Why People Stay With Christ — Rolfe Barnard

Examining Whether Faith Is Genuine

I want to begin reading at verse 66 of this chapter, verse 66, and I'm going to talk tonight on something that ought to be of interest to everybody here. There is a danger that you can look at yourself and look within yourself and examine yourself too much, but we, not many of us, have that danger.

You and I have the privilege or misfortune or something of living in a day when men are presumptuous when we have faith and when real faith is not so manifest. The scriptures every once in a while say examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith, know you not that Christ is in you, except you be reprobate.

The scripture says every man of us ought to have an ounce of hope that is within us. There is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not presumption. Faith is something that God works inside of a man, and Christ is real to him.

That's what salvation is, Christ being real and dear to eternally bound men and women. So I want to read a passage of scripture tonight and ask you to be honest one more time with yourself and remember that this is something that nobody can take care of for you except you, and that's a matter of your relationship or lack of it to the Lord.

Those Who Walk Away From Christ

I want to read about some people, and since they are unsure, and they walked along with the Lord Jesus when he was here in the days of his flesh for a while, and then some things took place, and they went back, quit walking with the Lord.

Some people, and they kept on examining these people who walked with the Lord a while, and then quit. These people who walked with him and stayed, I noticed two or three things about the people. I'm sure they were honest, but they didn't stay with the Lord.

They didn't stay with him. Remember that every once in a while, especially we Baptists who fill hell with people who made a profession that didn't lead them into a life of obedience, and yet they think they're saved.

I had the privilege this September of preaching 36 years. Most of that time, I've been going from place to place. In that length of time, I've preached to a lot of people. I've seen multiplied thousands upon thousands of people, as honest as they could be, as earnest as they could be, walk an aisle or go to an inquiry room or do something, go through the motions, stand up, and say, the Lord is my Lord and Savior.

I've seen hundreds and hundreds of people in this city of Western Salem make a profession of faith under my management of the days. I'd be very happy if I believed that one out of twenty of the people who make a profession of faith under my preaching actually get to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm glad if one does. But I'm not saying that to discourage anybody. I'm saying it to just frankly face the fact that in the 13th chapter of the book of Matthew, the Lord tells us that only one out of four of the classes of people who make a profession of faith in Christ will really be saved.

He tells us about the sword going forth to sow, and the devil comes and snatches that up and don't even have anything, and he has something else that cares of this world, and hard times come and folks take out, and the seedfulness of riches and so forth, and only the good fruit.

I'm dead certain that the Lord is telling us that it does not bring forth the fruit of godliness and obedience. That lie has missed the Lord Jesus Christ. If salvation is not under holiness, then it's a holy joke, and we need to remember that we live in an atmosphere.

We are members of congregations where the likelihood is, even if it's a pretty good number there, the vast majority of them are going along for the ride and know nothing about the reality that there is in Jesus Christ.

The Terror of Judgment

First, I'm more interested in me than I am you. One time I held these full of preachers and people sticking out the windows, and I said, yes, I guess they would. I don't want to be one of them. I don't want to be one of them.

And I have a holy horror and dread of the judgment. I hear in this giddy age the people who hardly ever see a thing read the Bible, and they heard somebody say they are longing for Jesus to come back.

I don't believe them. I think they're lying through the teeth. I'm not so anxious myself, because when he comes, I've got to stand at the judgment seat of Christ. And I also believe when he comes, I've got to witness as he sends people to hell.

And I'll tell you right now, it's not going to be a Sunday afternoon picnic when there at the judgment we have to stand by and come up and give testimony as God examines people. Sometimes it solemnizes me as I remember that God will have a few million years to examine the case of just one individual, and still there will be as much time as there was, because that will be a time when time will be no more and eternity rolls, and God will take plenty of time before he finally sends a person to spend eternity in hell.

And he'll take a million years to examine your case. All evidence will be brought in, and none of it will be left out, for that's the time when the dead are going to be judged out of the book of the law, you know, in their works.

And everything we've done and left undone will be brought back. I tell you, it's serious. We've just got one life to live, and then there's long eternity. And I've lived all the days of my life in a generation where more people have made a confession of faith and then taken out and quit making any effort to walk with Christ than have Jesus Christ.

