John 6:61, When
Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, doth
this offend you?
The key scripture for
this message is John the whole Chapter 6.
The passage
above suggest that Jesus knew that what He had said would and had cause offense
in His own disciples. He knew in order
to be a true Christian one would have to transcend the very things that would
work against the fleshy beliefs and philosophies which work as an enemy to
God. He also knew that those who profess
to follow Him were very ignorant of the things of God.
What was it
Jesus said? Why did His disciples get
offended? Why did many of them turn away
after this event and never follow Him again?
Why had they chosen to follow Him in the first place? This message is to answer these questions
specifically and to prepare your heart for the truth that must take place
before one can truly pick up the cross and run the race of life.
Please Read John
Chapter 6
In this
chapter we can see the incredulous miracle filled ministry of Yeshua the
Messiah. We read in verse 2 “and a great
multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that
were diseased”. You see the people had a
need and through Jesus they were healed.
The people who followed saw that here was a genuine leader with real
godly influence in the lives of men and women of the day.
In verses 4
through 14 we see Jesus fulfilled the Passover “Feast” by miraculously
providing 5,000 people food from just 5 loaves and 2 small fish. To those watching He was definitely adding up
to be the prophetic Messiah and they were very interested in what they thought
He would do for the nation of Israel.
The desire
to have Him fulfilled their wishes was so strong that in verse 15 He read their
minds, and hearts and knew that they were about to come and by force “make” Him
their “king.” This shows how ignorant of His true purpose they truly were for He
was already the “King of Kings, and The Lords of Lord.”
The people
who followed Jesus in this day were just like the people in our day who follow
Jesus ignorantly because of their physical needs, but reject the truth which He
spoke. In Luke 6:46 we see Jesus pose a
poignant question to His disciples. He
asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
The sad
truth many people are filled with a belief in Jesus but lack any real
substantive foundation as to what His real purpose was in coming to earth in
the flesh. They often have no idea of
who He was in His heavenly personage.
In the book
of Matthew, chapter 16: verse 13- 20 we see Jesus posing a question to his
disciples. The question He ask was, who do men say that I the Son of man am?
Most of the
disciples began to answer Jesus’s question with what others thought about him.
Some said John the Baptist, some said Elias, and yet others said Jeremiah the
prophet.
The
disciples of Jesus day were very much like the disciples in the church today. They
attribute to Jesus the Christ the power of the dead, the power of religiosity,
which is the power associated with human beings.
Jesus then shakes them up by asking them the
most important question of their lives:
But who do
you say that I am? As we read the text we can imagine the shock on the
disciples face. They had been living with Jesus for about 3 years now and could
not answer the question.
Today many
disciples can only repeat what they have been told or read. They have not developed a personal relationship
with God, nor does His word hold any value or veracity by which they can learn
to live.
The truth is
the subject of the message Jesus The Offender can be seen as one who doesn't understand the word of God and can only see God through the
mind of premeditated expectations. They
only follow Jesus because of the flash and the bling they see or expect. They know nothing of the spiritual acts against their human
will which causes them to confront themselves and grow spiritually.
They cater
to a watered down message filled with "feel good “half-truths, and no
condemnation/conviction of sins for their lives. Those who accept Christ are not accepting the
"Christ" revealed in the blessed word of God, but rather a false
Christ, a Christ of grace and love ONLY, and not of JUDGEMENT, LORDSHIP, and KINGSHIP, who lives to meet their needs and heal their lands IF they adhere
to His Word.
Jesus has now become THEIR SERVANT rather than THEY
being a servant of HIM. In the case of 'CONVERSION" most people are led to just say a PRAYER and
there is nothing mentioned of what is stated biblically in Acts 2:38 which reads, “Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
When the
church began in Jerusalem it was a movement, in Greece it became a philosophy, in Rome it became an Institution,
in Europe it became a culture and in
America it has become a business, a very lucrative business, but Jesus Christ
is coming back for a movement. His very Holy presence today is the greatest
OFFENSE and has cause many to forsake His message for one of convenience and
conviviality.
