The Gospel of John - The Fruit of Our Salvation - Part 3 - The WAY

GREET EVERYONE-

Good Morning Loved Ones

If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.

VISION - MISSION -

INVITES

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Open it to the Gospel of John and Chapter 14 beginning in verse 1 as we continue our preaching series called “the Fruit of our salvation” which is ONE part of our walking through the Gospel of John together verse by verse.

PRAYER OVER SERIES

My prayer over this series is that the Holy Spirit of God will being us all in to a deeper understanding of what the fruit of our salvation is.

AN understanding of what our salvation is to produce in our life -

OF what Salvation is to produce in the life of someone who is saved

and what fruit can be produced in the life of someone is needs to be saved

Fruit is what something is produced-

and a reality of this world that we live in - an objective truth that we all can observe is

Fruit is always after its own Kind - Apples equal apples - Avocados equal avocados

and so what is the clear implication of that when I aske the question “what do Jesus followers Produce? Jesus followers

And for us to do that Jesus is producing in us HIS loving nature and HIs character of truth!

And my prayer is as we come to a deeper understanding in what the fruit of our salvation is supposed to be.

AND - We would ask ourselves if we can see and feel and experience the transforming fruit that Jesus is supposed to be producing in our life?

and Loved ones - what I pray will happen to all of us is that we will all find ourselves wanting more and more of of Jesus - more and more of what Jesus and his saving work is to be producing in our lives and in the lives of everyone around us.

So that we will be more and more like Him in every way.

PRAYER OVER MESSAGE

My prayer over this mornings message is that we would come to know that Jesus is the way!

Not in the churchy kind of knowing that -

Here is what I mean by that

You see I think we are all very quick to agree to the exclusive claims of Jesus.

You might think to your self - Pastor Jesus is exclusive? - I thought Jesus came for Everybody? .

Well loved ones He did come for everybody - But not everybody will come to Him.

Loved ones I pray that from what we will hear from Jesus today would sink to the core of our soul - and we would come to understand that fact that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life -

and because He is the way the truth and the life -

His WAY,

Him Being truth, and His life is producing in us a proclamation of HIM to a world that is lost and going the wrong way -

A world that is Accepting lies and falsehoods at every turn and not the truth -

A world that is living with no life - dead in trespasses and sin.

My prayer is that the exclusive claims that Jesus makes will be the ONE of the great catalysts of our lives to immerse ourselves to live the missional life of a Jesus follower.

ENGAGEMENT –

How many of us are thankful for the new Technology called GPS -

Used to you needed a nav system in your car and get a subscription - Now you have MULTIPLE nave systems in the very palm of your hand - on your phone.

I actually have three - Google Maps -I -maps that came with the phone - And I have one called WAYS

I think my Fave is WAYS because it will automatically reroute around traffic problems while your driving if traffic conditions change.

iMaps and Google may do that I just don’t know.

How any of us remember these things - (Pull out Paper Map)

Getting ready for the family road trip - You or Dad would pull out the big paper map and design the trip!

Mark the Stops - Mom would plan the excursions -

Here is what I remember as a kid - I remember mom and dad talking about :How should we get there? - What route do we take there is more than one?

But once the trip was planned =

Off you went - and the adventure was on!

Here is what

1- Identify where we were -

2- Identify where we wanted to Go -

3 - Help us form and choose many routs we wanted to take to get to our destination.

4- Allow us to estimate the distance and time of Travel to get there

5 - And support us on our journey if we ever missed a turn to show us how to get to where we wanted to GO!

I think when we thing about Texas - one of the things that we think about is the Capital City - Austin

Here is what is pretty interesting about our current road system here in the great state. When we Look at the map of Texas - here is what you will find -

From every township, municipality, every city and metropolitan area there is a road to Austin Texas.

There are many ways to get to Austin from Anywhere

Here is that other interesting thing - If we were anywhere in Texas and you said to me - How do I Get to Austin Texas and I said there is only ONE WAY FROM HERE -

You might believe me for just a second - Until you looked at the map.

The you will find that I was not telling the truth!

