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"Many Disciples Turn Away"
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(What Happens to Them and How You Can Keep from Becoming One of Them.)
What does happen to disciples who turn away from following Jesus? Whatever it is, it can’t be good. Peter did but when he repented he was restored. Judas did and ended up committing suicide. Whatever … this is important. It is very important.
First, we need to realize that people leave. We can’t take it personally. Adam and Eve left God. People leave church. Husbands leave wives. In this passage, disciples left Jesus. We can’t let people discourage us. Jesus didn’t. He simply said, “There are some of you who do not believe.” (v.64)
You can be a disciple without believing. You can be a disciple without being a believer. Judas was. Being a disciple simply means you are doing the disciplines. What are those? Reading your Bible, praying, going to church, tithing. You can do all those and still not believe, still not be a believer, still not be saved. The Pharisees did all those things and more, and they certainly were not saved. Jesus pronounced woe after woe on them in Matthew chapter 23:15, 23, 29, and yet we have v.33.
I’ve seen many faithful church members get saved! In fact, historic revivals usually begin with church members getting saved. Judas was a disciple and he wasn’t saved. Look at v.70-71, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.”
“Follow Me” was Jesus’ call to discipleship but His call to salvation was, “Believe in Me.” (v.35, 40, 47, and Jn. 3:16).
You can’t be a believer without being a disciple. In the mind of Jesus a believer is a disciple. In the Great Commission Jesus said to baptize believers in Mark 16 and in Matthew 28 He said to baptize disciples. In His mind they are the same. A believing disciple is not perfect, but he does believe in his heart and does the disciplines to some degree. In all your church going and Bible reading make sure you are a believer, which means to make sure all those things are in your heart and done from your heart.
Kids can grow up in church and do all the disciplines as long as they’re with their parents. When they grow up or leave home is when you find out if all of that doing was in their hearts. Here’s the test for all disciples – DO THEY CONTINUE? Hebrews 10:36-39 says this: “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition/destruction, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Then in Heb.11 the author of Hebrews gives multiple examples of those who “died in faith.” (Heb.11:13)
Studies have always been consistent on this. About 85% of all kids who grow up in church do not continue to go to church when they leave home. My dad used to say, “As long as you put your feet under my table, you will do what I say.” Most kids, when they stop putting their feet under their parents’ table, stop putting their feet inside the building where the church meets. And don’t be fooled by thinking church doesn’t really mat
Stay Connected with Grace Church!
Dive deeper into sermon notes and see how Christ is moving in our community by visiting our website: https://sites.google.com/view/gracehouseclinton/sermons
If you feel led to support our ministry, you can give securely here: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=674824c2-5d42-11ee-90fc-1260ab546d11
Thank you for being part of our ministry! #GraceChurch #FaithInAction #terrysimpson #terry #simpson #clintonar #sermons #pastor #ministry #discipleship
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By Terry Simpson
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(What Happens to Them and How You Can Keep from Becoming One of Them.)
What does happen to disciples who turn away from following Jesus? Whatever it is, it can’t be good. Peter did but when he repented he was restored. Judas did and ended up committing suicide. Whatever … this is important. It is very important.
First, we need to realize that people leave. We can’t take it personally. Adam and Eve left God. People leave church. Husbands leave wives. In this passage, disciples left Jesus. We can’t let people discourage us. Jesus didn’t. He simply said, “There are some of you who do not believe.” (v.64)
You can be a disciple without believing. You can be a disciple without being a believer. Judas was. Being a disciple simply means you are doing the disciplines. What are those? Reading your Bible, praying, going to church, tithing. You can do all those and still not believe, still not be a believer, still not be saved. The Pharisees did all those things and more, and they certainly were not saved. Jesus pronounced woe after woe on them in Matthew chapter 23:15, 23, 29, and yet we have v.33.
I’ve seen many faithful church members get saved! In fact, historic revivals usually begin with church members getting saved. Judas was a disciple and he wasn’t saved. Look at v.70-71, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.”
“Follow Me” was Jesus’ call to discipleship but His call to salvation was, “Believe in Me.” (v.35, 40, 47, and Jn. 3:16).
You can’t be a believer without being a disciple. In the mind of Jesus a believer is a disciple. In the Great Commission Jesus said to baptize believers in Mark 16 and in Matthew 28 He said to baptize disciples. In His mind they are the same. A believing disciple is not perfect, but he does believe in his heart and does the disciplines to some degree. In all your church going and Bible reading make sure you are a believer, which means to make sure all those things are in your heart and done from your heart.
Kids can grow up in church and do all the disciplines as long as they’re with their parents. When they grow up or leave home is when you find out if all of that doing was in their hearts. Here’s the test for all disciples – DO THEY CONTINUE? Hebrews 10:36-39 says this: “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition/destruction, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Then in Heb.11 the author of Hebrews gives multiple examples of those who “died in faith.” (Heb.11:13)
Studies have always been consistent on this. About 85% of all kids who grow up in church do not continue to go to church when they leave home. My dad used to say, “As long as you put your feet under my table, you will do what I say.” Most kids, when they stop putting their feet under their parents’ table, stop putting their feet inside the building where the church meets. And don’t be fooled by thinking church doesn’t really mat
Stay Connected with Grace Church!
Dive deeper into sermon notes and see how Christ is moving in our community by visiting our website: https://sites.google.com/view/gracehouseclinton/sermons
If you feel led to support our ministry, you can give securely here: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=674824c2-5d42-11ee-90fc-1260ab546d11
Thank you for being part of our ministry! #GraceChurch #FaithInAction #terrysimpson #terry #simpson #clintonar #sermons #pastor #ministry #discipleship