Off with Republican Eddie respond any following a weekend primary battle that President Trump got involved in the president fully endorse responding after the win tweeting Congratulations to the great state of Louisiana a big night you will soon have a new in a wonderful governor and he responded your taxes and car insurance payments will go down at his victory party respond he said the president will continue to play a big role in his campaign even a great like race because I began to support. Governor Edwards also campaigned on his cooperation with the president and touted his conservative record in the state says Garrett 10 a joining a rally Friday the president urged voters to vote Republican in Saturday's primary things are still falling from a partially collapsed building in New Orleans 2 people were killed yesterday when a large section of the Hard Rock Hotel gave way the building is under construction and was scheduled to open in the spring time one person is missing a tough task for crews off the coast of Georgia piece by piece that's how marine salvage experts say they'll remove an overturned cargo ship close to Georgia's the sea coast experts saying the 656 foot golden ray cannot be safely righted and refloated intact that ship overturned back on September 8th near the port of Brunswick 4 crew men trapped in the ship or eventually rescued the Coast Guard saying it would take weeks if not months quote unquote to remove the golden ray Paul Stevens Fox News another day of protest in Hong Kong where small groups of demonstrators wearing black clashed with police in riot gear scores of arrests were made I'm camping is functioning. message for today Christ the bread from heaven the scripture for our sermon is found in Matthew 14 versus 14 through 21 and Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them and he healed their sick and when it was evening his disciples came to him saying this is a desert place and the time has now passed send the multitude away that they may go into the villages and buy themselves vittles but Jesus said to them they need not depart give ye them to eat and they say to him we have here but 5 loaves and 2 fishes he said bring them to me and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and took the 5 loaves and the 2 fishes and looking up to heaven he blessed and brake and gave the loaves to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude and they did all eat and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained 12 basketsful. And they that had eaten were about 5000 men beside women and children this account is found in all 4 gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John Let us therefore give it our utmost attention praying that God would give us the bread of life there are at least 3 lessons we must not miss from the scripture 1st Jesus Christ is God He created all things out of nothing by his word now he creates food for 5000 men plus women and children . Second Jesus Christ is the bread from heaven as God gave man it to Israel in the wilderness so God gave Christ to His people in the wilderness of this world and 3rd as we must eat with our mouth to live and for satisfaction so we must believe Christ to live in our souls and to find complete satisfaction in our conscience and delight in our God and Savior in Matthew 1414 Jesus was moved with compassion toward the multitude because they were as sheep not having a shepherd and he began to teach them many things we only live by faith on the Son of God himself who he is what he has done to save his people from their sins man by sending earned death Christ by dying in obedience to God earned eternal life for his people his sheep the disciples of John the Baptist had just reported to Jesus that Herod beheaded John in prison the cruelty of Herod against John is therefore fresh in our minds as we read Matthew's gospel just as it would have been in the minds of Jesus's disciples. And Matthew chapters 111213 now here in chapter 14 we see religious pretenders together with civil rulers persecuting Christ and His people God has chosen the spiritually poor in this world to be rich in faith James to verse 5 but all who are rich in their self-righteousness persecute the poor in spirit who have nothing but what they have in Christ now it is against this dark backdrop that we come to Matthew 14 and what do we see we see Jesus in the desert with his disciples a multitude of people have come to him easily more than 10000 here scripture records the heart of our Savior he has compassion on them because they are as sheep without a shepherd What does he do he begins to teach them he feeds them with the truth of God concerning himself what is the truth that poor centers must have to live before God what gives and maintains a spiritual life in the soul of man it is the bread of life the Lord Jesus Christ crucified to save his people and glorify God by standing in the place of his people by burying their sins in His own body by suffering all of the consequences of those sins in himself guilt fear shame and punishment he saved his people from their sins he reconciled them to God He freed them from sin and its consequences. The bread of life is Jesus Christ giving himself to God in the place of his people with their sins under God's law and feeling in himself the effects of all their sins that were made his and bearing the full punishment for those sins under the law of God This is the context for this miracle if we only see Jesus making food for $5000.00 men with the women and children then we will only see a miracle with physical and temporal proportions but in John 6 Jesus makes it clear that he is the bread that came down from Heaven His father has given him as the bread of life and he gives himself to his people he is the Bread of Life in at least 2 ways 1st because he gave himself for his people in answer to God for their sins and for their righteousness and 2nd because he gives himself to his people by his spirit he gives them faith to see him taking away their sins and the wrath of God and fulfilling all for them there is no life but in Christ and there is no satisfaction to a hungry thirsty center but Christ crucified risen and reigning He is our master in breaking to small fish and 5 loaves to feed this multitude he shows himself to be the life and satisfaction and the delight to sinners who have been starved by their sin from knowing and communing with God himself now in light of this let us examine each verse in this text of Scripture and verse 14 it says that Jesus saw the multitude. When I visit asked his father