Not Everyone Will Walk Away
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Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Introduction:
When John chapter 6 opens, Jesus has over 5,000 people following Him and listening to Him speak.
When this chapter closes, He only has 12 men with Him and one of them is not even saved.
If Jesus is doing anything in these verses, He is issuing a call to commitment.
Commitment - the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc..
He knows that many of these followers are merely there for what they can get for their flesh.
Jesus lays down the gauntlet and calls for everyone of those followers to commit to Him and to Him alone.
His call to commitment has a two-fold outcome.
1. It clarifies His call, His mission and His ministry for those who would follow Him.
2. It purifies the ranks of His disciples, effectively weeding out most of those who are not genuine in their faith or commitment.
Here, we are allowed to see thousands of people turn their backs on Him and walk away.
After the crowds leave, Jesus immediately turns to His 12 disciples, and asks them to make a personal commitment as well.
One can almost hear His heart break as He asks them, "Will ye also go away?"
Folks, we are living in an hour when many are walking away from the things of the Lord.
This should not surprise us because it is exactly what the Bible said would happen in the last days.
We are told that there will be a "falling away”.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Yet, when we see it happening all around us, we are surprised.
We are shocked!
I think the verses we have read this morning shed some light on this problem.
There are some insights in this text as to why people make the decisions they do concerning their walk with the Lord.
Allow me to share a few of them with you are we consider the thought:
Not Everyone Will Walk Away
NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH
The fact of the matter is that while not everyone walks away from the Lord, some do.
Why is that?
If we take this passage as the answer to that question, it becomes clear that Not Everyone Can Handle The Truth.
A. It becomes increasingly clear that doubt, suspicion and hostility are mounting against the Lord Jesus.
These people who wanted to make Him king after He fed them, want nothing more to do with Him after they hear His message.
B. Why the change? Jesus told them the truth and they could not handle it!
Notice His claims:
1. To Be The Way Of Salvation
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2. To Be The Son of God
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
When truth is revealed to us, there are only two possible reactions to it: It can be received, or it can be rejected.
People receive the truth when they see it for what it is: Truth!
People reject the truth for many reasons.
Here are just a few:
1. Some People Misunderstand It
Nicodemus thought Jesus was talking about the female reproductive system, when He was actually speaking of the new birth.
The woman at the well thought Jesus was talking about plumbing, when He was actually talking about Himself, the Water of Life.
The man at the pool of Bethesda thought Jesus was talking about a rescue mission, when He was actually talking placing faith in Jesus.
This trend continues today!
That is why people join the church and are baptized without ever being saved.
That is why the Word of God is so offensive many people. They misunderstand the truth and, as a result, they reject it.
2. Some People Want The Experience But Not The Expectation
These people were following Jesus because He had satisfied their fleshly appetites.
They wanted more of the same.
They were looking for something that satisfied their flesh and that made them feel good about themselves.
They wanted an experience!
They wanted the miracles and the sensational.
But, when Jesus began to talk about His expectations and issued a call for commitment, they turned away from Him and walked away. Why?
They wanted to be carried away in the excitement of the moment with no commitment.
The same mentality has developed within the church!
There are many today who want a religious experience, but without and expectations.
They want to serve God for what they can get out it, without any concern for His glory of His will.
They want entertainment and excitement without the commitment that comes along with the proclamation of the truth.
The churches that are growing the fastest today are those who minimize biblical doctrine the requirements of the faith and emphasize entertainment and experience.
All you need to succeed today as a church is a contemporary band, a message that challenges no one's life, a youth program that will babysit the children while the parents are lulled to sleep by a "touchy feely" religion that is devoid of the truth!
Note: People who walk away from the things of God are selfish!
They are only concerned about themselves and how they feel.
Imagine how the disciples felt when the multitude walked away.
Those who are left are always adversely affected by those who choose to walk away.
Not everyone can handle the truth! Sometimes, the truth is tough!
Sometimes the truth makes demands upon our lives. Sometimes the truth is brutal and seems unfeeling.
But, the truth is always true! It is always right and it is always perfect.
Not everyone can handle the truth! Can you?
Music
Conclusion:
We come back at the end to the question Jesus asked His disciples in the beginning, "Will ye also go away?"
Not everyone walks away from Him!
In fact, some people make a total commitment to the Lord and to His will for their lives.
I hope that is you.
On the other hand, some people hear the claims of Christ and the demands of the Gospel and just walk away.
They go off in search of a better deal, of something more agreeable to their flesh.
Not everyone walks away, what will you do?