John 6:25-59
How to Lose Friends and Make Enemies
Intro – With Friends Like That…
Recently I had a dream. My friend Corey and I were hunting with a group of friends. We paired off in groups of two and went to our assigned location to hunt. Later that evening Corey returned alone, staggering under the weight of a huge eight point buck.
All the other guys asked Corey, "Where's Terry?"
He replied, "Terry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."
"What? You left Terry lying out there and carried the deer back!?!"
"It was a tough call," nodded Corey, "but I figured no one is going to steal Terry."
Obviously, Corey wasn’t going to win many friends with his hunting “abilities” among his friends!
The book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, was a best seller in the motivational market. It appealed to many and has been emulated for years.
And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:25-40
If you want to make lose friends and enemies of the world…
Proclaim the Exclusive Works of Jesus. 25-40
The Bible describes Jesus as the exclusive way of salvation. There is no other way. However, there is a gospel which describes man’s pursuit.
There is the Anthropocentric Gospel.
An anthropocentric gospel is a man centered gospel. (26) It’s all about me! It’s often described as the Prosperity Gospel. This gospel is a “name it, claim it” gospel. You deserve it because God wants you to have it.
Then there is the Works Gospel. (28) This gospel is grace plus, plus. That’s grace plus baptism or grace plus works, or grace plus moral goodness. This gospel is as dangerous as any other false religion.
Then there is the Charismatic Gospel. (30) This gospel proclaims that you must exhibit the gospel of the miraculous. You must speak in tongues, handle snakes, heal the deaf or raise the dead to prove you have salvation. You must believe that God wants to make you healthy, wealthy and wise in THIS world!
Then you have the true gospel which is the Christocentric Gospel.
The gospel is centered in and focused upon Jesus Christ. It is His work on the cross defeating the penalty of sin, the power of sin and ultimately the presence of sin. He is the focal point in our relationship with the Father.
Notice His Authentication in verse 27. God the Father set His seal of approval on Jesus. Jesus authenticated His Lordship by the miraculous works He performed.
Then notice His Affirmation in verse 29. Your purpose in knowing God is trusting in Jesus. This is the work of God. It doesn’t get any simpler than this…accept Christ as the Promised One!
And there is His Articulation in verses 32-40. Here we find Jesus declaring Himself as the Bread of God. Born in Bethlehem (House of Bread), the city of David, Jesus is the True Bread come down from heaven. All who partake of the Living Bread will never be thrown away. Receiving Christ is the only way.
“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.” John 6:41-58
A second way to make lose friends and enemies of the world is to…
Profess the Explosive Words of Jesus 41-59
Be adamant! Be persistent! Jesus is Lord! These words are like unstable nitroglycerine in a bottle riding in a runaway train. They are explosive because the world hates Him!
We understand the Problem with His words as found in verses 41-42, 52, 59. The people didn’t like the words Jesus spoke. They understood completely that He was claiming to be God. They ridiculed Him by questioning His parentage. They thought they knew that Joseph was the father of Jesus. They questioned the metaphor of the eating of His flesh. They didn’t understand. They were spiritually blind. One would think those in the synagogue would have insight into His words. However, being a member of the synagogue didn’t make them any more insightful than church members today.
Notice, the Promise of His words in verses 43-47. The one who receives Christ as Savior will never regret the decision. Three things one must do to receive Him as the Living Bread of Life.
You must Accept Him as Savior, Appropriate Him as Savior and Assimilate Him as Savior on a daily basis.
In verses 48-51, notice the Power of His words. Jesus claimed to be the bread of life that everyone needs. Bread was a daily substance for living in that age. He then claimed he was the living bread which gives life for all eternity.
Finally, examine the Picture through His Words in verses 53-58. Jesus said it was necessary for one to eat His flesh if they desired eternal life. The Jews in Moses’ time was provided by God a daily bread of substance. The people in Jesus’ day desired the same bread. But Jesus was offering something infinitely better. He was offering Himself as eternal bread by sacrificing Himself on the cross.
Interesting thoughts:
Bread is useless if not eaten and digested; as is spiritual truth!
Hunger prompts eating; as does spiritual thirst and hunger!
Food becomes part of digestive system nourishing the body; as does appropriating Christ as a daily part of your life!
Eating involves trust; implies believing in Jesus!
Eating is personal, not by proxy; trusting is personal! You cannot eat bread for someone else. They must do it themselves!
