[John 6:37] Never Cast You Out

john 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Introduction:

January SEW

I came with the Gospel City Team

I really enjoyed my time with you guys. Good to be back

Don’t know if you remember, but that week I mentioned that it was really special for me to be with you guys because it reminded me of attending international school in Korea around your guys’ age.

Today, I want to start off sharing a little about what the experience was like. Going to be a little vulnerable too.

I am half Korean, half American.

And being biracial made challenging for me growing up.

I never really felt accept with certain groups of friends.

At school, with my Western friends,

Take shoes off, kimchi in the fridge

At church, because I went to a Korean church, it would be the same thing.

EVERYONE was korean…except

So being biracial, I felt like i didn’t really fit in anywhere. And on top of that, my family moved ALL the time.

I was born in Korea

How many of you guys remember what it’s like coming to a new school? It’s terrifying right?

So many different fears running through your mind

This was my life growing up.

Always wondering if I would be accepted.

Always working hard to be accepted by others in whatever environment I’m in.

We all have our own stories and our backgrounds are different, but we all have this struggle. We have this desire to be accepted. Because we hate feeling rejected.

friends

teachers

siblings, parents

We are all in some way striving to be accepted and embraced by the people in our lives.

But what about God?

What’s God’s heart toward us? What does Jesus feel about us?

Does God accept me? how does he accept me?

We learn that God is love, but how specifically does he love us and accept us?

It’s very important for us to know the answer these questions if we want to live out our faith.

So we’re going to look at a passage today, it’s short, it’s one verse, but it’s packed with so much truth that shows us God’s heart, Jesus’s heart for us.

Let’s read today’s passage together.

John 6:37 (ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Let’s read it one more time. All together in a loud voice.

Let’s read that last part. and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

This is Jesus’ heart for you. He will never cast you out.

From this verse, we’re going to learn 3 things about Jesus’ heart for us.

He joyfully embrace you

He securely embraces you

He completely embraces you

1. God joyfully embraces you

What I mean: God doesn’t reluctantly or grumpily embrace us. He joyfully embraces us.

Illustration:

This is my dog Tori, Acorn

Toy, party poodle

How many of you have a pet?

My first real time raising a dog

Came with the wife 1 + 1

2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour… he’s always joyful to see me

This is glimpse of God’s heart toward us

Explanation:

John 6:37 ESV

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

What we see here is God the Father and God the son in agreement about this great plan about saving you and me.

Sometimes we have this image of Jesus being gentle and warm, He even died for us.

But we may look at God the Father, we may think He’s scary and full of wrath and judgement. We see the flood.. and yes God cannot tolerate sin.

He rightfully cannot accept sin, but that’s why He sent Jesus. So he could deal with our sin problem.

And now we can approach him, and when we do....

God doesn’t reluctantly or grumpily embrace us. He joyfully embraces us.

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Luke 15:6–7 ESV

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

God rejoices over the one who comes to him. He joyfully received

Application:

Going to your parents on a good day vs a bad day

That’s not the case with God

When you go to him. He looks at you like the way Tori looks at me when i come home.

He’s full of joy. His heart is full. He takes delight in you.

Don’t hesitate to go to God because you think he’s unhappy with you, or he might not accept you.

But go to him knowing that when you go wanting to know more about him, or to repent of your sin, or to trust and depend on him, God looks at you with delight.

God joyfully embraces you. Jesus will never cast you out.

2. God securely embraces you, He will never cast you out.

Meaning: when you come to Jesus and put your faith and trust in him, he will never let you go, He will securely hold onto you. He won’t cast you out.

Illustration:

I read this illustration in a book

You know those swimming pools that gradually get deeper and deeper

Imagine a child 2-3 year child who has never swam before in their life.

Imagine their cute tiny little hand grabbing their parents hand as they gradually step into the pool and it gets deeper and deeper.

Is it the baby or the father’s strength?

Incredibles baby

Explanation:

John 6:38-40 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.””

I will lose nothing

All who come to me, not only will I not cast them out, I will also make sure I will not lose them.

I will securely hang on to them until the last day where they will join me in eternal life.

When you come to God, he securely embraces you

Application:

Life will be full of joy and great things.

But life is going to become more challenging.

As you go on to high school, college, get your first real job, start paying your bills, find your future spouse, have your first children,

there will be disappointments, and heartaches, and it will be challenging

the waters of life will come crashing down on you

there will be times where your feet arent touching the ground and you’ll feel like you’re drowning.

But your Father in heaven will be securely hanging on to you until your last day.

like the baby in the illustration

times where you’ll be weak, you won’t have the strength to hold on, you may want to let go

your faith will be shaken

but it’s not the strength of our faith and our ability to hang on to God that keeps us secure.

It’s his strength, and his hand that secures us for eternity.

3. God completely embraces you, He will never cast you out.

Meaning: God completely embraces you just as you are. You don’t have to try harder and do better. He completely embraces you just as you are

Illustration: Middle school fight

Dad’s approach

Mom’s approach

Explanation:

Greek - two negatives pile on top of each other “i will not - not - cast out” or I will never ever cast out

Jesus is making a point here. strong emphasis that he won’t reject us when we come to him.

Jesus’s promises trumps all the excuses that we might make.

Application:

Well I lied to my parents the other day, I’m terrible

I took something from my sisters room without telling her, I’m ashamed

No one at school likes me, I’m weird and awkward

I feel like I can never live up to my parents expectations, how could I possible live up to Gods

My own family doesn’t seem to accept me, how could I possible be apart of God’s family

Conclusion:

I want to challenge you guys this afternoon to go to Jesus.

You go to him in prayer

be honest with him, tell him whats on your heart

your struggles, your insecurities

confess, ask for forgiveness

Go to him in the Word

see what he has to say about you and your life

see what he teaches about himself, get to know him more

Go to him through community

seek out going to church

joining a discipleship group

God uses other believers to encourage us and help us

we experience God through it

All these things are good. Prayer, reading the bible, going to church, singing songs.. all these are good things. But that’s not what christianity is all about. It’s about Jesus. Going to him and knowing him.

He desires you. When you go to him, he joyfully, securely, and completely embraces you and accepts you. Go to Jesus and he will never, ever cast you out.