I am the Way, And the Truth, And the Life

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 A STORY IS TOLD OF A MUSLIM WHO BECAME A CHRISTIAN. HIS FRIENDS ASKED, “WHY HAVE YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN?” 2 HE ANSWERED, “WELL, IT’S LIKE THIS. SUPPOSE YOU ARE GOING DOWN THE ROAD SUDDENLY THE ROAD FORKED IN TWO DIRECTIONS. NOW YOU DON’T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO. 3 AT THE FORK ARE TWO MEN, ONE DEAD AND ONE ALIVE— WHO WOULD YOU ASK WHICH WAY TO GO?” PART OF LIFE IS DECIDING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO 4 THERE ARE ONLY TWO OPTIONS HEAVEN AND HELL ( PAUSE ) WE NEED TO KNOW THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HELL 5 BUT ONLY ONE WAY TO HEAVEN TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ANOTHER “I AM” STATEMENT TURN TO JOHN 14:1 6 JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES THEY COULD NOT FOLLOW WHERE HE WAS GOING NOW HE TOLD THEM THEY WOULD FOLLOW HIM LATER 7 PETER ASKED WHY HE COULD NOT FOLLOW NOW & SAID HE WOULD DIE FOR JESUS JESUS TOLD PETER HE WOULD DENY HIM 3 TIMES BEFORE THE ROOSTER CROWED 8 JOHN 14:1–6 “DO NOT LET YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED; BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. “IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY DWELLING PLACES; IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU; 9 FOR I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. “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 YOU KNOW THE WAY WHERE I AM GOING.” 10 THOMAS SAID TO HIM, “LORD, WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, HOW DO WE KNOW THE WAY?” JESUS SAID TO HIM, “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME. 11 ONLY ONE WAY “I AM THE WAY” THOMAS HAD ASKED HOW THEY KNEW THE WAY HE WAS THINKING OF A PHYSICAL PATH TO WHERE JESUS WAS GOING 12 JESUS HAD SAID THEY WOULD FOLLOW WHERE HE WAS GOING LATER SO THOMAS WAS EXPECTING DIRECTIONS ON HOW THEY COULD FOLLOW JESUS ANSWERS BY REPLYING THAT HE AND HE ALONE IS THE WAY 13 THE WAY THIS WORDED EMPHASIZES THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS THE ANCIENT WORLD WAS FULL OF CLAIMS TO BE THE WAY TO GOD EVERY CULTURE HAD THEIR GOD EACH GOD HAD MANY WAYS 14 BUT JESUS SAYS “I AND ONLY I AM THE WAY” THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GET TO WHERE JESUS IS GOING ( PAUSE ) 15 SOME SAY, “ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE SAME PLACE AS LONG AS YOU ARE SINCERE,”… BUT A PERSON CAN BE SINCERELY WRONG ! 16 MATTHEW 7:13–14 “ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE; FOR THE GATE IS WIDE AND THE WAY IS BROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION, AND THERE ARE MANY WHO ENTER THROUGH IT. 17 “ FOR THE GATE IS SMALL AND THE WAY IS NARROW THAT LEADS TO LIFE, AND THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT. 18 THE DELUSION THAT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GOD IS STRONG IN OUR CULTURE MOST PEOPLE, EVEN MANY CHRISTIANS WILL SAY THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GET TO GOD 19 BUT THE HARD COLD TRUTH IS THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD AND ONLY ONE WAY TO HIM ANY WAY TO GOD MUST GET ACROSS THE GULF OF SIN THAT SEPARATES GOD AND MAN 20 ANY OTHER PATH HAS NO MEANS TO CROSS