seek what endures

John 6: 24-35
As I watch the Olympics this week over and over again we see records broken.  The athletes who were once on top of their sport- lose their place on the medal stand and are replaced by the next generation.  Very few people outside the sport even remember who last held most records yet these athletes work so hard for this moment- they eat, drink and sleep their sport for years just for the chance to compete for this awesome but fleeting moment in the spotlight of the Olympics.
Many people work just as hard in the business world.  They are willing to work endless hours so they can have a big fancy title, a little prestige, power, and a big paycheck.   Many people are hoping for that next big promotion or raise which sometimes comes at the expense of their family, friends and integrity. 
We put so much time, energy and effort into things that don’t last. 
Apple will always come out with a new gadget just a few months after you bought what we thought was the latest and greatest.  The most luxurious car will still breakdown.  The most expensive clothes will go out of style.  World records will be broken and no matter how hard celebrities fight it- they will still grow old and someone younger and cuter will be waiting in the wings to take their place.
Jesus tells us “Do not work for the food that parishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life which only the Son of Man will give you”
We get so caught up in the rat race that we forget that without belief in Christ we are just stuck on the hamster wheel working hard but going nowhere.
The crowd asked Jesus how they could do the works of God- Jewish tradition was founded on works and culturally that is what they understood.  For example they knew what sacrifice was required for which sin.  They knew they were supposed to bathe a certain way before entering the temple.  They had a list of Do this…Do that…don’t do that.  Like many of us many got so caught up in the doing that they lost track of why they were doing these things in the first place.  It often became more about their own place in society and less about bringing Glory to God.
When Jesus said the only work was to believe- I can just see the look of confusion in their eyes.  They didn’t get it!  So again, they asked Jesus to do something.   Hadn’t he already proved himself enough?   The problem is that there were never really enough good deeds.  It wouldn’t have mattered how many people Jesus healed or how many demons he cast out or how many people he could feed with a single dinner roll- it would never be enough for some people to believe in Him.
Jesus tells them that the only work required is faith.  This is not used as a noun. Faith is not something John suggests we acquire or own but as a verb.(homiletics  8/4/12)  Faith is something we do.  We live faith.  We grow faith, we long for faith to be stronger, more caring, more loving.  We do good works not for our own salvation but to be a reflection of the love of God and bring Glory to His name.  It is always something we need more of.   John Wesley stressed this same thought by saying “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can”.  This may seem  on the surface contrary to what Jesus is teaching us about the value of money and possessions in this passage but it is not. He wasn’t telling us to work so hard that we neglect our faith or our families in order to make more money. Nor was he telling us to have big savings accounts.  He meant this to mean that we should earn a living, but spend as little of it as possible so that we will have more to give to those less fortunate.  Thus making our faith a verb- and living it boldly every chance we have.   
Jesus gives the crowd the answer to their questions. And Jesus is our answer to getting off the proverbial hamster wheel of life. 
Jesus said “I am the bread of life- whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”
We have to find that balance in life.  Discover what is really important.  Glory fades. There will always be someone smarter and better looking, better technology, and a fancier car- but what happens when this life ends and your prize possessions are taking up space in a landfill.  What happens when we do what the man in Australia did last week and put his 15,000 dollars in the oven?  Never imagining his wife might actually cook something.(Huffington post 7/26/12)  It is just paper- it burns, melts, is easily destroyed.
It is all for nothing without the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.   God has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ … and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade (1 Peter 1: 3-4)  Why does it matter what we possess in this life if we have something absolutely wonderful waiting for us in Eternal Life with Christ. 
Just as in Biblical times this concept is comforting to those who have little and scary for those who have much. It is time we take inventory of what is important to us and place our trust in Christ instead of our pocket books.  Even Spike Lee agreed with this when he told Charlie Rose that the most important lesson in life is that Money isn’t everything.  Even people who seem to have everything take their own life.
As we come forward in a few minutes for communion remember to be grateful for our salvation through Jesus Christ.  Whether we have little or a lot; Trust that Jesus Christ is the bread of life and through faith in him well will have all we need. Our only work is to believe in Him.
 The bread and juice on this table may nourish the body but faith in God nourishes the soul.