INTRODUCTION
• VIDEO CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we continue with our Great Complaints series, we are going to hit on a subject that we all face as we strive to follow Jesus.
• The text today offers us important insights concerning our walk with as well as the pressure we face today to modify the teachings of the Bible so that we can be more accepted by society.
• The message is entitled REJECTING JESUS. The text deals with what we face as Christians on a daily basis.
• We will be on John 6:23-69 today. This narrative takes place after Jesus has fed the 5,000 and after He walked on water in the presence of the disciples.
• SLIDE #2 MAP
• According to Luke 9:10, the feeding of the 5,000 took place near Bethsaida. Scholars are not sure if the Feeding took place in Bethsaida Julias or Bethsaida Galilee.
• I am more inclined to lean toward Bethsaida Galilee for many reasons, but nonetheless, I want to point this out to you on the map because our narrative takes place the next day in Capernaum.
• The crowd had followed Jesus from Bethsaida to Capernaum.
• Word had spread quickly down to Tiberias.
• When the crowds could not find Jesus nor His disciples, they all headed out to Capernaum looking for Him.
• The crowd was excited to find Jesus. They ask Jesus when He arrived in Capernaum?
• Jesus does not answer them, but rather makes a statement.
• SLIDE #3
• John 6:26–27 (CSB) — 26 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”
• Now the crowd responds in verse 28 wanting to know what they can do to perform the works of God?
• SLIDE #4
• John 6:29–34 (CSB) — 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.” 30 “What sign, then, are you going to do so we may see and believe you?” they asked. “What are you going to perform? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
• The Series title is Great Complaints. So, to cut to chase, the Great Complaint, which will lead many of Jesus’ followers to reject Him was that Jesus was going teach some things they did not like.
• This builds to what we are going to cover today.
• SLIDE #5
SERMON
I. What is my motivation for following Jesus.
• This crowd traveled a pretty decent distance to come and see Jesus.
• Jesus goes right to the heart of the matter.
• “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
• When I have read this before, I used to wonder why Jesus did not applauded them for their effort to see Him.
• This though dovetails into some things I have been saying about the motivation behind what we do in life.
• One would think Jesus would just be happy that the folks went to great effort to come; however, for Jesus, the motivation for why we do what we do is the most important aspect of our faith.
• Imagine if, when you came into, I went to you and said, you are not here for the correct reason? Would that put a damper on your morning?
• I would venture to say that many would just walk right out the door.
• Our motivation for following Jesus will determine how deep we are willing to go with Him.
• If we are following Jesus for the wrong reason, what He demands of us will be impossible, it will be hard to swallow and it will be hard to follow.
• If we are following Jesus for the correct reason, even though what He teaches us to do is difficult, we will be committed to doing it and teaching it.
• In verse 28 the crowd more or less inquires as to what is the correct motivation, and Jesus tells them in verses 29-58.
• This is where it gets tough.
• He tells the crowd that they are to believe in Him.
• They then ask for a sign as to why they should believe in Him.
• Then said their ancestors ate manna from heaven. That this authenticated Moses as God’s man.
• Jesus then informs them that God rather than Moses provided the manna, and that the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
• Of course, the crowd wants that bread.
• Jesus says He is the bread of life and that whoever comes to Him will never be hungry or thirsty again!
• Then He chastises them a bit by telling them the crowd that they have seen Him and still do not believe.
• He says in verse 40 that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life!
• Now Jesus has hit a sore spot.
• SLIDE #6
• John 6:41–43 (CSB) — 41 Therefore the Jews started complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves.
• Houston, we have a problem.
• Jesus is teaching the folks things they do not like. He is risking followers if He does not act fast, He needs to change the message, He needs to back down and give the people what they want lest they walk away.
• Isn’t that the same thing we face today. When politicians tell us we must be tolerant, yet will not tolerate what we teach, even going so far as to Senator Sanders did in saying a man was not qualified to serve in Government because of his Christian faith?
