if you need it for the present life.  This life is passing away and if all you did was to feed, clothe and amuse yourself, then your life has been wasted.  Where your treasures are, there your heart will be also.  The bread from heaven, the living water--these divine words will not pass away.  In our relationship with God, which is the only thing that we can take with us, when we die and must be where our most focused and substantiated attention abodes.  Let what is perishable, perish.  Let what endures, endure.  Seek to choose what leads to the imperishable.
I don't know about you this morning, but Jesus is the only bread that we need!  He came that we would have life more abundantly. We have to feed ourselves spiritual food: His wisdom and knowledge.  Get up early, seeking God.  There is no one else like You, God!  Stand on His word, it will not return void.  He is the bread of life!  We must hasten to His throne.  We must endure in this time and season.  Stand on His word and believe that He will provide for you.  You got to know what kind of God that we serve!  Why run after everything else but God?!  He is Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Tsidkenu and Emmanuel.  He shows up with grace and mercy.  Stay on the path that He placed you on!  Keep standing on His promises.  Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  We have to stop working for things that will perish.  Seek the things that are eternal!  God is opening doors that no man can shut and shutting doors that no man can open.  He is the only one that has brought this all into existence.  He has already made provision for us!  He is all that you need!  The people just watched Jesus preform miracles and were still looking for other signs.  Seek Him, only He can fix it!  No matter what you are faced with!  He is Alpha and Omega!  He is all that we need!  Stop operating in self.  Set yourself and see the salvation of the Lord with you!  Stop working for food that will perish.  Keep praying without ceasing.  Stand on His word. Do not labor for food that perishes.  Seek God and trust Him!  Seek God and put Him first!  He is the bread of life, what God has for us we shall never hunger or thirst again!  Look to God--Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  We have to stand on His word, that is what created everything anyway.  Why would you put trust in anything else?!  You are El Shaddai, You alone can fix it!  No matter what we are faced with, there is nothing too hard for You!  Lord, You are Alpha and Omega!  Look to God, He is all that you need.  Stop operating in self.  Set yourself and see the salvation of the Lord with us!  Stop working for food that will perish.  Keep on praying without ceasing!  Stand on His word.  We must seek God and trust Him!  Seek Him and put Him first!  He is our bread from heaven!  John 6:47-48 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life.  Seek out God, He alone satisfies!  Only He can reach down into the dark places to truly heal and restore.  He is the only one who can put the shattered and broken pieces back together again.  The bread that Moses gave, came from You, Lord!  Thank You God for sending us bread from heaven.  Look to Jesus, He is the bread of heaven.  There was a seal on Jesus--He died at the cross and got up three days later--it is already done!  Do not conform to this world, come out from among them!  God doesn't operate like the world.  This is harvest time, He told us that the earth is ripe.  We must trust God and stand still and see the salvation of the Lord with us!  Lord, You are our bread of heaven!  Lord, thank You for feeding us through Your word!  Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.  Fiveamprayer, His strength is made perfect in our weakness!  Keep reading His word!  Do not labor for food that will perish.  Why would we continue to labor over stuff that will not produce anything substantial?  We are to meditate on His word day and night.  Just imagine the people seeing Jesus feed the 5,000 and still asking Him for signs?!  He is the bread of life!  All that you need is found in Him!  God comes to tell us this morning--I AM your source!  I AM your mind regulator!  I AM your perfect peace!  He is the bread of life, stand on His word.  Feed yourselves spiritually and put on the whole armor of God!  Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.  Stop laboring for things that will perish.  Keep standing and believing on the word of God.  Thank You for coming to let us know not to labor for food that will perish.  Have us to take a look at ourselves, are we really seeking God?  Are we doing all that we can to support the kingdom of God?  Are you truly sold out for God?  We have to know that no matter what, His grace is sufficient.  We lift up fiveamprayer this morning that we can look to You and hear You say, I AM the the bread of life.  I supply all of your needs.  I AM Jehovah Jireh!  I AM your Shepherd.  They that seek Me, find Me!  We lift up prayer requests let them hear God say, I AM your healer!  I AM your deliverer!  I AM your grace.  I AM your way out!  I AM the bread of life.  Ask for forgiveness for asking for signs, you know that no one else but God could have done that thing.  No more questions of how do I know, when God has given you all kinds of confirmation.  Forgive us Lord, we repent for questioning what You have told us. 

We seal this prayer in His precious blood, by His Spirit:  Do not labor for food that perishes!

Welcome to the overflow...
Psalm 37:34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Colossians 3:23-24  23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  John 14:2-3  2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.  I AM the bread of life!  They that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled!  What have you been believing God for?  Examine yourself  and see if you are seeking for things that will perish.  Are you seeking Him first?  Are you saying not my will, but Thy will be done?  What a mighty God we serve!  He comes to remind us today that many of us are working and sacrificing for everything but Him!   He came that we would have life more abundantly.  Set your affections on the things that are above--Matthew 6:19-21 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Be careful, fiveamprayer of who or what you are making your god. There is a quiet storm on the line this morning, God comes to tell us that He is bread of life.  Stop working yourself to death. God is the provider not the money!  He should be the first thing on your mind when you wake up.  Get up giving Him thanks and giving Him glory.  He is still making miracles.  They that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled!  He is the living word!  Bread from heaven, feed us until we want no more.  Stand on His word.  Hallelujah!  Glory to His name!  Take time out today to read John 6 today.  Visit us on facebook, it will encourage you.  Have a blessed day!  To hear more of this message click here.

Musical Selection
Fred Hammond, You Are The Living Word
Fred Hammond, Song Of Strength