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The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Jesus Unfiltered
Week 1 - The Core
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning to week number one of Jesus Unfiltered.
When I was born back in 1980 here in Wisconsin, out of every 10 Americans surveyed, nine of them claimed to be Christian. Now that I’m middle aged, in my 40’s, in the 2020’s, it’s not nine Americans, it’s not eight Americans, it's not even seven in 10 Americans, but just six in ten Americans. Most of them older claim to be Christian. They say if the trends continue and if I live the average lifespan, it won't be 6, it will be 5, if not 4. In one man's lifetime America will have gone to a from a supermajority 9 out of 10 people, identifying, as followers of Jesus To a numerical minority, sort of 10. I think about that for a second that wasn't a survey about whether people go to church every Sunday. It wasn't. Do you make it when the kids don't have stuff on the weekends, you show up on Christmas and Easter. These are just people saying, I religiously identify as a follower of Jesus as Christian and from nine to six. Reps trending all the way down to 5 or 4.
I'm curious. Have you noticed that too? If you think about your own family tree, the difference between religious passion between grandparents, and then parents, and then you and maybe your children. Have you noticed the trend, the trending away from Jesus. Maybe can you think did your grandma have a Bible next to her bed? She was at church or at Mass every single Sunday But then with your mom or your dad or your answer, your uncle's you'll some of them stayed religious and some of them kind of drifted away from all that. Maybe your own family, your mom or dad were all about Jesus. All about church. Faith was a part of their life saying prayers before bed, saying grace before meals and I was, you think about you and your brother, your sister, your family, Maybe a couple are still passionate about such things and a couple definitely are nods and a handful are somewhere in the middle. I've seen it in my own family tree, wonder if you’ve seen it, yours, or maybe that's your story or the person you're married to or the children, you are raising or the guy that you're dating. Older Generations, be much more religious younger Generations, much less. So, in fact, if you look at American members of Generation Z about 25 and under it's nowhere near six in ten, it's not even 5 in 10. You'd be shocked if it was 4 or perhaps just three in ten, young Americans claim to be followers of Jesus. It makes me want to ask this question. What happened?
What change to go from nine all the way down to six, perhaps, five, or even for why would people not just walk away from, you know, every Sunday church, but walk away from Jesus himself.
If we had time, we could probably explore the many, many answers to that question. All right, there's been television pastors who hustled people out of money in Jesus name, there's been scandals in the Catholic Church, stuff that was covered up with parish priests. There's been man-made rules and just boring church services that people don't make sense, feels like they're just going through the motions, is all kind of reasons why you and the people you love maybe stepped away from church but there's there's one reason I want to talk about today that maybe you haven't considered. As I think about the biggest reason why people are not interested in Jesus, or stop following Jesus or give up on the Christian faith. And that thing is the unfiltered, Jesus.
I love you. Write this down it is I think the biggest reason why people today and throughout history have walked away is because the unfiltered Jesus is offensive.
And by that, I mean, if you don't edit Jesus, if you don't like pick and choose your favorite parts of Jesus. If you just read who Jesus actually was, and what Jesus actually said in a recorded gospels, you cannot avoid the fact that he was scandalously offensive. I think the biggest problem Americans have with Christianity Today is not the pastor, even though pastors can be a problem. It's not the priests, it's not the rituals, it's not the rites. I think the biggest offense, Is Jesus.
Here's why I say that.
Stole / borrowed, this giant coffee filter. That many of you appreciate hear the church. Let me give you a coffee for free. Think of what a filter does.
I'll filter whether we're talking about a coffee filter or a furnace filter or a filter for the car you drove here to church or a filter on your phone or your favorite pictures of filter takes what something actually is and turns it into what you want it to be.