TENSION

and When it comes to the relationship with God - What we have this tendency to do is we have this tendency to to take our experience with our roads and maps and apply it to salvation and knowing God -

We begin to think and act and respond to Jesus and the Gospel like

That there are ONE of many roads - to God - and Ultimately salvation and Life at peace in eternity when we die - Thinking that God has drawn circles to include everyone -

But what we will hear this morning - From the very word of the one who died and was raised Is there they is ONE WAY

ONE PATH -

ONE TRUTH the leads to ONE LIFE - That is Given by our creator

A LINE of Exclusivity

A circle of Invitation - Jesus invites Everyone -

A line of Salvation that everyone must cross

BACKGROUND

This passage of text we must think about it as a Crescendo -

A Crescendo in music is when the music gets louder and more intense -

There is this Crescendo in the Gospel of John - several of them - In this passage we will run into the 8th of 9 Definitive “I am” statements that Jesus will make -

These are definitive because they define for Johns original audience - For every reader for the last two thousand years and for us today WHO Jesus Is.

We must also remember the melody of Johns Gospel - The Theme of the book

John was prompted and directed by the very power of God in the person of the Holy Spirit to record these aspects of Jesus life so that we would Believe that - the Jesus defined and described in this book is the Anointed Eternal Son of God and that by Trusting in Him - By Believing In Him we would have life in his name.

Jesus up to this point has made 7 of these “I am” statements.

and what is interested about them is they are connected to a miraculous work that He did or something supernatural that HE declares.

He feeds 20 thousand men women and children with 5 loaves and two fish and says: I am the bread of Life -

He talks in supernatural terms of eternal life and giving of His flesh and declares: I am the living bread that came down from Heaven!

A woman is caught in sin - the absolutely most venerable spot any person could be caught in - She is condemned to death by a group of men - Shamed - Embarrassed - dehumanized and publicly humiliated by this crowd -

Jesus dismisses those who have condemned her - Gives her a path forward for her life - Go and sin no more - and then He declares: I am the light of the world whoever follows me will not walk in darkness

The religious leaders confront him - He confronts them back - They confront Him and ask “who do you think you are?” Jesus makes this supernatural declaration: Before Abraham was “I am”

Heals a blind man - who didn't even know who He was before Jesus heals Him - but heard Jesus voice in the darkness of his existence - Obeyed Jesus and washed - and was healed -

Jesus reveals Himself to this man who lost everything because He told the truth of who Jesus is and Jesus declares: I am the door of the sheep - Who ever enter by me finds safety -

I am the Good Shepherd My sheep know my voice and follow me - and I lay my life down for my sheep

One of Jesus best friends die - He arrives and finds all hope is lost - Jesus shouts at a dead man - dead 4 days - Jesus Shouts At the dead man - the dead men hears the voice of Jesus and obeys - The dead man obeys Jesus by becoming alive again - standing up and leaving the grave.

and right before He issues instructions to this dead man he declares: I am the resurrection and the life.

Here is John 14 we are in the last hours of Jesus life - He is at the Last Supper - Judas has already succumbed to the influence of the devil and left the meal -

Jesus is preparing the other 11 for what will happen to them moments from this moment and for the rest of their lives.

He has spoken of His leaving them in multiple ways and told them where he is headed they cannot follow but after he has accomplished what he came to accomplish they will follow Him.

This has caused some commotion among his students - among his followers - they are upset - they are confused!

Jesus has predicted to them that they will deny Him - Peter mainly - and this has caused all of them to be upset and confused

and Jesus then begins to give them an eternal perspective so they do not get lost in the chaos of their own thoughts

 UNPACKING

VSS1-3

Jesus gives them directions -

Not just directions like instructions for getting out of the confusing and the duress they are currently under -

No - I want you to notice Jesus gives them a SINGLE INSTRUCTION - ONE INSTRUCTIONS -

He begins with “let not your hearts be troubled” and then he comes back and tells the the eternal perspective as to why they can allow their hearts to be comforted - and He begins with THE INSTRUCTION -

“Believe in God, believe also in me” “Trust in God Trust Also in me”

Here is what is interesting - Jesus is once again reminding His disciples by alluding to the fact trusting in God and Trusting IN Him are one in the same Because the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the father! - Jesus is GOD.

Jesus then adds to the trust declaration by giving them an eternal prospective and tells them where He is going is a place that has room for them - Where Jesus is going - IT is a place and it is an activity - that they can follow - After Jesus has accomplished what He came to finish -

When I go to my destination you can and will follow me there and there in that place there is plenty of room, In Fact - I am going to prep your place for you!

VSS 3 - begins with “If I go” and it would be the same if we said “Because I go”

John 14:3 ESV

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus says: I’m prepping the place - There will be a time I come and get you so that we will be together again.

