I AM the way the truth and the life John 14 Small group questions Read John 13:31-14:3 TRUST IN TROUBLE 1. Why were the disciples so troubled? 2. What is the antidote to troubled hearts? ONE FUTURE 3. What do we know about the future kingdom? 4. Jesus said I am going [there is not in the Greek] to prepare a place for you. What did that preparation consist of? 5. How is a knowledge of the future kingdom a balm in the midst of today s troubles? 6. What did Mark suggest was wrong about the put down comment they re so heavenly minded they re no earthly good? Read John 14:4-11 ONE WAY 7. What s so good about the fact there is one way to the Father? 8. Why is the fact that there is only one way a problem to so many? Is it arrogant to claim there is only one way? 9. How are we to think then about other religions? And what happens to those who have grown up immersed in another religion and have never heard of Jesus? ONE TRUTH 10. Jesus is the truth about the Father if you ve seen me, you ve seen the Father. Why isn t what Jesus says here sufficient to convince people that Jesus is God revealing himself to us in a most wonderful and marvellous way? Read John 14:12-27 ONE LIFE 11. Jesus gives us life through his death and then comes to make his home in us (v23). So we not only cling to future home, but we revel in present blessings. What results? v27. 12. What do you usually say to someone who says all religions are much the same ; or when they say of religion all roads lead to Rome? Can we help each other with better answers?
Date: 16 th November 2014 Services: 730am and 930am Series: I AM Title: The way the truth and the life Passage: John 14:1-? Aim: I want people at the end, to say Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life. And I have come to the Father through him! Outline: Trust in trouble One future One way One truth One life It seems like the most arrogant of positions doesn t it...? to claim that Jesus is the one and only way to God... To say that there is no other way... no truth or life to be found in any other religion? This is what gets Christians into trouble isn t it? That we think we re the only ones with the truth Over confident Blind to anyone else! Ignorant about other claims... To say Jesus is the only way to the Father. // Why don t we soften it a bit? Wouldn t we get more people interested? Wouldn t it seem more polite? Wouldn t we appear more open? Shouldn t we be more flexible in our approach? // Jesus is A way... just one good way We prefer it but look your way s OK too! Whatever works for you... // It s tempting! And some in the church have done it...! But it s a huge mistake... It doesn t take Jesus seriously It doesn t take the Bible seriously It doesn t take God seriously It doesn t follow logic and And as a strategy for bringing others in, it doesn t work!!
So... we ll need to come back to that... we ll need to wrestle with Jesus claim... But first we need to understand the context so let s look at trust in trouble, one future, one way... TRUST IN TROUBLE the disciples were very troubled... and we can understand it... Back in ch 13 - v21- one of you will betray me v33 only with you a little longer... where I am going you cannot come v38 Peter you will disown me three times! One will betray One will be gone (Jesus himself) One will deny In the space of a few minutes their world was turned upside down It will never again be the same This isn t how it was meant to turn out They were troubled. Of course they were troubled! // Life for any one of us get turn around in the space of a few short minutes A stoke A fall A phone call A text A knock on the door A doctor s report A court verdict A car accident From one day to the next we don t know what the future holds Jesus says to his troubled disciples Do not be troubled...and we want to interrupt there... Jesus do you hear what you re saying? It s not as easy as that... do not let your hearts be troubled.
I always hate that in movies or TV dramas Something terrible has just happened And someone comes out and says don t worry everything will be OK - you ll be fine We want to say get real! How can you possibly know this person will fine! We want to say to Jesus how can you stop a troubled heart just like that...? But we let Jesus finish and he says trust in God (or you already trust in God) now trust also in me. And we still want to say... just trust God just trust... is that all?? And if it was any one else saying that, that reaction might be justified...but God has proven himself trustworthy... He said to Noah as the rain was falling trust me. And he saved Noah through the flood He said to Abraham when we was leaving his home land trust me and God provided To Moses as he went to lead his people out of Egypt trust me and he proved himself faithful he led his people out To Joshua walking around Jericho trust me and the walls came down To the judges to Kings to prophets trust him and every time he delivered. Trust me too says Jesus... the one who has changed water into wine, given sight, restored the lame, raised the dead... Trust me... The one who has shown compassion, healed the sick... preached and prayed and taught The one who had escaped the clutches of the Jewish leaders intent on stoning him... The one who claimed to be the great I AM from of old!! The one who in humility had just washed his disciples feet! Trust me... Around this church today I know some of your troubles... not all... but some... Many of them significant... of course relatively significant to each one... Some I don t know too for you want to (or have to) hide them away... I want to you to hear Jesus exhortation to his disciples today... trust in God... trust also in me... You may not know what s going on but he does
You may be uncertain of the outcome but he s not You may be fearful for the future but he wants to take you by the hand and lead you into it... ONE FUTURE As for the disciples and their troubles Jesus had some specific to say to them... Here they are wondering what the future will hold and he says well I ll tell you what the future will hold I will come and take you to be with me... and there s room enough for all of you... How you think he prepared a place for them? It s not as if he left and he s undertaken a building project that s taken 2000 years so far... That would be some project...! No he prepared a place for them by his death and resurrection, which as he was speaking was just around the corner... This was to calm their troubled hearts To know that at some time down the track despite their present troubles, there would be a time and place where Jesus and his disciples would be together again. Reunited for eternity. In a place which was perfect. Brothers and sisters... our future hope our place with Jesus and the Father for all eternity is meant to lift our vision and give us calm in our present troubles. That one day all that troubles us now will be gone forever That one day we will all have our place in eternity in perfected relationship with God...that is meant to lift our hearts... we re meant to cling to that... that s when all the promises of the kingdom will reach their fulfilment... all that s promised of the kingdom will be delivered... And if we can just persevere through this time... and through the enmity of the world which he s going on to talk about then all will be well... We don t think often enough of the world to come We are too earth bound There was an old phrase I think my late mother used to use that s two weeks in a row I ve quoted her she used it in derision of Christians who were often talking about the future kingdom they re so heavenly minded they re no earthly good Jesus would disagree with my mother! It s only by being heavenly minded looking forward to heavenly home, that we ll be useful on earth released from the cares of this world released from the false hopes and empty promises of this world.....to see the big picture to see the heavenly reality to see NOW in the perspective of what is to come... Do you not let your hearts be troubled... trust God trust Jesus
