Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Them. Well, I want to just mention if you're a member today, there's the 2023 annual reports. They're already done. And so if you've ever been to a membership meeting, we don't kind of walk through all of these reports and make verbal reports. They're all written, so you read them ahead of time. There's the financials are all of there. It would just be wise to pick up a report, peruse through it, read some of the reports there, and look be over the financial. So when you come to the meeting, we just move along at a high speed. How's that? Okay. And also, we're bribing you to come. We have cinnamon buns available for you.
[00:00:36] I know everybody likes that, so that's great. I'm going to have a stand this morning as we go to the Lord in prayer. And I want to just pray for, I know there's a lot of needs in our church, but there's two people that God has really laid on my heart as a pastor, and I'm going to pray for Annette today. I know she's been going through some challenges physically, and I believe she really needs a miracle from God. Annette Mackenzie. So if we could agree for her. And also George McFarland, many of you know him. He's generally here. He's a usher, a lot of fun.
[00:01:07] His kidneys have stopped working. He's actually on dialysis right now, and they can't figure out why. And so if we can pray for both of these individuals, just believe they need a miracle. And I believe that we serve a God of miracles, and so we can ask. And, you know, I told George last night, I was visiting him and Darlene in the hospital. I just said, I'm going to have the whole church pray for you. And he was just beaming. He just thought that was awesome. Isn't that good? Isn't that great to have family? We can just kind of call up and say, hey, let's pray. And if you do have a need and it comes up during the week, phone the church. We put you on the prayer chain. And our staff, we do pray for you. And whatever you ask us, when you sign those connect cards, please pray for us every Tuesday, our staff, we break up all of those things. We break into units. We pray for every single need. And for those of you who have lost someone that you deeply love, we pray for an entire year for you and your family. How's that? We're concerned, and we want you to know that. So let's pray. This morning, Father. We thank you that you're a God who's filled with compassion. You care about us in our trial and our difficulty, the challenges that we're experiencing. And, Lord, I know that even in the most difficult moments, that you can use these things for ultimate good. And we know that's true. You're an amazing father. And I just pray for Annette today. I pray for George, specifically, these two individuals. Lord, I pray that your amazing healing power would touch their bodies. They would experience an out and out miracle, regardless of what the medical community says or what their diagnosis are. I believe that you are the great physician, and I know many times you work through the medical community. We're not negating that. We're not disparaging that. But, Lord, we recognize the need. Sometimes it's beyond human capabilities. And I pray today that out and out miracles would happen in their bodies. And then I pray for those who are walking through a season of grief. We've had a number of people lose a loved one here in the last weeks. And I just pray for these families, Lord, the Desjardins province and the Edgar families. I just pray that your grace, comfort would sustain and encourage their hearts in the days to come and for other needs that are represented. Everyone in this room, there's probably something right now that comes to their mind. They're thinking of a family member, a friend, a neighbor, themselves, whatever that need might be, whatever is pressing on their soul. We lift these burdens now to you because you are the one that cares about every one of us. And we pray as we lift them before you, that you will hear our cry in Jesus name. And God's people said, amen. You may be seated.
[00:03:48] I'm going to have you turn in your bibles to the gospel of John. We're going to roll through a lot of verses of scriptures this morning, and we're going to talk about how to experience the most out of life. It was just so funny. I was working on this and this title just popped into my head.
[00:04:06] I think that happens. It's kind of a God thing, right? It's really a lot of fun. And I was just thinking, I don't know if most people are making the most out of life. I think a lot of people are trying to make a lot out of life, but are we making the most out of life? And I think the context of this text will really bring that out. What's the main objective or priority in our lives, and where are we giving our energies and our time towards that which we consider most important to us is what we will desire and what we will pursue after.
[00:04:41] Okay, here we go. Often what we are chasing does not allow us, I think, to experience the most out of life. In other words, if you have the wrong objective, you're going to miss out. So we better make sure we got the right target. That's what we're going to look at this morning. What we're going to discover is that which enriches and empowers our lives is what determines what we get out of life. And so how do we get the most out of life? That's the question I want to raise this morning. Jesus in feeding the 5000 was really creating a sign and he was revealing to the multitude who he is and how many think it's kind of an amazing thing that Jesus took a little boy's lunch and fed over like 5000 men plus women and children. How many think that's amazing?
[00:05:31] How many would be blown away? Can you imagine yourself sitting there watching as after everyone's had enough to eat, they're collecting leftovers like twelve baskets full.
[00:05:44] How many would be a little impressed? Come on, let's be honest.
[00:05:47] Could you understand why they wanted Jesus to be the king? I mean, if you can do that, you can take care of us forever. It's true. Right?
[00:05:56] But I think the problem was they got so locked into what they were seeing in the material realm, they missed the significance of the miracle. They missed what Jesus was really trying to know. It's not just about filling our bellies, that's what I'm trying to get at. And Jesus wanted to communicate something far beyond that.
