Well, dear church family, this Lord's Day, we'll be looking at Simon Peter's response to Christ in verse 68, where he said these very profound words. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. In this chapter, Christ, as we know, has fed thousands with just five loaves of barley and two fishes. Many thousands, of course, followed Christ, not just the 70 disciples. Many saw and heard, of course, his miracles and were fed to the full. Many heard John the Baptist's testimony of whom Christ was and were baptized. And many heard of the great healings and even saw the great healings he did. And many followed Christ. Did they not enter the wilderness and were considered to be, from John 4, 1, considered to be his disciples? Thousands, thousands followed Christ. And so they were there considered to be followers of Christ. They were considered to be disciples, not just the 70. But all of a sudden, really, we're told in verse 66 that many of his disciples went back and walked no more with Him. This great multitude that followed Him, thousands literally turned their back upon Christ the Saviour. After all that they had seen, after all that they had witnessed, after being filled with their bodies to the full, and after all that they had heard. And it is clear really from the context of John 6 that many wanted a savior from this life's problems and from worldly issues. And verse 50 makes that evidently clear when it says, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, He departed again into a mount himself. So they wanted to take him by force and make him a king. The people were tired, of course, of being under Roman occupation. They wanted emancipation, didn't they? They wanted to be returned to the glory days, as it were. And it was difficult. No doubt things were difficult. under Roman occupation. They wanted to go back to the glory days. They saw Jesus Christ as the answer to this life's problems. Whether that was in a political sphere, in making him king, as it were, in taking him, surely one who could perform such miracles, who could feed them to the full, surely it is no problem. for him to overthrow this occupation to restore the glory days of Jerusalem and and Israel and no doubt for many Jesus Christ represented a solution also to perhaps ongoing health issues, perhaps. Well, if only I can get back, as it were, a back up on my feet. If I can only kind of get back to where I was and so I can pursue my career to how things used to be in the glory days. Well, if I can get back to that position, I can then pursue this in life and pursue that in life. So for many, Perhaps he represented this. And perhaps for many their problems were more acute. And we know this, don't we, from the Gospels. We know this where the person came to the Lord Jesus and said, tell my brother about this inheritance. And so we know there were many issues, acute problems. There. Relational problems, disputes, as it were. And interestingly, we're told in verses 22 through 27 that the multitude saw Christ, it would seem, all night, waiting for boats, which ultimately would take them over or along the shoreline to Capernaum, where they at last would find Christ again. And so no one could charge these multitudes of people that are likened as disciples here. No one can charge these multitudes who are following Christ for lack of effort, for lack of seeking. They fervently sought the Lord. Even one could say tirelessly sought the Lord. In the wilderness, upon the ships that came from Tiberias, they all went in these ships. Many of them, we're talking thousands here, I believe. So no one can question their efforts. Tirelessly, it would seem. And however, we know from Christ's own words in verse 27, that they sought Christ for the wrong reasons. They sought the Savior, Jesus Christ, for the wrong reasons. And therein lies the problem with much of the professing Christianity of our age. That is, therein lies the problem. Many seek God and the Savior for the wrong reasons. And this is especially true in how the gospel is presented in our day, or the lack thereof. Many see Christ and God for the wrong reasons. Not that Christ, of course, is indifferent to our legitimate, the legitimate necessities of life. Of course he's not indifferent. He fed them to the full. But there is a sense here in today's narrative, is there not, that one needs go far beyond the temporary and the present problems of life. That is evident in today's narrative. Christ makes it abundantly clear that the multitudes, clear of this point to the multitudes, when he says in verse 27, labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed. Christ here explains to the multitudes and in the discourse that follows what they are in truly need of. What is the need here of? And of course he uses the parable of the sower that he is the bread of life. He is the most essential, vital aspect of our lives. And in verse 60 we're told that Many thousands stopped following Christ because he told them, really, their spiritual and their eternal need. And that is also evident by verse 63 where he says, or nothing. And this reminds us, does it not, that genuine salvation proves itself over a testimony of time. Genuine salvation proves itself over a testimony of time. As