2011-09-04
Training of the Twelve - Adventures in Faith
Steve Lane

A. Review
There is a blend of learning about following Jesus, and about making disciples
Come and see; Come and follow Me; Come and be with Me
Catching the vision from Jesus (Matthew 9: 27)
"My sheep hear My voice..." Whose voice do you listen to?
"Care not, fear not" was the heart of the message of both the first and second missionary endeavors
Who was feeding the 5000? "You give them something to eat"

B. The Perfect Storm (Matthew 14: 22 - 33)
The 5000 are fed, and the people are ready to make Jesus King
"Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid" (Matthew 14: 22 - 29)
"Come on". Peter heads out on his faith adventure. "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14: 29 - 31 Peter failed to complete the task, because his faith faltered.
Do not waste your lack of faith failures, so that you may grow in faith!
Jesus did not want a superstitious faith, but a mature faith:
A faith that can have the loaves and fishes multiplied in its hands
A faith that can face the impossible
When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee...
He bids me come
His voice I know
And boldly on the waters go
And brave the tempest's shock
Over rude temptations now I bound
The billows yield a solid ground
The wave as firm as rock
C. The Sermon that Brought Misunderstanding and Rejection from Many (John 6: 25 - 62)
Matthew 6: 25 - 34
The crowd was mainly looking for a political king
[Believe/eat] You can almost see their hearts harden as they didn't hear what they wanted to hear.
A physical demonstration of a physical truth.

John 6: 35 - 38
The language He is using here would only be appropriate to God in human form (John 1: 14)

John 6: 47 - 52
Bread must be broken to be eaten
Unless they would eat/believe on His blood, they would have no life

John 6: 53 - 58
Eat! Believe!
The bread in the desert had no such power (John 6: 60 - 62)

D. The Sifting (John 6: 60 - 70)
John 6: 60 - 66
Even though He was deeply grieved by it, it was what He preferred
The aroma of life or death, according to the heart of the hearer, and it divided
Jesus was not going to be at their service and promote the ends they had in view

John 6: 67 - 69
They still struggled with the desire for an earthly kingdom, but their overpowering desire was to know the words of eternal life.

E. Conclusion
If Jesus taught His men over and over the lesson of faith, should we not listen and act as well?

Is there a storm in your life?
Hear the words of Jesus, "Take courage. It is I."

Is He calling you to a faith adventure?
"Oh you of little faith. Why did you doubt?"

Are you trying to accomplish in your own strength?
"The work of God is this: that you believe."

Are you struggling with sin?
Reckon it to be true that you are dead to sin for righteousness.

Have you not yet really put your faith in Jesus?
His substitutional death on the cross is in your place.

Galatians 2: 20
Did you get the Spirit by human effort? Did you save yourself?
Or, did you believe?

Why do you think this or any situation is different?
Take courage. Believe.