That an accurate definition, a filter takes the actual thing, and transforms it into a thing that you prefer. So the actual thing is a bunch of coffee grounds, super mushy and a bunch of water that you probably don't want to slurp up off the bottom of your coffee cup. So we use the filter, we take what it actually is and we turn it into this flavored caffeinated drink the thing we wanted to be. Your furnace filters a bunch of dust stuff floating around with the air that you want. So you put a filter in. So we take out all the bad stuff and we end up with just the kind of error that we would prefer to breathe. Or is it how to use Snapchat filters? We assume I must be old because I just don't get it and we can give them like a giant mouse or make them look like they're 100 years old. And my daughters love this kind of stuff. We take what a person actually looks like and we use a filter to turn them into what we want them to look like filters, take what is and transform it into a version that we prefer.
And every single day people are tempted to do the same thing with Jesus. I want to take the parts of Jesus that I like. That it feels good. Maybe the parts like he's with me. He forgives me? Yes, time for me, he can rescue me. He could heal this cancer. I'm gonna cry. Want a Jesus who gets me to heaven and watches over me on Earth, but sometimes we are very, very tempted to filter out the parts of Jesus that are not so easy to swallow. And that's why I'm happy that you're here. Starting today.and for the next few weeks, we are going to meet the unfiltered Jesus. Like the OG original, unedited and unadulterated, I'm not going to share with you Pastor Mike's, personal thoughts, or our churches, favorite quotes. We're just going to read the things that Jesus actually said, no filters allowed, in church. And it is going to be probably I think maybe two months of the most offensive church services you've ever been at. Are you happy you came today? If it's your first time, I've already apologized to a bunch of people like old old on the change that belt a notch, but here's what I want to do that. Two reasons. Even though I can kind of anticipate a bunch of you being offended, maybe some of you not coming back. I think you have the right to know who Jesus actually was, right? Whether you believe in him or are done with him, I don't think you should come to a Christian church and be surprised by him. I don't want you to actually pick up a Bible a year from now after coming to church every Sunday and say what if I'm going to be a faithful Christian, I should probably not filter Christ. So for the next few weeks, I'm going to give you Jesus with all of his cringy sayings with all of his rough edges with all the times just makes you want to walk out the door. I'm going to give despite the offense. Stuck with him.
And why would you?
If Jesus was his words, just going to smack you around and try to change you and call you to repentance and change your direction, and your hopes and your dreams and your truth. Like why, why would you stick with him?
The follow.
Jesus was so offensive that if my math is Right, 99.7 percent of his church left,
Imagine.
If I preach a sermon under hundreds of you here today and by the time I sit, you know, throughout the sermon a bunch of yours popping up and leave until two of you. What would I have to say to make all the rest of you leave? Did you know that in the Gospel of John? That's exactly what happened to Jesus. Here's a story of Jesus starting to grow in popularity. A few people turns into a few dozen, a few hundred. And one day, thousands of people are they're interested in Jesus.
The way that he speaks the Miracles that he does, the Bible says that five thousand men, plus the women plus the children were all gathered around to hear Jesus and that is, when Jesus decided to pull off his most numerical miracle. The Bible calls the feeding of the 5000. Huge crowd is there. No one has anything to eat. So, Jesus Takes this kids like lunch box, has some bread, has some fish in it. He says you got a fish and you get a fish and you're gonna get a fish. Here's some bread, somebody seems like multiplying this little kids meal until five thousand, plus people are totally satisfied. They're stuffed and they pick up the leftovers and the people realize, oh, Jesus can do that. If Jesus wants to do that. If he has the power to do Miracles, and the love to do miracles for us, It's a unanimous vote and they want Jesus to be their King. So they track Jesus down, they end up finding him in a nearby synagogue in the ancient city of Capernaum and there as they're gathered ready to put the crown on top of his head, Jesus breaks out in a sermon that makes almost all of them. Walk out the door.
Here's what he said. For John chapter 6.
Jesus said to the crowds, very truly, I tell you. You're 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. And they asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works, God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God. Is this to believe in the one?” Yes, sir.
