Discipleship – Page 9 – See you in Heaven

Why do some disciples or followers of Christ remain devoted to Him? Part 1

“Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ ”John 6:67

The majority of Jesus’s disciples withdrew from Him for various reasons after His Bread of Life teaching (John 6:60-66). But what about those who remained with Him? Why did they remain devoted to Jesus? Why do some followers remain faithful to Christ? BECAUSE THEY HAVE RESOLVED TO STAY CLOSE TO JESUS (John 6:67).

As Jesus watches the multitude around Him leave, He looks at the Twelve. Can’t you see the hurt in Jesus’ eyes as He looks at them. “Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ ”(John 6:67). Jesus frames this question to expect a negative answer. “You don’t want to go away, too, do you? Are you committed? Let me hear you say so.” Jesus’s words imply that it is not impossible for His twelve disciples to leave, but the way He states it shows that His intent is to encourage them. “What do you really want, my friends? Do you want the process or the product?” The people that had left loved the product. People were being healed and fed an all-you-can-eat buffet. Life was good. But Jesus was pointing to a process of knowing and following Him. The twelve disciples could have left with the rest of the crowd, but they did not. Why? Because they resolved to stay close to Jesus. Have you resolved to follow Jesus regardless of the cost? Are you unreservedly committed to Him?

When Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519, he was intent on conquest. To assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat, Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior. Cortez understood the price of commitment—and he paid it. We must burn our ships and move forward in our commitment to Jesus. Some of us may need to burn the following ships:

Selfishness – “I’ll follow You as long as things go my way.”

Comfort – “I’ll follow… if I don’t get hurt too bad”

Convenience – “I’ll follow …if it doesn’t take a lot of my time or energy.”

But Jesus is calling us to surrender completely to Him. After all, it is not our life, it is His.

Notice that Jesus did not go after the multitudes when they left. He did not try to talk them out of leaving because He knew you cannot make someone do something against their will. Our Lord works with those who are willing, not unwilling. He invests His time and energy in those who are F.A.T. – Faithful, Available, and Teachable and we are to do the same.

Are we willing to remain devoted to Jesus even if the majority of people stop following Him or listening to Him? Have we burned our ships so that there is no turning back from following Jesus? Or do we have certain conditions that if met, will justify abandoning Jesus? Today is the day to burn those ship and resolve to stay close to Jesus no matter what the cost!

Prayer: Father God, many people may come to Jesus initially for what He can give to them. But as they listen to Him, they realize He is calling them to deeper commitments which go beyond their level of devotion to Him. Lord, I do not want to be like that, but my sinful flesh often wants the easy road instead of the road that requires endurance. Lord God, please show me any ships in my life that need to be burned so I will remain devoted to You no matter what the costs. I believe in the days and months ahead, Christians are going to be deeply tested in their commitment to You. Lord Jesus, You are worthy of my complete devotion. This I know intellectually, but I also need to know this more in my heart and even in the depths of my unconscious mind. Please download the truth of Your Word into my heart or limbic system of my brain where many lies govern my decisions. May Your Holy Spirit replace those lies with Your truth so I will not be hindered as much from following You. Lord Jesus, I want to be unreservedly committed to You more than to anyone or anything else. Thank You for hearing my prayer my Lord and my God. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Why do some disciples or followers of Jesus abandon Him? Part 3

“‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.” John 6:64

The third reason why some disciples or followers of Jesus abandon Him is because THEY DISBELIEVE JESUS (John 6:64-66) and have no capacity to understand and follow Him. “‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.” (John 6:64). Some of the people who had been following Jesus and listening to His instruction had not believed in Him for His gift of everlasting life. They were disciples, that is, they placed themselves under Jesus’s instruction, but they were unsaved.

“Many of His disciples” found His words difficult (John 6:60, 66) and “some” of them did not believe in Christ for salvation (John 6:64a). Both saved and unsaved disciples found Jesus’s words to be disturbing. If Jesus knew that some were unsaved, why did He let them start out on the pathway of discipleship? Because He loved them, even Judas. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” If they wanted to sit under Jesus’s teaching day after day, why not? That way He could seek them day after day. God’s love is unlimited and is directed toward every person. It gets me excited to think we may have people who don’t know Christ coming to our Facebook page and website. God’s grace is available to everyone.

Then Jesus said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:65). Is Jesus teaching that only a small percent of people, the elect, are able to believe and be born again? Not at all, and here is why.

God never commands something to be done that the listener is unable to do. And God commands all people to believe in His Son for everlasting life (I John 3:23; cf. John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Since God is drawing all people (John 12:32; 16:8-11), including those who never believe, He has certainly given everyone the capacity to believe.

The unbelieving disciples He is talking to in this large group are being drawn to believe in Jesus. They should seek to understand Christ’s words because they give life (John 6:63). If they turn away from Christ’s teaching now because it is difficult for them to believe, then God may stop drawing them. Nowhere are we told how long God draws an unbeliever to Himself. God may draw someone for eighty years or eight days. But this drawing is resistible.

For example, Judas resisted God’s intense drawing for over three years. All who die without Christ have rejected God’s drawing in their life. It is possible that God may stop drawing an unbeliever who hardens his heart. But Jesus’ point in verse 65 is that it is impossible for lost people to come to Christ without the help of God. God must work in their hearts. God may be drawing some of you. Maybe you have started reading the Bible or going to church. Perhaps you are visiting Christian websites online. This is an indication that God is working in your heart to draw you to His Son.