[00:06:17] So now they've totally misunderstood the nature and the purpose of the miracle for their lives. I think that can happen to us too.
[00:06:26] If you're a believer, that's a miracle. But sometimes we fail to understand the purpose of that miracle in our lives and we get distracted with all kinds of other stuff.
[00:06:37] Jesus is about to make them, I believe, an offer that's going to help them experience the most out of life. And it's the same offer that he's going to make for us today. How many like that? So we're going to move from the first century to the 21st century. And the very offer Jesus is making then he's going to make now, and he's going to make it to us this morning we'll have to make a decision. Are we going to embrace that offer? Okay, so realizing that neither the disciples nor Jesus were among them, because remember, Jesus sent them off by boat. That was from last week. And you can read the story in John, chapter six, the first one through 21, they're gone. And Jesus goes up on the mountain, sees they're in trouble, walks across the water. Of course, nobody sees it's in the middle of a storm. Jesus walks across the water, and they're all on the other side of the, you know, the next morning when things clear up, no Jesus, no disciples, and these guys are going, what are we going to do? And so they start heading across the lake as we're going to find out, certain people, I don't know if they were friend, family members or what, because they were in a very obscure place, wilderness spot. So all of a sudden, a bunch of boats show up, and all of these crowds of people get in the boat and they head across on the other side. So I want to look at three important ingredients that we need to understand in order to experience the most out of life. Three things. First of all, you have to have the right goal.
[00:08:08] The right goal.
[00:08:10] When we put eternal aspects before earthly, temporary ones, that's when we begin to experience the most out of life.
[00:08:20] Most people in society are putting the material things ahead of the eternal things. How many say it's probably true?
[00:08:28] And I would even argue that there's some christians that are putting the material things ahead of the heavenly eternal things. And I just want to tell you right now, you're not getting the most out of life. Not saying that in a mean way. I'm just saying we got to shift our goals a little bit. And if we make that shift, God will take care of the material things. Believe me, he will do that. He says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. All these other things will be added to you. So let's make sure we have the right priority. We have to have the right goal. Otherwise we're going to not get the most out of life. And that's so important. So let's pick up the story. And Jesus now, knowing the hearts of people, he's about to reveal the true condition of their soul and how their condition was actually diminishing their know. Sometimes God lets us run into a test to find out where we're really at. We think we know until we have a challenge. How many said that's true? Then we find out where we're really at. And then we start realizing, you know, I think I've got the wrong priorities here. Let's pick up the story. Verse 22. The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there and that Jesus had not entered the boat with the disciples. But they had all gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberius landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. And once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and they went to capernaum in search of Jesus.
[00:10:01] I think that's a good thing, searching for Jesus. But then I raised the question, why are we seeking Jesus? Isn't that a great question? Why are they looking for him? And why are we looking for him?
[00:10:13] What was their real motivation?
[00:10:16] Jesus now is about to point out their real intentions, what they were really after. And it's a question I think you and I have to ask ourselves. Why am I following Jesus now? It usually begins in all of our lives with a need. And I don't think that's wrong. I think we're all needy. I think we're being honest with ourselves. I have a need and I think only Jesus can meet it. That's awesome. But is that the only reason we're seeking know to meet a need and what kind of a need?
[00:10:47] But once that need is and will we keep following and allowing Jesus to give us the life that now becomes the most meaningful and productive life? Because you know what initially brings us to Christ? When that need is met, a lot of people just go, thank you very much and I'm on my way. Right? That's all I needed. That's all I wanted. But that's not what's going to get the most out of life. I believe that the need was just there to introduce us to him. And once we get to know Jesus, he's got something even more significant in mind. And when we tack into that, when we start embracing that, that's when we start finding real meaning.
[00:11:27] Jesus's plan for our life is superior than anything you and I can come up true. You know, you may think you've got a good plan. I would argue that Jesus has got a better plan. I would even argue that Jesus knows you and me better than we know ourselves. And what he has in mind for us far outweighs anything. You and I can dream that, but you'll have to discover that for yourself. I've totally bought in. And I can argue from my perspective after walking with Christ for almost five decades, I'm going, wow. Just keep doing whatever he asks you to do. It's amazing. The journey is amazing. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm just saying it's amazing what God's going to do with you and take you. It says when they found him on the other side of the lake, they said, rabbi, when did you get here? Probably thinking, how'd you get, how'd you get here? And it's interesting. Jesus does not answer that question. How many have ever asked Jesus a question and didn't give you an answer?
[00:12:30] Anybody else besides the pastor asking questions you're not getting answers for? Yeah, he just doesn't answer some of those questions, does he?
[00:12:40] I'm sure if he would have told them that he walked on the water, they would have been pretty impressed.
