Hi, I'm Pastor Floyd Bresee and I've been 00:00:31.04\00:00:35.90 thinking it seems to me there'd be a lot more 00:00:35.91\00:00:39.39 Christians if Christians were a 00:00:39.40\00:00:41.95 lot more Christ like. Let's pray about it. 00:00:41.96\00:00:46.00 Father, please teach us something today 00:00:46.01\00:00:52.35 that'll help us become more Christ like 00:00:52.36\00:00:56.80 Christians. This is our prayer in Jesus name, 00:00:56.81\00:01:01.09 amen. Our title today is change me, change me. 00:01:01.10\00:01:10.23 Let's leave our Bibles open to John chapter 6 00:01:10.24\00:01:15.02 and I'll be using the new 00:01:15.03\00:01:16.80 international version. I stood one day in the 00:01:16.81\00:01:20.91 rain at the great divide in the Colorado Rockies, 00:01:20.92\00:01:24.92 it's a dramatic experience to at least 00:01:24.93\00:01:28.27 by imagination as you hold out your arms 00:01:28.28\00:01:32.99 the water that drips off this hand 00:01:33.00\00:01:37.56 will go to the Gulf and the water that drops 00:01:37.57\00:01:43.25 from this hand will go to the Pacific. 00:01:43.26\00:01:46.32 This is the point in North American 00:01:46.33\00:01:50.08 Continent where there is the great divide. 00:01:50.09\00:01:53.77 John 6 tells the story of the great divide, 00:01:53.78\00:02:00.09 separation in the ministry of Jesus. 00:02:00.10\00:02:03.66 It's one of the saddest and yet most insightful 00:02:03.67\00:02:08.60 chapters in all of scripture. 00:02:08.61\00:02:11.77 John the 6th chapter and the 2nd verse, 00:02:11.78\00:02:16.07 And a great crowd of people followed him 00:02:16.08\00:02:19.82 because they saw the miraculous signs 00:02:19.83\00:02:23.66 he had performed on the sick. 00:02:23.67\00:02:26.46 And the Greeks suggests that these folk 00:02:26.47\00:02:31.04 followed him continuously, 00:02:31.05\00:02:32.76 a great crowd followed him continuously 00:02:32.77\00:02:34.93 everywhere he went. 00:02:34.94\00:02:36.35 He was a tremendous attraction. 00:02:36.36\00:02:38.64 But now come with me to the near 00:02:38.65\00:02:42.93 the close of the chapter in verse 66. 00:02:42.94\00:02:46.36 From this time many of his disciples 00:02:46.37\00:02:49.90 turned back and no longer followed him. 00:02:49.91\00:02:54.75 What went wrong, what did Jesus do, 00:02:54.76\00:02:58.78 in John the 6th chapter that people who had 00:02:58.79\00:03:03.78 followed continuously herds of people they 00:03:03.79\00:03:07.50 began to turn back from following Christ. 00:03:07.51\00:03:10.79 You know sometimes we're tempted to 00:03:10.80\00:03:15.42 turn back from following or we follow only at a 00:03:15.43\00:03:19.84 greater distance. Why? 00:03:19.85\00:03:22.47 Well for the same reasons that the masses 00:03:22.48\00:03:26.21 for came then if we find out what caused them 00:03:26.22\00:03:31.04 to leave, we'll understand better 00:03:31.05\00:03:33.36 what might tempt us to leave our 00:03:33.37\00:03:36.81 following Jesus. And Jesus thought in 00:03:36.82\00:03:41.58 John the 6th chapter, an emphasis that they 00:03:41.59\00:03:44.84 and I'm afraid sometimes we do not want to hear. 00:03:44.85\00:03:48.03 Jesus thought that the primary purpose of 00:03:48.04\00:03:51.43 Christianity is to change us and not our 00:03:51.44\00:03:55.46 circumstances. They wanted our circumstances 00:03:55.47\00:03:58.34 changed, he wanted to change them. 00:03:58.35\00:04:00.79 The primary purpose of Christianity 00:04:00.80\00:04:03.80 is to change us and not our circumstances. 00:04:03.81\00:04:08.49 Think of your last prayer, 00:04:08.50\00:04:10.31 how much of it was asking God 00:04:10.32\00:04:12.46 to change you, how much of it was asking God 00:04:12.47\00:04:15.50 to change your circumstance. 