 John chapter 6 verses 41 through 59 and if you will please stand with the Bible in your hand as we read together. This is the gospel of John chapter 6 verses 41 through 59. The Jews then complained about him because he said I am the bread of life which came down from heaven and they said is this not Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says I have come down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said to them do not murmur among yourselves no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws 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 therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me not that anyone has seen the father except he who is from God he has seen the father most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me has everlasting life I am the bread of life your father's 8th a manna in the wilderness and are dead this is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die I am the living bread which came down from heaven if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever and the bread that I shall give is my flesh which I shall give for the life of the world the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat then Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him as the living father sent me and I live because of the father so he who feeds on me will live because of me this is the bread which came down from heaven not as your father's 8th a manna and are dead he who eats this bread will live forever these things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum this is the word of God amen amen let's take just a few moments in silent prayer and just ask the Lord that he would bless our hearts with this message this morning let's pray father in heaven Lord we thank you this morning for this glorious text just power packed with so much truth God I pray that you would as you did then illumine our minds and illumine our understanding by your spirit God teach us the truths that are contained here we acknowledge our great need of you this morning to understand these things and Lord I pray that as you teach us as by your spirit you open our understanding God I pray that we would live more fervently for you more faithfully for you God you are worthy of our worship worthy of our very lives so we worship you Lord this morning and thank you for this if there's anyone here that isn't saved that God that is still just spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins I pray Lord that for your great namesake for your glory I pray that you would open their understanding Lord to reveal their sin to them to reveal the the treasure that is Christ and save them Lord for your everlasting praise and worship in Jesus name we pray amen and you may be seated and the title of our sermon this morning is the grumbling dead and the living bread grumbling dead and the living bread a contrast of sorts from John chapter 6 especially this passage from verses 41 through 59 and as we've been working through the gospel of John we've seen this bread of life discourse progress from the Lord Jesus Christ this all began if you remember as the Lord was on the sea of Galilee and he fed the 5,000 as the Lord performed that great miracle there were many in that day that followed him simply interested in the miracle you know interested in lunch they got dinner in a show so to speak and so they follow the Lord Jesus Christ around the sea today in verses 41 to 59 we find them in Capernaum in the synagogue as the Lord Jesus Christ is preaching what is often called the bread of life sermon or the bread of life discourse as we get into this text there are so many profound truths that are here just laden down with theology we're gonna see theology explain we're gonna get some application there's gonna be some conviction as the Lord intends from his word there's just so much to learn here but as Jesus Christ is teaching in Capernaum and as we go through it I hope these truths are becoming more and more clear to you as we work through them in Capernaum in the synagogue that day although the truths may have been becoming more and more clear to the Jews that we're listening to him they were becoming more and more hostile toward what he was teaching the opposition is ramping up and we're gonna see it ramp up from now all the way to the cross that's just the way that it was at that time and we see it beginning in verse 41 much of the teaching that's here much of what we're gonna learn as we work through this passage really is set in context in the first few verses so we're gonna get through verses 41 through maybe around verses 47 or 48 we'll finish up the discourse next week and you'll be able to see where we're going from our text this morning the first point on your notes that I want you to see that we have to establish is that the grumbling dead reject the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ now what do we mean in the beginning here by the grumbling dead I want to set that up for you we know that those who are alive in Christ are spiritually live that we saw from John chapter 3 for instance in the Lord's conversation with Nicodemus that for one to be alive in Christ have to be born again the Lord has to give them a new heart open their understanding fill them with his spirit and they become a new creation in Christ born again they become alive in Christ Ephesians says that we were all outside of Christ we are all dead in our trespasses and sins as a spiritually dead person we have no understanding first Corinthians chapter 2 says that the things of God cannot be discerned by the natural man because they are spiritually discerned they are things of God so in order for a dead spiritually dead person to understand the things of God they have to be born again they have to have their understanding open their eyes and ears and hearts open by God is remember the story of Lydia in Acts where it says that the Lord opened her heart right to understand or to heed the things spoken by Paul the same way grumbling dead sinners outside of the Lord Jesus Christ must be brought alive in Christ made alive in him to understand spiritual things here in Capernaum in the synagogue on this day you have the Jews now the Jews was a term that John often uses in the gospel as a name so to speak for those who are in opposition against the Lord Jesus Christ so we have the Jews in the synagogue these Jews are spiritually dead and as we'll see in verse 41 they're not just spiritually dead they are grumbling dead and don't you often find that's the case with those outside of Christ we grumble and we complain and we sin against God it's only when we have our heart change that we begin to live for him so let's begin with point one the grumbling dead reject his authority and let's explain that and unpack that from these first few verses verse 41 says the Jews that those in opposition again against the Lord the Jews then complained about him