Bread Delivered from Heaven │ Msg 2/14

5:03 If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus therefore said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. You have no life in yourselves. And now verse 66.

5:39 As a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, You do not want to go away also, do you? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life, and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God.

6:10 Between 20 and 25 times every week, we are all doing the same thing at just about the same time. You've already done it once this morning, and before a couple of hours have passed, you will do it again. And believe it or not, before bedtime, you will do it again. For some of the ladies here, it represents the most time-consuming activity of your day. It occurs no less than twice and sometimes as many as four and five times on festive occasions during the passing of one day.

6:57 What is it? I've seen you whisper to one another and you think you've guessed it. I did this with my son last night and he said, praying. I thought, boy, that is a fantastic answer. It's wrong, but it's a fantastic answer. It's eating. Psychologists tell us why we do it. Because the basic drive in man and woman is self-preservation. And eating is basic to that. Criminologists tell us that the most dangerous creature on earth is a hungry man. Wives would testify to that fact on a number of occasions. I have never seen a travel brochure that didn't highlight the importance of what you would be eating and how often.

7:57 I've seen magazines spread over grocery stores and television advertisements lately and those that are in the food business have it made. As a matter of fact, it isn't all that bad because Scripture tells us in 1 Timothy 6, 8, having food and clothing, let us be content. Contentment rests upon two essentials, sufficient food and sufficient clothing. You have that, you're content. the world isn't. 18 months in the Orient and a brief time in South America reminded me in my brief life how true that is.

8:53 You need only step off the ship or off the plane and you are met face to face with a a whole new cultural input. A hungry body. They surround you. And in our great land, thank God, in the land of America we do not know that experience. And therefore we tend to forget when caught up short with reality that a vast number of people never know what it is to go to bed with a full stomach. I've just finished reading a book about the life of Howard Rutledge entitled In the Presence of Mine Enemies. He was a jet pilot in the Vietnam War and as you would have surmised, he was shot down and having parachuted into a village, he soon became an occupant in the Hanoi Hilton, as they called it.

10:01 And he, a well-fed, well-paid, well-educated, well-trained American man, experienced hunger. Sour, as he called it, sewer cabbage soup. Eating whatever would crawl into his cell and being grateful for it. And I believe because of that cultural mindset, when we come to a passage like we come to today, we have a misunderstanding of the drive of the multitude who wanted again to be fed. It is the tendency on our part to rebuke them, at least in heart, and say, couldn't you See the spiritual part of Jesus when he fed you.

10:58 No, as a matter of fact, a hungry stomach doesn't often reason that way. And so when we come to the section we come to today where the very next day they come back wanting food, I don't come with a criticism. And I hope you don't either. the background in which this Middle Eastern world rested at that time was an area of hunger, vast hunger. That's why I emphasize last Sunday morning on two occasions, it reads, he gave them as much as they wanted, and when they were filled, he had 12 baskets left over. It was an incredible experience. They actually went to bed one night full of food. What a marvelous thought.

11:57 What a delightful privilege. But as you've experienced, even after a good meal the night before, you wake up the next morning what? That's what happened to them. They woke up hungry and so they sought the Savior, the food giver, the fish maker, the bread baker. They thought, my, if he can take five loaves and two fish on one day and turn it into a multitude, he can do it the next day. But Jesus had more for them than food that next day, as we shall see this morning. Now the passage before us is lengthy. There's no way that we can do any kind of justice to each verse, and I'm sure that in the process of working through verses 22 through 71, we're going to miss one of your favorite verses.

12:52 I realize that we can't cover them all. Some of them are my favorites, but I want to get the flow of thought as we work our way quickly through the conversation and come to the practical part that is the response of the people. it might help to begin with in noticing a couple or three preliminary matters first of all we've mentioned it but notice in verse 22 the time of the event the next day day after what some visitor might say this morning who's reading this for the first time well the day after the miracle the day before he fed perhaps eight ten thousand people with a little sack lunch that a boy had in his possession now the day after that this same group of people was hungry again they wanted to be fed and so they sought for him that's the search and in 22 through 25 they are looking for his presence. They can't find him. They found an empty boat and they saw the disciples leaving. They thought he might still be there and he wasn't. So they all came to the other side to a place named Capernaum. Verse 24 which concludes with two words, seeking Jesus.