00:04:15.51\00:04:17.30 The primary purpose of Christianity is to 00:04:17.31\00:04:19.53 change us and not our circumstances. 00:04:19.54\00:04:23.11 Now it's possible to follow Christ 00:04:23.12\00:04:27.85 and be lost because we followed for the 00:04:27.86\00:04:31.59 wrong reasons. The crowd followed 00:04:31.60\00:04:34.78 Christ for what they could get from him, 00:04:34.79\00:04:36.78 he had just fed the 5000 over at Bethsaida 00:04:36.79\00:04:40.24 in the eastern shore of Galilee and they 00:04:40.25\00:04:43.31 caught up with Jesus then when he was 00:04:43.32\00:04:45.59 over to the northwest part of the sea 00:04:45.60\00:04:48.48 and he was at Capernaum when they 00:04:48.49\00:04:51.05 approached him in John the 6th chapter 00:04:51.06\00:04:53.49 and verses 25 and 26, When they found Him 00:04:53.50\00:04:57.03 on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, 00:04:57.04\00:04:59.25 "Rabbi, when did You get here?" 00:04:59.26\00:05:01.95 Jesus answered I tell you the truth, 00:05:01.96\00:05:04.56 you are looking for me, 00:05:04.57\00:05:06.54 not because you saw miraculous signs, 00:05:06.55\00:05:09.23 but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 00:05:09.24\00:05:13.58 Because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 00:05:13.59\00:05:19.27 I used to teach at Union College 00:05:19.28\00:05:24.21 in Lincoln, Nebraska, 00:05:24.22\00:05:25.56 and they had a wonderful large pioneer park 00:05:25.57\00:05:29.17 and we would take the kids out on a Sabbath 00:05:29.18\00:05:32.27 afternoon and their mother would take along 00:05:32.28\00:05:35.33 the stale old bread and we would feed the ducks 00:05:35.34\00:05:39.77 and have much the kids had even the time 00:05:39.78\00:05:42.62 they were tiny, feeding the ducks 00:05:42.63\00:05:44.87 and soon as they started to feed the ducks, 00:05:44.88\00:05:47.03 the ducks were attracted to them, 00:05:47.04\00:05:48.77 the ducks wanted to be friends with them 00:05:48.78\00:05:50.69 and they appreciated it so much, 00:05:50.70\00:05:52.54 they loved it so much that the ducks wanted 00:05:52.55\00:05:55.16 to befriend them even the sophisticated 00:05:55.17\00:05:57.12 swan came. Then they ran out 00:05:57.13\00:06:01.51 of bread and the ducks immediately left because 00:06:01.52\00:06:07.67 they weren't interested in befriending 00:06:07.68\00:06:10.31 our boys, they were interested only 00:06:10.32\00:06:15.51 in the food. And the kids were hurt. 00:06:15.52\00:06:19.52 Now in the story of Jesus that was 00:06:19.53\00:06:23.12 Passover time and these pilgrims on the way 00:06:23.13\00:06:25.60 to pass over these great herds of people 00:06:25.61\00:06:27.79 were not really interested in Christ but 00:06:27.80\00:06:31.42 what they could get out of Christ. 00:06:31.44\00:06:33.51 And like my boys were hurt 00:06:33.52\00:06:36.40 Christ must have been hurt. 00:06:36.41\00:06:37.94 But you know we too are interested in 00:06:37.95\00:06:42.80 what we can get from him. 00:06:42.81\00:06:44.34 We ask for peace and protection 00:06:44.35\00:06:47.93 for ourselves and for our families. 00:06:47.94\00:06:50.86 We ask for health, we ask for heaven, 00:06:50.87\00:06:53.02 we ask for eternal life. You eventually be 00:06:53.03\00:06:59.61 disappointed in Christ if you follow him 00:06:59.62\00:07:03.23 for selfish reasons, please understand, 00:07:03.24\00:07:06.09 Christ mustn't work miracles 00:07:06.10\00:07:09.25 to feed our selfishness. 