because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven verse 42 they said is this not Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how is it then that he says I have come down from heaven Jesus therefore answered and said to him do not and said to them do not murmur among yourselves no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day verse 41 then begins with the Jews complaining about Christ now that word in the Greek for complaining there is the word gongudzo it almost sounds like what it means right gongudzo gongudzo the other they're muttering under their breath complaining about Christ Jesus in verse 43 calls it murmuring it's the same word in both places it means the same thing it means grumbling or making complaints under your breath now if you've ever done how many have done that before my only one okay so wrong same boat together we've complained right if you do that it's making complaints or making utterances under your breath when you do that you're saying it just loud enough just soft enough no one can really understand what you're saying but everybody around you knows exactly what you're doing they know exactly what's on your mind and you're wearing your emotions on your sleeve when you do it they know here exactly what the crowd is intending by their grumbling sadly enough this isn't the first time that the Jews have been caught grumbling is it if you've read your Bible spent any time in the Bible you know that grumbling if you will is like a character trait for the Jews like white men can't dance and Jews grumble about Jesus it's just a you know a character characteristic of these Jews here they grumble and complain and if you've read your Bible you know this begins in the Old Testament it's a similar circumstance the word murmuring here or the word grumbling actually calls our remembrance back to those old Testament examples in the same way that we started in John chapter 6 and we saw that the two exoduses if you will how we saw and made comparisons between the Old Testament exodus and now with Christ coming a New Testament a second exodus if you will this also calls our attention back to the Old Testament to that first exodus and I want you to hear a couple of these passages because this is going to set up for us what God feels or thinks about grumbling and complaining so I want you to remember some of these instances the first is exodus 16 you don't have to turn there but listen to the words of that passage beginning in verse 2 it says the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness now when the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron they were the leaders at the time when they grumbled against Moses and Aaron God determined that that was them grumbling ultimately against him ultimately against his authority his right to rule and reign over them the grumbling was a direct rebellion against God and we'll explain that in just a moment listen to exodus chapter 17 beginning in verse 2 says there that the people thirsted there for water and the people grumbled gun good so right grumbled against Moses and said why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst now put the grumbling put the complaining in context the people were in Egypt dying they had had their quota for block their quota for brick increased they'd have the straw taken away it says that they were burned with harsh labor and when the Bible says harsh it's an understatement it was harsh labor was harsh God with his mighty arm brings them out from slavery in Egypt to call them to himself as his own prized possession his own special people brings them out of Egypt with great wealth they plundered the Egyptians on the way out of Egypt brings them into the wilderness intending to give them his law make them his people and then put them into the promised land a land flowing with milk and honey and what are the Egypt what are the Israelites do they grumble they gun good so they mumble and complain against God under the breath in the wilderness saying why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst after all that they didn't trust the Lord Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 27 the Lord says here God says you complained in your tents and said because the Lord hates us really mean God hates them just absurd right when you're in sin you're insane you just don't get it because the Lord hates us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us craziness right so have you ever come complain before I'm not the only one have you ever complained before amen well confess it before the Lord we've complained right what exactly is complaining if you break it down and you think about what complaining is think about it for a moment and complaining is expressing dissatisfaction right it's explaining or expressing annoyance it's expressing resentment it's expressing anger expressing bitterness complaining demonstrates that you are ungrateful you are unthankful it's your spiteful if you think about it what the Bible says that complaining or grumbling being a sin itself also leads to other sin Psalm 106 verse 24 says of the Israelites they despise the pleasant land it called it pleasant so pleasant land they despise that pleasant land they did not believe his word but complained in their tents and did not obey the voice of the Lord so bring ungrateful being unthankful being a complainer a grumbler will also lead you into further disobedience further sin she can also see that complaining can't you is a fruit of unbelief a fruit of a lack of faith in the Lord a lack of faith in God that's why God is so serious about complaining it's the fruit of unbelief so serious about grumbling and listen as with the Jews complaining is ultimately dissatisfaction annoyance resentment thanklessness and sin against God himself against God himself it's a rejection of his right to rule over you it's a rejection of his sovereignty a rejection of his providence a rejection of God himself God himself in the Bible calls it rebellion calls it rebellion when you grumble and complain God calls it rebellion and listen to God's response we saw the grumbling and complaining of the people in Exodus listen to God's response now to their complaining the first passage numbers 11 verse 1 it says there the people complained in the hearing of the Lord now remember they're complaining against Aaron and Moses so to speak but that just a one level ultimately their complaint is against God himself says they complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes their misfortunes that we've got no water to drink we've got no food to eat I want meat tired of these little pastry things they're complaining and grumbling but what about us what are our misfortunes right what are our misfortunes today you know what God I've had it with this job I can't take it anymore where are you Lord when I need you give me a new job God I've had it with this marriage this woman you gave me right like Adam in the Garden of Eden