We're going to observe the Lord's
table tonight. And I'm going to be preaching
on the subject, Is Christ Divided? From 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
Is Christ Divided? I've entitled the message for
this morning, Doth This offend you. And it's my prayer that I can ask myself this question,
does this offend me? Verse 59, these things said he
in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. The Lord delivered
a sermon in the synagogue in the town of Capernaum. This message actually began in
verse 24 of this chapter and we read in verse 60, this is
the response. of the people in hearing this
particular message. Many therefore of his disciples,
don't miss that. These were people who claimed
to be his disciples. Many therefore of his disciples,
when they had heard, said. This, what we just heard, is an hard, harsh, unsympathetic sermon. That's how they interpret it.
This is a hard message. We do not like what has been
said. This is a hard saying. Who can hear it? Who can be expected
to listen to such teaching and preaching? We do not like this. Verse 61, When Jesus knew in himself, I
think that's so powerful. He knew in himself. These people
weren't saying this to the Lord's face. They were murmuring among
one another. It was a large crowd and they
were murmuring, looking at each other and said, who can hear
this? This is harsh. When Jesus knew
in himself. Do you know the Lord knows in
himself what's going on in my heart and your heart right now?
He sees. He knows. When Jesus knew in himself that
his disciples murmured at it, he saith unto them, doth this
offend you? He didn't ask this question for
information, but to show these people where they were at. Does
this offend you? I think it's interesting, the
word is where we get the English word scandal from. Do you find this scandalous? Is this a stumbling block to
you? Do you find this message offensive? You know, Paul said in Galatians
chapter 5 verse 11, if I preach circumcision, by that he means
something added to faith in Christ. That's what that means. If I
preach circumcision, then is the offense of the cross ceased. If I add one thing, I've taken
the offense. I've taken the scandal, is the
word, out of the message. And we just read, Rich, when
you were reading 1 Corinthians chapter one, Paul said, Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom
of words. Trying to make the gospel less
offensive. trying to make it more attractive.
Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be
made of none effect. If I use wisdom of words, there's
no saving power in the message. None at all. I am sure that I have been offensive in my presentation
of the gospel before. I'm sure there's been things
that would be offensive. Anytime there's an element of
self-promotion and it's seen, it's offensive, isn't it? Anytime
you're talking down to somebody, coming down from your ivory tower
to straighten people out. It's offensive, isn't it? When
you hear the truth presented in that kind of way. But you know what? I don't want
people to be turned off by my offensiveness, my self-righteousness,
my judgmental, critical attitude. I don't want that. But I also know this. If the
message I preach is not offensive to the natural man, I'm not preaching
the gospel. Where's the offense? Where's the offense? I repeat. If the message that we preach
is not offending the natural man, we are not preaching the
gospel. Now here's how offended these
people were. Look in verse 66. From that time, and notice the
word time is in italics. I can see why the translators
put it there, but it could just as easily be said from that message,
from those words, from that time. Many of his disciples went back. We're not going there. They went back. And it's not
leaving with a blaze. It's kind of falling out of sight. Kind of a quiet, they're not,
they just went back. We're not gonna be identified
with this. We're not going here. This is enough. They went back
and walked no more with him. Now were these true disciples? Of course not. Because a true
disciple walks with him. Everyone without exception. They
walk with him. But these people went back and
walked no more with him. Now our task is to see just what
he said that was so offensive. And I want to ask myself the
question and I hope God the Holy Spirit speaks to each person
here with this question, does this offend you? Don't worry about your neighbor
right now. Oh, would to God that we would hear this as if we're
the only one hearing. Does this offend you? Do you find this message offensive? Look back in verse 26. Well,
let's start verse 24. When the people therefore saw
that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took
shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus. This is that
glorious message he preached in Capernaum. And when they found him on the
other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest
thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, you seek me not because you saw the miracles. Now they
had just had bread to eat that was created. And they saw that
miracle. But the Lord says, you're not
seeking me because of a conviction of who I am that gave me the
ability to create matter and create food. You're not seeking
me because of a conviction with regard to who I am. But because
you did eat of the loaves and were filled. You got your bellies
filled and that's why you're seeking me. You want your bellies
filled again. Now understand this. Seeking the Lord to make my life
better in some way is never right. Write that down. You don't seek
the Lord for personal gain. You seek the Lord for who he
is. I love that scripture about Zacchaeus.
