FAITH BELIEVES THE “HARD TEACHINGS” (Outline)
August 17 2008 --
PENTECOST 14 --
John 6:60-69
INTRO: One basic meaning for the word faith = trust. Everyone has faith in regards to the word trust. Each and every day people trust that certain things are going to happen. This is faith in the ordinary events of every day. The sun will rise and set. The days will come and go. The car will start. Work will be waiting to be done. This is faith or trust in the ordinary. There is also faith or trust in the extraordinary. We might call extraordinary trust Christian faith. Scripture has a simple definition for the faith of the Christian. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"(HEBREWS 11:1). The words of our text remind us:
FAITH BELIEVES THE “HARD TEACHINGS”.
I. Many decide to reject (Christ and his word).
II. God’s Spirit gives life (through Christ’s words).
I. MANY DECIDE TO REJECT
A. John 6 begins with the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus then explains he is the true Bread.
1. Jesus gives his flesh for food and his blood for drink. This was a hard teaching for many.
2. Verse 60. Humanly and reasonably speaking none could/would accept such a teaching.
B. Verse 61. Jesus knows their doubt, their questioning, and the hardening of hearts that is starting.
1. Jesus asks: “Is this a stumbling block to you?” “Will you stumble at the truth?”
2. Verse 62. There are even harder things that will be known only by faith.
C. Verse 63a. These followers were relying on their reason and strength. It counted for nothing.
1. Jesus is very blunt, verse 64. Some do not believe. This also included Judas, the betrayer.
2. In verse 66 many followers decided to reject the Christ. They were “too wise”.
D. Our society today places a very high value on education. It is hard to get ahead in this life without a degree of one kind or another. At least that is the philosophy and practice in our nation. The learned, the professors, and the scientists often use their “intelligence” to oppose God and his wisdom. This is not a new problem. "The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?"(JEREMIAH 8:9). Sin traps us. Sin is nothing less than saying that we are wiser than God. Sin says we do not have to listen to what God and his word says. Sin says we will do what we want, when we want in order to please only ourselves.
E. The world around us presents all kinds of challenges to our Christian living. The world offers all kinds of temptation that can seem more appealing than what God has to say. Satan is behind it all. Satan wants us to give up on God and give in to the world. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:4). At times we are blinded by the lure of money, power, glory, and honor. “Going for the gold” can become an all-consuming passion. In our Christian walk and race the crown we strive for is not temporary but eternal. Sadly, many reject Christ and his saving word. This is a “hard teaching”.
F. How can it be that anyone would not want eternal life? Why would anyone reject what God freely gives? This is a “hard teaching” to truly comprehend. We consider ourselves an advanced society and educated people. Earthly wisdom and human intelligence often denies the simple message of salvation. "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts"(GALATIANS 4:18). Mankind hardens his heart against the truth of God’s word. Sin causes us to deny Christ. Sin causes us to act in ignorance. God’s simple truth is that mankind has only one choice concerning his eternal salvation. That one choice is rejection. It is by grace that God wants all men to be saved. It is by man’s hardness of heart that God is ignorantly rejected. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice in the perfect world of the Garden of Eden. Will or can any of us really expect to make any better decisions in our sinful world today?
FAITH BELIEVES THE “HARD TEACHINGS”.
Sadly many reject Christ and his saving word.
II. GOD’S SPIRIT GIVES LIFE
A. Jesus describes himself as the Bread of life. Many disciples (= followers) decide to reject and leave.
1. Verse 63. Jesus emphasizes that his words are “spirit and they are life”. He is no impostor.
2. These very words of Jesus are what they absolutely needed to hear, know, and believe.
B. They would not, could not believe on their own, verse 65. The Father would bring them to faith.
1. This is God’s choice of grace for them that they would believe.
2. God chose them they did not choose him. God’s Spirit gives life not man’s strength.
C. Many rejected. Verse 67. Jesus is direct with the twelve disciples. “Will you leave also?”
1. Note that the Twelve are mentioned (includes unbelieving Judas = a chance to repent).
2. Verses 68, 69. There is no other place to go. Christ has the words of eternal life.
3. Christ is the very Son of God. This was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit ( = gives life).
D. “Christ is the way and the truth and the life.’ “ There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” The simplicity of salvation for mankind is a “hard teaching” beyond the grasp of earthly minds. Many rejected Jesus because he had become a stumbling block to them. This is a hard teaching in Scripture: Christ is the cornerstone of the holy Christian church for believers but Christ is also the stone rejected by others. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes"(PSALM 118:22,23). God’s Spirit gives life to our faith.
E. We always, always need to remember that God saves purely and freely by his divine grace, mercy, and favor. Our eternal salvation is so very, very important that God cannot entrust this to our own doing or decision. Rather God saves us in spite of ourselves. As sinners we do not deserve heaven. As sinners we cannot earn eternity. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy"(TITUS 3:4,5a). God’s Spirit gives our faith life. We know, believe and confess heaven is our home because of God’s undeserved love.
F. Once more we need to emphasize and re-emphasize that God’s Spirit gives life. Mankind is born into a sinful world with a sinful heart. Mankind starts out life as an enemy of the gospel of Christ. We start out our earthly lives as children of the devil. There is little hope and really no chance for anyone to save themselves. Praise God for his saving grace. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws"(EZEKIEL 36:26,27). Faith believes this “hard teaching” that we cannot save ourselves. Faith believes that we are saved by grace – none can boast.
CONC.: God’s grace is truly amazing. We feel good about ourselves whenever we do something good. It can be difficult to overcome that feeling concerning salvation. Our reason and human thinking wants us to believe that there must be something we have to do to save ourselves. No. We cannot save ourselves. The only choice that man has is rejection. God already has made his divine choice. God has already sent his Son, the Christ to pay for the sins of the whole world. This is extraordinary. The Spirit works faith in our hearts to believe this extraordinary truth of God’s holy word. By God’s gift of faith we now believe in the extraordinary just as boldly and confidently as we have trust (faith) in the ordinary events of this world. "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God"(1 JOHN 5:4,5). Saving faith is simple – “Jesus is the Son of God”! FAITH BELIEVES THE “HARD TEACHINGS”. Many decide to reject Christ and his words. By grace God’s Spirit gives us faith and life by believing in Christ and his words. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF /
10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
PENT. 14 readings:
EXODUS. 6:2-8;
ROMANS 11:33-36;
MATTHEW 16:13-20;
(PSALM 34)