with the parable of the sower, which we read about earlier. Many will cease to follow Christ because of his words. because they have become an offense, because of persecution and tribulation that arise because of being faithful to his word, because of the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches that choke the word of God. And just like then, so it is now. Many who profess the name of Christ have no absolute intention of heart to live for Him, to live for Christ, the Son of the living God alone. They have come to Him for the wrong reasons. They don't see Christ as the most needful thing, needful and vital in life. Like bread and meat, as it is to the body, they do not see Christ as most needful and vital in life, the most needful thing in which they cannot live but for another day unless they have Christ. And they come to Him for the wrong reasons, that their wills have to be subdued. It's not about our wills anymore, what we want. It's about His kingdom come. And so they came for the wrong reasons. And His words do not hold absolute authority and sway in life. They must needs be diluted. They must needs be watered down and they must needs be changed. Those three things really. And I think really our brother Terry's testimony of his experience within the Church of England for 20 words very ably demonstrated that this is the case amongst much of the professing Christianity. of our age. People who often are seeking God seek Him for the wrong reasons in the cultural Christianity that has spread across this land like a flood, and in America, and in the West. It's often been said, isn't it, of America, yes, there is much Christianity. It's so broad, isn't it? but it's very shallow. In many cases, it's so shallow, isn't it? Same can be said of the UK. As long as you don't swear, you're a nice person, you're a nice neighbor, you're polite, you're kind, you're social, you're a churchgoer, and so looked apart in the eyes of the church, well then, you're considered a follower of Christ, a Christian. But when it comes down to it, to be guided by the authority of the Word of God, when it comes in true divine weight to the will and the heart, as it were, Well, this is an offence to many Christians nowadays, isn't it? When it comes to being guided by faith and practice, by the word of the living God in all aspects of life, it's an offence. When it comes to our wills being subdued by God's will for our life through Christ, that it's not just a part of our life, it's our entire will. Where shall I go from the words of eternal life? It's all about His kingdom come now. It's not what I want anymore in life. But when you speak to many professing Christians of our age, Christ doesn't mean everything. Christ is not essential and vital anymore. They've come to Him for the wrong reasons. And really at the heart of this, do we not know that all of this, at the heart of this, really is Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. He has not become. vital and essential as our daily bread. We cannot live, can we, without bread, without meat. It's essential. It was essential back then, wasn't it? They didn't have any Tesco's to go to, did they? They didn't have any mass packaged food. Fish and bread was vital. And they came to him for the wrong reasons. And sad to say, much of the professing Christianity of that age, Christ is not first in their heart. They've come, as many of these self-help Christian authors will come, and as a celebrity evangelist will tell us, to fix life's problems. He hasn't come for that. He is essential, absolutely vital to us. And you see, these things have become an offence. They have become an offence to many. In fact, many professing Christians of our age who speak I mean, we speak to people, Christians, in this town constantly, all the time. And I must say, probably about 8 out of 10 people who we speak to say, I'm a Christian, they don't even know what it is to be born again. I ask them a simple question, are you born again? Oh, you're one of those born again people, aren't you? But you don't actually know what it is to be born again. The Word of God does not have authority in their life. It's a cultural Christianity. And this, I'm sad to say, this is what our Christianity has come to. Now please don't misunderstand me. It's not my intention to be critical of anyone. It's really not. These people who are stuck within these churches, these apostate churches, need saving. These people need saving. Yes, there are true believers in these churches. Of course, there are true believers who love the Lord, but many of these people need saving, don't they? And many of the people who are stuck within these apostate churches, they need rescuing out of them, don't they? They are being led astray by wolves, literally, who are blessing homosexual marriages. who do not care for the authority of God's Word, that have a watered-down gospel, that have a cultural Christianity, they are wolves. And we should not bow the knee to this inclusivism, really. We should be those who stand for the Word of God. And as a point of application, friends, and I was brought to tears, when preparing this, if we have liberal Christian friends, or perhaps genuine believers who we know in the Church