[00:12:45] Right. And I don't know if they would have doubted him because after feeding know, they're probably thinking, yeah, I don't doubt you did know because you just fed us with the little boy's lunch. But here's the point. Jesus knew it wasn't about impressing them and what he was. He knew that if he told them, it wasn't going to transform them. Jesus is more interested in shifting things inside of us than he is in impressing us with what he's able to do. Okay.
[00:13:13] His goal is different than our goal. That's what I'm trying to get across here. It's about the right goals. Right. So Jesus says to them, very truly, I tell you, you're looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. In other words, I just fed you. That's the only thing you're concerned about. You're not concerned about what it really means.
[00:13:36] You guys are just accepting things at face value. You're just interested in having your earthly needs met. That's what Jesus is telling us here.
[00:13:45] But you don't really know me, and you have not really embraced what I have in mind for you. And this is when we start getting the most out of life. Let's discover who Jesus really is and what he really has in store for us. So what's the main priority in my life? In your life? Well, he challenges the crowd with their misplaced priorities, and in that statement, challenges us to examine what we're really pursuing after.
[00:14:12] Why am I seeking Jesus? What am I really after?
[00:14:17] Where am I investing my energy and time in my life? Where am I putting that? Because really, if you're being honest with yourself, I always jokingly say, and I've never done this, but I said if I wanted to get to know you, I only need two things from you, your checkbook and your daytimer. That's all I need. And it'll tell me everything about you. It'll tell me what your priorities are. Isn't that a shocking statement? But where I spend my money and time says everything about me. It shows me my priorities.
[00:14:47] Isn't that incredible? We don't think that way. But it's know about all of us.
[00:14:53] Now, this is what Jesus says to them. I think he's saying it to us, do not work for food that spoils.
[00:15:00] Now, how should I interpret that? What he's saying is don't just focus on what's eventually going to disappear anyway. Can I just say, everything you see is going to be, it's all temporary. And some of us put so much effort in the temporary, we miss the eternal, which is that which is not seen. He says, don't work for the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you for on him, God the father has placed a seal of approval. In other words, I've got something for you that is eternal in nature. I got something that will feed your soul. I have something that will sustain you forever. Don't just go after what's temporary, go after what's eternal. Isn't that what he's telling us? I think he's saying that. It's pretty clear to me. So he's trying to shift our focus from ourselves to embracing who Jesus is and what he's done for us. And I think this is a critical step in moving towards getting the most out of life. We move from a self focused life to a God centered one. Can I just say that some of us in this room, we probably need to make that adjustment. I'm not here to criticize. I'm just here, you have to ask yourself, where is my focus? And if it's on myself, I need to shift. And if I shift it over to Christ and make him the focus, I'm going to make a guarantee you're going to get the most out of life. It's a big step. It's a step of faith. It means I'm going to start trusting God in a way I never have before. But it's going to change your life.
[00:16:28] It's not about what is required of us, but how we respond to him. Do we really know who he is and what he's done on our behalf? This is the big question. I think once we really come to trust what Jesus has done on our behalf, rather than trying to please him. See, I think a lot of people are still stuck in an infancy spiritual stage where they're trying to please God, they're trying to somehow get God's approval. They're somehow trying to merit something from God. I'm going to blow your minds today. You'll never get that. Okay? That's not where you're going. You don't need to go there. Can I just say already that God already has accepted you.
[00:17:09] If you've come to Christ, God's accepted you. You have his approval.
[00:17:14] You're not trying to do something to make him love you. He already loves you. You see, we end up serving him from a position of I'm loving God because I've experienced his love. I'm loving other people because I've experienced God's love. And because I have God's love, I can love others because, I'll be honest with you, before I had God's love, I didn't really love others. I'm being truthful. That's what changes the heart.
[00:17:50] We stop trying and we start trusting. And recently, and I mean real recently, last month, God really spoke into my spirit and he said, you're trying hard because I have a tendency to overwork. Some of you don't know that, but that's an issue because you know what? I'm going to just say it to you this way. There's so much to be done. Everything's beckoning to you. And I felt God saying to me, I want you to trust me with this. I want you to give me an entire day and do nothing.
[00:18:23] Do you know how hard that is for some of us? Very difficult. But I want you to give me an entire day and I want you to rest. And out of that rest, you'll be able to work.
[00:18:34] And I've been doing that. And you know what I've noticed?
[00:18:38] My work is easier because I'm doing it out of rest.
[00:18:44] And some of us need to learn that lesson. Not just me, some in this room. You need to learn that lesson as well. And I want to say some of you are serving God because you're seeking his approval. And I'm telling you, you already have it. And so out of his approval, then you serve God. How many? See, that's a big shift and it changes you. It's a beautiful shift. You're not striving anymore.