00:07:09.26\00:07:11.47 Notice verse 34, "Sir," they said, 00:07:11.48\00:07:16.38 the crowd speaking now, 00:07:16.39\00:07:17.49 "Sir," they said, 00:07:17.50\00:07:18.57 "from now on give us this bread." 00:07:18.58\00:07:23.05 From now on give us this bread 00:07:23.06\00:07:26.79 and Jesus turned them down, 00:07:26.80\00:07:31.15 he refused to give them what they wanted. 00:07:31.16\00:07:35.57 They wanted to follow Jesus but they're 00:07:35.58\00:07:37.37 following for the wrong reasons and when he 00:07:37.38\00:07:40.20 turned them down I'm sure you learned in life 00:07:40.21\00:07:43.41 its hard to love someone who turned you down. 00:07:43.42\00:07:45.87 I fell head over heels when I was in the 00:07:45.88\00:07:49.78 second grade with the cutest little 00:07:49.79\00:07:52.20 first grader I ever met. 00:07:52.21\00:07:54.38 Of course I hadn't met many, 00:07:54.39\00:07:56.45 I wrote her what I thought was a 00:07:56.46\00:07:59.08 very sweet little note and told her how 00:07:59.09\00:08:03.61 wonderful I thought she was and kind of asking 00:08:03.62\00:08:07.26 if she felt the same way about me, 00:08:07.27\00:08:09.66 truth of the matter is she didn't. 00:08:09.67\00:08:14.36 Instead of writing back a sweet little 00:08:14.37\00:08:17.33 fresh grade note, she took my note 00:08:17.34\00:08:19.30 and gave it to my brother, 00:08:19.31\00:08:20.42 who took it home and gave it to my mother 00:08:20.43\00:08:22.15 who really gave it to me, 00:08:22.16\00:08:23.38 and you know something 00:08:23.39\00:08:26.06 I never liked that girl much after that. 00:08:26.07\00:08:29.76 Its hard to love somebody that 00:08:29.77\00:08:32.24 turns you down and Jesus turned the people down 00:08:32.25\00:08:35.23 when they asked him for the wrong things. 00:08:35.24\00:08:39.40 If you see God as a heavenly Santa Claus, 00:08:39.41\00:08:45.16 you ask Santa for something long enough 00:08:45.17\00:08:48.62 and you don't get it and you start believing 00:08:48.63\00:08:50.85 in him and you think God is a sacred Santa Claus 00:08:50.86\00:08:54.12 you ask and ask you don't get it, 00:08:54.13\00:08:56.11 you'll be tempted to lose faith in God. 00:08:56.12\00:09:00.94 God turns you down when you lose a child 00:09:00.95\00:09:04.43 or you lose your job, you lose your health, 00:09:04.44\00:09:07.28 or you lose your spouse to rejection 00:09:07.29\00:09:10.28 or maybe to cancer and you figure something 00:09:10.29\00:09:13.80 is wrong with you either I'm no good 00:09:13.81\00:09:16.13 or something is wrong with God, 00:09:16.14\00:09:18.32 either he doesn't exist or he doesn't care. 00:09:18.33\00:09:20.96 Hard to love someone that turns you down. 00:09:20.97\00:09:26.68 Well all of us attempted to worship a God 00:09:26.69\00:09:31.43 of our own invention, an extension of our 00:09:31.44\00:09:36.16 selfish desires, we want an Omnipotent God 00:09:36.17\00:09:39.77 who will let us be omniscient, 00:09:39.78\00:09:41.87 that is he has the power but 00:09:41.88\00:09:44.34 we make the decisions. We determine 00:09:44.35\00:09:46.50 what we need and he gives us 00:09:46.51\00:09:48.27 what we ask for. So many times 00:09:48.28\00:09:51.15 this is the focus of our prayers, 00:09:51.16\00:09:53.19 we fill out the sheet and we ask God 00:09:53.20\00:09:56.46 to sign it. That's not faith folks, 00:09:56.47\00:09:59.56 that's not even good prayer. 