"I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE."

Pray

In a time of penny candy, nickel sodas, hair tonic, blushing brides, travelling preachers, and Sunday suppers, people were optimistic and busy. With so many other things to do, most young people were not thinking about things like Christian service and dying to self, but then again, most people weren’t William Franklin Graham, Jr. better known today as Billy Graham . Although it is true that Billy Graham enjoyed having fun, there was more. Somewhere deep, something fundamental was working inside him.

Born on November 7, 1918, in a frame house on a North Carolina dairy farm. His parents were hard-working people who knew the value of a dollar and the meaning of self-discipline. They believed in God and were devoted to seeking His wisdom and blessing for their family and for a world in need.

They looked to the bible prayers despite any trying or challenging circumstance. From drought to depression, dust and destitution, people everywhere desperately searched the horizon for hope, and from a young age, Billy Graham learned that this hope was found by Grace alone, through Faith alone and in Christ alone.

At 16 years old Billy Graham would go on to give his life to the Lord and in time, young Billy would experience the transformation of a traditional farm boy into an instrument of God.

Soon he would attend seminary, and then find himself pastoring a small Baptist church in Western Springs, IL. He later would be offered the opportunity to host a 45-minute religious program called “Songs in the Night” on Chicago’s largest radio station. Of course, in time, he would go on to be the best-known tv evangelist in history. Impacting the lives of millions and leading many to Christ during his campaigns.

And yet, Billy would finish his Autobiography by writing these words:

“No, I don’t know the future, but I do know this: the best is yet to be! Heaven awaits us, and that will be far, far more glorious than anything we can ever imagine. As the Bible says, ‘Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is’ (1John 3:2). This is the hope of every believer. It is my hope, and I pray that it is your hope as well.

I know that soon my life will be over. I thank God for it, and for all He has given me in this life.

But I look forward to Heaven. I look forward to the reunion with friends and loved ones who have gone on before. I look forward to Heaven’s freedom from sorrow and pain. I also look forward to serving God in ways we can’t begin to imagine, for the Bible makes it clear that Heaven is not a place of idleness.

And most of all, I look forward to seeing Christ and bowing before Him in praise and gratitude for all He has done for us, and for using me on this earth by His grace-just as I am.”

You see, this morning, we look to Billy Graham and although he passed away in February of 2018. He knew there was more to come.

You see when we think of Billy Graham this morning, what’s remarkable is that his legacy on earth… was not just a part of his life… but what started on earth continue into eternity. For you and I that have accepted Christ as our Lord and savior, we realize that, this too is our hope. That life doesn’t end, just because our bodies stop breathing… but rather, we have eternal life with Christ.

You see, as a pastor, there are seasons of life individually that we go through. And seasons that we go through as a church. You may or may not realize it, but this morning… many of us are hurting. Whether it’s sickness, pain, the loss of a loved one, something brining us down, in the life of our church… there are many needs this morning.

And church, I just want to encourage you this morning. That God is for you. That what you’re facing, you’re not facing alone. That you have hope in Jesus this morning.

And so, for the next ½ hour, I just want to look at Jesus. You see, we’re going to continue in our “I am” series and if you have your bibles turn with me to the book of John 14. But what I want us to see this morning is that 1. Jesus is our Comfort. 2. The Way, the Truth, and the Life and 3. That he is our helper today.

1. Jesus is our Comfort

If you’re not already there, turn with me to John 14. And as you’re turning there, I just want to unpack the scripture that we’ll read together this morning.

We understand that Jesus has walked with His disciples. That one by one, he called them from where they were and told them to “come and follow after me.” These disciples, were relatively young, late teen years and early 20s, walked with Jesus as he called them, to leave the fathers, leave their fishing, their tax collecting, their old way of life behind and follow after Jesus. Jesus would go on to be their rabbi, their teacher, and friend. Where for 3 years he became very close to all of them. He loved them, he spent time with them, in times of trouble, he showed up.

When they had no catch of fish, Jesus showed them the way, when they were scared on the water, Jesus came through and spoke “peace, be still.” When they were hungry, Jesus allowed them to take part in the miracle of feeding, when Peter had no money for his taxes, Jesus took care of the answer through a fish. You see Jesus was also there for their physical needs. Their day-to-day need for food and drink, he had been there to help make sure these needs were met. But now, everything would change.