You see this is Jesus promise that in our salvation we get to be with Him -

Follow Him in the hear and now -

Hear the call of the one who loves you - Hear the calling of the one who died and was raised - respond to His calling — Hear the Gospel and repent - Surrender all of life to Him and the promise is there is plenty of room and He will come and get us one day!

That is good news of great Joy!

Amen?

and Jesus is going to unpack a central aspect of why that is possible.

But after this verse Jesus makes and interesting shift in verse: He turns to his disciples He turns to his students - He turns to those who have given the last three years to follow Him and He says to them “AND you know the way I am going!”

It would seem that Jesus didn’t understand the disciples - Like Jesus made this statement and didn't know the fact that they didn’t really know the way.

Because - LOOK at what Thomas says - In verse 5 - WE don't know where your going How do we know the way -

By the way this is the Thomas - That one might call a little Pessimistic -

Jesus responds: -

John 14:6–7 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

and here is the deal loved ones - Jesus has just cut a line in stone and made the central exclusive statement of eternity -

IT is the Central claim of Christianity -

He is the way - He is the Truth and HE is the Life - NO one comes to the father - no one gets to God but through HIM.

Period - No Exceptions to this

No adjustments to this.

Jesus then comes behind this and says “if you know me you know the Father - The father that Jesus ALWAYS refers to is HIs heavenly Father and that is the YHWY of the Old Testament - God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob -

And Jesus says if you know me you know the father -

Then Jesus makes this interesting statement indicating that something might be changing -

“From now on you will Know him and have seen Him.

The Reaction that Jesus gets to this statement is a statement that Jesus is going to use to support the realities behind the statement Jesus has just made -

Philip says: “Lord Show us the Father and it is enough for us” -

Here is what is happening in Philips mind and heart - Phillip knows the old testament - He knows where it says “no one has seen God” -

Phillip is also under great duress because of the word that Jesus has been saying - I’m leaving - the place I am going you cannot come but after you can - I’m gong to pre a room for you in my father house and then I will come get you and you know where i am going -

Phillip and the rest of confused by all this - and one of the reason is they have left everything to follow Jesus for the last three and a half years and Jesus is saying to them and has been for a while “I am outta here”

Phillip says - Show us the Father and that will be enough for us - Let us see God - and we will then be ok - Show us God and our hearts will no longer be troubled because it will be enough.

Jesus not being surprised in any way ten turns to Phillip and confronts him in his own questioning of Jesus -

And when Jesus does this He will be making statements that again lay down the exclusivity of Jesus -

The fact that Jesus is the way the truth and the life - and the only way to God is through HIM.

Watch what Jesus says:

John 14:9 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

The opening statement that Jesus makes is one of the saddest -

Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me?

it is also sad that we see this today - Many of us spending a lot of time learning a lot about Jesus but never knowing Him - Never speeding time with Him- Jesus warns us about this right here in his confrontation of Pillip -

But watch what Jesus says -

Jesus is again making the exclusive claim that there is only ONE Road to Righteousness - One Pathway to Peace - One doorway of deliverance - ONE gateway to glory -

Watch Loved ones -

John 14:9–11 ESV

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Jesus has just said - YO know me you know the father -

He then says a different way “you have seen me you have seen the father” -

and then Jesus lays down the witness of truth to Phillip and all who are reading and listening as He confront Phillip and His disciples in their questions-

“DO you not trust - do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me?

you see this is a reality that Jesus has been speaking over the last several months of His life and He has been doing that by these “I am” statements that all of his disciples were present when He said them and He is confronting Phillip “do you not trust what I have said?

He then reverts back to something Jesus has said many times before - He reverts back to the reality that Jesus only acts and speaks on the authority of God the Father - and Jesus pulls in the third witness to validate His testimony the Powerful works that Jesus has done -

Watch

John 14:10–11 ESV

The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

and Jesus is calling Phillip and all 11 of His disciples to cross the line of faith - cross the line of trust -

Trust that I am in the father and the father is in me - And if that is to difficult for you to just believe my words - then trust based on the works you have seen me do over the last three and a half years we been hanging out.

