WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:02.640 Well, good morning. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:14.080 My plan after Galatians was to begin the letter of Colossians, but I wanted to give myself some more time to study that letter. 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:23.199 So today I will be preaching a sermon from John chapter 6 with an emphasis on verses 60 through 70. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:30.239 So John chapter 6 with an emphasis on verses 60 through 70. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:37.119 But before we dive into these verses, I want us to first look at the context. 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:45.679 At the beginning of John chapter 6, Jesus miraculously feeds a crowd of 5,000 people. 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:53.280 And this crowd was so pumped up that Jesus fed them, they tried to crown him king. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:05.519 But their desire was not to crown him king according to the will of God, but to crown him as a king who would cater to their selfish desires. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.280 So they were excited about the free meal. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:13.680 They thought maybe he will free us from the tyranny of Rome. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:16.159 Perhaps he will give us wealth. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:20.560 Maybe he would be a granter of our wishes. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.799 But Jesus wasn't having it. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:29.120 He withdrew himself to a mountain, most likely spending time with the Father. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:35.760 But divine compassion calls him again because his disciples are in trouble. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:42.480 They're on a boat, they're crossing the sea to Capernaum, and this nasty storm arises. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:56.079 So Jesus goes, he walks on the water to comfort and remind them that he is truly the Son of God and that they don't need to be afraid. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:03.920 So the next day when they reached the shore, this zealous crowd that he fed had followed them. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:09.120 These people were so happy that he hooked them up with frido. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:13.919 Many of them readily signed up to be his disciple. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:20.240 They weren't following him to do the Father's will and submit to God's method of salvation. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:27.120 They came because they wanted Jesus to satisfy their selfish desires. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.960 And Jesus calls them out in verse 26. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:42.080 He says, Look, you guys are following me because you want your tummies filled, but I want you to seek food that will never perish. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:46.800 I want you to feed on me the bread of life. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:55.280 And Jesus uses this situation as an opportunity to teach them about the nature of salvation. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.000 And this begins a discourse. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:09.199 They are so hellbent on trying to earn their way to heaven, trying to come to God on their own terms, through the law, through tradition, through self-will. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:17.199 And finally, Jesus tells them plainly in verse 51, he says, Look, I am the bread of life. 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.000 Salvation is in me. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:29.199 And unless I am in you, unless you drink my blood and eat my flesh, you will likewise perish. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.479 And just to be clear, Jesus is not talking about communion here. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.199 That's a gross misinterpretation. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:40.560 Communion hasn't even been instituted yet. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:44.080 And Jesus is certainly not talking about cannibalism. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:48.800 The Jews were not that stupid, and they were not extreme literalists. 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:50.879 They understood symbols. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:52.800 They knew what he was saying. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.199 Salvation isn't in human effort. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:57.520 Salvation is not in law-living. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:02.960 It's found in a person, the person of Jesus Christ. 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:10.080 And unless Christ lives in us, we have no eternal life and will perish. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.400 So this obviously creates a huge offense. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:16.879 This is a stumbling block. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:18.720 Feathers are ruffled. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:24.319 And this is where we will pick up this morning, starting in verse 60. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:31.439 When many of the disciples heard it, they said, This is a hard saying. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:38.000 So notice first that the text says, disciples. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:40.720 Okay, these are not fans or seekers. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:45.920 These are people who considered themselves Christ's followers. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:49.759 These are people who decided to follow Jesus. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:56.240 And their offense reveals their true commitment and motivation for following Jesus. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:02.000 They're upset because his teachings are not lining up with their human desires. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:16.480 They expected a king who would give them everything they want: freedom from the Rome, the Romans, justice for Israel, and a bread man who could fill their bellies and lower their cost on groceries. 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:22.639 And so many people throughout history followed Jesus for bad reasons. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:27.199 That was true in Jesus' ministry, and it is true today. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:43.279 People follow Jesus because they want to be rich, they want him to bless their business, they want him to fulfill their dreams and desires, hoping he will grant their requests like he's this magic genie in the sky. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:55.439 And because of their misunderstanding on what it means to be a disciple, along with their shallow and selfish view on faith, offense is inescapable. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:07.360 They are all about following Jesus until they are confronted with persecution, adversity, or biblical teachings that don't align with their yearnings. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:11.600 They will follow Jesus if it's convenient for them. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:16.800 I'll follow Jesus if he continues to bless my efforts. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:21.759 I'll be his follower if he lets me worship him the way I see fit. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:26.079 I'll be a disciple if I can continue to live in my sin. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:38.319 But the moment life gets tough or my best friend gets cancer or I read a difficult passage in scripture that directly confronts my way of living, forget it. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.480 I don't want a savior like that. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:49.439 And so what this teaches us is that there is a large group of people out there who are false followers. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:59.040 And they will be offended because they did not come to Christ in true faith and repentance and humility. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:05.439 They want delivered from the penalty of sin, but not from the power of it. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.800 They want the kingdom, but they do not want the king. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:13.120 They want God's gifts, but they do not want God Himself. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:19.680 They want Jesus to give them treasure, but they do not treasure Christ Himself. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:26.560 Because coming to Christ is not ultimately about you. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:38.879 Of course, we appreciate his gifts, we receive his blessings, we rejoice in what he does for us, but that is not the ultimate reason we come to Christ. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.399 We come to him because we see his infinite value. 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:47.360 We adore his very being. 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:50.399 We are awestruck by his very nature. 00:07:50.879 --> 00:08:00.399 We come to Christ because we recognize that he is the creator and he deserves all honor, all glory and praise. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:06.560 And so we come to Christ not because of what he can do for us, but because of who he is. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:15.519 And so we examine and test ourselves what is my motivation for following Christ? 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.160 Is it because of his great love? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.319 Is it because I'm awestruck by who he is and what he's done? 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:28.399 Is my motivation inexpressible gratitude, heartfelt love and wonder? 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.720 Or do I follow Jesus because all my friends are? 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:34.879 He gives me good gifts. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:41.279 It's the moral thing to do, and it's positive exposure for my children. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.360 What is your motivation? 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:55.919 So what Jesus is doing here, he's weeding out the fakers from the true believers, and he continues to press them almost provokingly in verses 61 through 65. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:05.759 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, he said to them, Do you take offense at this? 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:12.080 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.480 It is the Spirit who gives life. 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.279 The flesh is no help at all. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.639 The words I have spoken to you are life and spirit. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.840 But there are some of you who do not believe. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:33.039 For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe and who it was who would betray him. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:41.600 And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him by the Father. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:49.360 So Jesus, in response to their grumbling, says, Are you offended too? 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:55.679 He doesn't say, I'm so sorry that you're upset and confused, here's a box of tissues. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.840 Instead, he provokes them further. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:03.840 He's saying, You think the teaching of salvation in me is offensive. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:14.159 What if I told you that I will be resurrected in glory to the place where I eternally existed before? 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:17.600 You're disgruntled because of the nature of salvation. 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:21.440 Wait until I tell you how it's going to be done. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:25.679 And then Jesus points out why they're offended in verse 63. 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:32.399 He says, They're offended because their view is earthly, their desires are fleshly. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:37.600 So, in essence, Jesus is saying, My doctrine is spiritual. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:41.840 It's fitted to nourish the soul, it's from heaven. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.600 Your doctrine, your views are earthly. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:48.399 You're only thinking about the body. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:56.000 You place great value on Moses and how he fed the body, yet that did not permanently profit. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.080 Your fathers are dead. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.919 And so this is why they are so upset. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.279 They are relying on their own understanding. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:09.440 They are trying to come to Christ on their own terms. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:12.879 Their desires are contrary to God's will. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:18.240 And what Jesus has been teaching here is directly confronting this. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:22.720 The flesh and the spirit are incompatible here. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:31.759 So Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2 that only the spiritual man can receive spiritual things. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:40.080 The flesh, the natural man, it cannot, I repeat, cannot understand the things of God. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.480 Nor does it care about the things of God. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:44.480 Romans 8 tells us that. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:51.919 And we should be wise to recognize that if we are offended by God's word, we are the problem. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:56.480 God's word is perfect, it's good, and it's pure. 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:01.600 It's our pride and our evil desires that create offense. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:08.480 The flesh is not helpful when it comes to understanding spiritual truth. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.919 And Jesus, by the way, has full knowledge here. 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:19.120 The text says he knew from the beginning who didn't believe and who would, and who would betray him. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:20.960 And so he's fully aware. 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:26.000 God is never flustered or surprised, he knows the heart. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.519 God is sovereign over his salvation. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:33.679 He planned it, he paid it, and he applies it. 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:45.759 And so the question here is: if the carnal man can't receive spiritual things, how can we get spiritual and receive Christ and his teachings? 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:52.240 If it's true that only the spiritual man can receive spiritual things, how do we get there? 00:12:52.559 --> 00:13:01.360 If we're naturally sinful and dead in our sins and unable to receive Christ, then how do we get to a place where we can? 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.759 Well, Jesus explains this in the next verse, verse 65. 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:13.360 He says, The only reason anyone could ever come to me is if the Father has granted it. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:20.159 As if they weren't offended already, Jesus drops this bomb on them. 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:24.720 This is known as the doctrine of effectual calling throughout scripture. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:32.559 And the only reason this doctrine is so offensive is that it completely obliterates all human pride. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:51.519 It implies that no one would want Christ, no one would ever adore him, no one would ever want to love him or consider choosing him unless God supranaturally opens our darkened, sinful hearts and calls us to be Christ followers. 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:59.759 We come to Christ not through human decisionism, but through divine influence and persuasion. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:03.279 That's what the Greek word in the New Testament faith means. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.679 It means to be God persuaded. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:09.440 That is what Scripture constantly says. 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:13.679 You didn't choose me, says Jesus, but I chose you. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:21.759 You didn't wake up one day and dig out of your own sinful, depraved, and enslaved volition and say, you know what? 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:24.159 I think I'm gonna love Jesus today. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:26.399 No, he chose you. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:39.759 You were dead in your sins, you were hostile to God, you were his enemy, but by his power and grace, he unveiled to you the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:41.840 And he quickened you to Christ. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:48.639 Do you remember in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked his disciples, he says, Who do you say that I am? 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:53.279 And Peter responded, You are the Son of God, you're the Messiah. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.399 And do you remember what Jesus said back to him? 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:07.840 He said, Blessed are you, Simon Barjonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.279 There it is. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:14.159 God is the one who awakens dead men to life. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:25.600 He is the one who gives us revelation and changes our infect our affections, and he enables us to see our desperate need for a savior. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:32.480 Our ability to follow Christ faithfully into glory is dependent on God's enabling power. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:37.679 And although this doctrine is highly offensive, it's totally free. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:47.200 Because if salvation rests upon me, if it rests on my ability to create faith or the lack thereof, I'm toast. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:16:03.840 But if it rests on the effectual calling of God, if my salvation rests on his promise, and if it's true what Romans 9 says, that the calling and the promises of God are irrevocable, then I am his. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:09.279 Only then can I say that God is the author and the finisher of my faith. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:15.440 Only then can I say that nothing, no thing can separate me from his love. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.159 And this completely goes against their understanding of salvation. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.120 They think salvation is in their power. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:33.759 They think they can earn it through the flesh by making decisions about God, but Jesus says the exact opposite: salvation is in him alone. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:39.679 And the only reason we could ever receive him is if the Father grants it to us. 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:53.279 So you can either believe that salvation ultimately rests on you, or you can believe that salvation ultimately rests on God in Christ through the Father's effectual calling. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:17:01.679 So in verse 60, they were offended, but after explaining this doctrine to them, that tips them over, they throw in the towel. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:03.360 Look at verse 66. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:10.480 After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:17.839 So once they realized that they couldn't twist God's arm, they said, Ah, forget it. 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:26.319 Just like the parable of the sower, when push comes to shove, many will renounce their phony faith. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:35.839 When life gets tough, when persecution arises, or when Jesus' teachings don't make sense, many people forfeit the Christian faith. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:44.079 Not because they had salvation and lost it, but the faith they thought they had was really no faith at all to begin with. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:52.160 So over the last few years, people are always informing me on the statistics of people leaving Christianity. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:18:01.759 They talk about the Pew Research Center and how there are mass amounts of people forsaking their once very rich faith in Jesus Christ. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:05.200 But this was no different in Jesus' ministry. 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:17.359 There will always be phony followers who seemingly look Christian, people who know more scripture than me, they're involved in more ministry than me, who fall away. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:22.559 Not because they lost their salvation or gained it by belief and lost it by unbelief. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.720 No, it was because their faith was never real to begin with. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:37.440 And it is vital that we are aware of this, lest we find ourselves overly discouraged, or even worse, fake followers ourselves. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:46.240 And next, Jesus turns his attention to his true disciples, the ones whom he knows the Father has granted. 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:52.000 And he says in verse 67, Do you want to go away as well? 00:18:53.839 --> 00:19:02.640 Jeez, you would uh think he would say something more comforting, like, hey guys, I know this is some heavy stuff, this is hard stuff, you know. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:04.480 I'm sorry that you feel this way. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:05.920 But he doesn't. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:16.480 He challenges them, he presses them so that they might search the depths of their heart and reveal the genuineness of their faith. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:20.079 So he is compelling them to soul search. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:22.079 Why should I stay? 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:27.200 What's holding me back from forsaking Jesus like everyone else? 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:35.279 Why do I continue to love Jesus during so much doubt, so much difficulty, so much suffering? 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:42.880 But Jesus is confident that if the Father has given them to him, they will persevere. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:55.759 So he can ask this question knowing that he will not lose them. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:59.920 Jesus is not asking this question to see whether they'll leave or not. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.039 He already knows. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:11.839 He asks this question like gold in a furnace to refine their faith and pull out of them the authentic work of God. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:24.400 And it is in this question that Peter profoundly says in verses 68 and 69 Lord, to whom shall we go? 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:34.960 You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.000 This, my friends, is the cry of a true believer. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:44.559 From the world's perspective, they are insane. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:51.920 These disciples sacrificed so much they left their homes, their lives are at risk. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:56.960 They just witnessed thousands of people walk away from Jesus. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:00.240 Things did not turn out the way that they had hoped. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:05.119 You know, we often idolize the apostles, but it was no cakewalk for them. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:09.519 There was a lot of emotional, physical, spiritual pain involved. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:14.319 And the Bible never promises Christians earthly comfort. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.599 We're not promised temporal comfort and prosperity. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:21.279 The prosperity preachers have it wrong. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:28.319 They are wrong about teaching that because following Christ, it's not easy. 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:34.559 Jesus says himself in John 16, in this world you will have many troubles. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:49.519 Christians still suffer, they still experience immense pain, they have broken relationships, they get into horrible accidents, they get chronically ill and experience death like the rest of the world. 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:52.559 And so, why do we continue to follow Jesus? 