When Jesus Gets Confusing

Yeah, and grab your message notes. Also, Flawed Follower is the name of our fall series on Simon Peter, one of the most impatient, impulsive, imperfect, and inspiring characters in the whole Bible because we're looking at how Jesus takes this very unlikely man and transforms him into a world-changer and of course that brings so much hope to you and me as well. My name is René, another one of the pastors here. I'm super glad that you're with us today.

You know Peter has a lot of quirks and Peter also has a lot of questions. Jesus doesn't always make total sense to Peter and maybe you can relate, maybe that's you today. You've got so many questions, questions on things like the Trinity. How could God be one God and yet be in three persons, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit? Or suffering. Why is there suffering if God is loving? Or predestination versus free will, heaven and hell, evolution, other religions, biblical morality, and the list could go on. And you've wondered is it possible to have questions about any or all of these things and still follow Jesus? Or do I have to be rock solid on all of this stuff from the jump? Because if I do then either I can't be a Christian or I have to pretend to agree with all this stuff because I am just so not entirely certain.

Does faith equal total certainty? And does strong faith equal doubt-free faith? That is really the question because if it does then sometimes we can feel uncertain and feel like our faith is flawed or maybe even feel like we're not even Christians. So let's talk about this. When Jesus gets confusing we're in the second half of John 6 starting in verse 25 and it all culminates with a statement from Simon Peter that really is the substance of this message today but we want to look at the Scriptures leading up to this because they really set the scene.

This happens the day after the story that we looked at last weekend. Jesus feeds 5,000 people miraculously and people all around the lake the Sea of Galilee hear about it. They think well maybe we can get free food too. Maybe he's gonna do this every day and so the Bible says there's this frenzy people looking for Jesus where is Jesus and they finally find him in Capernaum Peter's hometown teaching in the synagogue there. I don't know if it was a Sabbath or if he was just kind of doing a lecture series but there he is teaching these are the ruins of the synagogue in Capernaum. It was on this very spot 2,000 years ago that a bunch of hungry crowds filter in the back door.

You know it is when people come late to church I'm not pointing any fingers but you know everybody who came early they're looking back behind us who's coming in so late and people keep coming and crowding more and more and more their stomachs are growling and they're crowding more and more and Jesus finally has to acknowledge the destruction. He says yeah you all you guys I tell you the truth you want to be with me because I fed you yesterday not because you understood the miraculous.

What signs for Jesus his miracles were always signs. Jesus never did miracles just to show off. Jesus never did miracles just to grab attention they were signs pointing to something. Pointing to what? Well he goes on don't be so concerned about perishable things like food spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. The Son of Man was Jesus's term for himself and an eternal life eternal doesn't just mean quantity it means quality. It's not just about the day after you die it's about today. It's about getting to have a real life a vibrant life life from God and Jesus is saying man I'm the source of what you really need.

So what is their response? They replied we want to perform God's works too what should we do? Now do you understand what they're saying? They're saying eternal life blah blah blah right if you're not gonna do that food miracle teach us how to do that food miracle. We want to do all those works those miracles for ourselves and Jesus told them this is the only work that God wants from you believe in the one he has sent.

Now Jesus drops this theological bombshell this jewel of truth introducing the whole revolutionary concept of we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. This is radical this is revolutionary this is liberating and it's a complete flyover they totally miss it because they're all still thinking about food 100% and so they try to trick Jesus. This is really like a comedy as it keeps going on they answered oh you want us to believe in you well show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you what could you do? You could feed us after all our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness of Scripture say Moses gave him bread from heaven eat Moses gave him bread and just saying bread's an idea maybe we believe you if you fed us again.

I read this and I think they're kind of like my grandkids when they get fixated on goldfish crackers. Kids love those cracker cracker cracker honey let's go for a walk first you've had 50 goldfish crackers no no first cracker cracker cracker they start fixated. Jesus says you're fixated on bread listen guys Moses didn't give you bread from heaven my father gave you bread from heaven and now he's offering you the true bread from heaven something better than bread like I've already said twice and all they hear is blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah bread.

Sir they said always give us this bread and Jesus is saying still don't think you're getting it I am the bread of life whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. What's he saying? He's saying ultimately nothing else keeps you satisfied not achievement not pleasure nothing but life with God and I'm the source of it. Instead of focusing on you know that beautiful invitation it says then the people began to grumble and disagree because he said I'm the bread from heaven. They said isn't this Jesus Joseph's son? We know his mother and father how can he say he came from heaven? I was in Kiwanis with his dad my kid went to high school with him who does he think he is?

