John 2.24, this is what the Bible says about Jesus.
I love these words.
I go back to these verses a lot.
John 2.24, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them.
There was people that were following Jesus,
and the Bible says that Jesus did not commit himself
unto them.
What does that mean?
The word commit means he didn't enjoin himself
with them where he was too interconnected with them.
So what do you mean?
You've been talking about the fact
that we need to be connected with church people,
and we do, to an extent.
But he did not commit himself unto them.
Why?
Because he knew all men and needed not
that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.
The purpose is restoration.
The practice is we all need to get involved in church discipline
when it happens.
But let me help you with the perspective of church discipline.
Here's the perspective.
People come and go.
Don't overly commit yourself to any one person.
Well, if so-and-so gets kicked out of church,
then I'm going to quit following God, too.
Is that why you started serving God for that person?
Let me help you with something.
Look, you're just going to have
to figure this out in the Christian life.
People come and people go.
People come and go.
If you stick around very Baptist Church long enough,
someone you like, someone who you thought
was a nice person, may get thrown out.
You better realize people come and go.
Look, you know pastors come and go?
Pastors come and go.
Sometimes they sin, and they've got to go.
Sometimes they break fellowship.
They stop being friends with each other.
They go.
And if you live your life in this way where it's like,
oh no, so-and-so quit, what's going to happen?
Look, is that why you started serving Jesus?
Because I thought we started serving Jesus because of Jesus.
Amen.
And you know what, Jesus will never fail you.
Jesus will never leave you, and he'll never forsake you.
And that doesn't mean that we don't have a relationship
and it doesn't hurt.
We understand that doesn't mean that we don't grieve
when we go through mourning.
But please get this.
If you're going to make it in the Christian life,
you've just got to get this in your head.
People come and people go.
So what do we do?
We just follow Jesus.
If you're going to be like the apostle Paul,
if you're going to get in this thing
and stay in this thing for decades,
if you're going to be like Paul who
gets to the end of his life and says,
I am now ready to be offered
and the time of my departure is at hand,
if you're going to get to the end of your life
and, like Paul said, I have fought a good fight,
I have finished the course, I have kept the faith,
if you're going to be in this for the long run
and for the long haul, then you're
also going to have to be like the apostle Paul, who also said,
for Demuth hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.
And it's departed unto Thessalonica, Cretians,
to Galatia, Titus, unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me.
Paul said, when he stood before the judge,
he said, no man stood with me.
So look, we should develop relationships
and we should love people.
We should be friendly and we should care for people.
We should try to help people wherever we can.
But when people decide to go
or when it's time for them to go,
don't be overly committed
because people come and people go.
But Jesus will always be.