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:54.480 What's our motivation then? 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:59.119 And Peter clearly thought about alternatives. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:15.359 Takes a life inventory, probably looking back on his life as a fisherman, reminiscing on his previous life before following Christ, and he realizes that there's nowhere else to go. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:29.920 He considers the world around him, the tradition of the Pharisees, the dead religions of Rome, the pagan practices of the Greek culture, and there is nothing there of eternal worth. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:47.279 So, like the author of Ecclesiastes, Peter searched the world in this moment for another source of life that might exist in the universe, but he simply realizes that nothing compares to Christ. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:52.240 Everything is meaningless, meaningless, utterly meaningless. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:23:12.720 And so when the Christian life gets tough, when you're getting tired of experiencing so much suffering in this life, and you're so tired of fighting your own personal sin, and at times the Bible simply doesn't make sense, and at times God just doesn't feel near. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:20.960 Then to top it all off, you got Christians all around you, even people we look up to who are growing cold and leaving the faith. 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.440 Hear these words this morning. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:25.839 Where else are you gonna go? 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.480 Will you leave also? 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:33.440 And so tell me, will you go back to your old life? 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:37.279 What did that do for you in the past? 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:42.160 It only made you feel miserable, empty, depressed. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:44.319 There's no eternal life there. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:48.240 Will you go back to sex and drugs and rock and roll? 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.000 Where did that get you? 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:53.519 Was there eternal life there? 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:57.759 Will you go back to porn or alcohol or drugs? 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:00.079 Is there eternal life there? 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:11.519 Will you go back to priding yourself in business or your self-image or making money or pursuing your earthly dreams that will probably never work out, anyways? 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.640 How did that suit you before, being your own God? 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:22.000 Don't you remember how worthless and pointless and lifeless that way of life was? 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:32.559 You see, even though Peter is having a hard time comprehending Jesus' teaching in this moment, he clings to what he does know. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:42.559 One, that Jesus has the Rhema, the words of eternal life, and two, that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Messiah. 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:59.680 There's a lot of things Peter didn't understand, things that didn't make logical sense to him, but one thing he did know that there was something about the words of Jesus that were undeniably divine and life-giving. 00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:05.279 And he was convinced that he was the promised Messiah. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:12.880 So Peter had firsthand experienced and witnessed the power of Jesus Christ. 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:14.960 They've seen him on the streets. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:21.039 His words are soul-piercing, his miracles and his healings were miraculous. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:24.559 He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:28.640 Peter has tasted and he's seen that the Lord is good. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:32.319 Peter has felt the divine wooing. 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:38.400 He has experienced the compassionate care and the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:45.039 So he is utterly convinced that he is the Son of God, the Holy One of Israel. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:49.519 He's been divinely persuaded, and he cannot deny it. 00:25:50.079 --> 00:26:01.839 And in the same way, when we find ourselves in a spiritual funk, look, my friends, to what Jesus has done in your life. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:04.319 He's parted waters for us. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:09.599 Again and again, he continues to deliver us from dark pits. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:14.880 He has nourished us with his word, speaking to us through it. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:16.400 Look back at your life. 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:18.720 Can you not see his hand? 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:21.359 Look back at your last trial. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:24.960 Did God not sustain you and comfort you? 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:28.960 Look at the endless testimonies around you in this church. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:30.880 Are we all delusional? 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:35.680 We can become so short-sighted in the storms of life. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:43.599 We can waffle so quickly, serving God one week with the most holy faith, and the next week doubting whether he even exists. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:48.319 In the true state of our hearts, needs challenged. 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:49.920 We need pressed. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:27:00.720 On gloomy days, we must draw out that muster seed of faith that we have in the person, in the work, and in the words of Jesus Christ. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:09.519 We need to be reminded, as Jonathan Edwards once said, that he who has Christ has all he needs and needs no more. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:19.200 In 2015, I graduated Teen Challenge and experienced God's salvation in my life. 