So, the crowds find Jesus, who multiplied the bread? And Jesus says, hey, I know why you're looking for me? Because you ate the bread and I filled you up. But come on let's be honest I could fill you up today and buy breakfast. You're going to be hungry again. How about you work? Come after me, not just for some temporary meal but for some kind of bread or food that endures forever.
People are super interesting. They were busting their backs in Galilee and Fields to try to feed their families. Now, Jesus says, he's just going to give them this bread for free. They cry out to him, please. Jesus, give us the bread you're talking about. Here's how he responds. He says, in John 6, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Right. Come down from heaven, not to do my will but to do the will of him. God who sent me? Now to you, that probably seems like really beautiful thing for Jesus to say. You want bread? It's me. Believe in Me. God sent me from heaven so your soul would never be thirsty. So your heart would never be hungry. He sent me to fill you up in the most beautiful spiritual way. That seems maybe a first glance to be a super amazing offer from Jesus. But there was, there's actually one word in that quote that made everyone cringe. Did you catch it?
Heaven.
Look at the reaction, just the first later.
At this, the Jews there began to crumble about Jesus because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven They said is that this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how can he now? Say I came down from heaven.
Heaven. When Jesus come on. Don't we know who your dad is? It's Joseph, right? Did my cousin grew up next to you and your mom? It's Mary isn't that her name? What? You think, you? Think you came down from heaven. Come on, Jesus, I'm from Earth. He's from Earth. She's from Earth, and you are from Myrtle. Who do you think? You think, you're some angel that floated down from above? You think you're above us better than us? They grumbled among themselves who does Jesus think he is from heaven. It's the first incredibly offensive thing about Jesus. I want you to write it down. The reason that Jesus is so offensive is because Jesus is authoritative.
Jesus does not claim to be your equal. But to be your Superior.
He's not just some guy who maybe has a little bit of wisdom to share or things to suggest that you believe, it's not like you and Jesus. He says, you are from Earth. And I'm from heaven.
You think according to the wisdom of man? I was sent from God. So if you think this and I think this Guess who's wrong? And guess who's, right?
Every time Jesus says. I'm right.
Every time you disagree with me, You're wrong. Every time you read something I say and you crayons, you don't like it or you disagree with it. It's not because I have something to learn. It's because you do. You are from Earth. I'm From Heaven. My job is to speak. Your job is to submit.
And the crowd did not like that.
How about you?
I'm not sure if it's just me, but my heart has a huge problem with actual Authority.
I think I like the concept of authority on paper. But in real life, I get very moody about it. Like the government.
And I've studied the history of countries that don't have a real government. I would not want to step foot in those places. I would not want to raise my daughters in those places. I love the idea of some structure with power and authority that can give me security and safety. I love that idea.
Until?
Until the government says something. To me that I don't like Until I don't agree with what the president or the Congress mandates. Anyone. What do you think you are? Mandating me. This is the land of the free and the home of I'm gonna do what I want because I have the right. Say something within us. Oh care who you are. I don't care what all, I don't care. How many people voted for you. You either do what I want. Or I will I will load the you deep in my heart.
I think of something as small as a sports. On paper, I love referees.
I really do. I played soccer games were like the ref can't make it and everyone says, let's just play with all the referee. Always a bad idea, always a bad idea to get so dramatic. So I love the idea that there's someone there that has Authority, a whistle in his mouth, a card in his back pocket that can stop some beefy Defender from snapping these skinny legs of your pasture. All right, I love that. I love it until
Direction. And then, No, then the grumbling Mike The Moody Mike the what are you thinking? Mike agrees. I like Authority that agrees with me. I don't like Authority. That doesn't kids love the concept of parents.
