Positioning Ourselves Appropriately: (Set-Up of Sermon)
Are you in the right place, waiting for the blessing of the Lord?
Location is everything in cases where Jesus has arranged it....
- he told the disciples to meet him in jerusalem after his death
- God told Abraham to leave his father’s country (Gen 12.1)
- 1 Kings 17
- Kerith Ravine (A place where I have commanded a Raven to feed you)
- Zarephath (A place where I have commanded a widow to serve you)
2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 1 Kings 17
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 1 Kings 17
4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (Acts 1.4)
- Sometimes the location sometimes positions you to be a blessing to someone else. Blessings are not just for us. They are not meant to be a dead end!
As believers, we want to position ourselves for the blessing of being deputized (duly authorized and being blessed & anointed to be sent for and by Jesus).
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Hard Lessons from Jesus: John 6 (Learning Hard Lessons)
- The crowds followed because they wanted to see more miracles (entertainment) in Galilee.
- This was passover season & Jesus did a miracle with the bread
- bread had true significance (so did manna)
- They wanted to make Jesus a king because of his provision (This is that prophet)
- He went up into the mountain again
- Jesus walked on the water toward Capernaum
- People sailed to where Jesus did the bread miracle and didn’t find him there. They then sailed further to find him. (v. 23-25)
- Jesus isn’t impressed when they find him (v. 26...ya’ll didn’t come for a true miracle...you came for bread).
[We do all this searching for Jesus...but it isn't earnest. We seek a Jesus we can manipulate and not a Jesus who will mold and reshape us]
“what is the sign that you will give us?” Manna?
What will you do in order to earn our praise and allegiance?
- 38 “ I didn’t come from Heaven to do what I want. I came to do what the Father wants”
- God’s will & work= believe on Jesus. (This is your job description)
* People are used to free entertainment without committing to anything!
So...Jesus started messing with their heroes...and their theology
- My Father gave you better bread than Moses
- I am the Bread of Life. No hunger and no thirst.
- You’ve seen me...but you have not believed ( although they’ve traveled far to see miracles).
This is the will of the one who sent me: Belief in ME & that I would give eternal life
Jews were mad ‘cause he spoke of coming down from heaven
- I am the bread of life (2x) & I am the living bread that came down form heaven.
If the people are already upset...why would Jesus keep on talking?
55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Many disciples murmured. This is too hard to understand (v. 60)
You can’t come to me unless the Father draws you (v. 66). The people got angrier!
No man can come to Jesus unless his father draws them.
- Many disciples left and walked with Jesus no more
- what do you turn to when you turn from Jesus?
The people didn’t like Jesus assertions about Himself because his assertions clashed with their own view...and need for Jesus.
Not ALL the disciples left...just some.
Scripture is full of hard saying that people had to understand and obey....
- Sell what you have
- Sacrifice your son
- Rise, slay and eat
- Seek the Shalom of your city
- Preach to the Gentile
- Take this cup and drink it (to Jesus in Gethsemane)
*The point is not WHY this is a hard saying... it WAS hard and many left Jesus because of it.
- they didn’t crucify him....they just stopped walking with him
- they didn’t betray him...they just stopped walking with him
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1 comment:
I think John 6:55 is STILL in this day and age a very hard teaching. I know I struggle with it. There is a mystery about it - as if Jesus is revealing a little bit of God's knowledge that were just not supposed to know or understand.
The passage to me also represents the validity of the Gospels. If they were fabricated, why would they include such a diffcult teaching - not only that, but the scene of Jesus being so controversial that people left him.
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