Welcome to Riverside! | Do You Also Want to Go Away? | Pastor Steve Weber

Devotional

Day 1: The Septic Field Illusion

When Jesus asks if we’ll abandon Him, He exposes the lie that fulfillment exists apart from Him. Like grass over a septic tank, worldly alternatives promise life but conceal decay. This moment confronts our tendency to romanticize paths that avoid sacrifice. True discipleship requires rejecting the myth that comfort equals blessing. Jesus offers no shortcuts—only Himself as the source of enduring life. [57:16]

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
(1 John 2:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: What “greener grass” have you secretly idealized? How does Jesus’ direct question (“Do you also want to go away?”) clarify your true longing?

Day 2: Bait in Troubled Waters

Four hooks dangle before every believer: fleshly cravings, visual temptations, empty pride, and the world’s approval. Like a seasoned fisherman, Satan studies our vulnerabilities to craft irresistible lures. These traps work best when we drift into isolation or spiritual complacency. Protection comes through recognizing bait for what it is—counterfeit nourishment. Eternal safety exists only in the net of Christ’s community. [01:04:09]

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

Reflection: Which of the four baits (flesh, eyes, pride, world) most often snags your attention? How does anchoring to the cross’ “folly” disarm its appeal?

Day 3: The Crown That Outlasts Pain

Stephen’s story reframes earthly suffering. His brutal death became immediate coronation—a martyr receiving the righteousness crown. This eternal perspective transforms how we carry crosses. Temporary hardships become rehearsals for eternal weightiness. Every act of faithfulness, however unnoticed, weaves threads into an imperishable diadem. Endurance isn’t grim duty—it’s active crown-crafting. [46:00]

“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: What current “cross” feels heaviest? How might seeing it as crown-material change your grip on it?

Day 4: When the Teacher Becomes the Stumbling Block

Familiarity breeds contempt—even with Christ. Those who watched Jesus grow up reduced Him to “Joseph’s boy,” missing His divinity. This warning strikes modern believers: treating Jesus as a self-help guru or moral teacher guts His power. True disciples worship the knife-edge Christ who demands everything, not the convenient mascot who asks nothing. [55:51]

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’… After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”
(John 6:60,66, ESV)

Reflection: Have you reshaped Jesus into someone safer than He actually is? What uncomfortable teaching have you been avoiding?

Day 5: Where Else Can We Go?

Peter’s raw confession—“You have the words of eternal life”—becomes our anchor when storms rage. This isn’t blind loyalty but tested conviction. Like the disciples, we’ll face nights of denial and doubt. Yet Christ remains the only harbor when life’s squalls threaten to capsize us. Final security lies not in our grip on Him, but His grip on us. [59:29]

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’”
(John 6:68-69, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle makes you want to “go away”? How does Peter’s confession refocus your vision of Christ’s sufficiency?

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ question, “Do you also want to go away?” lands in John 6 after many disciples decide that His words are just too hard. Jesus has healed the sick, performed miracles, and loved people in ways they have never been loved, yet the crowd still walks away when His claims demand more than a casual yes. The cost of following Jesus is real, because faithfulness means carrying crosses that can feel heavy, painful, and uncomfortable. Christ does not call people to quit when life gets hard, because a crown of righteousness is laid up for those who endure in faith, obedience, and love for His appearing.

The word of the cross looks like folly to people who are perishing, but it is the power of God to those being saved. The gospel comes together like the one missing screw in an engine: when a person truly gets Jesus, nothing should ever be the same. Deconstruction, compromise, and lukewarm Christianity grow when people try to remake God’s Word around their lifestyles instead of letting God’s Word remake them. Consumer Christianity asks what Jesus or the church can provide, while citizens of heaven ask how they can serve the King.

The crowd in John 6 reduces Jesus to “the son of Joseph” because they see His roots but miss His royalty. Satan would love for believers to see Jesus as only a good man, a great teacher, or a prophet, because a Jesus who is merely human is easy to leave behind. Jesus, however, leaves no room for divided allegiance: the world, the flesh, the eyes, and pride cannot be held alongside wholehearted devotion to Him.

Peter answers the question with clarity: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter’s confession recognizes that there is nowhere else to go, no greener grass on the other side, and no other source that can make sinners whole again. Peter’s later denial also warns against boasting that failure could never happen, because even confident disciples must stay close to Christ.

Satan studies the seasons of people’s lives like a skilled fisherman studies bait, weather, currents, and fish. Temptation is not random; it is bait fitted to particular weaknesses. Jesus calls His people to stay close to Him, refuse isolation, take every thought captive, and guard the heart, because the heart is deceitful and desperately sick when left to itself. Christ’s final question still demands an answer: Does He truly have the words of eternal life?