00:09:59.57\00:10:01.56 Faith is signing a blank sheet 00:10:01.57\00:10:05.34 and trusting God to fill it out. 00:10:05.35\00:10:08.35 We want a God who we can manipulate 00:10:08.36\00:10:12.53 to get our own way, I'll serve you and you'll 00:10:12.54\00:10:15.77 make me feel good and keep me safe 00:10:15.78\00:10:17.90 on the highway, you keep my kids 00:10:17.91\00:10:19.81 from going over fools hill and then 00:10:19.82\00:10:24.04 tragedy strikes, we become disillusion, 00:10:24.05\00:10:27.58 even angry. I'll get even, 00:10:27.59\00:10:31.64 I'll quit believing or at least I'll never 00:10:31.65\00:10:34.66 fully trust Him again. Now there's good news, 00:10:34.67\00:10:41.71 although God allows trial, 00:10:41.72\00:10:45.81 he never allows more hurt than can be used 00:10:45.82\00:10:50.25 to help us. My first wife lived 12 years 00:10:50.26\00:10:58.11 with cancer before her death. 00:10:58.12\00:11:02.11 During that time she had 60 months, 00:11:02.12\00:11:06.09 60 months of chemotherapy 00:11:06.10\00:11:11.00 and when she started those chemotherapy 00:11:11.01\00:11:15.06 treatments the doctor was very open 00:11:15.07\00:11:18.18 and frank with us, he said this chemical 00:11:18.19\00:11:22.59 is a poison and I give it to you not in order 00:11:22.60\00:11:27.42 to hurt you but in order to control your cancer. 00:11:27.43\00:11:31.26 And I studied very carefully to be sure 00:11:31.27\00:11:34.73 I give you the right amount, 00:11:34.74\00:11:37.06 if I don't give you enough the cancer 00:11:37.07\00:11:38.67 will go up I give you too much 00:11:38.68\00:11:40.18 you'll be too sick. 00:11:40.19\00:11:41.16 Now God does the same with us, 00:11:41.17\00:11:44.59 God sometimes allows Satan's hurts but he 00:11:44.60\00:11:48.56 carefully controls the amount. 00:11:48.57\00:11:50.84 Too much life becomes too hard, 00:11:50.85\00:11:54.09 too little and the cancer grows. 00:11:54.10\00:11:57.81 We are all plagued with cancer you know. 00:11:57.82\00:12:02.00 It's the cancer of selfishness, 00:12:02.01\00:12:05.76 all selfishness is sin 00:12:05.77\00:12:10.04 and all sin is selfishness. 00:12:10.05\00:12:13.79 Those two words sin and selfishness 00:12:13.80\00:12:16.99 they are synonymous. It not be a whole new 00:12:17.00\00:12:23.30 understanding of sin that kind of nebulous 00:12:23.31\00:12:27.26 thing we call sin. 00:12:27.27\00:12:29.05 When I realized that sin is simply 00:12:29.06\00:12:31.96 Self-Centeredness, it is simply selfishness, 00:12:31.97\00:12:35.51 and I don't want to be a sinner because 00:12:35.52\00:12:38.25 I don't want to be a selfish person. 00:12:38.26\00:12:40.82 The great physician carefully controls 00:12:40.83\00:12:45.62 our trials, too much and we'll get discouraged, 00:12:45.63\00:12:50.24 too little and the cancer of selfishness 00:12:50.25\00:12:54.26 will begin to grow again. 00:12:54.27\00:12:57.27 God never allows more hurt 00:12:57.28\00:13:00.28 then can be used to help us. 00:13:00.29\00:13:02.82 We're all plagued with the cancer of 00:13:02.83\00:13:08.96 selfishness. All selfishness is sin 00:13:08.97\00:13:12.57 and all sin is selfishness, 00:13:12.58\00:13:14.87 so mark it down, you'll eventually 00:13:14.88\00:13:17.50 be disappointed with Christ 00:13:17.51\00:13:19.50 if you're following him only for selfish reasons. 00:13:19.51\00:13:23.66 When Christ doesn't give you what you want 00:13:23.67\00:13:27.43 it's because he wants to give you what you need. 00:13:27.44\00:13:31.34 The real God cannot be controlled, 00:13:31.35\00:13:34.57 he cannot be manipulated. 00:13:34.58\00:13:36.20 I'm sure that you've learned by now 00:13:36.21\00:13:38.56 that God does not take orders well. 00:13:38.57\00:13:41.30 We must take him as he is and what he is, 00:13:41.31\00:13:46.20 is the answer to what we really need, 00:13:46.21\00:13:48.99 not just what we think we need. 00:13:49.00\00:13:51.42 Our problem is that we don't know what 00:13:51.43\00:13:54.63 we really need. Life can only be understood 00:13:54.64\00:13:58.41 backward but it's got to be lived forward. 