Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the Gospel according to John. John chapter 6. Going through this precious book. I'd like to look
this morning at verses 60, just where we left off, 60 to 65. And I've entitled this message,
Does This Offend You? Does This Offend You? That's
from the words of our Lord in one of the verses that we'll
be looking at. And before we begin, let's ask
our Lord a blessing. Our Father, how wonderful it
is to be able I call upon you. Lord, I ask that you bless these
services. Pray for Darden and Cappie. Pray
for these that have been mentioned in the congregation here. Pray
for Don, Todd, and Xavier. Plan to come according to your
goodwill and purpose for the conference. Lord, help us. Help us to hear. Bless the Word. May Christ be exalted What's
in His name we pray. Amen. Having mentioned the amendments
that we just talked about, those that are hurting, my mind was brought back to a
statement that was made by one of the older preachers. I don't
remember his name right now, but what he said was this. He
said, I'm a dying man preaching to dying men. We know that, sir. We know that. We look around
and we've seen those in our own congregation that the Lord has
been pleased. Their time was accomplished. They were ripe. The fruit that Almighty God had
produced. It was time. Our time shall soon
come, and I know that in that day, the only thing that will
matter in that day is what thinking of Christ. What has the Lord
taught you concerning the Savior, the Redeemer, the Mediator, Our Lord has been, as we've taken
these verses, verse by verse by verse, the thing that gives
me such comfort when I go through this book. It's just like this
too in Hebrews. You know, we're going through
Hebrews on Wednesday night. And when you look at how the Lord
sets forth in the scriptures the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, He sets forth that which we just
heard, just heard. He has been setting forth Himself
as the bread of heaven. The bread that comes down, not
like the manna He said that your fathers did eat in the wilderness
and they're dead. But Himself being the living
bread, the one that gives life. The one that has been revealed
from God the Father to God's people. And he said it himself,
he said, the bread that I will give is my flesh. Now when we
talk about this, we have to understand that humanly speaking, we understand
what it is to eat. Something goes into our mouth
and we chew it, and we swallow it, and we're satisfied, we're
full, we understand that. That's flesh. That's the way
it's done. That's naturally speaking. There's
a spiritual way to eat. It has nothing to do with bodily
exercises or anything. It's by faith. We eat by faith. It's got to be ripe food, good
food. And it truly fills us. The soul is satisfied. And he spoke of himself, I am
that which alone satisfies. Now let me tell you what is so
offensive about that. with a natural mind. Why are
men offended, Mitch, when you talk about Christ being the bread
of heaven? Here's what it is. Man by nature
wants to eat, wants to be satisfied, wants to be filled with what
he can do. Man wants to be patted on the
back and say, This is what I did. In response, they'll say to the
Lord's invitation, this is what I did. I was A, B, C, D. I did this, I did that, I did
this. When he sets himself forth to
be the bread of heaven, I am the bread that comes down. The
only satisfaction to the soul, and men are offended at that. Are you saying that I had no
part in this whatsoever? Yeah, that's exactly what I'm
saying. Man has no part in salvation. Men are the recipients of the
grace of God, or they're lost. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that, not of yourselves, is the gift of God. He told them
that he was the bread of heaven, and that's what he set forth.
