August 11, 2022

Passage Read: John 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:60-61

Thought

Jesus said some hard things, not just to those who refused to believe in Him, but also to those who followed Him. He wasn't afraid to offend with the truth. He was in fact more concerned about speaking Truth and sifting those who came to Him than He was concerned about amassing a great crowd of disciples. He came to seek and save those who were lost, knowing full well that many who would be drawn to Him would not care for the Truth. He knew that there were many who believed and many who did not believe in Him among those who followed Him, and He was not afraid to lose those who didn't believe.

Application

I'm so afraid to offend by the truth, but more because I'm afraid it'll be me and the way I present it that offends rather than the truth itself. Then, I'll be at fault. I want to know the truth and I want to speak up for the Truth, but I don't trust that I can speak it graciously, such that no one can say I drove people away because I was mean. Even if I could speak truth graciously, most churches and fellowships would panic if they saw people leaving over Truth, leaving for any reason. That's the problem with giving the students authority over the teachers. The teachers are not to be subject to the students, even though students are the ones that teachers serve. Teachers are supposed to be subject to the Truth, to know it and teach it accurately, so that they can serve the students correctly. Teachers are not actually subject to the students, but to the Truth. Preachers are not to be subject to the congregation, but to the Lord, and serve the congregation on His behalf. This is why so many churches grow cold and clueless, because the students hold power over the teachers.