complaining is the Lord about your marriage these lousy kids they don't listen right running up and down all the day long you know driving me crazy complaining this TV Lord the reception on this TV is so bad I need a new TV wife complaining against her I'm tired of the lousy attitude of my husband he just complains all the time it's just complaining complaining think about your misfortunes but listen now when they complain about their misfortunes listen to what the Lord says when the Lord heard it his anger was kindled Lord's anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp wow God's pretty serious about complaining numbers 14 verse 26 listen to this the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying how long shall I bear with his evil congregation who complains against me you think about God you know today we were witnessing yesterday I was witnessing to a man myself and another brother were out and myself and Noel and we were talking to this one man for a period of time and he was saying that God is forgiving that's what God does God forgiving God is loving it never once entered his mind that God is also just and that God is also a judging God and God is also a God of wrath and a God of judgment can you think a imagine yourself standing before God with all your sin apart from the Lord Jesus Christ and God saying of you how long have I bared have I born and endured your sin for all this time right it's staggering to think of God thinking of that you know thinking of us in that way here he is thinking of the people of Israel that way how long must I bear with this complaining generation this complaining evil congregation who complains against me he goes on I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against me notice it's against him right verse 28 say to them as I live says the Lord just as you have spoken in my hearing so I will do to you remember they said God why have you brought us out here into the wilderness to kill us and our children and our livestock so what God says in response I'll do to you just as you have spoken of me I'm going to kill you and your children in your livestock out here in the wilderness he says the carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in this wilderness all of you who were numbered according to your entire number from 20 years old and above we know from that story that all of those 20 years old and above we're all killed in the wilderness except for who Joshua and Caleb because of their faithfulness right they trusted the Lord they think about it now God killed them for their complaining God killed them for their complaining now you may say to yourself right you know that's the Old Testament you know back then God was angry he was an angry God he wasn't the grandfatherly forgiving God that we know from the New Testament or you may say to yourself that's what the Bible says that's not right listen you better stop your complaining you're gonna end up right in the same place they did these died in the wilderness when you complain you think about it God is always right God is always good always right and so when you complain against God you're challenging God's wisdom you're challenging his love you're challenging his grace you're challenging his mercy you're challenging his justice you're challenging his righteousness you're challenging his love you're challenging his plans you're challenging his providence you're challenging his sovereignty you're challenging God grumbling there can you see it right can you see grumbling represents rebellion against God make sense just as serious about grumbling and complaining in the New Testament as he was in the old I want to give you an example that turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 10 1st Corinthians chapter 10 we're gonna tie these things together we have a New Testament example of this we're gonna tie it all together with what we just talked about in the Old Testament Paul does that for us in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 I want you to look there beginning in verse 1 lest you think somehow that you're grumbling and complaining just has no impact today or maybe it's not sin or maybe just God turns a blind eye to it now you just winks at your grumbling and complaining listen to verse 1 more over brethren I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud all passed through the sea in other words they went through the Red Sea together these are Paul's kinsmen his the Israelites as they were in the wilderness going into the wilderness they passed through the Red Sea together they were under the cloud right by day the fire by night as God led them through the wilderness it says in verse 2 all were baptized into Moses just meaning that they were in union with one another in union with Moses as Moses was the selected leader for the people by God and they were in union with Moses in the cloud and in the sea verse 3 all of them ate the same spiritual food the manna that God gave right all drank the same spiritual drink God gave them water out of a rock for they drank it says of that spiritual rock you'll notice there is a capital R because it says that followed them that rock was Christ there's a legend among Jewish rabbis that the rock that Moses struck to bring water out was Jesus Christ and literally that rock popped through after them in the wilderness and followed them around that rock was Christ that's an old Jewish legend verse 5 but with most of them God was not well pleased for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness that entire first generation with the exception of Joshua and Caleb were killed in the wilderness verse 6 here's the meaning of all this now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted if you think about complaining complaining generally is this because you don't think you're being treated as you should or you're not getting what you think you should get things aren't going the way that you think they should go it's a form of lust it's a form of covetousness what this is saying is that we don't need to lust the way that they lusted we need to take their example and avoid that or the same thing is gonna happen to you and I okay here this lust in verse 6 specifically referencing physical lust in other words the people this time the Corinthians didn't have their bodies under control they had lustful appetites that they were indulging and we're to take our bodies under control we're to buff it our body we're not to allow some indulged sinful lust to have control over us the Israelites in the wilderness now if you think about it in terms of what Paul is saying right here had become disqualified from entering the Promised Land because of their lust their self-indulgence their covetousness their greed ultimately that's expressed here in first Corinthians as four major sins and I want you to see these they're disqualified because of four major sins the first sin we find in verse 7 look at verse 7 