Good morning, everyone.
If you're a visitor, an outline of what I'll be saying is on the bag of a sheet you got handed when you came in the door this morning.
So it might help you.
If you're a visitor, it might help you understand my accent.
So in the psychology of human behavior, there's a term called denialism, or it's a process of constantly denying.
And it reflects just that.
It's a choice, a person's choice to deny reality.
It's a powerful tool people use to protect against ideas that challenge us deeply or even to avoid an uncomfortable truth.
So at a very small level, we use it regularly in relationships.
I don't know if you're like me, you find yourself attempting to defend some indefensible behavior.
Some indefensible statement.
Something you know deep down was just wrong.
But we find ourselves in denialism.
Trying to avoid, the aim of that is to avoid the awkward, painful truth.
We've just messed up really badly.
But denialism is right through society.
It happens at bigger pictures.
So denialism we often find associated with self-interest.
So for example, those who are climate change denialists are often those directly connected to the coal, gas, or timber industries.
And so you can see that denialism is driven by perhaps a fear of losing money or power.
Denialism at a big picture is also driven by issues of personal validation and identity.
So at a big picture level, those who deny the Holocaust are often ultra-right-wing neo-Nazi types.
It would threaten their whole reason for existence.
Or again, closer to home, research shows this sort of thing for men.
The research shows that men apparently don't change lines when they're in the supermarket waiting for the checkout.
They'll observe one line perhaps going faster than their line, but they'll not change.
Whereas women will apparently.
Why not?
Well, it's denialism.
Because men in changing lines would have to admit to themselves they'd pick the wrong line to start with.
It's a funny example, but it's denialism.
How powerful it can be.
Friends, I want to use that word to move us into the passage this morning.
Denialism is a common response to Jesus.
And we see that very much in this passage before this morning.
So we're opening at chapter 6, verse 6 to 71.
Let me recap the last three weeks.
We've been working on this chapter 6 for three weeks now.
Four weeks, actually.
And back at the start, in the miracle of the feeding, Jesus demonstrates clearly his ability to provide, provide miraculously for the physical needs of his people by feeding a crowd in excess of 5,000 from a little boy's lunchbox.
In response, the people love the immediate practical benefits that they can see coming from Jesus as a result of that miracle.
And they're convinced that he's the great deliverer they had been waiting for.
The new Moses who would implement their agenda for salvation.
Who would free them from the Romans and establish Israel once again as the dominant nation in the world.
But Jesus pushes them to think in deeper spiritual categories of the heart.
He pushes them to understand that in their innermost being, they have a hunger, a deep spiritual hunger for life and satisfaction that only he can satisfy.
And that he will satisfy as they come to him, as they see him like the essential ingredient of life, like bread and water.
And as they come and feed on him with an urgency and a passion and a confidence.
He says to them, look, I'm far, far better than physical manna.
You look to physical manna, he says to the Jews, you look to physical manna as the gold standard of God's provision for his people.
Well, let me tell you, I'm far, far better than anything manna could offer you.
I'll give you better satisfaction.
I'll give you salvation that lasts.
I'll give you life eternal.
I'm God's gift of bread from heaven, says Jesus.
Sent to give real, spiritual, satisfied, eternal life.
Now, when we hear that sort of stuff, we think, what's not to like about that?
What's not to like about what Jesus offers?
Satisfaction of deep hunger and thirst, which we all know is there.
It drives us to cravings of all sorts as we seek to satisfy it.
What's not to like about a guarantee of life and everlasting, never ending?
What's not to like about the promise of intimate, guilt-free relationship with God?
Which in our innermost being we sense we're meant to enjoy.
What's not to like about that?
Who wouldn't want this from Jesus?
Well, lots, apparently.
The actual response in verse 60 through to 71?
Large numbers hear all of that and walk away from Jesus.
Large numbers walk away from Jesus.
And the context is important here.
These verses actually represent the end of Jesus' public ministry in Galilee.
And guess what?
But it ends in hostility and rejection, as did his ministry in Judea,
if you track back to the end of chapter 3 and chapter 4.
But there's something different about this rejection.
It's much more personally confronting.
Because this rejection comes after an extended period of very clear teaching and offer by Jesus.
And it comes from those, verse 60, those who are called disciples.
And I take it that means a reference to those in the group who apparently had actually given up their jobs,
full of such excitement and anticipation of Jesus' deliverer and saviour and king,
and what he was going to do with them and for them.
They'd given up their jobs and they were actually following him around for a period of time.
