Alliance Christian Church
November 30 2025

      • 2 Corinthians 9:7GS-NETBIBLE

      • 1 John 4:7–12NIRV

  • Glorious Day
  • Alive, Alive
  • Blessed Jesus

  • All Our Needs

    Introduction
    Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs
    Transition
    Seven’s Sermon Series
    Roadmap
    Big Idea: Jesus meets all of our needs
    Point
    Statement
    State the idea simply in one sentence
    Explanation
    John 6 - Jesus had just finished feeding 5,000 people.
    John 6:25–35 NIV
    When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 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.” 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.
    And then, in the very next chapter as Jesus is talking to a crowd of people he says
    John 7:37–38 NIV
    On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
    And then again in chapter 8, verse 12, he says
    John 8:12 NIV
    When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
    That second one, technically isn’t an “I AM” statement, but it’s situated right in between the other two, where Jesus says “I AM” the bread of Life “I AM” The light of the world.
    The most basic needs that we have. Bread. Water. Light to see and make our way around.
    These are things that belong on the very bottom of that pyramid. Basic universal needs that each and every one of us needs, and Jesus says “I AM” the bread I AM the light.
    Come to me and you will never be hungry, never be thirsty, never walk in darkness.
    And the idea here, the thing he says to the crowd after the feeding of the 5,000 is that you all came to me because you ate your fill. You had your bellies full.
    But what you really need is to work for food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you.
    Jesus says to them I AM the most basic need that you ought to seek after.
    And again, he says this right after feeding 5,000 people, literally feeding them with a few loaves of bread and some fish.
    You ever think about the fact that those were the two foods he used? You know why? Bread is and always has been the cheapest, most readily available food source in all the world. And fish… he was preaching in a fishing town. So fish was the most abundant source of protein for the people around him.
    In other words, jesus used an object lesson for the people, by multiplying the staple foods of their region.
    I imagine if he would have performed that miracle in Nebraska it would have been beef and corn.
    Because he wanted them to see that he is even more important than our base level needs.
    Illustration
    Because one of the easiest traps that the enemy can play is to take away our most basic needs, in the hope that we will stop seeking after God.
    If I can make you hungry enough, If I can make you thirsty enough, you’ll stop seeking after God
    That’s what he tried to to do Jesus in the Desert
    He took Jesus out in the Desert, and waited until he was starved half to death, and then tempted him.
    Just deny God.
    Just bow down to me.
    Just go ahead and turn these stones into bread. Take your eyes off of the mission that Your Father sent you on.
    You know you want to.
    That’s what he tried to do to Paul in Prison
    In Philippians, the church in Philippi were so worried about the apostle Paul, because he wasn’t getting fed well, he wasn’t being taken care of in prison, and Paul says in chapter 4
    Philippians 4:11–13 NIV
    I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
    Paul says, I’m content. It doesn’t matter how much they try to starve me here in this prison. Because I have food that lasts for eternity. I have Jesus, the bread of life.
    Application
    I think this is extremely important in our time and place right now.
    We’re going through a season where basic needs like food are getting harder and harder for some people to come by.
    And these things come in cycles, and at some point things will level out, but right now people are going to the grocery store and seeing the price of things, and it’s getting challenging.
    We as the church have two very important roles here.
    1) we ought to recognize that there are a lot of people out there who aren’t having those base-level needs met.
    Maybe even here in our own church.
    And the example we see in scripture, and indeed throughout the entire history of the Christian Church is that the family of believers came together to make sure those basic needs were met.
    If you’re struggling, or you have family who’s struggling, That’s what the church is supposed to be here for.
    2) But then the other thing we as the church ought to be doing is once those bellies are full..again just like jesus did, he filled their bellies, and then, when they had had their base-level needs met…we point them to what is truly important.
    We point people to the idea that Even more important than bread in your belly is the bread that lasts forever.
    Even more important than making sure the lights stay on in your home is Jesus, the light of the world.
    Because Jesus is our Base level need.
    Transition
    But as we go through Jesus’ I AM statements, we find that it’s not just the bottom of the pyramid.
    That next level up, once our base level needs are met, Maslow’s pyramid says then people seek after things like safety, security, stability.
    We want to make sure we have shelter, we want to make sure we are protected from the threats and dangers outside our homes.
    Point
    Statement
    State the idea simply in one sentence
    Explanation
    Explain what you mean
    John 10:1–10 NIV
    “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
    And then he says in verse 11, that he’s not only the gate through which the sheep enter, but he says
    John 10:11 NIV
    “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
    And again, in verse 14, he says
    John 10:14–16 NIV
    “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
    Argumentation
    The Pharisees had been providing the people of the day with a False sense of spiritual security.