[00:19:06] Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires? And Jesus said, the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent. So if they were not to work for the food that spoils what kind of work did God require? That's the question they were raising. And here Jesus says, the foundation of any work that pleases God must be based on their faith in Christ. And what a tragedy, both then and now is how some people reject God's condition. Do we have faith in Christ, and how does that come about? Well, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And we have to believe what God says is true, and then we just act on it, and then we're going to see amazing results. See, I think sometimes we say, well, yeah, intellectually I'm assenting to it. I believe it intellectually, but I'm not acting on it. And God says, well, then you really don't believe. You have to act on it. And that's when you begin to see change. So do we really trust Jesus? And I think so often we're focusing on what I call human agency and totally miss the divine element in our lives.
[00:20:13] What I'm saying by that is most of us are trusting ourselves rather than really trusting God. Right? I mean, who else can we trust? Well, I'm saying you got to trust Jesus.
[00:20:26] And when they started talking about the manna, some of the jewish people attributed the manna as coming from Moses, which is a human agent, whereas Jesus corrects them in this little discussion. And no, no, that food didn't come from Moses, that food came from God.
[00:20:45] And I think we need to. That's a very important point. Okay. We also discovered that they were strictly thinking on a materialistic plane as they wanted Jesus to continue to give them earthly provisions. You see, they were seeking Jesus to meet their temporal.
[00:21:03] Know. A lot of Christians, that's where they're at. They're just looking for Jesus to meet temporal needs. Folks, I'm going to tell you, don't just focus on the temporary.
[00:21:13] You need to have a bigger aim, a better goal. Focus on that which is eternal. That's the most important thing. God will take care of the temple stuff. Believe me, when you put the right things in the right order, things work out.
[00:21:27] It just does. And I know that to be a fact because I've been walking with God for, like I said, almost five decades, and that's the way it know. So it has to begin with this transformation in our heart's desires and goals. Jesus wants to change our lives. You're going to love this from the inside out. Isn't that true, Jen? Remember that book, inside out? That's the change. He wants to change our thinking. He wants to change our hearts. When that stuff on the inside, our attitudes get changed, then our actions start changing. He's got to change us from deep within us. That's what brings about outward change. That's what God is looking for. When we begin to acknowledge God's ways and embrace them, that's what repentance is all about. It's a change of mind, the idea of repentance, just a change of mind. And some of us, we're kind of locked in. We have a certain mental viewpoint of life. And God's saying, look, I'm trying to change the way you look at life. That's why I keep telling you, you need to read your Bible every day. Why do I push that? Because I know the word of God will renew your mind. It'll change the way you see life. You'll start seeing life through a different lens. You need to see life through God's lens. You need to be challenged every day by how God sees the world and how he relates to people, so that it begins to take hold inside of your soul. And when you get away from that, you start thinking like the society thinks. And it's broken. Folks just tell you right now it's broken. So then they said to Jesus, I wrote this, it's impossible to serve God without allowing his grace to bring transformation in our hearts, desires, and goals. What am I saying? We've got to open ourselves up. We got to say, okay, God, I need transformation. I need to change. I need to be willing to do your will. Help me to do your will. Right? Give me the willing heart to do your will. Now, look what they said to him here in John, chapter six and verse 30. Wow, we have to change the battery in this thing. I keep hitting it. So they asked him, what sign then would you give that we may see it and believe you?
[00:23:35] Well, listen, how many think that's kind of a bogus statement? They'd just been fed here the day before. Now they're asking for another sign.
[00:23:45] What will you do, Jesus?
[00:23:47] Why should we believe, know, are these guys slow on the uptake or know I'm just throwing that out there? So then they throw this out to Jesus. Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, very truly, I tell you, it's not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my father who gives you the true bread from heaven. And then he goes on to say, here, for the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, sir, they said, always give us this bread. Can you tell these guys are really materialistically focused? Keep feeding us, please.
[00:24:31] Then Jesus said, I'm the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Now he adds on to that because remember Jesus with the woman at the well? He said, hey, you believe in me, you'll never thirst. Now obviously Jesus isn't just talking about physical hunger and thirst. How many catch that? He's talking about something far more significant than that. He's talking about what the soul hungers for and what the soul thirsts for. Not just the body, but as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. It's all about belief. What Jesus is trying to tell you guys aren't getting that. He's trying to shift their focus to the real issue that's satisfied or how to get the most out of life. If you're just focused on your physical body and your physical needs, how many know that's pretty superficial? Because we have needs that are far higher than that. We have relational needs, we have psychological needs. But I would argue even those needs are still at a lower level. Do you know we have spiritual needs. We are designed to know God and to worship God. And if we don't know God and we don't worship God, we will create a God that we will worship because we're spiritual beings and that's what happens. And we end up worshipping an idol. And it actually is a perversion of who God is and it actually perverts us. And I see a lot of perversion today.