Now let’s go
back to our Key Scripture John Chapter 6.
As you can see this chapter is power packed with miracle after miracles. As we mention in the above text we have seen
Jesus heal the sick and diseased. We also
saw Him feed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
These miracles would have been enough to convince a normal person to think, listen and ask question about what was being said by Jesus, but the miracles did not stop
there. After retreating to the mountains
to be alone and in the evening going by ship to Capernaum, there arose a
terrific storm so fierce that even the
weathered tested fisherman Peter was very afraid.
This miracles concluded with Jesus Himself walking on the water,
calming it and the ship arriving at the shore.
Now picture
in your mind the excitement that must have been generated by this time. There was talk from town to town. Cities
were given the report of this man Jesus of Nazareth, that he was the real deal. He would surely deliver them from Rome and
all its occupation.
This is
where our story truly begins as Jesus understood their heart and begins to
speak to them in a way to teach and also to determine the “Falling Away” which
must come as a result of offense by Him.
Matthew
11:6, And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Matthew
24:10, and then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall
hate one another.
1 Timothy
4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils;
Paul also
warned in 2 Tim. 4:3, “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; and they will turn their ears away
from the truth, and be turned aside to fables”
We see some
of this among so called Christians in our day. Beyond co-existalism, there’s the
prosperity gospel that only demonstrates one side of the cross. There’s the
grace message that perverts the gospel. These are fables. Billy Graham once
filled stadiums with his bold preaching on subjects like hell and holiness.
Today, seeker-friendly preachers fill stadiums to hear a motivational message
followed by a call to give. Many modern believers would cringe if they had to
endure a Billy Graham sermon on hell. Again, some deny the existence of hell.
In returning
to our Key Scripture passage we can read in verse 25 that when the people
finally found Jesus they ask eagerly of Him where did He come from. Jesus answered and I para- phrase 26 "I tell
you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you
understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable
things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of
Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
You see most
Christians today are so concern about “things” that they have not sought after
the spiritual things of God. They would
truly be OFFENDED if Jesus walked up to them and told them the truth. In the preceding verses we see the people’s
lack of understanding in who Jesus the Christ really is. They gave Moses the credit for feeding them
the Manna from heaven when in fact it was Jesus (Yeshua the Messiah) who was
the bread of life who fed them just as He was feeding them presently.
This is
where the haughtiness of human emotions begins to take over. The people only followed Jesus because He
gave them earthly wants and needs. In
verse 35 to 60 we can see the truth begin to unravel within their ideas. We being to
see Jesus speak a truth that they are not willing to digest. They begin to murmur because this truth would
effectively destroy all that they had believed previously and would radically change
their relationship with Yahweh Elohim Himself.
Jesus stated
in verse 53 to 58, so Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat (digest and understand) the flesh (word of God) of the Son of Man and drink (accept His death as sins price) his blood, you cannot have eternal life
within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true
food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my
blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who
sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I
am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will
not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live
forever.”
Spiritual Bread From Heaven
For the
ignorant Jews this was in their mind paramount to cannibalism and made because
of the hardness of their heart they could not get past the “leaning to their
own understanding” which was blocking them although Jesus had just spoken and
said as stated in the above passage “But don’t be so concerned about perishable
things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of
Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
They were
unable to make the leap from the bridge of reasoning (human thought) to the
shore of faith (the teaching of Yeshua the Messiah).
The cold
truth is today many so called professed Christians are OFFENDED when the TRUE gospel is preached. They are OFFENDED
at the preaching of repentance. They are
OFFENDED at the preaching of
sodomy. They are OFFENDED at the preaching of selfishness and
self-centeredness. They have used their
own MIND MADE SELF GOSPEL to
determine the ways and will of God and are unable to reconcile themselves
to the TRUE WORD of THE LIVING GOD
in HOLY SCRIPTURE. These are those who become OFFENDED at any
real message at Jesus who is THE WORD OF
GOD.
Many Disciples Desert
Jesus
In verse 60
many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone
accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said
to them, “Does this OFFEND you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son
of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human
effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit
and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the
beginning which ones didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then
he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father
gives them to me.”