You see, the night before Jesus would be crucified, he met with His remaining 11 disciples in the upper room. And what’s interesting is in these moments, Jesus knew he was going to be crucified, and killed and in horrendous pain… and yet, in these moments, he comforts his disciples.

Jesus tells them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 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.”

I’m not sure if you’ve ever lost anyone before… but Jesus was their best friend. He had perfect and complete love; he was their teacher and master… You see, the disciples understood that Jesus would die the next day. And so, in this moment, Jesus is meeting them where they are. His disciples are hurt, and mourning, and struggling to make sense of things, yet Jesus isn’t focused on his own pain, he meets them in theirs.

And there are 2 things that Jesus asks the disciples to do, which, apply to us this morning as well. 1. Jesus tells them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He was not telling them not to start being troubled. They were already troubled. Instead, Jesus was telling them to stop being troubled. The word troubled there in the Greek by the way is the word tarassō which means “to shake up” or “to stir” and it’s the same word that is used to describe the literal stirring up of the pool of Bethseda.

Jesus is saying don’t allow this situation to stir things up for you in your life. Then he goes on to say: “you believe in God, believe also in me.” The word believe here by the way, is the word pisteuō: refers to an ongoing trust in Him. You see, although the disciples genuinely believed in Jesus, their faith was already beginning to waver.

Friends, the disciples needed to have the same kind of faith, the same kind of confidence even when Jesus wasn’t their face-to-face….

Not to believe in themselves, but to believe in Him!

I remember a few years back in Myrtle Beach, I was a youth pastor at the time and if you’ve ever been to Myrtle Beach, you know there are a lot of attractions and shows to attend. Well, this particular Sunday afternoon, we took our youth group to an escape room. Has anyone ever gone through an escape room before?Well in case you haven’t the facilitators place you and your team in a room, which is based on a theme, and from one clue to the next, your job is to try and escape the situation that you are in before disaster hits. Sometimes, the disaster can be a ticking time bomb, sometimes it can be pirates are going to come and take over your ship, but disaster is imminent, and your job is to escape the problem.

In life, things kind of work the same way. As I mentioned last week, many of us like to be fixers of problems. When the toilet won’t flush, we want to fix it right away. When our child left his school lunch on the counter,we pick up the phone right away and fix the problem. When there’s a weed in the garden that’s sprouted up, we like to fix things right away… You see, many of us like to have things in our control.

When we feel like we have things under control, it comforts our minds… When Johnny doesn’t have his lunch (that’s the problem), my solution (I called the school), now… Johnny will have school lunch today… Problem fixed, move on with the day. And my mind is comforted knowing, that I solved it.

What about when someone passes away? What about when you get the phone call you didn’t expect? You see friends, the bad news has come.Jesus was going to be crucified, and yet… even death, the story wasn’t over. Jesus would go on to say: “. 2 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? 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.” You see, for many people, when life ends… they think that’s it. Many people are lost, and so… many people place their hope now in temporal comforts.

I mean As Americans, so many turn to comfort foods, to comfortable couches, to comforters and even southern comfort, but as Christians, we have true comfort this morning in Christ.

I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t know what type of week you’ve had. But I know that we have a good, good father. I know that he has gone to prepare a place for us, one like we can’t even imagine, and more so, we have eternity to spend with Him. Friend, we can be encouraged this morning, that no matter where we are…. That Christ loves us, and even when life doesn’t feel good, we don’t have to be stirred, we don’t have to be troubled, we can have confidence in Christ and ultimately in our relationship with Him. You may feel like your world is shaken up this morning, but if you have Jesus, you have all you need. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

2. The Way, The Truth, The Life

As we continue with scripture, we see that Thomas is confused. He’s troubled and we’re told: John 14:5-14

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

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 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. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

As we stop for a second and consider this scripture, it’s important to realize that the disciples were still struggling to fully understand who Jesus was. Like their fellows Jews, the disciples saw the Messiah as the conquering King, who would free Israel from bondage to Rome, but they struggled to see that he would rise again and that this was truly God incarnate.

And so, Jesus states it plainly, we’re told: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

I want to just break down the words, the way, the truth, and the life for a minute. In the Greek the word, for Way is hodos– which is a travelled way, road. Then for truth it’s the word alētheia which means the truth, the reality, or fact. And then the life which from last week, is the word zoewhich pertains to the spiritual life of a person.

