EBG Preken

If anyone desires to come after me - 1
being a disciple - 3

Returning to a text that I cited during the first sermon, I would like to draw our attention to the last words of Christ before he ascended into heaven. He left specific instructions recorded in Matthew 28:19.
Go and make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them everything I taught you.
Making disciples is part of what Christ taught and so the process continues with a new generation making disciples.


“Who do people say that I am?” The text seems to indicate that Jesus asks this question in passing - as they are going along. But no question is of greater importance than this topic. This question places a person on the crossroads. Who is this Jesus?
“And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” This question sparks an incredible confession and confirms in the hearts of the disciples that Christ is their expected Messiah and the Son of God.
A disciple starts with who Jesus is
The emotional high must have been incredible. All of Scripture’s promises come to bear on this moment as they stand there and realize that history is unfolding before their eyes.


Peter speaks for the disciples when he makes his declaration. They have all seen the signs. They were in the boat when he stilled the storm, they have witnessed every healing and every miracle, they watched Him walk on water and feed a multitude twice. They’ve hung on every word and when he turns the question to them, their hearts overflow with the only answer that can be given… you have the words of life… we believe in you… you are the Son of the living God… you are the expected Messiah.


This is where every disciple starts. Taking a bite of the bread.
A disciple keeps discovering who Jesus is
And then Christ bursts their bubble by talking about his own murder by the religious leaders and something about a resurrection. It was confusing enough to His disciples that Peter takes it upon himself to correct Jesus’ theology.
What Jesus was saying didn’t fit with Peter’s picture of what was supposed to happen.
Jesus rebukes Peter sharply. He identifies his problem: worldly thinking rather than Godly thinking.
This journey with the Lord begins with the question of who He is, the rest of the journey is discovering who Jesus is. What’s the point here? We continue to get to know Christ. We’re never done.
A disciple follows after Jesus
The invitation Christ gives is spectacular. The word come after is related to the Greek word for road. He is asking: “If anyone wants to walk this road together”, but then specifically adds “after me”. Jesus invites us to walk the road together… being a disciple is walking on the road together, but Christ leaves no doubt that He needs to be the one taking the lead.
He might surprise you at times in the bends and turns in the road or that he picks climbing the rocks, rather than the beaten path… but he expects you to accept that He’s in charge.
Jesus finishes with three statements that we will cover next week: deny yourself, pickup your cross and follow.


Will you together with Him walk the road behind him?

Fan or Follower? part two
Daniel Boyd
October 16, 2016

In the coming months we will investigate the various aspects of discipleship. Not every Sunday - I’ll interrupt myself along the way - but as we consider in which ways we can step out with our faith, it is going to be increasingly clear that discipleship plays a vital role. Either yours or the person that you are reaching out to.

It’s the last command Christ left with His disciples: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

This morning we return to John 6 in order to consider in more detail the content of what Jesus was saying to His disciples.

I love bread. I remember the first time I made my own bread from scratch. It was a class outing to the openlucht museum and we were pretending to live a long, long time ago. We were instructed on the mixing of flour, water, oil, and salt and then baked it in a stone oven. Hot, fresh bread. Yum. My favorite smell is still walking into a bakery and breathing in all the different “bready” smells.
Have you noticed that once we start talking about food, you can’t stop thinking about it?
Essentially this is where the crowd is at. Ever since yesterday, the feeding of the 5000, it’s all they can think or talk about. “We’ll never go hungry again!” “I wouldn’t need to work quite so hard to make ends meet” “Jesus just stood there breaking bread for more than two hours!” “Did you see it?”
The next morning Jesus is gone and the people go looking for him. By the time they find him, they’re starving again. “Give us some more bread!”
worldly or spiritual?
Jesus knows this and calls them on it in verse 26. He calls them to spiritual insight in verse 27.

Then follows a cycle of conversations between Jesus and the crowd.
Jesus confronts the crowd 26-27they ask for a sign 28-31
Jesus uncovers their need 32-33they ask for physical bread 34
Jesus points to Himself 35-40they respond with unbelief 41-42
Jesus points to Himself 43-51they respond with arguments 52
Jesus points to Himself 53-58they respond by walking away 66

Jesus tries to remove their attention from the physical and onto the spiritual, but they’re not listening.

