Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. I can remember a time when I
was in darkness. The world of religion that I
was in had nice, cute little devices or sayings to get someone
saved. One of the soul-witnessing winning
gimmicks they employed was the Roman's Road. It gave you a way
where you could lay out the path to someone's salvation very easy
without having to know much of anything. You could actually
just hand them a track. They even ask the question, would
you like to follow the Roman's road to salvation? Many of you
listening probably know about this gimmick. They even have
this online. Salvation is now as easy as clicking
a button on your computer. You take this Roman's road online
and at the end they have a question. Have you made a decision for
Christ because of what you have learned through the Romans road
to salvation? If so, please click on the I
have accepted Christ today button below. Now if you don't have the internet,
then I guess you'll have to take the long way around and get to
the Romans road, either by track or soul winning or something.
What this world gives us to concentrate on is man and ultimately depends
on man and his choice. The problem is they never tell
you who Christ is because they don't know who Christ is. And
they are never honest about who man is because they don't know
what they are or what man is by nature. Now I do understand
why this is the case. I was at one time in the same
place, in darkness, but I was wrong as well. Turn with me,
if you would, to John 14. John 14. John 14, and I'm going to read verses 5 through
7. Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life,
and no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me,
ye should have known my Father also, and from henceforth ye
know him and have seen him. I want to try to speak to you
about who Christ is, and I'm going to try and do that by speaking
of Christ in what he says here in this passage. The way, the
truth, and the life. If when I am done, you want to
look for another way, such as the Roman's road, then I suppose
you can go that way. I pray God change your mind about
that, and not just me telling you this. I do not want to change
someone's mind. I do want their mind changed,
but I want God to change your mind. Because if God changes
your mind, then no one else will change it to think something
else by wisdom of words or worldly little gimmicks like the Romans
wrote. Salvation is by Christ. God does
use words of men, but it is God that gives the increase, and
it certainly is not by someone being able to explain it real
well. It is by men clearly declaring, thus saith the Lord, no matter
how well spoken they might be. Are they proclaiming the truth?
Are they preaching Christ and Him crucified? Not just any words. God will not use lies to bring
someone to Christ. proclaiming the Christ of God
and Him crucified, meaning that He accomplished salvation. If
you are one of those chosen of God, He will in time cause you
to love His word. So what does Christ say He is? First, here in this passage,
it says He is the way. What all do we know about Jesus
Christ being the way? First of all, the word way here
means road, route, or means. So right off, we can see that
the road to be on is Jesus Christ. Because of this right here, Christ
himself says he is the road. Jesus Christ is the only road,
route, or means of getting to God. Any other road you might
be on will lead you to damnation. Here on our passage, it specifically
is speaking about his people knowing where he is going and
how to get where he is going. This is salvation, to be where
he is, is salvation. Christ is the way because he
made the way. The road that had to be traveled
was the road to keeping the law of God perfectly. He had to do
this so that he would be a spotless sacrifice. Without this, our
sins being laid on Him would have not accomplished anything.
The sacrifice of God has to be as God Almighty specifies. It
has to be without spot and without blemish. First Peter 119 says,
but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot. This way of God, Jesus Christ,
is perfect. No other way is perfect. This
way is so perfect, or he is so perfect, that he is protection
for his people. This way, if you are on it, will
keep you safe from all who will come at you in unrighteousness.
Psalm 18 and 30 reads, as for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried.
He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. If you trust
Him, then you know God says He is your protector. This way is
safe. If you do not trust Him and trust
in your own way, your own way is man's way. And scripture says
in Proverbs 131, therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their
own way and be filled with their own devices. These are those
who when God sends you His glorious gospel of His dear Son and you
reject it, He will not help you in your time of need. He will
laugh at you in that time. You continue to refuse God's
dear Son and there might just come a time when you seek God
and He will not hear you. Read Proverbs 1 sometime. Man's
way is not of God. It will not get you to God and
it will not keep you with God. Proverbs 16.25 says about man's
way, there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death. Only God and His way can get
you to God to be where He is. Now Christ is also the truth,
it says in our passage. This word means truth. Pilate
asked Christ one time, what is truth? Maybe you or someone listening
to me might ask, what is truth? Or how do you know you preach
the truth? If you are preaching Jesus Christ,
then you are preaching the truth. Jesus Christ tells us himself,
he is the truth. The truth is so absolute that
it is embodied in a person. There is only one truth because
there is only one Jesus Christ. Does that mean if you have a
message and you say the name Jesus Christ that you are preaching
the truth? Does that mean if you get men
and women to acknowledge biblical truth that is also historical
fact that you are preaching Christ? No. We are told there will even
be false Christs and false prophets come. In Matthew 24 and verse
24 we read, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets
and shall show great signs and wonders in so much that if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Christ is who God says he is
in scripture. Paul the Apostle tells us being
inspired by the Holy Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 2.2, for
I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. First of all, Christ is God. He is the very one with whom
we have to do. This is preaching Christ. Christ
is come in the flesh. God Almighty, Jesus Christ came
down to this earth and was born of a woman in human flesh. This is preaching Christ. Jesus
Christ is that Messiah spoken as coming to be the substitute
for his people and his people only. He totally and fully accomplished
what he was sent to do. This is preaching Christ and
this is preaching him crucified. He is no longer here as he has
ascended to the right hand of the Father, being a sweet-smelling
savor to God the Father. He has made peace with God on
our behalf. This is preaching Christ crucified. Since we know Jesus Christ is
God, then who is God? So it is not just a matter of
saying the name Jesus Christ and proclaiming God's truth.
