Abiding: Jesus, The Most Important Person In The World

Introduction

As we continue Rediscovering the Jesus We Thought We Knew, this week’s topic on Abiding: Jesus, The Most Important Person In The World, Pastor Foo Seng challenges us to reconsider why we come to Jesus.

It is easy for our relationship with God to become centred around what we can receive: peace, purpose, strength, blessings, or solutions to our problems. But Jesus calls us back to the heart of faith: we do not come to Jesus simply for what He gives. We come because of who He is.

Jesus is not merely the giver of bread. He is the Bread of Life.

The question we must ask ourselves is:

Are we seeking Jesus Himself, or only what Jesus can give us?

Key Points

1. Jesus is not just the giver of bread, He is the Bread of Life

When Jesus fed the 5,000, many people followed Him because they wanted more of what He could provide. But Jesus warned them:

“You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
John 6:26

The crowd missed the point. They were focused on the miracle rather than the Messiah.

Pastor Foo Seng reminds us that we can fall into the same trap. We may come to church looking for encouragement, answers, comfort, or blessings, but Jesus is inviting us into something deeper.

Peace, fulfilment, strength and purpose are important, but they are byproducts. The centre of our faith is Jesus Himself.

When Jesus becomes our Bread of Life, He changes our priorities, our desires and the way we see our needs.

2. Finding Jesus changes everything

Pastor Foo Seng shares three examples of people who encountered Jesus and experienced transformation.

The Merchant Who Found The Pearl Of Great Value

Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as a merchant who finds a pearl of great value and sells everything to obtain it.

The merchant recognised that this pearl was worth more than everything else he owned.

In the same way, when we truly discover Jesus, He becomes more precious than anything else. It is not simply adding Jesus into our existing lives. It is a complete change in what we value and prioritise.

Zacchaeus Who Encountered Jesus

Zacchaeus was a tax collector who was rejected by society. Yet when Jesus saw him in the tree, Jesus stopped and said:

“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Luke 19:5

Jesus did not simply see Zacchaeus’ mistakes. He saw him personally.

That encounter transformed Zacchaeus. His relationship with money and possessions changed because he had found something greater than wealth: Jesus Himself.

Jim Elliot Who Gave Everything For Jesus

Jim Elliot, a missionary who gave his life reaching an unreached tribe, once wrote:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

For Jim Elliot, Jesus was worth everything because earthly life is temporary, but what we have in Christ lasts forever.

These examples show that encountering Jesus does not simply improve our lives. It transforms them.

3. Returning Jesus to the centre of our lives

Pastor Foo Seng challenges us to examine whether Jesus has truly remained at the centre.

Sometimes we can become comfortable with church routines, serving, or religious activities while slowly shifting from seeking Jesus Himself to simply seeking what He provides.

The invitation is to acknowledge when our hearts have grown distant and return to Jesus as our true source of life.

Like David prayed:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.”
Psalm 51:10 Pasted text

This transformation cannot come simply through trying harder. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. God does not merely modify our hearts. He creates something new within us.

Conclusion

Jesus is not just someone who gives us bread.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

When He becomes the centre of our lives, our priorities change, our desires change, and our hearts are transformed.

The invitation is simple:

Come to Jesus not only for what He can do, but because He Himself is worth everything.

As Pastor Foo Seng reminds us:

“Jesus is the center. He is the bread. Let’s not look at the byproducts. We are here for Him alone.”

Jesus is the most important person in the world.