The Three Marks of Those Who Stay With Christ

So I'm interested in this subject tonight, and I want to talk to you about the three things that are true of people who stay with the Lord until they're finally saved. Verse 66 of the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, that means in a moment we'll have to go back and look at the scriptures ahead of us here in order to understand what he means by from that time something must have taken place, something happened, he taught something, some reaction had occurred, for it came to a crisis, and at a certain time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? And Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art in suggested for these scriptures here, and I'll read some more directly of the context, and I want you to listen.

Maybe the Holy Spirit will grant unction and anointing to somebody's heart tonight. Are you interested? Where these disciples who walked with the Lord Jesus a while and then went back and walked with him no more.

Second, why did these disciples who went with the Lord a while and then took out on other people who did this in the book of Matthew, that he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Do you believe that?

That so endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. So people make some sort of a start in what we call a Christian profession. Endure to the very end. Is that your doctrine? And that's us. I'm pretty keenly sensitive to it, because I've had the opportunity to go on from place to place to see so many, many more people make profession of faith than you have.

If you've just had a local ascent, been in one church, or two, three little churches, and lived in one place and haven't traveled, as it's been my joy or burden to do, close my eyes sometimes, and the multitudes of people under my poor little ministry I've seen make a profession.

And boy, it'd be embarrassing to go around and see how they're living now, see how they're living now. And I make no apologies for it, ladies and gentlemen. If your desire you didn't have, then you are not a child of God.

That a man can't live a Christian life. The fact that a woman can't live the Christian life. The fact that a power from above makes a difference. But I'm also the great majority, it looks like, of people who've made some sort of a start in some sort of a profession.

Seem to have just come to be obedient to the five disciples that walked with the Lord and then took out on prayer in this same chapter. Although they have to watch the Bible sometimes and not make it mean what will fit into your little theory.

For this verse of scripture here is one of the verses of scripture that they built this non-Bible doctrine of backsliding. People sometimes fall out with me. They ask me, Brother Barney, do you believe the Bible teaches backsliding?

And I say emphatically not. There isn't one word in the New Testament about it. And did you know, my friends, the only reference to backsliding in the Old Testament is to unsaved Jews. But were not saved themselves.

In the Old Testament we'll read scriptures like this. My people aren't better. In the Old Testament are called his people because they were members of the Jewish nation and God chose that nation as an elect nation.

But Paul tells us that only a remnant inside of that nation actually were saved. You better listen to me now. We've got an easy so-called gospel now that allows people to make a profession of faith and live like the devil and still say they're saved.

But my friends, folks that are living in disobedience aren't saved. People who are living without following the best of know-how, the marks and the steps of Jesus Christ, contact with him. And you can call them what you want to.

They do not know what it means to be married to, to be joined to the living vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. And to have time to live the supernatural life that God says is a Christian life. I'm just not trying to prove a doctrine.

I'm trying to magnify the salvation there is in Jesus Christ. If a man, he'll not be perfect. He'll not be perfect. But bless God he'll want to be perfect and a power will come into his life that'll change him and fix him so he'll never be the same again.

That's not bragging on people. That's bragging on the power of the living Christ who comes down here to provide what he requires. What he requires. Now the scripture said that even though the people who were called said many of his disciples went back, they weren't saved people.

They weren't saved people. The first two verses of this sixth chapter, it's a long chapter. Turn back in your Bible there. The first two verses will identify these people. Two things are said about these people.

Miracles Cannot Produce Saving Faith

The reason they followed the Lord. Verses 1 and 2. After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude called him. Which he did on them. That was disease.

Word against the miracles of the Lord. It looks like if we do not have a supernaturalist generation in the church and now is going to hell. That's in God's hands and I do not know about that. But I do know this.

Great miracles. God raised people from the dead here in Winston-Salem. Nobody would be saved because somebody's raised from the dead. Nobody ever gets saved. Now listen to me. Nobody ever gets saved.

The power of miracles have their place and I believe in them. But miracle working doesn't get people saved. There's just one way on earth that God gives faith to send for people. And that's faith cometh by hearing.

And hearing by the Word of God. Suppose I could work a miracle here tonight. People say, I see that miracle. I'll trust Christ. Nothing to it, my friends. That's the only way people get saved. Or they could say they hate Jesus.

And they could say they trust Christ. But they wouldn't do it. There's one thing we need to remember. Sometimes when I get discouraged and blue. I've held hundreds and hundreds of meetings. Some of them big ones and some of them little.

Some of them good ones look like and some of them flat tires. And when you're having a flat tire, you tend to get under the juniper tree. And you say, well, the people are not interested in the preaching of the Word of God.

