Finding Direction for Life– “I Am the Way, Truth & Life” John 14:6

4-30-17

Context: Annual Passover Holiday (Easter) feast, Last Supper, 2nd story room in Jerusalem,Jesus farewell message, culmination of teaching on Jesus Way to live, His Truth, and real Life.

Children: draw dinner w/ family, friends, and Jesus

Adults: Download FFC App - Songs, “Home” sermon discussion Q’s, P.R.A.Y. Scriptures

MESSAGE: Real relationship w God is more than just “right” religion! DEEPER TRUTH

TEXT: John 14:5-10a, 12-15, 16-17, 31message for all to be closestfriendsfollowers!

INTRO: John Chapters 1-12 reveal WHO Jesus is…HisIDENTITY. Jesus IDENTITY reveals a NEW and BETTER Way to LIVE. He spent time with people, healed the sick, fed the poor, forgave terrible sinners, inviting them to believe TRUST in Him enough to change their lives andlive His Way.

  • The Goalof IDENTITY is RELATIONSHIP with the Father at “Home”: Jesus is returning “home” to be reunited with his Father, making a Way for us to get there. He promises to come back at the end to judge everything wrong and set it right.
  • The Question:Thomas “We don’t the destination…how can we know the way?”
  • The Request:Philip “Show us the Father”

I. God’s Identity was INCOMPLETE until Jesus (O.T.) - Why did Jesus come and live as a man? Not just to save us but reveal WHO God is, WHAT God does, WHY God does it!

  • John 1 – “The Word was God and made his dwelling among us”
  • Hebrews 1:3“Son is the radiance of God's glory; exact representation of his being…”
  • Example: Child “knows” parent but cannot comprehend or understand their “Rules”, decisions, actions, words, wisdom, and love until they get older and MATURE. Parents get smarter the older the child becomes.

II. Problemsfor “outsiders”- “RightReligion” questionIs Jesus the“only”WAY to heaven?

Objections – exclusive, too limited, “right & wrong”, “in or out”, prideful, judgmental

Answer: No other God like the one Jesus reveals!So HE is the WAY!

The God revealed in Jesus came for us to make aWAYback “home” family of God, he lived his life full of Grace, WAY he loved in dying on cross, supernatural resurrection, finaljudgment w/ both perfect Justice and Mercy, and promise of new heaven and earth in perfect relationshipsfor eternity.

Our Challenge:How we SPEAK the truthand how we LIVE our lives!

*NOTwholetruth…Way, Truth, Lifeonlyknown in heart RELATIONSHIP w/ Father

III. QUESTION: What is the Jesus WAY to live in relationship with GodNOW and eternally?

More than a sinner’s prayer, more than a doctrinehead knowledge to believe…

** The Jesus Way is more than a belief or doctrine…it’s aPERSON!

IV. Problems for “Insiders” (us)Jesus says: “IF you believe (trust) in me THEN…(the following will be true)

  1. Our ACTIONS: Vs. 12 –“truly I tell you, whoever believes (trusts) in me will DO the works I have been doing, they will do even greaterthings than these, because I am going to the Father.”
  2. Our PRAYERS: Vs. 13-14 - 13And I will do whatever you ASK (prayer) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
  3. Our OBEDIENCE: Vs. 15 - 15“If you love me, keep my commands.21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.24Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.What are His Commands? Love one another as I have love you

V. Possible Responses to this Jesus Truth for us:

  1. Impossible: “I can’t DO what Jesus did…God’s SonDiety” – Impossible so we don’t practice life the Way Jesus did. We go right to raising the dead and walking on water!
  2. “All or nothing thinking” – can’t do it all so I won’t do anything; give up.
  3. Denial – I will just ignore this passage like other passages I don’t understand.
  4. OR…Possibly a DEEPER TRUTH – Jesus was also human: deeper, more challenging Truth is available for us to mature into! We must start “small”…forgiving, loving,etc

Examples: Golf and guitar…Keaggy concert Dustin Johnson / Tiger Woods at Firestone

VI. “Deeper Truths” - Jesus discloses secrets to these in John 15-16 – May sermon series

VII. Secret #1: Jesus “I AmWay, Truth, Life” is invitation into a Trinity RELATIONSHIPNOT just a Right Religion Belief.The goal: relationship with God who is a 3 person“family”.

Goal: Who is God and what is He like? Jesus fills in the missing revelation of God –

VIII. WHAT is The Jesus WAY: TRUSTJesus enough to DO what He did! Live the way He lived.

We cannot skip right to Jesus’ death and resurrection as the Way to relationship w/ Father

  1. Jesus relationship w/ Father (practices, habits, time) –HOW did Jesus live daily in order to stay in relationship with the Father while he was away from “home”?
  2. Private Prayer – “Often withdrew to solitary places to pray”
  3. Two way communication: Prayer as speaking to God AND listening
  4. “I only do what the Father tells me”
  5. Study and conversation of Scripture – heard Torah read in synagogue, memorized, discussed, debated with teachers, then applied it to himself and life.
  6. PRAY Scripture
  7. *** Jesus relationship with people - God looks like Jesus living, teaching, healing, forgiving sinners, praying for enemies, dying for us!

IX. How? The TRUTH: Vs. 16 – Be in relationship with the Spirit Truth: …I will ask the Father, he will give you another advocate to help you & be with you forever17Spirit of truth.

X. Why?LIFE is in the “Father’s Love” - Vs. 31 - the world may learn that I love the Father

and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. (“Love” 9 times in Jn. 14)

* “Agape” Love described in 1 Cor. 13 is God’s love IN US!

XI. Personal Prayer - Father transform us by your Holy Love so we can live the Jesus way,

empowered by the Holy Spirit of Truth, to live in real abundant life now and forever

XI. Take Home Questions:

What is one thing I can DO this week that Jesus did in order to live the Jesus Way?

What do I need to believe is Truth about God the Father that Jesus believed was true?

What do I need to ASK in prayer that will be in line with Jesus’ prayers? (see John 17)

How can the Holy Spirit of Jesus be my Helper this week?

P.R.A.Y. Scripture - John 15:1-17 for Sunday, May 7