anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. . Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” . Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Recently, I found myself in a situation that ended in total disaster. I went to Walmart with one think in mind: buy Communion Bread. Now, you don’t need a buggy for a pack of flat bread; so, I walked straight to the shelf, picked up a pack of bread, and when I turned toward the checkouts, I saw the fruit. Man, it looked good. So, I picked up one of this and two of that; and but I turned toward the checkouts, I remembered I needed a cucumber. So, I walked over to the wall, reached down, and picked up a cucumber. And that’s when I started getting nervous, because the things in my arms were shifting around too much. So, I said to myself: “I think I can make it to the checkouts if I go right now. Yeah, I can make it,” but when I turned toward the checkouts, I saw the sweet potatoes. Now, I love sweet potatoes and they started calling my name, so I went over and … very carefully, picked up a few to take home. And then, I was in trouble, because my arms just weren’t big enough for all that stuff. So, I started walking a little quicker and then, I stubbed my toe … and everything – bread, fruit, cucumber, sweet potatoes, and Tucker – went flying in all directions. And an interesting thing happened at that moment: God seemed to speak to me, saying: “Tucker, you can’t hold onto everything.”

When we read the Gospels, we can’t help but notice the overwhelming response to Jesus’ ministry. Hundreds and thousands came to Him. In fact, when He fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish, there could have been as many as 12-15,000 or more on that hillside! They came to Him and He taught them; He fed them; He healed them; He loved them! But just a short time later, He was down to a handful of faithful disciples and in the end, when He was dying on the cross for our sins, only the women (and John) were there. What happened? How did we go from hundreds and thousands to just a handful of faithful followers? Could it be that Jesus – the Son of God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the Universe, couldn’t hold onto everything?

John 6 is often called “The Bread of Life Discourse.” In John 6, Jesus got out of a boat and found a hungry crowd and He fed them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then, He left them and went home to Capernaum, but they followed Him. And He said: “I know why you came looking for me. It wasn’t because you saw the miracles and believe; it’s because I fed you. You’re still looking for something to eat.” Then, He said: “You’ve got to look beyond your growling bellies and the physical bread and see what’s really important. I am the Bread of Life … I am the True Bread that comes down from heaven … and those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.”

Now, you would think He had them hooked, because not only did He offer them physical bread, but He offered them spiritual bread too. But look what happened next: verse 60 says: “When many of His disciples heard this, they said: ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’” And verse 66 says: “Because of this, many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him.” Jesus had an arm full of disciples, but even Jesus couldn’t hold onto everything.

Friends, I want to share some thoughts with you this morning, thoughts about the church, about your life and mine, and about our life together:

First, the arms of the church must be open wide to everyone! As far as I can tell, Jesus never turned anyone away! He welcomed everyone: saint and sinner, rich and poor, healthy and sick, the outcast and the in-crowd. He said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.” _ So Paul told the church at Rome: “So, then, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” _ Whoever! Every church ought to be a church for whoever! The church of yesterday was an either/or church. It was either White, or Black, or Asian, or Hispanic. It was either upper class or middle class or lower class. It was either Methodist or Baptist or … (You name it). But the church of today is a both/and church! Healthy, growing, thriving churches don’t exclude people, but constantly open their hearts, minds, and doors to welcome “whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord.” Our arms must be wide enough to welcome everyone!

Second, some just won’t be held! Jesus invited a few people who refused to follow. One day, He met a man and said: “Come, follow me!” and the man said: “Okay, Jesus, but first let me go bury my daddy,” and the man walked away! Later, Jesus met a man who said: “Jesus, I’ll follow you, but let me say goodbye to my family first,” and he walked away too.  You see, some people just don’t answer the invitation. Now, friends, we don’t live in a Christian nation anymore. The church – even in the Bible Belt – has lost its place of control and influence in our culture. This morning, somewhere between 70 and 75% of Wayne County has said “No” to church! And most of them have said “No” for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean we stop reaching! One morning, Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee and saw a boat filled with tired fishermen. He asked them: “Did you catch anything?” They said: “No! We fished all night and caught no fishes.” So, Jesus said: “Cast your net on the other side.” And when they did, their nets were filled to overflowing!

So, even when we’ve fished all night without having any luck, we just keep fishing. And even when we’ve fished in the shallows like all good fishermen are supposed to do, we keep fishing and we try a different method; we cast our nets on the other side. We keep tweaking the way we fish until we get the response that we’re looking for. We’re Methodists and Methodists find a method – any means necessary – to accomplish our mission. But in the end, some fish just will not be caught. And that’s sad, but we’re not responsible for the catching; we’re responsible for the fishing! So, keep fishing!

Third, the arms of the church aren’t going to hold everybody! Some people are going to leave. It happened to Jesus; verse 66 says: “Because of this, many of His disciples turned away and followed Him no more.” Now, listen, if people walked away from Jesus, who are we to think they won’t walk away from us? By the latter part of the first century, people were turning away from the church left and right, and the writer of the Book of Hebrews wrote to the church, saying: “Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other.” _

Some leave because they haven’t put down roots! They come to worship, and that’s it. They don’t belong to a cell – a Small Group or a Sunday School Class. They don’t have a place to serve or to fellowship with others. They only tie they have to the church is they like the worship service, the music, or the preaching and when that ceases to meet their needs. They walk away! Some leave because their priorities aren’t right! In the final days of his life, Paul wrote one last letter to his son in the ministry, Timothy. And at the end of this letter, Paul asks Timothy to come see him because he is alone and listen to this closing statement: “Do your best to come to me quickly. Demas has fallen in love with this present world and has deserted me. Crescens has gone to Galatia; and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.” _ “Demus has fallen in love with this present world.” Demus had children who played rec ball or maybe, they were dancers or twirlers. Whatever the case, church wasn’t Demus’ priority and he walked away. In an anti-christian culture, the alternatives are many and those who do not make church a priority will find themselves pulled away. Some leave because their motives weren’t pure! Listen, nobody joins a church with totally pure motives. We’re all here this morning for a variety of reasons. Some come to be entertained; they like the music; they like the choir or the praise team; or they like the preacher. And as long as they’re being entertained, then they’re happily present. Some come to because of what the church gives them. They have a place of power, a place of prestige, a place of influence. Long after some people lose influence at work or in the community, the church continues to be the place where they can be seen and looked up to and respected. Some come for friendship! Church is still a place where you can meet good people and find new friends. Hey, I know single people whose only reason for going to church every Sunday is so that they can meet someone to date. Everybody that attends church isn’t here to worship or to grow in their relationship with God. And when the church is shaken everything and everybody scatters in a hundred directions. So, what are we to do? First, keep living for Jesus! The only person’s faithfulness you are responsible for is yours. Jesus told the church at Smyrna: “Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you a crown of life.” _ Be faithful! Keep the promises you made to God and to His church! Second, keep reaching out to everyone and don’t discriminate! Jesus told the disciples, “Go into all the world and tell the Gospel to everyone.” _ Invite, even when people don’t respond! Invite, even if they don’t look like us, talk like us, dress like us, act like us! Third, keep loving everyone and don’t discriminate! Love, even when people walk away! Love, even when people don’t love you! Love, even when people are unlovely! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!