14:21 Now they sought him for the purpose of having their stomachs filled again. but they found so much more than that. As a matter of fact, will you notice the question they asked? Rabbi, when did you get here? Verse 25 concludes. It's interesting to me that Jesus occasionally completely ignores a question. Here's one, here's a case in point. He never answers them. It's a shallow part of the conversation and he's delving too deep in his thoughts to deal with where did you come from and when did you get here. Isn't it interesting how conversations can run in levels? Some conversations you can handle while you watch your favorite television program. Never miss a trick.

15:17 Other conversations demand you turn everything else out of your mind that you might concentrate upon that. That's my favorite kind of conversation, by the way. Jesus Christ was in deep thought. And they said, when did you get here? Where'd you come from? And he went right to the heart. He went to the motivation that led them in their search. That's the next verse. The motivation is called into question. Verse 26, he answered them and said, truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. You have one basic motivation, and that's to get your stomachs filled. And then he answers them with another thought, don't work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you.

16:17 for on him the Father, even God, has set his seal. If you're pedantic enough to take a pencil when you listen to sermons and follow along, take your pen or your pencil and be ready to circle a couple of contrasts that will help you understand the bread of life discourse.

16:39 I'll give you a minute to pull one from your pocket or from your purse. I don't want you to miss the contrasts. In verse 27, I want you to circle or underscore the words, food which perishes and the words, food which endures. Underscore that.

17:03 We'll just have a little Bible class for a moment and let you carry on to put your mind in gear for the message. Those two phrases reveal two appetites in every human being. First, there is an appetite toward physical food. And it is satisfied with food that perishes. Either you eat it, or it perishes, or after you eat it, it turns to waste. It is perishing food. but we must have it to maintain life. That's one realm of appetite, and there's not a person here today who doesn't have it. And the more healthy, the greater the appetite. But there's another appetite, alas, that is not that widespread.

18:01 That is a spiritual appetite that is satisfied only with food that endures. Oh, I know it's an elementary level in which I'm speaking at this moment, but for the sake of many who come and have never grasped the significance, let me clarify what I'm saying. The majority of us know what it is to be satisfied spiritually. We have met Jesus Christ face to face by faith. Our hearts have become linked to Him by faith. We have given Him our lives. And we have experienced in that marvelous moment called conversion or salvation, new life, eternal life, the spiritual dimension has been satisfied and it continues to be satisfied from day to day, some days more so than others, unfortunately.

19:11 But for some of you, you come only with one appetite, having been filled. And you've never yet come by faith to Jesus Christ. You've heard of him and especially if you have been in churches where they present him or in gatherings where his name is magnified as being the Lord. You've heard about him. Maybe you're married to one who has had that taste satisfied or you're related to one or you had a friend in school that came to know Christ. to admit before God this morning, I have never been satisfied spiritually. Might be an honest admission for some of you today. I'm sure for some hearing my voice.

20:08 Jesus offers food that endures. food that takes you through a concentration camp experience, food that helps you endure the news of a terminal illness in yourself or a loved one, food that satisfies when all friends fail and there seems to be no one that cares. He offers the food that satisfies. There's another contrast, and it goes hand in hand with the appetite.

20:49 Circle the word work and the word give in the same verse. Verse 27, do not work for this food. The Son of Man shall give it to you. That describes two methods. of filling the appetite. Jesus was surrounded by a multitude of people, most of whom worked for a living. And there was in that day as there is today, the man who doesn't work doesn't eat. Especially is that true and justifiable if one is able to work. And often the harder we work, the better we eat. The more diligent we are in our labor, the more faithful God is to reward us with promotions, increases, better jobs, better conditions, a better diet.

21:58 There are some inequities, but often that is true. Now let me clarify. for you that have never been satisfied spiritually there is the tendency to think now I must work hard for that I have to work to gain God's favor and then once the Lord meets me on those terms of working hard I will come to know a satisfaction So what do you do? You begin to attend church faithfully. You put little white testaments in the hands of your children and encourage them to read those little testaments. You go to summer camp. You begin to carry a Bible. You begin to pray a lot. You start thinking about church attendance and religious gatherings, etc., etc. When Graham comes into town, you go to the meetings.

22:58 When a Christian friend has a need, you give a gift. When the church needs expansion money, you provide an extra amount. Thinking all the while that if you will work, you'll somehow have God tip his hat and say, wow, now that is impressive.