where Paul says do not become idolaters so idolatry is the first one do not become idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play that's specifically speaking of the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai if you remember that incident right Moses is up on the mountain the people are down in the valley they tell Aaron Aaron make gods for us Aaron takes the gold throws it into the fire and look out pops this calf right like Aaron said there was a basically an orgy that takes place they sinned in the valley that day consuming all of that idolatry on their lusts eating drinking and playing refers to here specifically ritualistic or sacrificial eating and drinking to God's in religious worship playing is a word there that without going into too much detail means sexual immorality and so again this eating drinking rising up to play all speaking of the immorality of the Israelites in that at that particular time with the golden calf how many people died that day do you remember what the Bible says about three thousand about three thousand died that day God's serious about this particular sin of idolatry on lust and agreed that goes hand in hand with complaining right they complain Moses was taken out he's taken too long on the mountain you know come make gods for us we want our own gods the second sin we find in verse eight verse eight says nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did and in one day twenty three thousand fell here if you remember from a numbers 25 this is referring to the Israelites being sexually immoral with the Moabite women they were sexually immoral they went after foreign wives which God told them not to do they entered in a sexual immorality with them and eventually the Moabite women led them away from God led them into idolatry all right the third sin verse nine nor let us tempt Christ this tempting of Christ is the third major sin it says as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents if you remember this is referring to numbers 21 God had provided for them manna to eat out of heaven this was a heavenly food it had to have tasted awesome right food right out of heaven doesn't get any better than that he provided them food out of heaven and he provided them water to drink but what do these Israelites do they complained and they they conguzzo under their breath against God and when they did that complaining over and over and over against God for his provision to them think about it they try God's patience try his patience try his patience try his patience and they question his goodness to them they question his provision and God told Moses get away from them let me consume them right in a moment don't tempt the Lord the fourth sin we find in verse 10 and here it is number four nor complain as some of them also complained you can see elements of complaining in all of these can't you it's one of those sins that is pervasive you see complaining in all of this it says in verse 10 nor complain and some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer this particular incident that is referred to here in verse 10 was the incident with Korah and Korah's rebellion in numbers 16 if remember that from reading the Old Testament Korah and others with him the traitors that were with him were destroyed by God ground opened up swaddled them alive they went down into the pit the Jews that was those who were against Moses and Aaron ultimately then against God God did all of that in the eyes of them that sat there and watch they saw the whole thing and those Jews saw that incident and then immediately after that incident was over they complained against Moses and Aaron and complained ultimately against God because some some of the Lord's people died it's like wow man how thick headed and hard-hearted you have to be by this point to after God basically kills Korah and those with him for his rebellion they rebel even more by complaining against the Lord killing Korah and those men they complain again and what happened there were there was a plague that swept through the people in 14,700 people died as a result of the plague God's pretty serious about complaining isn't he and this is in the New Testament and this the Bible says Paul says is an admonition to us is an example to us that we're to he that we're to follow says verse 11 all these things happen to them as examples and they were written for our admonition upon whom the end of the ages have come so we can't become overconfident or pridefulness we need to be humble about our complaining we don't work on our complaining a verse 12 says therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall and in the grace of God the mercy of God verse 13 says no temptations overtaken you except such as is common to man but God is faithful and he'll not allow you to be tempted beyond what you were able but with the temptation will also make a way of escape make a way of escape what's a what's what's a way of escape from complaining from grumbling what's the antidote if you will to complaining to grumbling to murmuring to congujo under your breath what's that thankfulness yeah contentment joy in the Lord how do you battle they I don't know but you I mean I've had phases before it's like you walk out the door the door of the morning it's so hot you complain you're within seconds you're complaining you get in the car in the AC is not all this AC you pull out on the road all this traffic all right we're so prone to it so prone to but what's the what's the antidote for that word thank you for this son you know what an awesome weather you know we've got and Lord thank you for this traffic this hour commute is gonna give me time to listen to a sermon some preachers this 23-minute commute is gonna give me a time to listen to this 18-minute sermon hope you don't listen to those but you know you we have a reason to take joy in the Lord right it's it's the antidote these the way of escape that God provides for complaining is contentment is joy is thankfulness we were to fellowship the other night one of the brothers asked the question you know why is it do you think that that after a period of time you come to a church you know like this and just like this is great you know I love the teaching I love the people look how hospitable everyone is it's just a loving this is the best church I've ever been a part of you know and then like a year and a half later they're skipping every now and then maybe skipping a lot and then pretty soon you don't see him anymore so why do people take it for granted after a period of time it's a lack of gratefulness we have much to be thankful for don't we when you lack gratefulness when you lack contentment when you lack joy the thing that comes driving in in its place is gun good so you know murmuring and grumbling and complaining against God and we are so prone to that Paul says in Philippians 4 chapter 4 verse 11 he says that he has learned in whatever circumstances he is in