Jesus Unfiltered - Week 1 - St. Peter - Pastor Tim Glende
Jesus Unfiltered
Week 1 St Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Filters….Like how many of you think about the role that filters play in your life? I can't even go to this morning and your first thought was I am so thankful for those filters that are in my car that protect my engine from damage.
All the ones in your house. Like some of you have things called filters to help purify your water,
Maybe there's things you think about, you fill up or whatnot. But we probably take for granted about the filters that are in your air purifier. If you have one of those to keep the are pure in your house, how about the filters that are in your furnace? That help keep the dirt and everything else out how important are those furnaces and yet you're not like me because I don't even have it on my calendar but some of you think about it. Once a year, you have a date where you know you want to replace it because you want it to be really clean. But, we sometimes I really think about how important those things are like the filters on your car and protect your engine, helping it run well, help it last longer and who of us needs and then another big car payment right now in our world, right? And then there's this morning. Like, those of you are sitting here with your nice cup of coffee, probably have really been taking for granted this. Like this thing that our volunteers put into that thing that goes into the coffee maker so that that water that comes through it. Hits the coffee grounds but doesn't allow those to end up in your cup. Like that great tasting, great smelling cup of coffee that you got today. Did not cause you to want to spit everything out because the grounds were caught by the filter. It was used to make the amazing coffee but prohibit the other things from getting through it. Like, thank goodness. These are really high quality filters, and I know the person making coffee, today's like, you should have told me. I would have been so embarrassed. If anyone got grounds in their coffee, he apologizes, right? Like there's grounds in there but they don't get through it even when the water goes through it, and It makes it better. And that's really what I want you to think about today and the six following weeks. And we talked about Jesus Unfiltered.
Like filters serve a great purpose, they help protect thing as they keep things out, right? They can make things better. But a filter is serves a purpose that can be a blessing but sometimes isn't
Like its greatest filters are in cameras that they can block out light and make it look really good. You can sometimes use filters to make something be what it really isn't. Like those of you use Snapchat, understand the purpose? Like I'm not the greatest-looking person in the world. Have a face for radio. I'm probably but you can put a Snapchat filter on your face. That becomes a horse and none of you want to see that, right?
Like filters can sometimes keep things out that protection, but sometimes they keep things out or make things appear different than they are. Then they really should be.
And I want you to have that visual in mind today because sadly sometimes people use a filter for this. Like I let something filter God's word.
Maybe it's your mind. Maybe it's the world. Maybe it's what you read. Maybe it's TV. But something goes through the filter and if the filter is doing its job, like this one is supposed to do for your coffee. It's leaving something behind that you're not getting.
And the world in which we live, sadly filters out, Jesus.
Like some of us like potluck Jesus.
Like, you know, what a potluck is, right? You get to pick and choose the foods that you want. People bring their favorite dishes, they bring different salads, they bring different desserts. I love potlucks. And here's why when you bring great grandma's famous broccoli or cauliflower, cheesy mix that everyone who goes and gaga's for I won't eat it. Because I don't. That's tough. And it's okay. I get to pick and choose in a potluck. But if you bring cheesy potatoes, and Sally brings cheesy potatoes. And Betty over there, brings cheesy potatoes and my wife brings cheesy potatoes. I will take a scoop of all for cheesy potatoes. And I can, and it's okay. Like I get to pick and choose at a buffet, but when it comes to Jesus, if we pick and choose filter him out, There's dangerous consequences.
Or sometimes pick and choose what they like about Jesus or want to see in Jesus and other things that they don't. Well, filter his word and distill it. When there are hard things to hear. Things I don't like to hear. Things they don't want to do or doesn't match with their lifestyle or their worldview. Like, I don't know what filter you use, sometimes, when it comes to God's word, but I need you to see it as dangerous because it is keeping something out. Holding something back. God doesn't want to be filtered. And so over the course of these next seven weeks, we're going to look at seven different sections of John's gospel words from Jesus that make claims about who he is. Words from Jesus that you and I need to know. Words of up from Jesus, Mary own lives that for his audience, 2,000 years ago. And for our audience and world today is still true, will be very offensive and that's really the first takeaway. I want you to have the day as you're thinking through this series, getting ready for today's message. Unfiltered. Jesus is so he makes claims that go against the whole lot of what many people in our world believe today. He says things. That are going to not just hit you between the eyes, what might cause your heart to hurt.
Because the things that he says, you might not much like you might not want to do, you might wish for not true.
