Difficult Teachings & Faith

Difficult Teaching of Christ

Jesus had just taught the people that they must eat his flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. This caused His followers to grumble against him. They didn’t like what He said because they didn’t understand what He meant. They were trying to understand a spiritual principle with human or fleshly understanding.

Jesus was not referring to physically eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He was referring to the new covenant He was establishing through the breaking of His flesh and the pouring out of His blood for the remission of sins. This is the new covenant in Christ that brings eternal life.

To the people’s credit, there is no way they could have understood it unless the Holy Spirit revealed it to them. There is no way they could have known that He was going to be crucified for their sins. All they had was what He said and it was too much for them to handle. Jesus even asked “does this make you stumble?”

I believe that this is a pertinent question for us today. Do the teachings of Christ make us stumble because we do not understand the spiritual meaning of the teaching? Or do we understand the teaching and receive it by faith?

Hard teaching of Christ today.

1. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation.

We have been taught that if you want anything then you will need to work hard to get it. This is applicable when it comes to worldly things. In order to pay your bills and buy things that you want, you need to work hard and save your money to acquire things. Though this is becoming less understood in the culture of entitlement that we live in today, but that is a sermon for a different time.

The only way a person can get salvation is if the Lord gives it to you. 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. John 6:44

This is a difficult teaching because we want to have control to earn our salvation. We want to have the ability to do good and live a good life so that God will owe us salvation. It does not work that way. breaking one law disqualifies you.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 4:10

God is always the initiator and giver of salvation.

2. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

Once you receive salvation, you are called to follow Christ. This is is difficult because we have to change the direction of our life. We can no longer travel the path that we want to travel. We must follow the path that Christ has for us. This is not easy because we are comfortable living the way we have always lived and familiar with the ways we have always done things. It was easy because it was about us and what we wanted to do.

Jesus instructs us to deny ourselves. This means that we make a conscious decision to not go our own way, but follow the Spirit’s leading in our life. This is difficult because it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. It is uncomfortable and unfamiliar because it requires faith.

God always calls us beyond our comfort zone so that He can reveal His faithfulness and character to us. It is in this that we grow to know Him and love Him.

To take up your cross means that you crucify the old self. This is a perpetual activity that is life-long. This comes through active repentance. Putting that portion of your flesh in the grave so you can be freed up to walk on the path of righteousness. Their is no sin on the path of Christ!

3. Make Disciples

Jesus calls all believers to make disciples. This is not easy because people are messed up and can be disappointing. We must teach them how to follow Christ. This takes time, commitment, and intentionality. These things are hard to do with everything else that we have to do in our daily lives.

We must learn to do this in our daily lives instead of adding another thing to our daily lives. For example, use the sphere of influence God has you in now to make disciples. It can be with family members, friends, colleagues, and even enemies.

The Spirit Makes Known The Teachings of Christ

Jesus told the followers that words He had spoken were spiritual and life. They were receiving the words in the flesh. They could not understand because the Spirit did not let them understand.

These were people that were not going to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. They wanted to trust Jesus Christ for His sustenance. They were not willing to submit to His Lordship, but they wanted His blessings.

That is why the scripture said that He knew from the beginning those who would not believe in Him and the one that would betray Him. The Spirit only reveals the things of God to those who trust in Jesus as their Savior.

10 [d]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [e]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 But [f]a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually [g]appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:10-16

Since the Word of God is inspired by Him, His thoughts are found in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit enables us to know the thoughts of God through the scriptures. He reveals both meaning and application.

God makes know His thoughts through the Holy Spirit for the purpose of fulfilling His will. God’s purpose for our life is found in the revelation of scriptures through revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Give rich young ruler example in my life.

The Holy Spirit will guide you in your life so you can understand and receive the teachings of Christ so you can follow Him.

Jesus True Disciples Followed Him to the End

Jesus asked the 12 disciples if they wanted to leave like the rest of the people after Jesus tough teaching. They were not leaving because they had submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus. Peter even said that Jesus has the words of Eternal life and that He was the Son of God.

Jesus reminded Peter that He chose him. That he was following because Jesus called Him to follow Him. Though Peter would deny Jesus 3 times, he would ultimately lose his life for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew who his true disciples were and those who were not. He knew that Judas would betray him in the end.

True disciples follow Jesus their whole lives.

When a person is genuinely saved they will follow Jesus until the day they die. This is because they follow him all their days. They also make other disciples during their life.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit [c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [d]prove to be My disciples. John 15:4-8

A true disciple abides in Christ.

A true disciple bears much fruit.

A true Disciple has the Word of God abiding in them.

A true disciple has an effective prayer life.

A true disciple brings glory to God