I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life | John 14:6 | Gary Hamrick

good Sunday morning everybody welcome to church online here at Cornerstone Chapel today we're going to be looking at John chapter 14 verse 6 where Jesus made a very exclusive claim when he said I am the way the truth and the life nobody gets to God except through him so grab your Bibles somebody know what time it is anybody Hey oh you know what time it is this is Cornerstone connection [Music] all right everybody again welcome to church online here at Cornerstone Chapel this is the time we do a few QA five questions rapid-fire five minutes but before we do that just a little news in the Hamrick household Terry and I are proud grandparents again our daughter Lindsey and her husband Andrew had a baby boy on Tuesday of this week case Andrew Silvernail eight pounds four and a half ounces so a big first baby and we're just really happy about that for them and for us as a whole family you're an uncle now I'm an uncle and you've been an uncle you're not going again yes all right five questions congratulations Lindsay and Andrew five questions five answers room all right first question is this Pastor Gary mentioned the Jehovah's Witnesses erroneous doctrine of soul sleep is there a passage in the Bible that they've misinterpreted that causes them to believe this there are several passages that they've misinterpreted because they're their whole false doctrine is based on the fact that sometimes in the New Testament death for believers is referred to as sleep but the only reason it is written that way as a euphemism is so that believers know death is not final that we go to be with the Lord so they looked at the word sleep and they thought that just means you go to the grave and you are asleep but we know from other passages again 2nd Corinthians 5:8 where Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord not in the grave and in Luke chapter 16 Jesus teaches a story and it's not a parable it specifically says he teaches a story about Lazarus who was a believer he went to paradise and then a rich man unnamed he goes to Hades and Jesus tells the story they're not in the grave asleep they are actually somewhere after death and also Luke 23 the thief on the cross the one thief who was repentant Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise not today you're going to be in the tomb so there is life after death and Jehovah's Witnesses have misinterpreted it's a false doctrine socially awesome question number two pastor G mentioned the great reunion we will have with loved ones who have accepted Christ as their Savior in heaven you also mentioned from Revelation that in heaven there will be no more death sorrow crying or pain so how does that work if someone you loved never accepted Christ wouldn't I feel sorrow in not seeing them you would if you know that they're not there sometimes we think memory is a wonderful thing and in in most ways it is but sometimes memory can haunt us and so I think that based on the fact that God promises no more sorrow no more tears no more crying that as a gift God is gonna erase from our memories anything painful and so he's that's gonna be I think a gift from the Lord so that we don't have to know who's who's missing here sometimes again memory is not always a a friend and I think God is going to do something gracious for us pastor 3 pastor 3 question number 3 that says Pastor Gary seem to use the words spirit and soul interchangeably when he said upon death for believers our spirit will separate from the body and our soul will be with God or our spirit and soul the same or is there any distinction between our spirit and our soul alright pastor 4 listen to me on this here's the way it works so the human being is really three parts in one we are body soul and spirit and that way we kind of mirror as God says we're created in His image he is one God revealed in three persons Father Son Holy Spirit he created us in a similar way in the sense that we are one being with three parts we're body soul and spirit the soul is the seat of emotion will your mind your reasoning thinking and your soul is housed within your spirit and your spirit is housed within your body when we die we shed the body of flesh as believers we get a glorified one later but we still maintain within our spirit the soul which is the capacity to think reason and know and and so when we go to be with the Lord the soul of the Spirit are not detached they are complete together and so we maintain thought reasoning mind will emotion and and so they are sometimes using the Bible interchangeably soul and spirit but by and large that's the difference and then one day we get a glorified body and all three come back together again awesome question number four I believe heaven is paradise but why don't I understand how what I don't understand is how could Satan develop in such a place and so Satan originally was called Lucifer created in heaven as one of the supreme maybe even the most supreme of all the Angels and the Bible tells us that he rebelled against God pride filled his heart because he wanted to be God and so God kicked him out of heaven and so God didn't create evil God didn't you know how could how could Satan somebody so evil be created in heaven God created angels in a similar way that he created human beings with the capacity to make a decision to will and that free will given to angels obviously Satan used his free will to rebel against God and for that he was kicked out of heaven so God does not want to surround himself by robots angels are not robotic human beings are not robotic we are given free will is the capacity to choose to love him to obey Him to honor him Satan refused to do that he rebelled and sin corrupted his heart and so he was expelled from heaven all right final question in today's sermon which would have been last Sunday in today's sermon you taught us that one day when we die those that believe and have a relationship with Christ will go to