Jesus points out that he is the only way to the father. He is the truth, he’s not counterfeit, and he is the source of a person’s life. And that the only way to Heaven is through Him. There aren’t 2 options, or 3, there is only one way to the father.

You see, much of the book of John centers around this gospel message. And what Jesus speaks to his disciples here Is the heartbeat of the entire message.

So many people, go through life and they struggle to find the purpose for their existence. To put it another way, many people are lost… but the truth is, how you perceive life, Your worldview, Ultimately affects what we believe inside, and then how we carry it out.

But Jesus makes it clear, that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life.

You know, speaking of life. I came across an article this week on the Game of Life.

The hugely popular board game by Milton Bradley called The Game of Life went through the following variations—all of which reflect the changing values of our culture:

In 1798, before Milton Bradley was born, a board game from England arrived in the U.S. and became popular. It was called The New Game of Human Life. Acquiring virtues sped you through the game while vices slowed you down. Parents were encouraged to play this game with their children. The game's main point was, "Life is a voyage that begins at birth and ends at death. God is at the helm, fate is cruel, and your reward lies beyond the grave."

In 1860, Milton Bradley invented a simple board game and called it The Checkered Game of Life. The good path included Honesty and Bravery. The difficult path included Idleness and Disgrace. Industry and Perseverance led to Wealth and Success. Bradley described it as "A highly moral game … that encourages children to lead exemplary lives and entertains both old and young with the spirit of friendly competition."

In 1960, Milton Bradley Company released a commemorative edition, called simply The Game of Life. It sold 35 million copies. In this game you earn money, buy furniture, and have babies. Vices and virtues are non-existent. The winner of the game is the one who at "Life's Day of Reckoning" makes the most money and retires to Millionaire Acres.

In the 2011 version, players can attend school, travel, start a family, or whatever they want. If they earn enough points, they can reward themselves with a sports car. There is no end or last square to the game. You can stop any time. The box says, "A Thousand Ways to Live Your Life! You Choose." Values are up-for-grabs—you get as many points scuba diving as you get donating a kidney. The description on the website says: "Do whatever it takes to retire in style with the most wealth at the end of the game."

You see friends the problem is there is only one way to (figuratively speaking) play this game of life. And although each person life, may look a little different, the only life with any real significance at all is one that is lived for Christ.

I wonder with us; do we have enough urgency as we walk through life? Do we in all seasons, good and bad, remember that Jesus alone is the author of life. When life gets difficult, do we remember that we’re not playing alone, but that we are more than conquers In Jesus name?

You see, the key to being great in life, is not based on what type of car you have, the house you live in or what shoes are on your feet; friends Greatness starts with Jesus. He said, 12 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.

Friends, God is calling us to greater things in life this morning… but we have to be willing to play by the Father’s rules. We have to be willing to move our pieces according to his playbook, we have to be able to submit to His design, not ours, for our life.

3. Helper

In this scripture, that we’ll read, Jesus of promises the Holy Spirit, who as you know will come at Pentecost in Acts 2. By the way, Pentecost means 50, and the Holy Spirit was sent 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. But the key is, is even though Jesus in bodily form would be no more for the disciples, that the relationship didn’t end. That the Holy Spirit would come and indwell within each believer.

But as we’re going through this scripture, I just want us to see what this means for us as believers today. I’ve highlighted key words, in terms of the function of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It says: 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help youand be with you forever— 17 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. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Goes on to say… 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 PeaceI leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

You see, as Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, we see that even though their lives were going changed… that the Holy Spirit was still going to be there going through life with them. The bible says that He would be the 1. The Advocate, helper, with them forever, give truth, will not leave them as orphans, will give life, will teach, will remind and will give peace. Friends, this morning. Friends, that’s our hope this morning.

For the sake of time, we won’t go one-by-one explaining the full impact of the role of the Holy Spirit, although, down the road we will do a series dedicated to this. But for this morning, the key is, wherever you are… God is for you. God is your helper. God is with you. You’re not going through life alone. He is good this morning.

I’m going to call Lisa forward at this time.

And as she’s coming forward, I would just ask you this… what circumstance are you navigating this morning?

What is weighing on you? Where are you hurting this morning? You see friends, God is in the business of making everything right.

Revelation 21:4-7 tells us: 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.Revelation 21:4-7

Friends, where are you this morning? What are you facing? What is your mountain, what valley are you in?

The father wants to comfort you. He wants to be your life and walk with you. You’re not facing this day alone… he is for you. Pray