I Am The Way

As I come up to the front at end of worship

SLIDE 1 “WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE”

Encouraging words from worship time

Ladies had a wonderful coffee and conversation

Men’s breakfast this coming Saturday

SLIDE 2 “I AM THE WAY”

Last Sunday the Lord showed us how powerful it is for us that He is the Word

As we continue seeing who Jesus is to us and for us

Today the Lord will show us how He is the Way!

We start off today in the setting of communion time, the last supper, what we really call the Passover meal

Jesus has just washed the disciples feet - talk about

One of them would betray Him

Jesus telling them He would be going away

SLIDE 3

John 14:1–2 NASB95

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

SLIDE 4

John 14:3–4 NASB95

3 “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. 4 “And you know the way where I am going.”

SLIDE 5

John 14:5–6 (NASB95)

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Jesus goes on to say that if you know Me you will know the Father

He explains to His disciples its actually for their advantage that He goes away

This of course being the coming of The Holy Spirit after His ascension to heaven

Jesus goes on for two chapters explaining the benefits He and the Father would leave us with through the presence of His Holy Spirit

He says I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling, the peace and joy we would receive and by abiding in Him we would bear fruit.

All because Jesus is the Way

I am so glad that Jesus added the last part of verse 6, “no one comes to the Father but through Me”

SLIDE 6 “I AM THE WAY PHOTO SLIDE”

If you were asked the question on the world wide media stage, is Jesus the only way to heaven, the only way to God?

Knowing it might affect your job, your status in society and other things. Would you have the boldness to say yes absolutely, Jesus is the only Way

In fact God would design this that we cannot come to the Father through the Father but only though Jesus His Son.

How Jesus makes us righteous and clean before the Father

In John chapters 13-14-15 Jesus speaks of His word that makes us clean

In chapter John chapter 16 after previous chapters assuring He is the Way even tells the disciple to ask anything in His name.

SLIDE 7 (I won’t read this but put it up for everyone)

John 16:23–24 (NASB95)

23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

Jesus tells them and this is what He says, Until now you have asked for nothing in My name........

All of the Bible before now nothing is asked for in Jesus Name, now because Jesus is the only way , He now encourages us to ask for anything in His name.

If all these benefits and promises Jesus would leave His disciples and to us who confess Him as our Lord and savior....

Jesus would then in chapter 17 dedicate that whole chapter to praying to the Father on our behalf, for our protection, blessings and care.

SLIDE 8

THE WAY

Way (hodos)- a traveled way or road

a journey

a course of conduct

a way of thinking, feeling or deciding

In the book of Acts and the starting of the church... if you were a follower of Jesus Christ, you were know as belonging to The Way

In Acts by belonging to the Way, the Roman government consider you belonging to a sect, others may have spoken evil of you belonging to the Way

SLIDE 9 (I won’t read this but put it up for everyone)

Acts 9:1–2 (NASB95)

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

In fact before Paul’s conversion to Jesus, he would look for those who belonged to the Way that he might have them put in prison.

After Paul’s conversion he was seized at the temple in Jerusalem by the crowds...... for preaching and now belonging to the Way

It was one of the times Paul was arrested and asked the Roman commander if he could address the crowds and gave his amazing testimony how he previously persecuted the Way. SLIDE 10

Acts 22:4 (NASB95) (I won’t read this but put it up for everyone)

4 “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,

Its so amazing that in his story here that he had actually received letters of these belonging to the Way and he was headed to Damascus in order to bind these belonging to the Way back to Jerusalem as prisoners and to be punished.

SLIDE 11 “PAUL ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS”

I love how Paul says, “It was about noon time on the road to Damascus and a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me”

It was then that those at the church in Antioch would then be called Christians

SLIDE 12

Acts 11:25–26 (NASB95) (I won’t read this but put it up for everyone)

25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Barnabas would be the one who was sent to Antioch and had seen all that God had done through His grace

Barnabas found Paul at Tarsus and took him to Antioch and they taught great numbers of people here about the Way.

Paul would then go on and writing to the many churches and the Epistles that the only was to The Father was through Jesus and also through Him grace and hope and being able to stand

SLIDE 13

Romans 5:1–2 (NASB95)

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

And again to the church at Ephesus

SLIDE 14

Ephesians 2:18 (NASB95)

18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

One of my most favorite verses Paul gives this great promise in Hebrews how through Jesus the way even to the most holy place

SLIDE 15

Hebrews 10:19–20 (NASB95)

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

Then finally as we get ready for communion another amazing promise from Jesus in John chapter 10

SLIDE 16

John 10:9 (NASB95)

9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Inviting those to receive Jesus

Now as we prepare our hearts for Communion

SLIDE 17 “COMMUNION”

Communion Time and Prayer

Prayer and Close

SLIDE 18 “JESUS: I AM THE WAY”

Pastor Mark Dismiss