00:13:58.42\00:14:01.52 Later on in life it's easy to understand 00:14:01.53\00:14:04.42 how God was leading me in the correct direction 00:14:04.43\00:14:06.98 but its impossible it seems some times 00:14:06.99\00:14:11.41 to see it ahead of time. 00:14:11.42\00:14:13.20 God's everlasting dilemma 00:14:13.21\00:14:16.41 is how to get people to accept the help 00:14:16.42\00:14:18.31 that they don't know they need especially 00:14:18.32\00:14:21.81 when we're young. Our assumed need is too 00:14:21.82\00:14:28.68 seldom to our real need. 00:14:28.69\00:14:30.90 Now these verses 14 and 15, 00:14:30.91\00:14:35.76 After the people saw the miraculous sign 00:14:35.77\00:14:39.60 that Jesus did, they began to say 00:14:39.61\00:14:42.65 "Surely this is the Prophet 00:14:42.66\00:14:45.15 who is to come into the world." 00:14:45.16\00:14:46.86 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come 00:14:46.87\00:14:50.58 and make him King by force, 00:14:50.59\00:14:52.57 withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 00:14:52.58\00:14:58.75 Jesus withdrew to a mountain when they tried 00:14:58.76\00:15:03.86 to make Him King. 00:15:03.87\00:15:05.84 They wanted to take Him by force, 00:15:05.85\00:15:08.84 they assumed that what they needed 00:15:08.85\00:15:11.62 was a warrior King, an army commander. 00:15:11.63\00:15:14.56 Just think Jesus could feed the hungry, 00:15:14.57\00:15:19.21 the supply problem would be lit. 00:15:19.22\00:15:22.26 He could heal the wounded perhaps 00:15:22.27\00:15:25.37 even raised the dead, 00:15:25.38\00:15:27.22 they would be absolutely invincible 00:15:27.23\00:15:29.51 they would rid themselves of 00:15:29.52\00:15:30.73 the hated Romans. They would be delivered 00:15:30.74\00:15:33.43 from their oppressor. 00:15:33.44\00:15:34.66 We think we know what we need, 00:15:34.67\00:15:41.58 we assume that we need deliverance 00:15:41.59\00:15:45.64 from our oppressors. What we really need 00:15:45.65\00:15:49.60 is deliverance from our self centeredness. 00:15:49.61\00:15:54.29 Notice verse 27, Mark or John chapter 6 00:15:54.30\00:16:02.71 and verse 27, Do not work for food that spoils, 00:16:02.72\00:16:08.75 but for food that endures to eternal life, 00:16:08.76\00:16:13.73 which the Son of Man will give you. 00:16:13.74\00:16:17.19 On him God the Father has placed his 00:16:17.20\00:16:22.57 seal of approval. They assumed that they 00:16:22.58\00:16:29.45 needed free food, they assumed that they needed 00:16:29.46\00:16:33.59 an easier life and Jesus pointed out that 00:16:33.60\00:16:37.64 what they really needed was much more 00:16:37.65\00:16:39.72 and much better than that what they really 00:16:39.73\00:16:41.49 needed was eternal life. We assume also, 00:16:41.50\00:16:45.97 we assume that we need an easier life, 00:16:46.04\00:16:49.52 no aches in the morning, easier work, more money, 00:16:49.53\00:16:54.51 when what we really need is eternal life 00:16:54.52\00:17:01.38 through Christ. Don't you see our goal 00:17:01.39\00:17:06.22 tends to be comfort, his goal is character, 00:17:06.23\00:17:11.65 no wonder we defer sometimes. 00:17:11.66\00:17:14.74 Here is a husband and a wife, 00:17:14.75\00:17:17.39 one has a goal that is different from the other 00:17:17.40\00:17:21.11 and when the goals of spouses are different 00:17:21.12\00:17:24.06 its very difficult for them 00:17:24.07\00:17:25.97 to get close together and that's the way 00:17:25.98\00:17:29.21 with us. God's goal for us is character, 00:17:29.22\00:17:33.45 our goal unfortunately many times is comfort, 00:17:33.46\00:17:36.81 no wonder we disagree sometimes. 