heaven and their earthly body will be raised and reunited with their spirit at some point but does it matter if our earthly bodies are buried or cremated I get this question a lot is it wrong for Christians or anybody to be cremated the answer really biblically is the answer's no listen it's the difference between about 37 years and about 37 minutes you know and the body naturally decomposes between like 35 and 40 years or in about 37 minutes heated at a certain Fahrenheit body can be cremated and you return to the same dust particles in the Bible First Samuel chapter 31 Saul first king of Israel was cremated the Bible doesn't really speak against it because the fact is we're all going to be raised again whether we are ashes from natural decomposition or ashes because we were cremated God's going to pull all those molecules together give us a glorified body and we'll be good to go so it's a personal decision but it's not a biblical issue alright well that's all of our questions for today you know what time it is it's time to worship together well hey cornerstone welcome to our online experience we're happy that you joined us would you sing along with us as we worship [Music] [Applause] [Music] worship our king come let his bad his feet he has done crazy things see what receiver has done see how his love comes he has to end he has to learn [Applause] [Music] you can't to impress [Music] store shall be painful before [Music] for your promises Hansen to can I do to gain [Music] Juke [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] chica [Music] have done [Music] [Music] you conquer the grave you free every captive and break every chain Oh God [Music] I say [Music] [Music] working [Music] promise me in the [Music] [Applause] [Music] we promised key [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] see [Music] never stop never stop her never stop never stop working see to [Music] to stop [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] in the dark [Music] leave me be rakul promise keeper [Music] see him there [Music] the great I am a crown of thorns upon his head the Father's heart displayed for us Oh God we thank you for the cross fifty [Music] Kirstin [Music] the story his hands Jesus you will - easy [Music] see Jesus [Music] [Music] for I say can't be good [Music] as reason [Music] so [Music] Jesus [Music] of death is done will see your face Bright Eyes The Sun will bow before the King of Kings Oh God forever we will sing [Music] Jesus you [Music] [Applause] this story [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] god we just come before you this morning we bring you our worship we bring you all all of our praise bring you all the honor that you are worthy of Jesus we trust you in this season we trust you with our lives we trust you with our future we trust you with our homes help us to grow in our faith I was to draw closer to you today I was to know you in a new way or we thank you for who you are we thank you that your promises never fail and that you will always remain faithful we pray all these things in your name Jesus before we take time to share announcements and then I'll come back after the announcements to teach I wanted to just take a moment to address all the unrest happening in our nation right now obviously we have woken up to a very divided country and the fact of the matter is the division has always been there it just is lying underneath the surface until something like what happened surrounding the death of George Floyd just kind of exposes it because the truth is that whether it's racism or whether it's violence these are sin issues and that's why we need Jesus to intervene and to help us and I just wanted to read a short excerpt from something that Tony Dungy posted on his social media Tony Dungy for those of you don't know a former NFL coach won two Super Bowls one as a player one as a coach and I just thought some of the words that he expressed as a Christian and as an african-american man were insightful and I thought they were important for us to hear and so I just gonna read a brief excerpt you can look up Tony Dungy and read the full statement that he made on his social media but in part he said this quote what happened to George Floyd was inexcusable and it should never happen justice needs to be served but in seeking justice we can't fall into the trap of prejudging every police officer we see what started out as peaceful protests have devolved into arson and looting and that should never happen either yes there should be protests but we do not have license to perform criminal acts because we're angry today we are a divided country were divided racially politically and socioeconomically and Satan is laughing at us because that is exactly what he wants dysfunction mistrust and hatred help his kingdom flourish well what is the answer then I believe it has to start with those of us who claim to be Christians we have to come to the forefront and demonstrate the qualities of the one we claim to follow Jesus Christ again that's from Tony Dungy you can read his full statement on a social media I remember several years ago 10 or 15 years ago I was invited to be to be part of a forum among other pastors who were a mix of white black Hispanic and the purpose of the forum was just talking about racial divide in America and I remember during the break I turned to an african-american woman next to me and I just asked her just you know let's just be open and honest and real I said listen as a white man what can I do what can I do as far as it depends on me to help with with this whole problem of the racial divide in our country I'll never forget her simple words to me without hesitation she said when you see a black man hug him and tell him that you love him in other words just like Tony Dungy recommended if we can each try to do our part as a believer until Jesus comes maybe we can stem some of the evil in our world you know John when he saw a vision of heaven in Revelation chapter 7 there were people from