[00:25:57] So do you.
[00:25:59] Now, Tasker says the true bread which had come down from heaven to give is his flesh offered in sacrifice. That's an important statement. And unless men eat this bread, I. E. Unless they accept that sacrifice in faith, they'll have no life in themselves. So he's shifting what it means to eat Jesus's flesh. It's actually embracing his sacrifice that makes provision for us. And it's embraced by faith.
[00:26:32] The sign that Jesus had given them by feeding the 5000 is really an enacted parable of the spiritual sustenance which is always available to the believer as a result of Jesus sacrifice. In other words, what he was doing feeding their bodies is a picture in his mind of what he can do for their souls. That's what we need to understand. Let me move on. Let's get the right goal, he said, how about trusting the right person?
[00:26:58] Are we being nourished in our souls. Are we experiencing the life of Christ within our hearts?
[00:27:04] Daily. A lot of us go, I do it, but it's erratic. It's not daily. How many notice when you don't eat for a day? Has anybody noticed when you don't eat for a day? How many here probably notice you haven't eaten for a whole day? Have you ever had that experience where you actually didn't eat for a whole day? Anybody? Did your body notice that you hadn't eaten?
[00:27:26] I'm amazed at how we can go without spiritual food day after day and we don't notice it.
[00:27:33] Well, once you start feeding your soul every day, the word of God, try missing a day. You'll see what happens. You're going, what's going on? I've noticed something's missing. It's just like your body. You get used to what you do. It's just the nature of life.
[00:27:49] So how do we receive Jesus? How do we partake of him and this empowering life of his spirits living within us? And so now we're going to look at there's a divine and a human element and experience this divine Christ within us. Notice verse 37. He says, all those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away. In other words, I will receive. He says, the Father gives them. I receive them. Then he says, for I've come down from heaven not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me. So Jesus says, we're unified. The father and the Son are just one in purpose here all the time. And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. So what happens when the father gives someone to the son? The son receives them. The Son says, I'm going to keep them, and I'm able to keep you until the day you're going to stand before God.
[00:28:52] He who begun a good work in you shall complete it. Don't you love that? Isn't that a beautiful promise? Isn't that wonderful to know that God's the one that's keeping you? I remember as a new believer, I thought I was trying to keep myself in God. And when I was, like, hanging on, I felt like I don't know if I can make it. And then one day I realized God had to kind of teach me this, that I'm hanging on to you.
[00:29:16] You think you're hanging on to me? No, I'm hanging on to you, isn't that a beautiful thought? How many here? Can you just take three deep breaths and say, thank God he's hanging on to me? Because if it was me hanging on to him, I'd have let go a long time ago. But he's hanging on to me. How many like that?
[00:29:34] It's biblical. I'm just quoting scripture. Well, wait a minute, pastor. I got some issues with that. Be patient. We're not done. The sermon for my father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. Now, D. A. Carson explains the issue of acceptance and rejection of Jesus and his work of grace on our behalf. But if some can see Jesus and his miraculous signs and yet still not come to faith, does that not suggest his mission is in some measure of failure? In other words, they're seeing it, but they're not responding to it. Is Jesus failing? You see, this is how we know. I've shared with somebody and they're not responding, and I fail. Now listen to what he goes on to say. And I think this is important. Jesus'confidence does not rest in the potential for positive response among well meaning people. He's not even looking for response or outcomes, far from it. His confidence is in his father to bring to pass the father's redemptive purposes. Jesus says, all the father gives me will come to me. That's beautiful. He's resting. He's not uptight. He's saying, listen, they're going to come, the ones that are supposed to come, they're going to respond. They're going to receive me. Okay, now here in this portion, we come across the concept that the Father is the one who's responsible for drawing people to Jesus, while Jesus is responsible for accepting and keeping them safe till the very end, until the great judgment day. Everybody understand that? I'm reading it. That's all he's saying. Then he says, carson, I was reading, and I thought, this is so interesting regarding the connection between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Oh, this is probably the great tension in the church for the last 500 years, and I'm going to bring it up this morning because it's being brought up in the text. John is not embarrassed by this theme because unlike many contemporary philosophers and theologians, he does not think that human responsibility is thereby mitigated. In other words, it's somehow reduced or diminished. We're still all responsible.
[00:31:53] It makes sense. Think about it. If we are going to be judged for our actions, therefore, God is holding every human being responsible, so we have to give him moral accountability.
[00:32:03] Okay, so point number one, hang on to that thought. Thus he can speak with equal ease of those who look to the son and believe in him.
[00:32:13] This they must do if they are to enjoy eternal life now. But this responsibility to exercise faith does not, for the evangelist, make God contingent or dependent upon our response. In other words, God has a will. So I want to talk about something. He's basically talking about the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Let me just go in a little bit here.