VSS12

Jesus seems to change subjects but loved ones there is a correlation to what He has said -

Jesus says “I am the way the truth and the life not one get to the father but through me and if you know me you know the father if you have seen me you have seen the father”

He then comes behind this and make one of the most interesting statements- and He begins with “Truly Truly”

When He says this he is saying - This is important -

“Whoever believes in me” - Who ever trust in me - “will also do the works that I do and Greater works that these will He do because I am going to the father”

The works I do and Greater works -

Here is what we need to understand about what Jesus has Just said and is going to say in this and around this verse.

When Jesus says “ the works I do - and he uses the term “Greater works”

Jesus is not talking about supernatural works of Power that Manifest in miracles in the Physical world - Were not going to feed 20000 people with five loaves and two fish - We are not going to go to th grave yard of a loved on of ours after they have been in the ground for 4 days and be able to command that the loved ones come out of the Grave -

But Here is what Jesus is talking about - Because He is going to the father - Because He is the way and the truth and the Life - And Becasue we know Him we Know the father - We will be His witnesses and we will be the instuments that God uses to accompish a greater spiritual work on behalf of God -

Here is what I mean and I don't want us to take this too far and get off track -

Jesus when He was alive - Reduced His following down to 11 -

Here is what Happened to them and happens to Us - Because Jesus went to the father - Jesus sent the Spirit - and because Jesus went to the father and sent the Spirit - Pentecost happened - 3000 souls were added to the List of Jesus followers that Day -

THe Spirit filed assembly of the called out ones was launched - The CHURCH -

Who is the Church?

That is a greater Spiritual work that God the father accomplished through the followers of the Resurrected Jesus -

This is why Paul says “we are ambassadors of Christ with a ministry of reconciliation - Pleading with me to be reconciled to God - Because it was god In Christ Reconciling the world to Himself”

The Greater is we are HIs ambassadors - not HIs miracle workers -

Jesus then makes another supportive statement of the fact that He is the only way to the father -

Prayer -

I am the way to the father - Know me - know the father - See me see the father - Because I'm going there Ask in my name and I will do it.

There is a condition - “That the father may be glorified - That the father may be revealed” Those are the prayers that the father will answer in the affirmative that are asked in Jesus name -

ANYTHING in HIs name He will do

THE GOSPEL CONNECTION - AS JASON AND TEAM COME

Loved ones this is the good news of great Joy -

Jesus was sent from the father -

Jesus The eternal Son of God -

Because of God, great love - Jesus came to earth as God in human form and walked among us - declaring to all of humanity who He is in these I am statements.

He was sent to go to a place that only He could Go - A place that no human who was only human could go - He was sent by God the father into this world for this very purpose - and HE joyful came at the instruction of the father -

He came to go to the Cross - He came go absorb the Wrath of God, on that very cross, for the Sin of the world - He came to culminate the path way of Reconciliation for all who would believe - For all who would trust -

The Pathway of peace - the roadway of righteousness - the gate way of Glory -

Jesus proclaimed - I am the way the truth and the life NOONE comes to the Father except through me -

SO let us be confronted this morning by the very words of Jesus:

You may be here this morning and you may think - there is more than one path to God - Look at all the other religions of the world - Loved ones — Jesus - the one who was sent - the one who dies and was raised by the very power of God - Calles to you this morning cross the line of exclusivity - Trust in God - Jesus is the ONLY the father -

And lets be compelled this morning

Loved ones- those of us who claim Christ - the fact that HE is the WAY the TRUTH and THE LIFE and the fact that NO ONE comes to God except through Him needs to produce in us the fruit of declaration -

Declaring in word and in deed - Declaring to a lost world who is lost - who thinks there is all these roadways that lead to God -

The Fruit of declaration - the Fruit of “the way” Compelled as ambassadors of Christ - Each one of us given a ministry - each one of us given a work - That is what a it means - A work -

Each one of us given a ministry of reconciliation - proclaiming to the world - It IS GOD in CHRIST JESUS who reconciled the world to Himself by his atoning death of the cross and is all affirming raising form the dead -

For He is THE WAY - He is THE TRUSTH - HE IS THE LIFE -

The ONLY road way - The Only Path - The Only way to God is through Him - Because when we know Him we know God - when we see Him we see God -

And loved ones when we know this and this sinks into our hearts and becomes and all encompassing truth in the very core of who we are - It produces in us a fruit that produces after its own kind-

Jesus followers - following the way the truth and the life - showing others the way to the father - producing other followers of Jesus -

Lets stand and sing praises to the ONE who is is God - The one who died and was raised -

 PRAYER TEAM