Welcome. Continuing our series:

VIBE CHECK

I want to check your vibe today. Turn with me to Mark chapter 16 starting at verse 15

MARK 16:15 NIV He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

MARK 16:16 NIV Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 

MARK 16:17 NIV And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

MARK 16:18 NIV they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

I don’t really have any snakes here today. But when I read that, it sort-of killed the vibe.

FAILING THE VIBE CHECK

Concert and they start playing polka music

Outdoor party and it rains … or there’s bees!

Public speakers are careful not to fail the vibe check. We don’t want to kill the vibe – lose the audience.

That’s what makes sermons like this one, about the importance of tithing, so difficult.

I did it again. I failed the vibe check. This sermon is not about tithing. But it is about failing the vibe check.

Today I want to tell you about a time Jesus failed the vibe check.

That sounds awkward. How could Jesus fail the vibe check? Usually it would be other people who fail the vibe check, not Jesus. But it happened, turn with me to John chapter 6.

At times Jesus was a popular guy. He healed incurable diseases and he gave out free food.

JOHN 6:1 NIV Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 

JOHN 6:2 NIV  and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.

You know the story.  The crowd is hungry. They don’t have food. A boy offers up his lunch.

JOHN 6:11 NIV  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Everybody thinks that’s awesome! The crowd wants to make Jesus king. That’s not Jesus’ plan.
So, He and His disciples cross the sea of Galilee. But the crowd follows Him.

When they find Him, he gets into a discussion with them about the kind of food they are seeking.

JOHN 6:26 NIV Jesus answered, “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.

JOHN 6:27 NIV 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.”

Yeah, Jesus, that’s why we’re here. We want the food you are going to give us…

But then Jesus starts talking about His flesh and His blood, and it becomes clear that He’s not giving out any more bread and fish.

JOHN 6:53 NIV 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.

And apparently, that wasn’t what the crowd wanted to hear.

JOHN 6:60 NIV On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

JOHN 6:66 NIV From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

There it is. Jesus failed the vibe check.

But Jesus knew what He was doing. It’s almost like Jesus wanted to fail the vibe check. It’s like He was intentionally

KILLING THE VIBE

Why would Jesus do that?

In this series we have defined a “vibe” as a person’s emotional state, felt by others; or the tangible atmosphere created by the disposition of our being

A vibe is something outside a person that reveals something going on inside the person.

And we have discussed that vibes can come from our flesh or from the Holy Spirit.

The worst vibes come from the ….   flesh.   But the best vibes come from ….      The Spirit.

Jesus had no problem, killing off a vibe that comes from the flesh.

These people followed Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee because they thought he would give them more food. Is that vibe from the Spirit or from the flesh?

It’s from the flesh. They wanted a full belly. But Jesus didn’t want them to be motivated by that vibe.

Vibes of the flesh result in death.

ROMANS 8:6 NIV The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Jesus wants our vibes of the flesh to die, so that we don’t die. Jesus wants to give us life.

JOHN 6:58 NIV  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.

Jesus wants us to be motivated by the right vibes, the Holy Spirit vibes, because those vibes bring life.

VIBE CHECK

In the same way we need to examine our motivations – why we are doing what we are doing.

In the first week of this series Chris talked about doing a good thing with but with the wrong motivation.

If you are doing the wrong thing; if you are sinning you need to stop and repent.

But even when we are doing the right thing, we need to examine our motivation.

God cares about our motivations.

If we are doing the right thing, but with the wrong motivation it can lead to problems.

I think I’m doing a good thing by being up here and delivering this message to you today.

But if I’m up here in hopes of one day becoming a world famous pastor of a mega-church, I have the wrong motivation. It might prevent me from saying something that I know is true and needs to be said, because y’all won’t like it, and I’m trying to make you happy.

But I’m not up here to get famous or to make you happy. I’m up here because I love God and I love you. And I know that the Word of God brings life, and that’s what I want for you.

The crowd was following Jesus. That is a good thing. But they had the wrong motivation.

If they are only following Jesus for the food, then they will stop when the food runs out, which they did.

And worse, they’ll follow anyone else who gives them something to eat.

They were just interested in satisfying the flesh, and Jesus was eager to kill that vibe.

We need to examine our motivations, in all we do, to make sure we are motivated by God and not by our own desires.

But this story also highlights a positive vibe. A vibe from the Holy Spirit.

JOHN 6:66 NIV From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

How is that positive? Let’s keep reading…

JOHN 6:67 NIV “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

JOHN 6:68 NIV  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Notice, Peter doesn’t say, “No.” But Peter recognizes there is something more important here.

 It doesn’t matter if Jesus gives him food or not. It doesn’t matter if Jesus’ teaching sounds weird or gross and Peter doesn’t understand. Jesus is the only one who has the words of eternal life.

JOHN 6:69 NIV We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Talk about a vibe. Peter could recognize Jesus’ vibe.

Although he may not have looked like it, Peter recognized that this Jesus is the Holy One of God.

He could be the Savior that they had been hoping for.

It’s almost as if Peter had confidence in what he hoped for and assurance about what he did not see.

Does that sound familiar? What is that?

HEBREWS 11:1 NIV Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

That’s faith. Peter had faith. That’s what kept him and the other disciples with Jesus.

We’ve been looking at the fruits of the Holy Spirt. Does faith show up there?

GALATIANS 5:22 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

FAITHFULNESS IS A VIBE

Faithfulness motivates us.

Following Jesus is not always easy. Its not always rainbows and unicorns and free loaves and fish.

Sometimes there are hard teachings, and when we accept them others reject us.

Sometimes we have to kill vibes that used to motivate us.

We have to put down and turn away from things that appeal to our flesh.

Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow Him.

Our flesh doesn’t want to do that. So what motivates us? It’s the Holy Spirit and our faith.

And faith is an internal thing that is visible to others through our behavior and actions.

Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, is full of examples of faith on display.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea…

By faith the walls of Jericho fell…

Looking at this list you can see that faith is powerful. Look at all these things that were done through faith.

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.

But one of the most powerful things that faith does, it keeps us with Jesus, even when things are difficult. Even when the crowds are going the other direction, our faith motivates us to keep following Him.

And that is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in our life. Faithfulness.

Now, you might have some reservations about all this Holy Spirit stuff. You may not feel like you have a lot of joy or peace in your life. You may not be sure if the Holy Spirit is active in your life.

But the fact that you are listening to this message today, that you have faithfully borne with me this far into my message shows you have faith. What else would motivate you to listen to this message, and keep listening? Except that you believe you might hear something. You might hear the Good News. That means you believe there is good news to hear. That’s faith. And faith is a product of God’s Holy Spirit working in you.

Following Jesus can be difficult. Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble.” And he was speaking to his disciples.

The truth is, you will have troubles and difficulties in this world whether you are following Jesus or not.

But our faith is what keeps us following Jesus no matter what troubles we face.

And that is what opens the door to these other fruits of the spirit. Look at the whole verse:

John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have… PEACE. Through faith we believe that He provides peace in the face of trouble. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit.

Through faith we can take heart because we believe He has overcome the world.

VIBE CHECK

And I want you to be motivated by your faith.

Check your vibe. Are you motivated by things of the spirit?
Or at times are you motivated by things of flesh?
Through faith are you willing to turn away from those things?
At then end of service every week we spend some time talking to God.
These altars are open. Through faith are you willing to spend some time honestly and openly talking to God? Invite his Holy Spirit to bear fruit in your life.