And Jesus says you're getting distracted here let me just say this again I am the living bread that came down from heaven and then here's the big bombshell anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. Now what? Now of course for 2,000 years Christians have been receiving communion as we will do later today the bread and the cup right the body and the blood. We've had 2,000 years of getting used to this idea we've had 2,000 years of stained glass windows about this idea we've had 2,000 years of songs about this idea but this is the first time this idea was ever used and so the people are confused and who can blame them.

Many of his disciples said this is very hard to understand how can anyone accept it? It's interesting how quickly they leap from this is hard to understand - how could anybody believe this? How's it possible to follow Jesus if I still have questions? I can't do it. Listen their mistake was not their lack of understanding that's I totally get that their mistake was their lack of patience. Do you see that? They were too impatient to wait for understanding.

You could say any enlightenment whether scientifically or spiritually only comes with patience. You don't understand things instantly right? And Jesus does explain himself three years later at the Last Supper he takes part of the Jewish seder the Passover meal and when they were remembering you know the Passover lamb sacrificed and ultimately their freedom from Egypt and he says took bread thanks broke it and he gave it to them saying this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me and in the same way after the supper he took the cup saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.

He means his body and blood would be given as a sacrifice for our sins just like the sacrificial lamb remembered at the Seder meal. His death on the cross would be a sacrifice to set his people free not from Egyptian slavery but from the slavery of sin and death and we remember that at the communion table. If they had only waited but they didn't at this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Now why did these people turn away? Not just because Jesus was unclear but also because he was unpredictable.

They wanted a quid pro quo relationship with God. Quid pro quo is Latin for this for that. I do this for God God does that for me. It's kind of a commercial relationship with God. You know I love that book children's letters to God I quote from a lot collections of actual notes to God written by kids. Here's one I love dear God okay I kept my half of the deal where's the bike? And we grown-ups do the exact same thing don't we? Hey I'm being good where's the blessing? And Jesus is saying oh if you stick with me you'll see something much better than what you imagine your needs are right now but they were like no food we're out of here.

And so now the tension is building now only a few are left maybe only the original followers the suspense is thick are they gonna bail too? And it says then Jesus turned to the 12 and asked are you also going to leave? I mean I don't think they understood what Jesus was talking about any more than the crowd that left as we'll become clear as we continue this series. He's saying can you keep following me even with your unresolved questions? I mean this is intense isn't it? And I love Simon Peter's response I really do the whole store this whole chapter's been leading up to this because it's a model for us it's a model for me that's for sure.

Simon Peter replied Lord to whom shall we go? I mean not exactly a ringing endorsement is it? It's almost like Peter saying well you know Lord we thought about it you're not always easy to live with turning the tables over and telling these riddles we don't know what you're talking about but you have the words of eternal life and we have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. His response is so good let's look at it line by line let's talk a little bit about faith and doubt.

He says Lord to whom shall we go? He's saying where else are we gonna go? What is a better option? So two Saturdays ago I went up to my friend at Dan Adranya's funeral. It was in Folsom like on the other side of Folsom. The service ended at 1:15 p.m. and I had to be back here in Aptos at 6 p.m. for our first service of the weekend Saturday night. So I get in the car making great time I get to the East Bay around 3 and this is what I drive into just traffic everywhere roads are closed all over the place and the traffic's absolutely frozen.

So I use my maps app to try to find an alternate route. My app tells me you are still on the fastest route. Does your app ever tell you that? And I thought that cannot be true I'm not even moving there are ants on the pavement moving faster than me. I'm stuck and then I see there's a bunch of cars getting off of the next exit and I think oh that's interesting probably locals who know something that I don't know and mr. maps here doesn't know I'm gonna follow them off. I go frontage road we are sailing and I'm thinking those numbskulls back of the highway those sheep those lemmings following the crowd mindlessly.

I think creatively I think out of the box I think this road is closed big sign right in front of me all of us lemmings that driven enthusiastically are right into a dead end so I had to backtrack. Now the neighborhood streets are gridlocked. I finally stopped got a cup of coffee and shopped at a marshals got some good shoes but Valerie's texting me where are you what's your ETA? It turns out I had been on the fastest route back on 680 when I was stopped just like mr. maps told me. What I should have done is just keep going even though I didn't feel like I was making an headway I didn't know what was going on because as it turns out that road was actually getting somewhere instead of the dead end I drove right into.

And by the way I made it back just in the nick of time for church with new shoes you might have noticed those a couple of weeks ago but this is kind of what Peter is saying here. Yeah Jesus this is kind of a rough patch but we have come to believe this road is getting us somewhere and we have a suspicion some of those other roads aren't going anywhere. This whole idea is very personal for me in the book I described how like everybody I suffered trauma my dad died stepdad died we lived in poverty I was sexually molested mom died of Alzheimer's I've got my list you've got your list everybody's got their list.