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” (John 6:66). This is perhaps the most “unsuccessful” sermon Jesus ever preached. When John chapter 6 opens, Jesus had 12,000-20,000 people following Him and listening to Him speak (John 6:10; cf. Matthew 14:21). When this chapter closes, He only has twelve men with Him and one of them is not even saved (John 6:67). Unlike some preachers today, Jesus did not sugar coat His message. He was not trying to win a popularity contest by preaching what people wanted to hear. This is a significant turning point in Christ’s ministry. He is shifting from a public ministry of up to twenty thousand to a more private training of the Twelve. As a result of this sermon, many of Jesus’s followers withdrew and went back to the things they had left behind (i.e. families, work, old habits and ways of thinking).

When you compare verse 66 with verse 64, you can see that “some” of those who abandoned Christ were Christians. Some did “not believe,” but “many” withdrew from Jesus. It was more demanding than even some of the believers expected.

Throughout my time as a pastor and evangelist, I have witnessed “disciples” withdrawing from Jesus and walking with Him no more. Much like the people in this crowd with Jesus, they stopped placing themselves under the teaching of God’s Word. Why? The teaching may have been too difficult or too disturbing to them. They may have been offended by the message of salvation which says eternal life is a free gift that one receives by believing in Christ alone apart from any works or merit of our own (John 4:10-14; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). So they abandon Christ to follow a preacher who says what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Others may drop off because they have not yet believed in Jesus so they don’t have God the Holy Spirit living inside them to give them the capacity to understand and follow Christ’s teaching (cf. John 7:38-39; I Corinthians 2:10-16). Some believers may drop off because God is calling them to a deeper level of commitment and they still want to be in charge of their own lives so they pull away. Only the Lord knows for sure.

Where are you in relation to Jesus Christ? Are you following Him from a distance? Are you intrigued by His claims to be God? Have you noticed how loving and gracious He is with those who seek Him? Do you feel Jesus pulling you closer to Him as you listen to what He has to say? As you listen to Christ, do you find yourself having a difficult time understanding what He means? Do His words offend you? Is He demanding more of you and you do not want to place yourself under His control?

Wherever you find yourself in relation to Jesus Christ, please know that He loves you and He wants to spend time with you. Will you give Jesus a chance? Will you open your heart to what He has to say to you? Jesus loved Judas to the end of his life (John 13:1) even though Judas never believed in Christ for His gift of eternal life (John 6:64, 70-71; cf. 12:4; 13:2, 10-11, 21-30; 17:12; 18:2, 5). Please do not be like Judas and never believe or trust in Christ alone to save you from your sins and give you everlasting life.

We are also reminded by Judas Iscariot’s relationship with Jesus that what determines a person’s eternal destiny is not their works. Judas did many works for Jesus Christ as His disciple (Matthew 10:1ff; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6), but his unbelief toward Jesus condemned him to an eternity in the Lake of Fire (John 3:18; 6:64, 70-71; 13:10-11; 16:7-11; 17:12). The Bible tells us that it is not our works that determine whether we go to heaven or hell (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9), but our response to Jesus Christ. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36).

On Judgment Day there will be many false prophets (Matthew 7:15) who stand before Jesus and appeal to their words (“Lord, Lord”) and to their good works (“prophesied…cast out demons…done many wonders”) that they have done “in His name” for His glory as the basis of their entrance into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-22). And Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23). Why does He say this? Because they had failed to do “the will of the Father in heaven” as it relates to entering the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21b). Jesus said, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40; cf. 3:5, 15-16). Until a person is rightly related to Jesus by believing in Him for everlasting life, all their good works, words, and thoughts are “lawlessness” before a holy God (Matthew 7:23; cf. Isaiah 64:6).

Do you “believe in the Son,” Jesus Christ, for “everlasting life”? If so, then God promises that you now have “everlasting life” and your name is written in the Book of Life so that you will enjoy a home in heaven (John 3:36a; Revelation 21:27). But if you reject Jesus Christ or “do not believe the Son,” you “shall not see life” in heaven, “but the wrath of God abides” on you both now and forever in the Lake of Fire (John 3:36b; Revelation 20:15). It does not matter how many good works you have done for Jesus, if you do not believe in Him alone for His gift of everlasting life, you will still suffer torment forever in the Lake of Fire (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 20:10, 15).

Prayer: Almighty God and Savior, You know my heart better than anyone. You know every thought, feeling, and motive I have ever had. I can hide nothing from You. Although You know everything about me – the good, the bad, and the ugly – You love me and long to be in a personal relationship with me. Thank You for drawing me to Yourself through Your Word and the testimony of other Christians. Lord, please remove anything in my life that would hinder me from following You more closely. I do not want to be like those who abandoned You and walked with You no more because they found Your teaching to be difficult or disturbing. Knowing how much You love me and value me, motivates me to stay close to You. Precious Lord Jesus, please continue to draw those who do not believe in You yet to Yourself. Please send others to model Your grace and truth to them. Thank You my Lord and my God for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Why do some disciples or followers of Jesus abandon Him? Part 2

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

We have come to that point in John’s gospel where the majority of Jesus’s disciples drew back and no longer followed Him (John 6:66). We saw that one reason Christ’s disciples abandon Him is because His teaching is difficult to understand (John 6:60). Today we will discover another reason why some disciples abandon Jesus. It is because HIS TEACHING IS DISTURBING (John 6:61-63).

“⁶¹ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? ⁶² What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?’” (John 6:61-62). “Does this disturb you?” Jesus asks. “Are you disturbed by My claim to have descended from heaven? Would you still be offended if you saw Me ascend to where I was before?”

Christ then says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” (John 6:63a). The word “flesh” (sarx) is key to understanding these verses. Earlier Jesus said, “Whoever eats My flesh … has eternal life.” (John 6:54a). Yet here Jesus says, “the flesh profits nothing” in contrast to “the Spirit who gives life.” A literal eating of Christ’s flesh would not give life. Jesus is using the word “eating” to picture faith. We use figures of speech like this all the time. When we hear a message that is meaningful to us, we say, “I’m really eating that up or drinking that up.” Without the Holy Spirit, a person cannot understand Jesus’s claims and teaching. They cannot understand nor accept that Jesus is God who came down from heaven to give eternal life freely to all who believe in Him.