to be what could be content to be content you know it's interesting there in chapter 4 verse 11 that he says you know what in every circumstance that I am in I am content is that what he says no it says he asked to what has to learn it doesn't come now you know one day you're walking along a road and oh you're saved you know you get the halo over your head and now you're just content in every circumstance is that how it works no but Paul had to learn contentment we have to learn contentment too we learn contentment by getting through difficult circumstances be put in circumstances where we you know it's hard and we have to watch ourselves we have to monitor ourselves because we're so prone to it right be content be joyful in the Lord can you see from all of that though how complaining is a resentment of God's sovereignty how it's a rejection of his authority these dead grumblers back in John chapter 6 these dead grumblers are rejecting the Lord's authority over the lives rejecting what the Lord is saying there's some reasons for that and we'll talk about those in a moment don't grumble and complain love the Lord trust him right be content verse 41 back in John chapter 6 told you we're gonna have to set the stage a little bit here we're working through that verse 41 here they are they're complaining against him once again again it's like a character trait for them the Jews those in opposition are complaining against them and more specifically they're complaining about a specific statement that he's made and that statement is this I am the bread which came down from heaven specifically in the Greek it's out of out of heaven all right that's the same thing to follow with me here that's the same thing that he said in verse 33 in verse 33 the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven gives life to the world it's the same thing that he said in verse 35 I am the bread of life he who comes to me shall never hunger he who believes in me shall never thirst verse 38 for I have come down from heaven there it is again not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and here in verse 41 I'm the bread of life are the bread which came down from heaven that's pretty clear to us as we've been working through the text those statements of the Lord becoming clear and clear and clear right we understand if you read those we understand that if you believe in him you put your faith and trust in him that you can have everlasting life we know that come to Christ we looked at that right come to Christ means turning from your sin means repenting and putting your faith in Christ we know that that leads to eternal life that he says you can have eternal life if you'll repent put your faith in him but for them because they're already in a complaining mindset right they're already grumbling they're already muttering under their breath they're already angry already hostile they're in sin so they're insane they don't get what's going on they're already angry and so rather than these statements of the Lord Jesus Christ becoming clear and clear and clear to them it's just generating more and more and more anger more and more and more hostility and their anger shows up here as grumbling and murmuring and complaining against the Lord now one of the reasons and the obvious reason that these who are grumbling dead in Capernaum in the synagogue that day don't get what the Lord is teaching is because the Bible says that they're spiritually discerned natural man cannot accept or receive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned you have to have your eyes opened spiritual eyes open to discern those things they're spiritually dead and their trespasses and sins and the things of God to them are foolishness it's just foolishness we see that in their response to the Lord here in this passage but in that there's another reason and I want to make this connection for you in the passage there's another reason why they are rejecting the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ why they don't want to have anything to do with it and ultimately it's because there's a stumbling block here and there's a stumbling but there's a stumbling block here for the Jews that last has lasted now for the last 2000 years and will until the fullness of the Gentiles come in as a stumbling block for many that you'll talk to and that's the the humiliation that is associated with the incarnation of Christ there's a humiliation here that the humiliation that the Lord Jesus Christ endured to come to earth take on the form of a man to save sinners it's called the humiliation of Christ we read about that you can hear it in the condescending way that they respond in verse 42 with all the complaining and grumbling in their hearts listen what they said they said is this not Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how is it then that he says I've come down from heaven you hear it it's just bubbling over with like disgust and condescending in other words are you kidding me gungo gungo so can you believe this guy this ridiculous claim we know him matter of fact his parents live right over there who does he think he is that's basically what they're saying and it's in response to the they had in their minds the Lord Jesus Christ would come as the conquering King fulfilling all of their desires exactly what they were looking for and yet he came in his first advent as a suffering servant came as the suffering servant who would be despised and rejected of men right and that what Isaiah says he would be afflicted this is an astounding claim but this would have been shocking to the people shocking to the people Jesus says I have come down from heaven standing before the people making that statement he's basically saying listen my existence didn't begin in Bethlehem didn't begin with those parents my existence predates Bethlehem predates everything that you think of verse 62 if you look at verse 62 it's where he was before his heaven he came down from heaven where he was before his birth narrative his birth account if you will we read in John chapter 1 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God his birth account in verse 14 and the word became flesh the eternal pre-existent self-existent word of God in verse 14 became flesh and dwelt among us Philippians 2 here's the offense here's the difficulty for those who believed he would come as a conquering King Philippians 2 he made himself of no reputation he took the form of a slave and became obedient even to the point of death on the cross Isaiah said he had no form no comeliness no beauty that we should desire him he was despised rejected by men a man of sorrows acquainted by grief he's just not what they're looking for not what they're looking for and they can't handle that and so out of hand who does this guy think he is this is nothing that we've imagined these claims that are making he's making a ridiculous it's just they're we're gonna reject him out of hand I have