Like John's gospel is probably written maybe 40 to 50 years after all the other gospels. So he doesn't have a whole lot on the miracles of Jesus on the ministry and travelings of Jesus. He contains a few miracles, but most of John's gospel, our conversations. Jesus had written many years after to connect the dots, but to show you and to show me and to show Believers until he returns, what Jesus is who he claims to be. And Is that you? And I need to know. We need to believe them and know them, unfiltered. Because if we take things out, we let them get watered down. If we don't let them through. It'll be dangerous for our soul.
So with that, in mind the whole idea of filtering and what the series might bring to you or going to jump into week number one. Because Jesus audience in week. Number one definitely by the end of it you will see would have said, unfiltered. Jesus is offensive
So let's unpack John chapter 6. We're gonna start with verse 25 already shared with you. The background of the context of John chapter 6 verses 1 through 15. We see Jesus. Perhaps one of Jesus most well-known Miracles, one of the few that all four gospels record because John doesn't record as many the feeding of the five thousand and in between that section and where we pick it up in verse 25. Another one of Jesus miracles, him walking on water, the disciples get into the other side in the middle of a storm. Also took place. So with that background in mind, these people that Jesus had fed on the mountainside, they had heard him preach, they follow him around the lake. So Jesus gets across the lake by walking on it, taking the boat over with the disciples who had sent over earlier and the next day. So there's a 24 hour period, these passionate people who had come to seek Jesus out. We're now following behind Jesus, and verse 15 and told us why. And they asked him, “Rabbi. When did you get here? Like, we are walking around the lake and we didn't see you. How did you get here? How long have you been here? When did you get here? Jesus, like fill us in.”
And here's the start of Jesus being offensive. Jesus answered. Very truly, I tell you, you're looking for me, not because you saw the signs, I performed. But because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Like you know what's offensive? If I ask you a question and you don't give me an answer to my question, how are you doing? Packers are great. No, I ask you how you're doing? Answer my question, right? Jesus up here is saying from the people, like, when did you get here? Jesus goes down. A completely different path.
And a pastor calls them out. You're looking for me. You, you're following me. You're here, not because I did I performed not? Because you saw the sign, I perform the miracle that because you ate the Loaves and had your fill But you're here not because I did something amazing, but because I filled your belly with food,
But you're here not because you believe in me, he is Jesus implications, even though he didn't call it out. But because you want something from me. You're not here because you have a deep need for what I came to do. You have a deep desire for what I can do?
How much does the crowd respond to Jesus? He tells him first, do not work for the food that spoils but for food that endures to eternal life, like you're here for the Earthly food. There's something better, which the Son of Man will give you for on him. God the father has placed his seal of approval kind of slips through the cracks. But what didn't slip through the cracks was cracks was “do not work for food that spoils because look at what the people say next. The people said this to Jesus and response to statement.
What must we do to do the works God requires?
Filter.
Like the Jewish people had a religious filter on called the Law. And the Law they believed was the do's and don'ts of God. And in fact, the Law had become their way to heaven.
They weren't looking for what Jesus could do for them. Spiritually because they believed that they could do enough for themselves. So they filtered out everything. Jesus had just said once again and went right to what? What they thought were the only things that matter from God, the do's and the don'ts. To which, Jesus answers again, not answering their question. The work of God is this what workers we do? The work of God is this to believe in the one he has sent. In other words, the work of God has nothing to do with any works that you could do. This is the work of God.
Who creates faith and God, who Longs for you? By faith to believe in the one that he has sent. So they asked him, what sign? Then will you give that? We may see it and believe you.
Still filtering.
Like just think about that. Less than 24 hours ago. They had seen this man, take five loaves of bread and two fish and produce enough food for five thousand men, plus women and children, who were there to eat and have their fill. It would have taken one of the disciples said half a year's wages, just to give them all a tiny little bite and they had their full. They're filled our bellies completely filled by this man, and this miracle in twelve baskets left over. They had just seen this. They had just experienced this, they had just been the beneficiaries of this. And now they ask this, What sign will you give us so that we may believe you.
You fed us one meal on a day in the wilderness key and they were referring to God. Moses gave them bread from Heaven to eat.
Like what you did, Jesus was really nice and really good. And but if you really want us to buy in can you measure up to 40 Years of that? Like, that's what we want. That's what we're looking for. Do you have the ability and the power to meet our needs and meet us where we're at, and be the Savior that we're looking for?
Which was not a Savior from sin.