• So what will Jesus do, what should we do when people do not like what Jesus teaches concerning the social hot button issues of today?
• Shouldn’t we acquiesce and change with the times so people will accept us?
• SLIDE #7
II. Popularity cannot be a priority when following Jesus.
• We face the same issue Jesus is dealing with, people grumbling or complaining about what we teach concerning creation, marriage, sexual preference, abortion, physical relations outside of marriage, etc.….
• Some feel like we have to change with the times and accept all behaviors as being ok with God.
• What does Jesus do when faced with folks opposing His teachings?
• In verse 43, Jesus tells the crowd to stop complaining, not a good way to start a sermon.
• Jesus does something fascinating, He does not back down, He does not dumb down, or water down the message.
• As a matter of fact, Jesus double downs, He bores down deep with His message to the point where He said something that sets them off!
• He compares Himself to the manna from heaven, He said those who ate the manna, eventually died.
• Then He said whoever eats the bread that comes from heaven now, will not die.
• In verse 52 the Jews were arguing again!
• SLIDE #8
• John 6:52–56 (CSB) 52 At that, the Jews argued among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55 because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
• So, when faced with being popular or being on the right track, Jesus sacrificed popularity for the truth.
• Folks, no matter how hard you want something that is contrary to God’s word to be true, it is not true.
• No matter what sin we want to say God is ok with, He is not.
• No matter how we want to redefine what God has defined to make it acceptable, God does not accept it.
• How do I know this, because it is written in the Word!
• The church has little impact on society because many have invented Burger King Jesus, or ME Jesus, where we hold the pickles and hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us.
• We CANNOT back down, water down or dumb down the truth of God and expect to impact the world for Jesus!
• We have to lovingly stand for the truth, to stand with and for Jesus!
• We will suffer short-term popularity loss; however, in the long run we will help deliver people from the terrible bondage and consequences of sin.
• We will help bring them into God’s glorious kingdom and help them to enjoy eternal life in heaven!
• What happens, in verse 60 we see…
• SLIDE #9
• John 6:60–61 (CSB) — 60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?” 61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you?
• EVEN HIS DISCIPLES WERE COMPLAINING!
• This leads us to our final observation!
• SLIDE #10
III. Following the authentic Jesus demands a decision.
• WE have to make a decision, we have to decide to follow the authentic Jesus, or Me or Burger King Jesus.
• If you want to go with the flow of the world, then you have decided not to follow the authentic Jesus.
• When something is authentic, it loses its value when you add new stuff to it.
• The simple act of restoring a firearm can diminish its value significantly.
• Ladies, do you want a Diamell or a diamond engagement ring?
• If you had the money to purchase Van Gogh’s Starry Night, worth anywhere from 100 to 300 million from so quick checking it, would you pay that if someone took that master piece and added Dogs Playing Poker on the painting, or if the previous owner cut out 40% of the painting? Or if it was just a replica of the original?
• When you take a valuable masterpiece and mess with it, you ruin its value.
• When we take the authentic Jesus, and add and subtract from Him, we reader Him worthless!
• Following the authentic Jesus requires a decision be made, following Him requires sacrifice and focus, but the rewards are out of this world.
• Verse 66 tells us something sad, that from that moment, MANY of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.
• They decided, they wanted to follow something what was not real, they rejected Jesus because He did not teach what they wanted to hear.
• Jesus then turns to the Twelve.
• SLIDE #11
• John 6:66–69 (CSB) — 66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
• They made their decision. As the crowd of people was leaving, these men decided to follow the Authentic Jesus!
• What will you decide?
CONCLUSION
• We live in a time where is it getting increasingly difficult to follow the authentic Jesus.
• Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4
• SLIDE #12
• 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (CSB) — 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.
• If we are going to have an impact for Jesus, we have to stand for and with the truth of the gospel of Jesus, a lost world is depending on us to do so!