00:17:36.82\00:17:40.72 They said back there Jesus 00:17:40.73\00:17:43.32 changed the Romans, change the landlords, 00:17:43.33\00:17:46.96 changed the world, Jesus wanted to change them. 00:17:46.97\00:17:50.93 Well you say Jesus change the unloving, 00:17:50.94\00:17:54.93 change the hypocrite, change my boss, 00:17:54.94\00:17:57.06 change my wife, change my child, 00:17:57.07\00:17:58.78 change my church, change my circumstances 00:17:58.79\00:18:02.28 and Jesus says to you today, 00:18:02.29\00:18:07.06 let me change you, 00:18:07.07\00:18:09.87 the primary purpose of Christianity 00:18:09.88\00:18:12.89 is not to change our circumstances 00:18:12.90\00:18:16.76 its to change us. Now here comes 00:18:16.77\00:18:21.61 the odd part, almost mind bending 00:18:21.62\00:18:27.05 Jesus in verse 53, Jesus said to them, 00:18:27.06\00:18:31.91 I tell you the truth, 00:18:31.92\00:18:33.65 unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man 00:18:33.66\00:18:38.16 and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 00:18:38.17\00:18:46.06 Whatever does that mean, 00:18:46.07\00:18:49.49 Christians are supposed to be Cannibals, 00:18:49.50\00:18:53.72 we eat the flesh of Jesus 00:18:53.73\00:18:56.14 and we drink his blood? 00:18:56.15\00:18:58.79 Whatever is Jesus teaching here. 00:18:58.80\00:19:02.01 Well it's a pointed illustration. 00:19:02.02\00:19:04.37 What he's saying is you have 00:19:04.38\00:19:07.09 to take me inside, you have to eat me 00:19:07.10\00:19:12.96 I have to be internalized 00:19:12.97\00:19:15.84 and if you want strength for the day 00:19:15.85\00:19:20.22 you don't take a little of the oat meal 00:19:20.23\00:19:23.07 and rub it on your nose or put some maybe 00:19:23.08\00:19:26.14 behind your ear. You got to eat it, 00:19:26.15\00:19:30.08 its got to be internalized. 00:19:30.09\00:19:32.51 Christ must be internalized, 00:19:32.52\00:19:34.67 Christianity must be internalized. 00:19:34.68\00:19:36.66 We want Christ to start working on people 00:19:36.67\00:19:39.86 and circumstances around us. 00:19:39.87\00:19:42.35 The truth of the matter is most of our problems 00:19:42.36\00:19:46.36 are within us and only when his power is 00:19:46.37\00:19:51.29 within us are we capable of loving everyone 00:19:51.30\00:19:56.40 around us. So, you see it is possible 00:19:56.41\00:19:59.26 to follow Christ and be lost. 00:19:59.27\00:20:02.63 If we follow him for selfish reasons, 00:20:02.64\00:20:07.22 well you say Brother Bresee, 00:20:07.23\00:20:09.47 then all these nice things that 00:20:09.48\00:20:12.16 God offers of it stop and think about them 00:20:12.17\00:20:15.27 it really they're all selfish well, 00:20:15.28\00:20:19.09 God promises some wonderful things, 00:20:19.10\00:20:22.36 but these things, these material things 00:20:22.37\00:20:26.39 the circumstances leaving out the primary 00:20:26.40\00:20:28.99 purpose of the Christianity. 00:20:29.00\00:20:30.69 Let me give you two right reasons 00:20:30.70\00:20:33.92 for following Christ too, 00:20:33.93\00:20:35.23 unselfishness reason for following Christ. 00:20:35.24\00:20:38.11 We can be serving him selfishly 00:20:38.12\00:20:40.57 if we follow him only for the 00:20:40.58\00:20:42.03 sake of heaven, he promises us it's good, 00:20:42.04\00:20:45.63 eternal life that's wonderful, 00:20:45.64\00:20:47.77 peace he wants to give it, 00:20:47.78\00:20:49.98 trouble free life well maybe not but 00:20:49.99\00:20:52.79 so many things if God wants to give us 00:20:52.80\00:20:55.86 really can make us a little selfish. 