Good evening. If you would, open
your Bibles back to John chapter 6. John 6. I had that passage read. Our text
is the last 12 verses of the chapter, but all of that is very
important in leading up to what happens here that we're going
to read. At the beginning of chapter 6, look at a verse or
two with me. Verse 1 says, After these things
Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias,
and a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles
which He did on them that were diseased. And then right after
that we have feeding of the 5,000, and then Christ walketh on the
sea. And then we have these about
30 verses there that we just heard of the Lord reproving them
and teaching them, and teaching them the gospel and many things.
And now let's look at verse 60, John 6 verse 60. After all these
things were said, 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? And this word disciples here
is actually talking about the thousands and thousands that
were following him. Verse 62, What and if ye shall
see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the
Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth 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
to 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 spake of
Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray
him, being one of the twelve." There are millions and millions
and millions of people who call themselves His disciples. The word disciple simply means
one who is a learner or follower. Millions of people spend a lot
of their time learning about this book, about its origins,
the language, and the history therein. Millions more people
make it their life goal to follow the law of this book and the
rules and the ethics of it. Millions and millions more people
do everything they can to make sure the people of this world
think that they are disciples. At some point, everyone will
hear the truth. At some point, everyone will
be told who they are. And at some point, everyone will
be told about the sovereign grace of our Lord. My question for
everyone tonight is also the title of my message. When that
is heard, will I be offended? When he says in verse 44, no
man can come to me except the Father which has sent me, draw
him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Will I be offended
at that? When he says in verse 53, "...verily,
verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." Will I
be offended when I hear that? And when he says in verse 65,
"...that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto
him of my father." Will I or will you be offended? There are
only two reactions to the gospel. You are either offended by it
or you will be edified by it. What does that mean? That means
that the gospel is hated by some and it gives hope to others.
The gospel is either dismissed or it is embraced. A man either
flees to the world and to himself or he runs to Christ. There is
no middle ground at all. It is one or the other. We may
be fooled by someone. Someone might appear to love
it, but Christ isn't in them. Or they may appear to hate it,
and the Lord just hasn't opened their eyes yet. But that's not
our concern in this. Our Lord knows. Turn back a few
pages to John 2. John 2, verse 23. It is not our concern of the
appearance of others. John 2 verse 23, Now when he
was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed
in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus
did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and
needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was
in man. Then turn back over to John 6
again verse 26, John 6, 26. Jesus answered them and said,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me not because you saw
the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were
filled. I go to those two scriptures
and make that comment about it, not being concerned about others,
because for the rest of the time here, for these few minutes,
I'm going to ask all of us to do something that is very difficult
to do. Everything I say from here on
out, every question I ask and every comment I bring up, I want
each of us to think only in regard to ourselves with that question
or with that comment. This is especially hard for me
because when I'm offended, when I'm criticized, my first reaction
is to criticize and offend someone else. If you come up to me and
say something like, in passing, your shirt's a little wrinkled,
did you not iron it? My response is probably going to be something
like, well, my wife should have done it for me. If you say something
to me along the lines of, You're not really that good at that.
I'm a lot better than you are at it. I am always going to find
a way to deflect or criticize or do something else to make
myself feel better about that. Why do I ask this of you? Why
do I ask this of me? Why do I want us to focus on
ourselves with this question? Because my reaction to the gospel
is way too important to be immature or to be childish when it's asked. Am I implying that I'm making
the decision? No, of course not. I'm not implying
that I control my answer, that if I'm offended or not, that's
not up to me. But if I'm offended, I sure would
like the Lord to open my eyes and teach me the truth. Teach
me to love the gospel. Make me to cling to him in salvation.
If my response is the same as many of his disciples, I ask
the Lord to break me. Don't let me get up and walk
out. Look at verse 61 in our text. 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? What this is saying
here is, if you are offended by what I have said, what will
be your reaction when all of my words are fulfilled? When
I enter into glory with my Father, when all these things are true
from the beginning that I've said, They stumbled when He called
Himself the Bread of Life. They stumbled at His declarations.