With there are one or two people who will like, Pay for my house who will buy the food and then make it for me. One, two, three times a day by me, a phone help pay for my car and show those kids love the concept of that until Right? Until the curfew or the screen time or what, the Xbox controller down or because I said, so, and then who Do You Think You Are? It's not just Toddlers and it's not just teenagers. It's all of us. We hate it. When someone tells us what to do,
Did you not long ago? Out of all the media that our church produces? We had our first ever piece of truly viral internet, content here by this little one minute clip where I was encouraging husbands to be like Jesus. Love your wives. No, put more time of your fantasy football team. Study her. Listen to her, and love her. Like Jesus loves his church. It turns out that but a one-minute clip was liked and shared by over 50,000. People viewed, multiple millions of times, mostly by female Instagram users.
Pretty soon after in fact just a few days after we We published the other part of that sermon.
And guess what was that? Like to share.
What, why is that?
Because, deep down, come on. All of us. Want the government's the referees, our parents are pastors. Our spouses and everyone just to do what we want.
And when they don't, in fact, when they don't just disagree with us. But when they claim that we have to When they tell us to obey, to change to submit to repent,
The monster in US.
And I just got to be up front with you. This is how Jesus is.
If you want to be a Christian or become a Christian, he's not just going to offer you a few thoughts. To be a Christian means to call him Lord King and God. It means to bend your knee and submit it means to read the Bible. And every time it bothers you to say, I must be wrong. Because he's God.
My parents must have taught me wrong because he's God. The way I've been thinking about this, the way 9 out of 10 of my friends believe about this, we all must be wrong because Jesus is God. He doesn't suggest he preaches. Has no interest in being your on-call, counselor or your occasional life coach. He is either the Lord of all Or he is in Lord at all.
Offended.
It's not done.
What happens next in John 6? Stop rumbling among yourselves. Jesus answered. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world and the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves. How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus said to them very truly. I tell you, unless you eat the Flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Jesus Takes the filter off. He is as graphic and blunt and black-and-white as offensive, he says, unless you come to me believe in me eat and drink of me unless my flesh and blood are in you, you have no life
For you to have a spiritual life with God or a future life in heaven, unless you have meat.
I know it might sound like Jesus is talking about the sacrament of communion going to be thinking that eat, drink body blood, but that doesn't isn't invented that get Institute at that yet. He seems to be saying just like your body needs to eat and drink. To have life. So also your soul needs to eat and drink of me. If you don't have Jesus in Flesh and Blood Jesus, giving his flesh and shedding his blood, you have no life that comes with God.
It's actually brilliant metaphor. I think of your body for a second. I'm your body as complex and amazing, as it is has one huge flaw. It dies without outside help.
Ever do that. You might be the strongest person in church right now. You might be the most beautiful person watching at home, but the way your body is It's impossible for your body to produce its own calories to survive. Unless Daily Bread comes from the outside and less food and drink feeds you from the outside from inside of you. You will die.
Why do people starve or dehydrate? Because their bodies are incapable of producing? What they actually need to live? You need bread. Jesus says or you're dead. And in the same way, here's this unfiltered claim. He says your soul. Like the spiritual part of you. Is absolutely incapable of producing. What it needs to live with God. Now, you can think for a long time, you can try your best, you can work hard to be a good person. But what is within you is is as capable as living with God as your body is surviving without food. Jesus says your body needs bread. And your soul needs me. And without me flesh-and-blood me. Living dying on a cross and Rising. You have no life, there's no other way. Is the second offensive thing Jesus said. The free to write this down the essential Jesus. Is offensive.
He's saying, yep, I don't just come with authority but I'm not optional.
If you want to pray and have god, listen I'm essential If you want to die and not go to hell. I'm essential. If you want God to be for you, and I'm absolutely against you because of your sin. I am essential, you can walk away if you want, but sooner or later, you will die and your death will be eternal.
Jesus said unless you eat the Flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life.
And that's what everyone left.
John is honest about the reaction. He says in chapter 6
I'm hearing. Yeah. It's this teaching Many of his disciples said, this is a hard teaching who can accept it. From this time, many of his disciples turned back. And no longer follow Jesus.
