The Gift of Belief
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Realizing, appreciating and utilizing the precious blessing of belief.
Text: John 6:64-71
Date: 03/12/2017, the Contemporary service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 47
Description:
As we round out this amazing sixth chapter of John, our discussion will once again turn to belief. We will watch first as most of Jesus' followers desert Him because they cannot abide His hard teaching and His insistance that salvation can only be found through radical belief in Him. John will remind us of the decidedly predestinarian perspective of his book as Jesus makes it clear that belief is a gift and all who reject Him do so because the gift has not been given. When Peter draws a sharp comparison between the departing disciple "wannabe's" and the Twelve, Jesus gently reminds him that his own belief is a gift as well. We will consider what a inestimable blessing belief really is and ask ourselves what Jesus intends us to do with it. We will discuss whether salvation is the ultimate outcome or if this invaluable gift carries with it the responsibility to serve Jesus in radical discipleship. Ultimately we will learn to appreciate and cherish the unfathomable value of God's precious gift of belief.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 6:64-71.
A. Context
1. The crowd.
2. The Jews, Matt. 15:9.
3. The disciple "wannabe's".
B. Tracing the gift of Life, vs. 64-66.
1. In the presence of unbelief, vs. 64, John 6:36, Heb. 4:2.
2. The sovereignty of God in salvation, vs. 65.
a. It is the Spirit who gives life, John 6:44,63, Eph. 2:1-3.
b. Following the flow of the conversation, John 6:31ff.
3. Falling away, vs. 66, Luke 9:62.
C. The reaction of the twelve, vs. 67-71.
1. The revealing question, vs. 67, John 1:10-11.
2. Peter's Christological confession, vs. 68-69.
a. A heartfelt profession of faith, vs. 68.
b. Jesus as the great "I AM", vs. 69.
i. Looking at the form.
ii. On belief and knowledge.
iii. The Holy One of God, Luke 4:34, Isa. 43:3.
iv. Peter at his best.
3. A gentle reminder, vs. 70a.
a. Peter's inconsistency.
b. The reprimand.
c. The parallel on the way to the Garden, John 6:61, Matt. 26:31,33.
4. Exposing the devil, vs. 70b-71.
a. Jesus' warning, vs. 70b, John 13:2,27.
b. John's explanation, vs. 71, Luke 6:16.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