[00:32:45] John would be happy with a modern philosophy of compatibilism. Compatibilism. You go, what's that? Well, compatibilism is an attempt to reconcile the theological proposition that every event is casually determined, ordained and or decreed by God.
[00:33:06] In other words, God goes, this is my will, and we're going to get it done.
[00:33:10] Okay? How many know? God always has his way and he always fulfills his will. Does anybody know that God will even use evil people? God will use everything to accomplish his purposes.
[00:33:23] So how in the world can God's will be done without violating human will? Isn't that a great question?
[00:33:31] That's a little bit of attention. That's what compatibilism is all about. Listen, what he says, determinatism, not to be confused with fatalism, because, you know, there's a lot of people, they're not even believers. They just believe everything is fatalism. What will be will be.
[00:33:49] No, it's not like that at all, he says, but how do you put God's determinism and human beings free will together?
[00:34:00] And this is the compatibilist concept of free will, states that though the free will of man seems taking a picture of this, you want to underline the word, seems irreconcilable with the proposition of determinism. They do both exist and are compatible with one another. And you go, whoa, that seems like a contradiction, pastor. No, it's not, because it's a mystery.
[00:34:29] God can work. Now, listen, God can work. I'm going to show it to you. Hang on. Take three deep breaths. We're going there. God can work in such a way in the human heart to move us to do what he ultimately wants done.
[00:34:43] Don't you love this love of God? You know, it says in the book of proverbs, and I say, this is a mystery, that God fulfills his will without violating the human will. And I'm going to give you two texts of scripture to think about it. Here's the first one. The easiest people to get to do the will of God are Christians. True Christians, you say? Why is that? Because God's spirit's in us. And listen to what Paul says in the book of Philippians. He says, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.
[00:35:23] So God is getting his will done because he's making you willing.
[00:35:30] Everybody see that. Yeah, but what about those rascals who are resisting God's will, pastor, those other guys, right? And they're out there.
[00:35:41] I got a verse for you. You know, I have a verse, proverbs 21, one in the Lord's hand, the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels or irrigates toward all who please him. In other words, God can take even a wicked leader and make him do what he wants him to do.
[00:36:01] What?
[00:36:03] Absolutely. Read the Bible carefully. Remember Nebuchadnezzar?
[00:36:08] He wasn't a believer, but God got him to do what he wanted to do because he wanted to discipline the jewish people. So he had him conquer them. That was God's will. He was God's agent of.
[00:36:23] Yeah, I can see that. There's some nasty people out there. If God wants them to punish somebody, I can see he could use them to do that. Yeah, no problem with that one. How about the know? God said, I'm going to raise up Cyrus, my servant, and I'm going to have him bring back my people to the promised land.
[00:36:42] Well, that's a little different trick. That's the very opposite. And that's exactly what Cyrus did. Because Cyrus developed a political philosophy that it was better to accommodate culture rather than to assimilate culture. So he decided to repatriate all of the people that were conquered under the babylonian empire and send them back to their lands and tell them to worship their gods and to pray for him. So he thought, if you let people self govern and then everybody pays taxes to him, they'll be far happier than if he has to have his own people in power in those places, beating people up. He just changed his approach to it. But that was what God wanted. How many love God? Can you see? God is getting what he wants done no matter what people are thinking?
[00:37:35] We're thinking, well, how is God going to get this done? He's just going to work through people.
[00:37:41] They think it's their idea. And God goes, I know I'm letting them think that it's what I want done.
[00:37:48] Are we starting to catch on?
[00:37:51] Okay, you'll think about it some more. I knew this was going to make you think today. How about a warning against rejecting Jesus? It says, at this, the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that comes down from heaven. They weren't happy with that statement. They said, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? And how can he say, I came down from heaven? What were they now upset about? They thought they knew. You know, one of our biggest problems in life is we think we know things when we don't.
[00:38:20] And once we have wrong information, now we become argumentative and we're not open to another viewpoint.
[00:38:31] So I'm saying people who are, I'm going to shock you. I think we need to believe in the basics of Christianity, but we need to be a lot more open minded and we need to hear conflicting ideas than what the ones we have. And sometimes it helps us understand things, and sometimes we're holding on to ideas that are wrong and they'll never get corrected. If you're not willing to hear the other side, and there's a lot of people in our society today, don't tell me the truth. I don't want to hear it.
[00:39:06] I've already made up my mind. Don't mess with my know. That's kind of where people are at know. Jesus says, stop grumbling among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the father who sends me draws them, and I'm going to raise them up for the last time. He's emphasizing that idea again. It is written in the prophets. They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the father and learned from him comes to me. In other words, God is bringing people to Christ. No one has seen the father except the one who's from God. Only he has seen the father.