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:25.200 And I moved back up here to Mount Vernon and I got plugged in at a local church. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:30.160 I started a college-age Bible study and began preaching here and there. 00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:32.319 And life was great. 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:43.039 But after some time, I found I found myself confronted with some very difficult theological questions, doctrines that didn't make sense to me. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:47.759 And this created or started for me questioning the Bible. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:51.519 Then inevitably I began to question my faith. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:57.839 And then I realized that life wasn't going in the direction that I thought God would take me. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:05.359 And even worse, I ended up falling back into some gross sin in my life, old sinful habits. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:14.240 And then to top it all off, during this moment, one of my favorite Bible teachers, who I looked up to, denounced the faith and became an atheist. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:16.319 And so here I am. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.559 The Bible doesn't make sense. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:22.799 I'm wrestling through very difficult theological truths. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.839 I look around and the church is full of hypocrites. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:30.319 One of my favorite Bible teachers I listened to just left the faith. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:37.279 I fell back into old sinful habits, and this Christian journey is much harder than I anticipated. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:42.640 So I'm grumbling at God, frustrated, contemplating alternatives. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:49.759 And in an act of desperation, I opened the Bible, and God led me to this verse. 00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:51.519 Peter's cry. 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:53.599 Where else am I gonna go? 00:28:54.079 --> 00:29:06.000 I've tried education, I've tried pursuing my sexual cravings, I've tried popularity, I've tried making good money, I've tried drugs, I've tried living life my way. 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:09.680 There's no eternal life in any of that. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:13.359 It's all dead and vain and hopeless. 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:34.640 You can bring all the riches of the earth, you can bring all the power of the nations, you can bring all the luxuries of life and all the splendor of creation, and you put them on a scale with Christ, and that scale does not move an inch. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:43.680 Because Christ is infinitely worth and more valuable than any of that. 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:52.240 And only He speaks the words of eternal life, and only He can satisfy this God-sized hole in our hearts. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:30:07.920 I've seen God move mountains in my life, I've felt his holy presence, I've tasted and seen that he's good, I've experienced his loving discipline, I've seen his mighty hand time and time again, his love and his provision in my life. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:09.599 There's no denying it. 00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:14.240 And as frustrated as I was, I simply realized there's nowhere else to go. 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:17.440 If I don't have Christ, what do I have? 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:23.680 The only thing I could say was, Jesus, you are eternal life. 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:35.599 And even though I have all these crazy circumstances surrounding me, all these crazy emotions in me, I know that you are the Lamb of God, the Messiah. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:39.119 So perhaps you are here this morning. 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:45.920 Tired of life, you're exhausted, there has been unforeseen tragedies. 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:51.759 God seems distant, the truth of his word just hard to understand. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:08.720 The world around you seems to be crumbling, and you feel useless, like you're failing God all the time, and you're mad at yourself for being frustrated with God, and the walls are closing in, and you just want a way out. 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:12.079 Friend, where are you gonna go? 00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:15.119 Will you leave too? 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.279 You can't. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:19.359 You can't let go of God. 00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:23.039 Let me back that up. 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:27.920 You can let go of God all you want, but he won't let go of you. 00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:33.519 If God the Father has given you Christ, you're not going anywhere. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:40.880 You just need to be reminded like Peter of who he is and his faithfulness in your life. 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:46.079 May we come back to that simple, childlike faith. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:49.279 There's nowhere else to go but heavenward. 00:31:49.519 --> 00:32:02.240 As Paul says in Philippians 3 14, may we press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:12.000 Now, Jesus does correct Peter on one thing in the conclusion of our passage in verses 70 through 71. 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:16.240 Jesus answered them and said, Did I not choose you the twelve? 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:19.119 And yet one of you is a devil. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:26.240 He spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. 00:32:26.720 --> 00:32:34.240 So if you look in verse 69, Peter said, We, Lord, we have come to believe. 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:36.160 He's referring to the twelve disciples. 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:40.079 But Jesus, in his all-knowing power, corrects Peter on this. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:46.000 He says, Not we, there is a betrayer, Judas Iscariot. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:55.680 So after the deserters left, Peter mistakenly assumed that all who remained were authentic believers. 00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:58.079 He assumed that was the ultimate test. 00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:03.920 Look, the fakers, they're gone, and all the real followers stayed. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:07.200 But Jesus says, no, Peter, you're wrong. 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:10.720 There is one among us who is a traitor. 00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:15.839 And what this shows us is that there are three groups of disciples. 00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:22.240 There are those who are deserters, those who don't stick around very long because they find Jesus inconvenient. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:28.160 Secondly, there are those who will persevere and continue to follow Jesus into glory. 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:28.720 Why? 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:31.519 Because the Father has granted it to them. 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:36.799 They recognize, like Peter's cry, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lamb of God. 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:41.440 But thirdly, there is this third group, betrayers. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:54.319 Those described in the parable of the wheat and the tares, who continue to remain in Christian fellowship, ministry, and even Christian conduct, but never truly trusted Christ. 00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:59.440 They would betray Jesus in a heartbeat for 30 shekels of silver. 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:04.400 They would, like Esau, forfeit God's promise for a bowl of soup. 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:09.119 So this is the group that Jesus refers to in Matthew 7. 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:16.320 These are people who are beating on the gates of heaven, saying, Lord, Lord, why are you not letting us in? 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:23.440 We went to church, we prophesied, we did good works, we were involved in the children's ministry. 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:26.639 But Jesus says, I never knew you. 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:39.840 They were heavily involved in church, they served, they did a lot of good things, but inside they were unregenerate, unsaved, and had no true affections towards Christ. 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:45.039 They may have lifted their hands and worshiped, they loved to talk about theology. 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:50.079 They might even remain in fellowship all of their life with God's people. 00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:54.559 But it is all like Judas, a kiss of betrayal. 00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:59.679 They do not have a real active love relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.559 And this reality, church, should be a terrifying warning to all of us. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:12.639 Just because you walk and talk like a Christian doesn't mean that you are. 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:17.280 You may not be a deserter, but you could be worse. 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:36.159 A traitor who finds themselves on the day of judgment an enemy of God, who will not be sitting at the great feast in heaven, but will be banished to spend an eternity in hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:41.599 So, proclamation church, what do we do with all of this? 00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:50.400 Well, I think the first thing is to identify honestly which group we find ourselves in. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:53.119 Are you a deserter? 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:57.920 Are you only following Christ because it's cool and convenient? 00:35:58.320 --> 00:35:59.840 Or are you a traitor? 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:04.639 You're devoted to church life and service, but inside you're still dead. 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:11.760 You're lifeless, you're still hostile to God, having no real relationship with Christ. 00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:15.679 Or are you a genuine believer? 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:20.800 You follow Christ because you utterly love him by grace through faith. 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:38.559 My hope and my utmost prayer for us this morning is that we will all find ourselves as true, committed believers, who follow Christ because of his beauty and his splendor and his majesty. 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:48.719 Not deserters, not traitors, but genuine disciples who adore Christ and receive him by faith. 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:53.039 God the Father, may you grant that to us today. 00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:57.039 We need your help in truly receiving Christ. 00:36:57.360 --> 00:37:06.239 And as believers, may we recognize, especially in times of trouble, that there's nowhere else to go except heavenward. 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:08.000 Life is hard. 00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:13.760 Let's be honest, it's full of tragedies and adversities and sorrows. 00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:21.840 But in the valley, may we remember who Jesus is, what he has said, and what he has done. 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:29.599 May we, like Peter, confidently proclaim, Lord, where else are we gonna go? 00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:47.519 We are devoted, we are committed, we will continue to fight the good fight of faith, we will continue to seek you in prayer and bow down our lives to you and worship you and saturate ourselves in your word. 00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:48.880 Why? 00:37:49.360 --> 00:38:02.320 Because we know without a shadow of a doubt that you are the Lord, the Messiah, the Savior of my soul, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. 00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:06.880 Because we are convinced that Jesus is the Son of God. 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:08.960 Let's pray this morning.