come down from heaven Jesus says they become upset does this rejection catch catch the Lord off-guard is he surprised by all of this you know that these guys really aren't following him you know most of these people are gonna turn away no no most people throughout the centuries most of us majority have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ we know that to be true from the Bible and the Lord soberly gives an explanation for that I want us to see it quickly in verse 43 he gives an explanation beginning in verse 43 one of the most profound and yet controversial verses in all of the Bible verse 43 says Jesus therefore answered their complaining and he said to them this is an imperative it's a command do not murmur among yourselves don't do it and he gives an explanation for that even in verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I'll raise him up at the last day their condescending rejection in verse 42 leads Jesus to the command at verse 43 don't murmur verse 43 is a warning you know your complaining is gonna keep you from the truth your murmuring your complaining your grumbling as long as you continue in that prideful reliance on your own reasoning your own wisdom your own thoughts you're gonna miss out on heaven you're gonna miss the truth of what is being said you can't believe when you're in that mindset you have that heart in fact you're powerless to believe with that kind of heart you need a new heart in fact Jesus says no one no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and that word for comes to me we saw that in verse 35 is repentance we went through that turning from your life of sin forsaking your sin following Christ in faith in other words being converted being saved right unless the father who sent me draws him no one in other words no one can be converted no one can be saved no one can turn to Christ unless the father who sent me draws him and that is a controversial statement the words there no one can come to me listen these words are intended by the Lord to take away any notion any idea that being saved or coming to Jesus is a matter about which we can freely in and of ourselves decide or choose the words the very words themselves are intended to take away any notion that it's up to us that we can do anything about it in fact we are powerless to do anything about it in our selves Jesus says of his followers and John 15 verse 16 you did not choose me but what I chose you I want you to think about this the grumbling dead must be brought to life by the drawing of the father otherwise they would never come to Christ and that is a biblical truth you can take it to the bank the Bible says it is authoritative so the Bible teaches and the Bible clearly and repetitively teaches that and I want to clarify for you real quick here exactly what this is saying that someone might say well it's just your interpretation right for people say that before now this needs to be your interpretation as well because this is what the Bible teaches follow me here I want you to put on your thinking caps for a moment there are only two possibilities for interpreting this verse there are only two possibilities all right I want to give those to you two options only for interpreting this portion of verse 44 one is this no one can come to Christ without the father drawing him or her it's exactly what the verse says okay no one can come to Christ without the without God the father drawing him or her so God then draws everyone God then draws everyone and the only ones that come are those that accept him as their savior pray to receive him ask him into their heart or put their faith in him ever you want to say that okay so God draws everyone and the only ones that come are those that accept him or pray to receive him okay get that God's drawing doesn't cause people to come it only makes the coming possible it makes it possible for people to come and then people take the initiative they come they pray they receive Christ as Jesus of their heart whatever they do okay this is hand-in-hand with what theologians call prevenient grace prevenient grace I believe it's unbiblical we'll talk about in a moment the second the second option the only two options available here's the second one no one can come to Christ without God the father drawing him or her it's what the verse says very clear right and everyone that God draws will come because God's drawing of them causes the coming if I want me you gotta think now think write some notes if you need to keep it clear in your head God in this option only calls some only draws some and all of those that he draws come because God's drawing of them is the cause of their coming do you get it this is hand-in-hand with the teaching of what scholars have called irresistible grace or efficacious grace miracle working wonder working powerful grace right all right those are the only two options now it's important to note one the word for drawing the Greek implies that there's a resistance you know someone might say I don't believe in irresistible grace because people resist all the time it's a foolish argument every one of us who are saved by God resisted up until the point that God saved us right the word in the Greek for draw implies that it's the drawing of something that is resisting right there's a resistance there and that word means I'm drawing I'm pulling something that is resisting all right I think about this consider each of those two options and I want you to remember as we went through John chapter 6 verse 37 look at verse 37 we've got our two options now look at what verse 37 we're gonna stay right here just in the context of John chapter 6 and we're gonna prove our point okay John chapter 6 verse 37 all that the father gives me what will come to me right all that father gives me will come to me the father giving to Jesus verse 37 and the father drawing to Jesus verse 44 are one in the same thing they're not talking about different experiences it's the same thing the father gives in verse 37 the father draws both going to Jesus verse 37 verse 44 so it's not that he gives in verse 37 all he doesn't give all or else all would certainly come it doesn't happen there are people who go to hell right the Bible listen there are no contradictions there are no errors in the Bible everything in the Bible just gloriously harmonizes together so beautifully these two passages also harmonized together the father gives some and all of those that he gives will come to Christ verse 37 all that the father gives me will come to me there is no such thing in Scripture as the father giving someone who then doesn't come it doesn't happen that way all that the father gives will come and you can say all that the father draws to Christ will come to Christ it's the same situation consider for me John chapter 6 look at John chapter 6 verse 63 verse 63 verse 37 all that he gives all that he draws will come this is God's unconditional election combined with God's