of England, or the Baptist Union, or other churches that are being led by women vicars, being led by this Churches Together movement, do we just say, hello John, hello Fred, how you doing, all that? And we say, we hold to the word of God, Your will must be astute, but we just take this kind of softly, softly approach to them. Do we lovingly challenge? If I was in that person's shoes and I was being led astray by literally wolves, Would I just allow those people to just, to be, their usefulness for the Lord, to just be devoured by this? Or would I take the courage to lovingly go alongside them? Not in a hot-headed way, or in an arrogant way, but would I go alongside? If I say that I am truly living for the Lord, that he is essential to my life and his word has the authority and my will has been subdued. Will I dare to be a Daniel? And will I challenge them lovingly? I'm not saying all at one time. And I must say, I was reminded by this by our recent family that has come, the Martins. put you on the spot. But you know, it's so wonderful to see how when people are just saved, or in recent years have been converted, how there is this fervency for the word. And they lovingly challenge. You know, we've lost that. Haven't we? This softly, softly, don't say a word, just be polite and kind, it doesn't work. It doesn't work. Yes, befriend people, be kind, and those things, but lovingly challenge. They're being led by wolves, and their ministries and their usefulness to the Lord, dear friends, is being eaten up. Will we have the guts, the spiritual guts, to challenge? Or will we just say, hey John? And never ever have the spiritual backbone to stand for the Lord. Well in our narrative today, many professing followers of Christ were offended at Christ's words, the truth. Sanctify them through the truth. Thy word is truth. And they turned their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Their seeking, their earnest, tireless seeking and their practice diminished, didn't it? As they turned their backs upon the Saviour. And Christ asked the remaining 12 disciples in verse 61, does this offend you? Are you offended also at my words as well? And he also asked in verse 67, will you also go away as well? Are you also going to go away as well? Or Simon Peter's answer in verse 68, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Whither shall I go from my presence if I should take the wings of the morning to the uttermost parts of the sea? Am I ever going to escape the truth of God in Christ? Am I ever going to escape the reality that it is He that has made us and not we ourselves? And that it is our obligation to seek Him and to be found in Him and to know Him and to love Him and to have a relationship with Him. We're never going to escape that truth, are we? Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. Where and to whom am I going to go now, Lord? Where and to whom will I go? Will I go back to my boats? Will I go back to my fishing career, to my business? Will I give myself to the prosperity of this world? Will I go back to just living for the here and the now, for the fleeting vanities of this world, to the false securities of this world? Where am I going to go now? What am I going to do with my life? I've heard the words of eternal life. I've heard the Lord of glory. Where am I going to go? Where am I going to turn? I've heard God in the flesh. I've heard the Saviour of mankind and the Saviour of my soul. Where am I going to go now from that? And I ask us all a very solemn question. Have you come to Christ for the right reasons? Have you come to Him for the right... He did not come so that we can gain our lives. We must lose our lives before we gain them again. We must cast it all upon Christ, friends. Thou has the words of eternal life. Which one of these thinkest now, friends, has received Christ's words with absolute soul-saving authority? Which one, the multitudes or Peter, Simon Peter? Which one of these now thinkest thou has had their entire wills subdued and changed? Which one of these now, thinkest thou, has had their wills subdued and changed? Your will, your desire, your want has got to be changed from the earthly to the heavenly. It's got to happen. It's about a complete change of will. And which one of these, thinkest thou now, believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God? not just a particular prophet or special purpose. He is the son of the living God. He is the prophesied Christ, the only savior of sinners. Come into the world to save us from our sin and to save us from this present evil world and to save our eternal, never-dying souls, friends. Which one of these thinkest thou now, as it were, actually sees Christ as absolutely fundamental and essential, like bread and meat is to the body. You cannot live without your daily subsistence, can you? You cannot do it. You know, when I was converted, and yes, when I went on my conversion, yes, there was still lots of things that needed sorting out, but when I was converted, Christ became first in my life and in my heart. And you've got to get, it has to get to that position. You've got to get to the point where He means the most to you. To live is Christ. To die is gain. He must mean everything to you. It's not