Labor for Everlasting Life
John 6:27-29

This title and message must be kept within the context of where Jesus gave this command.  He was not speaking about the lost receiving salvation but was speaking to disciples who were positive that they were already the children of God  and wanted to receive increased spiritual life in the form of greater blessings from God.

This message is not to the lost but is to the saved.

Satan gets his preachers to preach doctrinal error and then scares God's people away from God's truth by having liars claim that they are preaching doctrinal error when they preach or teach Biblical truth.  W can not work for salvation but the Bible teaches that the saved are to do God's work after their salvation and the work that they are to do is to let God work in and through their personal life.  Therefore, there are two Biblically correct types of work that are commanded to be in the life of the saved.  The work the saved are to do and the work that God does through their life.  Do not let the devil's liars keep you from doing and teaching God's command to the truly saved.

John 6:26-29 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. 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. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

1. Labour not for the meat which perisheth  - What to not do.
1. They had a wrong attitude.

Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
• They were looking for physical blessings in this world (ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled).
• They rejected the message from, God (not because ye saw the miracles.
• They rejected the messenger of God in John 6:66.
2. They had a wrong care
• Jesus had taken His disciples across the sea of Galilee to a place away from people twice to try and have a time to grieve over the death of John the Baptist.  We see this by matching events across the Gospels.  These people didn't care about Jesus nor His disciples nor their needs.  They only cared about their own physical desires.  However, God wants us to love others.
3. They had a wrong understanding.
• John 6:28-30 Jesus told them This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.  They wanted to do miracles so that they would look good and when they couldn't get God to make them look good they demanded more signs even after seeing the miracles of healing and the feeding of 5,000.  They thought God had to fulfill their demands if they worked for God.
4. They had a wrong faith.
• In this chapter Jesus used symbols and spiritual reasoning to explain that the truly saved must agree to let the spiritual influence of Jesus change the type of people they are and change how they life in this world.  They left Jesus because their faith was in what their religion told them instead of being in the word of God.  (John 6:66-69).
2. Labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life  - What to do.
1. Work for what only comes from our personal relationship with Jesus.  which the Son of man shall give unto you  John 6:27
2. Base your faith on the Word of God, which is our picture of Jesus.  for him hath God the Father sealed  John 6:27
3. John 4:36-38 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
• Working with missionaries and others in the kingdom of God gets us fruit unto life eternal.  God tells us to work with others within His church and do what we can while letting others do what they can.  Not everyone can go to the mission field but those who can't go can send.
4. 1Corinthians 3:6-8 says: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
• Each person determines how much fruit they put into their account in Heaven by how much labour  they do for God's kingdom in this life.
5. 1Corinthians 4:11-13 says: Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
• God's people are to be willing to suffer anything in this world that is required in order for them to labour  in God's kingdom.
6. 1Corinthians 15:58 says: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
• We are to believe the promise of God and keep it as the motivation for our labour. 
• Those who are saved but don't labour  in the kingdom of God prove that they don't believe the promise of God.
• Further, the amount of our life that we devote to this labour  proves how much true Biblical faith we have.
7. 2Corinthians 5:9 says: Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
• Only those who labour  in God's kingdom will be accepted of him  and hear Well done, good and faithful servant  (Matthew 25:21, 23).
8. Colossians 1:28-29 says: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
• Our labour  is to fight against the lusts of our flesh and to live a righteous life so that Christ can work through our life.
9. 1Thessalonians 2:9 says: For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
• The missionary is to make the gospel available to the lost without charge.  It is only after people get saved that they are to labour  in God's kingdom by participating on the Church's missions program by sending or being sent as a missionary.
10. 2Thessalonians 3:8-9 says: Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. 
• The truly saved are to follow the example of those who led them to salvation and grow up spiritually so that they can also enter into the labour  of God's kingdom.
11. Hebrews 6:9-12 says: But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
• Notice our promise that God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.  This is the promise which we are to believe and act upon.
• Now notice that our reference says which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  Anyone who is not active in the kingdom of God, especially in the work of missions, does not receive this promise.
• Next, notice that our reference says But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation.  The work of missions is part of the and things that accompany salvation.  All saved are expected to be involved in this labour. 
• Next, notice that our reference says we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.  This is a labour  that we are to be involved in until our death and it is a labour  which we are to do with the same diligence.  That is, never backslide on our missions labour  whether it is doing missions or supporting missionaries.
• Next, notice that our reference says to the full assurance of hope unto the end.  Failure to do this labour  proves that you do not have the full assurance of hope.  This proves that your claim to trust God is a lie or that of a spiritual child that is so weak that you can not do anything to help the family of God.
• Finally, notice that our reference says That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  If you are not doing the work of the kingdom, especially the work of missions, then you will not inherit the promises.  Further, if you do not do the work through faith and patience  then you lessen or lose the promises  which are given to you.  Finally, any saved person who is not a follower of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises  is slothful  and is asking God to motivate them with problems and pain.
12. 1Thessalonians 5:12-13 says: And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
• God's people are to highly esteem  missionaries and other full time workers in God's kingdom for several reasons including so that other young people will be attracted to also enter the ministry.
13. 1Timothy 5:17 says: Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
• God counts preaching and teaching the word and doctrine  as the most valuable labour  that a Christian can do.  Women can be teachers  and have a major effect upon the basic belief of young believers.
3. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent  - Who to trust.
   1. 1Timothy 4:10 says: For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 
   • If you do not labour  in God's kingdom then you prove that you are either lost or you do not trust in the living God
   2. Hebrews 4:9-11 says: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
   • According to Hebrews, we enter God's rest  when we stop worrying about our own physical needs and trust God to provide those things while we concentrate on working in God's kingdom.
   • Notice that our reference says For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works.  Until you stop trying to provide for your own physical needs, you have not ceased from your own works. 
   • If you are still worrying about your own physical needs then you do not really trust God to provide them.
   • Notice that our reference says Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.  We must labour to enter into that rest  by finding the promises of God in God's word that God wants to give to us.  Then find and do what God's word says to do in order to receive the promise.  Also, truly Biblically believe that God will keep His promise in His time and in His way.
   • Finally, notice that our reference says lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  When we Claim to trust God but fail to truly trust Him we show others that they can follow our example of unbelief.  We show that people can claim a -head belief- while refusing a -heart belief- because our example shows that God's people do not have to live the faith that they claim.  We must live the faith that we claim and any faith that we can not live we must stop claiming to have it.
   3. Revelation 2:2-5 says: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
   • We must constantly verify that we are sticking to the first works  which is to preach salvation by Jesus Christ alone and teaching spiritual growth by believing and obeying the word of God.  The danger is falling into preaching the religious doctrine which we are taught without verifying that it matches the Bible.
   • Notice that this church had left thy first love.  If we are not still preaching Jesus Christ and Him alone then we probably have left our first love.  We truly prove that we believe on him whom God hath sent  when we obey Him, trust Him to provide our needs, Point others to Him for salvation and all other needs and use the testimony of our personal life to show others how Jesus Christ provides for all of our needs.  If we do not have this type of testimony then we have left our first love  and need to repent.

