“When they found him [Jesus] on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (John 6:25–26, ESV)
Why do you believe in Jesus?
I need you to think seriously about this.
Why do you believe in Jesus?
There are many answers to this question. I have heard thousands. Some believe in Jesus because they were raised that way. Some do it out of spiritual habit… feeling guilty if they don’t worship at church on Sunday morning. There are people who go to church and profess their faith in Jesus but only do it out of a need to be religious. I’ve met people who joined a church because it was politically or socially advantageous. Young people may join a church in order to get married. At a local Lutheran Church, there are members who joined to get a discount on the Christian school run by the church.
Some people join a church. Some people have a relationship with God. You can be a member of a church without making a commitment to Jesus! My friend, Mark, joined his church because his girlfriend was a member there. Thomas, a guy down the street, won’t join a church because he claims his Christian parents who were active church members were “hypocrites”. Janice, a lady at the local pharmacy, believes there is a god but won’t commit to just one god. Some people believe in God out of convenience, some out of a need to fit in, some because they are spiritual, some because being a church member has its advantages. Again, why do you believe in Jesus? Why do you find yourself in worship?
You might think my question is inane, redundant, or obvious. It is none of these things. You see, even in the scripture for today, the crowds sought out Jesus for the wrong reason. They believed in Jesus for the wrong purpose. After Jesus fed thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish, the people were amazed at the miracle. However, some of those people didn’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God or Savior or Redeemer. They saw Jesus as a good source of food! When Jesus left the site where he fed thousands, some of those poor and hungry people followed him to the next place. They probably thought he would conjure up more food for them! Jesus told the people who followed Him to get more food, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves (of bread).” (John 6:26). Jesus knew these "followers" did not have a newfound love of God. They had more basic motives. They wanted more free food!
Now, before you criticize the motives of those people who followed Jesus to get free food, realize that many people do the same even today! George, a lonely older man in his eighties, loves going to the church for the potluck dinners. He misses the home-cooked meals his wife used to make and enjoys the casseroles especially at the potluck dinners at his church. Carlos goes to St. James Church in order to get food from the food pantry. As he told his best friend, he’d never go there to “just worship God”. Katherine loves to cook. She joined the women’s group at the local church because some of her best friends go there. And, they have their meetings at a local restaurant that she loves.
There are many reasons people approach God or join a church or attend worship. As seen in the scripture for today, Jesus was fully aware that some of those people who came to see Him did not want spiritual food. They wanted physical sustenance. They wanted loaves of bread. They did not realize that there is more to life than food. Even in modernity, the same issues still apply. Some people go around churches or dabble in religion for their own increase. They are not there for God. They are not there to celebrate Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. They just like the music or the food or just need a “religious fix” every now and then to feel better.
Why do you believe in Jesus?
Chances are, you are visiting this web site because you are looking for a deeper relationship with Almighty God. That in itself is a wonderful thing! However, don’t be surprised if now and then, you default to something less noble. It’s easy to forget that Jesus IS your Savior. He IS the reason you worship. Don’t allow yourself to fall into a rut where worship becomes a place to be “entertained”. Be careful when relationships at your church become more important than your relationship with God. If your prayers have become more ritualistic and your time with God seems to be a chore, its time to re-evaluate why you believe in Jesus.
I need you to think seriously about this.
Why do you believe in Jesus?
There are many answers to this question. I have heard thousands. Some believe in Jesus because they were raised that way. Some do it out of spiritual habit… feeling guilty if they don’t worship at church on Sunday morning. There are people who go to church and profess their faith in Jesus but only do it out of a need to be religious. I’ve met people who joined a church because it was politically or socially advantageous. Young people may join a church in order to get married. At a local Lutheran Church, there are members who joined to get a discount on the Christian school run by the church.
Some people join a church. Some people have a relationship with God. You can be a member of a church without making a commitment to Jesus! My friend, Mark, joined his church because his girlfriend was a member there. Thomas, a guy down the street, won’t join a church because he claims his Christian parents who were active church members were “hypocrites”. Janice, a lady at the local pharmacy, believes there is a god but won’t commit to just one god. Some people believe in God out of convenience, some out of a need to fit in, some because they are spiritual, some because being a church member has its advantages. Again, why do you believe in Jesus? Why do you find yourself in worship?
You might think my question is inane, redundant, or obvious. It is none of these things. You see, even in the scripture for today, the crowds sought out Jesus for the wrong reason. They believed in Jesus for the wrong purpose. After Jesus fed thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish, the people were amazed at the miracle. However, some of those people didn’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God or Savior or Redeemer. They saw Jesus as a good source of food! When Jesus left the site where he fed thousands, some of those poor and hungry people followed him to the next place. They probably thought he would conjure up more food for them! Jesus told the people who followed Him to get more food, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves (of bread).” (John 6:26). Jesus knew these "followers" did not have a newfound love of God. They had more basic motives. They wanted more free food!
Now, before you criticize the motives of those people who followed Jesus to get free food, realize that many people do the same even today! George, a lonely older man in his eighties, loves going to the church for the potluck dinners. He misses the home-cooked meals his wife used to make and enjoys the casseroles especially at the potluck dinners at his church. Carlos goes to St. James Church in order to get food from the food pantry. As he told his best friend, he’d never go there to “just worship God”. Katherine loves to cook. She joined the women’s group at the local church because some of her best friends go there. And, they have their meetings at a local restaurant that she loves.
There are many reasons people approach God or join a church or attend worship. As seen in the scripture for today, Jesus was fully aware that some of those people who came to see Him did not want spiritual food. They wanted physical sustenance. They wanted loaves of bread. They did not realize that there is more to life than food. Even in modernity, the same issues still apply. Some people go around churches or dabble in religion for their own increase. They are not there for God. They are not there to celebrate Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. They just like the music or the food or just need a “religious fix” every now and then to feel better.
Why do you believe in Jesus?
Chances are, you are visiting this web site because you are looking for a deeper relationship with Almighty God. That in itself is a wonderful thing! However, don’t be surprised if now and then, you default to something less noble. It’s easy to forget that Jesus IS your Savior. He IS the reason you worship. Don’t allow yourself to fall into a rut where worship becomes a place to be “entertained”. Be careful when relationships at your church become more important than your relationship with God. If your prayers have become more ritualistic and your time with God seems to be a chore, its time to re-evaluate why you believe in Jesus.