I don’t know if Jesus grows impatient as he repeats Himself with growing intensity in this text, but he certainly becomes more direct.
He starts by making a point about their spiritual need and they respond by asking for proof… Moses gave our ancestors manna. Can you do that?
Jesus points out that God the Father gave them that bread and that there is an eternal bread, that has already come down from the Father. “Ooooo, give us that!” And Jesus says He is that bread, that came down from the Father like manna.
Jesus explains what He means by bread in verses 36-40. He is talking about faith. What do we do with bread? We eat it, consume it, take it in - and that is exactly what faith is about: appropriating the Son as our greatest spiritual need.
The Jews are disappointed and frustrated and start to turn on Christ. “This is Joseph’s kid… He came down from above?”
Jesus again brings it back to faith. I’m the bread. I’m going to give my life for salvation. Verse 51
Now the Jews start aguing and Jesus brings His point home in a shocking way. “Eat me!”
This is offensive to them (verse 60-61), but it finally gets them to stop thinking physical. This can’t be taken literally. Jesus wants them to understand that He is the only thing that will satisfy.
Focusing on the Son
The problem the crowd was facing is problem we face at times. Jesus is trying to get us to think about spiritual things and we are more concerned with physical things. Jesus desires for us to simply have faith in him. “I’m the bread” - “I’m all you need”.
You know, we miss the boat on this sometimes, because we become entirely focused on a good thing Christ does for us. Like freeing from the power of sin. And then I do it again. We confess. Then we do it again. We end up getting in this cycle where our relationship with Christ is entirely focused on the battle… save me from lying. Save me from gossip. Save me from pornography. And we can’t break the cycle. Our relationship with Christ isn’t about Christ anymore, it’s about getting free from this sin.
Jesus says: I’m the bread. Look at me. I’m all you need. Not for anything… you just need me. And when we don’t get it… just eat me! I’m the only thing on the menu.

Is that why you’re following?

What is the best meal you have ever eaten? The factors that determine your answer might differ. Perhaps it was the taste of the food. Or perhaps the quality of the food or the location is what makes the meal memorable. Maybe it’s the people you were with. Perhaps it was something else that happened while you were eating… the best joke you’ve ever heard. Or maybe you have a very short memory. When I asked Cole what his most memorable meal was, he said: Gemeente BBQ… “it was the most fun and the tastiest!” Luke said: McDonald’s. He’s still in the stage of his development where he doesn’t remember anything. Joel’s answer: “that one time we ate at Sabine’s house with the bbq.” Heather answered taco’s with her extended family when she was a little girl.
For me it depends. Heather’s parents introduced me to the world’s best pizza in Dubuque, Iowa. Eating the freshest fish in my life with my grandparents on Grand Cayman Island. Or my first date with Heather… we’d been friends for over two years and yet we were still nervous. Heather took a drink of her water and the ice cubes let go of the bottom of the glass and splashed water all over her face… so funny.

So often meals and memories go together.
In Luke 22 Jesus instructs his disciples to get everything organised for the Passover meal. The scene reminds me of the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, where all the wives are in whirlwind of preparation. The venue is picked and the food divied up, the decorations assigned. The disciples forgot to arrange an important person… the servant to wash everyone’s feet. And this sets the stage for a memorable evening. I think if the disciples would have been asked this questions, they would have agreed this last evening meal with Jesus was their most memorable meal.

The first establishment
So what is this scene? And what is it that we do on the first Sunday of every month? In order to really answer that question, we need to go back to Egypt… Exodus 12. The showdown between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt has come to its climax. There have been 9 plagues already and yet Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let God’s people go.
Passover is instituted. An innocent lamb without blemishes. It’s blood painted on the foorframe. The death angel comes to Egypt. Can you imagine the wailing? If the first-born son of everyone in Bergen op Zoom was found to be dead one morning. Can you imagine the mayhem, the sorrow, the anger, the riots, the memorial services. Israel is sent packing. God has won. His most definitive victory is yet to come at the Red Sea. Drop down to verse 26… why do this every year? To remember. To remember what God did in passing over his people.

There is a memorial aspect - the deliverance from Egypt’s power. There is also a preparatory aspect - the provision of a substitute. The lamb died in place of the first born son.

