I am the way

“I am the way”
John 14:6

I have one of those jobs that when you tell someone what I do, it is a conversation stopper…and not in a good way.  My wife and I were down in Indy with some friends.  For lunch one of the days we were eating at a Chinese bistro and just having a great time.  I was in one of those goofy moods and they were playing 80’s music on the radio which is a dangerous mix.  Usually if you combine my goofy mood with 80’s music you get a lot of falsetto.  So my friend and I were singing and cracking jokes and having a good time.  The waitress was enjoying the whole show.  She was a really nice girl, very friendly.  That is until my friend asked the waitress, “What do you think this guy does for a living?” 

Her response was classic.  “I don’t know.  Radio DJ or comedian?” 

My friend told her, “What would you say if I told you he was a pastor?”

Well apparently she would say nothing because instantly she shut down and hardly said 3 words the rest of the meal. 

Unfortunately, I get that response because of all the stupid stuff that is been done by pastors in the name of Jesus.  It can happen as well when you tell someone you are a Christian.   Christianity has gotten a bad rep.  Sometimes that has been deserved.  Other times, it has more to do with misunderstanding what Jesus really taught.  Misunderstanding by non followers and followers alike.

One of those things that Jesus said that is tough to swallow in our day in age, at least it raises a lot of questions is John 14:6:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

It’s that last part that is the real kicker.  People hear that and they instantly have a problem with it.  One of the reasons they have a problem with it is because of this first question I want to deal with: 

·         Does believing Jesus is the only way mean Christians are intolerant?

·         This word intolerant is thrown around a lot at Christians and probably justifiably so when you look at the definition.

·         Intolerant - not tolerating or respecting beliefs, opinions, usages, manners, etc., different from one's own, as in political or religious matters; bigoted.

·         That could be said for a lot of Christians because we take this verse and basically strike a pose that says, well if you don’t believe it than you are just wrong.  Too bad.  And there’s disrespect, lack of concern.

·         It’s kind of like this episode of Seinfeld.

·         Look at the context – he wasn’t disrespecting

·         John 14:1-4 - “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in Goda; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

·         It’s a statement of comfort, not arrogance.

·         Not arrogant but comforting.

·         It’s not like Muhammad ali –arrogant

·         Not intolerant, but instructive.

·   It’s Jesus giving directions.  When you are in unfamiliar territory, you want someone to give you clear and specific directions.

·         I was getting directions to a cemetery that was located in area I had never been.  When I asked I got about 30 different ways I could go.  Finally I had to ask, what the best way was. 

·   Jesus isn’t just telling them the best way, he’s telling him the way.

·   Anthony Greenbank – The Book of Survival – “To live through an impossible situation, you don’t need the reflexes of a Grand Prix driver, the muscles of a Hercules, the mind of an Einstein.  You simply need to know what to do.”

·   If you need directions, you want someone to tell you the way.

·         A big part of the problem some have with this statement of Jesus is that it sounds so exclusive.  The reality is that it is far from exclusive.  It is inclusive.

·   All of life is God’s life.  Every living human being on this earth belongs to God, owes their very existence to Gods. 

·   Jesus is the way is not saying:

·          God doesn’t care about everyone.

·         Everyone isn’t welcome.

·         A billion people who don’t follow Jesus are dumb.

·         Other Religions can’t teach us something, that there is no truth in them.

·         It is saying that salvation is only found in a relationship with Jesus.

·         Some say that is narrow

·         Jesus would agree.

·         But it is narrow because everyone doesn’t choose to follow.

·         But that doesn’t mean people are excluded who want to get in.  Everyone is welcome.  Everyone is invited.

Another question that follows this first one closely:

·         Are not all religions really the same?

·         This is a great question.  While there are a great many similarities, there are some things that mark Jesus as different.  Notice I am saying, mark Jesus as different, not just mark Christianity as different.  I need to draw that difference because while Christianity should be about Jesus, it’s not always that way.  Jesus really didn’t call people to an organized religion.  He called them to a relationship with Him.  More on that in a moment.

·         When you look at different religions around the world there are some differences to Jesus.

·   A common expression is that all roads lead to the same place.  A clear teaching of Jesus is that they indeed do not.  

·         Many lead to Legalism

·   Some religions are basically set up in this way:

·         If you obey, you are safe.

·         If you disobey, you are lost.

·   I know many misunderstand Christianity to be this way, but it is simply not the case.

