Does Your Elevatgr Go All The Way To The Top

PP0202

DOES YOUR ELEVATOR GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP?

John 6:60-66

Joh 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.(KJV)

Jesus is preparing His disciples for the coming deays that would bring difficult time for them. Nearly all of them turned back when the going got real rough.

INTRODUCTION: I know you have heard the various clichés that deal with a person not being mentally stable. Such statements are:

My message has an unusual title:

A. “He Doesn’t Deal With A Full Deck Of Cards.”

B. “He Doesn’t Have A Full String Of Fish.”

C. “He Is One Brick Shy Of A Full Load.”

D. “The Porch Light Is On, But No One Is At Home.”

E. “His Cornbread Is Only Half Baked.”

F. “His Bucket Doesn’t Reach The Bottom Of The Well.”

G. “His Elevator Doesn’t Go All The Way To The Top.”

There are a hundred of such sayings, but I want to use this as a springboard to ask you a question concerning your degree of dedication to the Lord.

“Does your elevator go all the way to the top?

I got the idea for this sermon one day while visiting Baptist Hospital. There are ten floors in that hospital and six different elevators. The person I was going to see that day was on the tenth floor. By the time the elevator came several people had gathered, also waiting for the elevator. I suppose ten, maybe twelve others. The door opened and we got on. We were crowded up like sardines in a can. Various buttons were pushed designating the desired floors. The car stopped at the second floor and one or two people got off. Then it stopped at the fourth floor where two more got off. The fifth and the sixth floor, and so on. By the time it reached the tenth floor I was the only one left on the elevator car. Everyone else had gotten off. Then I began to think it is only natural that the higher the elevator goes the less number of people will be on it when it gets to the top floor. Everyone won’t go to the top floor.

I thought about the same principal in the spiritual realm. A lot of people get on at the ground floor. But by the time we get to the top only a few are left. Most will get off somewhere along the way.

I have noticed this: The further, or the higher I attempt to take our church, or maybe I should say the closer to God, the more holiness, I try to teach it seems like several get off somewhere during the journey. The more committed I attempt to get the membership the fewer who want to make the trip.

(Isa 54:2 KJV) "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;" When I attempt to enact this verse I always encounter resistance from some. The closer we get to the desired goal the fewer there are that are with me. Some say, “Bro. Ivan, or Preacher, we want to be a Christian, and a church member, we want to go to church, and have all of the fellowship of the church, but we didn’t intend to go this far.”

Mostly, the exit is due to the compromise of the individual, or perhaps it is because of standards exercised by the church. The farther we go into the will, the work, and the word of God the more there are that turn back. (John 6:66 KJV) "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." They got off the elevator at intermediate floors.

Most of Christianity will not subject themselves to the complete will of God. They want to play around on the outer edge. It is easier to get off from the outer edge. Not as many can see them get off. It doesn’t require as much dedication to play on the rim.