They stumbled that He came down from heaven, that He would give
His life for sinners. They stumbled that the way to
obtain life was to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He now speaks
to them of death, resurrection, and the ascension to heaven where
He was before. He did not say that these murmurs
would see his resurrected glory, but if they were offended at
these possibilities, at these words he said, think of how offended
they will be and what their response will be when it becomes a reality. Turn over to Acts 2. The reaction of many to the gospel,
to those who believe, at times is amazing because we have been
shown the truth. But it is amazing to think of
what the thought and reaction will be in that day when someone's
eyes are opened and it is too late. Look at Acts 2 verse 32. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see
and hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord, said unto my Lord,
sit thou on my right hand. until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom
you have crucified, both Lord and Christ." How much more so
with this passage after his death, after he was crucified by these
same people. As we read the Scriptures, it is very clear about those
that are offended by the Gospel. All the offense of man, man's
negative reaction to it, all of it combined has no value,
it has no effect, and it's meaningless. Our world and many of our problems
in it can be driven to our sin. Much of that is because of the
way that we are affected by one another, by the way that someone
else's offense changes what we do. How often do we change what
we say or our actions or our thoughts because someone else
expresses their displeasure with it? All men are sinners, no matter
our actions, and thank God that we play no part in salvation.
Turn over to Romans chapter 5. Romans 5 verse 18. Therefore, as by the offense
of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so
by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord. The righteousness of one came
justification of life. Does that offend me? By one man's
disobedience, many were made sinners. Does that offend me? If it does, then by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous. That means I am then excluded
out of that many. We can't be offended by one and
then expect the other. Look at verse 21. that as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Does that offend me? Does that
offend me that eternal life is by Jesus Christ our Lord and
not of me? Now look back in our text here. In verse 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. Is it offensive that our flesh
profiteth nothing? If we hold on to the flesh, we
can't expect the spirit to quicken us." Look at a story we all know
in Luke 18. This is the story of the publican
and the Pharisee. Luke 18, verse 9. And what we just saw, if we hold
on to the flesh, we can't expect the Spirit to quicken. Luke 18
verse 9, And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves, that they were righteous and despised others. Realize
here, He said He told this parable to those that were righteous
and despised others. Two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess, and the publican standing afar
off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven. but
smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone
that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted. Two men went to the temple to
pray. Does it offend me that one man
went to his house justified and the other didn't? Am I offended
with Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated? We will soon
have a new president, and something that always happens in this is
that the outgoing president always makes a bunch of pardons, meaning
that he frees a lot of criminals. So his decree can just simply
free a guilty man. What follows after he does this
is people become upset about criminals being freed. Do you
want to know what I've never heard said about that? I don't
ever remember anyone saying, you know, he should have pardoned
everyone. It's not fair he left all those
murderers and everything in jail. Why did he not let all of them
out? They deserve to be free as well. Now that sounds totally
crazy, but that is what so many people in false religion think
of election. They would rather have a scenario
where they think everyone should be freed mainly because it means
they're included. No matter what the process is,
there are so many people who don't care what the process is.
They'll take any way as long as they feel saved except for
the one way to salvation in free sovereign grace. Now I said I've
never heard anyone say that they should pardon everyone and let
everyone out of jail. But I believe that if I went
to a jail, I could probably find a lot of people there who thought
that was a really good idea. It's the same with people in
religion. They just want an outlet to where
they can make themselves feel good about it. They don't really
care how it happens as long as they're included and they get
the credit. Whether I'm offended by me not
having a free will offended by me not having a part in salvation,
or offended that God has all the power instead of me, whatever
the reason is, it's irrelevant. Being offended always makes us
do a certain thing. When we are offended about the
gospel or anything with it, it makes us to look at the things
that we don't have and the things that we can't do. instead of
seeing the wonderful things that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look over at John 5. Just a page or two back. And look at verse 1. I'm going to read this story
because this is a great example of people being offended and
finding a reason to be offended. John 5 verse 1, After this there
was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there
is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called
in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these
lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind halt withered,
waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down
at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water.
Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped
in, was made whole of whatever disease he had. And a certain
man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When
Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in
that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The
impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water
is troubled, to put me into the pool. But while I am coming,
another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise,
take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made
whole, took up his bed, and walked. And on the same day was the Sabbath.