00:20:55.87\00:21:01.35 We talk about these things 00:21:01.36\00:21:05.09 all the time and you stop 00:21:05.10\00:21:06.76 and translate them really we're talking 00:21:06.77\00:21:08.62 about ourselves what God can do for me 00:21:08.63\00:21:12.31 and our Christianity can be self centered. 00:21:12.32\00:21:15.10 If I want to go to heaven just so 00:21:15.11\00:21:19.89 I can walk on streets of gold, 00:21:19.90\00:21:21.65 just so that I can live in a mansion, 00:21:21.66\00:21:25.61 this is poor reason for following Christianity, 00:21:25.62\00:21:30.63 the primary purpose of Christianity 00:21:30.64\00:21:32.57 is to change us, not our circumstances. 00:21:32.58\00:21:37.68 So, two good reasons, two unselfish reasons 00:21:37.69\00:21:44.42 for following Christ, first of all I think 00:21:44.43\00:21:48.49 we should follow Christ out of gratitude. 00:21:48.50\00:21:51.79 Give yourself to Christ because he gave 00:21:51.80\00:21:56.21 himself to save you. 00:21:56.22\00:21:57.64 They offer to do a great deal for Jesus, 00:21:57.65\00:22:01.63 note this interesting verse 28, 00:22:01.64\00:22:03.75 Then they asked him, 00:22:03.76\00:22:04.83 "What must we do to do the works 00:22:04.84\00:22:08.15 that God requires?" They were willing 00:22:08.16\00:22:10.52 to do any work they were willing to do 00:22:10.53\00:22:12.71 a whole lot but notice what Christ replied 00:22:12.72\00:22:16.04 in the 29th version Jesus answered, 00:22:16.05\00:22:18.26 The work of God is this: 00:22:18.27\00:22:19.71 to believe in the one he has sent." 00:22:19.72\00:22:25.28 The price of heaven is Jesus, 00:22:25.29\00:22:30.31 they'll prepare to pay most any price 00:22:30.32\00:22:34.41 to do most anything other than a loving, 00:22:34.42\00:22:39.48 trusting relationship with Jesus. 00:22:39.49\00:22:41.66 The price of heaven is Jesus. 00:22:41.67\00:22:45.49 We're willing to pay a price too, 00:22:45.50\00:22:50.68 we're willing to pay may be the price 00:22:50.69\00:22:53.12 of church membership, 00:22:53.13\00:22:55.11 the price of church attendance, 00:22:55.12\00:22:57.52 the price of giving money to charity 00:22:57.53\00:23:01.46 or to Lord or to our church. 00:23:01.47\00:23:04.40 Well willing into give the price of obedience 00:23:04.41\00:23:10.16 and that's all good. 00:23:10.17\00:23:12.91 Well please understand the price of heaven 00:23:12.92\00:23:15.61 is a loving, trusting, relationship with Jesus. 00:23:15.62\00:23:20.04 It's not just doing its loving 00:23:20.05\00:23:23.17 and so the first good unselfish reason 00:23:23.18\00:23:26.78 for following Christ is gratitude, 00:23:26.79\00:23:31.44 the second is service, 00:23:31.45\00:23:34.44 wanting to be a blessing to others, 00:23:34.45\00:23:37.24 we follow Christ so that we can help others. 00:23:37.25\00:23:40.44 Give yourself to Christ because he can make you 00:23:40.45\00:23:45.97 into something that the world needs. 00:23:45.98\00:23:48.56 You know the beautiful story of the loaves 00:23:48.57\00:23:52.27 and fishes and notice in verse 11. 00:23:52.28\00:23:55.99 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, 00:23:56.00\00:23:59.61 and distributed to those who were 00:23:59.62\00:24:02.32 seated as much as they wanted. 00:24:02.33\00:24:04.14 He did the same thing with the fish. 00:24:04.15\00:24:07.93 Five small barley loaves, 00:24:07.94\00:24:12.02 two naked little fish fed 5000 people 00:24:12.03\00:24:16.67 and 12 baskets left over. 00:24:16.68\00:24:20.02 What a miraculous story, 00:24:20.03\00:24:22.85 don't you see little becomes much 00:24:22.86\00:24:25.52 when placed in the hands of Jesus. 