every tribe every language every nation worshiping around the throne of Jesus and so as believers we need to practice some of that now and love one another as Christ loves us so I want to pray right now for the healing of our nation if you would join me in prayer be of all this racial divide right now let's just pray for God's healing grace upon our nation let's pray Lord we come before you today asking for your help these are sin issues and Lord until the human heart is changed these things will prevail but we look forward to the day that you will come again and there will be none of this and that we can live together under your banner of peace and under your example of what real love is and in the meantime we pray for healing in our nation we pray father against the racial divide against the political divide the economic divide look we just ask you to bring us together and to help us and to forgive us of our sins if there's any racism in our hearts or bitterness or resentment in our hearts Lord pointed out to us that we can confess those things as sin and may healing begin one person at the time as far as it depends on each of us as followers of Jesus Christ we pray for your mercy over our nation now bring healing bring healing Lord we pray in Jesus name Amen all right I'm gonna hand it over to pastor Austin for a couple of announcements and then I'll come back and teach this morning from John chapter 14 well hello Church great to see you this morning so glad that you've decided to join us I want to give a special shout out to Paige watching from San Diego and Cindy watching all the way from Arkansas but no matter where you're tuning in from we are so glad that you've joined us for today's Bible study and we're gonna head into today's teaching in just a moment but first just a couple of announcements first if you missed pastor Gary's update on social media this past Friday great news our target date for reopening the church and having service in person is two weeks from today on Sunday the June the 14th now obviously it's going to be limited ministry but we are so glad to be back together hopefully on June the 14th that's the target day and FAQ page will be put up on our website at Cornerstone Chapel dotnet very soon so be on the lookout for that that will help to answer more of your questions also in a couple of days from today Wednesday June the 3rd at 7 p.m. we're having a Christianity 101 class now that class is geared toward new believers so if you've recently given your life to Jesus Christ over the past few weeks maybe you've been one of the ones to text in I have decided well this class is a great class for you because you're able to ask questions about your new faith and it helps to better equip you in your faith so again that is Wednesday June the 3rd 7 p.m. it's going to be through zoom virtually you can find that zoom link to join on our website cornerstone chapel dotnet slash events and then finally just a final reminder that our children's ministry has their own YouTube channel so you can go to our children's ministry YouTube channel to watch lessons geared more towards your kids while you watch today's service all that being said we're excited for our Bible study today so let's dive into God's Word together [Music] all right thank you for those announcements let's take our Bibles and go to John chapter 14 we're gonna be continuing in our series Jesus is the I am and again for those of you who were just joining us we wanted to remind you that if you have questions about today's teaching you can text them into seven oh three eight four four nine nine six nine and then next week at the top of the hour I'll do my best to answer at least five of those questions so that I can clarify anything from today's teaching but we're in this series Jesus is the I am because through the Gospel of John Jesus makes seven I am statements and it's a way of him asserting his divinity because God himself identified himself God did in the burning bush towards Moses in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 when he said I am that I am and he identified himself as the great I am and so Jesus picks up on this language and then he attaches seven metaphors to the I am statement to help us understand how God relates to humanity and so we're actually at number 6 on our list of seven but for those of you who were jumping in new to our study here's the list of seven in the Gospel of John Jesus said number one I am the bread of life number two he said I am the light of the world number three he said I am the door of the Sheep number four he said I am The Good Shepherd number five I am the resurrection and the life number six I am the way the truth and the life and number seven I am The True Vine and so today we're looking at number six were almost done with this series and number six is when Jesus said in John 14 verse 6 I am the way the truth and the life now the words are found here in John 14 but we actually need to back up to John 13 so that we can see the context of this conversation that Jesus is having with his disciples so if you'll jump back a little bit to John 13 so I can start to read with you and just to kind of frame the context here's what's happening we find out from these chapters that this is the Last Supper this is the last meal that Jesus will enjoy with his disciples before he is crucified here in John chapter 13 Jesus has just finished washing his disciples feet and Jesus has also at this point already called out Judas as one who was about to betray him so Judas has left the room now and Jesus is there with the eleven instead of the twelve - Judas and Jesus says this John chapter thirteen let's let's back up to John thirteen verse 31 and it says this so when he had gone out that is a Judas Jesus said now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him if God is glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him immediately little children I shall be with you a little while longer you will seek me and as I said to