The Way, Truth & Life

Opening prayer

Lord, thank-you that we can gather today to hear your word. May it be your words we hear, guided by the Holy Spirit. May we each humble ourselves to learn what it is in this moment you want to teach us. May todays message spur us on to be bold to declare Your good news to the people you put on our hearts. Amen

Reflect

What news are you following closely currently?

So far we have covered Jesus stating He is the Light of the world, Gate to Life, the Good Shepherd and the Bread of Life. Which statement has stayed with you the most? why?

Overwhelmed by what is going on now, want to see a mighty move of God.

Ukraine

Floods

COVID

the decline in church and youth, marginalised

I found myself paying come on Jesus, give us a clear miracle from only you. This world needs you to turn up in more power.

Jesus did respond and it was with today's passage.

As we come to today's passage we have now jumped to the final conversation Jesus has with His disciples before the cross.

Summary - the bread of life, Light, gate and shepherd.

This section slows down to give us Jesus key teaching and what he really wants to leave the disciples with.

That is that he will not always be with them physically.

John 13:36 NIV

Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

This made the disciples anxious - Jesus talking about leaving

Jesus said we are better off with him leaving

do not let your hearts be troubled

John 14:1–4 (NIV)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

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.

You know the way to the place where I am going.”

I used this verse on a JW

Read John 13:30-14:31

Recognise

Over this discourse between Jesus and His disciples, how did the disciples feel? What was Jesus wanting them to understand?

Jesus states ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled,’ Is there anything on your heart that is troubling you? Can I encourage you to write it here to give to God as well as emboldened to share with others?

John 14:5 NIV

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

I am the Way

Read Hebrews 10:19-25, what does this tell us about Jesus being the Way

Similar to the gate, Jesus is the only way to eternal life

Hebrews 10:19–22 (NIV)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Star wars Mandarlorin - This is the way - has become popular saying - it is a way to live your life with honour until death.

Jesus is saying I am the way not just to live honourably but the way to eternal life.

New Logo

True Life and Love Gathers Here

I am the truth

seeing the impact of truth - Russia

The truth is we live in a fallen world

The truth is because of our sinfulness we make decisions that hurt others

The truth is we have rejected God’s way for our lives and our communities and we see the pain of those decisions from us and others.

The truth is Jesus/come down from heaven, Oneness - my father is in me and I am in my father.

The truth is Jesus suffered on the cross to be the way back into the presence of God and into eternal life.

Read 1 John 5:20, in your own words how would you state the truth of our world and who God is?

1 John 5:20 NIV

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

I am the life

When we believe Jesus is the way and the truth then life is now seen through Jesus' eyes.

We see life as it was intended, in step with God.

we see life actually through God’s eyes, as God is in Jesus, so he is in us when we choose to live our lives according to his will.

Respond

How are we to live life? how are we to live it to the full?

with the command, Jesus gave to his disciples.

John 13:34–35 NIV

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus' command is to “not let your heart be troubled” He will take care of the world, we are to simply “love one another”. How are you following that command today?

How do you engage with the Holy Spirit to guide you in your life?

Do not let your heart be troubled, I am the way, the truth and the life.

This is what I leave you with Love one another.

Sady it takes

Ukraine

Floods

COVID

the marginalised, the lost

Jesus' disciples were anxious when they thought Jesus was going to leave them.

We can feel anxious when we look at the world and feel like there is nothing we can do to make a change.

Jesus asks us to simply love others. he will take care of the rest

And promises

John 14:12 NIV

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Goes on to promise the holy spirit to guide you forever, to be with us and a great verse to conclude today's word.

John 14:16–19 (NIV)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

closing prayer

John 14:6 (NIV)

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