00:24:25.53\00:24:27.85 What that little boy's lunch offered 00:24:27.86\00:24:30.04 was so very, very little but 00:24:30.05\00:24:32.48 when it came through the hands of Jesus 00:24:32.49\00:24:34.60 it blessed the whole multitude 00:24:34.61\00:24:36.83 and I don't know how successful you feel 00:24:36.84\00:24:39.47 that you're or how things are 00:24:39.48\00:24:42.49 going in your life. You may feel 00:24:42.50\00:24:44.17 that you don't have very much to offer, 00:24:44.18\00:24:46.29 you may not be educated, 00:24:46.30\00:24:48.94 you might feel that you are not gifted. 00:24:48.95\00:24:51.16 Listen just a little bit place 00:24:51.17\00:24:54.06 in the hands of Jesus can make a 00:24:54.07\00:24:57.07 big difference whatever you have give it 00:24:57.08\00:25:00.00 to Him and He'll multiply it 00:25:00.01\00:25:02.00 and make it effective. 00:25:02.01\00:25:03.65 So, we come to that sad moment in verse 66 00:25:03.66\00:25:09.79 where people turned their backs 00:25:09.80\00:25:12.14 and no longer followed Jesus. 00:25:12.15\00:25:14.76 Then in verse 67 Jesus wishfully turned 00:25:14.77\00:25:20.95 to his disciples and he said, 00:25:20.96\00:25:23.10 you don't want to leave too do you? 00:25:23.11\00:25:26.75 Does he ask you that question today? 00:25:30.53\00:25:32.67 If you don't get whatever you ask 00:25:32.68\00:25:37.23 do you want to leave too, 00:25:37.24\00:25:39.01 is your prayer give me or is it change me. 00:25:39.02\00:25:45.51 Will you go away if you don't get 00:25:45.52\00:25:48.13 your own way, don't follow just 00:25:48.14\00:25:51.15 so God will change your circumstances. 00:25:51.16\00:25:53.68 What he really wants is to change you. 00:25:53.69\00:25:57.42 Boy grew up on the farm went of to the city 00:25:57.43\00:26:00.85 he came back to visit his parents 00:26:00.86\00:26:03.13 sometime later on and he saw up 00:26:03.14\00:26:05.92 there in the field a drilling rig 00:26:05.93\00:26:08.33 and said dad, irrigation well has it gone dry. 00:26:08.34\00:26:15.71 No, but the water table is dropping, 00:26:15.72\00:26:21.13 we got to dig deeper before the 00:26:21.14\00:26:25.43 drought comes. 00:26:25.44\00:26:27.12 If you have a shallow give me theology, 00:26:27.13\00:26:31.57 it will leave you dry 00:26:31.58\00:26:33.58 when you get your own way. 00:26:33.59\00:26:35.54 Now is the time to dig deeper, 00:26:35.55\00:26:37.82 to trust Christ to do everything possible 00:26:37.83\00:26:41.02 to save you, to trust him to 00:26:41.03\00:26:42.73 understand your needs better than you do, 00:26:42.74\00:26:44.96 to trust him to make of you something beautiful, 00:26:44.97\00:26:49.48 something the world needs, 00:26:49.49\00:26:51.62 if you only trust him. 00:26:51.63\00:26:53.46 Don't fill out the sheet and ask 00:26:53.47\00:26:55.07 God to sign it, sign the blank sheet 00:26:55.08\00:26:57.91 and trust him to fill it out. 00:26:57.92\00:27:00.50 Let's pray, Loving Father, 00:27:00.51\00:27:04.00 please forgive us when we have followed You 00:27:04.01\00:27:09.89 selfishly, for what we can get out of you 00:27:09.90\00:27:14.42 and I pray that we'll each resolve today 00:27:14.43\00:27:18.47 to follow you out of gratitude 00:27:18.48\00:27:20.52 for your saving us and do with us same as 00:27:20.53\00:27:23.40 You did with the loaves and fishes. 00:27:23.41\00:27:25.36 Make of us something I pray that the world 00:27:25.37\00:27:30.68 can use, in Jesus name, amen. 00:27:30.69\00:27:36.23 Remember, don't fill out the sheet 00:27:36.24\00:27:41.72 and ask God to sign it, 00:27:41.73\00:27:44.33 sign the blank sheet and trust God 00:27:44.34\00:27:49.22 to fill it out. Thanks for tuning into 00:27:49.23\00:27:53.32 Faith Chapel, God bless. 00:27:53.33\00:27:55.72