the Jews where I am going you cannot come so now I say to you a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another Simon Peter said to him Lord where are you going now please note if I can just pause here in the reading Peter just breezes right past the loved one another part and he said he basically says wait wait wait back up Jesus you just said a verse or two before that that you're going somewhere where are you going so he just kind of bypasses the love on another part and he just wants to know where are you going Jesus and the Lord answers the rest of verse 36 jesus answered and where I am going you cannot follow me now but you shall follow me afterward Peter said to him Lord why can I not follow you now I will lay down my life for your sake jesus answered him will you lay down your life for my sake most assuredly I say to you the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times now jump into chapter 14 the story continues verse 1 let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also and where I go you know and the way you know Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you were going and how can we know the way jesus said to him and here it is I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me if you had known me you would have known my father also and from now on you know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is sufficient for us and jesus said to him have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me Philip he who has seen me has seen the father so how can you say show us the father do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority but the father who dwells in me does does the work believe in me believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves alright notice here all of this language we can just pause there in the reading but I want you to notice with me all of this language where Jesus says I am in the father and the father is in me he says if you've seen me you've seen the father and what he's communicating from a couple of different angles is I am God he's like the father's at me I'm in the Father I don't know how to say this any better if you've seen me you've seen the father Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 says that the son Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being now where it says there in Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus is the exact representation of God's being the exact representation in the Greek is character character is where we get our English word character and in the Greek it refers to either a tool used to etch or inscribe or it refers to the etching itself in other words when that word is used there in Hebrews 1:3 that God is the Jesus is the radiance of God's glory the exact representation the character of God he's he's saying that listen God has revealed himself has etched himself has inscribed himself in flesh in the person of Jesus Christ Jesus is God this is why as part of the I am statements Jesus would say to the skeptics who didn't believe in him in John chapter 8 verse 58 before Abraham was born I am Abraham was was born 2,000 years before Christ and yet Jesus says before Abraham was I am because again Jesus is trying to get people to see from different angles do you get the idea do you get the understanding I am God I was here before Abraham 2,000 years ago I am here now I am the etching the inscription of God in flesh and so when Jesus uses this language here the father's in me I'm in the father if you see me you've seen the father he's trying to communicate once again that he in fact is God and he adds here at the end of what we just read in verse 11 if you don't believe me that I'm God for my words then believe that I'm God for my works that's what he's saying to them you could either believe me for what I'm saying believe me because of my words or believe me because of my works I mean who else heals the sick give sight to the blind walks on water calms the storm raises the dead if not God it's God how many miracles did Gandhi do zero how many miracles did Confucius do zero how many miracles did Muhammad do zero I mean God is is revealing himself through the person of Jesus Christ and then Jesus is saying if you don't believe me from words believe me for my works now you know listen we got to be careful because miracles don't validate everything and everyone sometimes there are false signs and false wonders and we have to be mindful of this there are counterfeit signs counterfeit wonders but Jesus saying I'll put it all together do you not understand by what I'm saying and what I'm doing I am God and then in the middle of this conversation he inserts their the verse our theme John 14 verse 6 I am the way the truth the life no one comes to the Father no one except through me this is the theme of our study today let's first pause and pray father we thank you now as we unite our hearts together even though we're in distant places we come together as the body of Christ thank you for technology that can unite us and a day when we are separated because of a pandemic and we pray God that you would just be honored and glorified by all that is said and as we read your word together that we would not be heroes only but doers we continue to pray an end to this virus we continue to pray Lord for our soon return as a church and that also Lord that this policy of wearing a mask would be rescinded soon and that we don't have to social distance that we can just come together once again as the body of Christ and so we look forward to that in a couple of weeks but in the meantime we pray right now you'd visit us by your Holy Spirit in our respective homes with me here at church and that you just be glorified use this text to minister to our hearts today we are thankful in Jesus name and everybody said amen now let's back up and understand what Jesus is trying to communicate here to his disciples during this time surrounding the Last Supper and in a broader sense what Jesus is trying