[00:39:35] Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. And so these guys thought they knew Jesus'earthly origins. But the Jews, Carson says, think they know all there is to know about Jesus'paternity. But they speak in ignorance not only of his virginal conception, but of his true identity. Repeatedly, Jesus insists that his opponents do not know his heavenly father at all. Now these people are going, we know all about you, Jesus. You just came from this little town called Nazareth. Jesus goes, you know, know. And then they go, well, we know what God's like. He goes, you don't even have a clue. I came from heaven. Actually, I am God. And you guys are out to lunch.
[00:40:20] How's that?
[00:40:22] A little spooky isn't it? So I think we got to be a little more humble is what I'm trying to get at and say maybe we don't know everything and we're learning. But let me move on to the third point because that's an advocation for humility, learning to be a little more humble. Okay, let's go on to the third point, acting on the right challenge. So first of all, how are we going to make the most of the light? Number one, if we have the right priorities in life, the right goal, eternal goals. Number two, we're accepting who Jesus is. He's revealed himself, he's God. And throughout this book, you're going to see Jesus is not only a man, he's also God and he's trying to straighten them out. Number three, we have to act on the right challenge.
[00:41:03] Are we pursuing after Jesus for only what we desire and what we can receive in him? We may have thought that experiencing the most out of life was possibly doing whatever might please ourselves. And I'm going to say if you do that, you're going to run into disaster. Because if we let our sin nature guide us, it's going to mess us up.
[00:41:23] If it's self centered and self focused and selfish, you're going to have problems. Because sin always brings death and death is simply a destruction of relationships around us with God and with people. Well, let me just move on to say this. One of the ironies of life is that we generally only get out of something, what we put into it. How many know that's true?
[00:41:44] Number two, Jesus not now about to challenge them to follow him, even though they may not fully understand everything.
[00:41:53] Do you know sometimes you have to tell your kids when they're little? Just trust me. I know what's best for you.
[00:41:59] No parent ever said that, of course. Can I tell you? Our heavenly Father sometimes has to tell you and me, just trust me. I know what's best for you. Do you go, really? He goes, yep. And right now you don't get it. But that's okay. I can't explain it. Eventually you'll understand. And how many later on in life you've come along and you go, oh, I get it now.
[00:42:21] Anybody ever been there? Where you go? I didn't get it. I just kept trusting. And eventually God showed you and you said, now I understood why he did what he did in my life, but at the time I didn't get it. So what ultimately sustains us in life? And he points out to them that the wilderness manna only sustains physical life, but there is a means of sustaining a new quality of life. And he goes on to explain what that is. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. But here's the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. Oh, now they're going to have a misconception of what Jesus is saying here. While the hearers hear jesus to be speaking literally. This is actually a metaphor, and that's an important point. It says. Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?
[00:43:17] He's not talking about cannibalism here, but that's where their heads are at, right? That's what they're hearing. Jesus said then, verily, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
[00:43:29] He says, for whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood is eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh, drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
[00:43:43] Just as the living father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate Manna, and they all died. But whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. And he said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. And there's two things I want to point out, I think, that are important. He said, number one, the manna in the wilderness could only sustain physical life, and what jesus was offering could sustain eternal life. Number two, Jesus is talking about eating his body and drinking his blood. That, if it was taken literally, would be absolutely abhorrent, not only to jewish people, but to everybody.
[00:44:24] Jesus is not talking about literal cannibalism. Rather, the image is one in which his life is a sacrifice on behalf of those who receive him. So then we see two different responses on hearing it. It said, many of his disciples said, this is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?
[00:44:42] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, does this offend you? Okay, now we're getting to offense. This is a good topic. What if you see the son of man ascend to where he was before?
[00:44:55] The spirit gives life. The flesh counts for nothing. The words I've spoken to you. They're full of life and spirit. In other words, I'm not talking about physical things. I'm talking about spiritual truths and reality. Now, the first group of the people there, they stopped following Jesus. Why? Because they're offended. I just put a little note in my thing. Don't get offended.
[00:45:18] Too much offense today, too many people getting offended gets us into trouble. Ff. Bruce says, for Jews, the drinking of blood, even eating the flesh which had blood had been completely drained, was taboo. But drinking the blood of a human being was an idea that ought not even to be mentioned in their minds. And this was a harsh saying in more senses than one.
[00:45:41] The harsh saying cannot be taken literally, since it would seem to be enjoining a crime or a vice. It is therefore a figure of speech, biding us in, communicating the suffering of our Lord and secretly and profitably treasure in our hearts the fact that his flesh was crucified and pierced for us.
[00:46:01] Augustine said that, and he said this. You can sum it all up in a little epigram. Believe. And you have eaten. So in other words, if you believe in Jesus, you're actually eating Jesus.
[00:46:12] Does that make any sense to you? What is he saying? He's saying, if you believe in Jesus, your soul is being eternally nourished by that spiritual food. Christ is our spiritual food. That's what he's trying to tell us. So the first group, they stop following Jesus because they're offended.