Verse 60 says, Many therefore of his disciples, when they had
heard this, said, This is a hard saying, Who can hear it? This is harsh. This is severe. Many, the scripture says, of
his disciples, temporary allegiance, what they
were, the scriptures are going to bear that out, it's soon going
to be discovered. They were followers. They were
people that were following him. Many of those disciples, they
talked a good talk for a while. It appeared as though, for a
while, that they had a heart to follow after the Lord Jesus
Christ. The scripture says, for a while,
verse 2 says, they saw the miracles which he did on them that were
diseased. Later, the Lord told him, he
said, it wasn't because of the miracles, he said, because you
ate bread. Stony ground here. The scripture
bears out that if the seed of God's Word is not sown in ground
made good, not by our words, but by the grace of God, soon
they'll wither. They'll spring up quickly, but
they're withering, offended at the word. This is the issue. This is the issue. As old brother Scott used to
say, who is going to get the glory for this? Who gets all
the honor for this? When he set forth himself to
be the bread of heaven, they knew what he was saying. We talk
about it and it's just, let's just explain to us, we miss it. What was he talking about? I'm
the bread of heaven. Your fathers eat manna, they're
dead. I'm the bread. What it is, is
no honor to any but himself. No glory to any. Men will eat
of their own works and they'll be satisfied But when you set forth that Christ
alone is the only satisfaction, they're offended. He set forth
who he was. They were mad. The scripture
sets forth that man's instability is going to be exposed. I am the bread of heaven and
the honor It's going to all go to Him. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. He has set forth man's total
inability. No man can come except it were
given unto Him, my Father. Except the Father which has sent
me, drawing me, just putting these people in a place where
they didn't have anything to brag on. That's a hard saying. That saying right there, that's
stiff, that's offensive, that's intolerable. Who can hear it? Who can hear that? Not that they didn't understand
what he said, but they understood exactly what he said. Who could
hear this patiently? Who could listen to such a doctrine
as this? Who could believe that God would
choose to show mercy and compassion to whomsoever He will? Who could hear that? Who could
believe that Christ was made sin for us, he who knew no sin,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Who can believe that the gospel
of God's sovereign grace is the only message God bless us for
the salvation of this community. That's what the Apostle Paul
says. This is the power of God. On salvation. Who can hear it?
That's a hard saying. They understood what he said.
The problem was it was just irreconcilable with their views of salvation
by their own free will. Those two things don't You can't
mesh that. You cannot mesh man's works and
free grace. It just don't go together. Scripture says, He came to His
own, and His own received Him not. He said, You will not come
to Me, that you might have life. Why? Because to the natural man,
that is a hard saying. Who can hear it? I've said to people, and I have,
I've had people tell me, they've said, you know, Marvin, that
just, man, you're just so, it's like you just don't give
any, I said, what do you want me to do? What do you want me
to say? What I'm saying, I'm just a voice. Show me these scriptures. For
this is not so. Show me and read the words of
the Lord Jesus Christ and tell me, what did He say? Men will
argue against God's elect and predestinated grace. Go back and you read the words
and you say, this is God speaking. When Jesus, verse 61, knew in
himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth
this offend you? He didn't need to hear their
outward remarks. He knew. He knew that they grumbled
in themselves. He knew. He knows now. He is the omniscient God. The scripture says, many of the
disciples, verse 60, when they heard this, they said, this is
a hard saying, who can hear it? And he asked them, knowing exactly
how to answer them, does this offend you? Does this anger you? Do you stumble? at what's being
said. It's not a wonder that men are
offended at what the Lord Jesus Christ so plainly sets forth. Oh, how weighty are these words
of our blessed Savior. Blessed, he said in Matthew 11,
verse 6, blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. This is what he asked him, does
salvation totally by the grace of God, or did you? Does salvation
by God's choice, God's will, God's purpose, God's goodness,
God's mercy, does that make you a man? The thing that I try to relate
to people is this. They look at it in a way that
God is just not fair. But I told them, I said, consider
that when man rebelled against God. When man rebelled against God.
When man did exactly what man wanted to do in the garden. Who did that? God or man? When Adam rebelled against God, Almighty God, who is just, He's
a just God. And He's going to do that which
is right. He's just. Whenever we consider the blessed
truth concerning God's elect, predestinated, preserving grace,
It shouts, it screams of God's mercy and God's compassion because
He would not let the order of man perish. It is by the grace
of God that anybody will ever be saved from his wrath. By the grace of God So when we
speak of Him being the bread, man was the one that rebelled
against God. It was God Himself that made
flesh, came into this world, and did what man would never
do, could never do. God Almighty in mercy and grace
came into this world to save sinners, rebels against Him,
who wouldn't repent, would not bow. They wouldn't bow. Left
Him to Himself. He had to judge them. And He
told them, He said, I'm the bread that came down from heaven. And
it made them mad. I'm mad at God's merciful. This
makes me mad because you're not giving me. Does this offend you? He said in verse 62, What? And if ye shall see the Son of
Man ascend up where he was before. If you're offended at the words
that I speak, if you're mad because of the truth that I've sent forth,
that I'm the bread, I'm the living bread, I'm the bread that the
Father sent, I'm man's only hope. I'm man's only sustenance. I'm
man's only satisfaction before God. If that makes you mad because
of what you've heard me say, what are you going to do when
you see the Son of Man ascend back to death, accepted of Almighty
God? That's what He's saying. What
are you going to do? When you murmur and complain
and rebel against the words that I say, and you stand before God in the
day of judgment, what and if you shall see the Son of Man
ascend up where He was before, what are you going to do then?