And once or twice especially when I was younger people have asked me René how did all this that you went through at a pretty young age not destroy your faith? And I guess they mean how could you not question God how could you not get mad at God? Well of course I questioned God and of course I got mad at God but leave to go where exactly that's better? Look the way I see it tough times happen to everybody whether you're inside the faith or outside the faith so why not stay where you're gonna get support? Why not stay where you're gonna be assured over and over that God redeems every bit of suffering?

Why not stay where you're actually gonna find camaraderie with other honest fellow sufferers? Why not stay where people actually ask those big questions and seek answers instead of just amusing themselves to death? Why go anywhere else? Where else are you gonna go? And the next Peter asks what else? What else are we going to believe in? He says you have the words of eternal life. Now what's amazing to me is that Peter didn't say you've got the miracles. He could have he'd seen a lot of miracles he says you have the words.

And what I love about this is they're the same exact words that you and I have today. These are words that lead to life and where can we start with this right? Peter's heard Jesus say words like love your enemies do good to those who hate you bless those who curse you pray for those who mistreat you. Now just look at that for a second imagine if if everybody who calls themselves a follower of Jesus actually did these things. You know John Lennon sang that song imagine and some of the lines imagine no heaven imagine no religion. I mean it's a catchy tune but I prefer to imagine everybody living like they took Jesus seriously. Imagine what a world that would be.

You know I think a lot of people have questions about the faith not these days not because they look at Jesus and are repelled by things Jesus said but frankly because they look at Christians and are repelled because we don't act like they know Jesus told us to act. I think a lot of questions people have about the faith could be answered not by our arguments but by our example as Jesus said let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

And that's why this month of acts of kindness is so important. This is one of the reasons our fall food drive is so important. This is one of the reasons you may not know we are partnering with a group called Baptists on Mission they're based in North Carolina to help with the storm relief out there in North Carolina and Tennessee. We're partnering with them because they have infrastructure set up there right now they have feeding units they've got shower trailers they've got laundry trailers they've got cleaning crews and so we're sending them funds from our church relief fund to help them as they help others in the name of Jesus.

Please be in prayer for them and I'm going to be giving you updates but those are also words of life when Jesus told us to do that because when we are that way that brings life to people or how about these words of life he just said I tell you the truth anyone who believes has eternal life anyone and anyone means anyone anyone means you. Some of you you are so in need of this life you're desperate for it you're desolate you need the life of God and right now Jesus says you could have it if you believe in him.

Where else? What else? And finally Peter says who else? Who else are we going to follow? He says we've come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. Now Peter has not suddenly developed fully formed Orthodox Christian theology as we'll see next weekend but he's getting there as he follows and I love the phrase we have come to believe that's a big phrase in 12-step groups we came to believe because sobriety is a process and faith is a process too.

Peter still had questions but watch this Peter chose to see if some of his questions might be answered as he followed instead of leaving like the rest of the crowd. That's what faith looks like. Do you have questions about Jesus? Don't let your questions keep you from your quest. Don't let your doubts keep you from your decisions because I believe if you keep following Jesus you'll be close enough to maybe hear some of the answers.

The bottom line is this we all crave certainty right? We want to know we want to have all the riddles answered right now we want all the answers to all of our questions and we feel about everything in life if I could just know this for certain then everything would be okay all I lack is certainty. But of course the problem is this as Michelle rather Michael Dugard professor of psychology at the University of Quebec says this and to be fair he probably up in Quebec pronounces his name Michelle but anyway he says life is inherently uncertain and if you have difficulty dealing with that you will have difficulty dealing with life.

Psychologists are now talking about a problem they call the intolerance of uncertainty and how if I'm intolerant of uncertainty it can lead to anxiety and stress and I've lived this personally. I'm not proud of this but I met my wife Laurie when we were both in grad school and we instantly hit it off fell in love and after dating a few months we both started to wonder will we get married and so I asked some people you know how how do you know if this is the one?

The problem is I probably heard a hundred times well you got to wait for the right one because it's just one right one. Oh how do you know that it's the right one? And the answer inevitably was well when it's the right one you'll just know it's got to be the right one but you'll just know. Well but but but how do you know? You just know you suddenly realize you could never be with anybody else that's the one. Oh okay and so I waited to feel 100% certain no more doubts no more questions only certainty.

I feel so sorry for Laurie four years later I felt I finally was certain and I proposed but a couple of weeks later I was uncertain again and so I unproposed. We kept dating then I proposed again and we chose a date and we addressed and stamped the wedding invitations and as she was driving to the mailbox to mail them I said wait no I'm not certain I'm unproposing again. How many of you want to just come up here right now and slap me on her behalf can I see a show of hands? There's no shortage of volunteers by the way she did say yes.