THAT CHASM THEY ALL FALL SHORT THEY JUST DO NOT REACH THE OTHER SIDE JESUS AS THE WAY BRIDGES THE CHASM OF SIN ( PAUSE ) 21 ONLY BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AT THE CROSS CAN OUR SINS BE PAID FOR THIS TRUTH IS THE REASON HE IS THE ONLY WAY 22 ONLY TRUTH REVEALS THE WAY “ I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH” IT IS VITAL WE UNDERSTAND THIS CLAIM JESUS IS NOT SAYING HE IS A TRUTH, ONE TRUTH AMONG MANY ( PAUSE ) 23 HE IS THE TRUTH IN OPPOSITION TO ALL ELSE THAT IS FALSE THE TRUTH HERE DESCRIBES THE WAY EVERY OTHER WAY IS FALSE IT IS BASED ON A LIE ( PAUSE ) 24 AS A MATTER OF FACT EVERY OTHER WAY IS BASED ON THE SAME LIE EVERY OTHER WAY THAT CLAIMS TO BE A WAY TO GOD PRESENTS THE SAME LIE YOU CAN BE GOOD ENOUGH, YOU CAN EARN GOD’S LOVE 25 YOU CAN BALANCE YOUR KARMA, YOU CAN BECOME ENLIGHTENED YOU CAN DO THE 5 PILLARS, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE LAW YOU CAN BE SO GOOD GOD WILL HAVE TO TAKE YOU INTO HEAVEN 26 BECAUSE YOU EARNED IT THIS IS THE LIE THAT IS OPPOSED TO THE TRUTH OF JESUS THE TRUTH IS NONE OF US CAN EVER EARN HEAVEN 27 ROMANS 3:23 FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, 28 ECCLESIASTES 7:20 INDEED, THERE IS NOT A RIGHTEOUS MAN ON EARTH WHO CONTINUALLY DOES GOOD AND WHO NEVER SINS. 29 THE COMPLETE TRUTH IS WE ARE SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOR WE ARE UTTERLY LOST WITHOUT CHRIST WE DON’T REALLY LIKE THAT TRUTH ( PAUSE ) 30 WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID, “MEN OCCASIONALLY STUMBLE OVER THE TRUTH, BUT MOST OF THEM PICK THEMSELVES UP AND HURRY OFF AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.” 31 THAT MAY BE A COMMON RESPONSE TO TRUTH ( PAUSE ) RESPONDING TO TRUTH BY ACTING AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED PUTS MEN ON THE ROAD TO TRAGEDY AND DESTRUCTION. 32 THERE IS NO WAY TO LOVE AND FOLLOW GOD WITHOUT LOVING AND FOLLOWING TRUTH. THE TWO CANNOT BE SEPARATED. 33 WHEN PEOPLE ENCOUNTER THIS TRUTH THEY HAVE A CHOICE THEY CAN REJECT THE TRUTH OF THEIR NEED FOR A SAVIOR 34 OR THEY CAN EMBRACE THE TRUTH OF THEIR NEED FOR A SAVIOR WHICH THEY CHOOSE AFFECTS WHERE THEY END UP ( PAUSE ) 35 ONLY WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE” FIRST HE SAYS HE AND HE ALONE IS THE WAY 36 THEN HE CONTRASTS HIS TRUTH WITH THE LIE OF EVERY OTHER WAY NOW HE EXPLAINS THE RESULT OF THE WAY AND THE TRUTH IF WE GO ALONG THE ONLY WAY, FOLLOWING THE TRUTH AND NOT THE LIE 37 WE ARRIVE AT THE LIFE. AGAIN THIS NOT A LIFE, THERE ARE NOT MANY DESTINATIONS THAT ARE LIFE THERE IS ONLY ONE DESTINATION THAT IS LIFE ALL OTHER WAYS ARE A LIE THAT LEADS TO DEATH 38 ROMANS 6:23 FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. 39 BEFORE COMING TO CHRIST I BELIEVED THAT I COULD FOLLOW ANY PATH IN LIFE I THOUGHT I COULD JUST PICK ONE OF THESE RELIGIONS AND FOLLOW IT IF I DID SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO THEIR VERSION OF HEAVEN 40 BE A HINDU GET TO NIRVANA, BE A MUSLIM GET TO PARADISE BE A BUDDHIST BECOME ENLIGHTENED MANY MODERN PEOPLE FEEL THIS WAY 41 THEY THINK THERE ARE MANY PATHS TO CHOOSE FROM THAT LEAD TO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF ETERNAL LIFE THIS IS A VERY EASY TRAP TO FALL INTO WE ARE TOLD WE NEED TO BE TOLERANT 42 WE ARE TOLD TO COEXIST WE CAN BE