Now, they come to a conclusion about Jesus that makes them pack up their swags and go back home.
Mass defection came from where?
Well, it came from excitement, giving way to outrage.
If you look at verse 60 and 61.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, this is a hard.
The word there is actually outrageous or offensive.
It's a very, very strong word.
This is outrageously offensive.
So much so, it says, not that we can accept it, but who can even listen to it?
It's the picture of them closing their ears, covering their ears, saying, this is so outrageously offensive to us.
We can't even bear to listen to the guy anymore, let alone respond to him positively.
And so the grumbling, as mentioned there in verse 61.
We saw that last week and talked about it a fair bit last week.
The grumbling, that sort of simmering, gut-dwelling hostility, now erupts.
Overflows into outrage and offence at both Jesus and his teaching.
Jesus' response, verse 62.
Seems not the way to win friends and influence people.
He hasn't obviously been to the right courses.
What does Jesus do?
He promises them more offence.
Think that offends you?
Well, says Jesus, listen up.
Look out for what's ahead.
Now, it's not exactly clear what verse 62 refers to, except that it's the source of even greater offence.
Most likely, I think it's a reference to his approaching death, resurrection, and ascension,
because that's the pathway to him being king and savior.
And that was even more offensive to the Jews, that Messiah should actually be killed.
And so, verse 66.
After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
They became so angry, so disillusioned, so disappointed with what they had heard from the lips of Jesus,
given what they expected to hear from the lips of Jesus,
that they just said, this is rubbish.
We're out of here.
So the decision to walk away from Jesus, as we've seen right through each week as we've been looking at chapter 6,
is a very knowing decision.
And Jesus identifies the trip point for their outrage and exposes it in verse 63.
It is the spirit who gives life, says Jesus.
The flesh or human agency or human means, human ability, is of no avail.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some among you who do not believe.
And so, the cause of walking away from Jesus, when you drill down through the outrage,
is laid open before them.
There's no wriggle room.
Yes, they're walking away from Jesus,
but Jesus wants them to understand why they're walking away from him.
It's a clash of agendas.
I talked about that last week and the week before.
So the crowd were happy to accept Jesus as God's Savior and King,
as long as he worked to their agenda,
what God's Savior and King would look like and what he would do.
But when they realized that Jesus was pushing a very different agenda
for him as God's Savior and King,
they became outraged.
This isn't what we signed up for.
This is nonsense.
So they walked away.
And let me spell out again, as I've done in previous weeks.
See, it comes down to this.
According to Jesus,
salvation or acceptance with God,
relationship with him and enjoyment of the good life forever,
is not an outside-in practice,
as the Jews believed it to be.
On the contrary, says Jesus,
salvation is an inside-out work of God's Spirit.
And it's inseparably tied
to believing and accepting the words of Jesus.
And so the two agendas part company.
It was not, says Jesus,
salvation was not, says Jesus,
an entitlement that came to them because they were God's special people.
It was not a process they could apply and control and work towards
using their own physical resources.
On the contrary, says Jesus,
it was a spiritual gift,
something he would give them,
something that they could not and would not and did not merit for themselves.
It was grace,
not performance.
And so the agendas part company.
And God would not happily accept them,
says Jesus,
on the basis of your religious actions,
sacrifices and prayers and tithing and keeping the law of Moses,
observing religious festivals and celebrations.
No, says Jesus,
God will only accept you on the basis of my merit,
which he identifies earlier as his death,
foreshadows earlier as his death,
for forgiveness and God's work of the spirit renewing them.
And so the agendas part company.
And the agendas part company
to such an extent that explains
self-satisfied rejection of Jesus.
He says,
your deep spiritual hunger will only be satisfied through feeding on me.
their denialism
was a choice
to continue their own pathway
to satisfy their spiritual hunger.
It was a clash of agendas.
Now notice here
that at no point does it suggest
they were giving up their commitment to God.
They continued to be very religious people.
But it was religion
and commitment to God
in their terms,
on their agenda.
With God's agenda
through Jesus rejected.
And friends,
the scandal of Jesus,
the scandal of the gospel
is still causing outrage.
We see it.
We see it weekly.
People continue to come to Jesus
with a tremendous anticipation
and excitement about life.
only to walk away again
so often
when they actually start
to comprehend
what it is that Jesus is offering
and that it's significantly different
to what they think
Jesus is going to give them.
And their denialism cuts in.
They opt for
their self-satisfied
rejection of Jesus
and their pursuit
of satisfying of their own hunger
in different ways.