A man wants to hang on to his little
I've said before, he's a little pack of peanuts that he thinks
is going to reconcile himself back to God and offend it, offend
it, at the glorious gospel of God's grace and mercy. I'll tell you what's going to
have to happen. God's going to have to make a brand new creature.
He's going to have to make a new man. He's going to have to create
in a sinner, a new man, created in righteousness, true holiness. He's going to have to make a
man that doesn't sin. One that's born of God, that
the Scripture says, sinneth not. Made willing in the day of His
power to come, to bow, to believe, to love, to thank, What are you going to do? In that day, over in Acts chapter
2, let me just read this to you. Acts 2, verses 32, 36. This Jesus, the apostle said,
had God raised up, were of, were all witnesses, therefore being
by the right hand of God, exalting, having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, This which you now see and hear
for David is not ascended into the heavens, but saith unto him,
but he saith it himself, the Lord, saith unto my Lord, sit
thou in my right hand until I make thy foes thy foes. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ. This is what the Lord
asked him. You're offended at what I'm saying. This question,
I'd ask this question to all of us. We're preaching the gospel of
God's grace. We're preaching the glory of
God and salvation. We're preaching that honor and
praise belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't deserve
any of it. We don't have anything to brag
on. We don't have anything to glory in save Christ and Him
crucified as the Lord said. Let me ask you this. When men
are offended, at the preaching of the gospel. What shall it be when they stand
before God in judgment? Stand before Him that Almighty
God has exalted. Kiss the Son. Kiss the Son. Lest He be angry. Bow. I pray that God gives the heart
to do that very thing. It is, verse 63, the spirit that
quickened it. The flesh profited nothing. You see, he knew what offended
him. He's bringing it out right here.
It is the spirit that quickened it. The flesh profited nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they're a spirit and they're lying. I looked at that profited
nothing. Here again, when you read the
Word of God, unless you look up and see what it means, you
don't know. I mean, you just, you might think you do. But really,
you don't. I mean, these words that we just
glaze over, look it up. Find out what does it mean. It
is the Spirit that quickens it. The flesh assists not at all. The flesh. doesn't assist at
all. There's no assistance, oh man,
for it. The flesh, profit, nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
their spirit, their life. Right here the Lord reveals the
source of true life, spiritual life. The Spirit of God who The holy scriptures that are
able to make a man wise into salvation. Man's flesh, man's
ability, man's impotent will. Useless. Men think that they come in order
to have life. The scripture refutes that. It doesn't assist. Why does a
man come? Because God made him alive. You
didn't come before God gave you life. You couldn't come. Our people, they're willing in
the day of His power and regenerating grace. When we call upon the
Lord and ask Him for mercy, mercy has already been shown. That's
a response. Lord, save me! That's a response
to life already given. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ,
these are the words of life. Man cannot discern spiritual
truth until he's been regenerated by the grace of God. You just
don't understand. You look straight at it, and
you just, that makes me mad. But when Almighty God gives a
man a new heart, and he sees I never saw that before. I never
saw that before. I never knew that. What man,
1 Corinthians 2.11, knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit
of a man which is in him. Even so, the things of God knoweth
no man but the Spirit of God. God's Spirit must give us ears
to hear. God's Spirit must give us eyes
to see. But though many of them followed
Him outwardly, though some may show a faithfulness,
Almighty God is going to reveal a heart. Nobody is fooling God. Verse 64 says, 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. He
knew from the beginning. He who is the omniscient God
exposed the heart of those that didn't believe him. Some did
and some didn't. What was the difference? Nobody in here is smarter spiritually
than anybody else. Nobody in here in themselves
is spiritually more sensitive. No. All men outside of Christ
are dead. Dead spiritually. He knew from
the beginning, Scripture says, who they were who believed not,
who should betray Him. I know this, I know that he knew
from the beginning of their conversation who didn't believe him and who
