Jesus answered them and said,
'Most assuredly, I say to you,
you seek Me, not because you
saw the signs, but because you
ate of the loaves and were filled.
Do not labor for the food which
perishes, but for the food which
endures to everlasting life, which
the Son of Man will give you,
because God the Father has set
His seal on Him.
John 6:26-27
Whatever the message focuses on, the foundation of a message will teach hearers of the message how to act and how to worship God. This message is theology, that is, it is teaching about God and how we are to worship Him and live for Him. Therefore, it is the message that separates Liberal Christianity, or cultural Christianity from Orthodox Conservative Protestant Christianity. If the focus of a message is on emotions, on individual feelings, and not on the actual word of God, or some other teaching in regard to the plain teaching of the word, then it is doubtful that some who believe they are worshiping God are not! Many are seeking signs, wonders, the supernatural, and their relevancy in regard to God is by their uncontrolled emotions believing that they are doing the will of God. Are they? What is the will of God? Jesus answers this question when asked by what "sign" that He would perform so they may know that He is the Messiah, the long awaited Savior: and He answered them: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). Jesus makes clear that He was the sign, not the bread, either from Moses, or the bread that was given to the multitude, for He is: "The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, 'I am the bread which came down from heaven" (John 6:41). This is the message of the Bible, not signs, not wonders, not something supernatural as in raising of the dead, which is anecdotical and not based upon actual events, but many swoon over such anecdotes believing them to be truth and never testing them, but it tickles their ears. Further the message taken from proof Scriptures and not from the context often mislead people to believe in false teaching, i.e., Arminianism that anyone can come to God and be saved, but this is not what Jesus said: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). How can a person come to Jesus Christ? By their own will? Let Jesus tells us how: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44). Unless God grants a person to come to Him then he can't: "And He 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). This message is hard in fact many turned away after hearing these words of Jesus: "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away" (John 6:68)? Notice this fact; it was some of His disciples that turned away, not the general public, not the Scribes and Pharisees, those who complained about Him, but those who had been following Him believing Him to be the Messiah, but this message was too hard for them, they did not want to do as Jesus asked while in the Synagogue: "then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. for My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks my blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Mr. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:53-58). Was not Jesus, in context in this chapter speaking of Himself as the "bread of life" (John 6:48)? All that was doing was in His message was to show them the way to eternal life, it is Him, and by living totally for Him and not for oneself, to be self-gratified by some uncontrolled emotion.
Emotions can easily distract us so that they are the focus of worship and not our humbleness in the face of a Holy God, and to His Son, that is Himself, His Wisdom who took on human flesh to pay the debt of sin freeing all those that God would give him from the condemnation of sin. Too many people are seduced by emotions, so much so that they are imperative instead of them being an ally that leads us in our quest to live a godly life. What is the object of your emotions, yourself, your feelings, and have you come to hear the message of relevancy, that all, can come to Christ, even those who are practicing such sins, as homosexuality, adultery, etc. and that they can have a place of teaching in the Church? What blasphemy against a Holy God who teaches us the opposite. What are we to do? "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (1Timothy 6:11). Paul is insistent on this flight from sin: "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own" (1Corinthians 6:17-19).
For an Authentic Biblical Christian there is a deep contentment, an emotion that is so deep that it cannot find it way out, it controls your every motion, you may smile even in the face of tribulation and suffering, you know that you are His, and that on the Last Day He will rise you up to live eternally for Him, and that you have been drawn to believe in Jesus Christ by the will of God. Oh, you may shout "Hallelujah"; do so, you may have emotions that spring from your soul, but you are in control of those emotions, they are yours and your are His, what more do you want? Quit seeking that which is cultural, Liberal Christianity that teaches a message that is not Biblical. Just when Moses was confronted by a congregation of dissenters, he was told and so are we for all Scripture is for our learning to live in accordance with God's will: "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.' And they fell on their faces" (Numbers 16:45). Seek those who teach the truth, this is the will of God, and you and all your families will be blessed.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, and our God and Father,
who loved us and given us everlasting
consolation and good hope by grace,
comfort your hearts and establish you
in every good word and work.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Obey His Word; God Will Bless You
Richard L. Crumb
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