He sought to see Jesus, who he was. Oh, what a blessing when
somebody wants to know who the Lord is. You seek me not because you saw
the miracles and have some conviction regarding me, but because you
did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat
which perishes. But for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto
you, for him hath God the Father sealed." He's authenticated me. Then said they unto him, well,
what shall we do? That we might work the works
of God. Now that's the natural man's
response. Give us something to do. What shall we do? You talk about working and laboring,
not for meat which perishes, but for meat which endures to
everlasting. Give us something to do. What should we do? What must we do that we might
work the works of God? Jesus answered them and said,
this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath
sent." Now here's the first point. I don't know what to call it.
But the Lord first confronted them with the glorious truth
regarding salvation by faith. Not by works. This is the work
of God. That you believe on him whom
he hath sent. What else? Period. Faith alone. Now the natural man can always
get a hold of faith and. Faith and this, faith and that,
faith and anything is not faith at all, it's works. Faith alone. Looking to Christ alone. Seeing him only as your only
salvation. Not faith and. Not faith and
your ability to quit some particular sin. Not faith and you straightening
up your life. Not you faith and changing. I'm gonna do better from here
on out. You missed it. Faith alone. Does this offend you? Do you
find this scandalous? Well, what about good works?
What about my life? You telling me faith alone? Are
you indifferent about it? Why that's scandalous. That's
going to encourage people to live an ungodly life. If you
talk about faith alone, that's not right. Faith alone. Why that's scandalous. I'm offended
by that. Does this offend you? Are you offended by faith alone? You know, the only way you'll
be offended by it is if you don't believe it's true. That's the only thing that will
cause offense. Faith alone. I love the way he said, This
is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent. Don't
miss that. That's found throughout the Gospel
of John. It's something unique to this
Gospel. You believe on Him whom He has
sent. You believe the Father sent Him.
You believe in His pre-existence. He was before the Father sent
Him. You believe He's the Eternal Son of God, the uncreated. second person of the blessed
Trinity. You believe God sent him and you believe that he did
what God sent him to do. Do you believe that? Look in
verse 38 of this message. He said, for I came down from
heaven not to do my own will, But the
will of Him that sent me, and this is the Father's will which
has sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And
this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone would
seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting
life, and I raise Him up at the last day. Now let me tell you
when you'll believe, when He's revealed to you, and you see
the Son. You will believe. You're not
going to decide to believe. You will believe. You see, faith
is a response to His revelation. It's not a decision you make.
You see who He is. He's the Son. He's the eternal
Son of God, incapable of failure. You see Him, you'll believe.
You'll believe. If you don't believe Him, you
ain't ever seen Him. Now you can just write that down.
If you see Him, you will believe. Does this offend you? Look in
verse 44 of this chapter. Verse 43, Jesus therefore answered
and said unto them, murmur not among yourselves. Boy, they did
a lot of murmuring during this message. I mean, there was just
a murmur. The whole time of his preaching,
they were uncomfortable with this. There was a murmuring.
He said, murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me except
the Father which hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him
up at the last day. Look in verse 65 of the same
chapter. And he said, therefore said unto
you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto
him of my Father, no man includes me and you. What the Lord is saying is we
are so evil that we can't come to Christ
unless he draws us and unless he gives us the grace to do it. Do you find that offensive? No man can come. You can't come. You can't come. That's what the
Lord says. These are not my words. These
are the Lord's words. You cannot come to me except
my father draw you. Now this is talking about our
sinfulness. This is our crime. This isn't
something to feel sorry for somebody about. This is our crime that
we cannot come to Christ. We're so sinful, so willfully
sinful, that we can't come. He said, you will not come to
me, that you might have life. You will not. That's my crime.
You will not come to me. What's behind that? Sin. Sin. And God saw that the wickedness
of man, the wickedness of Todd, the wickedness, put your name
in there, was great in the earth and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil, nonstop, continually. That's God's testimony. with regard to man. The heart
is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. Who can know
it? That's God's testimony. You and
I, this is God's testimony, this is Christ's testimony, are so
sinful that we cannot come to Christ unless he does something
for us. Are you offended by this? Now the only way that somebody
would be offended by that is because they don't really believe
it's true. They don't believe it's true about themselves. First Corinthians 2.14 says,
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him, neither indeed can he receive
them. He can't. because they're spiritually
discerned. I have to have the Holy Spirit.
