The Formula for Following Jesus | The Gospels | John 6:25-40
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How does cultural 'Just do it' pressure shape our approach to faith?
Welcome to 10-Minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt-McNair. You know the Nike slogan, just do it. Just do it. Stop making excuses. Just get up and do the thing. They're obviously talking about physical exertion, but I think our culture embodies this spirit in basically every way. we are a group of go-getters. Not that all of us are intrinsically motivated like this, I will say I do not always relate, but I can see that the mantras of the world around me center on the idea that if you want something, if you want to be someone, if you want to possess something, then it's up to you to start. Start today. Put in the work. Just do it.
So it doesn't shock me that when we approach the Bible, oftentimes we approach it with the same attitude.
Why do Christians treat spiritual growth like a checklist?
We approach the Bible asking, what do I need to do to be a good Christian? What rules should I follow? What kind of people should I hang out with? How many hours should I give a week to Bible reading, praying? Should I be serving? I should probably serve. Where's the best place I could serve? We want a list of things we can do so we can become successful Christians. Start today. Put in the work and become like Jesus. But if you've ever tried to just do anything, you know that white-knuckling it is hard. It's hard to be consistent. I'll see you next time. Or maybe you hit your goal and so you stop doing the things. And so slowly, your body goes back to the way that it was. See, to have a healthy body, you have to maintain a healthy diet.
You have to remain active and you have to consistently do the things. And it's hard to do when it doesn't feel as exciting. And when the results work against you, it's frustrating, defeating. Well, we can do the same thing with our faith. We decide to do the things, to become like Jesus. And you may do a couple weeks of deep Bible reading. You may pray often. You may feel better, feel more connected. But eventually, life catches up. Things get busy. You get tired. Your zeal for the project wanes. And you wake up one day and realize it's been weeks since you've read your Bible. Or no matter how much you read the Bible, no matter how much you prayed, no matter how much work you do or how much you try, you still yell at your kids.
You still gossip at work. You fall into sexual temptation. You end up thinking the things you're doing just must not be the right things. So you go back to the Bible. You try to find out the rules, the structure, the things to do to get it right next time. Now, we aren't unlike the crowds who follow Jesus in this way. In John 6, the day after Jesus feeds the 5,000, the crowds wake up and seek him out. And they find him on the other side of the lake, and they ask him, hey, when did you get here? And Jesus answers, very truly I tell you, You are looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.
What common patterns cause faith to plateau despite effort?
What is Jesus saying to the crowds here? He's saying, you're looking for me, but not because you saw the miracle I did and recognized that I was the son of God, but because I fed you. I met your physical needs and you want more of the material benefits that I can give you. But he pushes back on this and says, don't work for food that spoils for material benefit. Work for food that endures, food I can give you as a son of man. And obviously they're in, because like us, they just want to know what they need to do. What is the work they have to do to get the bread that doesn't spoil? How can they work for the benefit to get what they want? So they ask, what must we do to do the works God requires? See, they're looking for a to-do list, work they can accomplish.
They're used to the Pharisees. Ask a Pharisee how to be close to God and you'll get a list, a big list of rules to follow. So they're approaching Jesus in that same way.
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