Jesus continues by saying, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63b). The person who believes Christ’s words gains eternal life because God’s Spirit gives it to them at the moment of faith (cf. John 7:38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5). When Christ says, “the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63a), He may be referring to the fact that our own human efforts can never earn eternal life. This was very offensive to those who thought that their own works could gain them entrance into heaven.

In my years of ministry, I have seen “disciples” drop off. They have stopped placing themselves under the teaching of God’s Word on Sunday mornings, in small groups or discipleship. Why? Perhaps the teaching was too difficult or too disturbing to them. After all, we teach what Jesus taught – that eternal life is an absolutely free gift that is received by believing in Jesus, and some people are offended by that. They want to add to what Jesus has done by teaching that you must do more than believe in Christ for eternal life. So they leave to find a church that teaches a works-salvation rather than a faith alone-salvation.

Are we tempted to abandon Christ when His teaching is too convicting to our way of thinking or living? Are we offended by His grace which offers eternal life freely to all who believe in Him regardless of their past? Are we demanding that we live life on our own terms instead of the Lord Jesus’s terms? We cannot follow Christ as His disciples if we demand to be lord of our own lives instead of Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am often blind to my attempts to be lord of my own life instead of giving You that rightful place in my life. I can so easily justify being in charge of my own life with lies such as – “everyone else is doing it” or “I deserve this in light of how hard I have worked.” Please forgive me for being so arrogant and demanding. My pride is often triggered when I encounter Scriptures that expose my faulty thinking regarding Your grace toward others. Just because the Bible exposes my sinful thought patterns does not make it less valid or true. I need Your Word to expose the blind spots in my life. I need Your Word to analyze my thoughts, words, and actions. So often I analyze Your Word instead of letting it analyze me. Yes, it can be uncomfortable when I place myself under the scrutiny of Your Word, but it is also very necessary. Left to myself, I would be on a path of self-destruction. I need You to challenge me to yield to Your terms for living instead of my own. Thank You for loving me enough to do this. In Your name. Amen.

Why do some followers of Jesus abandon Him? Part 1

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ ” John 6:60

A young man from the city was visiting a dude ranch and wanted to appear as if he was used to the surroundings. So he went out walking with one of the hired hands. Walking through the barnyard, the visitor tried starting a conversation, “Say, look at that big bunch of buffaloes.” The hired hand replied, “Not ‘bunch’ but ‘herd’.” Visitor: “Heard what?” Hired Hand: “Herd of buffaloes.” Visitor: “Sure, I’ve heard of buffaloes. There’s a big bunch of ‘em right over there.” Have you ever had trouble getting your point across like that hired hand?

Jesus Christ did when He was speaking to a multitude of people in John 6. Christ had just concluded His great message on the bread of life in the synagogue at Capernaum on a very offensive note, talking about “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood” (John 6:46-59). Many were disturbed by His words, and John records their reaction.

We now come to that point in John’s gospel where many of Jesus’s disciples drew back and no longer followed Him. This is a turning point in our Lord’s ministry where He confronts the twelve with the question, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). We are going to discover why some followers of Christ abandon the Lord whereas others remain devoted to Him. In John 6:60-66, we see that the majority of disciples in this multitude stop following Christ. Why does this happen? Why do some disciples desert or abandon Jesus? That is, why do some followers of Jesus drop out of sight never to be seen again? Let’s see.

BECAUSE JESUS’S TEACHING IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND (John 6:60). The apostle John writes, “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ ” (John 6:60). “His disciples” refers to the whole multitude, not just the Twelve. The word “disciple”(mathētḗs)means a learner, a pupil, a student, that is, someone who is under the instruction of Jesus. This crowd contained saved and unsaved disciples.

These were people who had been miraculously fed by the Lord the day before and had followed Jesus over to Capernaum (John 6:1-14, 22-25). Jesus had just spoken to them about being the Bread of life who had come down from heaven to give eternal life to those who will believe in Him (John 6:26-59). In John 6:38, 51, 54, 58, Jesus claimed to be God when He said He had come down from heaven (Christmas) to offer eternal life to those who believe in Him. Hence, Christ is the Bread of Life and we are the beggars. Because of our sin, we are starving for eternal life (relationship with God). Christ compared saving faith to eating His flesh and drinking His blood to demonstrate that it is voluntary.

For example, just as you must choose to eat a slice of bread or drink a cup of water, so you must choose to believe in Christ. And as food goes into your body and is digested and becomes a part of the body, so we must appropriate Christ, that is, we must personally trust in Him alone for the free gift of eternal life in order to receive His life. When the Bible says, “this is a hard saying”(John 6:60), the hardness was in their hearts, not in Jesus’ words.

This crowd was not going to pay any attention to what Jesus taught; they did not want to be troubled with difficult teaching. They wanted a leader who would do things for them like Jesus had just done when He multiplied the bread and fish. Instead He required them to believe that He had come down from heaven and to come to Him in faith. He even had the audacity to claim to be greater than Moses! Those who drop out of discipleship are often bothered when difficult teachings are taught. They want touchy feely experiences, not truth! They want entertainment, not expectations.

What about us? When we experience difficulty understanding God’s Word, do we quickly give up and do something else? Or do we turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for His help to understand what is meant in God’s Word? God has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand and apply what is written in the Scriptures (cf. John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:13-14; I John 2:20, 27). The Bible does not make sense to an unbeliever because he or she does not have the Holy Spirit to help him or her understand it (cf. I Corinthians 2:9-14). But a Christian has the Holy Spirit indwelling him or her to understand and apply God’s Word to their lives (cf. John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:13-14; I Corinthians 2:12-16; 6:19-20; I John 2:20, 26).