The mega church was over. Crowd cleared out. They stacked up the chairs because the unfiltered authoritative essential Jesus.
3:47 PM
So,
Guess that begs a big question for you.
What will you do?
This was a hard teaching, was it not?
Will you no longer follow him? Is this the last time? I will see you in church. Are you reaching for the remote right now at home?
Why if Jesus is going to tell you to change to repent that you're wrong? If he's going to ask you to stand by this book, even if your friends think you're dumb or backwards or something phobic, Why would you stick with him?
Why don't you join the increasing masses of Americans? Who say, no, no. Maybe that's her grandma, but not for me.
Well, there's an answer in John chapter 6 to that question.
It's an answer that I heard in a very interesting way with a former drug addict.
A couple months ago is wandering around our church neighborhood, saying some prayers. And I, some of the crosses collectors shop, which caught my interest, So, when I was a kid, I was a huge collector, baseball cards, football cards, hockey cards, basketball cards, all the cards starting lineups, Star Wars action figures, I'd boxes and boxes, and boxes of. I love collecting things. So I walk in, and I meet this guy, I'll call him Rick and find out that he was a collector, and I used to be a Collector. Someone, the conversation, we both found out that addiction was part of our past and so, it's really honest open conversation and we ended up talking about the most expensive thing in our collection. We ever held in our hands, I told the story of back when I was in Middle School. I'm going to card shop in Green Bay Wisconsin and I open this pack and what is staring back at me but the golden face. I'm Shaquille O'Neal. Yeah Jack's rookie year. I don't just pull the card but a Gold version of the card. The shop collector opens up the tail and gives me a hundred bucks on the spot. Boom. And this guy says, I'd something way better than that. He tells me what these rare baseball cards. He has a Derek Jeter. And an Alex Rodriguez that were worth, not hundreds, but thousands of dollars.
Oh man, you still have them.
You'll have to shake his head. No.
This one day, I was high. And I traded both of them for a cheeseburger.
Like it literally had something so, so valuable, but in an emotional moment where he wasn't thinking straight, he gave up something so good. For something so small.
If you had asked me, why not bail on Jesus?
I think I just repeat that story. If you have Jesus, you have something in your hands who's so valuable.
And what you will get for living for yourself by your rules, Your Truth, your which you will get free comfortable life of doing whatever you want is so small. Compared to what Jesus is freely putting into your hands today.
In the midst of all these offensive things, you might have missed the incredible things that Jesus said. Let me show you up on the screen. This list of promises that I found right here in John. Chapter 6. Jesus said, I will give you food that endures to eternal life. God sent me for you. Not other people. Not better people for you. You will never go hungry. You will never be thirsty. I won't drive you away. I won't lose you. Doesn't matter. Your background. Doesn't matter your baggage. She says come to me. I won't, I won't stiff-armed you and say you're not good enough. I will accept the worst sinner in this room and once I have you, I won't lose you. I won't let death, take you from me. I won't let cancer. I won't let job loss or divorce or struggles with, anxiety, or depression. I won't even let your own sin. I won't lose you. Instead, I will raise you up on the last day.
They come in one, God will judge all of us and he won't send you down, he will raise you up. A promise of life and Heaven. He says you will. He will have eternal life, I'll teach you and you will live forever, you will live because of me I've chosen you
Because when Jesus is offering some expensive baseball card, not thousands of dollars, he's offering you forever with God. He's offering you the happiness of Heaven. He's offering to be there to Advocate and save you on the judgement day. He's offering you a path to defeat death. He's saying, I will take everything that's wrong with you and nail it to the cross eyed. Yes, you will have to give up much to follow me, you will have to take up a cross and deny yourself. You have to acknowledge me as your ultimate Authority but here's what I'm offering to you. Eternity. Forever.
You can walk if you want to, Jesus says, don't walk away from forever.