I have to be given a new heart to be able to understand the
things of God. I can't figure them out. Does
this offend you, that you can't come to Christ? And if God doesn't
do something for you, and I'm not saying this harshly. I sure
hope I'm not. If God doesn't do something for
me, I'll go to hell. And it'll be all my fault. Does this offend you, that you
have no ability, that you have no control in this thing, that
you're in His hands and it's up to Him to give you the grace
to come to Christ? Does this offend you? Look in verse 36 of this sermon. He said to these people, but
I said unto you, that you also have seen me and believe not. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. The Lord tells us here, there
are some who will come. There's going to be some people
who are going to come to Christ. And I know who they are. The
Lord tells us, all the father giveth me. Who are they? elect. The elect. Those given to him before the
foundation of the world. The elect. Turn with me for a moment to
Romans 9. All the Father giveth me, please
listen carefully. All the Father giveth me shall
come to me. And it's talking about Jacob
and Esau here in verse 11. For the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good
or evil. that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger as it's written. This is God speaking. Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. What shall we say then? Paul
anticipates our objection. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair in loving one and
hating the other? Because that's what the Bible
says. I've heard people say, well, that means he loved Esau
less. Oh, God can love less? Well,
that's ridiculous. God doesn't love less. Verse 14, what should we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he
saith to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and
I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. Electing mercy. Does this offend you? Does this offend you that God
elected a people? You see, if it offends you, you
say this is not fair. This is not right. That is born
of a sense of entitlement. God owes me this. God owes me
that. God doesn't owe you anything.
You believe that? Your sins have separated you. Salvation is of the Lord. Does this offend you? Look in verse 39 of this message. And this is John chapter 6 verse
39, And this is the Father's will which is sent me, that of
all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again At the last day, all of the elect must be saved
because Christ took full responsibility for their salvation. And these are the Lord's words.
All of the elect must be saved because Christ took full responsibility
for their salvation. He said, then what you've given
me, I've lost nothing. He is the successful Savior. He is incapable of failure. Christ died for those the Father
gave him. Now somebody may think, didn't
he die for everybody? No. If he did, everybody would be
saved. That's the point. If he did, everybody would be
saved. The only reason I'll be in heaven is because Jesus Christ
died for me. Not because I'm a preacher. Not
because of anything I do. One reason. When he said, it
is finished, my salvation was accomplished, I got no other
hope. And if you tell me that Jesus
Christ can die for somebody and that person wind up in hell,
you're telling me his death doesn't save. Ain't no gospel in that. This is the father's will, which
has sent me that of all, which he has given me, I should lose
nothing. but raise it up again at the
last day. You know when he said, or when the writer of Hebrews
said when he had by himself purged our sins, who's the our? Answer
that yourself. Who's the our? When he had by
ourself purged our sins, what's everybody's sins who were purged?
If your sins are purged, you're gonna be in heaven. They've been
washed away by the blood of Christ. Does this offend you? That Christ is a successful Savior
for the elect. Does this offend you? Do you find this scandalous?
Why is this scandalous? This doesn't give anybody any
motivation for holy living and obedience because you're saying
their salvation is complete in Christ. Why is that scandalous?
That's going to lead people down the wrong road. That kind of
teaching will That's the natural man's response to grace. Why,
that'll encourage sin. No, it doesn't. It's the only
way a sinner will be saved. That's it. Doth this offend you? Does this offend me? Look in verse 44 and 45. 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. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned
of the Father cometh unto me." What's he saying? Everybody God teaches, without
exception, everybody that hears from God, You know what they
do? All of them are going to come
to Jesus Christ as they're all in salvation. Every one of them. Now what this is talking about
is the invincible, irresistible grace of God. God's grace cannot be resisted. If He teaches you, you are taught. Oh, when we say something foolish
like God's trying to teach me something, God doesn't try to
do anything. If He teaches, you're taught. And you know what you do when
you're taught of God? You come to Christ. When you come to Christ,
you leave salvation by works. I mean, when you come somewhere,
you leave somewhere, don't you? You leave salvation by works and
you come to the Lord Jesus Christ as everything in your salvation.
And he's given this promise. He that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. If you come to Christ, somebody
says, well, you're, what if I'm not elect? You come to Christ,
you won't be cast out. You leave any hope of salvation
by works and you come to the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be
received. Do you find this offensive that
the only way you can come to Christ is if he teaches you?
If he draws you and you can't figure this out, you're totally
dependent upon him? Does this offend you? Verse 47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, don't forget who's speaking here.
