{Let’s pray: Father God, sometimes life feels so hard to go to church, work, pay finances or doing home duties. I am believing for this to change someone’s heart today not giving up on You. Let this message touch someone’s heart in Jesus Precious Name Amen.}
John 6:60, CSB: “Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is so hard. Who can accept it?”” John 6:60–71 shows the drastic impact of Jesus’ teaching on the crowd: most walk away. When confronted with spiritual needs and a spiritual message, most people will turn it down. We have come to that point in John’s gospel where many of Jesus’ disciples drew back and no longer followed him. This is a turning point in our Lord’s ministry, where he confronts the twelve with the question, “Will you also go away?” This is a frequent phenomenon in our day also. Let’s show a point. Teachers in Sunday School will preach 10% to assist the church and their ministry. So, children will fill up their coin cards. Got to church while still filling their coin cards. Will sing in the choir or be a part of learning and having fun at church. They don’t dwell on the 10%, but they are faithful in filling the cards and when the Sunday School teacher say’s bring them in on a certain date and they do. It may not be 10% but the children gave faithfully. They faithfully worked for Jesus as they are the church. They are the big part of the church. The children will work for a bible with their name in gold by going to church faithfully for a full year with no absences. They may be sick twice out of the year, but still get their name in gold on their new bible. No one walks away from their responsibilities in the home unless it’s hard or they don’t for fill their obligations. Learning is hard. But when you learn something new, it feels really good to use what you learn when you don’t give up. The Jews in John 6 had eaten the miraculous bread and fish. As a result, they sought out Jesus after He returned to Capernaum, but they sought Him for the wrong reason. They wanted a political Messiah who would provide freedom from Rome’s yoke, peace, and prosperity. They wanted Jesus to do it all. God is not interested in mere numbers — he proves that over and over. When Gideon sent out word summoning the men of Israel to battle and thirty-two thousand of them showed up (a fairly sizable army for that day), God told him, “That’s too many; I can’t work with that many” (Judges 7:1-8: Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So, twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So, Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog lap from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” So, Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.) I do not understand the connection exactly, but evidently there was some connection. At any rate twenty-two thousand of them went home. (There were a lot of marriages in Israel that year apparently.) Ten thousand remained, and Gideon thought that was barely enough, but God said, “It’s still too many.” He sent them down to the brook and tested them there, until finally only three hundred were left. Then God said, “I can work with that many. They’re quality, not quantity.” That is how our Lord works here in Capernaum, too. God is always sending people home. Quantity does not interest him; it is quality that makes the difference. God knows what talents each person has and places us where He needs us to be.
(Let’s Raed: John 6:60-71)
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is a hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickened; the flesh profited nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
{Let’s Pray}
Father God, I thank You and praise You for Jesus and all He is and all He does for us. Give me and others the courage not to give up on Jesus as we walk with Him in faithfulness, freedom and truth. When I don’t understand Your words or when Your truth conflicts with my built-up perceptions, I believe that I will be willing to listen to Your voice and to trust Your word, for You alone have the words of eternal life. I thank You, praise You and give You all the honor and glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.
(Power Verse)
The good man walks along in the ever, brightening light of God’s favor: the dawn gives way to morning splendor. Proverbs 4:18
"Only Life Changes" 