Sermon Tone Analysis

/This morning I want to talk to you about the answer to all of the ultimate questions of life.

But we need to be careful, because this can get a little tricky.

/

/            /The story is told about a pastor who every Sunday, before he preached to the adults, brought all the children up front where they would sit and he'd tell them a story.

One day he said, "Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about someone who likes to live in the woods, but sometimes we can see him in our yards.

Anybody have any idea who I’m talking about?"

No takers.

He went on, "I want to tell you about a creature that lives in the woods and sometimes in our yards, has a big bushy tail, and likes to eat nuts.

Anybody have any idea who I'm talking about?"

Not a word.

He said, "I'm talking about a creature that lives in the woods, sometimes in our yards, big bushy tail, eats nuts, likes to climb trees, jumps from tree to tree--now, does anybody know who I'm talking about?"

One kid finally raises his hand and gives this answer "I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me." [i]

/            I think this boy is like a lot of us when it comes to the big questions of life.

We know the answer is Jesus, but we’re not exactly sure why or how Jesus is the answer.

/

/            I think we can clear some of this up by first understanding is that Jesus is *not* the answer to *every* question.

The answer to this preacher’s question was not Jesus—it was a squirrel.

If you go to class tomorrow and take a test on geography, and the question is “What is the capital of Florida?” you better not write Jesus—you’d better write, “Tallahassee.”

/

/            At the same time, this little boy points out one very important principle: Jesus *is* the answer to the ultimate questions of life.

When you face the most important questions—questions such as “How can I get to God?” or “How can I know what’s really true?” or “How can I live my life to the fullest?”

Jesus really is the correct answer.

/

/            At some point every single one of us asks these questions and Jesus tells us in *John 14:6* He is the right answer.

This morning I want to explore with you why and how Jesus is the answer to your ultimate questions.

First, let’s pray.

/

*PRAYER*

*            *Let’s begin with the first question:

*Question #1- /How can I get to God? /Jesus says /I am the Way.

/*

*            *During the months following* *the 9~/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, you might remember a lot of people suddenly seemed to turn to God for comfort and security.

Religious services were televised from the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. and from Yankee Stadium in New York.

These services included ministers from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

They offered prayers to the God they addressed as “the God of Abraham, the God of Muhammad, and the Father of Jesus Christ.”

Oprah Winfrey led the service held in New York City and boldly declared that all people pray to the same God.

I hate to question the words of such a noted theological giant as Oprah Winfrey, but is this really true?

One of the main questions anthropologists ask about any culture is /who~/what~/how do they worship?

/ Find the most primitive tribe on earth, and you find them worshipping something./

/Religion is a universal aspect of human life.

It seems to be hardwired into us to try figure out some way to find God, and to know Him.

Yet many modern folks try to ignore this need to connect with God.

We build our world around our families, our friends, entertainment, work, education, or any of countless diversions, designed to help us cope with God’s absence.

When do most of us begin looking for God?

When disaster or tragedy or death tears away our thin veneer of self-sufficiency.

When you realize you’re not really in control of life, death, or much of anything else that happens in between.

When you see suffering up close and personal, when you look down into a casket and ache for comfort, this is when you end up struggling with the question /Is there a God?

How can I find Him?

How can I know Him?/

            Jesus answers this ultimate question by declaring /I am the Way…no one comes to the Father except through Me. /

            The word /Way /= lit., /road, path.

/Imagine yourself in the middle trying to find the one path that will lead you to God.

Many paths lead out from where you are, but only one route gets you from where you are to God is.

Jesus says /I am that path.

/ 

            Sorry Oprah.

Everybody is /not /praying to the same God.

So many believe the common misconception /If you’re sincere and do the best you can, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Muslim or a Mormon, or no religion at all.

There are many different paths to God, so it really doesn’t make much difference which one you take.

/

/            /This is a lie.

Like most lies it contains a small grain of truth.

Most all religions stumble onto /something/ true about God.

Muslims say there’s only one God, and they’re right, but His Name is /not /Allah.

Mormons tell us families are important to God, and they’re right, but families are /not/ the /most /important thing to God.

Even an atheist might be a very morally upright person.

What Jesus says is that lots of people have a few correct facts about God, but only He Himself can get you from where you are to where God is.

Christ is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is he the best of several ways; He is the only way.

-A.

W. Tozer

            Either He’s right, or He’s wrong, but there’s nothing confusing about Jesus’ answer to the question how/ can I get to God?

Only through Christ.

/

/            This means two things:  /

/            That means He is the only way you initially get to God. /

*Acts 4:12* /Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”/

/            /To get to God the Bible says you must first come to Christ to be saved from your sins.

You must repent and come to Him by faith, trusting His death on the Cross paid the price for your forgiveness, and surrendering yourself to Him as your Master.

You must come to God through faith in Christ.

You simply can’t get to God any other way.

/ /

/            /There was a missionary who got lost in an African jungle--nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places.

He found a native hut and asked the native if he could lead him out.

The native said he could.

"All right," said the missionary, "show me the way."

The native said, "Walk."

So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.

The missionary got worried.

"Are you quite sure this is the way?

Where is the path?"

The native said, "Bwana, in this place there is no path.

I am the path."[ii]/

/

/            Jesus is the Way, the only Path to get to God.

It’s not enough to be religious, or moral, or as good as you can be.

You must come through Jesus Christ, if you want to get to God.

Do you need to get to God this morning?

Then you need to come to Jesus.

Will you come to Him? /

*/            /**Question # 2- /How can I find truth that makes sense of everything else? /*

*II.

JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF TRUTH*

            People are not just looking for God—they’re looking for truth, even though society tries its best to tell us there is no such thing.

According to one researcher, 64% of all adults in America say truth is merely personal opinion; the number rises to 83% among teenagers.

I hope this statistic alarms you, but it doesn’t alarm everybody.

/When UN Secretary General Kofi Annan accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, he told the world:/ The idea that there is one people in possession of the truth, one answer to the world's ills or one solution to humanity's needs has done untold harm throughout history.

But that doesn’t keep us from wanting the truth.

When you ask your teenage daughter where she’s been and who she’s been with, you expect the truth—not her opinion.

When you ask that same question from your boyfriend~/girlfriend, you’re not asking for their version of the truth.

Guys when you’re keeping up with the score of the game, you expect whoever is in charge to tell you the truth.

When the cashier doesn’t give you enough change, and you tell her she owes you more money, would you be satisfied if she replies /That’s just your opinion.