66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve
and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
The question
I have to ask you today is this. Are you
offended at the True Word of God? Do you
understand the difference between the MIND
MADE SELF GOSPEL of the world, and that which lieth in the BIBLE?
Are you willing to submit to what God has to say and walk through the OFFENSE?
Most Christians Act
Like They Are Bored with God
"And
they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were
continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen." Luke 24:52,
53
One can only
conclude that God's professed children are bored with Him, for they must be
wooed to meetings and the church house with sweet syrup like candy in the form
of religious movies, games and refreshments.
It is
scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the
only attraction is God!
So we have
the strange anomaly of orthodoxy in creed and heterodoxy in practice. The sweet
syrup like candy technique has been so fully integrated into our present
religious thinking that it is simply taken for granted. Its victims never dream
that it is not a part of the teachings of Christ and His apostles.
Any
objection to the carrying on of our present golden-calf Christianity is met
with the triumphant reply,
"But we are winning them!" My reply is WINNING THEM TO WHAT?
To
cross-carrying?
To
self-denial?
To
separation from the world?
To
crucifixion of the flesh?
To holy
living? To nobility of character?
To a despising
of the world's treasures?
To hard
self-discipline?
To love for
God?
To total
committal to Christ?
The obvious answer
to all these questions is NO! We are paying a frightful price for our religious
boredom. And that price at the moment of the world's complete destruction and
it’s inhabitant to eternal life in Sheol (The Lake of Fire).
The Church of no offense (From
compromise to capitulation)
In the above
Key Scripture to this message we see there was a time during Jesus' earthly
ministry when the crowds that followed him grew quite large. He had become what
we would call today,
a "celebrity" and, by
those same societal standards, a "success,"
even though He had not yet faced the cross for which He came.
The Gospel
of John tells about "a great multitude that followed Him because they saw
His miracles." When Jesus looked up one day and surveyed the enormous
crowd before Him, He knew they needed to eat. So, taking "five barley
loaves and two small fishes" that were found among them, He fed His followers.
The men alone numbered five thousand.
Considering
the seductive tactics many churches use to draw crowds these days, it is
important to note that Jesus did not use food or the promise of it to bribe people
into following Him. The crowd was already there to see and to hear this
"prophet" – and in His
compassion, He saw to it they were fed. In other words, He did not entice them
with food or anything else – He merely tended to their needs.
"Then
those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a
truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore
perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he
departed again into a mountain himself alone." – John 6:14-15
As the
scripture verses above reveal, Jesus resisted their efforts to make Him their
king because they did not yet understand
why He had come. They only knew that as long as He was around, there would be
plenty of food. Their concern was not for their souls, but for their stomachs,
which the Lord scolded them for the very next day, telling them:
"Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but
because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." – John 6:26
Can you
imagine the pastor of a local church today publicly rebuking visitors or even
members for such a thing? Most of us would consider a statement like that to be
harsh and spiritually counterproductive, wouldn't we? It appears the primary for the church house
today is to fill the pews to take enough money in to continue a cycle not mentioned in Bible Doctrine.
Counterfeit
Christianity
Just because
someone goes to church and carries a bible with them does not mean that they
are a Christian. A counterfeit looks like the real thing but it’s not.
In Matthew 13:25 the Parable of the wheat and
the tares: Jesus said, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed
good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares
among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and
brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servant of the
household came and said unto him, Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field?
From where does it now have tares? He said to them an enemy has done this. The
servants said to him, shall we go and gather them up? But he said, No; lest
while you gather up the tares you up root the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.
How can we
tell the counterfeits from the true Christians? This is not always an easy
task. I have known church members for years, believing that they were dedicated
Christians, only to find out later that they were counterfeits. Just because
someone goes to church and carries a bible with them does not mean they are
Christians. Remember a counterfeit looks like the real thing, but it’s not.
There are
certain basic beliefs that may help to determine whether one is a Christian or
a counterfeit. The first belief is that one is a sinner and is continuing to be
a sinner. The second basic belief is that Jesus Christ is the God man and is
the savior of the world. These are basic beliefs, but believing this does not
save you. Satan also believes that Jesus is the God man and is the savior of
the world.
