Introduction:
I. Why do people follow Christ?
II. We might expect that any reason people respond to Christ would be a good reason, but that is not always the case.
III. One of the more interesting facts about “church” life that I have observed is that there are many reason why people “follow” Christ, but if the reasons are not right, they may soon fall away.
IV. Now I realize that I may seem to be equating the church with Christ.
A. But please understand that I do not believe the two to be the same.
B. I do however believe, that followers of Christ will have a sincere desire to fellowship with others who make up the Bride of Christ.
V. So why do people follow Christ, and thus perhaps associate with a particular church.
A. Some follow for what they can get; these we will call “Materialist”
1. They believe they will receive
a. Health
b. Wealth
c. Restoration
d. And whatever else, in the context of this life.
2. You know these churches and their followers by messages that are more related to “God doesn’t want you to be poor,” as opposed to “God wants you to enjoy a relationship with him.
B. Some follow, we might even say with a sincere desire, because they are offered a set of rules that will help them be closer to God; these we will call the “Legalist”.
1. For those types, they want concrete rules for godliness.
2. These are reflected by messages focusing on loss of relationship or even salvation because you broke the rules.
3. The ultimate expression of the “rules” set are cults where we see a Charismatic leader exert his laws, and people that willingly follow.
C. Some follow for the excitement; these we will call “Sensationalist”
1. These folks are in it for the emotional exuberance that is on display each week.
2. They often attend services because it is exciting, and an escape from the mundane of life.
VI. The passage of scripture that we are going to look at this morning, is one of the longer passages I have ever tried to preach in one setting.
A. We begin with John chapter 6, verse 22.
B. It concludes with John 6, verse 71.
VII. In the first part of the passage a multitude of people, those that Christ has just fed, go off looking for Jesus.
VIII. In concludes with Jesus asking of his apostles, “You don’t want to leave too” because many of the crowd that came looking, left when they decided Jesus wasn’t going to be their “sugar daddy.”
IX. You see, the problem with following Christ for the wrong reasons is that once we decide Jesus isn’t paying off, we leave.
X. When the Word of God says something we don’t like, it immediately becomes way to difficult to stay in it for the long haul.
XI. This entire passage is essentially Jesus’ response to three misconceptions about being a follower of God.
XII. The first misconception is “Materialism.”
A. My dictionary gives this definition for materialism.
B. “A tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.”
The Answer to Materialism (vs. 22-27)
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 it with his disciples. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
I. The context is this, Jesus has just fed the 5000.
A. He and the apostles then departed for Capernaum.
B. The people, realizing that Jesus had just filled their stomachs, ie. Met a material need, decide to follow after Him.
1. After all, if He fed them with nothing once, surely he would want to continue to give them full bellies.
2. Isn’t that what love is.
II. The people fill some arriving boats and head out to find their meal ticket.
A. The “when did you get here?” of verse 25 actually hides their real question,
1. Oh, they are concerned with what Jesus has been up to, but not because He is God.
2. Their real question is “Why did you leave us to fend for ourselves.”
B. We know this because of Jesus response to their question in verse 26.
1. “You’re not looking for me because you have believed the signs I did, you’re following because you want more food.”
2. We also know this to be true from verse 34, “Sir, from now on, give us this food.”
III. “From now on.”
A. It means, “Never stop,
B. You have fed us once, now we want you to continue to feed us.”
IV. Human nature often results in some interesting habits.
V. In the days of Christ, Rome had instituted a program they called the Bread of Peace.
A. Just as in every culture, Rome had it’s share of hungry, homes, jobless people.
1. In order to avoid riots, the government decided they would provide the people with food and some other “necessities” of life.
2. They only problem was, the more the people got, the more they wanted.
B. It’s not different today with government programs, even those with the best of intentions.
1. The welfare system offers money to people in need, but for many, as long as the money comes in, the reluctance to work only becomes stronger.
2. And who of us is not guilty on one level or another.
a. As my daughter plans for college, and we are planning how to pay for it, I sometimes get caught in
(1) “Why doesn’t the government make more money available for me?”
(2) I am somewhat reluctant to ask the question, “Why didn’t I plan better all along?”
(3) Why should the government give me anything for her education?
(4) I received a letter from Focus on the Family that outlined a few programs that our government give money too, and I say, “If they didn’t give so much money to subsidize butterfly research, they would have more money to subsidize me.”
C. But why should they subsidize anyone?
D. Why haven’t we learned to take care of ourselves?
VI. That was the essence of what these people were saying to Christ.
A. We want you to subsidize us.
B. We want you to become our king, and take care of us in this life.
VII. Jesus’ response
A. Verse 35 - “I am the bread of life.”
B. In verses 53-58 he says, “You are looking for bread for this materialistic life, but I am the REAL bread that offers eternal life.
VIII. Many come to have their materialistic needs met, but if their expectations are not met, they soon fall away.
IX. The answer for the “Materialist is “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
X. Some come for materialistic reasons, but some come to have their ego’s stroked; this we call the Legalism.
The Answer For the “Legalist” (vs. 28,29, 37, 44)
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this; to believe in the one he has sent.”
I. When Jesus explained that he didn’t come to be their perpetual food supply, some must have figured that if God provided bread through Moses, and now He could supply bread through Jesus, all they had to do was be as good as those two, and God would supply their needs through them.