efficacious infallible irresistible grace in John chapter 6 verse 63 listen to this but there are some of you who don't believe that he's talking about his disciples others that follow there are some of you who do not believe he's got disciples that believe and we know out of the 12 there's one who's a devil that doesn't believe right for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray him now he's going to explain that he's going to explain the fact that there are unbelievers in the world one of which is Judas he's going to give an explanation for that explanation comes in verse 65 and he said therefore the explanation for that is I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father you see that verse 65 is the same statement as verse 44 the same concept as verse 37 note the use of the word granted in verse 65 and the word gives in verse 37 same concept same exact thing he says this again explaining the truth of verse 64 there are unbelievers like Judas in the world you know it would be no explanation whatsoever if God says you know what there are unbelievers in the world and God draws all in some come makes no sense it's not an answering of the objection it's not an answering of the problem would make no sense to say that in other words Jesus is explaining why some do not come to him and the explanation for why some people like a Judas like unbelievers in the world don't come to Christ is because God the father does not draw them because all that God draws will come to Christ all that the father gives the son will come to Christ all that have been granted will come to Christ acts 1348 says all who have been appointed to eternal life what believed because it has been appointed it's been given they've been drawn right you see how this is working out there's an explanation here that some aren't called lastly I want you to consider this for me John chapter 12 turn the page there quickly John chapter 12 like to hear the pages of your Bible's turn it's nice make it as loud as you want to it's just pleasant John chapter 12 and look at down at verse 37 okay listen to this verse 37 this is so profound there's so many other examples of this too by the way this is just in the immediate context there's so many examples this throughout the scriptures you just cannot refute it verse 37 and I challenge you I invite you to study those out verse 37 but although listen to this he had done so many signs who's the he there Lord Jesus Christ alright Lord Jesus Christ but although Christ had done so many signs before them they did not believe in him that the word that so that right so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke Lord who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed to whom has it been granted right to whom was it given to whom has been drawn who has been drawn verse 39 verse 39 therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again verse 40 he who's the he from Isaiah reference in that verse is God because God we had time we'd go there Isaiah 6 9 God has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them if remember the same principle with God and the Jewish people Romans 9 10 11 where there has been a blindness God has veiled them God has blinded them for the time being until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in God is not drawing everyone God is drawing some here leaving others in their hardness of heart and blindness so back to John chapter 6 verse 43 John chapter 6 verse 43 therefore Jesus answered and said to them do not murmur among yourselves no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him I'll raise him up at the last day if you've come to Christ and repentance and faith it is entirely and completely and fully because of God's grace to you in Christ who gets all every bit every drop of the glory for that God does you have absolutely not one shred of anything that you can boast about ever because God gets all the glory for that God if you're saved it means that God drew you to himself despite your sin despite your lifetime of rebellion despite your wickedness God drew you to himself to save you to stop your rebellion to make you a trophy of his grace to make you an eternal worshiper of him so you'd better stop your grumbling you're outside of Christ stop your complaining don't argue about his statements your worldly fleshly man-centered reasoning will not bring about the righteousness of God James says the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God trust the Lord if anyone ever comes to Christ it's because the father draws him that clear can you see that in the text in the context the only ones who don't or those who have an agenda it's just so obvious in scripture clearly taught throughout scripture that you'd have to have an agenda to try to deny what the scripture clearly says don't do it the scripture can be reconciled at so many premature levels as to create heresy you need to follow the line of reasoning all the way out someone might say to them to us in this argument what about John 12 32 what about that Bible says there if I if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to myself if you remember John chapter 3 verse 14 when the bronze serpent was lifted in the wilderness Bible also said that Jesus must be lifted up this is referring to his crucifixion to the cross when Jesus is lifted up he is lifted up as the only savior for the entire world and when the Bible says whoever comes the Bible means whoever comes when the Bible says whoever believes it means whoever believes just so happens to be that if you come and if you believe it was God behind the scenes in grace drawing you to himself but when it says all there will he'll lift it up and draw peoples to himself it's all peoples heaven is gonna look like this every tribe every tongue every nation it's not gonna be a bunch of white you know white wash tombs we see often is diverse every tribe every tongue every nation it's all peoples he's going to draw all kinds of peoples to himself that's what John 12 verse 32 means certainly anyone that goes to heaven prays right they pray to Christ they pray to God anyone who goes to heaven chooses to go to heaven everyone that goes to heaven cries out to God they exercise their will I want Christ I want heaven I'm coming to him today and I'm repenting of my sin and I'm putting my faith in him and I'm following him until the day I die every single Christian that's the cry of their heart but behind of that what is it that gives you that heart what is it that changes your desire to have that what is it that that submits your will to him it's God's grace in Christ it's God's mercy to you it's God that grants repentance God that grants faith the Bible teaches both truths simultaneously although the Bible teaches that it's God's grace that you come the Bible also teaches equally true that you are responsible to come you must repent you must exercise faith and you're responsible to God if you don't you'll