Take time to get to know God the Holy Spirit. He is not some impersonal force or power. He is just as much a Person as God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit can speak (cf. Acts 8:29; 11:12; 13:2). He does not speak audibly, but He speaks to us through God’s Word giving us insight and promptings.

A real person has the attributes of personality, which include mind, will, and emotions. The Holy Spirit has a mindsince He “searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” (I Corinthians 2:10-11).

The Holy Spirit also has a will. First Corinthians 12:11 says, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” We also see that the Holy Spirit has emotions. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30). Christians can grieve the Holy Spirit when we communicate with one another in hurtful ways. Because the Holy Spirit has a mind, will, and emotions, we know that He is a Person.

A real Person also has the capacity to have relationships with others. That’s the primary reason we have mind, will, and emotions. According to Philippians 2:1, the Spirit is able to have fellowship with us. According to 2 Corinthians 13:14, the Holy Spirit can have communion with us. Someone who is able to commune and to have fellowship is capable of personal relationships. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a Person.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, before I believed in You for everlasting life, the Bible did not make much sense to me. But the moment I received Your gift of everlasting life, You took up residence in my body through Your Spirit. Then the Bible came alive to me as Your Holy Spirit helped me understand and apply the Scriptures to my life. But I must be honest and admit that sometimes I am tempted to stop reading the Bible because it is not always easy to understand. It requires diligent study and reliance on the Holy Spirit to understand and apply Your intended meaning. Thank You that following You is not dependent on my resources and abilities, but on Your enabling grace through the Holy Spirit. It is my responsibility to look to You for guidance, insight, power, and understanding. It is Your responsibility to provide them. Thank You my Lord and my God. In Your name. Amen.

Multiplying followers of Jesus – Part 3

“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” John 6:11

When I hold a basketball in my hands, it is merely a basketball, but when the same ball is in the hands of Michael Jordan, it turns into collegiate and professional championships. Put a golf club in any of our hands, and it is merely a golf club, but when you place that same golf club in the hands of Tiger Woods, it turns him into the best golfer in the world. A paintbrush in my hands results in an average picture if I paint by numbers, but when a paintbrush was placed in the hands of Renoir, it turned into incredible works of art. How is it that the same instruments and the same tools can bring about such differing degrees of results? It all depends upon who is holding them and how they are being used.

In John 6:1-13, we learn what can happen when we place what we have in God’s hands. The Lord Jesus commands His church in Matthew 28:19 to “make disciples of all the nations.” We have learned so far that if the Lord is going to multiply disciplers of His grace and truth, we must admit that we have a need (John 6:1-7) and assess what we already have (John 6:8-10). Today, we will also learn that we must ALLOW GOD TO TAKE WHAT WE HAVE AND MULTIPLY IT (John 6:11-13).

This little boy’s lunch was not much (John 6:9). Five small barley loaves and a couple of sardine-sized fish – about the size of a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Now, I’m sure in a crowd that size someone else had a bigger and better meal. But it was this little boy who admitted his need to give, assessed what he already had, and then offered it to Jesus.

Let’s look at what happens when what we have is placed in Jesus’s hands. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” (John 6:11). Imagine you are among those disciples distributing the food. You start handing it out on the front row. Just a token piece. But at the end of the first row you notice that nothing in your hand has gone away. You still have as much as you started with in your hand. As a matter of fact, it seems to be even larger.

As you get to the second row you are starting to give out bigger pieces. You are getting bolder now because the food in your hand is not decreasing. By the time you get to the third row, you are doing everything you can to get rid of the food and you cannot get rid of it. By the last row you have given away more than you could have carried, but you still have bread and fish in your hands. So you go back to the first row again and start giving everybody all they can eat. Suddenly, you realize that something supernatural is happening – for you can feed as many as you want and still the bread and fish will not go away! All you have to do is give it away to make it stay.

Imagine that Jesus sends you back into this crowd of twenty thousand people and you fill twelve laundry baskets with leftover food! How would you feel? Do you realize that is exactly what happened when Jesus’s disciples gathered the leftovers? “¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13). If you were a disciple, what would you learn about Jesus by gathering up that much bread? He is One Powerful Person – powerful enough to meet everyone’s needs if we would give Him what we have. We can have little and it will remain little as long as we keep it. But if we have little and give it to Jesus — He will multiply it.

This miracle shows us what can happen when we place what we have in God’s hands. Young people, you may think, “I’m too young, there’s nothing God can do with me.” That is not true. What do you have that you can give to Jesus so He can meet the needs of others? Your time? Your talents? Your cell phone!?! God can even use you to introduce Jesus to people who do not know Him. Nor can you adults say, “Well I don’t have anything to offer,” or “What I’ve got isn’t very much.” Nonsense! This boy had a happy meal… a small lunch… five barley loaves and two sardines. That is not even potluck material at our home church, yet he was willing to place it in the hands of Jesus. He said, “Here, Lord, take it and use it.”

God does not expect you to solve all the problems in your church or in your life. But He does expect you to place yourself in His hands, and leave the rest up to Him. It is like the Greyhound bus motto, “Leave the driving to us.” Place it in God’s hands and let Him take care of the rest. Twenty thousand people went home that day challenged, renewed, and refreshed in part because of the faithfulness of one child. I want you to think about this — how many people will be fed, clothed, loved, encouraged, introduced to Jesus Christ, and discipled in your city or town and beyond because of your faithfulness to give Christ what you have?Sometimes all God wants is for you to be willing. Will you give what you have to Jesus?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, this is such a powerful reminder of what You can do with what we have if we will simply place it in Your hands! Some of us may think or feel that we have nothing to offer You to meet the needs of others. But if you can use a little boy’s lunch to feed thousands of people, you can use whatever we have to meet the needs of people around the world. Lord, I know I have blind spots in my life. If there is something that I have that You want to use to spread Your gospel message around the world and disciple those who believe in You, please show me so I can hand it over to You to multiply followers of You for Your glory! In Jesus’s matchless name I pray. Amen.