And so denialism means
that people still choose
the deeply ingrained,
the comfortable pathway of religion.
We see that everywhere.
We even see it
in church communities like this.
And it's driven
by self-righteousness.
It's driven by
self-salvation strategies
because it's a determination
to keep salvation in control,
in our control,
in our own hands.
Tim Keller says
that if you're a religious person,
then he says
you're so full of pride,
this is a very,
very powerful statement
if you're a religious person,
you're so full of pride,
which is self-righteousness,
that you will do the right thing
before God
so that you actually
don't need God.
So you're not in any sense
indebted to God.
what he means by that is
that relationship with God
is worked in such a way
that it's not about
the need for mercy
and the need for forgiveness.
It's not about the gift
of new life by the Spirit
and a thankful response
to all of that.
No, it's a contract.
God, I have done
this for you
and I need you to understand
what I've done for you
so that in turn, God,
you will do this for me.
It's a contract.
It doesn't actually need
relationship with God.
It doesn't have
an urgent dependency.
It's almost an agreement
between equals.
Self-righteousness thrives
on denialism
because when we do good,
we feel good
and the denialism is there
because every day,
even though we're doing good,
we know jolly well
that we cannot consistently
meet our own standard
of goodness.
And so,
in reality,
we're actually secretly
crushed
by a sense of failure,
a sense of fear,
a sense of guilt.
I haven't quite got it
good enough
to be in relationship
with God
and yet our denialism,
our self-righteousness,
will actually override that.
And we continue to ride
the roller coaster
of despair.
Then go to Jesus
for true freedom,
true security,
true satisfaction,
true life.
You know as well
as I do
the drive within us.
Keller says
self-righteousness,
pride,
the drive within us
to have religious actions
that we can bring
before God,
convinced
because of them
that we'll be more
loved by God,
more accepted
by Him.
You know what we
trot out.
I believed.
I was baptized.
I'm a big fan
of taking Lord's Supper.
I read my Bible
every day.
I pray regularly.
I go to church
every week.
I'm engaged
in evangelism.
I'm a church member
and so on and so on.
But this is
spiritual pride
rising up
and imposing
our physical
salvation categories
of self-gratification
and happiness.
and at different
points we see
those coming out,
don't we?
That we impose
our categories
of salvation
on the expectation
that salvation
means health
and wealth,
success
and relationships,
having lots of
things and being
happy.
It's the
contractual thing.
We've done this
for you, Lord,
and we expect you
to do this for us.
We expect you
to do this for us.
So denialism
is alive and well
among us
because deep down
we have the sense
that those things
just won't cut it
with God
because God's
standard of holiness
is just way beyond
those things.
but we ride
the roller coaster.
That's pretty
confronting stuff,
isn't it?
Well, friends,
let me tell you
equally confronting
is the challenge
of throwing yourself
on Jesus.
It's a different
sort of confronting
but equally confronting
and that's what
the disciples
were challenged
to do by Jesus
or as a result
of being challenged
by Jesus.
Verse 67,
you think
when all this
has gone through
you think
we're reading this
we're not even
part of it.
Our minds
are still
reeling that
people would
walk away
from Jesus
and what do we
get?
Verse 67
said to the 12
as it were
if you want
the last
of the last
but what
are you blokes?
Do you want
to go away too?
Simon Peter
answered
Lord
to whom
would we go?
To whom
would we go?
Because you
have the words
of eternal life.
Peter
speaks to the 12
and there's
something confronting
but something
comforting about
these words
because immediately
they see that
while a majority
may walk away
others believe
precisely as
Jesus said
it would be.
they too
had made
a personal
life defining
decision
like everybody
else in the crowd
had made.
They too
had decided
on the same
evidence
they had decided
based on the
same teaching
as others
who had
defected
but their
life defining
decision was
belief
to move
towards Jesus
to throw
themselves
on Jesus
to whom
shall we
go?
