WHICH WAY

Scripture:  John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

INTRODUCTION:  Discuss asking Roger and Missy "which way"?  to get to our house when out traveling after Missy expressed confidence of knowing area.  Then same, but this time going from church.  She was confident she could find the way, but she could not.

 

I.  LOOK TO EXPERIENCE

            A.  The way is known by the more experienced. 

The experienced have learned from others and by information obtained by books ( Ps 40:7 & Heb 10:7->Lo, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do they will O God.), maps, etc.

            B.  Christ has gone before us --> His answer, "be of good cheer, I have overcome"

            C.  Covington Courthouse experience --> Bro James Cox, Jr. showed me the courthouse when out traveling around.  Later, he gave me directions when I needed to go myself.  He told me to take the 5th street exit from I-75.  Pat and I came ourselves gripped with fear, panic, and inexperience.  I took the 12th street exit which was one exit too soon.  I decided to come back up to the freeway and then take the 5th street exit.  As I re-entered the freeway, I came back under the 5th street exit and now I was Ohio bound across the bridge.  I came back across another bridge.  I was successful after three misses.   Each time I had to cross the bridge to Ohio.

                        Lessons Learned:

                        1.  Be careful (or don't) if you choose to follow the inexperienced.

                        2.  Wrong turns will cost you time, effort, embarrassment.

                        3.  Confidence in yourself can lead to confusion

                                    Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes:”

 

II.  LEARN FOR YOURSELF

              Pat and I learned to travel the area by experience, asking others, and maps.

            A.  Yellow Pages Maps --> Let your fingers do the walking.  We take it with us.

            B.  Bible -->  I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map --> take it with you

 

III.  LEARN

            A.  The Way --> Those who walk in God's ways will be kept by God's power.  HOP

1.      Define Way (Hodos) --> way, path.  A way, a road in which one travels.  The way of  the Lord or of God, sometimes denoting the revealed will of God as being shown by God and leading to Him.  John 14:6  Christ calls Himself "The Way"  because no one comes to the Father or can approach the diving essence in a future state of blessedness but through Him.  Deriv.:methodeia (3180) from methodos, method, the following or pursuing of orderly and technical procedures in the handling of a subject.   Spiros Zodihiates

 

                        2.  Christ is the Way --> Read pg 207 Thomas a' Kempis --> I am the Way John 14:6

                                    "Of The Imitation of Christ"

                                    My son, the more you can go out of yourself, the more will you be able to enter into Me.                                               Even to desire nothing that is without produces inward peace, so the forsaking of  yourself                                             inwardly joins you to God.  I wish you to learn perfect renunciation of yourself in My will,                                              without contradiction or complaint.  Follow thou Me:  "I am the way, the truth and the                                                    life"  (John 14:6).  Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no                                                       knowing; with the Life, there is no living.  I am the Way,  which you ought to follow; the                                                 Truth, which you ought to believe; the Life, which you ought to hope for.  I am the Way                                                 inviolable [not to be violated; that ought not to be injured or treated irreverently; no                                                        susceptible or hurt], the Truth infallible, the Life unending.  I am the Way that is                                                              straightest, the Truth that is highest, the Life that is truest, the Life blessed, the Life                                                          uncreated.  If you remain in My way:  "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make                                                  you free"  (John 8:31-32), and you shall lay hold on eternal life.

                                    "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17).  If you will know the                                                truth, believe Me.  "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast" (John 19:21).  If you                                              will be My disciple, deny yourself utterly (Luke 9:23).  If you will possess a blessed life,                                                despise this present life.  If you will be exalted in Heaven, humble yourself in this world                                                   (John 12:25).  If you will reign with Me, bear the cross with Me (Luke 14:27).  For only                                                the servants of the cross find the way of blessedness and of true light.

                                    O Lord Jesus, forasmuch as Thy way was narrow and despised by the world, grant me                                                 grace to imitate Thee, though with the world's contempt.  "The disciple is not above his                                                  Master, nor the servant above his lord" ( Matt. 10:24).  Let Thy servant be exercised in                                                 Thy life, for therein is my salvation and true holiness.  Whatever I read or hear besides it                                                 does not refresh me nor delight me to the full.  My son, inasmuch as you know and have                                                read all these things, happy shall you be, if you do them (John 13:17).  "He that hath my                                                 commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me . . . and I will love him, and will                                               manifest myself to him"  (John 14:21), and will make him "sit with me in my throne"