·         Some religions say God is aloof and hard to reach so there are all these rules, rituals and criteria that you have to live up to and strive toward so that God will find you acceptable.  They are legalistic.  If you study other faiths; that’s what you’ll find.  Orthodox Judaism – has it’s 613 commands to obey.

o   Islam has the 5 pillars – while less, it is how you work your way to Heaven.

o   Buddhism – the ultimate goal is Nirvana and you get there by working toward a distinction of desire.

o   Hinduism – work your way to heaven by becoming one with Brahma, the all-prevailing force of the universe; achieved by living a moral life.

·         A legalistic religion says that you’ve got to work, perform and succeed spiritually to get to God. 

·         Many lead to Fatalism

·         The other kind of religion is fatalism.  And fatalism says you have no real control over your destiny.  The script of your life has already been written.  We know the beginning and ending of the story…all you have to do is deliver your lines! You may have the illusion of freedom and choice but the truth of the matter is that you don’t really get to choose, your fate is pre-determined.  Fatalism.  It’s out of your control and God decides everything ahead of time.

·         See, a religion that says “you gotta measure up” is not the same as a religion that says “you’ve got no real choice in the matter at all, it’s all pre-determined.”  While we may wish that all world religions were basically the same; the truth is they are either legalistic or fatalistic or some combination or nuance of the two. 

·         Only Jesus leads to grace.

·   The difference from religions that approach from legalism or fatalism and Jesus is that only Jesus leads to grace.

·   Grace says you can’t do anything to measure up.  You can’t earn your way into Heaven.

·   Grace also says, your life is not written yet.  You have a say in your life.  You can choose to live for selfish purposes or choose to live for purpose.

·   Grace says there is a God who cared enough to provide a way for you to be saved.

·   The response to Grace, the invitation to Grace is an invitation to a relationship with Christ.

·         Genesis and Deuteronomy – choose life

·         Genesis 2

·         It starts at the very beginning when God created people in His own image and puts them in the garden for them to enjoy creation, each other and Him.  He tells them there are these two trees in the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.  And then He basically says, “I have laid before you a choice, choose life.”  This is the core understanding of the third option (not legalism or fatalism) God creates you and me with the capacity to choose, the freedom to choose. 

·         Why would God do that?  If God knew a lot of people would reject Him; if God knew that this would result in a lot of pain; why would God allow us to have free will; a choice?    That’s a great question!  The only reason for freedom to exist is so that love can exist.  For love to exist there has to be freedom to choose.  And God created us with choice because God created us as people who could give and receive love.

·         Deuteronomy 30

·         Later in Deuteronomy 30 he explains I’m not about legalism or fatalism: “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach, it is not up in heaven so that you have to ask “who can ascend to heaven so that we may obey it?”, nor is it beyond the sea so that you have to ask “who will cross the sea?” to get it and proclaim it to us that we may obey it.  No the Lord is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart.” (Deut. 30:11-14)  In other words, God is saying “I’m right HERE!   I’m not way out there.” 

·         God goes on, I have set before you life and death…Now choose life” (Deut. 30:11-14).  God wants us to choose Him…he so close.  God wants us to choose life.

·         Relationship

·   Jesus doesn’t just tell people what to believe, he invites them to a relationship.

·   Jesus doesn’t just tell people what rules to follow, he …

·         I want everyone to respond.

·   Some look at following Jesus as a statement that you want others to lose.

·   Some look at it like a game.  For there to be a winner, there have to be losers.

·   Candlepin bowling

·   That’s simply not the case with Jesus.  All are invited.  All are welcome.  All can be saved.  All can have a relationship with Jesus.

·   Not all respond.

·         What about people in other countries?

·         It may be india or Africa.  It seems people always want to ask, what about people in India?

·         I think it is a good question.  What about people who live in other countries who don’t have the gospel?

·         Does God care less about people than we do?

·         God cares about people more than we ever will and has provided a way.

·         Acts 17:22-27

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

·         God provides an opportunity for all to trust in Jesus.  But it is a choice that they must make.

·         Jesus isn’t saying pick me or you’re dead.  What he is saying is that nobody cares about you as much as I do.  No one else is coming for you.  No one else had died for you.  NO one else has provided for you.

·         Do you believe Jesus is the way for you?

·         Do you believe Jesus is the way for you?

o   If not, keep exploring.  Compare Jesus to everyone and everything else.

o   If yes, but no baptism, then take that step.

o   If yes, build relationships to show them Jesus.

Believing Jesus is the way means we believe Jesus is the only one who cares enough to make a way for us.  Other options really aren’t options because they don’t work.

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a Or You trust in God