II. Their question makes sense doesn’t it? What must we do to do the works that make God happy?”
III. Keep God happy, and He in turn will keep us happy.
IV. Many people live for the rules.
A. The Pharisee’s lived for the rules.
1. For the Pharisee - If pleasing God meant walking one mile, then waling five must be even better/
2. Or more accurately - If pleasing God meant reserving the Sabbath for rest and worship, then here is a list of things you can’t do on the Sabbath, or you will suffer the wrath of someone.
V. We see legalist today as well.
A. Some drink Kook-aide, because some megla-maniac says this will please God.
B. Legalism is certainly not dead and probably won’t be for some time to come.
VI. For the Legalist, it is far more satisfying to say, “I have the ability to please God within my own power,” than to say, “I am a sinner, hopelessly lost without the grace of God.
VII. Christ had an answer for the Legalist looking to please God.
A. Vs. 29 - “The work of God...” that is the work that pleases God, is, “to believe in the One He has sent” Jesus Christ.
B. For if you believe, you will receive “life giving bread”
VIII. So we may say “OK, I’ll believe” but Jesus wanted to make sure that all the glory, all the praise and all the honor is directed towards God.
A. In verse 37, Jesus says, “All that the Father gives me will come...”
1. Not just anyone that wants to come.
2. If I am reading this correctly, not even just anyone can believe.
3. A call from God is required, and a response to that call is required.
B. Look at verse 44 - “No one can come to me unless the Father ...draws him.”
C. All the praise, all the honor, all the glory; it’s all left in the hands of God.
IX. Some attempt to follow Christ through standards of Legalism, based on the power they believe resides within themselves.
X. The answer for the Legalist is that God is not approached on the basis of what we do to please Him.
XI. God is approached through the basis of a relationship that is built in response to His call on my life.
XII. I hope you are not a Materialist, looking for what you can get.
XIII. I hope you are not a Legalist, wanting to please God based on your own goodness,
XIV. And I hope you are not a Sensationalist, following God based on the excitement of the moment. The Answer for the Sensationalist
I. Verse 30 shows a third group of people that had followed Him to the shoreline that day.
A. “What miraculous sign will you do to cause us to believe?
B. What will you do?
II. Now remember,
A. We are probably into the second year of Jesus ministry.
B. What are a few of the things that Jesus has done in that two years,
1. Only healed the lame,
2. Given sight to the blind,
3. Healed men, women and children by the words of his mouth.
C. Within the past few days, he has fed thousands with only enough for one.
D. Walked on water
E. The list could go on and on, and yet the people say, “What sign will you give us that will cause us to believe.”
F. It’s a good thing Christ was not only fully human but also fully God, because the man part of him must have been saying, “I’d like to slap the taste out of your mouth.”
III. A couple of months ago, I got a DVD from a church worship service.
A. The church is someplace in Texas is considered to be the fastest growing church in the United States right now.
B. I received the DVD to encourage me to look at “NEW” methods and additions to worship.
IV. Now again, don’t misunderstand what I am saying here.
A. I believe the church must be relevant to society.
B. I enjoy my share of new music, electric guitars, keyboards and vocals.
C. I would even enjoy a bit of dance, smoke and lights.
V. The problem with some of these things however is when people become more enamored with the trappings of worship than with the object of worship.
VI. Also don’t get me wrong, we can become just as enamored with what is not allowed in worship as we can with what is allowed in.
A. To many people get upset at church because something new is added to worship, and honestly,
B. In some cases people can get upset because of what is not added.
VII. How do you add to the message that God loves us so much that He sent His son to die, and then works in our hearts to call us into a relationship with Him that gives us eternal life?
VIII. A few ways you might recognize a sensationalist.
A. They are more excited about the music, skits, the glitz, the glamour and even with the speaker, that with the content of what is being presented.
B. Sensationalist are the ones that want to go from one mountain top to the next and believe they should be protected from the valleys in between.
Be A Lifer
66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 “And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
I. To many people who follow Christ may be Materialist, to many may be Legalist, and certainly to many are Sensationalist, but one thing is true of those who follow for these reasons.
A. They often fall away when their expectations are not met, or
B. Jesus answered questionns with truth, but the truth was too hard to swallow.
II. Grumbling took place, and verse 66 says, “Many of his disciples withdrew.”
III. Jesus question to the Apostels in verse 67 makes perfect sense, and forces them to come to the truth.
IV. Jesus was looking for followers, but the followers He is looking for, we might call “Lifers”
V. Peter’s answer to Christ’s quiry is “To whom shall we go? You (Implication “only You”) have the words of eternal life.”
A. What Peter was saying, perhaps somewhat pre-maturely was,
1. We are not looking for what we can get from the experience.
2. We don’t need any more rules for living.
3. We are not looking for the super-natural and miraculous
B. What we are looking for is “Life” a relationship with God found only in following you, regardless of where that goes.
VI. The Apostles would eventually prove to struggle with the truth of those words as well, but their hearts were right.
Conclusion:
VII. What are you looking for from following Christ?
VIII. Certainly in following we can experience many things, many really great and exciting things, but ultimately, there is really on one that I want, and that is the eternal relationship that comes through belief.
