Intro: WC
Being misunderstood can create some serious problems
A)Jesus was misunderstood often – especially by the religious
community.
B) Tonight we
will consider some reasons why – they MISSED IT when it came to JESUS!
John
Chapter 6 breaks down in this way:
A)V.1-21 Miracle of feeding
the 5,000 – Walking on the water.
B) V.22-40 Jesus teaches the
Multitude about being the Bread of life. { V.59 takes place in Synag.
1)
V.41-59 He dialogues with the religious leaders
JEWS – reference – about True faith
C) V. 60-71 The
Chapter ends with a sifting –
Those following
are divided into 3 groups
D) SO tonight
we are picking up in v.41 – Where these
religious leaders were having a hard time embracing the words of Jesus.
RD
V.41-42
Now the first reason we see for why they were having a hard
time with Jesus – Focused on Externals
A)TOO FAMILIAR –
B) They argued
isn’t this Joseph’s son- This is that carpenters son – how can he say: He has come down from heaven.
C) Think about how weird
this must have been to them. – Comes out of no where.
1)Today: Howard: I am the voice of God. Skeptical
D)
The only difference: They were supposed to be expecting Messiah.
1)
They completely missed Him – because He didn’t fit their external view – of
what they thought Messiah would be
E) He was born in a stable –
grew up on the wrong side of the tracks –
poor family – uneducated
1)
He didn’t fit their picture of MESSIAH
F) they were so familiar w/
him that they wouldn’t listen to what he said
1)
Same thing happens to us. Family doesn’t
listen because Familiar – We know you
2)
Can work the other way: Radical Change – they just are amazed and want to
listen
Jesus
responds by telling them they were focused on the WRONG father. RD
V. 43-47
A)In v.44 Jesus makes an
important statement about how conversion begins – Father
draws
B) It starts with Him – the
Father drawing – God is the initiator ! Starts with
Him
C) These guys were under the
impression that they were seeking God – because they studied the OT
1) The took a fine tooth
comb to the scriptures
D) Because of that they thought
they were seeking God – when in reality God was seeking them!
1)
They missed His PLAN – missed God’s HEART
Seeking them in sending His SON!
God
is the initiator when it come to Salvation
A)Initiated
the Plan – Send His son.
B) He draws us by His Holy
Spirit
1) Convicts
of Sin – Knocks on the door of the heart
C) Speaks
thru the Word – Jesus in v.45 quotes from
1) HS Speaks through the
word
D) Draws
thru Tragedy – Greg Cline lost it all!
1)
Americans are too comfortable { Woman on the plane – Lost her Husband &
daughter
2)
My Dad almost drowning
Now
here is what I love about what Jesus says here
Steps
to conversion:
A)Starts with the Father – He draws – He speaks thru His spirit
B) #2 V.45 – Those who hear – faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the word.
C) #3 Those who learn{ literally UNDERSTANDS
D) Next step #4 they respond V.47 – They believe { result
everlasting life!
So the first thing that
Jesus tries to get them to understand is that the Father was drawing them.
2nd
reason for their problem: They were focused on the Physical instead of the
Spiritual. Rd
v.48-51
A)So Jesus is contrasting –
Manna – which was provided by God – to quench a specific hunger
B) It was meant to sustain
them thru the time of Hungering in the wilderness wanderings
C) He is contrasting that
with Himself the bread of life – that is meant to satisfy a deeper hunger
1) Hunger in the heart – Satisfies forever !
D) Here is the promise: V.51
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread
that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the
world."
Well
they didn’t get this at all – began to quarrel and complain – How can we eat
His flesh / drink …blood
RD V52-59
Now we looked at this
section on Sunday in detail – Jesus is using a
metaphor to illustrate a spiritual truth about faith
A)True faith is like –
eating and drinking
B) Need to see it as a
Necessity and a priority
1) Can’t live if you don’t
eat.
C) In the same way the
Children of
1)
We need to understand we are dependent upon Jesus for Spiritual life.
D) Eating
becomes a part of me! That food is integrated into my very person.
Results { Why this isn’t talking about communion
First, we
receive the certainty of our salvation. V.54
Second, we enter into a life-transforming union with Christ as a
result of partaking of Him. V.56
A)This thought is expressed
in verse 56, where the idea of union with
Christ is mentioned for the first time in John’s Gospel.
Third,
the words of Jesus suggest that we receive strength for living
this life as we feed upon him.
A)He
says, “So the one who feeds on me will live because of me” (v. 57).
B) This verse is not talking
about eternal life primarily; it is talking about our present daily life to be
lived in Christ’s power.
C)Real living- experiencing life to the
fullest
D) None of those things are
experienced thru simply partaking of communion
1) But are the result of
partaking of Christ!
Well
there were 3 reactions
to these words of Jesus!
1)Many bailed!
2) One would betray!
3) Some believed!
First
those who bailed RD V.60-66
A)There were many who were
offended by the words of Jesus. – They Bailed
B) I find this interesting
that today there is a lot of talk in Church growth
conferences about being
1) Seeker sensitive. – Not
invited Jesus to speak
C) Failure in their eyes –
Driving crowds away – by breaking #1 rule – don’t offend.
1) Keep it positive and
light – Leave happy
Listen
Jesus was very seeker sensitive:
A)Luke 19 – He came to seek and save the lost!
