TEXT: John 6:60 – 70<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard
saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them,
Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 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.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it
were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words
of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
INTRODUCTION
Many people have reasons why they follow Christ. For some, what they think they will
get, and if they don’t get it, they turn back on Christ. Some follow Christ because of
financial reasons, business, and family. Also, to others, their health; healing from
sickness, and many other problems they want solutions to. But there is another last
group of people that I want to talk about. These are those who followed Christ for
spiritual reasons. This group also have needs that may be similar to the
aforementioned groups. But for this group, whether they receive answers or solutions
to their needs or not, they still follow Him. This group love Christ because they know
that Christ loved them first. They do not focus on what they can get but on what Christ
has done for them.
Look with me in our text, John 6:10, 11; Jesus fed those who followed Him.
\u201c10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place.
So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves;
and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to
them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.\u201d
In John chapter 5 verse 5, Jesus heals \u2018a certain man\u2019; that is what the Bible calls him.
This man was sick for thirty- eight years, but Jesus made him whole. Jesus has one
unique way of doing things. When He notices that you have a need, He will first take
care of your needs then He will give you the word of God; that is preaching to them.
We could emulate this principle of Jesus Christ.
The last groups of people are very interesting. Jesus did what He used to do best by
preaching to them, in verse 60 of John 6, \u201cMany therefore of his disciples, when they
had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?\u201d Jesus Christ gave them
the Truth but it did not go well with them. They started complaining within themselves.
Jesus heard them and asked them in verse 61 (John 6) if they were offended by the
Truth. In John 6: 66, many of the disciples who followed Him went back and walked
with Him no more. Afterward, in John 6:67, Jesus turned to the twelve disciples and
asked them if they would also go back because He told them the truth. But Simon Peter in John 6:68 answered and said, \u201c68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to
whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.\u201d
I am preaching to you the word of God. Please this coming year 2024, don’t turn away
from God. Don\u2019t look back on the good things you are doing for God, and don’t let
others who have nowhere to go discourage you. Follow the group who follow Christ.
Turning back is a sign of negativity. There is a saying, \u201cForward ever, backward
never.\u201d Jesus Christ always preached the Truth to His followers and His disciples. He
looked at the Pharisees in John 8:44, \u201cYe are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.\u201d Jesus here looked at their faces and told them
the Truth. Pastors, Evangelists, Church leaders and members, the President, and all
law enforcement agencies, we need to look into people’s faces and tell them the Truth.
We need to be bold to say I will not give you the bribe.
In John 6:60, \u201cMany therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is
an hard saying; who can hear it?\u201d Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured
at his teaching. Then He asked them, \u201cDoth, this offend you?\u201d They said this is a hard
saying, who can hear it? What stuff is this? Eat the flesh and drink the blood of the son
of man, we cannot understand this. Many times, our Pastors will preach, and we will
take offense at the preacher for the message, we forget that it was the spirit that
quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. Instead of going home and pondering on the
message and being the doer rather than being a hearer alone, people tend to take
offense, forgetting that Christianity is a religion of doing. Many things we want would
let us want to go back from God, especially when our expectations are not met. I want
to give you 4 Biblical truths about turning back on God.
(1) Lot\u2019s wife looked back
(For material things) she looks back probably because of her wealth. This includes
money, gold, houses, friends, and many other things. In Genesis 19:26, we read a
strong consequence for Lot\u2019s wife for looking back: \u201cBut his wife looked back from
behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.\u201d Don’t look back to your friends who are
not accepting Jesus Christ. Don’t think of your old lifestyle before you were born again.
Think deeply and thank God that you are now a new creation! Looking back brings
destruction.
(2) King Saul turned back on God
In 1 Samuel 15:11, the scripture says, \u201cIt repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be
king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my
commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.\u201d Think
along with me, the Almighty God, the creator of the universe, said He regretted making
Saul a king over His people. To me, it’s sad. Check your life; are there any areas of
your life that you think God can look at and say, \u201cI have regretted making him or her
become who he or she is now\u201d? Is it in the area of finances, education, marriage,
wisdom, strength, and many other areas of our lives, let’s remember that it was by the
grace of God that we are who we are.
God commanded Saul to carry out a specific task in a particular way but King Saul
decided to do it in his own way. We don’t do things the way we think it is good, we do
things the way God commands us to do, because what seems right in our eyes may
be wrong, and what doesn’t make sense may be right. 1 Corinthians 3:18,19, \u201c18 Let
no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let
him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.\u201d In Isaiah 55:8, the Bible also tells us, \u201cFor my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.\u201d Turning back
on or from God is disobedience and results in punishment from God.
(3) Looking back is a sign that one is unfit for the kingdom of God
Luke 9:62, \u201cAnd Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.\u201d Ploughing is done to sow. Likewise, there
are those who are not fit to be sown with divine comforts whose fallow ground is not
first broken up. They are not fit to be employed in sowing who know how to break up
the fallow ground, but when they have laid their hand to the plough, upon every
occasion look back and think of quitting.
Those who begin with the work of God must resolve to go on with it, or they will make
nothing of it. Looking back inclines to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition.
There is no eternal reward for sure Christians who look back on their duty to God.
(4) The last point is from our text, \u201c66 From that time many of his disciples went
back, and walked no more with him.\u201d
They left because Jesus preached the Truth to them. He didn\u2019t tell them what they
wanted to hear. In Galatians 4:16, the scripture said, \u201cAm I therefore become your
enemy, because I tell you the truth?\u201d Truth is bitter, yet we must preach it. Let’s keep
the pulpit hot for the devil. Some have left us because they can’t withstand the Truth.
The Bible says we shall know that Truth and the Truth shall make us free. There are
many Preachers today who are not preaching the Truth anymore, they think of their
stomachs and their pockets. The word of God is True, and we must preach it as it is.
CONCLUSION
People turning back on God is very sad. People turn back from God for many reasons;
they go back because of money, job, family issues, disappointment in marriage,
forgetting that the same God they are running away from is the one who can help
them. If there is anyone who is thinking of turning back on God, read Matthew 11:28-
30 and Jeremiah 33:3. God is faithful in His promises. May God help us not to turn
away from Him. Remember that you are under the shadow of the Almighty.
Amen!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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