    It’s no coincidence that these I AM statements come right after Jesus had healed a man born blind.
    And the Pharisees were upset, because he did it on the sabbath.
    Illustration
    One of the ways that the Pharisees were trying to give the people a false sense of security was by building extra laws on top of the Bible.
    The idea basically went something like this
    God called the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, and he says to them
    Exodus 19:4–5 NIV
    ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
    God says I want to make you my people. I want to have this special relationship with you.
    And God gives them the law, almost as a training aid, to teach and guide them toward what it looks like to be God’s people.
    The Jewish people in the Old Testament were really really bad at obeying God
    Every time they turned around their hearts were not with God, and they were breaking the law.
    And so the Pharisees had this idea, what if we took God’s laws and made them even MORE strict.
    Then, if we raise the standard, if we make the law even more strict, then there’s no way that people can break God’s law.
    It would be like if the speed limit was 55 mph on the highway, but the Nebraska State patrol decided that they were going to give out tickets for anyone going faster than 45.
    For example, one of the things that was really common, in the Ten Commandments God says ‘You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain’
    And so they thought to themselves “you know, what if we just made it illegal to say God’s name at all.” If nobody says God’s name ever, then it’ll be impossible for them to break the law about taking god’s name in vain. Brilliant.
    That’s a lot of why they had a problem with Jesus, because he was going around on the sabbath, healing people
    And he wasn’t breaking the Law’s in the Bible
    He was just breaking their skewed extra strict version of the law.
    Application
    And so in John chapter 10, jesus says to them,
    I know you think you’re acting like shepherds, I know you think you’re the way to righteousness, but what you really are doing is dangerous to the flock.
    You’re acting like a thief who comes to steal kill and destroy.
    Jesus says if you want true security, true spiritual safety, you need me.
    He says I am the good shepherd, I am the the gate through which you enter to get to the father.
    And yet, because of our need for security, we have some of the same fears that the people the Pharisees preyed upon had
    What if I’m not obedient enough
    What if I stumbled too far away from God, what if I didn’t repent enough.
    What if I’m not loyal enough to Jesus
    I hear a lot, you know there’s that verse in Matthew 12 where Jesus says if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit you won’t be forgiven, and people say
    Well what if I accidentally did that? Did I blaspheme the spirit?
    and then what do we do? We start being drawn toward the exact kind of people the Pharisees were
    People who will tell you, hey, if you follow this exact doctrine, then you’ll have assurance of your salvation
    If you fast this way, if you keep the sabbath. There are Christians today who insist that you need to keep the sabbath…the exact thing that the Pharisees were throwing people out for not doing.
    If you don’t say exactly the right thing, or think exactly the right thing, or do exactly the right thing…
    Listen, we are sheep. Jesus is the shepherd
    It’s not on accident that Jesus uses this metaphor.
    Sheep are not smart. Sheep are not expected to know much.
    Sheep are expected to do what? Trust their shepherd.
    Follow their shepherd.
    One of the things I will tell people who are worried about this, they’ll be like look I was baptized, I put my faith in Christ, I trust him as my savior, I put my faith in him as my Lord. But I just think that maybe I’m not saved, because I did this thing. I sinned and don’t feel like I repented good enough. I said this thing, I had this thought, and now I think I’m not saved.
    I’ll say “do you love Jesus?” And they’ll Always say of course I do.
    Ok, do you trust Jesus? And they’ll say of course I trust him.
    I’ll say “are you trying to follow Jesus” and they’ll say well I don’t think I’m doing a great job at it. And I’m like, no, not are you being perfect. Are you following Jesus as well as a dumb sheep follows a shepherd? That’s a pretty low bar to set. Well yeah.
    Then stop it.
    Your salvation, your security is not based on you. If it were, then we’d all be doomed. Your security in Christ rests entirely on the shepherd. If the shepherd has your heart, if you follow their shepherd, if you enter through the gate and rest in Him, then he is your safety and security.
    Transition
    Jesus meets our basic needs, he is the bread, he is hte light
    Jesus meets our secondary needs for safety and security, and stability, he is the gate, he is the shepherd we follow.
    And in the next statement Jesus makes, he tells us that he meets our more advanced needs.
    Point
    Statement
    State the idea simply in one sentence
    Explanation
    in John chapter 11, Jesus goes down to Bethany, because he gets word that his best friend Lazarus is dead.
    John 11:17–24 NIV
    On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
    Argumentation
    As we make our way up the pyramid of needs, we start seeking after the long-term needs we have. Planning for the future. Thinking about our purpose, thinking about where we fit in the bigger scheme of things.
    And while Jesus is talking to Martha, she’s placing her hope in the fact that some day, in the future, in the last day, that Lazarus will in fact rise again.
    This is not a bad thing for her to place her hope in.
    Because God had promised, in Daniel 12,
    Daniel 12:1–2 NIV
    “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
    And so Martha, being very faithful to God, is placing her hope in the future promises of God. One day, Lazarus will rise again in the last day.