In the Father s house are many rooms... and he has prepared a place for us through his death and resurrection that we may be fit for that place... Cling that to that hope in the midst of present troubles... Well all well and good so far... But now we are confronted with the exclusivity of this claim... There s only one way to this future... ONE WAY There is a little tussle here between Jesus and Thomas... (unfortunate placing of the heading) Jesus said you know the way Thomas retorts we don t even know where you re talking about so how can we know the way! And Jesus comes back clearly and strongly I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me! Let me state the obvious which may not be that obvious. That there is a way! There is a way. There is a way to Safety Peace Life joy A way to be forgiven To be reconciled To be adopted A way to be filled with God s Spirit Transformed for godliness Empowered for ministry There s a way to free from sin and death A way to break sin s power There s a way to make a difference in the world A way to justice To hope
To freedom Hallelujah there is way!! // And the way to a person is a person The way to the Father is through the Son Through the Son s Revelation Intervention Teaching Preaching Living Through the son s Mercy Grace Love Kindness Generosity Sacrifice... The son laid down his life then rose again in power and victory To make this way possible! Do you know this way? Have you joined this way? Are you on the way?? You re invited! // I m confident a majority of us here this morning are on the way! But if you re not will you please join us Saying sorry for sin And trusting in Jesus who made the way! There is one way One truth and one life
ONE TRUTH One truth - world searches for truth Jesus is the truth because he is God He and the Father are one we learnt that last week. But now it s Philip s turn to question Jesus... Jesus had said v7 if you really knew me you would know my Father as well... Philip doesn t get it Show us the Father Jesus Philip Philip haven t you realised don t you know? After all this time!!?...anyone who has seen me has seen the Father... Don t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me!? You ask to see the Father Philip He s sitting across the room from you!! You ve seen him! You re looking into his eyes You re listening to him these words are coming from him! // He doesn t just tell the truth about God He is God! It s mind blowing But there s more to blow our minds here... ONE LIFE...because we look down the passage and Jesus goes on to tell them about the coming of the Holy Spirit......and on that day - v20 you will realise that I am in my Father and you are in me... v23 If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching... My Father will love him... we will come to him and make our home with him! Isn t this incredible God living in Jesus and Jesus by his Spirit living in us! This is life God living in us This is not just about going to that great home at the end of time......no it s about God making his home in us now Father Son Holy Spirit... do you get that??!! so our hope our joy the reason that we can deal with troubled hearts is not only because we console ourselves with going to our eternal home......it s because God is making - has made his home with us NOW
And so no wonder he says v27 peace I leave with you... and he repeats... do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid... I AM the way, the truth and the life... No one comes to the Father except through me! // But why God is there only one way...? surely we could argue you d be better off if there was more than one!! Don t narrow your strategies Lord Don t limit the possibilities! My nephew was in a serious car accident nearly 11 years ago aged 9. His head was internally decapitated. It needed to be rejoined with titanium rods from his neck to the top of his spine His father my brother in-law Wayne asked the surgeon for a second opinion on this operation The doctor said that won t be possible Wayne asked why Because I m the only surgeon in Australia who has ever done this. How many have you done Less than 10 Was it arrogant to claim that he was the only one who could do this? No. It was simply the truth. You ve got a choice at that point Do you chose the only way possible... the only way ahead for your little boy......or do you say well that s very arrogant I don t think we ll use that doctor! My sister and her husband took the only way with gratitude! Jesus is the only way we ve been offered. Its shows the uniqueness of Jesus. The significance of Jesus. The crucial importance of Jesus. There s no other way to deal with sin then to have Jesus bear it on the cross There s no other way to have eternal life than to receive it on the basis of Jesus death No one will be saved on the basis of their good works, their religious observance, their devotion in some other religion... My brother and sister in law on that terrible night they had to decide about the operation......they didn t end asking why there couldn t be other possibilities...... but gave thanks there was at least one answer one way.
We hold the Bible to be true We hold Jesus to be the truth It is not arrogant for us to claim this is the only way The Bible itself claims it s the only way Jesus says he s the only way And we take Jesus on his word Soften it in any way and it is no longer the truth. Change it in any way and it s no longer life giving... So in humble gratitude we follow the way We believe the truth We receive the life on offer And in gratitude, we thank God that there is a way back to him... that has nothing to do with what we do and everything to do with what he has done... all of his mercy and grace. And when we are troubled......we trust him... we rest in him who is the way the truth and the life And we know that one day we will have a home with him......but that also right now he has made his home with us... And we have peace...... and we are not afraid.