my father where is the lamb for the burnt offering Haber ham told him my son God will provide himself a lamb God will provide or Jova Gyra God will see to it Genesis 2214. Here Jesus provides for the multitude this is ever the way it is he created all things by his word he up holds all things by His Word He is the one who saw the multitude and their need he anticipated their need and he met their need he is Joe whole the Jara the Lord will provide himself a lamb Christ gave Himself for their life and in verse 14 we see that he had compassion on them. We don't know what God is like until he makes himself known Christ makes God known here he has compassion on the multitude against the backdrop of the hatred and pride of the scribes and Pharisees as they treated people as pawns in their game of man made religious rules we have here the heart of God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus told Philip and Thomas if you have seen me you have seen the Father Jesus Christ is the brightness of God's glory what is the brightness of God's glory it is Jesus Christ taking the sins of his people suffering under those sins as his own and bearing the full curse of God's law even the sense of God forsaken him in his soul to bring us to God. How can you know compassion and kindness and love look at Christ see how he sees the misery of ruined centers see how he gives himself in their place bearing their obligations before God it his body and soul we know God by what Christ did to save his people from their sins he please The Father and his father's will was in his heart he fulfilled it he had magnified his Father's glory by saving his people guilty condemned and helpless centers what is God like look at Christ you can only know God in him and you can only know him by how he saves his people from their sins isn't that his name doesn't his name tell us all that he is Jesus he shall save his people from their sins Joho is salvation that is who he is and then it verse 15 the disciples think to send the multitude away the disciples exhibit the wisdom of men here they see thousands of hungry people in the desert they have nothing of significance to feed them so they reason within themselves send them away to buy food and find lodging this is the desert there are many we have nothing in comparison to their need sadly and believe concede no further than man's wisdom and strength and goodness only faith sees every need in light of Christ's all sufficiency let this ever be our banner the grace of God in Christ is all sufficient for every need. His throne is a throne of grace Hebrews for verse 15 to 16 his riches are the riches of glory His mercy to his people is everlasting go to Jesus tell him to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and then in verse 16 the disciples told Jesus to send the multitude away but Jesus said they need not depart. Christ is the Bread of Life never send a hungry center away from him the fullness of the Godhead wells in him bodily what need can a sinner have that is not fully met in Christ there is no barrier in his people that God has not removed in the person and work of his son therefore Jesus told His disciples they need not depart What encouragement this is to one who has nothing to bring to God in himself water supply is here given by the master himself did he not say Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and did he not say he satisfy a thought a longing soul and fill of the hungry soul with goodness Psalm 107 verse 9 to go beyond Christ is to transgress to look for anything more than Christ and Him crucified as everything in my salvation is to frustrate the grace of God it is to make Christ's death unnecessary and of no value it is anti christ religion 2nd John chapter one verse 9 through 11 says Whosoever transgressive and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the son therefore there is only one place for sinners to go for salvation it is the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus said He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out to confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is to confess that he is God because he came and man because he came in the flesh and that he accomplished all the will of God to save his people from their sins because that's the purpose for his coming. The Eternal Word of God came from heaven he was born of a woman he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh yet he is God with us Matthew 123 Jesus Christ said of himself I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the ending say it the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the all mighty Revelation Chapter one verses $811.18 there can be no denying that Scripture declares Christ to be God Almighty God with us God over all bless it forever therefore they need not depart centers cannot look upon God at Mount Sinai God said that if so much as a beast touch the mount it shall be stone or thrust through with a dart but here the Son of God Himself tells his disciples that sinners need not depart do you know why these people came to Jesus in such great multitude. Because Christ made himself their salvation he met their every physical and spiritual need he is full of compassion and he is mighty to save Isaiah $63.00 Verse one. The desirables were ready to send them away their resources were exhausted but where human strength ends the grace of Christ began Romans 56 says it when we were yet without strength Christ died for the ungodly God's love is seen in giving his son up to death to reconcile his enemies and make them his sons Romans 5 verse 10 and then in verse 17 of Matthew 14 the disciples said we have here but 5 loaves and 2 fishes and Jesus said bring them to me the people were sheep and his eyes he set them down in the green grass as in a pasture Christ is The Good Shepherd he feeds his sheep How does he feed them he laid down His life for them seeing Christ and trust in Him they live and are satisfied just as our bodies live and find satisfaction by eating food our souls live and are satisfied even delighted in believing Christ Jesus said bring them to me he asked his disciples what they had they told him 5 loaves and 2 small fish they brought it to him they gave it to him he blessed it and break it and then he gave it to the disciples to give to the people. What do we learn from all of this that we must bring Christ all that he has given us he has given you the gospel of his saving grace he has given you faith to believe him bring that to him it is all you have plead his obedience his sufferings his