This is not the words of some reformed theologian. These are
the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your
fathers did eat man in the wilderness, they're dead. This is the bread
which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and
not die. Eternal life, I'm the living
bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live forever. For the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I'll give for the life of the world. The
Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, how can this man give
us his flesh to eat? And said Jesus unto them, verily, verily,
I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the son of man and
drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life. I'll raise him
up at the last day for my flesh. is meat indeed. My blood is drink
indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father
has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me,
even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came
down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat man
and are dead. He that eateth of this bread
shall live forever." Now this is talking about how someone
perseveres all the way to the end. You know how? by eating his flesh and drinking
his blood. That's not talking about cannibalism. What he did in the flesh is your
only hope of being saved. That's the only thing that gives
you spiritual nourishment to continue all the way to the end. What he did, his flesh, drinking
his blood. The only way I can persevere
is through his blood making me always clean before God. I can't live off anything else.
I can't live off works. The only thing that I can live
on, the only thing that any believer can live on is the flesh and
the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord, His person, His work. That is the only thing that gives
me the ability, the grace to persevere all the way to the
end. His flesh and His blood. Now, let me wrap this up. I have just given, I didn't give
it, the Lord gave it. The Lord gave it. The Lord has just given in this
one sermon what is known as the doctrine of grace. It's been
known as the five points. I hate to use the word Calvinism,
the five points of Calvinism. You've heard that term. It's
a terrible term because this is the Lord's message. This is
the five points of Christ, not the five points of Calvinism.
It's derogatory to the truth to call this after the name of
some man. This is the Lord's words. This was a sermon preached by
Christ. You cannot preach the gospel
and not preach this. Amen? It's the truth. You cannot preach the gospel
and not preach this. Does this offend you? Verse 61, when Jesus knew in
himself that his disciples murmured at it, he saith unto them, does
this offend you? Do you find this message scandalous?
Do you see if this is going to create all kinds of problems,
preaching like this? Is this scandalous to you? Verse 62, What if you shall see the Son
of Man ascend up where he was before? If you're offended now,
you'll really be offended then. When you see me at the right
hand of the Father in absolute sovereign control, and that your
offense will be exposed as high treason against the Lord of glory,
you're offended now, you'll really be offended then. Now look what
he says, verse 60. Three, it is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profits nothing. It's
God the Spirit who gives you life. You can't, the flesh has
no contribution in this thing. None at all. Now look what he
says about these words that they found hard sayings. The words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. Now that's the Lord's assessment
of these words. They are spirit, spirit-inspired,
spiritual, unerring words. They are words of spirit. They
are words of life, life-giving words. These words that you find
to be harsh, they're words of spirit. They're words of 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 unto
you that no man can come to me, except it were given unto him
of my father. From that, this was the straw that broke the
camel's back, from that many of his disciples went back and
walked no more with him. Can you imagine the Lord watching
this group leave? We know there were over 5,000
men, not including the women and the children. And he watched
them leave. They went back and walked no
more with him. And he didn't ask them to come
back. He didn't say, maybe you didn't understand what I was
saying. He knew they knew exactly what he was saying. Verse 67, then said Jesus unto
the 12, will you also go away? What a question. He was watching
those people leave. And he looked at the 12, the
only ones who stayed. And he said, do you also want
to go away? You know, the Lord's not going
to have any unwilling disciples. Will you also go away? And I
love Peter's answer. Verse 68, then Simon Peter answered
and said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, these words that The crowd is found harsh and hard. We find
them to be 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, 12. You know, he doesn't congratulate
them. He says, the reason you believe is because I chose you.
Don't pat yourself on the back. I chose you. He said in John
chapter 15, verse 16, you did not choose me. I chose you. The reason you see my words as
words of eternal life is because I chose you. Why me? Why me? And he makes this statement of
Judas Iscariot, the one who ended up betraying him. He's letting
us know that he was not a believer. He spoke of Judas Iscariot who
would betray him. Now, does this offend you? Faith alone, does that offend
you? Total depravity, does that offend you? Unconditional election,
does that offend you? Effectual atonement for the elect,
does that offend you? God's grace as irresistible,
can't be resisted, does that offend you? God's people persevering
through eating and drinking the Lord Jesus Christ, does that
offend you? No. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you would take
your word. Lord, we're so thankful for your
word. We're so thankful for this message
that our Redeemer brought at Capernaum. And Lord, we know
that apart from your grace, we'll be just like those people who
claim to be your disciples that went back and walked no more
with you. We ask that we might be delivered from that. We ask
that we would be, Lord, I ask that everybody in this room might
be enabled to say with Peter, 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. Bless us for
his sake. In his name we pray.