Today, during my meditation John 6:68 has held dominance in my thoughts.

John 6:66-69, NIV

66. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 
67. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 
68. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 
69. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 

There are times adjustments need to be made, even within each of us.  Sometimes it is in our personal behavior, values and commitments.  In agreement with Recovery Ministries guest blogger Paul Treloar, “I’ve failed at changes I know I needed to make because I left an escape hatch to my old ways.  I never really left them.  I knew I needed to change.  I even wanted the change.  But I left room that at the first sign of trouble or adversity, I could have my comfortability restored.”

Discipleship and ministry are much the same way.  The best possible plan is when there is no need to have a plan B.  Successful and pleasing ministry to God occurs when all the escape hatches are closed, and total commitment is made to Jesus Christ.  That is why you continually hear me saying, “Focus on Jesus and Follow His Plan.”

Please ask yourself, “Why am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?”  What are the grounds, the bases, the reasons and conditions upon which you have made that choice?  The answer(s) you choose to that question determines to what extent you will remain a disciple of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’ ministry there was a time when he went from thousands of followers, to hundreds of followers, to tens of followers, to only 12 souls.  How would you respond if the Church of 5,000 you are serving shrunk to 12 in mere days?

There have always been periods when the church expanded and times when it contracted.  Often it occurs because God is sifting His people, getting out the chaff.  This happened in John 6.  The multitudes of disciples left Jesus and it looked as if even the 12 would, but they held fast to Him.

Let’s consider some of the reasons people stop following Jesus.

Some started following for the wrong reasons:

1. Some had followed Jesus for the fishes and loaves, or because they got a handout from the charity bag that Judas carried.  These are like people who become Christians because they want to receive blessings from God.  They follow during the good times, but if the good times stop, they leave.
2. Others followed Jesus because He was new and exciting.  He told interesting stories and was always doing or saying something unexpected.  But when His teaching became talk of crosses and things they didn’t care to hear about, they moved on to the next exciting teacher, who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear.
3. Still others followed Jesus because they thought He would use His supernatural power to overthrow the Romans and set up God’s Kingdom on earth.  When it became apparent, he wouldn’t, they abandoned him. 

Others did not want to pay the price of following Jesus:

1. The Rich Young Ruler thought he wanted to follow Jesus, but he didn’t want to pay the price of surrendering his idol – money.
2. Others had girl friends or husbands who didn’t want them to follow Jesus.  They heard Jesus say, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” Luke. 14:26.  They all went away sorrowful, not willing to leave those they loved more than Him.
3. Still others heard Jesus say, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24.  But denying themselves and cross-bearing wasn’t what they wanted, so they leave him, even today.

Also, there were those who did not personally trust him:

1. When Jesus started talking about people “eating his flesh nad drinking his blood” (John 6:53), it seemed repulsive, like cannibalism. Drinking blood is forbidden in the Old Scriptures.  It seemed like crazy talk.
2. But if they had really known his character, they would have perceived, like the 12, that he was speaking of something doable, perhaps spiritual things, not physical (John. 6:63).  But many didn’t trust Him.  It wasn’t that the twelve understood.  It was that they trusted Jesus to make sense of what they could not understand.
3. There are times in every Christian’s life when things happen which appear to contradict God’s love for us.  Something devastating happens.  Will we trust Him?  Job had an experience like that.  He said, “Though He slay me, yet will I TRUST Him” (Job 13:15). We must learn to trust that somehow; it’s going to work out for glory and honor to God and our rich blessing in the end.

The Apostle Peter, speaking for the twelve got it right.  He asked the right question.  “To whom else shall we go?”  Peter was inspired with this thought; if you are going to leave Jesus, where are you going to go that is better?  

We all need a divine connection.  Is there a better one than Jesus?  We all need a Savior.  Is there any other savior who can love us, care for us, keep us, guide us, and ultimately bring us into eternity with him, other than Jesus?

If our commitment is not to Jesus Christ, to whom else can we give it?  If we are not trusting Jesus to whom else can we go whom we can trust?  Jesus has the words of life, has paid the price to make us his own, and loves us for all eternity, willingly giving us life with him in a glorious Kingdom he is building through his servants.  

That is where I am going.  Focus on Jesus and Follow His Plan and you will be there also.