    But Jesus says to her
    John 11:25 NIV
    Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
    Illustration
    I think we sometimes get this idea that the sole purpose of Believing in Jesus is simply so that we can go to heaven when we die.
    That the sole purpose of believing in Jesus is so that when he comes back, we can be a part of his new creation, the new heavens and the new earth, so that we can live in the presence of god forever.
    I would argue, that if you are walking around with the idea that your faith is only for the purpose of receiving the promises that God has waiting for you in the future, you’re sorely mistaken.
    Don’t get me wrong, those are absolutely things that God promises, but to put all of your energy into that idea and that alone is extremely misguided.
    Jesus offers us the opportunity to live a resurrected life right now.
    Like, there will be a future literal bodily resurrection, in the future, there will be eternal life in the future for the faithful in Christ, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t start living a resurrected transformed life right now.
    In Acts 1, Jesus gave his disciples instructions, after he rose from the dead, he told them to be his witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
    And then he ascended up into heaven
    And it says
    Acts 1:10–11 NIV
    They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
    And then what happened is that a group off about 120 people received the Holy Spirit, and went out into the world, and proclaimed the good news of Jesus to the entire world.
    They didn’t stand around with their heads in the clouds, just sitting on their hands waiting for Jesus to return, they set out to build God’s kingdom here on earth.
    120 people on day one.
    By the end of the day there were over 3,000 followers of Jesus.
    It’s estimated that by the end of the first century there were about 40 churches in the ancient world.
    And it’s estimated that by the year 250 there were 7.5 million Christian’s in the world.
    Application
    Why? Because the early church took that teaching of Jesus: When Martha was focused on the promise yet to come,and Jesus said, no the promise to live a resurrected life is here, I am the resurrection
    We can’t walk around with our heads in the clouds, and only focus on the future promises.
    The example we see of those early disciples was that they kept their eye on the horizon, yes, and they had hope in the future promises, but at the same time they were living resurrected lives in Christ right now.
    They preached the gospel, they studied the word, they fed the hungry, they built churches.
    They changed the world.
    Transition
    They went out and they changed the world with one message.
    The same message Jesus gave to his disciples in John chapters 14-17,
    Conclusion
    As Jesus is telling his disciples what has to happen, that he has to be crucified, that he’s going back to the father.
    John 14:5–6 NIV
    Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
    And he tells them in chapter 15
    John 15:1–5 NIV
    “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
    You see Jesus had been telling people the entire time
    I am the bread, and I am the light. I am your basic needs
    I am the shepherd, I am the gate, I am your needs for safety, and security.
    I am the resurrection and the life: I am your hope I am your future, I am your needs for peace, and hope, that you can live a resurrected life now.
    And then he tells his disciples: I am the Way, the Truth and the LIfe. The only way to God is through me.
    I am the vine, remain in me and you’ll remain in God.
    Without Jesus we have nothing.
    Without Jesus we can do nothing.
    Now Maslow, the guy who came up with this pyramid, was an atheist. And so he put at the top of the pyramid, things like “self potential, self actualization”
    And I think most people would recognize that what really belongs at the top of the pyramid is a relationship with God.
    Even non Christians, people who don’t believe in Jesus, but are open to the idea of God, most of people recognize that the top of the pyramid is something to Do with a higher power.
    And Jesus makes it clear here, the He is the top of the pyramid.
    He is the way, truth, and the life. He is the vine that we need to be grafted into in order to have any chance at a relationship with the Father.
    I think the most dangerous words that we can say are “Jesus and.”
    The Judiazers in the book of Galatians were convinced that in order to be right with God you needed Jesus and circumcision.
    In the 1500’s before the Protestant reformation, there was this idea that you needed “Jesus and the sacraments.” Jesus and indulgences to the church.
    And even as the Protestant reformation happened, and people started wanting to get back to the Bible, there was this idea you needed.
    Jesus and a specific deomination,
    Or Jesus and this specific confession or creed.
    Jesus and this particular doctrine. Jesus AND this particular tradition.
    There is no such thing as Jesus and, there is only Jesus.
    He is the way, he is the truth, he is life.. He is the vine.
    He’s the bread, the light, the gate, the shepherd, the resurrection.
    He is not just some of our needs.
    He is all of our needs.

      • John 6:25–35NIV2011

      • John 7:37–38NIV2011

      • John 8:12NIV2011

      • Philippians 4:11–13NIV2011

      • John 10:1–10NIV2011

      • John 10:11NIV2011

      • John 10:14–16NIV2011

      • Exodus 19:4–5NIV2011

      • John 11:17–24NIV2011

      • Daniel 12:1–2NIV2011

      • John 11:25NIV2011

      • Acts 1:10–11NIV2011

      • John 14:5–6NIV2011

      • John 15:1–5NIV2011

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Alliance Christian Church
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https://www.alliancechristian.church
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