just about fixing problems here, issues here. He must mean everything, like your daily bread is to your body. Your daily substance is your body. He must mean everything in your life. And you're governed by the authority of his word and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit you're taught. Your will is changed, you become a new creature in Christ. You see, friends, this essentially is what separates the chaff does it not, from the wheat? This is what separates the children of light from the children of darkness, does it not? Everything in my life now is about you now, Lord. Lord, says Peter, Lord, thou hast the words of eternal life. You are my Lord. You're not only my saviour, the saviour of my soul, you're my Lord now. You're Lord of all, everything, not just a bolt-on, not just a passing phase. You're everything to me. You're everything to me. My eyes have been opened to the truth. I've been drawn by God the Father here. The cares, of course, of this world and the riches, of course, Oh, this world, they choke, don't they, the word. If I don't have you, Lord, I'm lost. That's what Peter's saying. If I don't have you, I'm lost and lost forever. Think about that. Lord, thou has the words of eternal life. Where am I gonna go? If I don't have you, I am lost and I am lost forever. And I think all believers here will know that. that if I don't have Christ, I'm lost. Every day, I need him. I need him. He is more necessary to me than my daily bread, as it were. Have you and I been drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ for the right reasons? Or have we been deceived by the many self-help Christian authors and by the big names as it were, in the evangelical world. And like I said, we've spoken about a fall, and I believe that person is truly the Lord's. But let us not put our faith in big names, as it were. And in all these self-help authors, authors, Jesus Christ, dear friends, is not simply a, a solution for this life's problems. Ten ways to be happy in Jesus. I had an email to me this morning from some local pastors talking about the gospel and the culture, as it were. Five ways to be happy as a Christian. Six ways to have the gospel and to associate it with the culture. No, friends, Christ is not simply salvation for this life's problems and woes. The invitation is an eternal one. It's an eternal solution here. Christ must literally become as important as our bread and our meat and our daily substance, as it were. Jesus Christ is the living bread. He's the living bread, whereof if we eat, we shall live. We have to get to that point and you must see him. If I don't have him, I'm going to die. If I literally don't have him dwelling in me and living in me, I'm dead in trespasses and sins. He's essential. What is on offer in the gospel is not optional either. It's not optional. Bread and substance for our bodies is not optional, is it? It's not an optional thing. We are commanded to repent and to believe. This is not an option. Where will we go from the words of eternal life? This, dear friends, is a command. If you and I do not eat and seek Christ as our necessary bread and meat. If we do not seek Him, first the Kingdom of God, we will die. And we will spiritually die and be lost forever. If you and I do not have Him to be our Saviour and Lord, we're going to die. He must be Lord of all. Verse 57, as the living father has sent me and I live by the father, so he that eateth me and he shall live by me. I live by him who loved me and gave himself for me. I live by him, I hang off his every word now. I live by him, in him I live and breathe and have my breath. Have you got to that point? Have you sought the Lord for the right reasons? Is His blood and flesh, drink and meat indeed, as it were, the blood of Christ, God's only begotten Son, that cleanses us from all sin? Is His blood, drink indeed, is Christ's blood, has it cleansed you from all sin? Past, present and future, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, isn't He? Must be done for the right reasons. Have you a complete righteousness, imputed and credited to your account, apart from works, your works. Justification by faith in Him. And then He gives you the strength and power as it were, to live for Him. Salvation is apart from our works. It's all about Him. It's all about His righteousness. When we have Him and we're living in Him and we're eating of Him and drinking of Him, the fruit comes from that, doesn't it? Have you received the free gift of God's salvation through faith alone in Christ on what He has done on the cross? faith alone in him and none other, no confidence in the flesh. Well, may the Holy Spirit here today give us eyes to see and ears to hear. May we be granted moldable hearts and contrite spirits to receive him. May we be granted sensitive consciences to believe. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. God spoke and it was done, didn't he? He commanded and it stood fast. Be in awe of him, all the earth, be in awe of him for who he is. Amen. Feel free to contact us at Sovereign Grace Church in Tiverton. Email us at grace2seekers at gmail.com. That's grace2seekers at gmail.com. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.sovereigngracereformedchurch.co.uk. you