go to hell when you die if you don't turn from your sin and put your trust in Christ but that doesn't negate one iota the teaching that God is completely sovereign over all of that you have to accept both truths simultaneously because the Bible teaches both simultaneously you know Spurgeon said prove your conversion by your or prove your election by your conversion you want to know if you're elective God then repent of your sins follow Christ with your faith in him I remember witnessing to a guy one time it was fatalistic in his understanding of these things listen there's not one drop of fatalism in the Bible with respect to salvation you can't think this way his thought was God I believe in your word I believe what your word says about election about grace and you know what if you want to save me here I am God come and get me I'm in my house on such-and-such a road you know if you believe that way that's if that's your heart attitude you'll never be saved you'll die and you'll go to hell if you think yourself if God's gonna save he's gonna save no matter what he's gonna do it no matter what without hard attitude you'll never be saved Lord commands repentance Lord commands faith and those who ever come those who ever believe passages are all sincere offers of the gospel meant to be obeyed so what's what are the implications of this truth what are the implications that you don't and you can't come to Christ on your own one of them is that it puts you in a very humbling position I remember talking to a person one time it said they would be saved on their death bed they're gonna live it up live and sin all their life they're gonna wait like the thief on the cross kind of a situation they're gonna wait till they're on their death bed and that last second they're just gonna pray to receive Christ and if you have that heart attitude you'll never be saved it's not the way it works so what are the implications of this doctrine is that it puts you in exactly the circumstance that you should be completely humble completely powerless and completely dependent upon God alone your creator he didn't create you to be sovereign over your life he's sovereign over your life it puts you in a position that if you're going to be saved you're gonna cry out to God Almighty to save you because he's the source of salvation and listen don't stop crying out until you're assured that he's done it you remember the story of the Prophet with the arrows right he's got the arrows in his hand and the Prophet said strike the arrows on the ground so he strikes the arrow on the ground he strikes three times and stopped and the Prophet rebuked him if you would have struck 30 times I would have given you 30 times more victory over your enemies you keep crying out to God until you know that he saved you you cry out to God you ask him to reveal your heart God reveal my sin to me I know that I'm blind I don't want to be like one of these grumbling dead who don't see their sin Lord reveal my sin to me reveal how I've offended you and then God please reveal Christ to me as my treasure reveal Christ to me as precious save my soul God I want to be a worshipper of yours you created me I'm sick and tired of offending you God save my wretched soul you keep crying out and all of that God gets all the glory you've got nothing to boast about is there anything in us that deserves to be boasted about never not one thing all of that supports the Bible's doctrine of assurance puts you in the right position to examine your it has God saved my soul we witnessed a man yesterday I just wanted to get to the point with him where he would say you know instead of thinking I'm saved because I said that prayer I did this that or the other thing instead of thinking that way which is unbiblical to think has God saved me has God changed my heart has God done a work of grace in me that I couldn't have done myself if you think that you're that doctrine puts you in the position of being nothing but reliant upon God humble before God Edward said it's the most humbling doctrine it takes everything out of your hands and you're left with nothing in your hands before the cross of Christ that's the position where if you're gonna be saved that's the position you need to be spiritually bankrupt before him it supports the doctrine the biblical doctrine of the perseverance of the saints because if you're going to persevere in this it's gonna be because God produces that perseverance in you he preserves you to the end so many good it's why the Bible just gloriously harmonizes together with all these these glorious historic doctrines of the faith that's why Armenian theology is so damaging so destructive so confusing to the people who sit under it this is God's glorious doctrines of grace and we need to cherish those we don't have time to get to the next point oh time is always short let me end this way for the Christian here everything about your life ordained by God decreed by God sovereignly and graciously and kindly and compassionately overseen by God for your good there's no reason for complaining right and not only that but knowing that God is sovereign or all those things you can go out in great confidence go out in great boldness go out in great joy as the Lord has commanded because he knows what's good for you and you trust him right and you believe in him so obey the Lord follow the Lord don't not in some cavalier half-hearted kind of way fully from the heart man get out there and share the gospel you know get out there and read your study your Bible you know disciple your family labor for the Lord this life is gonna blink your eyes and it's over but if you're here today and you're not saved you need to understand this truth you need to leave here right now you need to get on your knees before God and you need to cry out for God to save you he's the only one who can stop rebelling against him there's nothing in this life worth holding on to nothing in this life worth holding on to turn to Christ you're gonna blink your eyes you young men you young ladies see you kids out here and you're gonna blink your eyes and this life is gonna be gone you're gonna be some old guy like me with one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peel turn to Christ now why would you resist why would you wait cry out to God to save your heart and don't stop crying out to God until you're sure that he's done it and be saved cry out that God will enable you to see your sin to see your offense against him then cry out to the Lord to let you see Christ for all that he is and you like many who've gone before you you can be a worshipper of the Lord for all eternity amen let's pray take a few moments and just pray silently and ask the Lord to apply this passage to your heart father in heaven save now for your glory you're the only one who can we love you Lord we submit ourselves to your word we thank you for your glorious grace in Christ Jesus our Lord it's in his name that we pray amen