faithfulness his righteousness His mercy and His promises plead his grace as all you have and acknowledge your insufficiency all I have is Christ I am a great sinner and nothing at all and my knowledge and my faith is insufficient it is Christ that is all all I am and all I have is insufficient to do one thing for the good of men's souls and the glory of God he must do as he will with me and all that he has given to me my life is in his hands his grace alone is sufficient to save and bless centers and then we learn to give back to Christ what he has given us it is your reasonable service only if He multiplies the Gospel that he has made yours by God given faith will that gospel bear fruit in the lives of others the Gospel faith prayer the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ justification by his righteousness these are the things he has given you if you are a believer his work in himself to save sinners is your testimony to men of your salvation. And then we learn to distribute all that he gives back to us if you live on Christ by faith and give what he gives you to centers praying that he bless the work of his hands it is more blasted to give than to receive our Lord said and Solomon said who am I and what is my people that we should be able to operate so willingly after this sort or all things come of the and a vine own have we given the 2nd Chronicles 2914 Next we read in Matthew 14 verse 19 that Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed and brake the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before them and the 2 fishes he divided among them all take careful note what Jesus does here he is about to feed this great multitude he has 5 loaves and 2 small fish oddly enough for a boy's lunch but he is the Lord from heaven he is about to create food for the people and see what he does 1st he looked up to heaven why did he do this because he is giving thanks to his father what is he thanking him for he is thanking him that he has provided this food he is thanking him that he hears him but understand the significance of this action Jesus will soon give himself as the bread of life to his people his body will be broken his soul will be made an offering for sin he will bear the sins of his people in his own body on the tree he will feel the weight of those sins in himself he will own them as his sins before God in Psalm 40 verse 12 he says mine in equities. And he will answer God's justice and author of God's law under those sands in the place and on the behalf of his people this is what the bread of life is Jesus said the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world John 6 1st 51 Jesus himself explains the significance of the bread he broke and this miracle the bread represents him broken to make propitiation for the sins of his people he gives his life he says in John 651 I will give my flesh all for whom he gives himself live he said I will give my flesh for the life of the world if he gave his flesh for their life they will be given life by that offering. Now he lifts up his eyes to heaven and he thanks his father for providing him that he could give his life for the life of all that The Father gave to him all who live are all those given to him by his father Those are the ones for whom he gave himself isn't this what John 651 says I will give my flesh for the life of the world he cannot fail he is the Son of God Jesus did not give his life for nothing he did not bear one cent for one center who was not eternally saved and brought to glory all for whom he died live to God Is this not the argument of Romans 8 1st 34 were it says Who is he that condemned of the answer is given it is Christ that died if Christ died for you you cannot be condemned Thus when Jesus looked up to heaven he thanked his father that he could offer himself in the place of his people and give himself on their behalf for their life he is that bread of life is that is he blessed and broke the loaves. Jesus our High Priest and mediator blesses his own substitutionary life and death to the salvation of his people what he accomplished for them he gives to them what he gives to them he earned for them in John 17 to Jesus prayed concerning himself to his father as thou has given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him do you adoringly wonder at the Lord Jesus Christ for this 1st he thanks his father that he can give himself for his people next he blesses his accomplishments to them by giving them eternal life the people are sitting on the grass Jesus gave His life for the sheep he feeds the sheep he keeps the sheep all whom the Father gave to him he saves why did this multitude come to the desert why were they drawn to him because they were drawn by the father to Christ in the wilderness of this world Christ feeds his sheep giving them life and faith in the work he finished in himself for their salvation to the glory of God and then it says that the people all did eat and were filled Christ is all he is all to his people he is our life the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily cautions to 1st 9 through 10 and we are complete in em. He satisfies the longing soul if God has given his son if he has delivered him up for us then he will give us all things with him Romans 832 says he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things therefore if Christ died for you God will give you eternal glory with Christ you will be filled with Christ and having Christ you have all things but if you gain everything without Christ you have nothing before God Next we see in verse 19 that he gave the loaves to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude God has ordained that through the foolishness of preaching he will save sinners 1st Corinthians $121.00 remember Romans 10 were 17 how does faith come faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and how does hearing come from his 1014 says how shall they hear without a preacher Jesus gave the loaves to his disciples so that they could give it to the people Christ gives the gospel to his preachers they preach Him He blesses that word to the hearts of chosen redeemed centers this is how God always saves his people it is by hearing of Christ crucified in the Gospel Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel of Christ in Acts 13 it says when the Gentiles heard they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life. The gospel is preached all who are ordained to eternal life hear it and believe Christ this is God's work he blesses Christ to His people through gospel preaching and when he does they are