B) But He was also all about
truth – not water it down – not massage it –
1) He wasn’t afraid to
offend.
C) See the truth hurts but
it also opens the door to life -
1) Go to a Surgeon – if I
have cancer I want to know it – Don’t tell me I am fine
D) Don’t water it down!
- Give it to me !
Has
God ever offended you? – Ever told you something you didn’t want to hear!
A)He has done that with me
so many times –
B) But once I calmed down
and got with his program
So glad – see it from His
perspective
1) Not Sue ! Just friends – Met Denise
C) Listen the Bible is going
to be offensive at times
1) Separates families -
D) It
draws Lines – Standards – Black and white
1)But there are many in the
Church today who don’t like that mentality. – Don’t offend me!
3 For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own
desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned
aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do
the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Keep
it light / funny / keep it positive /
Don’t
mention Hell / Sin / Blood
2nd
Those who betray V.64- 70,71
A)Judas – Follower of Jesus –
closes inner circle
Moved in the miraculous –
sent out the 70
B) Yet he would ultimately
end up betraying Jesus
C)Ever
think about this: Why did Jesus choose Judas ? He prayed – he picked him
1)why
not be turned in by a stranger a Roman –
one of the religious leaders who hated him.
Jon Courson:
Reasons why He chose Judas!
#1 Jesus chose Judas in order to fulfill Bible prophecy
Psalm 41:9
“Even my own
familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my
bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
#2 Jesus chose
Judas in order to relate to you and me personally.
A)Most of us have experienced having our trust betrayed by a close
friend.
B) The only thing that maybe hurts
more is to go thru a divorce./ Or Adultery
C) But when you have made yourself vulnerable to someone – opened up –
shared
1) Then they use that against you – turn on you { Knife in your Back – THE WORST
Jesus Christ knows exactly how
you feel.
A)He has been there – He went thru that !
B) He was tempted in all points like as we are (Hebrews
4:15).
1)There’s
not a single temptation, a single hurt you’ll ever face that Jesus didn’t feel.
C) No matter what your pain is, no matter what your
vulnerability might be, know this:
1)
Jesus can sympathize because He’s gone through the very same trials.
#3 Jesus chose
Judas in order to enlighten us about hypocrisy.
A)How many of you have heard an unbeliever
say: the Church is full of Hypocrites
B) True there are Hypocrites in the Church:
1) But think about this: there
was a hypocrite even in Jesus’ inner
circle
C) Remember in
1) Should it really surprise us that there are
hypocrites in the Church.
D) This is probably the single greatest thing that people new to
ministry struggle with.
1)
People in the Church who are not acting like the Church!
Hypocrisy is inevitable in the Church – the same way that selfishness
is and every other thing.
A)The Church is full of sinners – those things are the
results of sin. { Nothing surprises me anymore!
B) Concern about our OWN hearts !
#4 Jesus chose
Judas in order to give us a powerful warning.
A)When Jesus sat at the table and said one would betray Him,
no one pointed a finger and said,
‘It’s
the guy down there with the black cape, the black hat, the beady eyes,. It’s
Judas.’
B)No, no one suspected Judas. No one even suggested
Judas. {
1)Many
said Is it I / Is it me / No one It is
Judas
C) Judas was Trusted – TREASURER!
Why did Jesus
choose this moment to reveal that there was one there who would betray Him?
A)I believe it was because at this moment something clicked
in Judas – there was a shift in perspective.
B) Like the other disciples – Judas was hoping Jesus was the
messiah – set up an earthly Kingdom
1) Here was a moment where the people were ready to make
Jesus King – take by force
C) But Jesus would have no part of it!
D) We know as
the story unfolds this began to bug Judas – these missed opportunities
E) A whole crowd of people want You to
be their king — but You turn them off by telling them to eat of Your body and
drink of Your blood?
F)
It’s political stupidity. It doesn’t pay off financially. It’s crazy.’
Judas
basically turns on Jesus when Jesus is not acting / responding the way Judas
thinks he should
A)Be CAREFUL – we can do the same thing!
B) Listen North county is filled with 1000’s of people who
once were on fire for Jesus –
1)
Who have since – walked away from Christ – because Jesus didn’t do what they
thought
C) How do you respond when you are at a crossroads and you
think the Lord should go left
1) Instead He goes right. –
D) Your expecting Him to open a door / instead it shuts ?
What is your reaction
1) Like Judas – You are done! – It is over
Now here is
what is amazing to me Jesus gives Judas the chance to repent – Garden – Friend
Some Bail / some betray / Others Believe RD
V.67-69
A) When Jesus
said to them, "Will you go away also?" it is clear that he would have
let them go if they had wanted to.
B)He does not
hold anybody against his will.
1) Peter responds – Where would we go…..
C) We have come to believe and to Know
Words of Life!
A)Character
and Message
B) Life to us
!
That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen,
and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested to us — 3 that
which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
Now
think about this: Jesus didn’t always do what these guys thought he would do.
A)He upset people they no
doubt thought were important
B) They definitely didn’t
always understand Him
C) But when it came down to
it. – No where else to go
D) In you are the words that
allow us to Live!
We
don’t understand everything – but what we do understand is more than sufficient
A)We are not going any
where!
B) Captivated by His word!
C) Power of the Word of God!
1) Capture a heart
2) Feed
3) Comfort
4) Speak right to your
situation