GOD’S WORD FOR  NOVEMBER 17

Our  book excerpt today, and ongoing,  is from “Chiseled by the Master’s Hand”  Lessons from the Life of Peter, by Erwin  Lutzer.  Dr. Lutzer is  Canadian-born and served as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years, until his retirement in 2016.   He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church.  He’s written many books and has radio and internet teaching programs.

*** ***

John 6:60-71

If Peter was to be mightily used of God, he and the other disciples had to declare their unquestioned loyalty to  the One whom they had come to know as the Messiah, the King.  Peer pressure and the hatred of multitudes would be used as the hammer blows to test Peter’s loyalty and commitment.  If Christ was who He claimed to be, competing loyalties would have to be uprooted from Peter’s heart.  Were he and the other disciples fully committed to Christ or not?

Christ providentially arranged an encounter that would force the disciples to make a choice.  If any of them intended to desert their Master, they would be given that option.  If they were wholly committed, they could affirm their love and determination.  There would be no middle ground.

The background of this confrontation is found in John 6, where Christ took five loaves and two fish and fed a multitude.  After this miracle we read, “Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”  (John 6:15).  The crowd loved this man who could give them bread at a moment’s notice.  Little wonder they wanted Him to be King!

Christ was not misled by His popularity.  In order to weed out the crowd, He made a series of statements that would prove that His admirers were quite disinterested in serious spiritual commitment,  For example, He said, “No man can come to Me unless the Father  who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.  The people were offended at the idea that they could not come to God on their own.  The doctrine that we of ourselves cannot choose Christ was just as unpopular then as it is today.

*** ***

Luke 9:62 ~ ~ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’

1 Corinthians 15:58  ~ ~ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Romans 12:1 ~ ~ Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Matthew 16:24  ~ ~ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’

Published by liveinthelightofourlord

View all posts by liveinthelightofourlord