Can a lot of times, consumerism, Christian consumerism, Is the filter that a lot of people still in our day and age, apply to Jesus. Like they applied it in his day and unfiltered Jesus. You need to see it in his words and going to hear it more as we go on. Unfiltered Jesus isn't consumer-driven.
Like consumerism can be a great thing. Meeting the needs of the customers is something that you hope businesses desire. But you know what it leads to? Often times for the consumers”It's All About Me.”
What I want. What I need? That we start looking for in Fall, prey to me and what you can bring to the table, to bless my life and spiritually. Sadly Christian consumerism sometimes then becomes a filter to God and his word.
And we apply our needs from a worldly perspective, we probably apply our wants from a reason, perspective of what we think God should do and how God should bless and how God should act. And when he doesn't we don't like it.
A lot of people will call that Jesus and filter. Like I like the spiritual things and Jesus, I need you to produce “blank” in my life. That's the God I'm looking for. The God I want like these people were following Jesus around because they were looking for a worldly King. Someone who could give them worldly protection, someone who could bring to them worldly provisions so that they wouldn't have to work harder. They get to everything and anything their hearts desire. That's the kind of King, the kind of person that they wanted from God. Worldly pleasure, worldly blessings. Scenes they didn't care about the other because they believe in their heart, all that was they're doing.
For the bread of God, is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to this world sir. They said, always give us this bread. Still confused. Still wanting the bread that they thought they needed the worldly things that true bread, the bread of God, for what they were missing was right in front of them, was the ultimate Miracle. A person, the Son of God himself, in human flesh.
Which is where Jesus begins to be offensive. Like he sees where they're going, he knows their hearts. And he calls his shot then Jesus declared. I am the bread of life. Just like bread is essential for life, just like when we pray in the Lord's Prayer give us our daily bread enough to provide for our daily needs. The things that we need to have for risen. Jesus says, I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry. Whoever believes in me, will never be thirsty. Like, I am bread, but it's different. It's not what you're looking for. It's not what you're asking for. You want a miracle? You're looking for a worldly, King. You're looking for someone to meet your needs here on Earth and do everything that that makes your life good. But that's not me. I'm the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry over Believes In Me will never be thirsty. You'll be spiritually satisfied. Your soul will be fed. You will lack nothing. When that's the bread that you eat, spiritually.
But after Jesus said, he basically called them out. But as I told you verse 36, you have seen me and still you do not believe the miracle is right in front of you, but you are missing out on the real miracle.
Yep. I gave you food and I filled your bellies but I want to fill your soul. I want you to have spiritual food. That will bless you in so many different ways. That leads to Eternity, but you don't want to eat it. You want no part of it. Your consumer filter, the god, you're looking for the Messiah that you want is a worldly political provision figure that you believe, if you have that, you'll have all that you need and
What you don't have is what you truly do.
For, I have come down from heaven. Jesus said not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me, but you don't. Tempting it must have been for Jesus. To be consumer-driven as a human being like you and I are people, driven what they think, what they care about, like the product that we provide, like, no offense, I think about it as a pastor. We think about it as a church, we think about you. Like in your business and in your line of work, you think about others and the consumer, don't you? Again, sadly, all too often that temptation drives us down, horrible paths.
And yet Jesus says I've not come down from heaven, to do my own will to do your will but I'm here to carry out God's Will and God's will is to save you, God's will is to give you eternal life, God's Will and God's plan which would require My Life. The very body that I have to be sacrificed on the cross is a part of his plan that is my will. And that is his will and that's my job to carry out for my father's will, is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life. Like, I sometimes jokingly say this, I played football for eight years. You know what we always did before every football game, like, I went to Christian High School and I went to Pastor school and I played football as yours. Like, we prayed. A lot of sports teams, praise you, think God cares who wins the game?
Like it's okay to pray, pray for people healthy and pray for this or pray for that, but God doesn't care about the outcome of the game.
God cares about the outcome of the game of Life, yours. Where do you end up?
It's God's concern when the circumstances of your life are hard. Yeah.
But Jesus coming into Earth, was not to overthrow the circumstances of life being hard.
Like I don't pray anything bad comes upon you but when maybe you don't have and maybe you don't get what you think you need or not. All of this life is easy. Are you going to be challenged? But are you going to challenge God? Because the filter you're working through is Jesus. And as long as I have everything else Jesus, and as long as you keep my checkbook fool Jesus. And as long as you keep me healthy here, Jesus, and Or is it just Jesus?