Jesus
we recognize
you are
God
is effectively
what Peter
is saying
uniquely
holy
and to be
honored
as Lord
and Savior
we believe
and come to
know that you
are the
holy one
of God
Jesus
we understand
and are
confident
that you
alone
are the
source
of true
life
as you
said
you
are
having
seen
and heard
and been
taught
by Jesus
for Peter
speaking
with half
of these
twelve
walking away
was unthinkable
walking away
would be
to commit
spiritual
suicide
now notice
Peter's
awareness
of how
he came
to this
conclusion
about
Jesus
Simon
Peter
answered him
Lord
to whom
shall we
go
you have
the words
of eternal
life
notice
verse
six
nine
we have
believed
and have
come to
know
does that
strike you
as unusual
sort of
back to
front
the way
our
modern
scientific
world
would
push
you
the
believing
comes
before
the
knowing
it
started
with
believing
the process
of
coming
to
the
conclusion
started
with
believing
as their
eyes
actually
observed
Jesus
doing
miraculous
things
which
they
knew
that
only
God
could
do
making
wine
from
water
healing
a
child
who
was
as
good
as
dead
without
even
seeing
the
child
giving
instant
mobility
to
a
paraplegic
of
38
years
feeding
a crowd
of over
5,000
from a
children's
lunchbox
these
were
things
that their
eyes
saw
and their
brains
told them
only
God
could
do
to
believe
the
starting
point
my
friends
for
certainty
and
spiritual
things
in the
matter
of life
and
salvation
is not
outrage
and
denial
but
believing
why
because
the
evidence
and the
words
that go
along
with
evidence
are
compelling
even
though
it
severely
challenges
what
they had
always
believed
these
twelve
were
no
more
clued
up
about
what
Jesus
was
on
about
than
the
rest
of
the
crowd
but
having
seen
with
their
eyes
having
understood
what
they
saw
with
their
eyes
as
being
something
only
God
could
do
and
then
hearing
the
teaching
and
went
along
with
it
even
though
they
were
clueless
about
the
spiritual
depth
of
it
they
still
were
pushed
towards
belief
and
believing
leads
to
knowing
so
saying
was a
big
help
towards
their
conclusion
about
Jesus
but
ultimately
it
was the
hearing
and
accepting
of the
words
of
Jesus
the
words
of
eternal
life
as
Peter
calls
them
here
it
was
ultimately
the
words
and
the
teaching
that
sealed
the
deal
for
these
guys
observing
the
things
that
Jesus
did
convinced
them
that
he
was
authentically
God
and
so
being
authentically
God
automatically
his
words
deserved
to be
believed
they
came
with
authority
unique
authority
and
while
they
couldn't
be
understood
necessarily
they
at
least
deserved
the
attitude
of
believing
and
so
having
seen
Jesus
do
signs
or
miracles
Peter
had
no
hesitation
in
believing
the
words
of
explanation
that
followed
even
though
at
points
the
things
that
Peter
heard
and
understood
were
as
offensive
to
him
as
they
were
to
others
in
the
crowd
remember
Peter's
response
when he
fully
understood
that
Jesus
was
going
to
sacrifice
himself
he
was
furious
not
in my
watch
you
want
Jesus
so
ultimately
my
friends
at a
bigger
picture
if you
look at
the
structure
of
John's
gospel
ultimately
these
twelve
are an
illustration
of the
very
reason
John
is
writing
his
biography
so
that
contemplating
the
evidence
you will
believe
that
Jesus
is
the
God
the
giver
of
life
but
at
a
micro
picture
these
guys
in
throwing
themselves
on
Jesus
have
come
to
experience
personally
that
what
Jesus
had
promised
them
throughout
this
passage
eternal
life
they
were
proof
of the
drawing
power
of
God
they
were
proof
of the
renewing
power
of the
Holy
Spirit
they
were
not
more
clever
more
insightful
than
others
in the
crowd
they
had
been
taught
by
God
as
Jesus
said
last
week
if we
looked at
those
earlier
verses
quoting
from
Isaiah
that
all
God's
children
will
ultimately
need
to be
taught
by
God
evidence
of being
taught
by
God
properly
is
that
they
come
to
Jesus
the
drawing
power
of
God
the
renewing
power
of
the
Holy
Spirit
is
shown
in the
response
of these
guys
and the
outcome
hungry
embracing
of
Jesus
hungry
embracing
of
Jesus
they
had
come
to
know
that
Jesus
was
the
one
they
hangered
for
as
Jesus
had
told
them
he
was
the
one
they
hangered
for
they
had
come
to
see
in
Jesus
the
one
in
whom
satisfaction
and
life
was
to
be
found
for
them
there
was
no
alternative
to
whom
else
would
we
go
where
else
would
we
go
there
was
no
way
back
Jesus
you
are
all
we
need
which
is
what
Jesus
was