to communicate to all of us again the scene here is the Lord's Supper they're meeting in the upper room they've just shared a meal together this will be the last meal be or Jesus is crucified and Jesus is giving them a preview of things that are to come in the next few hours and weeks and even years the ministry of Jesus is about to end on earth the mission of Jesus is about to be completed he's about ready to go to the cross he's gonna die for the sins of the world three days later he's gonna rise from the dead forty days after that he's going to send back into heaven from which he came and so his ministry and his mission is about ready to wrap up and he's telling his disciples at the Last Supper here's what's going to happen I'm going away and I just want you to know he's referring to the fact that he's gonna go back to heaven after his ministry mission is complete on earth he's gonna go back to heaven and he's telling them in advance the place I'm going you can't come not now but he adds there you will come later and when he says this it naturally generates some questions here Peter pipes up and he says Lord where you going and then Thomas taps out and he says not only do we not know where you're going we don't know the way to get there of course Thomas has a lot of doubts anyway that's kind of his nature but they're asking them they're asking Jesus questions because they don't understand wait a minute wait you're going away we can't come with you we can come later where are you going what's up with all of this and again Jesus is trying to give them a preview he's going to go to the cross he's gonna die is gonna be buried he's gonna rise again he's gonna ascend back into heaven and any and he's and he's going to leave them now he's not gonna leave them comfort less in fact the Bible says that's why God then brings the holy spirit so that we are not left without a comforter the Holy Spirit but he says as far as me being with you Jesus says I'm going back to heaven and I'm not going to be with you much longer but you'll be able to come to where I am now Jesus uses in John chapter 14 wedding language it escapes us from our Western eyes and ears but in John chapter 14 first few verses Jesus is using an analogy of a wedding that his disciples would have understood better than us probably and and because most of us are not familiar with ancient Jewish wedding ceremonies I'm gonna unpack this a little bit the first couple of verses from Chapter 14 but before I do that again notice the context the flow of chapter 13 into 14 at the end of chapter 13 Peter makes this bold assertion all right that I'm gonna be with you to the very end and Andy's you know he's he's got good intentions but but the guy is he kind of speaks first and acts first and then thinks later and when he says all this and makes all these bold assertions I'm gonna be with you the other Gospels say that you know up they all might deny you but I never will and then Jesus has to turn to him and say listen Peter I got news for you before sunrise you're gonna deny even knowing me three times you're gonna deny even knowing me three times before sunrise so now you have to remember the other disciples sitting hearing this conversation between Jesus and Peter would naturally become discouraged because their thinking will have Peter one of the three who belong to Jesus's inner circle Peter James and John if Peters gonna deny you then all of us probably will which in effect ends up happening but in order to comfort them John 14 verse 1 is when Jesus says let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid believe in God believe also in me and so he wants to comfort them he's like listen it's it's all gonna be okay I needed to kind of set Peter in the right place they're proud Peter needed a little a little talking to but for all of you just don't be troubled don't be afraid you believe in God believe also in me and then here's where he launches into this wedding analogy using kind of wedding language it's verses two and three of chapter 14 I want you look at your Bibles with me this is where Jesus is in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also now in my father's house are many mansions if you have an NIV or ESV I like the translation a little bit Veterans is in my father's house are many rooms ok Americans trip on the word mansion and and so now we think oh oh so when we get to heaven everybody's gonna be living like The Fresh Prince of bel-air no that's not what the text actually implies ok and by the way the health wealth and prosperity gospel has done a lot of damage to a lot of people it's a false doctrine ok Jesus is not saying when you get up you know to happen then everybody's gonna be living in a beautiful mansion this is wedding language ok don't make it materialistic in your head as typically Americans tend to do you know everything is relative I read this statistic about the houses we live in if you if you live in a house a house or an apartment here in America you're better off than most of the people around the world I read this statistic that in Australia Australia is the number one Australia has proportionately speaking the largest houses ok Australians live large but America is number two next to Australia the average size American home in America second to Australia larger than homes in any other part of the world on average and in the statistic I read you could get 11 average sized homes in China 11 in one size home in America 11 average size homes in China in one size home in America so everything's relative we're very blessed don't be thinking when you get to heaven there's gonna be a mansion just for you with a gold-plated door he's using again here wedding language and what Jesus is basically saying is my dad's house meaning heaven is big enough for anybody and everybody who so wills to come there's room in my father's house for you and as he speaks here using wedding language I want to share with you two important aspects of an ancient Jewish wedding