23:22 Especially the giving part. And some even say, I'll teach. And so they, in fact, get into the swing of things. And in many churches, they get involved in the educational program and they start teaching. Some usher, some sing in choirs, some use their talents on the instruments. And so by working, working, working, God will say to me at my last day on earth or the day after, I am pleased with that effort. Step into my presence. you've earned your way in you notice verse 27 we don't work.

24:10 Jesus is saying here in context, don't put all of your work and labor into that food that perishes. There's something more than that. My, he says, there is a spiritual dimension that has never been filled, and I offer it to you as a gift. Notice how the verse concludes, the Son of Man will give it to you. It comes from the Father. God has planned it. He has arranged His eternal life package, if I could use those terms. His channel is through Jesus Christ, His death at Calvary, His resurrection from the grave. And man becomes only a recipient. Man says to God, I accept the gift or I reject the gift. Man's option is never I'll pay for the gift because it's already been paid for on the cross. Let me illustrate it this way. Let's say that you were to invite my wife and me and our family over to your home on some weekend for a lovely dinner.

25:29 You fix prime rib, baked potato, a big one, all the trimmings, a fresh salad, chocolate mint pie, my favorite. You know, it's laid out in front of us and we tear into it. Believe me, this family of mine tears into it when it's provided. And so we sat there and we ate that food and had a great time. It was all over, time to go home. I say, oh, wait a minute. how much do I owe you what's your feeling at that point what an insult I gave you that to pay for it ruins it even to offer to pay for it fouls up the whole plan man is engaged day in and day out paying for a meal that's already paid for and in the process insulting God.

26:45 God says, Look, I want to give you this. Oh, no, I've got my pride. I'm no freeloader. I earn what I get. Well, I'm sorry, friend. You'll be in hell. because God's offer to heaven is the gift of his son.

27:09 But would you believe those hungry people that gathered around Jesus never got the message? They were so locked into earning and tradition, they never saw the argument. Let me show you the flow of the passage quickly now. Take your pencil again. Look at verse 28. They said, therefore, to him. Mark that. They said. And then Jesus answers. Verse 30. They said, therefore, to him. Verse 34. Now you're into it. They said, therefore, to him. Okay, we don't want to go too fast. 28, 30, 34, 41. The Jews, therefore, were grumbling about him.

28:07 Verse 42, they were saying. Mark that one. They were saying. And finally, verse 52, the Jews began to argue with one another. What a flow, huh? It starts with a motivation that was strictly physical. We're hungry. We want food. Jesus said, okay, let's start where you are. That's the way to witness. Start where they are. And he talked about food that perishes. And he says, that's what you had yesterday. And the proof that it perishes is your hungry stomach this morning. It's gnawing inside of you. But let me tell you something. There's something that's been gnawing all your life. And that's spiritual food. And I offer it to you as a gift.

28:57 And then a discussion starts that leads to the climax of argumentation. You believe that? He offered them the most priceless gift that had been provided for man, and they said, no thanks, we can't accept it. They, in fact, were arguing about it. Now go back in the passage and let me just show you the discussion process of the whole bread of life discourse. It'll explain it to you that you can see it for yourself. First, the search. And they found him and they were driven by physical hunger. They said, feed us again. Jesus said, no, you've got a deeper need than that, spiritual hunger. And so he instructed them, you don't work for it now. They wanted to work for it. No, you don't work. It's a gift. Well, if it's a gift and it's the Messiah, the greater than Moses, that's got to provide the gift, prove to us you're the Messiah. So they say, prove it.

30:04 And he says, God already has. He sent this loaf from heaven. He delivered me from heaven to you. God did provide the proof. I am the authenticated Messiah. Well, we want that kind of bread. I am it, is his answer. He declares himself, I'm the bread of life. And they say, you? You're the bread of life? Yes, I am. Me. We cannot accept it. then you have no life. That's pretty clear, isn't it? It begins with a motivational question and answer and it ends with argumentation and rejection.

30:58 In brief, that's the bread of life discourse. Let's look at some things that seem significant. Back to the passage. Verse 28, even though those contrasts were given, you don't work for it. I give it to you. They said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God?