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the
Sabbath day. It is not lawful for thee to
carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole the same
said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him,
What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
And he that was healed wist not who it was, for Jesus had conveyed
himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus
findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art
made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto thee. The man departed, and told the
Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole. And therefore
did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because
he had done these things on the Sabbath day." This is just an
example, as we get many, of the Pharisees being offended in this
circumstance because the Sabbath was broken. But we should be
careful for casting stones. Have you or I ever questioned
something trivial or silly about someone else in this room or
someone else that we care about? Don't we get caught up in so
many things of the law? Don't we question someone, our
brothers and sisters, for the most ignorant and simple things? Do we not look around when someone's
not here and question why they aren't? But if we don't come,
we've got a really good reason. We need to do what we think the
Pharisees should have done here. They should have asked, who is
this man that has made you whole? Where can we find him? I've got
to go to him. I must meet him. I have to talk
to him. I've got to find out what else
he can do. I have to see if he can help
me. And as we got more information about him, our zeal should grow
and our lives should be centered around him, anyone who can do
these things. Don't focus, again, on what we
don't have or can't do. Focus on Him and what He has
already done. In our text, look at verse 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. 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."
The same words and the same message that the twelve heard and loved,
as we read in the next few verses, made the multitude all leave.
There was nothing special about these twelve, just like there's
nothing special about me or you if we believe. I didn't believe,
He made me to believe. I wanted to walk away just like
they did, but He made me stay. In verse 67, Then said Jesus
unto the twelve. After all those had left, He
then asked them, Will ye also go away? Our Lord desires and
has no unwilling disciples. So as that large crowd went away,
he turned to those 12 and asked, do you desire to leave as well,
giving them the chance to leave. His question was a strong test
for them, and their answer would certainly reveal whether or not
a work of grace had been wrought in them. The right answer to
this question, as they gave, doesn't make them or anyone who
gives the right answer a better person or more worthy. It just
shows that the Lord has grace in His children. In verse 68
and 69, 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. To whom shall we go? Shall we
turn to the law? There's nothing there but curse.
Shall we turn to the religious organization and all the Pharisees?
There's nothing there but dead works and superstition. Shall
we turn to our own wisdom and our own righteousness? There's
nothing there but foolishness and filthy rags. Thou hast the
words of eternal life. Christ is the word of life, and
His word giveth life. In verse 63 we just read, It
is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life. Peter said, we believe and are
sure. The order is important between these two words. Natural
men, in everything we do, we demand to be sure before we believe
something. If someone tells you something,
a story, or gives you advice or anything, we must make sure
that it's right and it's true before we believe it. God reverses
man's order in this. It is impossible to be sure or
to have assurance or confidence until he gives us belief. And
we believe that thou art the Christ, prophesied, promised,
and pictured throughout the Old Testament. Peter said that they
believe that thou art God in human flesh. Now we will close
with one last scripture in Matthew 15. One last story from the New Testament. We have a story here that is
a great example of not being offended. Because we have absolutely no
right to ever be offended. Look in verse 21 of Matthew 15. Then Jesus went thence and departed
into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously
vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word,
and his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for
she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then
came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he
answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread
and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy
faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. The
Lord at first didn't answer her. Then the disciples tried to get
rid of her. And then she was called a dog.
If I put myself in this same situation, I would have been
extremely offended by any of these three things. If I come
up to you after this service and you completely ignore me
on purpose, I will probably say many things under my breath or
in my mind about you. If you try to get rid of me,
you try to make me to leave you alone, I'll probably do the same
thing. And if you call me a dog, I'm
not sure what my response will be. This woman, her reaction
to this, she came begging, then she worshiped him, and then she
sided with God against herself. This is exactly what we should
do always. It starts with our attitude.
If we could get off our high horse, if we could act like the
beggar we are, if every situation we went into, if we had that
mindset of knowing truly who we are as a beggar, it would
be amazing how little we would actually get offended. No matter what's going on, we
should always be worshiping our God and praising His name. No
matter what our life is like, no matter what anyone is saying,
doing, the way anyone's treating us, how we feel, anything, our
response should always be to worship Him. And then, no matter
what we think, no matter what we see, no matter what evidence
we have or what anyone else says, when it comes time to choose
a side. And this is in anything. This
is a becker between you and someone at work. This can be between
two believers. This can be anything we talk
about, anything you could imagine. When it comes time to choose
a side, we always must side with His Word, with His Gospel, and
with the Lord. And there is nothing more important
than that in salvation. He is salvation alone, and we
must side with Him against ourselves.