The main
question is where is your faith? What do you trust in for your salvation? I had
a friend who was a Lutheran. I was talking to him about Christ when he said,
“You don’t have to worry about me being saved. I have been confirmed by the
Lutheran church.”
This is a
typical example of a person who is trusting in their confirmation for
salvation. Another good example is those who believe that the church house will
save them. It is important for some people to be a member of a church for
salvation.
In the
Pentecostal religion, many Pentecostals are trusting in their emotional
experiences or speaking in tongues for salvation. Many other religions teach
that you must do good works for salvation, so they are trusting in their good
works.
Many times
when you ask someone how they know for sure that they are saved, they will
respond to a place or date that they invited Jesus into their heart or when
they made a decision to become a Christian. The problem with this is it was
their work that saved them. Anything that we do whether it’s a prayer or making
a decision is a work.
We do not
become Christians by what we do, we become Christians because of what Christ
has done. Many believe that when they were baptized that saved them. Some
believe that Jesus is their example and if they follow his example that will
make them a Christian. Jesus did not come into the world to show us the way, He
is the way.
I have found that many
of the above will reject the historical gospel of Jesus Christ for their
salvation when it is presented to them making them counterfeits.
If salvation comes to us because of
what we do or by what we have become then Christ lived and died in vain. To put
your faith and trust in anything other than the work and person of Jesus Christ
can make you a counterfeit. Most of the above do not know or understand the
gospel that saves nor do they care to know it. According to the bible they are
lost and are counterfeits. The apostle Paul said, “If our gospel is hid, it is
hid to them that are lost.” 2 Corinthians 4:3.
There is a
proper way to believe and have faith and the Lord has revealed the way of
salvation in the scriptures. The trouble is that many want to believe what they
want to believe regardless of what the scripture says. These people are the
counterfeits.
Jesus said,
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that enters not by the door into the
sheepfold but climbs in some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” John
10:1. Later he said, “I am the door of the sheepfold.”
There is only one way to
be saved and there is only one gospel. It is our responsibility to know how we
are saved, and we should never trust our souls to the teaching of a man. God
has revealed the way of salvation in the bible. Seek it out for yourself and
know what you believe. Be sure that it is compatible with the scriptures. There
is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end is the way of death. Proverbs
14:12.
In the Old
Testament concerning the tabernacle, the holy of holies and the ritual of the
sacrifices, the priest had to do everything exactly like they were instructed
by the Lord or they died. So we have been instructed about how we should
believe and have faith. There is no slip shod method for having faith. There is
no question about what the gospel is. Everything is in the book and all one has
to do is read it and believe it.
Jesus said,
“Enter in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leads to destruction. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that
leads unto life, and few there be that find it” Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus is the
strait gate. Only by faith in him and his work, (the gospel) can one be saved.
Aaron had
two sons named Nadab and Abihu. They were appointed by the priest to make fire
offerings to the Lord. This was very serious business and had to be done
exactly like they were instructed. The scripture says that they made an
offering of fire unto the Lord that was not according to the way that it should
be done. It was called “strange fire” and the Lord told them not to do it their
way. They did it their way anyway. The bible says that this angered the Lord
and that fire went out from the Lord and devoured them both and they died
before the Lord. Leviticus 10:1
Strange
beliefs, salvation according to your way, strange and false doctrines and
strange religions are the same as strange fire. The Lord didn't want it then
and he doesn't want it now.
There are
many false teachers today that are counterfeits. The apostle Paul said, “For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ. And it is no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to
their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
The apostle
Peter calls them “false prophets that teach damnable heresies and that many
will follow their pernicious ways and with feigned words will make merchandise
of you” 2 Peter 1:3.
The
counterfeits do not know or understand the gospel of grace that saves so their
teaching is usually man centered. 90% of the teaching in the churches today is
about the Christian life and how to live it. This is Satanic because it turns
people’s eyes into themselves.