TOLERANT WITHOUT AGREEING WE CAN COEXIST WITHOUT FALLING FOR THE LIE THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE MANY PATHS 43 THAT LEAD TO MANY DIFFERENT ETERNAL LIVES IS A LIE THE ONE AND ONLY WAY IS THE WAY OF TRUTH IT LEADS TO THE ONE AND ONLY ETERNAL LIFE 44 ALL OTHER OPTIONS DO NOT LEAD TO GOD IN HEAVEN EVERY OTHER OPTION OUT THERE LEADS TO HELL ( PAUSE ) 45 ON THE TOP OF A HILL IN A MIDWESTERN STATE STANDS A COURTHOUSE SO SITUATED THAT RAINDROPS FALLING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOF TRAVEL BY WAY OF THE GREAT LAKES INTO THE ATLANTIC, 46 WHILE DROPS LANDING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE FIND THEIR WAY THROUGH THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI TO THE GULF. JUST A BREATH OF WIND ONE WAY OR THE OTHER 47 DETERMINES WHETHER A SINGLE RAINDROP WILL END UP EITHER IN THE GULF OR IN THE ATLANTIC. EVEN SO, ONE SINGLE DECISION IS ENOUGH TO DETERMINE MAN’S DESTINY, 48 EITHER HEAVEN OR HELL. WE AS CHRISTIANS NEED TO LIVE, BREATH, WALK, AND TALK ONE WAY, ONE TRUTH, ONE LIFE ( PAUSE ) 49 WE NEED TO LOVE THOSE WHO DISAGREE BUT WE DO NOT NEED TO EMBRACE OR ENDORSE ANY OTHER WAY THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE POPULAR 50 PEOPLE WILL GET UPSET WHEN WE SAY ONE WAY, ONE TRUTH, ONE PATH BUT GOD HAS SPOKEN ON THIS WE MUST STAND BY WHAT HE HAS SAID ( PAUSE ) 51 JOHN 14:6 JESUS SAID TO HIM, “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME. 52 WHO COMES “NO ONE COMES” THIS VERSE STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE “I AM” NOTICE HE DOES NOT SAY 53 MOST COME THROUGH ME, OR MANY COME THROUGH ME IT IS NOT “A FEW GO SOME OTHER WAY” IT IS NOT “THE REALLY GOOD ONES GET IN ON THEIR OWN” IT IS LITERALLY NO ONE 54 WHAT A SHOCKING CLAIM THIS IS VERY RESTRICTIVE THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND HERE THIS IS SO WE UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST 55 JOHN DYER, A WELSH POET AND PASTOR FROM THE 1700S ONCE WROTE “A MAN MAY GO TO HEAVEN WITHOUT HEALTH, WITHOUT RICHES, WITHOUT HONORS, WITHOUT LEARNING, 56 WITHOUT FRIENDS; BUT HE CAN NEVER GO THERE WITHOUT CHRIST.” TODAY OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING TO GO TO HEAVEN WITH OUT CHRIST 57 TO GO THERE SOME WAY OTHER THAN THE WAY FOUND IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS BUT ALL SUCH EFFORTS ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN. ( PAUSE ) 58 ACTS 4:12 “AND THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE; FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.” 59 EITHER THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND WE MUST TRUST CHRIST ( PAUSE ) OR THIS STATEMENT IS FALSE AND CHRISTIANITY IS A LIE ( PAUSE ) 60 THIS IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHEN WE TELL THEM THE GOSPEL THE GOSPEL IS AN OFFER OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD 61 WHO WE ARE COMING TO “NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER” TO COME TO THE FATHER IS TO ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE IN HEAVEN ( PAUSE ) 62 THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS WE EITHER COME TO THE FATHER IN HEAVEN OR WE GO FROM THE FATHER TO HELL THERE IS NO PLACE ELSE TO GO 63 TO ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE WE MUST BE HOLY, BLAMELESS WE CANNOT DO THIS ON OUR OWN, WE NEED HELP ALL THOSE WHO WOULD COME BEFORE THE FATHER MUST TRAVEL ONE WAY 64 NO ONE COMING TO THE FATHER MAY COME BY ANY OTHER WAY THIS WAY IS JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE ( PAUSE ) 65 JOHN 3:18 “HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT JUDGED; HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE HAS BEEN JUDGED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. 