God believes in 'put up or shut up'.  Back your mouth with your life or stop claiming to be a Christian.  It is better to say nothing than to claim to be a Christian and not live the life.  However, it is best to believe God's promises and let Him change your life to match the claim.  There is nothing wrong with claiming to be newly saved but having God change your life and make you to be like Him.

• Are you involved in supporting missions?
• If not then you will not receive some of the promises until after you become involved on a regular basis.  Why not commit to 1% to 10% of your income to be given above the tithe? Do not give more than 10% to start or the devil will cause you to stumble and fall.
• If you are involved than God wants you to grow your faith by increasing your mission giving by at least 10% of your current giving.  If you-re giving 10% now then that is only an increase of another 1%.
• If you can give more than do so with faith that God will meet your needs and increase your eternal reward.
• Finally, God is looking for spiritually mature people who will give their own selves to the Lord  and go to the mission field as a preacher or as a full-time non-preacher missionary.  Yes, doing that is scary, but the truly brave is not the person without fear but the person who acknowledges their fear and tells God that they will trust God to overcome the fear.  God is looking for those who are already busy in the ministry to become missionaries.  God took Paul and Barnabas because they were the best who were in the church at Antioch.  God wants the best to go to the mission field and God will cause others to grow up spiritually and take over whatever jobs are left open.  So, Are you spiritually mature enough to become a missionary? If not, why don't you ask God to mature you to that point so that He can make you a missionary in the future?

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