The last establishment
With the disciples in the upper room, Christ indicates he has desired with desire (literally) to eat this meal with them. His last passover. In 24 hours he will be dead. Crucified innocently. These are his last moments with his trusted twelve - and one of them is going to betray him.
Christ suddenly and most unexpectedly institutes something new. He is the fulfillment of Passover… according to Paul He is our passover lamb. And since he fulfills what the Jews have been commemorating for 1400-some years, he brings that memorial to an end and institutes a new memorial. Remember me. My body given for you. My blood flowing for you to inaugurate the new covenant.
We remember our deliverance from Sin’s power and we look forward to the fulfillment in the kingdom of God when we will eat this meal again with the Lord.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God. The God who forgives and places limits on the natural consequences of sin (3 generations). Patient, loyal and generous and responding to every heart that turns to Him.
> We have been encouraged by El Roi - the God, who sees. He sees our past, our mess, and our escape and yet still moves in comfort us with His presence.
> We have been impressed by El Shaddai - Almighty God, Who’s plan cannot be twarted, Who’s decision cannot be stopped and Who’s might cannot be overcome. And He is our refuge and He shelters us with His wings.
> We have been lead by Yahweh Rapha - our Healer, Who is our restoration and has brought reconciliation between God the Father and man.

Exodus 17:8-16
The scene is a battle between weary Israel and the Amalekites. The Amalekites attack Israel in their weakness (taking out the ones who are lagging behind according to Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Moses aks Joshua to mobilize.
Remember, the Israelites are slaves, not warriors. Imagine the question and the insecurity of the people.
Moses climbs a hill in the morning and lifts his staff. Aaron and Hur notice at one point that their army advances when Moses’ hands are raised and the Amaliktites advance when his hands lower. So they have him sit on a rock and they support his hands until sunset. Israel wins. An altar is built and God is glorified for His victory.

Now let’s consider at how many points this could have failed:
Joshua - I’m not a warrior.
Mozes’ tired arms - forget this.
Aaron and Hur - I’m more interested in watching.
The people - too tired.

God fought, but didn’t fight this time. He wanted to be their banner.

Three points to be made about God our Banner:
He is our rallying point - we congregate around Him. We come together because of Him.
He gives us focus - we look up and see Him and are motivated to keep going and keep battling despite our state of mind or tired bodies.
He grants the victory - He fights, but doesn’t fight. He is the One who is victorious, but oftentimes, we’re the one holding a sword. He will make it happen and He wants us to look to Him.

In Hebrews 12, the author fixes our attention on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, the one Who runs ahead to pave the way and the one who is running behind us to motivate us. He ran His course for the prize - you. He endured the cross, despising its shame. Now run. Now fight. Now follow Him!

The Lord is Yahweh Nissi… our rallying point, our focus and our victory.

De laatste 5 minuten ontbreken. 1 Petrus 2:21-24. Jezus Christus heeft voor ons aan het kruishout geleden en die Zijn striemen zijn wij genezen, hersteld, verzoend met God.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God. The God who forgives and places limits on the natural consequences of sin (3 generations). Patient, loyal and generous and responding to every heart that turns to Him.
> We have been encouraged by El Roi - the God, who sees. He sees our past, our mess, and our escape and yet still moves in comfort us with His presence.

This morning we will consider another one of God’s big names. In fact, El Shaddai is the name by which Job and Abraham knew God. Not until Moses does God introduce Himself as Yahweh.
Scholars are not entirely sure what Shaddai means. The verb comes from to be strong and likely refers to the strength of God as it relates to His keeping His covenant promises. In Genesis 17 God reveals Himself to Abram as El Shaddai and says: walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Gen 17:2) In Job 13, he appeals to the shaddai of God and wants to appeal his case before El Shaddai. Job struggles with the suffering he has to endure when he has not sinned and makes His appeal to the God, Who is strong enough to keep His promises.
El Shaddai, then, is best translated “God, the Almighty” or in a more modern vernacular: The strongest of all. Theologically we refer to His omnipotence. This divine strength guarantees that He can make true on His promises.