I thought of saying that was 40 years ago and our ceremony is next Saturday but that's not true she did say yes for the second time and this year we celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary how lucky am I that she stuck with me? But listen I had to learn something and here's what I had to learn watch this there is a difference between certainty and commitment. Have you learned that yet? There's a difference between certainty and commitment. I was looking for a certainty I could never have it was impossible because I was trying to see 60 years into the future and trying to imagine every other possible scenario with every other possible partner so I could be a hundred percent certain that's impossible.

I discovered marriage is not about certainty is it? And if you think it is I feel certain now then what happens when those feelings start to slip and you feel like now I'm falling out of love? Well my marriage must be over you feel your first doubts and you're gone. Marriage is about commitment and when you think about it this is true of any relationship this is true of any decision right at some level it's just your choice to commit.

And by the way you know what else I learned? I learned that certainty often follows commitment. After I committed to Laurie fully the certainty grew. It's almost like I was thinking it's like approaching those doors that you walk into when you're walking in a Safeway or wherever you shop right they're automatic doors. You could stand around looking at them and think now somebody told me those doors are gonna open I don't know if I believe those doors are gonna open they're never gonna open if you just look at them.

You have to move toward the doors and only then do they open. If certainty comes certainty follows your commitment. Listen when it comes to faith and doubt some people need to have their uncertainties challenged in the sense they need to understand you can live with questions and still follow Jesus and keep asking the questions as you follow Jesus. That's why we got great resources like this book by Tim Keller called the reason for God where he takes the top ten questions people have about faith like the ones I mentioned earlier how is why is there suffering if there's a loving God and so on he does the best job I've ever seen of really doing an honest job of answering some of those questions.

The reason for God by Tim Keller. However some people are almost idolizing uncertainty. It has become their God. Uncertainty and skepticism about everything is ruling their lives and keeping them from doing anything. But some people need to have their certainties challenged. They also need to know you can live with questions and follow Jesus. Some Christians are almost idolizing certainty. I like the way pastor Greg Boyd puts it he says certainty becomes an idol watch this when a person's sense of security is anchored not in their simple trust of God's character as revealed on the cross but in how certain they feel about the rightness of all their beliefs.

And at times in my own walk this was the case for me. When I grew up in my circle at my church we believe everything we believed we believed certainly. For example we knew exactly how old the earth was and exactly when Jesus was returning and exactly what church real Christians went to our church and exactly what to believe about every single controversial issue in the Bible we had the right answer about it all.

And what happened was and it's not right by the way to draw conclusions about any of those things but what happened was we slowly became more about our list of certainties than about Jesus. We began to have conferences about all those things I just named instead of just about Jesus and I believe for some religious people Jesus allows us to become a little uncertain about some of the things we used to be so certain about. Why? Because it focuses me back on Jesus. It reminds me certainty is not my source of life Jesus is my source of life.

I can tell you I'm a lot less certain than I used to be about every single secondary and tertiary issue. I'm not talking about classical Christian theology the atonement the authority of Scripture the resurrection. I'm talking about all the secondary things but I'm much more certain about the primary things. I'm much more certain about Jesus. I'm much more focused on Jesus. I'm much more in love with Jesus and as I've drawn closer to Jesus my certainty in his character has given me a security that was I was seeking by being certain about every other issue on the list of 100 issues just being certain and secure in Jesus Christ that's what's brought me peace.

It reminds me one of the last things my father did before he died young of cancer in the midst of his own unanswered questions about why he got cancer when he was 36 how was God going to take care of his young wife and two small children why didn't God heal him amidst the cloud of pain he was in the last day of his life he sang an old hymn in his hospital bed with a friend turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and his grace.

Look faith does not equal certainty about every single issue and strong faith does not equal doubt free faith. Biblically faith equals trust trusting that Jesus is worth following and strong faith well how does Jesus define strong faith in the Bible? Active faith faith that follows faith that lives Jesus Lee doing what he told us to do helping the least of these loving my enemies praying for those who are weak visiting those who are sick and in prison feeding the hungry even if I have questions even if I am a flawed follower.

Let's pray would you bow your heads with me? This kind of message really begs the question what is my choice? Am I in the 12 that group that with Peter stayed even though they didn't quite get it or am I with the crowd that said well this is hard to understand so we're leaving? Do you choose to say Lord you alone have the words of life and who else is better? I choose to commit to follow you and to stay close enough to just maybe hear some of the answers to my questions from you along the way. Lord thank you that followers with quirks and questions and flaws and failures are welcomed in by you followers like me followers like us and we pray this in Jesus name amen.