Here's how I would describe the real Jesus. The last thing I'm asking you to write down today. I think we learned from John chapter 6 that the unfiltered Jesus is so offensive.
Unbelievably offensive but he is so worth it.
There's a reason why lots of people walk. But there's a compelling reason for you to stay.
So, before I say, amen and See what you do next. Let me say, two final things. First, I'd like to speak to those of you who are under 30 And second, I'd like to tell you the story of one of Jesus best friends. So, in size, and I who in the room today is under 30 years old
I want to be maybe half of you, third of you want to be super, super upfront with you that it will probably be harder for you to stick with Jesus than it has been for me.
If it's true that when I was born, nine out of 10, people said Jesus is good and churches. Good in the Bible is good. I had a lot of people telling me to stay with, Jesus was good. But now, as you make friends, as it is increasingly likely, that they will not say that. But they will tell you, it's time to close this book and step away from places like this, that we are the problem and not the solution. And I need to be honest with you that with your friends and your family, this might be harder than it was for your grandparents or your parents. All of us want to be encouraged and accepted and there will be much less encouragement and acceptance for your generation. God could change the trends in a second but if he doesn't There's going to be fewer and fewer people applauding as you stand beneath the cross of Jesus.
But when that moment comes, there's just one word. I hope you can remember in your head. Eternal.
In the Gospel of John, this is a word that Jesus repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats. He offends. He offends, he drops bombs, but he always comes back to this word, Eternal Eternal, Eternal, your friends might applaud. But when I'm giving you is eternal, they might give you a job that they might, like your posts online. But when I'm offering you his life that is eternal. When you feel like the hot sun of people's disapproval, please, I'm begging you to remember that. No one on this Earth can offer you. What is eternal?
And if you don't bail on him, if you don't reject or deny him, He will give you life that lasts forever.
Please do not trade a Priceless treasure for a cheeseburger.
Whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
And some people think when Jesus invited Peter and James and John and the apostles to follow him, they might have just been teenagers.
What about a bunch of 18 year olds looking back at Jesus while the grown-ups walk away?
That's why Jesus asked them a pretty candid question. John chapter 6 says You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked.
Simon Peter, always the first guy that room to talk he answered Jesus, “Lord, to whom, shall we go? You have the words of you stay with me eternal life. We've come to believe it to know that you are the Holy One. God. Yeah, Jesus that was a hard teaching. Where we gonna go? There's some Pharisee who makes it easy. He can't offer me eternity. But we have come to believe that you are the Holy One of God. Who makes sinners like us, holy enough. For God. Prince Jesus is the bread of life. So offensive. And so worth it.
I'm thinking of my daughters right now.
They're here every Sunday, but the time is coming, when they won't be in the backseat as mom and dad drive than the church.
There's going to come a time when they're going to have to make their own decision about whether you're worth it, whether you're worthy.
And I pray that you would do in their hearts. What I can do so that you would give them the kind of faith that can see ahead into their Eternal future. And believe that heaven is so much better. That Jesus is so much better that you are always worth it no matter what you cost us.
My father, there are people on planet Earth right now, who are suffering, Fierce persecution, they're losing their jobs, some of them are losing their heads because they believe that Jesus is worth it. I pray right now that you would give to all of us who are here today and especially to Christians and people here in America that same conviction that no matter what it costs us, no matter how hard this gives, whether we're the only one in the room. Room. If you actually gave up your life for us to forgive every sin, then you must be worth it.
I've got the truth is, it's pretty fun for us to get what we want. And it's miserable for hearts when we don't. And so we need you to open our eyes to actually believe at the end of the day, whatever we have to say, no to within us. When we say yes to Jesus, it is always the best choice. Give us that kind of faith. God see you to trust you the same with all the saints and angels of heaven worthy and holy is the name of Jesus. It's because of him that we pray all these things and all God's people say. Amen.