31:24 Have you ever talked to somebody about the Lord Jesus and thought you were very clear in your presentation? You even wrote it on a little slip of paper and you gave him a simple little chart and you illustrated it and you say, now, isn't that great? And they answer in return along the very same line before you ever started your explanation. They're locked into a mindset in which you have not penetrated. That's what happened here. Jesus said, I'm ready to give you this kind of life. So they said, how do we work for it? Now look at Jesus' response. All right, you must use the word work. This is the work of God There's someone that's worked for it God has And the work he leaves for you to do Is that you believe in him whom he has sent God's plan is this Men, women, young people Gathered around me today Said the Lord Jesus He says I have provided the work Now your only response is to believe Give me your life Turn the controls over to me Accept the gift of eternal life that's God's plan you must believe in him whom he has sent now those last few words of course caused them to realize he was referring to himself and so they responded what do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you now back behind the scenes they want another another fish sandwich don't they? Look, let's just act like nothing happened yesterday and you do it and you prove

33:29 to us that you can do it. We'll believe. Isn't that like us today? That's like me. God proves himself this past week in some difficult barrier that I'm trusting him to handle and he proves himself beautifully capable handling it. And then we come to a new tomorrow, Monday, all of a sudden, a whole new set of, you know, impossible cases, situations.

34:00 I say, Lord, just prove yourself today. And that's all I need. And God says back to me, Yeah, I did. Remember last week? Last week. What was that that you did? You know why David could whip the giant, Goliath?

34:21 Because of a vivid memory of the God of yesterday that enabled him to kill a lion and a bear when nobody was looking. He said the same God that took care of the lion and the bear will handle this uncircumcised Philistine. Come on, Goliath.

34:43 He remembered what God had done. These people didn't. They said to him, Look, if you're the Messiah, then show us a sign, preferably food, and we will believe you, Jesus. What work do you perform? Our Father ate manna in the wilderness. Verse 31. Interesting illustration they chose, isn't it? Lord, as we think back over our days in Jewish history, our forefathers under Moses ate manna day in and day out. Now, the national expectation was a greater than Moses. A new Messiah was to come. God's Messiah, then indeed, he would be able to be greater than Moses. Bring the bread.

35:31 Look at Jesus' answer. By the way, on the matter of Moses here, I believe Moses was the greatest satellite, humanly speaking, between Adam and Jesus Christ. It is the most thrilling study to observe from Scripture this man in crisis. If you think Elijah ministered, Moses is like no one else, in my opinion, of the Old Testament. this man put through all sorts of situations and continued to come out a man of faith against all odds beautiful story so Jesus reminds them verse 32 as great a man as Moses was I say to you it's not Moses who gave them bread out of heaven my father gives the true bread for the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world implying namely me.

36:33 God delivered me to this earth to give this earth life. They said to him, Lord, give us this bread. Verse 34, they didn't mean himself. They still meant food. Sounds like the woman at the well. Remember chapter four? Jesus provided her with that beautiful news that he could give her water that would last forever. She said, great, pump it into Syker. And I don't want to keep carrying this dumb jug back and forth from the well, back and forth. Send the water down where I live. That's super. I'd love to have water pumped in. Terrific indoor plumbing. Right at my own doorstep. Jesus said, I'm not referring to that kind of water.

37:28 They said, keep on giving us this bread. Jesus said, oh, you missed it. I've got bread that isn't even seen by man. It's a whole new life and you still don't see it. Must have broken his heart. Jesus said to them, verse 35 I'm the bread of life He who comes to me shall not hunger He who believes in me shall never thirst And I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe Jesus in verses 37 through 40 goes rather deeply into the whole matter of God's part in salvation. I question as to this moment why he gave them that information.

38:28 It's a great passage to reveal who's really responsible for the work of God in the lives of men. God is responsible. He draws men. He motivates men. He prompts in that heart that sense of wanting and longing. And he tells them this. It's all of God. It's not even my plan. It's the Father's plan. And I have the joy of implementing it and announcing it. I'm the bread of life. It's the will of the Father to provide salvation. Now look at verse 41. And again, I don't want to be too critical with these people. I want to be realistic about it. The Jews were grumbling. Notice the change now from the multitude. They said, they said, they said. Now it's the Jews.

39:22 So here's a group of people who was raised around Jesus. They were his contemporaries. The Jews were grumbling saying, because he said, I am the bread that came down out of heaven. What were they saying? is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how does he now say I come down out of heaven you get the point these are people perhaps from Nazareth we saw that little fella as he was raised in the carpenter shop took his tools out to add on to this little home and build this lovely cabinet we remember the day his father passed on He took up the leadership of the home. He provided for the needs. Remember that young carpenter? Handsome young man of Nazareth.