Multiplying followers of Jesus – Part 2

^“8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’” John 6:8-9

If the Lord is going to multiply disciplers of His grace and truth (Matthew 28:19-20; John 1:14), we must also ASSESS WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE (John 6:8-10). “⁸One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’” (John 6:8-9). Think about it, there were five thousand hungry men on that grassy meadow near the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1, 10). But that is just the men. There were also women and children there (cf. Matthew 14:21). Let’s say there were also five thousand women and ten thousand children there, too. That is twenty thousand people! How much would it cost to feed twenty thousand people?

I checked with McDonalds near where we live and it is $3.49 per person for a Hamburger Happy Meal. To feed twenty thousand people this Happy Meal, it would cost a grand total of $69,800.

But not everyone likes McDonalds, so I checked with Mullets Restaurant near the river. I figured a Wild West Burger with a soda is $14.58 per person. So for twenty thousand people that would be a grand total of $291,600!

Come on now. This is Father’s Day! No burgers for Dad. Jesus is taking everyone to the Outback Steakhouse in the northern part of our city where people go to eat their delicious 8 ounce Victoria’s Filet Mignon Steak with Grilled Shrimp and a Bloomin’ Onion for $42.27 per person! The grand total is $845,400! Where were the disciples going to come up with $845,400!?!

They probably gathered around and pooled all the money they had. Peter had fifty cents, Andrew another seventy-five cents. They were near Phillip’s hometown so he had a cousin in the crowd. He borrowed five dollars from him. When they totaled it all up, they had $8.53, two sandals, and one cell phone. They knew they couldn’t feed twenty thousand people with $8.53, two sandals, and one cell phone.

While the disciples put all their money together to see what they could do, one little boy said, “Hey! I’ve got my lunch here!” While everyone else is thinking this situation is hopeless, this little boy was thinking, “Here, take this. See what Jesus can do with what I have.” Jesus wants to use every Christian in ministry, including you.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.” (John 6:10). This may have been an interesting command to the disciples. “Sit down to eat? Eat what?” the disciples must have been thinking. “We are not going to get very far on this boy’s lunch.” But Jesus has the solution.

Do you realize that your church has every resource you need, to do what God wants you to do right now! Do you believe that? Those resources have already been divided up among each of you. He has given some of it to you… and to you… and to you… and to you. That is why we all need to step back, every now and then, and take an inventory of the resources God has given us and then step forward to do our part.

I don’t know all of you who read these articles, but I would guess some of you are leaders… speakers… handymen or women… organizers… counselors… encouragers… some of you are great at working with children… teenagers… young marrieds… mid-lifers… and seniors. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has gifted you to do your part in carrying on His work here on earth. As believers, we need each other to step up and do our part (cf. I Corinthians 12:1-31). So first, admit you have a need (John 6:1-7) and assess what you already have (John 6:8-10).

When Andrew and the other disciples assessed what they already had, including the boy’s lunch, they knew that their resources alone were not enough. This assessment prompted them to look to Jesus for the solution. Will we do the same when we realize that what we have is not enough to satisfy the needs of all the people around us? It does not matter how gifted and talented we are, we cannot meet the deepest needs of people. Only Jesus can do that. Will we step up and do our part by bringing their needs to Him in prayer?

Prayer: Precious Lord Jesus, every day I see or hear evidence of how broken and wounded people in the world are, including me and those closest to me. As much as I would like to fix all the anger, division, and pain that people are facing, I am not capable of such a task. Because at the root of all this chaos and confusion in the world is a deeper problem that only You can solve. Only You can transform and heal our wounded and wicked hearts. Human governments, activists, and healthcare workers cannot perform this kind of surgery on the human heart. But You my Lord and my God can and You will when we implement Your discipleship process in our lost and broken communities. Right now my Lord, I ask You to heal the brokenness in me that has wounded so many other people in the past. Please show me how I can be a channel of Your healing grace and mercy to others who are reeling in anger and pain. Lead me to those who are prepared to hear and believe Your gospel message, and then be taught to follow You as Your disciple. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Multiplying followers of Jesus – Part 1

“Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’ ” John 6:7

The Lord Jesus commands His church in Matthew 28:19 to “Make disciples of all the nations.” We are to multiply disciples of Jesus’s grace and truth whereby believers lead others to Christ and then train them to do the same. Instead of going overseas, we can now go across the street to reach other nations. We are going look at three principles of multiplication in John 6:1-13. If the Lord is going to multiply disciplers of His grace and truth, we must first…

ADMIT THAT WE HAVE A NEED (John 6:1-7). I have been watching people for a few years now, and I’ve discovered that there are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who have no idea what is happening! Which person do you tend to be? All three types of people were in the crowd that day listening to Jesus. The scene is a grassy meadow near the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee. “After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.” (John 6:1). Six months after the events of chapter five when Jesus healed the lame man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders sought to kill Christ, Jesus retreats to get some rest and recharge His emotional and physical batteries.

After finding a place to rest, Jesus looks up and sees that the crowds have followed Him. “² Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. ³ And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. ⁴Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.” (John 6:2-4). John tells us there were “about five thousand” men there (John 6:10b). Matthew 14:21 says there were also “women and children” present.

