TO WHOM ELSE SHALL WE GO?
John 6:66-68
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE KARATE DOG
1. Henry went to a pet shop to buy a watchdog for his wife Helen. “I have just the dog for you!” and brought out a miniature Pekingese. Henry, “That little thing? It couldn’t hurt a flee!”
2. The store owner said, “Ah, but he knows Karate! Watch this…” He pointed to a cardboard box, “Karate the box!” The dog shredded it. He pointed to an old wooden chair, “Karate the chair!” and in moments it was reduced to matchwood. Henry said, “I’ll take it!”
3. At his house, he presented the dog to his wife. “That little thing?” she said. Henry said, “Don’t be fooled, that dog knows Karate!” Helen said, “Now I’ve heard everything! Karate my foot!” (Jim Ellsworth)
B. TEXT
1. 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66-68, NKJV
C. THESIS
1. 5,000 -> 500 -> 12. There have always been periods when the church expanded and times when it contracted. Often it occurs because God is sifting His people, getting out the chaff.
2. This happened in John 6. The multitudes of disciples left Jesus and it looked as if even the 12 would, but they held fast to Him.
3. So we’re going to look tonight at why so many left Jesus, the question of ‘where else could we go?’ and the conclusion that eternal life can only be found in Jesus.
4. The title of tonight’s message is, “To Whom Else Shall We Go?”
I. REASONS PEOPLE STOP FOLLOWING JESUS
A. STARTED FOLLOWING FOR THE WRONG REASONS
1. Some had followed Jesus for the FISHES and LOAVES, or because they got a handout from the charity bag that Judas carried. These are like people who become Christians because they want to receive blessings from God. They follow during the good times, but if the good times stop, they leave.
2. Others followed Jesus because He was new and exciting. He told interesting stories and was always doing or saying something unexpected. But when His teaching became talk of crosses and stuff they didn’t care to hear about, they moved on to the next exciting teacher, who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear.
3. Still others followed Jesus because they thought He would use His supernatural power to overthrow the Romans and set up God’s Kingdom on earth. When it became apparent He wouldn’t, they abandoned Him. They’re like many today who insist the Rapture will happen in their lifetimes. But when they see it won’t, they sour and walk away.
B. THEY DIDN’T WANT TO PAY THE PRICE OF FOLLOWING JESUS
1. The Rich Young Ruler thought he wanted to follow Jesus, but he didn’t want to pay the price of surrendering his idol – money.
2. Others had girl friends or husbands who didn’t want them to follow Jesus. They heard Jesus say, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” Lk. 14:26. And they went away sorrowful, not willing to leave those they loved more than Him.
3. Others heard Jesus say, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” Mt. 16:24. But denying themselves and cross-bearing wasn’t what they wanted, so they leave Him, even today.
C. THEY DIDN’T PERSONALLY TRUST HIM
1. When Jesus started talking about people “eating his flesh & drinking his blood” (Jn. 6:53), it seemed repulsive, like cannibal talk. Drinking blood is forbidden in the O.T. It seemed like crazy talk.
2. But if they had really known His character, they would have perceived, like the 12, that He was speaking of spiritual things, not physical (Jn. 6:63). But many didn’t trust Him.
3. There are times in every Christian’s life when things happen which contradict God’s love for us. Something devastating happens. Will we trust Him? Job had an experience like that. He said, “Though He slay me, yet will I TRUST Him” (13:15). We must learn to trust that somehow, it’s going to work out for our good.
II. TO WHOM ELSE SHALL WE GO?
Peter was inspired with this thought; if you’re going to leave Jesus, where are you going to go that’s better? We all need a divine teacher. Is there a better one than Jesus?
A. WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GO FOR COMFORT, GUIDANCE, INSPIRATION, HELP? Will you go to:
1. Your Psychiatrist? 2. Medical Doctor?
3. Your Banker? 4. Your Medicines?
5. To pleasures? 6. To a wife or husband?
7. Will you go back to sin and shame (the world)?
8. Will you go back to doing good works to attain heaven?
B. THERE IS NONE ELSE LIKE JESUS!
1. HE UNDERSTANDS US! He has searched us and knows us. He knows when we sit down and rise up; He knows our thoughts. He’s acquainted with all our ways. There’s not a word in our tongue, but He knows it altogether. Ps. 139:1-4.
2. HE KNOWS ALL OUR FAULTS. He knows our evil thoughts, the bad things we’d like to do, but don’t. He knows our little lies, our hypocrisy, our fears, our hate, our jealousy, our envy, and much, much more. But the shocking thing is, despite all He knows about us, He chose us anyway, and loves us!
3. HE CARES UNSELFISHLY FOR US! He watches over us and cares for us, though He stands to gain nothing from His efforts (and only to lose by them). He alone has our highest good in mind in all He does for us. There’s nobody else like Him.
4. HE LOVES US MORE THAN ANY OTHER. He said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He did that for us. It’s a greater love even than a mother for her child. His love for us is greater than anyone else’s.
5. HE’S LONGSUFFERING & PATIENT TOWARD US. Even though we reject Him, He doesn’t give up. He loves us so much and is so concerned about our soul making it to heaven, that He will wait a lifetime to find that one moment we humble ourselves and ask His forgiveness! Who else would go to so much trouble for us? No one!
III. HE ALONE HAS THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE
A. HE ONLY CAN GUIDE US TO ETERNAL LIFE
1. “But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:68.
2. “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word [teaching] will never see death” Jn. 8:51.
3. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father accept through Him! He is our Shepherd, who guides us sheep to the green pastures of eternal life.
B. BUT HE HIMSELF IS ETERNAL LIFE
1. The Apostle John said, “we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us” 1 Jn. 1:2.
2. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 Jn. 5:11.
C. HE ONLY HAS THE POWER TO CONFER ETERNAL LIFE
1. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” John 10:28.
2. “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him” Jn. 17:2.
3. So Peter meant there was no where else to go to find eternal life. Jesus Himself is the Key. If we would gain life, we must depend on Him for it! There’s no other place to go.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: More Than an Example
1. A big lump of something – a stone supposedly – lay for centuries in a shallow, limpid brook in North Carolina. People passing that way only saw an ugly lump, and passed on.
2. A poor man passing there one day saw a heavy lump – a good thing to hold his door ajar – and he took it home.
3. A geologist who stopped at the poor man’s door one day saw a lump of gold – the biggest lump of gold ever found east of the Rocky Mountains.
4. Many people looked upon Jesus. Some saw only a Galilean peasant and turned away. Some saw a prophet and stopped to listen. Some saw the Messiah and stopped to worship. Some saw the Lamb of God and looked to Him to save them from their sins.
5. There are people today who see Jesus simply as a perfect man and they get nothing more from Him than the example of a perfect life.
6. Others looking upon Him see the divine Lamb of God and seeing their need, trust in Him for salvation. When you look at Jesus, what do you see? [Knight’s New, p. 336]
B. THE CALL
1. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66-68, NKJV
2. Have you gone backward or walked away from the Lord? It’s time for you to come back to Him. Maybe you didn’t start off right, or didn’t know there was a price tag to following Him, or faced confusing times and didn’t know you could trust Him.
3. There’s no one else to go to. No one understands you, knows all your faults, yet cares for you and loves you as much as He does with infinite patience.
4. He alone has the words of eternal life. He is the way, the truth, and the Life. Let’s turn to Him tonight for comfort, forgiveness, and salvation.
5. Prayer.