##

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus demands more than a casual yes. Jesus never presents discipleship as a quick agreement that costs nothing afterward. His call reaches into suffering, obedience, discipline, and the places where a person would rather stay in control. A hard road does not mean Christ has abandoned His people; it may be the very road where faithfulness is being formed. [45:10]
2. Consumer Christianity cannot sustain commitment. Consumer Christianity evaluates Jesus and the church by what they can offer in return. That posture turns worship into entertainment and service into a transaction. Citizens of heaven belong to Christ first, so their question becomes not “What can I get?” but “How can I follow?” [50:46]
3. Peter’s question exposes every false refuge. Peter does not claim that following Jesus is always easy; he asks where else anyone could possibly go. The world can offer bait, noise, pleasure, and temporary escape, but it cannot offer the words of eternal life. Christ alone remains when every other refuge proves empty. [59:29]
4. Temptation is bait fitted to seasons. Satan knows how to throw the right lure at the right moment, especially when a person is tired, lonely, wounded, proud, or afraid. The danger is not only obvious rebellion but slowly circling the bait because it looks like relief. Staying close to Jesus, taking thoughts captive, and guarding the heart keeps temptation from becoming a path away from Him.

## [63:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[42:32] - Do You Also Want to Go Away?
[45:10] - The Cost of Following Jesus
[47:35] - What Is Lost by Walking Away
[48:31] - The Cross Is Folly or God’s Power
[50:01] - Consumer Christianity and Compromise
[52:12] - Many Disciples Turn Back
[54:36] - The Crowd Misses Jesus’ Royalty
[58:43] - Peter’s Answer: Where Else Can We Go?
[60:56] - The Bait of the World
[63:40] - Satan Knows the Right Lure
[66:35] - Staying Close and Guarding the Heart
[69:38] - Three Questions That Demand an Answer
[71:44] - The Call to Come Home

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 6:60-69
“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?' But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, 'Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.' (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.' After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” [42:32]

1 John 2:15-16
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” [01:00:56]

1 Corinthians 1:18
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” [48:31]

Observation questions

In John 6:60–69, what reactions do the disciples have to Jesus’ teaching, and what different responses are shown by those who leave and by Peter?
What does the crowd’s description of Jesus as “the son of Joseph” reveal about how they viewed Him? [54:47]
According to 1 John 2:15–16, what areas of temptation compete for a person’s love and loyalty?
In 1 Corinthians 1:18, what two very different ways do people respond to the message of the cross? [48:31]

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus’ words in John 6 have been harder for many disciples to accept than His miracles and acts of compassion? [58:08]
What does Peter’s response in John 6:68–69 show about the difference between believing Jesus is helpful and believing He alone is the source of eternal life? [59:29]
How does seeing Jesus merely as a good teacher or a good man make it easier for someone to walk away when following Him becomes costly? [55:59]
Why is it dangerous for a believer to assume that spiritual failure or denial of Christ could “never happen” to them, especially in light of Peter’s later failure? [01:00:03]

Application questions

Where has following Jesus felt costly, painful, or uncomfortable recently? What would faithfulness look like in that specific situation instead of giving up? [45:10]
Consumer Christianity asks, “What can Jesus or the church do for me?” Where do you notice that mindset showing up in your own expectations, and how could you grow into the posture of a citizen of heaven who asks, “How can I serve the King?” [51:04]
What “greener grass” has tempted you to think that life apart from Jesus, His ways, or His people would be better? How has that promise failed to offer what it seemed to promise? [57:12]
Which kind of bait is most likely to pull at you in this season—desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, pride, or love for the world? What makes that bait especially appealing right now? [01:04:25]
What is one practical way you can stay close to Jesus and refuse isolation this week? Is there a trusted believer you can invite into an area where you need encouragement or accountability? [01:06:53]
When thoughts of fear, compromise, resentment, despair, or temptation begin to take hold, what could it look like to take those thoughts captive and bring them under Christ’s authority? [01:07:18]
Jesus’ question still stands: Does He truly have the words of eternal life? How does your answer shape one concrete decision you need to make this week? [01:10:45]

Sermon Clips

37s

“And then knowing the answer to the third question is the most important question I have for you this morning. Do you believe that Jesus has the words of eternal life? You see, how you answer that question right there will determine what you do next. We either believe or we don't. We either say what Peter said, where else can I go? Or we say that's too hard of a teaching, Jesus. I don't think I could follow you.”

45s

“Well, here's one of the reasons why I think so many people struggle with following the Jesus of the Bible, and that is because we have become consumers of Christianity rather than true citizens of heaven. Entertainment. What can you show me? What do you got going on that the church down the street doesn't have going on? And consumers of Christianity say things like this, ask not how you can serve in your church, but how can the church serve me?”

46s

“Satan uses bait to lure us away from God. And we just saw what it is. The world, the flesh, the eyes, and pride. And here is what he's really good at, is knowing the season that you and I are in. So while while he may dangle, something in front of me, it might not work. But if he throws the same bait out to somebody in this room, you might take it.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Riverside Church | Fredericksburg, VA This sermon · AI assistant

What makes committed Christian faith difficult to maintain?

How does Satan exploit seasons of spiritual vulnerability?

Why must believers guard their hearts and thoughts?

Welcome to Riverside! | Do You Also Want to Go Away? | Pastor Steve Weber | Road Trip Series