Jesus turns to Philip, because this is Philip’s old stomping grounds – “⁵ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” (John 6:5-6). Christ had been training His disciples for about two years now to carry on His work. It was now time for a mid-term examination! Our Lord wanted to test Philip to see if he had learned anything from the previous miracles Jesus had performed.

“Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’ ” (John 6:7). Philip is the analytical type. He gets out his calculator, makes a few quick calculations and says, “Lord, don’t you understand that it would take more than six months of wages to buy bread for all these people?” According to his analytical mind the situation is hopeless. Phillip had obviously forgotten who was with them! This is the One who had the power to turn water into wine and heal the lame. He’s standing right there in front of them in their hour of need, and Philip is looking over Jesus’s shoulder for Colonel Sanders or Ronald McDonald.

God forgive us for the Philip in all of us! How many times do we look at impossible situations and try to work them out with our own resources!?! Maybe the stack of bills at home keeps growing and growing and you have no way of paying them off. Perhaps you are waiting to hear from the doctor’s office to learn about some test results. Maybe you feel stuck in a relationship. Or you have frustration about your job – or not having a job. Where will you cast your gaze when you face these types of difficulties?

What about the challenges you face in your life? God wants you to boldly share the gospel with the unreached people in your life and beyond so that hundreds or even thousands will trust in Christ alone for the free gift of eternal life. Then you will need disciplers to train those new believers and you will need resources to do all of this. Will you look to your pastor or other church leaders or your family and expect them to supply these needs? Or will you look to Jesus who is right here with you to provide what you need? Multiplication starts when we admit to Christ that we have a need.

When Philip shared his analysis of the situation with the Lord, what kind of look do you think Jesus gave to him? I can picture the Lord Jesus smiling at Philip, as if to say, “Philip, I am about to show You something that you will probably want to sit down to behold. I think you will be more than pleased with the outcome.” A verse that comes to my mind as I picture the look on Jesus’s face is Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” If the Lord can create the universe with His great power and outstretched arm, surely feeding several thousand people will not be too hard for Him! And certainly whatever we are facing will not be beyond His power to provide. The key is to admit our need and believe that He is able.

Prayer: Lord, this has been a harder day for me. I have so many feelings bouncing around inside of me. Thank You for reminding me that You are with me and You are very much aware of how I am feeling and what I am facing. Instead of trying harder to deal with difficulties in my life or turning to someone or something else to help me, I want to hand all my burdens over to You. You promise to supply all my needs and I am ready to trust You to do that. I am so grateful that I do not have to face life alone. You are with me to strengthen me and to help me; to uphold me with Your righteous right hand. Thank You for enabling me to see my circumstances more from Your perspective rather than from my own limited point of view. Please provide what is needed to see more people exposed to Your gospel message and trained in discipleship. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

What do new Christians need the most from you?

“After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.” John 3:22

“After these things” points back to Jesus’ conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus whereby He stressed to Nicodemus that the only way to be born again and enter the kingdom of God was to believe in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:1-18). These verses are stressing the importance of evangelism whereby we share the pure and simple gospel with non-Christians like Jesus did with Nicodemus.

In John 3:22, Jesus begins to develop new believers into “disciples” or devoted followers of Him. Once a person believes in Christ to get to heaven he is then initiated into the discipleship process through water baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15). Look at the phrase, “Remained with them.” This was an unhurried period of time that Jesus had with these new believers. They are getting to know each other. Being the Lord’s disciple meant you were with Him. You spent time with Him.

New birth or getting to heaven is by faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:5-18), but discipleship involves water baptism and instruction (John 3:22; cf. Matthew 29:19b-20). I believe Jesus wants to expand His Church all around the world through discipleship whereby older Christians meet with younger Christians one on one or in small groups to reproduce devoted followers of Christ. This is part of God’s plan for increasing Jesus’ popularity (cf. Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

It is important to understand that new Christians need You more than they need your materials. They need to spend time with you and learn from you about how to talk to God in prayer and how to study and apply the Bible to their lives. A new believer needs a more experienced Christian to show him how to share the gospel of Christ with another unsaved person. He needs guidance on how to love his wife and nurture his children in the faith. More and more new believers are broken and struggling with anger or depression and they need a mature believer to show them how to process their emotions in healthy ways.

When a couple has a newborn baby, they do not expect that baby to take care of itself. Nor should we expect a newborn Christian to know how to grow spiritually. Like a newborn baby in need of parental care and guidance, so a newborn Christian needs an older Christian to teach him how to follow Jesus and grow to be more like Him. He needs to know how important it is to spend time with Christ and sit at His feet to receive His Word.

If you are an older Christian, are you meeting with a younger believer to disciple him or her? Or if you are a new believer, are you meeting with an older Christian to teach you how to follow Jesus? If not, what will you do with Jesus’ command to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19)? The world will be a much better place to live if more Christians would obey Christ’s command to make disciples. If you are not doing that yet, it isn’t too late. You can begin now by asking the Lord whom He wants you to spend time with in a discipleship relationship. He loves to answer that prayer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am thrilled to meet daily with You to talk to You in prayer and to listen to You speak to me as I read and study the Bible. Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to guide and teach me through Your Word. Lord, I want You to use me to increase Your popularity on earth through the discipleship process. Please show me whom You would like me to spend time with in a discipleship relationship. Prepare me and that person or persons for this journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How can I be Jesus’ friend?