66 THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND THERE IS NO OTHER LIFE THERE IS NO OTHER TRUTH THERE IS NO OTHER WAY ALL MUST COME TO THE FATHER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST 67 WHO WE ARE COMING THROUGH “NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME.” ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST CAN WE ENTER THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER 68 HE IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER HE IS THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR SIN AND OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR HE IS THE ONLY MEANS TO ETERNAL LIFE 69 ALL HOPE OF GOD AND HEAVEN OUTSIDE OF JESUS CHRIST IS VANITY AND WORSE “NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME” 70 IS ABSOLUTE, IT IS FINAL IT MEANS THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION TRUST ME I LOOKED I FOUGHT THE IDEA OF JESUS CHRIST TOOTH AND NAIL FOR 12 YEARS 71 I LOOKED TO EVERY OTHER RELIGION I COULD FIND I DID SO OUT OF ARROGANCE, VANITY, AND PRIDE I WANTED SOMETHING I COULD EARN SOMETHING I COULD OVERCOME 72 SOMETHING I COULD LOOK BACK AT AND “SAY LOOK WHAT I DID” WHEN EVANGELIST GYPSY SMITH GOT SAVED, AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN EXPLAINED TO HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING CHRIST ALONE. 73 GYPSY SMITH REPLIED, “I CANNOT TRUST MYSELF, FOR I AM NOTHING; AND I CANNOT TRUST IN WHAT I HAVE, FOR I HAVE NOTHING; AND I CANNOT TRUST IN WHAT I KNOW, FOR I KNOW NOTHING.” 74 THE ONLY THING LEFT FOR HIM TO TRUST IN WAS JESUS CHRIST. WHAT THIS WAS LIKE FOR ME AT 30YRS OLD I KNEW I NEEDED GOD I COULD NOT JUST “TRUST” SO GOD HAD ME GO LOOK EVERYWHERE ELSE FIRST 75 I CAN SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF LOOKING THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING MAYBE IN DIFFERENT WAYS WITH DIFFERENT WORDS 76 BUT THEY ALL SAY THE SAME LIE YOU CAN BE GOOD ENOUGH GOD WILL HAVE TO LET YOU IN HEAVEN BUT JESUS SAYS ( PAUSE ) 77 “I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME 78 LIFE IS A JOURNEY DOWN A ROAD EVERYONE OF US COMES TO A FORK ON THAT ROAD WE DO NOT KNOW WHICH ROAD GOES WHERE ONE GOES TO HELL ONE GOES TO HEAVEN 79 AT THE FORK THERE ARE MANY MEN ALL BUT ONE POINT DOWN THE ROAD GOING LEFT ONE STANDS POINTING DOWN THE ROAD GOING RIGHT ALL THOSE POINTING LEFT ARE DEAD 80 ONLY THE MAN POINTING RIGHT IS ALIVE AND SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD WHO ARE YOU GOING TO LISTEN TO? THE LIVE MAN OR ONE OF THE DEAD ONES? THIS IS THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL 81 CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY, THE ONLY TRUTH, THE ONLY LIFE THIS IS WHAT WE OFFER PEOPLE WHEN WE TELL THEM THE GOSPEL THAT GOD LOVES US AND WANTS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US… 82 83