I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE
John 14:5-14

I. For Jesus to be the way, he must be accepted as the truth manifested in the life.
II. WAY: Jesus is the only remedy for sinful man to approach a Holy God.
a. Some take issue with the fact that Jesus is the only way.
i. God did not have to make a way. But because of his great love for us, he chose to make the way himself.
b. Being a “good” person does not get you into heaven, because “no one is righteous” (Romans 3:10)
1. James 2:10- For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
2. What is the penalty and remedy for breaking a command?
3. Jesus says that sin reigns in our hearts and minds, even if we do not act on them.
a. Romans 12:2- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
c. The Imparted of Righteousness of Christ (Romans 3:21-31)- He is our Sin bearer
i. Because we have all sinned, God needed to present a blameless sacrifice.
ii. Righteousness is not achieved through right actions, but through a right relationship with God, the Father, through Jesus, the Son.
1. 4Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10)
iii. The right relationship will bring about right living over time because it changes the heart. (Romans 7:21-25)
III. TRUTH: Jesus is not our life insurance policy. He is the policy of life’s assurances.
a. The promise of eternal life is an amazing gift, but it is only the beginning.
i. Social Security provides the basics for retirement, but in order to have a full retirement it requires that you prepare now for then.
ii. Today’s average 50 year old only has $2300 saved toward retirement.
iii. Less than 1/2 of American workers have attempted to calculate how much they need to save for retirement.
b. When I get to heaven, I want to hear…well done and that means that I have to live like Jesus now.
c. Believing that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior means that I accept him as the standard bearer.
i. Luke 16:13- "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
ii. You will either be a slave to righteousness or a slave to sin. One leads to abundant life and the other leads to eternal death.
iii. Being a Christian means that I strive to be more like Jesus.
1. John 3- 36"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NASB)
2. Philippians 1:20- 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
3. John 3- 30He must become greater; I must become less.
4. John 14- 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
iv. How do you act in this life?
1. Jesus quoting the prophet Isaiah in Matthew 15 states: 8" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
IV. LIFE: Our decisions determine our direction which leads to our destination.
a. Luke 12:34- 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
i. What do you value in this life?
b. Following Jesus means living life at its best!- More peace, joy, love.
i. Jesus sets you free from the bondage of sin to live a life of freedom.