“²³Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” John 2:23-24

During the week-long feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus did many miracles. As a result, many people believed in Christ for eternal life. “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.” (John 2:23). Some argue that these people were not truly saved because their faith was based on miraculous signs and because Jesus did not entrust Himself to them as we shall see in a moment. However, the reasons for understanding that these people are genuinely saved are as follows:

The phrase “believed in His name” is always used of people trusting Jesus to get them to heaven in John’s writings. This phrase “believed in His name” in John 2:23 is used in John 1:12-13 to refer to saving faith. Those verses prepare the reader to understand John 2:23 in the same way. Grounds for condemnation are based on the fact that one has not “believed in the name” of the Son of God (John 3:18). In John 20:31, a believer may have life “in His name.” Thus, there is nothing in John’s usage of “believe in the name”to suggest that the faith in John 2:23 is not saving faith.
The “believe in” (pisteuō eis) construction is a common Johannine expression for saving faith (John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 4:39; 6:29, 35, 40, 47; 7:5, 31, 38, 39, 48; 8:30; 9:35, 36; 11:25-26, 48; 12:11, 37, 42, 44, 46; cf. I John 5:13). Nothing in John 2:23 suggests a different understanding.
Nothing in the gospel of John suggests that belief based on Christ’s miracles is unsaving. Jesus even taught unbelievers to believe in Him because of the works or miraculous signs He did (John 10:38; 14:11). John finds fault with those who fail to believe in Christ after observing His miracles (John 12:37). John recorded Jesus’ miraculous signs to elicit saving faith in the Person of Christ (John 20:31). The miracles Jesus did in John 2:23 fulfilled the very purpose for which they were recorded. However, it is true that a saving faith based on visible miraculous signs is not as noble as a saving faith based on God’s Word (cf. John 20:28-29; cf. 4:1-53)

“But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” (John 2:24). Since these people are saved, then what does it mean when Jesus refused to “commit Himself” or “entrust Himself” to these new believers? Keep in mind that although the main theme of the gospel of John is how to get to heaven, a sub-theme is discipleship or intimacy with Christ. Jesus entrusts Himself to new believers who are ready to be His friends. For Christ to disclose more of Himself to a believer, the believer must be trustworthy and obey Him. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21). Christ “manifests” or discloses more of Himself to the believer who “has…and keeps” His commandments.

Friendship with Christ is conditioned upon obeying Him. “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:14). This friendship refers to Jesus disclosing His thoughts to those who obey Him. Thus, Jesus’ friends are those to whom He entrusts Himself.

Notice that the word “commit” in verse 24 is in the imperfect tense. This particular tense speaks only about action in the past, so it leaves open to question what Jesus might do at a later point in time. Hence, Christ could entrust Himself to these believers later should they obey Him.

When the word “commit” is used in the passive sense (“entrust”) in the New Testament, its objects are: riches (Luke 16:11), Christ (John 2:24), oracles of God (Romans 3:2), stewardship (I Corinthians 9:17), the gospel (I Thessalonians 2:4; Galatians 2;7; I Timothy 1:11), and the preaching of the Word (Titus 1:3). None of these instances suggest a salvation context. These passages suggest that the person receiving the object is regarded as trustworthy. The object is being committed to them in confidence. It follows that Christ refused to commit Himself to those who had believed (John 2:23-24) because He had little confidence in them at this time to be His friends, that is, to obey Him even to the point of publicly confessing Him (John 15:14-17; 12:42-43).

Therefore, the issue is not whether these people are saved or not, the issue for these new believers is whether they are trustworthy. Intimate fellowship with Christ requires obedience to Him. How did Jesus know whether to entrust Himself to these new believers? Look in verse 25.

“And had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:25). Jesus refused to have fellowship with these new believers because He supernaturally knew that their hearts were not ready for intimacy with Him; that is, they were not ready to obey Him yet. They were not ready for a close friendship with Christ.

Part of obeying Christ may involve publicly confessing our faith in Him before others like at work or school. It is possible to have a saving faith alongside a reluctance to express that faith publicly. Thus, these verses introduce the theme of “secret believers” who are genuinely saved, but they are afraid to express their faith openly due to the threat of persecution (cf. John 19:38).

For example, many of the ruling Pharisees had saving faith but were afraid to express that faith to others: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:42-43).

Zane Hodges makes an astute observation when he writes that, “Later in the gospel of John ‘Jesus ‘commits Himself’ very extensively to the men who had accompanied Him to that point in His ministry. He ‘discloses’ Himself in a very intimate way to them….But Nicodemus (whom we shall meet shortly) was not with His disciples in the Upper Room. Why he was not there becomes gradually obvious as the Fourth gospel unfolds. As a result, on the pages of John’s gospel, Nicodemus stands as the prototype of a believer who is hindered from intimacy with Jesus Christ by competing interests.” (see Zane Hodges, Faith in His Name [2015], p. 51. See also, Keith Vande Vred, “A Contrast Between Nicodemus and John the Baptist in the Gospel of John,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (Dec 2014): 715-726). Nicodemus is an example of a “secret believer”(cf. John 19:38) who initially came to Jesus “by night” (John 3:2) or secretly and got saved, but was reluctant to express his faith until later in his Christian life (cf. John 3:1-21; 7:45-52; 19:38-42).

Some of us don’t know Jesus any better today than the day we became a Christian. For some of us that may have been years ago. But Christ will not disclose Himself to us if we are not willing to go on and obey Him. Jesus refuses fellowship with Christians who are not ready to obey Him.

For any relationship to grow deeper, there must be mutual trust. I’m not going to be transparent with you until I develop a certain level of trust with you. Likewise, you’re not going to be transparent with me until you have cultivated more trust in our relationship. The same is true of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus knows our hearts. And He knows if we are ready to obey Him and grow deeper in our relationship with Him or not.

If you have been under the weight of religion (man-made rules), and you are weary – you feel like giving up on God – please know that Jesus fights for you to get you out from under that system, and He wants to heal your hurts. He wants to lighten your load (John 2:12-17).