I'll do something else. But I never do. Because before I finally backslide quite that much, I remember this. Whether anybody ever listens to it or not. Whether anybody ever pays the least attention to the Word of God.

Nobody will ever get saved apart from the hearing of God. These folks saw the Lord work miracles and said, that's for me. They said, that's for me. That's for me. And I have the Lord choose his business.

That's his business. I pray for it every day. More than I ever did. But I can't work miracles. If God is in a miracle going on, I want it to be. If he wants them to work them through me, I'm willing. Aren't you?

But Paul preached as he saw fit. Nobody gets saved just with a sign of the glory of the cross. And then later in this chapter, it says they fall into the loaves and pitchers. What they could get out of it.

What they could get out of it. I said, I think the first day I was here last Sunday, or sometime since I've been here, one of the most solemn things you've ever heard, I repeat. Nobody goes to heaven without to go.

You're going to get the soul of God. But you're going to quit saying, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme. And using God as somebody to get something out of. And something of the glory of God. Don't thud your soul if you ever get soul.

The way you're interested a little bit in God instead of yourself. You can't use God to get something out of him. That isn't the way salvation is for those. It's something that calls us to pause, my dear friends.

It's pouring down rain. This is grocery night. This little group of us here. But bless God you're here. And after a while, you're going to be at the judgment stand before a holy God. And I come to you and ask you now if you never have given much serious consideration to it.

Profession, Baptism, and Church Membership Are Not Enough

And God's name. People just follow. It's interesting to note in this chapter. And I do not want to touch on this for the minute. But dear, I'll be here till midnight. But it's interesting to note why people have taken out on being American.

To be consistent, we all join the Catholic Church. Most of us Baptists. Next Sunday morning, the churches of this city will be full. And then the members of the churches, for the most part, will be pleased.

Think enough of God now. I'm not saying that you live in a day when people have taken out on joining the churches. Where people have taken out on in their hearts. This awful. If it keeps on much longer.

What the hardest is going to be in America. Themselves have made a start. Made a profession. May have been perfectly honest and sincere. But they didn't stay with it. Did they get saved and then get lost?

No, sir. No. They never got saved to start. And they did find out. And here's something that breaks my heart. They had to find it out before they did. And this is serious. In the New Testament, one thing I know is dead certain about the Lord Jesus Christ and his preachers.

They honestly faced people with nothing of what is involved. And standing up. And he told them something about what. And sat down. Like he did here in the sixth chapter. By telling people the truth. Had to make a profession.

Getting baptized. Joining the church. Well, that's all right. He had saved. Eat of his flesh. For his miracles. Three things in this chapter. He taught. He greatly attended them. And I haven't time to go into them.

But I do want to say this about one of them. In this sixth chapter of John. In the 40. I want you to follow me carefully. For your soul's sake as I read this passage from the lips of my blessed Lord. Verse 48.

Abiding in Christ and Eating the Bread of Life

Jesus said, I am that bread of life. We eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. But this is the bread which cometh down from heaven. Talking about himself. That a man may eat that of and not die. Which came down from heaven.

If any man eat of this bread. He shall live forever. And the bread that I will give him is my flesh. Which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves. Saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Now notice carefully what he says here. Verse 53. Then ye eat. That expression. In language that you and I can understand. And he uses a once for all. Unless there's a crisis comes in your life. And you actually.

This is his savior. I hear that. In order to have. If there's a crisis. You'll have no life. Makes it a little more. Eat one time. And drink one time. These little girls. We eat. Continues. Then verse 50.

There's a crisis. And he lays hold of you. Receive you. And there's a bargain. And a bind. And there's a join in that. And then it continues. He just keeps on. He keeps on. Except ye abide in me. And I in you.

My flesh and drinketh my blood. As he turned on us. And the last phrase of that verse is. I'll raise him up. At the last day. I don't blame these people for taking out on the Lord. And having bound you to Christ.

And having made you. And made him the center. And circumference of your life. And his will. The thing that makes you. Take those things that are so absent. From church life today. That little confession doesn't do that.

No good. I tell you what's good. To actually be joined to him. I tell you what's good. To actually be married to the Lord. I tell you what's good. To know he's here. And he's speaking. That's what it is to be a Christian.

That's what it is to be a Christian. These folks said that's too much for us. If we could be Sunday morning followers. Or something like that. But you can't have that. Is it not? That if a man. Doesn't have as the chief thing.