40:19 Now he says he's the bread of God from heaven. Edersheim helps us understand some of their query because at that time there was more than one claiming to be Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth? The son of a teenage Jewish maiden? and a fellow named Joseph? Not technically a son of Joseph, but they didn't know that. He was technically a son of the Holy Spirit, wasn't he? The virgin birth process that they were unaware of, but they looked at him as a peer of theirs and said, now wait, wait a minute. I don't understand. It's as if you stood up in your office tomorrow and said, I'm God's messenger to this office and to this world. they'd probably start asking you some questions in the in the main office before the day was up you know you it's not that you weren't a a good christian or a godly witness it's just that you don't declare to be from god from heaven and he did you see let me say something you may misunderstand. Many people say if I had lived then it would have been easier to believe. Let me tell you something if you had lived then it would have been harder to believe.

41:42 You go to school, you raise your family with Jesus, and then you have him emerge at the age of 31, 32, saying, I'm the bread of God from heaven. I'm the bread of life. Believe in me. See what your kids think who were raised with him.

42:05 You see, that's part of the mystique that we miss. I'm not justifying their unbelief I'm saying it wasn't easy to have seen him and then believe that's why I think the Lord says better are those that have never seen and yet believe look at verse 42 how does he now say I have come down out of heaven Jesus answered and said to them don't grumble among yourself God's in charge he knows what he's doing then he describes again the work of the father unless the father who sent me draws him no one can come I will raise him up on the last day not only will I give eternal life but I will give life after death life now and life later verse 48 I am the bread of life Now verse 52.

43:07 Let's take 51, where the Lord says, I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. they answered how can this man give us his flesh to eat they wrestled with cannibalism, to be very frank and not trying to be humorous. That's literally what they thought. He said, God has given my flesh, and if you eat of it, you will live forever. How can he give us his flesh, was their response.

44:02 Jesus answers, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life. The Amplified Bible does a splendid job of paraphrasing that. Unless you appropriate his life and the saving merit of his blood, you cannot have life in yourselves. That's precisely what he's saying. Eating is a picture of appropriation. When I put food into my mouth and I digest that food, I have appropriated the nutrients, the benefits, the byproducts of that food I have placed into my body. I have appropriated that food, assimilated it. That's faith.

44:59 The final analysis was argumentation. They argued saying, how can he do it? You know, it's a distressing thought to realize that these people stood in the very presence of God in the flesh, heard him give them the offer of salvation, and they didn't accept it. I know a thought equally tragic. Some of you will do the very same thing today. I don't know how to make it any clearer, but some of you, having heard, knowing that you have never appropriated by faith the Lord Jesus, will leave rejecting him. Because I don't want you to, because I want every moment I can get to encourage your response for Christ. I've added the response of these people in this message. There were three different attitudes revealed that day. First, open defection.

46:16 Verses 60 through 66. Many people followed, wanting food, but when they heard him say, if you wish really to be a follower of mine, you must appropriate me. You must give me the controls of your life, accept God's gift. Let him control you. Oh, verse 60 says, many of the disciples when they heard this said, this is a difficult statement. Not difficult in unclear, but difficult in the sense of objectionable, hard to accept. I can't tolerate that thought. You want to talk about taking care of the people's needs? You want to talk about world problems? You want to talk about nice gatherings where we give the children little verses, where we sing and have a good time and even see buildings built? That's great, but don't ask me to limit my life of faith to the narrow plan of Jesus Christ and him only for salvation. Verse 66 tells us that as a result of this, many withdrew and were not walking anymore with him.

47:38 You know, when you come and bear down on the rigidity, the narrowness of the gospel, it's amazing how it thins the ranks. Many of you love to come and be a part of the excitement and the movement of the ministry here or some other place. But when the thumb begins to bear down on your will and on your life, It's like mercury. Don't push me. I had a close relationship for a period of time with a brilliant medical doctor. More than one PhD and of course his MD along with a number of years in training. In fact, he was just into his early 40s and just starting his practice.

