I AM

-Before we get into todays message I want to take us all the way back to the old testament specifically Exodus 3:14….Its here that God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and told him to go to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery.

-In response, Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

"God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

-The phrase translated “I am who I am” in Hebrew is ehyeh asher ehyeh.

-The word ehyeh is the first-person common singular of the verb to be. It would be used in any number of normal situations: “I am watching the sheep,” “I am walking on the road,” or “I am his father.”

-However, when used as a stand-alone description, I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances.

-He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish. When God identified Himself as I AM WHO I AM, He stated that, no matter when or where, He is there.

-I say all that to get us here….God is the only One who can accurately describe Himself as “I AM.” Jesus claimed the title I AM for Himself in John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.””

-Jesus also used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines "I AM" with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. We have officially read through all seven of them now.

They are:

1.I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35)-by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life.

2.I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12)-In declaring Himself to be the Light of the world, Jesus was claiming that He is the exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual truth is available to mankind.

3.I AM the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7)-Jesus colorfully points out for us the exclusive nature of salvation by saying that He is “the door,” not “a door.” Furthermore, Jesus is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the “sheepfold,” but He is the only door by which we may enter and be saved

4. I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)-referencing His inherent goodness, His righteousness, and His beauty. As shepherd of the sheep, He is the one who protects, guides, and nurtures His flock

5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)-He was claiming to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. Beyond that, Jesus was also making a statement concerning His divine nature. He does more than give life; He is life, and therefore death has no ultimate power over Him.

6.I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)-the only path to heaven, the only true measure of righteousness, and the source of both physical and spiritual life. He was staking His claim as the very God of Creation, the Lord who blessed Abraham, and the Holy One who inhabits eternity.

7. I AM the True Vine (John 15:1)-No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.

-Tonight, we are going to spend most of our time looking at the 6th “I AM” Statement that is found in John 14

-Give some Context to John 14 is not a separate day or week instead its apart where in Jesus last 48 hours before he was crucified. John 14 is apart the same conversation take was taking place in John 13 specially right after Jesus tell His disciple that He was only gonna be with them a little while longer and would have to suffer and also tells Peter that he would deny Him 3 times….

READ JOHN 14:1-11

So there are two things that really stick out to me while reading though this passage. 1.Jesus is the only way and 2.Jesus tells us not to be troubled.

Jesus Is the only Way

-Jesus says HE is the only way to God the Father. Some or maybe even many people believe that this way is to narrow…That Jesus can’t be the only way.. In reality it is the widest way to God and wide enough for the whole world if they so choose to scope it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only “one way” we should be saying THANK YOU GOD!!! For providing a sure way to get to you!!!

- Every major world religion is the direct opposite of what Christianity is….They all essentially promos moralistic deism or be “good enough” to be accepted by this God if I do all these things I will be accepted by this God which makes everything more about us than God….

-God desires far more from us and for us than our good behavior and temporal happiness. Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem creation from the curse of sin. Well-behaved and well-adjusted people are not His goal. God’s plan is complete and utter transformation.

-Morals only go after the behavior. The gospel gets to the root of the behavior by addressing the heart. For us to be transformed, we need know that we are sinners. We need to remember that at some point or maybe even now we are far from God, but that in His love and grace, God took on human flesh to rescue them. Jesus Christ lived the perfect, sinless life we could never live on our own. ITs about what Jesus did, not about what we can do…...

Not to Be Troubled

-Ok lets get this straight the disciples defiantly were troubled….He had just told them at the Last Supper that he was going away. He had told them that they could not go with him. And he had told Peter he was going to deny Jesus before the night is over. In other words, I’m leaving you. And you’re not even able to make it through the night without me. This is ample reason for all of them at the table to be troubled. I don’t know about you but I would be pretty troubled by that.

What’s interesting about this entire conversation we see the place with Jesus and His disciples is he is telling them not to be troubled but he is also giving them reason on why they shouldn’t be:

1. Let not your heart be troubled, because there’s a place for you in my Father’s house.

2. Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus prepared the place for you. He opened the way. He is the way.

3. Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus himself is your dwelling place and he will come and take you to himself.

4. Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus and the Father are one, so that if have Jesus you have the Father.

5. Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus has come in the Holy Spirit. He is with you now, and will be with you always, not as an observer, but a Helper.