Sermon Tone Analysis

The Only Way?

Introduction: If you’ve been around me for a while, you’ll notice that I have some interesting mannerisms: The first is:

I often making a clicking sound when I’m talking, esp when I’m nervous

When doing a video, I’ll put my hands together like this

Instead of Tuesday Night Gathering, I’ll say Gethering.

If i’m eating a meal with veggies, I’ll eat them first to get them out of the way for the good stuff ha!

While watching basically any episode of any show or any movie, I cry ha.

For some reason, every time I have my browser open on my mac, I check facebook.

I don’t even like Facebook, but I check it...

Lastly, I sleep talk, sleep yell, and even preach in my sleep sometimes.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken myself up in the middle of an amazing sermon…and poor Kaitlen had been awake since the beginning of my sleep sermon ha!

All of these things, are weird, but I do them, and I don’t really know why, ha!

Connection: There are things we do, where we have difficulty explaining why we do them…maybe your roommate snores at night, or smacks when they chew their gum or is super messy leaving food everywhere and doesn’t do their dishes…one of my roommates would watch cartoon at 6a Saturday morning and laugh like this (big belly laugh)…we can all do some strange and weird things and not know why we do them...

In a similar way...

Tension: As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the only True Way, and that can seem really strange to those who don’t follow Jesus, and maybe it can sometimes feel strange to us.

And we may at times have a hard time explaining why we believe Jesus is the only Way.

We know that we believe that, but why exactly Jesus’ way is The Way and we’re sticking with it…we might struggle to answer that.

So, that introduces our question that we’re gonna try to answer tonight...

Question: Why should you follow “the way” of Jesus?

Read Text: John 14:1-7 “1 “Let not your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms.

If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 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.

4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.

How can 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 except through me.

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.

From now on you do know him and have seen him.””

Jesus is The Only Way to a heart of peace (14:1)

And we don’t only see this in 14:1 we see it in other places in scripture!

Philippians 4:4-7 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Metaphor: I’m a man of comfort food.

Coffee w/ a hot chocolate chip cookie.

A hearty steak and potatoes.

Anything mexican food.

And it brings comfort for a little while, but it wears out.

What do you look to for peace?

Food?

Substances?

Looking at explicit content in secret?

relationships?

Success?

Stuff?

It doesn’t sustain your troubled heart does it?

Friends, the peace of Christ is comfort food for the soul, the difference being, you only need one serving of Jesus and that will grant you not only access to peace in the present, but everlasting peace with God in eternity!

Why should you follow the way of Jesus?

Bc Jesus is the only way to a heart of peace!

Jesus is The Only Way To Heaven (14:2-4)

Everyone wants to go to Heaven, right?

Like no one is like “you know what, hell sounds like a nice place.

Eternal suffering and torment and everlasting flames?! Sign me up! ha.

No, that’s why when some of us get angry we don’t say: “heaven no...” you tracking?

No, everyone wants to go to Heaven, but not everyone will believe in the reality that Jesus is the only way.

They’ll assume that we either all go to Heaven or if they’re a good enough person they’ll get there, but you gotta go through Jesus and believe in His death for your sins and resurrection from the dead!

Now this place Jesus is going to prepare, whatever it looks like, is for sure a reference to the eternal dwelling we will have with Him.

Room and house is not the focus however, but the fact that he is guaranteeing the ability to be able to enter Heaven, He is preparing and making room for all who believe in Him!

Although everyone wants to go to Heaven, most people in this room, including me, are tempted to not think about Heaven, or even want or desire it right now.

That’s something we can think about when get old right?!

metaphor: Notice how those of you who have Christian grandparents are always thinking about heaven and the end times?

My mawmaw: Jesus is coming soon!

Why is that?

I think it’s because they’ve experienced all that they thought this world can offer them and they’re like “yep, Jesus is better, let’s go be with Him!”

So, are they onto something?

let’s take a look at a little taste of what Heaven will be like …(comment on verses)

Friends, following Jesus of course has it’s benefits now, but we will be such in awe of the Heavenly reward that He has for us.

And again, it’s only through Him that we can get there!

Why should I follow the way of Jesus?

Bc He’s the only way to Heaven!

Jesus is The Only Way to God (14:6-7)

Who is standing between us and God The Father? Jesus.

He’s the door remember?

And what’s even better is that by knowing Jesus, we know the Father, because they are one.

Want a relationship with God?

If you know Jesus, you have it!

And again, this is not the only place in scripture that says Jesus is the only way to God… we see it in...

Ephesians 2:18 “18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

1 Timothy 2:5 “5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

Metaphor: You can take several ways to Lone Tree Ranch for Fall Retreat, but eventually you have to turn on that County Road C001.

If you don’t go down that road, you’re not gonna get there friends!

Conection: Xians from all around the world come from different backgrounds (directions) circumstances, languages, cultures and struggles, but everyone eventually has to turn on that county road called Calvary...the only way to forgiveness & reconciliation with God is the road that leads straight to the foot of the cross, friends.

The Road to salvation narrows down to a one-lane, one direction highway, and you won’t feel the need to leave once you arrive.

Bc that’s where Heaven and Earth meet and we find Jesus, the only way to God! Turn that GPS off, we dont need it anymore.

Jesus is gonna show us the way from here!

And why should we be so inspired to want to find THE WAY to God?

Why is that such an ultimate and beautiful reward?!

Check this out...

Revelation 21:3 “3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Emphasize 21:3- Some people just want Heaven, however they define Heaven, but Heaven is not ultimately defined by a place, but BY A PERSON: God Himself.

In Heaven the ultimate reward you receive is God!

So many people are like “I wonder what my ‘room’ or ‘house’ is gonna look like, and I’m like, “man, I’ll be homeless in Heaven, I’m just there for God! Just let me sit in the presence of MY CREATOR!

That’s the ultimate reward of Heaven: God!

Why should I follow the way of Jesus?

Bc Jesus is the only way to God!

Jesus is The Only Way out of out of death into life (14:6)

Another way of saying it is, if you don’t go Jesus’ way, every other way leads to hell.

And if you’re still not convinced that the Bible affirms that only Jesus can give life, then you’re about to be blessed friend, Come, let’s reason together from God’s Word…here it is..

And how do we know that we need to be brought from death to life?

When you read about Lazarus being dead in that tomb, that’s how you should see yourself before Jesus brought you to life!