Genesis 1:26-30 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. (ESV)

Our Youth Pastor took a turn at the pulpit Sunday and after quoting this verse said in effect; “This sounds like we were meant to be Vegan. I don’t know if I can handle that. I love me some good bar-b-que.”

After the service I pulled him aside and said to him, “Nothing died until sin entered in. No death, no bar-b-que.” We laughed uneasily. It was a bad joke. What I pondered later was even more disturbing. What value is there in food to immortal creatures? You cannot die, so where is the value in food?

John 6:65-66 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

These disciples were followers of Jesus. This is not in dispute. Why did they follow Jesus? Miracles, wisdom, personality, logic, or maybe just being one of many hiding in the crowd, we will never know because each man has his own reason for following Jesus. Why did they stop following Jesus?

I can see at least one important issue as to why they left. They left because they realized that God the Father had not knocked at the door to their heart. This whole issue of believing with the mind or the heart is a tricky issue. No one that is convinced in their mind wants to admit that they were not called of God. “See the Word, it is written right here, all I have to do is accept that the Word is true and I am saved.” Those in John 6:66 saw the Word, heard His speech, saw His glory, yet left.

2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

If I have to have the spirit to live, how can I receive the spirit if I have never heard the spirit?

Think of your house. You know it well. It is after all your house. In that house is a hidden door which you never knew existed. The only way that you could ever discover that hidden door is if someone came and knocked on that door. That is the door to your heart.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ 3:6 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.