there were two phases two parts to an ancient Jewish wedding that was separated by one year there was the betrothal period followed by the marriage celebration the betrothal period followed by the marriage celebration and these two things were separated by one year and so let me break it down for you here's what happened in the betrothal period now as many of you know most weddings among the Jews in ancient times were arranged dad's would get together and they would make a contract with each other based on the one dad who had a boy and the other dad who had a girl and they would start when the kids were as young as two years of age making contract negotiations and and so at any point between usually two or when they became marital age which in those days was rather young in their mid-teens often not always dad's would make contractual arrangements that's the way a marriage would be would be arranged and so the dad of the groom would offer the dad of the bride something valuable it could be livestock it could be silver it could be gold it could be produce it could be land and depending on what the bride's father agreed to the contract became binding and a bride price was paid it's otherwise known as a dowry a bride price was paid to the father of the bride to be now I I told this story a long time ago but about I don't know how long ago now it's been about ten years eight years ago and when daughter Lindsay went with us on one of our trips to Israel and she was in her late teens we were out walking in the in the streets of Jerusalem and this Arab Israeli pulled up in a in a black Mercedes rolled down the window and said to me I will give you 30 camels for your daughter right now I'm not making this up true story and I was like what excuse me 30 camels now I found out for some people that that is a boatload of money he said 30 camels I give for your daughter right now for her hand in marriage I said you gotta be kidding me right no I'm serious thirty I said no 50 no I know I didn't say that I didn't try to negotiate at all anyway we walked away but even still today there's the attempt to try to you know exchange a bride price in in order to make a contractual arrangement here so in these ancient times this is how it typically worked and then when the when the bride and groom to be became of marital age there would be a ceremony and vows would be exchanged this is all part of the betrothal period vows to be exchanged but there was to be no sexual intimacy this is very different from you know our Western culture where there's an engagement ring then there's the wedding ring and then you know consummate the marriage in the ancient jewish times this is this is the protocol there was an arranged marriage there was a bride price exchanged when they became irritable age there were vows that were then exchanged before God in the presence of a company no sexual intimacy and then here's what would happen the groom would then go off for one year back to his father's house and he would build an addition onto his father's house a room during this one year the Old Testament tells us he was exempt from military duty and during that one year the bride prepared herself to leave her father's house and during this betrothal it was binding it could only be dissolved by divorce even though they had not physically sexually consummated the marriage that's how binding this was so the groom goes off for a year except for military duty builds a room on to his father's house in those days it was typical for three maybe even four generations to live under the same roof and after that one year the groom would come back to get his bride and thus enters the marriage celebration the groom would come back for his bride and then there would be a huge feast usually a seven-day feast a festival and you would invite guests and they would all come and for seven days he would just have this lavish party celebrating after this year the marriage between this groom and his bride and it was then as part of the marriage celebration that the bride and the groom would would sexually consummate physically consummate the marriage Union Mazel Tov all right so it's in these two phases here the betrothal period the marriage celebration here the language of Jesus in my father's house are many mansions or many rooms I'm going to prepare a place for you right he's using marital language he's saying I am like the groom the Church of Jesus Christ is like the bride I'm going away to my father's house to heaven I'm preparing a place for you but then after time I'm gonna come back for you you're my bride I'm gonna take you to be with me forever so he's talking in in these terms to let them know listen I'm gonna go away but like a groom goes away to prepare a place I'm gonna come back and receive you unto myself that where I am there you might be also please listen to me on this folks we are right now in the betrothal period do you get this Jesus has died for our sins on a cross he was buried three days later he rose from the dead then he ascended back into heaven and he's preparing a place for us it's the betrothal period and he's going to come again for his bride for the church to take us to be with him forever this is Revelation chapter 19 verse seven which says let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory for the wedding of the lamb has come and the bride has made herself ready are you ready are you ready for the soon return of Jesus whenever that might be are you ready for him you can be if you say to me I'm not really sure well this brings us full circle back to our text of John 14:6 when Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life nobody nobody comes to the Father except through me the way you get to heaven the way you get to God is by faith alone in Christ alone that's the way by faith alone in Christ alone that's what he means when he says I'm the way I am the truth on the life no man comes to the Father but by me I'm gonna put the text on the screen again for you so that