***GOING AWAY FROM JESUS***
John 6:67-68
Dorn Ridge September 9, 2012
(Much of this message is a remake of a sermon by the late Medford Conley)
INTRODUCTION:
1.) Why do souls go away from Jesus?
2.) On one occasion when many of the disciples of Jesus had deserted Him, Jesus turned to the disciples and said: “Will you also desert me?” Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of Eternal life.” (John 6:67-68)
A.) That day there were large multitudes following Jesus. But as the day progressed, Jesus addressed the subject of what it cost to follow Him.
aa.) The more Jesus spoke of what it meant to follow Him, the larger the number of people who were starting to turn their backs on Jesus, and no longer desire to follow Him.
3.) Today, I want to ask you a personal question: What is your relationship with Jesus, the Saviour and Master?
A.) Everyone must have personal relations with Him.
aa.) We are either His friend or his foe.
ab.) We are either for Him, or against Him.
4.) This text presents us with two questions to ask today?
A.) Why do people go away from Jesus? and
B.) Where do they go when they leave Jesus?
I. WHY DO PEOPLE GO AWAY FROM JESUS?
1.) People go away from Jesus because He reveals what is in their hearts.
A.) The heart that is full of sin does not want to hear of the holy standard that God has for a person’s life.
B.) These people listening to Jesus said “This is a hard
saying; Who can accept it?”
ba.) The people of that day turned away from Jesus because they objected to His teachings.
C.) Christ and the Gospel are very popular when it meets our expectations of who Jesus is.
D.) But the problem is that the Gospel was never intended to please man, but to save Him.
da.) When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is pleasing to us, and keeps us comfortable it is something that we find good and enjoyable.
db.) Jesus said He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
db.) If that is the ultimate mission of Jesus Christ, is to seek and to save that which is lost, then at times Jesus, and His Gospel message will be offensive to people.
dc.) Christ wants to raise man up to a higher level than what he is on.
dca.) When we are being raised to higher standards, and levels of holiness we are going to become uncomfortable.
dd.) We are also going to come to the realization that where we have been, may have in fact been in sin.
de.) The people in that multitude in front of Jesus were being challenged to a higher life that what they had had. Sadly, the call of Jesus Christ to a level higher than what we want to live and experience turns people off.
df.) That is why many that day turned their backs on Jesus, and his message.
2.) Sometimes people go away from Christ because the fear of the people is greater than their fear of God.
A.) Pilate went against not only Jesus, but also his own conscience when he gave in to have Jesus crucified.
aa.) Pilate was a man who was more afraid of the people, than he was afraid of God. ab.) The people cried out “If you let this man go you are no friend of Caesar.”
B.) Before this trial had ever taken place Jesus gave warning on fearing man more than God.
ba.) Matt. 10: 28
C.)John 9:19-22
D.) Even many of the religious leaders had come to believe in Jesus, yet their fear of man was greater than their fear of God.
da.) John 12:42
E.) Sadly, in every generation of Christianity there have been those who have gone away from Jesus because they feared man more than they feared God.
3.) Many go away from following Jesus because of doubts, and fears concerning Him and His teachings.
A.) The multitude walked away from Jesus that day. They said this is a hard saying.
B.) There are many who have heard and been taught certain teachings in different churches.
ba.)Sometimes when these people are presented with the teachings of the Word of God, they see it as a hard teaching, and different than what they have been taught.
bb.) Even in the presence of Scripture they will walk away, because the truth of the Word of God is different than what they had taught to be correct.
C.) If a man will come to God with the right attitude, an honest heart, and an open mind in the sight of God, He will be delivered from every doubt, and fear, and uncertainty before him.
4.) Many go away from Christ through the power of sensual enjoyment.
A.) The pleasures of sin for a season can cause people to go away from Christ.
B.) When people are living in states of sinfulness, they are uncomfortable to be in the presence of Jesus Christ.
ba.) When a person is in that state he has to make one of two choices: He will either repent of his sinfulness and turn to Christ, or he will forsake Christ in order to engage further in sin.
bb.) In Scripture, the account of the Prodigal illustrates well this principle.
bba.) The Prodigal son knew the word and will of His father yet chose to leave that way, for the way of sin.
5.) Many go away from Christ because of procrastination.
A.) Perhaps the greatest tool Satan has as a thief in the souls of men is procrastination.
aa.) To convince people of the need to accept and follow Jesus Christ, but just not yet is a powerful lie that Satan has used to bring countless souls into hell.
ab.) There are many people who plan on coming to Christ, but still decide to wait just a bit longer.
ac.) But as people wait and put off this decision eventually the heart becomes less responsive to the call of Christ, and eventually time for that person is no more, and the time to choose Christ is then forever past.
B.) This brings us to our second question from this passage of Scripture:
II. WHERE DO PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY GO AWAY FROM CHRIST?
1.) If they are Christians, they go into backsliding.
A.) The bible lists many people who went into backsliding.
aa.) King Solomon was the wisest man who lived, and in many ways more blessed by God than most that have ever been on this earth, yet for much of his life King Solomon was a backslider.
ab.)Samson was a man who had become a backslider.
ac.) In the history of the Church there have been many who have backslid from Christ.
ad.) In the Churches across this land there are those who even as recently as this year have been worshipping and serving Christ, but are now backsliding.
B.) When a Christian begins to back slide there are two directions he can take.
ba.) The ideal is that he will repent of his sin and wickedness, and come back to Jesus Christ.
baa.) Certainly that is the ideal and best, and to be in fellowship with God, and receive forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.
bb.) The other thing that can happen is that he can continue in that downward spiral of sin until he will not come back to Christ.
bba.) If that becomes the case, this person is in the same condition as the one who has never come to Christ in the first place.
2.) Where do they go who go away from Christ?
A.) Ultimately, that person will die in his sins.
aa.) John 8:24
ab.) To die in sin either as a Christian who has forsaken Christ or a nonchristian who has never accepted Jesus Christ means
that you are doing it alone on the day
of Judgment.
ac.) It means that when you come before the
presence of God Jesus will not be
there as you friend, your advocate, or
your Saviour.
B.) Where does the person go who goes away from
Christ?
ba.) At the final day, that person sadly will forever go from the presence of God into the lake of burning fire prepared never for man, but only for Satan, and his angels.
bb.) God has never intended for man to be put into hell. This was only for the angels who followed Satan in his rebellion from God, and God’s authority.
bba.) Matt.25:41
C.) This is not how it needs to be.
ca.) On the cross, Jesus has already paid the penalty for every person from their sins.
cb.) On Calvary, Jesus paid for the redemption of every man, so that none would ever have to enter into hell.
cc.) God never provided redemption for these angels and for Satan that had fallen from him.
cd.) But God so loved the world that He gave his only beloved son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Today is a day of decision.
2.) It is a day when every person in this room will make a choice to either walk in fellowship with Christ having his forgiveness, or to be like that multitude who said to Jesus this is a hard saying, who can accept it, and walk away from the one who died for you.
3.) What choice and way will you choose today?