48:34 All the preceding years had been schooling. man, trained in the finest of universities and places for internship, went to Mayo's for his internship. One day I decided I had dilly-dallied around long enough in our friendship. I really liked the guy and I thought, boy, I'm going to lay it on the line today. Pray that God will deal with him and bring him into faith. So we were at a restaurant one day and I had a napkin and nothing else to write on. So I began to build a bridge on this napkin. I said, let me show you this doc. I want to show you. He had asked me about where I stood on this and that. I said, let me just explain. It was a perfect open door. On the left side was man, on the right side was God, the great chasm between the two. I said, look how the cross has built the bridge and the way man comes to God is through the cross, asking Jesus Christ to come into his life and through Christ only man comes to God the Lord said that there is one God and one go-between between man and God the man Christ Jesus what do you think of that he picked up that napkin he turned it over he said in a million years I could never believe that open defection. I like our friendship. It's a neat thing and I admire the way you want to live and raise your family, but no, not me, brother. That business of Christ and him only is too narrow for me. Jesus' message is not a neat little sweet Jesus song that we sing. I'm wearied at times of the theology or lack of it that comes out in the ditties concerning sweet, neat, shallow Jesus.

50:34 Love him and play with him and have a good time. When I read this gospel, I see him say, believe in me only. I am your only source of eternal life. Worship me. Nothing shallow there.

50:55 Now there's another response. The second response is firm determination. That's Peter. Oh boy, oh Peter. Love him because he's what he is. Unfortunately, Peter gets a lot of flack from those of us who won't face ourselves as we really are. We are Peters. And we, like he, make a lot of mistakes saying things when we shouldn't. But here is one point where his stock goes up about 40%. percent in my book. Jesus looks around at the group and don't you tell me that Jesus isn't interested in our response. Look at the question, 67. You don't want to go away also do you? The multitude began to leave. He wasn't going to feed them, they were going to leave and he looked at his band of 12 men. He said you're not going to leave too are you? I love the way this new ASV handles it because it normally is asked, do you wish to leave also?

51:57 Saying, well, it's a toss-up, but it's a negative answer implied. I don't want you to. You won't, will you? Look at Peter. Peter says, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We run out of options, Lord. There's nobody else that qualifies. To whom shall we go? That's the futility of leaving. you have the words of eternal life that's the reason for staying now look at the right order we have believed and then we have come to know you're the holy one of God first there is belief and then God proves himself man keeps saying oh if God proves himself then I'll believe that's not his plan he says I offer eternal life through Jesus Christ you may accept, you may reject, but my proof comes later. My offer comes first. Peter says, we accepted the offer and you have proven yourself time and again. Firm determination.

53:08 That's where many of you are today. To whom would you go when you get the news that your child was taken. As I heard just this last week from a beloved pastor friend who was at a conference, and while he was there, got the news his 20-year-old daughter had met her death at a highway intersection. I said, how did you handle it? He said, I went right to God.

53:40 On the phone, he dropped right to his knees, and he said, I'll talk to you later. A highway department called him and told him. To whom will you go if you haven't Jesus? To whom will you go when the medical doctor takes his glasses off and looks at you across the desk and says it's terminal? There is no, no cure. Name the options. To whom will you go when death inserts its real thrust and naked and open I stand before God. I have no Christ and you have no one. Peter says, I am firm and determined. You're the only one. The third bothers me of the three the most.

54:37 Subtle deception. Jesus said to them, did I not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil? You're a tool of Satan. He meant Judas, John writes 60 years later, looking back. The son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. Yeah, but John didn't know it then. And so I'm sure they held hands and arm in arm, looked around at each other and thought, wait, did we misunderstand what he said? He said, one of us is a demon. One of us is a devil.

55:14 And the last one you would have chosen had you been one of the other 11 is Judas. He held the bag. He was the treasurer. He was the trusted member of the group. You would have never picked Judas. but he was the one subtle deception i think judas probably stood in the group and said right on peter it's the way we feel pal amen preach it that's the spirit peter declare our loyalty That's what some of you do. You may even usher. You may even sing in the choir. You may have been involved in church work half your life. You may have taught a Sunday school class, of all things, junior boys. Badges for bravery hanging all across your chest for those years in Sunday school.

56:16 But you've never met the Savior. And so you live under the lie like Judas. The old English couple, it says, still as of old, man by himself is priced for 30 pieces. is Judas sold himself, not Christ. Let's bow together, shall we? I'll be very frank with you now as we close this service with a very serious message. If you haven't captured the thought by now, I've been talking to you. To you, friend. board members, choir members, churchmen.

57:16 People who have been in and out of church all your lives, numbered among the twelve, but you're living under deception. You could not, if your life depended on it, go back even to a period of time.