saying
right
through
I
am
all
you
need
Jesus
you
are
all
we
desire
there
was
no
authentic
alternative
savior
on offer
so they
throw
themselves
upon
the
mercy
and
grace
of
Jesus
my
friends
it
was
not
just
that
they
didn't
walk
away
with
the
rest
of
the
crowd
but
that
they
positively
embraced
Jesus
and
Judas
is
a
real
evidence
and
a
foil
for
this
I
think
there's
lots
more
can be
said
about
this
and
people
argue
endlessly
about
the
theology
of it
but
I
just
want
to
use
Judas
in
the
story
as
a
foil
of
showing
that
the
disciples
had
to
not
just
walk
away
but
they
had
to
positively
embrace
Jesus
because
at
the
end
of
the
day
Judas
was
one
in their
midst
who
didn't
walk
away
from
Jesus
openly
but
nor
did
he
come
to
Jesus
and
throw
himself
in
Jesus
there's
unbelief
right at
the heart
of this
believing
community
and man
that's a
scary
thought
as I
look around
here this
morning
being
being part
of a
community
of those
who
believe
being
in
close
proximity
in
Jesus
being
in
close
contact
with
his
word
stating
openly
and
identifying
with
others
who
believe
in
Jesus
is
never
enough
there
needs
to be
a
recognition
of
deep
spiritual
need
or
hunger
and an
embracing
of
Jesus
personally
and deeply
feeding
on him
as the
terminology
of last
week
feeding
on it
as the
satisfaction
of your
hunger
my friends
hungry
embracing
is very
very
challenging
verses 68
and verse 69
hungry
embracing
is equally
confronting
and challenging
as walking
away from
Jesus
because
you see
embracing
Jesus
means
giving
up
our
agendas
and
that's
really
hard
for us
to
do
it
means
believing
that
Jesus
is
God's
king
and
savior
sent
into
the
world
that
Jesus
is
the
only
way
to
acceptance
with
God
and
life
that
salvation
is a
spiritual
reality
received
from
Christ
alone
as a
gift
of
grace
and
that's
hard
to keep
believing
that
when
our
agenda
says
well
look
now
surely
we've got
something
we can
bring to
the
table
salvation
means
entrusting
your
salvation
entirely
to
God
giving
up
any
thought
of
controlling
or
being
entitled
to
relationship
with
God
on the
basis
of
your
own
understanding
your
abilities
your
desires
your
religious
actions
and
that's
really
hard
to keep
focused
on
isn't
it
when
our
agenda
says
well
actually
I
actually
think
I'm
a
basically
good
person
certainly
compared
to
others
that I
look
at
in the
wider
world
friends
throwing
yourself
in
Jesus
means
staying
true
to
him
even
when
from
within
the
community
believers
we
bear
the
hurt
and the
cost
of
those
who
secretly
betrayed
Jesus
by their
life
and their
actions
and their
practices
and that's
a real
cost
isn't it
because we
look around
we see
these
things
and we
think
maybe the
gospel
doesn't
work at
all
but my
friends
when we
see that
we see
evidence
the gospel
is working
exactly as
Jesus said
it would
work
some
will walk
away
some
should
walk
away
have
walked
away
theologically
and
emotionally
from
Jesus
but still
stay
in the
community
and some
can't
walk
away
there's
nowhere
else
to go
so this
is a
real
turning
point
in the
biography
of
Jesus
written
by
John
proves
a
genuine
consideration
of
evidence
from a
believing
attitude
prepared
to go
where the
evidence
takes
you
asking
that the
Lord
actually
might
reveal
truth
to
you
will
result
in
belief
and
life
if you're
a person
here this
morning
who thinks
well
it seems
so
out there
I want
to get
a hold
of this
but I
haven't
been able
to get
a hold
of it
maybe
that's
what you're
missing
maybe you
need to
look at
this process
of how
you come
to the
evidence
that runs
counter to
what we
tend to
believe
in our
scientific
world
we say
and we're
told
and we're
taught
we need
to
know
something
and be
sure of
its
truth
before we
believe
in it
well
God
reverses
the
order
and
challenges
you this
morning
to do
the same
in your
mind
reverse
the
order
come to
God's
word
believing
because it
is God's
word
and come
to God's
word
believing
as the
first step
in walking
towards
Jesus
because the
alternative is to walk
away from it
let me pray
Lord help us to
understand your
word
it's confronting
at both
levels
it's confronting
for those
Lord who've
walked away
and it's
confronting for
those who
like us
say we want
to walk
towards you
and throw
ourselves
on you
help us
Lord to
throw
ourselves
on you
and your
agenda
for us
not imposing
or insisting
our agenda
over yours
in Jesus
name I
pray
Amen