We are all
sinners. There is no help in and of ourselves. The work of the spirit is to
point us to Christ and to glorify him. In John 16:13, the Spirit does not speak of Himself, nor will
one who possesses the spirit. Satan wants you to be ineffective and ineffective
you will be if you look to yourself for strength, direction or salvation.
Christ is our only strength and our only hope.
Twice in the 7th chapter of Matthew, Jesus
says, “by their fruits you will know them” (Christians). The counterfeits don’t
produce any fruit, how can they? They don’t really teach or know the gospel
that saves as they have another gospel or no gospel.
Jesus said,
“Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the
fire. Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of
heaven but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven.” (The
will of the father is to believe in Jesus and his gospel) “Many will say to me in that day
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and in your name cast out
devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? And then I will say to
them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23.
The gospel reveals who is a real Christian and
who is not. Real Christians embrace the gospel. To them it is the wonderful
words of life and freedom. The counterfeits are more interested in what they
can do to make themselves more pleasing to God by their good works or by their
pious Christian lives. They are under the law and will be judged by the law. In
reality they are in denial of the gospel. God does not accept our righteousness
because we don’t have any. We are sinners. Jesus is our righteousness!!!
What is the True Gospel and How Do I keep From Offense?
The gospel
is about Jesus Christ, his life, his death, his resurrection, and his position at
the right hand of God. The gospel calls into question all that we think and do
as Christians. It is the deciding factor as to who is a real Christian and who
is a counterfeit. There is only one gospel and there is only one way to believe
and have faith.
The apostle
Paul said, “That if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel let him
be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9. There is no room for any kind of strange fire
here. We must know beyond a shadow of a doubt how and what the Lord wants us to
believe and have faith in for our very souls depend upon this.
The gospel
is a very simple message. Christ has saved us by doing for us that which we are
not capable of doing for ourselves because we were dead in trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:1.
By his
righteous life, he has offered everything to the Godhead that the law requires.
He did this in our name and on our behalf just like we did it ourselves. When
Christ lived, we lived in him and our humanity was in him. He is the new Adam
and representative of the human race. Romans 5:12-21.
We are saved
by his work and not our own. In his crucifixion, he took our old Adamic nature
and put it to death. Our old life of failure is buried in Joseph’s new tomb.
When Christ died we died with him. The apostle Paul said, “I have been
crucified with Christ nevertheless I live.” Galatians 2:20.
The sin
problem has been dealt with and Satan has been defeated. Romans 6:1-7. When
Christ came out of the tomb we came out with him. Romans 6:5. This is not
rocket science but the simple message of the gospel. This is what the Lord
wants you to believe and have faith in.
What about my Christian life some ask?
Colossians chapter 3:1 says, if you have been risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. In Colossians 3:3-4 it read, "for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is
our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory". This is
where your Christian life is at.
It is in a very safe secure place. If your
life is in heaven with Christ you should act like it. Why? Because we are
complete in him. Play your position. Colossians 2:10. Too much is made out of
the Christian life. We have nothing to glory in and we have nothing to offer
the Lord.
If the
apostle Paul, who was the world’s greatest Christian, referred to himself as a
wretched sinner, where does that leave you and me? Christ has done it all.
Knowing this, how should we now live? The apostle Paul said, “The life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me.” The Christian life is a life of rest. We rest in what Christ
has accomplished for us. Hebrews 4:5-11.
In closing, the book of Mark Chapter 4 explains exactly why OFFENSE comes to so called professing Christians IN THE Parable of
the Sower of Seeds. In verse 17 it
clearly states "and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a
time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake,
immediately they are offended".
To put it as
plain as possible these people have no foundation in the words, ways nor will
of God and when they are afflicted or persecuted by the World/Satan (this is
normal by the way), they get offended.
This is why most so called professing Christians will never speak out
against ungodly issues, including abortion, sodomy, same sex marriage, or
anything else that is prevalent in this world because they do not want to face
the persecution that comes alone with making a stand for Jesus. They are OFFENDED
at being a CHRISTIAN!!!
Many Christians and Non-believers
fail to see the difference between the world and the church.
