Sunday Night-Free Lamb
Place: BLCC
Date: 5/7/17
Text: John 6.22-24
CT: We follow Jesus to know Him not about Him.
FAS: A common theme in modern Christianity has been that head knowledge is how one becomes more adept at following Christ: the more you know, the better you'll do. But in fact, that hasn't proven to be true.
Instead, it seems the Christian life is more like being a baseball shortstop: A young player can watch videos, read books by the greatest shortstops of all time, and listen to coaches lecture on what makes a good shortstop; but what will make him a truly good shortstop is getting out on the field and practicing. The only way he'll really get a feel for the game is to field ground ball after ground ball, to figure out when to play the ball on a short hop, when a pull-hitter is at bat, and how far to cheat toward second base when the double play is on. The more practice he has, the better he'll be.
Getting a "feel for the game" in following Jesus is much the same. You can listen to innumerable sermons and read countless books, but the true transformation happens only when you practice the disciplines that lie at the heart of the faith. As the disciplines are practiced, your life becomes more attuned to God's life, and you become more "at one" with the rhythms of creation. Like a finely trained athlete, you can anticipate the movement on the field; like a world-class pianist, you actually inhabit the music as you take notes on the page and give them life; like an expert carpenter, you run your hands over the grain of the wood and see what this rough cut can become.
Tony Jones, The Sacred Way (Zondervan, 2005), p. 31
LS: Following Jesus is more than knowing about Him, it is about knowing Him. We must become like Him.
John 6.22-24. On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Jesus had become a pretty popular guy. People were swarming around him to see and get some of what he was giving away.
Free food still draws people today. He had just fed thousands of people. You can bet the news of this was spreading like wildfire. When Jesus disappeared the people found boats and starting seeking this Jesus with all the goodies and great miracles He had.
They knew what they wanted. They saw this Jesus as their genie in a bottle. They wanted him to grant their every wish.
They didn’t really care too much about all this talk of God and sure weren’t thinking of serving Him.
They wanted to be served. They wanted free fish and bread and were even wondering if the menu might be expanded a little bit.
You know some lamb chops possibly. Someone had heard that he was bringing the Lamb of God. He even talked about they were to eat this Lamb. They were all about it so they were seeking this Jesus. Free lamb, free show. What more could they want. But they wanted more I guess.
When Jesus began to explain to them what it would take to follow Him they started to back up real fast. Here is what happened.
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
(What is Jesus saying here? He is saying he is as important as God?)
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
(This bread of life stuff was more than these people wanted to hear. Jesus just offered himself for the world and they didn’t get it.)
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
(This was about all some of them could take.)
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
(Only a few stayed and truly followed Jesus. Is that the way it is today? How few are actually following and seeking Jesus today? )
Why do you seek Jesus? Are you just after the free “Lamb”? I capitalize lamb on purpose. Jesus is the Lamb that was sacrificed for us.
Or are you just after what Jesus is giving away? Are you going to sit around and wait for Jesus to grant your every wish? That is not the kind of follower Jesus wants. When we decide to follow Jesus we need to know we are choosing to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Him. Oh don’t get me wrong. There will be many great things to come from following Jesus. Not the least is the free Lamb.
But when we decide to truly follow Jesus we are choosing to die to self and live for His glory. Die to self. Put Jesus first.
We choose to crucify our own lusts and desires of the flesh and live a life that reflects and is more like Jesus in every way. This is what our measure of right and wrong should be.
We must leave all of our little “g” gods behind.
All of our lusts and passions that we would place above Him must be put down.
We must seek only His kingdom and His way of living toward God’s ideal.
It demands your heart, soul and your mind. Jesus says this in Matthew 22.37-39.
Your all and nothing less. No part of your life can be held back from Jesus if you plan to follow Him. That is big.
If you are truly seeking Jesus you will give your all to Him. Jesus will become your first priority.
FIRST PRIORITY. Nothing is to come before Him. Not ballgames. Not camping. Not our stuff. Not even our family. Have you ever had to say no to family to seek Jesus? It happens.
What are you putting ahead of Jesus in your life my friend? What is keeping you from knowing what it means to truly follow and seek the Lord Jesus?
When we get what it means to seek and follow Jesus we realize it is not about me. What a revelation that is. It frees you to serve others in a way you never imagined. When we follow Jesus any praise we receive is like a rose that is smelled and then given back to Him. True followers and seekers know every gift really does come from Him.
So. Why do you seek Him? Be honest with your answer to yourself. Are you following Him for Him to serve you or are you ready to serve Him?
Know that when you follow Jesus he promises to meet your every need. Doesn’t mean there won’t be tough times but you will be guaranteed a positive outcome in the end for sure. (1 Peter 1. 3-9). Someone read that for me.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Jesus is concerned about every area of your life. Not just what you bring on Sunday morning or when you need his help. He wants your all.
He wants you to enjoy life abundantly.
He freely blesses those who follow Him.
Jesus is good and kind.
He is the Father’s Son. His mercies endure forever. Lamentations 3.22-23. Someone read that for me.
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
He is worthy to be followed.
Just be sure you know why you are seeking Him.
And yes, what it will cost. When you accept and know this there is nothing this world can throw at you, which you and Jesus can’t get through.
Truly know and follow Jesus!
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Chadwick, David; Hearing the Voice of God, Seek Jesus chapter; Harvest House Publishers, 2016, Print