                                    (Rev. 3:21).  O Lord Jesus, as Thou hast said and promised, so truly let it be, and let it be                                             mine to win it.  I have received the cross, I have received it from Thy hand.  I will bear it,                                               and bear it even to death, as Thou hast laid it upon me.  Truly a good man' life is the cross,                                             but it guides him to Heaven.  We have now begun; it is not lawful to go back, neither must                                              we leave it.  Come, brethren, we go forward together; Jesus will be with us.  For the sake                                              of Jesus we have received this cross;  for the sake of Jesus let us persevere in the cross.                                                 He will be our Helper, who is also our Guide and Forerunner.  Behold, our King enters in                                              before us, and He will fight for us.  Let us follow manfully, let no man fear any terrors.                                                    Let us be ready to die valiantly in battle, nor bring such disgrace on our glory as to flee                                                   from the cross.

 

            B.  The Truth (Aletheia) --> as the unveiled reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with                                                                       an appearance; the manifested, the veritable essence of matter.  Denotes the reality                                                        clearly lying before our eyes.    Spiros Zodihiates

 

                        Truth in all its fullness and scope, as embodied in Him: He [is] the perfect                                                                                   expression of truth.  (Vine's)

 

            C.  The Life (Zoe) --> referring to the principle of life inn the spirit and soul.  Distinguished from                                                   bios (979), physical life, livelihood, of which zoe is a nobler word expressing all of the                                                    highest and best which Christ is and which He gives to the saints.  The highest blessedness                                             of the creature. 

                        1.  John 6:35  "I am the bread of life"

                        2.  John 10:10  . . .  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more                                                            abundantly.

                       

IV.  THE IMPORTANCE OF "THE WAY"               

            A.  Matt 7:13-14  It is not only the journey, but the end result that must concern us.

            B.  There are several ways, with different eternal destinies --> Which Way?

                        1.  Prov 14:12  "seemeth right" --> the end troubles me

                        2.  Psalms 73:17 "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; the understood I their end."

                                    Those who frequently attend the sanctuary of God will understand.  Without

                                    the sanctuary there is no understanding --> "until I went"  You will loose your

                                    understanding without the sanctuary.

                        3.  Prov. 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes:  but he that harkeneth unto                                                                counsel is wise."

 

                                    With nothing to compare to --> our thought and standard become right in our own                                                         eyes.  We will become foolish !!!!

           

                                    There is safety in the multitude of counselors.

                        4.  Jeremiah 7:23-24 --> imagination of the heart

                                    Deut 29:19  imagination of heart --> leads to a reservation . . . of judgment

                                                A wicked imagination leads to a horrible reservation.

                                    II Thes. 1:8  "In flaming fire"

                        5.  II Peter 2:10-13; 3:3  own lust, self-willed

                        6.  Phil 3:18  "enemies of the cross"

                        7.  Don't kid yourself, the way of a transgressor is hard.

 

            C.  Choose the Good Way

                        1.  Seek ye out the old paths --> They may not have been just what we would like for                                                               them to be, but they are a far cry from today's modern ways.

                        2.  Find the way of Peace  Luke 1:79

                        3.  Heb 10:20  New and Living Way

                                    Much better than the blood of bulls and goats.

                        4.  We will learn the way in the peaceful valley  Psalms 23

                        5.  We will learn the way on the mountain  Isa 2:3  "go up to the mountain"

                                    Habakkuk 3:19  hind's feet

                        6.  We will learn the way in the desert --> Christ fed them

                        7.  It is a shining way  Prov. 4:11, 18

 

V.  "I AM THE WAY"  John 14:6

            Christ has not come to show us the way, nor has He come only to make a way, but to be the Way.  He is the Way.

 

            A.  He is the New and Living Way                    Heb 10:19

            B.  He is the Way through suffering                   Heb. 10:19-20

            C.  He is the Way to the Father                         Eph. 2:18

            D.  He is the Way into Salvation                        John 10:9

            E.  He is the Way into the Holiest                      Heb. 9:8

            F.  He is the Way consecrated for us                 Heb. 10:20

            G.  He is the only Way                                      John 14:6

                        HOP II pg 271

 

VI.  THIS IS THE WAY; WALK YE IN IT  Isa 30:21

                        The Way of Life

            A.  Saved by the grace of God                          Eph. 2:1

            B.  Justified by faith in God                               Rom. 5:1

            C.  Redeemed by the blood of God                  Acts 20:28

            D.  Assured by the Word of God                      I John 5:13

            E.  Kept by the power of God                          I Peter 1:5

            F.  Possessed by the Spirit of God                    I Cor.  6:19

            G.  Presented before the presence of God         Jude v. 24

                        HOP II pg 278