Bertoldo de Giovanni is a name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was the pupil of Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time, and became the teacher of Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time.
Michelangelo was only 14 years old when he came to Bertoldo, and it was already obvious that he was enormously gifted. Bertoldo was wise enough to realize that gifted people are often tempted to coast rather than to grow, and therefore continued to pressure his young prodigy to work seriously at his art.
One day he came into the studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath his abilities. Bertoldo grabbed a hammer, stomped across the room, and smashed the work into tiny pieces, shouting this unforgettable message, "Michelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly!"
It’s easy to coast through life–doing just enough to get by. We see it in every aspect of our culture; underachievement has become the new standard…
Jesus challenged those who would be his followers with this truth: there is no middle ground when it comes to our acceptance of Him as SAVIOR and LORD.
[To be ‘In Christ’ you must allow Him complete control of your life. Our absolute devotion to Christ prepares us to be used in ministries for His glory. OYBT Jn. 6.]
I. INTRODUCTION
1. We join John this morning immediately after Jesus affirms himself as the “bread of life,” the bread that not only gives eternal life, but also sustains those who accept it.
2. Jesus concludes his statement in verse 51 with the revelation that this bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (John 6:51). He follows with…
II. A CALL TO DEVOTION (52-59)
1. The Jews began to argue sharply…(52) the Jews are perplexed; this is not easy for them to understand. The verb used here is used of men fighting (cf. Acts 7:26). It implies that some were supporting Jesus, but most opposed him vehemently.
2. Jesus does not retract his statement. He assures them that without the flesh and blood, they have no life; those who eat of his flesh and drink of his blood have eternal life (53-56).
A. These verses are difficult. Some scholars suggest that this eating and drinking represents the sacrament of Holy Communion
(1) This is unlikely, because it would imply that eternal life came from taking of communion, which has nothing to do with one’s salvation. Salvation comes from accepting Christ as Savior and Lord; nothing else (cf. Acts 4:12)
(2) Christ teaches that faith in Him as the one sent by the Living Father is the way one “eats and drinks”
B. Verse 56 is important: whoever eats…remains in me and I in him. The importance is the word remains. It is a continuous tense verb that denotes more than a fleeting contact with Christ.
(1) Here’s the rub; Jesus says those who follow him must continuously “eat and drink”; i.e., must seek him earnestly every day, in every situation, regardless of the cost – whether popularity, acceptance, peer pressure, etc.
(2) Jesus will give his own flesh and blood to provide everlasting life to mankind. He makes it clear in a passage that his disciples must be willing to sacrifice too.
(3) Sacrifice in modern times takes many forms: what is it you find hard to give up? What excuses do you make for disobedience? Will they stand up before God?
[To be ‘In Christ’ you must allow Him complete control of your life. Our absolute devotion to Christ prepares us to be used in ministries for His glory.]
III. AN ACT OF DESERTION (60-66)
1. His disciples… Refers to more than the twelve; includes those who had loosely attached themselves to Jesus. Hard teaching… means hard to accept, not hard to understand. Jesus knew their thoughts (that’s a sobering thought, isn’t it)?
2. What if? (61-64) Is Jesus way of telling them that worse things are yet to come…if these teachings offend you, how will you respond to them?
A. The same can be said of those who reject Christ. If the call to salvation and a life of submission to Christ is too much to endure now, how much harder will it be to endure meeting Christ face to face? How much harder to endure the fires of Hell?
3. People began to turn back at the point of commitment. When they realized what might be asked of them, they lost interest in following Jesus. The same conditions still exist some two thousand years later!
A. Some will come out of curiosity, others from peer pressure
B. Many will come to Christ and devote themselves completely to his will and his ways.
C. Some will turn back when they realize the level at which Jesus calls them to live.
D. If I surrender to Christ for salvation and refuse to live under his submission, I deny the power of his sacrifice for my life. I am saying “I will take the salvation that you purchased for me with your blood, but I refuse to allow you control of my life”.
[To be ‘In Christ’ you must allow Him complete control of your life. Our absolute devotion to Christ prepares us to be used in ministries for His glory.]
IV. PETER’S CONFESSION (67-71)
1. Jesus asks a powerful question of the twelve; “You do not want to leave too, do you?”
2. I love Peter’s response… “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”
A. Peter cannot imagine deserting Jesus (yet)
B. He sees the Master as the source of life
C. He sees the Master as the source of strength
D. He is willing to devote his life completely to Jesus as a faithful disciple
E. You Bible readers know that there will come a time when Peter turns back, at a time when Jesus needs him the most.
V. CONCLUSION: LIVING UP TO OUR POTENTIAL
1. Jesus calls us to absolute devotion: devotion that is not affected by popularity, willpower, special interests or our own desires.
2. He calls us to daily eat and drink of him, allowing him to fill us completely and entirely with his spirit, making us one with him.
3. He asks every believer the same question…”Will you turn back too?”
4. How will you answer?
A. When you stand before him one day, will he be pleased with the life you lived in him?
B. Will he say you reached your full potential? Or will he destroy the remnants of your life’s work the way Bertoldo destroyed Michelangelo’s sculpture as performance far below his ability?
C. What keeps you from submitting fully to Christ? What are you keeping from him?
[To be ‘In Christ’ you must allow Him complete control of your life. Our absolute devotion to Christ prepares us to be used in ministries for His glory.]