I’ve drawn three biblical conclusions concerning God’s omnipotence:
His plan cannot be thwarted
His decisions cannot be stopped
His might cannot be overcome

Biblical history has proven this very truth. Through all the epocs of man God has moved forward with His plan. According to Paul His plan was framed before the foundations of the earth. It was this plan that hinted at with Adam and Eve and it was the only plan to survive the flood. It was the plan that was promised to Abram, confirmed to Isaac and reaffirmed to Jacob. It was this plan that was lived out by Joseph to save Judah and took Moses and the people through the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. It was this plan that permitted Joshua to invade the Promised Land, prompted prophets to warn and Judges to fight and it was this plan the Kings forgot. It was this plan that brought the people back after the captivity. It was this plan that was revealed to a 14 year old girl in Nazareth, announced by shepherds and sought by wise men. His plan came to fruition in Bethlehem and was finished at Golgatha. God is powerful enough to ensure that His plan unfolded through some 5000 years of human history. That is might.

God has proven that when He begins something or when He promises something it will come to pass. Paul underlines this confidence in Philippians 1:6.

In Psalm 91 the writer builds on this confidence in El Shaddai. This Psalm brings us to a natural response to God’s omnipotence. I draw three practical insights:
Run to His refuge
Trust in His omnipotence
Rest on His plans

John and Anna Kay had a tackboard in their bathroom with many sayings. One of those sayings captures the truth of this Psalm: God never promised a calm voyage, but he guarantees a safe arrival.

Even Christ encountered this unmovable and unstoppable plan in the Garden, but through His finished work on the cross nothing can separate us from the love of God… His plan all along.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God, to even show His people mercy after failing so miserably moments after Moses receives the ten commandments. This is the forgiving God, who places limits on the natural consequences of sin (three generations), He is patient, loyal and generous and responds to the heart that turns to Him in repentance.

This morning we will move back in time to Genesis 16. We are introduced to a Name that is only mentioned here. And this time, rather than a God revealing Himself, a woman calls God El Roi. Before we turn to Genesis, I invite you to read Psalm 33 with me.

She was sixteen. She still couldn’t believe she had landed a good job, working for in a small family-owned business as the office errands-girl. The job paid well and the husband-and-wife team were kind to her. They saw her as a charity case of sorts... she had run away from home when she was fifteen - something she doesn’t like to talk about. People don’t really know that much about her and she prefers to keep it that way… “just let me be the wall flower.” She and the boss’ wife spent a lot of time together and shared a lot of laughs. She was a fair boss, but made her work for her paycheck.
All of that changed the moment the boss took a special interest in her. He took her out for coffee once and asked about her life and if she was happy. She was just starting to feel comfortable when he blurted out that his marraige had hit a bump and that it all had become quite complicated. It was a bit strange, but at the same time she was glad that he trusted her enough to share these things. She even thought he was really sweet for the way he sat there looking at her.
A few days later she found a sticky note on her desk asked her to come to an address. It was just a few blocks away, so she walke. She stopped at the coffee shop and ordered a latte to go and was surprised that the address was a motel. She stood there for a few moments sipped her coffee when her phone vibrated. A text message from Abe - her boss. “Room 205”. She was surprised. So many thoughts ran through her mind in that moment and before really thinking about it, she was standing in front of a blue door. She hesitated one last time and then knocked.
Work wasn’t the same after that. Abe didn’t really seem to pay much attention to her and she was sure that the boss’ wife knew. They hadn’t laughed at each other in a long time. Maybe it would all just pass.
Six weeks later she was sitting in her bathroom holding a positive pregnancy test and a pink slip. In just a few weeks her world had come crashing down.

Why would I start a sermon with a story like that? Well, Scripture interrupts its chronicling of Abraham and Sarah’s life with a story just like this. We have followed them from Ur of the Chaldeans, watched him become an significant and wealthy person, cheered for him as he went to war and won, feared for him as he entered Egypt and loses his wife to the Pharaoh. He has had incredible encounters with God and received some amazing promises. And then in chapter 16 it is interrupted by this story of Hagar - Sarah’s slave.
We have been rooting for Abraham and Sarah, so we don’t tend to consider Hagar’s side of things. But you felt sorry for the girl in the story didn’t you? She was young, taken advantage of, and her boss should have known better. This is Hagar’s story.

She flees from Sarah and ends up in the wilderness, crying her eyes out...