we can be reminded of these three things and real quickly I just want to break it down what does he mean here when he says I am the way what does he mean when he says I am the truth what does he mean when he says I am the life well let's start with the first one he says I am the way you might say well wait a minute pastor G I was told that there were multiple ways to heaven that all paths lead to God well you were told wrong there are not multiple ways to God there's one way and is through Jesus Christ Jesus Christ alone is the way to God Jesus Christ alone is the way to heaven now I can hear because I've heard it over the years I can hear the criticism this is where skeptics will pipe up and say that's the problem with you Christians you're so narrow-minded and you're so bigoted as to say that there's only one way there's only one way to be saved all right well let me ask you a question what if tomorrow they were to discover one cure for all cancers one pill would you say that it's narrow-minded and bigoted just because there's one way to be cured or let's say you're on a plane and it's going down it's about to crash and you were off one parachute would you say that that's narrow-minded or bigoted or let's say you're in a burning building and there's only one door to get out so you can be saved would you say hold on are there any other options here are there other doors of course not it's not narrow-minded or bigoted the opportunity to be saved is what God offers for all people I'm just thankful that God made a way Jesus happens to be V Way but I'm just thankful that God even made a way possible for us to be saved and so it's not narrow-minded or bigoted to believe that in what Jesus said he is the way he's the way to God he's the only way to God the only reason why people might believe that such an exclusive claim is narrow-minded or bigoted is because for two reasons number one they don't understand their own desperate condition and number two they do not understand the mercy of God when you get those two things how desperate we all are how we're all sinners how we all need a Savior when you understand your desperate condition and you understand the mercy of God then you will be thankful you won't sit back and say that's narrow-minded any more than you would say one cure for cancer one parachute to rescue me or one door to get me safely out of a burning building is narrow-minded or bigoted God has made a way possible for all who would believe in and receive Jesus said I am the way to be saved secondly Jesus said I am the way I am the truth I am the truth you say wait a minute I was told truth was individualized and truth is relative you know you've heard people as I've heard recently talk about my truth your truth our truth as if we can decide what truth is and if you were told that you were told wrong Jesus is the truth he is the standard of truth he is the source of all truth and this should be comforting to us quite frank frankly because we live in an age where you can't even figure out what's true anymore what is reality with all the spin and all the hype and all the mudslinging and all the conjecture the attacks it's hard to know anymore what to believe it's hard to know to know what is reality you know some event happens and and twenty you know news agencies show up to record the event and then they they editorialize about it and they contradict each other about it and you just throw up your hands and and you end up saying I don't even know what to believe I don't know who's telling the truth I don't know what's right and wrong I can't make heads or tails out of any of this you know think about what we're going through right now think about this whole pandemic have you ever stopped and thought to yourself I'm not even sure what to believe about any of this anymore I mean I'm not calling anybody I'm a liar I'm just saying with all the various medical opinions some of which contradicts other medical opinions do you ever stop and then think to yourself you know is there an agenda behind some of this is there a is there another motive behind some of this and and you wonder perhaps like I do like what is really the truth in all of this I mean we're told masks don't help then we're told masks do help then we're told no they really don't the pours in face coverings can't keep out viruses I don't know what to believe then and we're told you know stay in your home you know and as much as as I think some of these things are helpful when have we been quarantine the healthy before I'm not sure anymore what to believe stay at home don't leave your home unless you absolutely need to and then you could leave home I mean what is the truth in any of this anymore it's very mysterious and it's very concerning and so the bottom line is listen in all of the craziness of the world and all the confusing things that we hear from time to time Jesus is the ultimate source of truth we got a press into him Jesus said in John 18:37 everyone on the side of truth listens to me so we need to listen to Jesus he said listen to me he's the source of truth not Gandhi not Buddha not Confucius not Joseph Smith not Muhammad not Mary Baker Eddy Jesus is the source of truth he says I'm the way I'm the truth and then he adds there also I am the life you say wait a minute I was told my life is in my hands I'm in charge of my life I am the captain of my life it's all about me well you were told wrong this thinking was perpetuated by Guatemala few hundred years before Christ when Buddha said this quote no one saves us but ourselves no one can and no one may that's a very self-centered view on life the truth of the matter is that the Bible teaches Jesus is the author of life he is the sustainer of life he is the giver of life life is a gift the very reason that you're breathing right now is because God has enabled you to breathe to give you life and what he offers us is not just life biologically okay well there's a Greek word for life BIOS so we get our English word biology the study