Are You Going to Leave Too?

Intro

Say something crazy and ask people if they would still follow me?

We need to kill all the crows and feast on their meat! Only then can we see God the father more clearly!

Crows = Sin

meat = staying in sin even if it is take care of

seeing the father clearly = you can’t focus on God when there are rotten bird laying around. We are responsible for our own repentance.

AT first sight i sounded crazy!

Main Point

Am I in even if things are hard or I don’t like what I hear? Will I try to understand?

Why it Matters

There are hard truths found in scripture.

Scripture

John 6:60–71 NIV

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

60 - This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?

What teaching? Eat Flesh and drink blood. You have to eat and rink Jesus to live.

61 - Jesus knew they were upset and confused. He asked if they were.

62 - What if you saw me ascend or go to heaven?

63 - Life is through the spirit not the body. These word are the spirit.

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

All so-called followers of Jesus are not true disciples. Many who are called “disciples” cannot tolerate what they consider to be the teaching of cannibalism. Jesus tried to help them understand that a wooden, literal interpretation of his words about flesh and blood would not lead them to the truth. It is the Holy Spirit who explains the spiritual meaning of his words.

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

personal commitment comes through spiritual truth

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

all “believers” are not believers. The issue in biblical Christianity is regeneration—heart change produced by the Holy Spirit—not labels, not affiliations, not personal claims, not religious acts or pilgrimages, and certainly not the keeping of religious laws.

It is not what you do that saves you!

64 - But you still don’t believe me. He knew who they were.

65 - Only the Father can allow you to come to Jesus. It is through God’s will.

66 - A lot of his followers bailed on him. How encouraging is that? hard teaching makes people flee.

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

How does one participate in this heavenly bread? How does one come to the Bread of Life in order to receive eternal life? Only because the Father makes it possible.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

67 - He asked the 12 if they wanted to leave.

68 - Peter, of course answered first, “and go where? you have the spirit.”

69 - We know who you are!

70 - I picked each one of you myself. And one of you is evil.

71 - Judas was going to betray him.

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

Personal commitment comes through individual choice

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

Then Jesus singled out the betrayer and calls him a diabolos, the actual word used for Satan in other places in Scripture. Judas surely knew his own heart, but he said nothing when Peter affirmed a collective faith in verse 69.

Application

What are we going to do.

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

Like the words of Jesus, the words of Scripture are life because they point to the source of eternal life, the death of Christ

John F. Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

Lord, to whom shall we go? To whom indeed. To the multiple bizarre cults all around us today? To the false religions of the world? To the secular ideology of a barbarian and materialistic society? To a careless indifference which postpones eternal questions of eternal life until some more convenient time? To the sickening sadism and sex of a hedonistic society gone mad? Bad choices all. Even in times of our own spiritual weakness, the options are futile. We must stand with Peter and against the crowds that wander off from the message of the cross. Jesus is the only way to the Father and the only source of life.

John VII. Teaching Outline

Faith Is Personal Commitment (6:60–71)

a. Personal commitment comes through spiritual truth (6:60–63)

b. Personal commitment comes through heavenly enabling (6:64–66)

c. Personal commitment comes through individual choice (6:67–71)

Closing