[00:46:27] Not a good idea, goes on to say here, yet there are some of you who do not believe. Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the father has enabled him. From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. This whole chapter is about one idea, following Jesus. These were disciples, and they stopped following Jesus. How many people stop following Jesus? And why do they stop following Jesus? They're offended.
[00:47:03] So you have to watch your hearts. Don't take offense.
[00:47:08] And if you don't understand something, keep trusting. You'll figure it out down the road. What was the response of the twelve? I'm coming to an end. I know I'm a minute or two over. It says, you do not want to leave too, do you? Jesus asked the twelve. Simon Peter says, lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the holy one of God. In other words, they've got it right. They know who he is, and they're making that great confession of faith. Jesus replied, have I not chosen you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil. He met Judas, the son of Simon Ascariot, who, though one of the twelve, was later to betray him. But then let's just point out one little thought that I'd never considered before. And again, I was reading Carson, he said. Nevertheless, Peter's way of expressing himself appears somewhat pretentious, as he and his fellows are, as if they were a cut above the others.
[00:48:00] And he goes on to say here, above the fickle disciples who have turned away superior, at least in insight. But Jesus will not even allow a whisper of human pretension. Ultimately, the twelve did not choose Jesus. He chose them, and yet one of them was the devil. And he did that on purpose to fulfill the scripture. Now, how can I make the most out of life, the right goals, the right person, and accepting the challenges that come our way? And how many here? You're a Christian. You've been challenged, and you will continue to be challenged till the day you die physically. Amen. Let's stand.
[00:48:46] So my question is, will we follow Jesus to the very end? And I think we can have an assurance that we can. You say, what's that assurance that we've made up our minds. We have the right now, we're totally committed to Christ. We're saying, not my will, but yours be done. And, you know, think about, you can be praying that every day. Isn't that what Jesus taught us how to know? He basically taught us, your kingdom come, your will be done. That should be my prayer and your prayer every day.
[00:49:23] Amen. Yeah, I'm on your page, God. I'm on your agenda. I'm pursuing the right thing. I can tell you right now, where do you, the very fact that you have that desire, where does that come from?
[00:49:35] Comes from God, is that beautiful. And if you're in this room today and you're going, boy, that's not been where I've been camped.
[00:49:44] Let me tell you something right now. You need to pray and say, God, forgive me, I want to be camped in the right spot.
[00:49:51] If you desire the things of God, where does that come from? Comes from God, and you need to act on it. You need to embrace it, you need to run with it. You need to say, lord, I'm here for you. And I think what we need to do at times in our lives is we need to make a fresh surrender and say, lord, you know what I'm noticing? It's becoming more about me and less about you. How do you notice that happens? Well, I don't spend time with them. I've been drifting. Let me tell you something. It's a dangerous thing to be fooling around in the age in which we're living in.
[00:50:30] You want to stay close.
[00:50:32] You want to daily follow. You want to daily communicate. Amen. You want to grow spiritual. You want to develop.
[00:50:40] You say, why do you want to do that? Because you don't know the challenge that's just right in front of you and it's coming. And if you're walking with him day by day by day, that challenge is not going to take you out. But if you're just following from a great distance, you're going to be taken out. You're going to fail.
[00:50:58] Peter failed. The disciples failed in that hour of testing, did they not? Of course they did, because they didn't really get it. They thought they had it. But that's why Jesus rebuked them. He said, listen, it's not what you're doing. It's what I've done for you. You and I have to make that choice.
[00:51:16] I'm embracing what he's done for me, and I'm serving not because I'm trying to get something from God. I'm serving out of a position of rest. I'm serving out of a position of approval. I'm serving out of a position of love.
[00:51:33] That's how I'm serving. And just with every head bowed right now, I know the spirit of God is speaking to some hearts right now, and you're saying, you know, pastor, today is a day of repentance for me. I need to change my mind about what I've been doing and thinking, and that's you this morning. Just raise your hand. I want to pray with you. That's you. Let's be honest before God. Yeah, that's wonderful. People are responding. It's good. That just tells me that God's working on your heart.
[00:51:59] Let's pray. Lord, thank you this day for your grace and mercy that you shower upon us. And, lord, I pray that you will continue to draw us closer and closer to you, that we will walk with you and trust you and embrace the right goals. We're trusting you because you're the right person. We're trusting in you because we know there's challenges in life that will be continuously presented before us, and we want to follow closely.
[00:52:26] We want to walk in your purposes. We want to do your will. We don't want to just live for the things that are going to disappear anyways. Everything we see is temporal, but that which is unseen is eternal. Your words are eternal, you are eternal, and our soul is eternal. And so, Father, we want to pursue you with all that we are. And we thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. God bless you as you leave.
