Three
ministers gathered at the local coffee shop one morning, and the talk turned to
a problem all three of them had in common-bats in their churches. One said, “I
just don’t know what to do. I’ve called in exterminators and I’ve had the
entire church sprayed, and the bats are still there”. Another minister said, “I
know how you feel. I’ve used noisemakers and I’ve filled in all of the holes
where they could come in, and the bats are still there”.
The
third minister said, “I solved that problem. I baptized them and confirmed them
and I haven’t seen them since.”
When
you were children, did you ever play a game called “Follow the Leader”? Well,
for those of you who didn’t, or for those of you who have never heard of the
game, let me explain how it is played. First, you choose a leader. Then you
follow him wherever he goes and do whatever he does. You stomp through puddles,
climb over fences, or swing from a tree---all to stay in the game because no
one wants to be a quitter.
The
Gospel passage we heard from John 6:56-69 a few minutes ago is an example of
people who did not want to play follow the leader. The passage marks the end of
the “bread of life” discourse that we have heard for the last several weeks.
Today, it reaches its climax. Jesus tells his followers that if they abide in
him-that is, live in him and believe in him-he will always be with them. Jesus
is the source of our life and our sustenance. We need to stay connected to him
to be fruitful. Just as God gives Jesus life, Jesus in turn gives his followers
eternal life if they believe in him.
Worldly
life and godly life are always in conflict because they are so different.
Worldly life always tempts us with the sinful desires of greed, envy, jealousy,
sex, drugs, alcohol and other things. The Christian life calls us to live godly
lives now in exchange for a heavenly life later-even if our present worldly
life is full of pain and persecution.
Jesus
wasn’t interested in whether he was causing offense or not. That does not mean
that he did not care for the people he was talking to. On the contrary, he
deeply cared for them. Because he cared for them, he preferred to speak the truth
instead of speaking what was pleasing. Jesus wanted his hearers to know that
what he is saying is the truth, even though it is hard to hear. In other words,
Jesus used tough love, in contrast to some preachers who want to “tickle the
ears” of their congregations.
Jesus
did not try to talk unwilling disciples into staying with him, nor did he try
to make things easier so that they would reconsider their relationship to him.
He wants eager followers who understand the cost of following him. The Gospel
message is not easy to hear and accept. The church is often tempted to soften
the impact of the message by removing the offending parts or by preaching
something similar to the Prosperity Gospel. Most people do not want to hear
this message because it calls on them to change their way of life. It calls on
them to give up the world’s ways in favour of a life that will lead them to
heaven. The truth is so confronting and so painful that we are often hell-bent
on hanging on to our sinful way of life. That does not mean that everyone will
refuse to accept the message. Some, like Peter and the disciples, realize that
Jesus is the key to eternal life. In return, he will give us the strength we
need to be strong in our walk of faith. That strength will mean taking a stand
for Christ and being counted. It will make a difference both in us and in the
lives of everyone we come into contact with.
The
picture that this portion of John’s Gospel paints is not a pretty one, but it
is a realistic one, especially when our Christian walk of faith is difficult.
The picture is also one of belief and faith, especially when we keep our eyes
on Jesus. It produces love, joy, peace, hope and eternal life.
The
purpose of the Gospel message is not to convince detractors or turn the hearts
of rebels. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel message is the means
by which our hearts respond to God. The disciples who left heard what Jesus
said as a threat—a threat to their way of life, their accepted notions and
their grip on reality. Those who stayed heard what Jesus said as a challenge to
their way of life, their accepted notions and their grip on reality.
The
disciples who continued on with Jesus might not have completely understood what
he said, just like sometimes we can’t completely understand what he says. We,
like the disciples, might not even be completely comfortable with it, but we
are intrigued by what he said. In the Bible, faith is a verb. It is an action
by which we consent and act. It is also a process. Peter and the others, like
us, need it to grow stronger.
If
the disciples-the great heroes of the faith-had doubts, it should not be
surprising that we will have doubts. What we can do is embrace them and take
them to the one best source for answers-Jesus. Jesus provides the spiritual
power that we need in our lives. Without it, we will be overwhelmed by the
spiritual and mental challenges we will face. We will be too tired to serve in
ministry and will be too weak to engage in spiritual warfare.
1.
Are your goals in
life God-centered goals?
2.
Are you putting
as much energy into loving others as you do in living for yourself?
The
Spirit brings forth spiritual fruit in us, equips and deploys us with gifts in
service to others, and gives us strength to witness for Christ every day. Our
thoughts, feelings, priorities and daily practices are changed to match what
Jesus would feel, think and do if he was in our place. We become like Jesus and
in turn we love and serve others as Jesus would.
There
will be times when our faith is tried and tested. At times like these we must
remember that to abandon the faith of Christ will lead to desolation, ruin and
death. We must fall back on our personal experience of a living God in which
the truth is wrapped up and made flesh for our benefit.
I’m
going to close this message by telling you a story about a little
girl named Inga. Inga had two older sisters and the two older sisters were in
Girl Scouts. Inga watched her sisters go to Girl Scout meetings and she wished
she could go and be a part of that real important stuff that they did. She
asked her mother if she could go and her mother said, "But, Inga, you're
not old enough to go." Inga said,
"Well, when will I be old enough to go?" And Inga’s mother said, “Soon.”
Finally
the day came and Inga joined Brownies. She got a little brown skirt jumper and
a little brown hat with a little brownie and she got little half socks with a little
brownie on it. Her mother even bought her some brown shoes and she dressed up
and went to her first meeting and it was just wonderful.
Well,
much later when she and her mother and father and sister were coming to church,
she asked her mother this question: "I heard about belonging to Jesus. How
do I know that I belong to Jesus? We don't have a uniform like the Brownies. I
know I belong to the Brownies because I have a uniform. How do I know that I
belong to Jesus?"
Her
mother replied, "Well, where do you go on Sunday morning?" Inga said,
"I go to Sunday school to learn about Jesus."
Her
mother continued, "What's that book in your hand?" Inga said, "It's the Bible and the Bible
is the stories of Jesus."
And
her mother said, “How else do you know that you belong to Jesus, Inga? What do
we do always before we go to bed?” Inga replied, “We talk to Jesus every night
before we got to sleep.” “And Inga, where do we go after Sunday school?” “We go
to the big church.”” And what do we do in the big church? We learn about God
and we sing about Jesus."
Then
Inga got this big smile on her face and she said, "I belong to
Jesus." And her mother said, "That's right."
When
we come to the Lord’s Table to take part in Holy Communion, we know that we
draw near to Jesus when we eat the bread and drink the wine. We, like Inga and
her mother, also understand that Christ lives in us in a new way, and that we
abide in Christ and he abides in us. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance
that we are believers. As Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are children of God”. Only then can we have the inner
conviction and witness of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.
1. Stanley, C.F., The
Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson
Inc.; 2009)
2. Swindoll, Charles; Swindoll’s
New Testament Insights on John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Inc.; 2010)
6. Charles H. Spurgeon, “Sustained by Feeding”. Retrieved
from www.christianity.com/devotionals/faiths-checkbook-ch-spurgeom
7. Berni Dymet, “Believe in Which Jesus?” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/christianity-works-berni-dymet
9. Greg Laurie, “The Witness of the Holy Spirit”.
Retrieved from Greg_Laurie_Daily_Devotions@crosswalkmail.com
14. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 21st
Sunday, (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
18. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker
8 Bible software package.
20. Roland McGregor, “Children’s Sermon for Pentecost 13,
8/26/12”. Retrieved from childpage@,cgregorpage.org
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