of life meaning the study of natural life the study of physical life that is from God yes but what Jesus offers is even greater than that because the word used here for life is a different Greek word and it's the word Zoe we've talked about this before and Zoe means spiritual life eternal life fullness of life even beyond this physical natural world because one day unless the Lord returns beforehand we're all going to die and we're all going to disintegrate and go back to dust but the moment we die if you're in Christ your spirit goes to be with the Lord and that's eternal life that's being with him forever and ever but you have to know him and you have to believe in him and you have to commit your life to Christ he said I am the way the truth of the life nobody comes to the Father except through me are you willing to humble yourself today and to acknowledge your need for a savior and to believe that Jesus is that only Savior the way that God provided for us to have our sins forgiven and he opened access to heaven through Jesus Christ it's by faith alone in Christ alone as the way the truth and the life that's how we get to God that's how we get to heaven do you know him today have you surrendered your life to his lordship have you committed your heart to Jesus Christ because I want to promise you based on the authority of Scripture that when you do that you can have your sins forgiven and you can know that you know you're gonna go to heaven when you die and I know many of you watching are already believers you've trusted Christ as your Savior but I'm sure there are many of you who have not made that decision I want to invite you today to make that decision none of us knows when our day is numbered when we die the Bible says all the days are dead for us are written in his book before one of them came to be God has an ordained number of days for us and because you never know what tomorrow holds it's important you make a decision today I want to invite you to trust Christ as your Savior by opening up your heart right now I'm going to lead in a word of Prayer and I'm gonna go slowly enough so you can pray it right with me and maybe a few of you are in the room together watching as a family maybe you want to pray this together out loud as a family make a decision today for Jesus Christ I'm gonna invite you to pray this prayer I'm gonna go slowly enough so you can pray it with me pray with me if you want to trust Christ as your Savior just bow your heads pray this with me say Lord Jesus I thank you that you are the way the truth the life no one comes to God except through you and today I want to come to God I want a relationship with my Heavenly Father and so I trust you Jesus as my Lord and Savior I ask you to forgive me of my sins cleanse my heart come into my life today as my Lord and Savior I leave the things of my past in the past and I walk today with you in newness of life trusting you by faith as my Lord and Savior thank you for loving me thank you for dying for me in a cross I accept you today Jesus as my Lord and Savior by faith in your name I pray amen now if you prayed that prayer with me we'd love to send you a Bible but even if you don't want to receive a Bible would you please at least acknowledge that you trusted Christ as your Savior take a moment right now to text the church the words I have decided to the number on your screen they're at seven oh three eight four four nine nine six nine or just the word decided just so we can know and rejoice with you and we'll follow up with information if you want to receive a Bible if you want to receive a little booklet by Greg Laurie for new believers you can let us know that but at least let us rejoice with you as you have just decided to trust Christ as your Lord and Savior we're so happy for you we just want to rejoice with you remember all of us jesus is the way the truth of the life nobody gets to God except through Jesus Christ how thankful we are that God made a way through the way Jesus Christ I'm gonna turn it on over now to pastor Austin for a few closing comments and a word of Prayer god bless you and enjoy the rest of your day all right Church family well that is all for today's service if you have any questions about today's message you can text those questions in to 703 8 four nine nine six nine and next week Pastor Gary will answer more of your questions also as a reminder our target date for reopening the church building is in two weeks Sunday June the 14th we look forward to that there's going to be limited ministry but be on the lookout on our website cornerstone chapel dotnet for an FAQ page and that page will answer more of your questions as we prepare to reopen well let me close with a quick word of Prayer Lord we thank you for this opportunity we've had to continue to do ministry even though we're physically distance Lord you are still moving and we still see your hand working and we thank you so much for this series Lord just reassuring us of who you are in our lives Lord we love you and we now pray that you would comfort us as a nation as we go through these different challenges Lord we pray that you would insert your piece into our nation Lord ultimately we will not have peace in our world until we invite the Prince of Peace into our lives and so we love you God and we look to you we trust you above all else Lord we love you it's in Jesus name we pray and all God's people said amen and amen well have a great rest of your week Church god bless you you

Channel: Cornerstone Chapel - Leesburg, VA

Views: 18,671

Rating: 4.877676 out of 5

Keywords: Cornerstone Chapel, Calvary Chapel, Gary Hamrick, Biblical sermons, leesburg va, cornerstone chapel leesburg virginia, great sermons by great preachers, i am the truth the way and the life, i am the truth, i am the life, i am the way, is jesus the only way to heaven, Why do christians think that jesus is the only way to heaven

Id: i8A_7-CV35w

Length: 71min 17sec (4277 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 01 2020