should betray him. I'll tell you this, he knew from
the beginning of his ministry on earth who didn't believe him
and who should betray him. He knew from before the foundation
door. who didn't believe him and who should betray him. He
knew from the beginning, not only because of his foreknowledge,
knowing all things beforehand, but he also knew because of his
foreordination. Now let me tell you what I mean
when I say that. He is the one That is the point
in all things. John 10. We've read this scripture
before, but the only thing that's going to ever set any of us free
is the truth. He knew from the beginning. John
10, verse 24 to 29. Then came the Jews. round about him and said unto
him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ,
tell us plainly." How long are you going to beat
around the bush? That's what they asked him. Jesus answered
them, I told you, and ye believe not. The works that I do in my
Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because
ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. which gave them me is greater
than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand." Now let me ask you this, like is John when the scripture
says, he knew from the beginning who should believe him and who
should betray him. How long do you think he knew
it? he is always money. When he came into this world,
he knew exactly who he was coming for. Let me read you something
out of Romans 8, verse 29 to 31. Romans 8, 29 to 31. For whom
he did foreknow, that is to say, whom he did foreknow in electing, preserving, merciful,
compassionate grace. For whom he did foreknow, he
had just said over in the book of John, he said, I know my sheep. Nobody has ever become a sheep
in time. If a man or a woman is a sheep,
they've always been sheep. He said, my sheep were given
me by the Father. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. That
means he determined their destination from the beginning. That he might be the firstborn
among many brethren, moreover, whom he did predestinate, if
we ever get a hold of what the Spirit of God is saying in these
scriptures, whom He did determine the destination beforehand. Them He also called, and I do hope that Almighty God
is going to call His people out in effectual and powerful grace. I know that, but that's not what
that word means. Look it up. It means he named
them. What did he call them? He called
them his own. He named them. Whom he did predestinate,
them he also named sons of God. You're mine. You're my sheep.
You belong to me. I chose you. I chose you. And whom he called, whom he named,
them he also justified. When? From before the foundation of
the world, in Christ, who was the Lamb slain from before the
foundation of the world. Men think all of this is starting
to transpire in time. It's becoming evident in time.
But this was settled from before the foundation of the world.
Lamb's Book of Life, when was it written? from before the foundation
of the world. Nothing, nothing is taken God
by surprise. Whom He justified, then He also
glorified. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? My question is this, back in
John chapter 6, when the Scripture says forth that the Lord knew
from the beginning who would not believe Him, who wouldn't
do anything but betray Him. How long has He known it? He's
always known it. He came into this world to save
the sheep. And He said in John 6, 37, all
that the Father had given. shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast him out." What are we doing? We're doing
what Almighty God has commanded us to do. He's going to save
His sheep. How is He going to save them?
On the preaching of the gospel, the preaching that honors Christ. And if Almighty God is pleased
to bless this message right here for the salvation of His people,
it is by the grace of God. And if God Almighty leaves a
man to himself to murmur against this and complain against this,
walk away as a shoo! That's a bunch of baloney. Last verse, verse 65. He said,
Therefore said I unto you, that no man can, no man has the ability
to come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. I say, well, are you saying that
nobody can come to Christ unless God the Father gives that privilege
to come? That's exactly what I just said.
That's exactly what I just read. Therefore said I unto you that
no man has the ability, no man can. He didn't say may, no man
can. come unto me, except it were
given unto him of my father." Now, my question is this. The
name of this message was, Does This Offend You? That's my question. Does this offend you? Does this offend you? If this
does not offend you, it is by the grace of God. If this doesn't
offend you, it's by the mercy and compassion of Almighty God. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart. For Christ's sake.