2.6.11 2.11.2018 John 6.41-69 Leaving Jesus

Leaving

▾ Start:

Entice: Why do people leave the Church? In an unscientific review of what I’ve seen and heard in the past I come up with several categories...

▾ Entice: Why do people leave the Church?

Faith & Practice

• Faith & Practice?

Superiority/Inferiority Complex

• Superiority/Inferiority Complex?

Fatigue & disillusionment

• Fatigue & disillusionment?

Engage: Most who leave the Church would not think that they are leaving Jesus. The question, though is not not what you or I think….

• Engage: Most who leave the Church would not think that they are leaving Jesus. The question, though is not not what you or I think….

What does Jesus think?

• What does Jesus think?

Expand: Jesus teaches & leads right to the brink. He does not sell one kind of discipleship and deliver another. Even here in He makes the stakes very clear.

Expand: Jesus teaches & leads right to the brink. He does not sell one kind of discipleship and deliver another. Even here in He makes the stakes

very clear.

Our decision to stay with Him or to leave Him is a life/death decision.

▾Our decision to stay with Him or to leave Him is a life/death decision.

So it is much easier to make excuses about the Church…

▾ So it is much easier to make excuses about the Church…

"I don't like how they do fill in the blank".

• "I don't like how they do X".

"They just make me feel bad" Or "I'm better than that."

• "They just make me feel bad" Or "I'm better than that."

"I'm. Too. Tired."

• "I'm. Too. Tired."

Excite: I'm not equating "leaving the Church" 100% with leaving Jesus. But let me ask you this…

▾ Excite: I'm not equating "leaving the Church" 100% with leaving Jesus. But let me ask you this…

Once You get into the business of quitting….

• Once You get into the business of quitting….where do you quit?

Where do you quit quitting?

Why would anyone leave Jesus?

• Explore: Why would anyone leave Jesus.

Explain: There are may reasons to leave Jesus, and just one to stay. Let's compare and contrast them.

• Explain: here are may reasons to leave Jesus, and just one to stay. Let's compare and contrast them.

▾ Body of Sermon

1 There are Many Reasons to Leave.

▾ 1 There are Many Reasons to Leave.

1.1 Familiarity Breeds Contempt.

▾ 1.1 Familiarity Breeds Contempt. 41-47

John 6:41–47 ESV

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

John 6.41-47

1.1.1 They thought they knew Him… but appearances can be deceiving!

• 1.1.1 Appearances can be deceiving!

1.1.2 Sometimes we listen but we do not hear. We complain without consideration, we decide without discrimination.

• 1.1.2 Sometimes we listen but we do not hear.

1.2 We don't Like the Answers.

▾ 1.2 We don't Like the Answers. 48-59

John 6:48–59 ESV

48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

John 6.48-59

1.2.1 Too much information. (Manna, Moses and heritages of faith)

• 1.2.1 Too much information.

1.2.2 We miss the obvious.

• 1.2.2 We miss the obvious.

1.2.3 We like to keep our distance. (Impersonal, in our control)

• 1.2.3 We like to keep our distance. (Impersonal, in our control)

1.3 It is Hard.

▾ 1.3 It is Hard. 60-66

John 6:60–66 ESV

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

John 6.60-66

• 1.3.1 G.K. Chesterton…“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” G.K. Chesterton

• 1.3.2 The issue is not information…but submission, not understanding, but obedience.

1.3.2 The issue is not information…but submission, not understanding, but obedience.

1.3.2 The issue is not information…but submission, not understanding, but obedience.

▾ 2 There is one Reason to Stay.

2 There is one Reason to Stay.

John 6:66–69 ESV

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life

John 6:66–69 ESV

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life

▸ 2.1 Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life

Jesus is not afraid to look into our hearts and to ask us a single, essential question. A question that should make our ears tingle and our hearts tremble.

1 Jesus is not afraid to look into our hearts and to ask us a single, essential question. A question that should make our ears tingle and our heart tremble.

"Are you leaving too?”

• 1 Jesus is not afraid to look into our hearts and to ask us a single, essential question. A question that should make our ears tingle and our heart tremble.

"Are you leaving too?!?"

Every Single one of us, regardless of our tenure has at one time or another looked for a reason, an excuse to bail on Jesus.

• 2 Every Single one of us, regardless of our tenure has at one time or another looked for a reason, an excuse to bail on Jesus.

So, we answer the question by living lives of growing faith, deepening understanding, and clear confession.

• 3 We answer the question by living lives of growing faith, deepening understanding, and clear confession.

• 2.2 "Staying" with Jesus means hearing and obeying His words…and receiving eternal life.

"Staying" with Jesus means hearing and obeying His words…and receiving eternal life.

▾ Shut Down: People Leave Jesus…

Shut Down: People Leave Jesus.

“Why would anyone leave Jesus?” Because they forgot why they came in the first place.

“Why would anyone leave Jesus?” Because they forgot why they came in the first place.

“Why would anyone leave Jesus?”

would anyone leave Jesus?” Because they forgot why they came in the first place.

Because we underestimate our need and overestimate our abilities.

• Because the underestimate their need and overestimate their abilities.

Because we underestimate our need and overestimate our abilities.

• Life is not easy, it is seldom obvious, and what seems familiar…or who…often, is not.

Because Life is not easy, it is seldom obvious, and what seems familiar…or who…often, is not.

Because they forgot why they came in the first place.

Mainly people leave Jesus...

Because they forgot why they came in the first place.