Which might be offensive. It was to the hearers of Jesus day. Like when Jesus said it, when Jesus called it out, they began to grumble.
Because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Like the offensive nature of what he was claiming to be from God, come to Earth the son of God on Earth. They began to grumble. And they apply their human filter. Their human reason, their brain. And they said is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know. How can he now say I came down from heaven.
He didn't fit the bill of what they were looking for an Earthly King. One who can provide for their needs? And when he made the claims about who he was and what he came to do and this real significance of it for them, They were out.
They wanted a Jesus Plus.
And when he wasn't that, they - him,
So which use the dress? Stop grumbling among yourselves. No one can come to me. Unless the Father who sent me draws them and I will raise them up at the last day. Now he makes even more offensive outrageous claim. Like no one can come to me unless God brings them in. It's his doing, not yours. Your work righteousness is not going to get you in and even more, I am the one who will raise that those who believe up on the last day. I'm God. Not only has he sent me down, but I am the one who has the power and ability to, and we'll in the last day raised to life. Very truly, I tell you the one who believes has eternal life, what saves his faith in God, the spiritual food that you and I need is Jesus. He is the bread of life. He satisfies our hunger, he satisfies our thirst I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the Manna in the wilderness. Yet they died. If your filter is consumerism and what God can do for you here. And if he doesn't provide, you're out, you're missing out. Jesus says, I am the bread of life, the bread, I provide is not something that will cause you in the end to die. Like we can eat and eat and eat and you can eat well here on Earth. Every day of your life and eventually that food will not get you into heaven. That food will not save you from dying, but will save you from dying is eating the Flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood. If you don't, you have no life. And I know a lot of people have gone to this verse and applied it to Holy Communion that has not been done yet. Jesus, hasn’t instituted it yet? But he's really saying in a spiritual way, is the only way for you to have life is to be spiritually connected to me. I am the spiritual food. That matters the nutrition that you need. Eating my words. Believing these truths. Not filtering any of them out, leads to life.
In other words, Jesus saying I am not consumer-driven but unfiltered Jesus, who I am, what I came to do, the will of the Father, the things that that I'm going to carry out as a part of his mission that Jesus unfiltered is essential.
It can be not not be a potluck. I'm going to talk about that more in weeks to come. If religion is all about what God can do for you here, the god that you're looking for, if you believe that you can do and you can get from God, you are going to miss out sorely. Because the only way is the bread of life Jesus is essential.
What he came to bring is, is essential. Like what those people wanted a Jesus plus version of a messiah and savior. What they, what they wanted was not what they needed.
And in one way, I would tell you Jesus is Consumer-driven.
But not to give you what you want.
To give you what you need.
The bread of life, which required his life on the cross.
And that was offensive.
Not just to the crowd than the ones who ran around the lake. But the some of his disciples, those who would follow them this far as Ministry. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, this is a hard teaching who can accept it.
What they wanted. Jesus was an offering.
Because what Jesus offering was they did was what they didn't think they needed.
When sadly, it was the one thing they needed. It was everything. Life with God. The bread of life Jesus is life, his death, his resurrection, all that he was would give life. So from this time on many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed, You do not want to leave to do you Jesus asked the 12? And I want you to think about that question this week, maybe it's the action item. Like when it comes to Jesus, Who do you want to be in and what are you looking for him to do? If what you wanted him to be and looking for me to do is all about Here and Now You might have applied a filter.
Please understand this. Jesus cares about our needs. Jesus provides for our needs. But he doesn't promise a life without trouble. For challenges, what he promises us his life with God forever where there will be no more trouble or pain, but but the only way there is through him, unfiltered
Which the disciples got.
Lord to whom, shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life, you
We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One Of God. Like We've heard your word and we are not going to filter it, there is no other way. What what, what those people are looking for, is not who you are, we understand that. And we know that, And that's what we need.
Which is why I want to leave you with this take away like when it comes to the consumer driven Church world of today, if you're looking for a Jesus to meet your needs that you have applied from a worldly perspective, please hear. Jesus loud and clear today, unfiltered Jesus plus nothing, don't add anything to him. Don't expect other things from him other than what he offers and says in his word. When you have that math equation, Jesus plus nothing. You know what? You are left with 42. Jesus. Where the bread of life, you will never go hungry. You'll never be thirsty. Which means you have everything. You will ever need. Because the bread that he gives. It's something that will. Always fill your soul. May God bless us this series as we consider the filters that we apply. To address them so that we get Jesus, unfiltered. The bread of life.