Jesus also wants His disciples (followers) to take sin seriously in their lives (John 2:18-22). He wants us to trust Him to cleanse our lives of all sin and corruption. He wants us to rely on His resurrection power to help us say “No” to sin and “Yes” to the Savior. Once we begin a relationship with Jesus by believing in Him for eternal life, Jesus wants to reveal more of Himself to us and get closer to us. But for Him to do this, we must be willing to obey Him. We must be willing to surrender control of our lives to Him and let Him start directing our lives. Some of us need to come out of denial and admit that we are addicted to running our own lives. Friends, things are not going to get any better until we give up on ourselves and give in to Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the free gift of everlasting life which is received simply by believing in You alone. But to be Your friend and have intimate fellowship with You, I must be willing to obey Your commands. Lord, You know my heart better than anyone, including myself. You know that I like to be in control because I feel so vulnerable when I am not. Because I long to know You more intimately, I want to surrender all control to You. Right now, I voluntarily surrender everything to You my Lord and my God. By Your grace, Lord Jesus, please enable me to walk in obedience to You. Thank You for disclosing more of Yourself to me as I live for You. Although I sin every day, Your shed blood on the cross makes it possible for me to enjoy close fellowship with You the moment I confess my sins to You (I John 1:7, 9). Thank You for Your cleansing truth and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How can I restore my joy?

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’” John 2:5

We learned in John 2:1-3 that releasing our problems to Jesus can restore our joy. Another way to restore our joy is seen in the next few verses.

While Jesus and His disciples attended a wedding banquet in Cana of Galilee, the unthinkable happened – the hosts ran out of wine (John 2:1-3). To the Jews, wine symbolized joy. Running out of wine at a wedding banquet in the first century was so serious that lawsuits could be brought against you by the offended guests. The presence of wine stated that this was a special day and that all the guests were special guests.

Jesus’ mother informed Christ of the problem and He let her know that she was no longer in control (John 2:4). He was no longer under obligation to do what she wanted when she wanted it. He was now obligated to fully obey His heavenly Father not His earthly mother.

Inviting Jesus to the wedding banquet made it possible for the supply of joy to be renewed and refreshed. But the simple fact that Jesus was there did not bring the joy. It did not replenish the wine. To have your joy restored, you must be willing to do whatever Jesus tells you to do.

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’” (John 2:5). At that moment, Jesus ceased to be a guest and became the One who was in control of the whole wedding. And at that moment, a miracle began to happen. It is easy for us to be willing to have Jesus as a guest in our lives, but are we willing to turn over the controls and “do whatever Jesus tells” us to do? Only then will we see Christ do miracles in our lives.

I greatly admire Mary because she is the mother of the Messiah. For those of us who respect her, it is important to listen to what she told the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

What does Jesus say to do to have everlasting life? He says, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Have you made this decision to believe or trust in Christ alone to give you never-ending life? The moment you do, Christ gives you everlasting life and He comes to live inside of you through His Holy Spirit (cf. 7:37-39) so that His joy can fill your life to the brim!

“Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.” (John 2:6). The Jews would use the water in these stone water pots for purification. They would come to the pots and let water run over their hands. It wasn’t a matter of sanitation but of ceremony. It did nothing to clean them physically or to wash them spiritually. It was simply an outward show.

An outward show, then or now, has never been able to produce joy. Simply coming to church and going through the motions will not produce joy in your life. They will put you in the place where you can find joy and put you around the people who will help to enhance your joy. But if you hear God’s Word without doing His Word, you will become even more miserable than you were to begin with. If we say the prayers but refuse to listen to God’s Spirit as He speaks to us, then our prayers will only produce emotional and spiritual conflict in us. If we read the Bible with no intention of obeying it, then we will only provoke guilt within ourselves.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.” (John 2:7). The servants heard Jesus speak, and they responded in obedience. They began the process of filling the stone jars with water. Each of these jars held between 20 and 30 gallons of water, and there were six jars. That’s up to 180 gallons of water. It would have taken a lot of time and energy to accomplish this task. Trip after trip to the well to draw water and pour it into the jars. And we don’t know how far it was to the well. It would have been tempting to do a half-hearted job. After all, Jesus only said to “fill” the jars with water. He didn’t say how far to fill them. And “fill” is a word that can be interpreted in many ways depending on how hot it is and how late in the workday it is. Anything over half way is full, isn’t it? That’s what potato chip companies seem to think. But these men didn’t think so. When Jesus told them to fill the jars, they took Jesus’ words quite literally, and they filled them all the way “to the brim,” just shy of overflowing. This was more than enough to meet the need that this newly married couple had encountered.

Do we want God’s joy in our lives? (Pause) To receive that joy, we might even be willing to be obedient to God – to a certain extent, right? But are we willing for our obedience to reach all the way to the brim even when the obedience that Jesus asks for doesn’t make sense to us? Or when it requires more work than we had originally intended on giving? Or when it forces us to rearrange our priorities and our schedules like these servants had to do? You see, the amount of joy that we experience is in direct proportion to the amount of obedience that we give. The greater our obedience, the greater our supply of joy will be. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love… These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:10-11). When Jesus tells you to do something, never do it halfway because Jesus wants to give you joy to the full.

I don’t know where the brim is for you, but I know that to get there, you must do whatever He tells you to do even when it doesn’t make sense. Even when it is inconvenient or painful. It will require hard work. It won’t be easy. You must ask yourself, “How badly do I want the joy that God has to offer?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I have treated You like a guest in my life, instead of the Lord of my life. You make it clear that wholehearted obedience to You will give us joy to the full. How easy it is for me to go through the motions without giving You my heart. Lord Jesus, You do nothing halfway and nor should I. The more I know You and what You have done for me, the more I want to serve You as a way of saying “thank You,” even if it does not make sense to me. Please take all that I have, including my obedience, and use it for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.