That motivates his whole life. The doing of the will of him. Whom he claims to be Lord. That man doesn't know the Lord. He knows nothing of the Lord. You don't have to beg people to read the Bible. And beg people to pray.

And beg people to do this. And beg people to give. And beg people to come to church. If something had happened. That had made the will of God. The most precious thing in their life. And that's exactly what takes place.

When a man is joined. First two services. I spoke on seeking the Lord. I didn't try to get you to make a profession. You've done, done that. I wish you'd seek the Lord. He becomes real. Joined between you and him.

So there's reality. And Jesus is alive. To men and women. I'm looking for life. They stumble at it. They're offended. And they said we just can't take this. This is just too bad. We can't take it. A group of people that could.

And that time many of the disciples went back. And walked no more with it. And the Lord turned to the 12 people left. And one of them was the devil. From the beginning. In the name of Judas. The Lord knew about it.

He said you want to leave too? Three states. Three things to be true. And the view. Somebody that's a Christian. Has to have. With and keep on walking with the Lord. Good times and bad times. Times of victory and times of defeat.

Peter’s Confession: Nowhere Else to Go

Who's fallen wonder. And say with Peter. Three things. First Peter said Lord. We got nowhere else to go. If men and women are faced with something. What's involved? Passing the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In the world at the night. Goodbye Mama. Goodbye Papa. Goodbye everything. He's my Lord. Peter said Lord. To whom shall we go? Old Peter knew what he was talking about brother. He left all of it. It meant something.

You know what old Peter did? He got kicked out of his church. Yes sir. His family were divided. It meant something for a Jew in my Lord. In a nation that had crucified Jesus. Say that fellow you hung on a tree.

Outside the city of Jerusalem. He's my Lord. He's my. Get by. With holding one hand behind your back in this business. It's a whole hearted committal. Whatever the cause. Happy is the man or woman that committed my sin.

I tell you that will help you. When temptation comes. And that will help you when the tide is going against you. And that will help you when you see your friends. Taking out on holy living and the things of God.

If you made a committal. That cost everything potentially. Burned all your bridges behind. If you haven't burned all. There's a second thing that Peter said. True of people I get a chance to preach to and witness.

And I sure want to be true of me. He said. Your mother's Savior. He's got to become. When the storm. Quoting a while ago most preachers do. They won't preach what he preached. But they quote him a lot.

And most of them won't. They hate his doctrine. But they quote him. But he said. It will be tested. If yours hadn't. By some. Your professional. The one thing working for you. Is a voice saved. Not saved by knowledge.

But saved by faith. The faith grows in the knowledge. When you commit yourself to him. It's on his testimony in the book. And the Holy Spirit will give you an inward witness. To hell. I know. None of the eternal.

In that wonderful. And I'll tell you right now. You can't say that in God's name. Seek him till you can. That's the only thing that will stand the test. Fix him to go anywhere else. We found out. The sons of this earth.

They died on the. I do. Take anything less than. That describes a Christian. Christian. Somebody burned all the bridges behind. We got nowhere else to go. Somebody's found out. Who Jesus is. No such thing being a Christian.

Unless you found out who Christ is. You trust it. A vacuum can't save it. And Christian. Somebody else. That can save with Peter here. The words. Of eternal life. I came to you. And you did. Friend of mine.

Said a fellow. Asked him one time. So and so. If a man came to your city. And claimed to be Jesus Christ. Would you believe it? My preacher friend said. For me. For me. They tell me. Now. Cell to be informed.

Of Christ. That the spirit makes him real. In this book. Stay in there till he does. For you. It is a matter of fact. That a Christian. Has his sins forgiven. By the Lord. Seek a union of peace. With him.

Until you have a consciousness. In yourself. Just as much. As when he was here. In the flesh. He said. Thine be forgiven thee. He's alive. Speak to men. Give them the consciousness. That their sins have been settled.

Just as real as he did. When he's here. In the days of the flesh. In God's name. Don't go around here. Whistling. To keep the. Booger man away. The same. Woman. When they get into. Vital contact. With him.

Now. Don't you settle. For anything less. Or soul. Is no longer. Trouble. Peter said. Lord. Of eternal life. We came to you. This is not. Second hand. Religion. In first hand. Contact. With the crucified.

Christ. Who isn't dead. Now. But he's alive. In the spirit. Men can get. In touch with him. He'll. Touch. To you. Years ago. To be connected. With the. Piedmont Bible. School. He has evangelist. Part time.

Teacher. For a while.