Jesus Christ is the truth itself. In order to know Him, you have
to bow down to Him and beg for mercy. If He wills, He will show
you mercy and reveal Himself to you. If not, you will never
know Jesus Christ of this scripture. He will cause you to love Him.
We love Him because He first loved us. Jesus Christ told some
people who believed on Him. He says in John 8, verses 32,
and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you
free. But again in verse 36 of John
8 it says, if the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall
be free indeed. So Jesus Christ is the truth
and it is he that shall set you free from the bondage of sin.
There are many people who believe in Jesus. This scripture here
in John 8 testifies of this. However, they merely believed
on Him and did not believe Him. Christ tells us here Himself
that His word had no place in them. God has never done anything
for these individuals because they are of their father, the
devil. That's what Christ says in John
8. These are men who, it says, believed
on Jesus. So do you believe Jesus Christ? Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you bow down to Jesus Christ? The truth himself must make you
free. And if he does, you will be free
indeed. One thing here about truth here
I want to mention. Truth means the way things actually
are. Jesus Christ is the way things
actually are. There is no other truth. John
1 and verse 14 says, And the Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the own begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. Where does truth come
from? Scripture says that the law was
given by Moses. Moses was a man. I know the law
is holy, just, and good, but John says that the law was given
by Moses. John 1.17 reads, For the law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Truth came by Jesus Christ because
he is truth. He tells us so. But if you want
to know what the truth really is, then get to know Jesus Christ. Someone might ask, how do I do
that? How do I get to know Jesus Christ,
He in whom grace and truth comes by? I cannot tell you. I cannot tell you how to do that.
All I can tell you about is Him. All I can do is tell you to come
and see Him, this man, Jesus Christ, who is truth. Bow down
to Him. So what else is he? It says he
is the life. So we have life. This word means
life. If you're expecting great doctrinal
detail, then you're listening to the wrong person. All I can
tell you are plain words from scripture given by the Lord of
glory himself, who is the word himself. But it is not theology
that we are concerned about, but Jesus Christ a person that
we are concerned about. He says in his word that he is
all of these things. So Jesus Christ says he is life. Whatever life is, it is Jesus
Christ because he says he is the life. Life only exists in
Jesus Christ. What does that tell me? It tells
me I want to be in Jesus Christ, because outside of Jesus Christ
is nothing but death and darkness. We can go about thinking or saying
we have life, that we are doing things for God all day long,
but if we are not in Christ, we are nothing but death. John
1 verse 4 says, in him was life, and the life was the light of
men. My light is the life of Jesus
Christ if I am in Him. Jesus Christ is my life and light. I can look to many other places,
doctrines, knowledge, friends, family, things, but if I do not
have Jesus Christ, then I do not have life. Christ tells the
Jews in John 5.39, he says, search the Scriptures, for in them ye
think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of
me. From Genesis to Revelation, the
Scripture is testifying of Jesus Christ. You will get the most
out of Scripture if you are truly looking for Jesus Christ in the
Word, because Jesus Christ is the Word personified. We are
told by John in 1 John 1 that the word, which is life, they
personally heard, seen, and handled of Jesus Christ, who is life
itself. 1 John 1 says, that which was
from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen
with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled of the word of life. If you have Jesus Christ, you
have life, because he is life. You might have the right doctrine,
but if you do not have Jesus Christ, you do not have life.
What does that mean? You have nothing but death if
you do not have Christ. First John 5.12 says, he that
hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. The opposite of life is death. Jesus Christ is now seated at
the right hand of the Father, till his enemies be made his
footstool. Wherever Jesus Christ, we'll
be heaven. Wherever Jesus Christ is, we'll
be heaven. You want to find your way to
God? Jesus Christ is the only way to get there. He is not a
bicycle you get on the ride. He is not a car you get into
and drive. He is not a passage you memorize
and know. He is not a button you push on
an internet screen. He is the way, the truth, and
the life. If you're going to get to God,
it will be by and through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the one
who did the work to obtain salvation for his people. John 10 and verse
11 says, I am the good shepherd, that's Christ. The good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. He did this at Calvary. God the
Father was pleased with him. As he tells us in our text, he
has went on to prepare a place for us so that we will be where
he is. There is only one way to get
there, Jesus Christ. The path or way to God is Jesus
Christ. There is only one truth to get
you there, Jesus Christ. The directions or details about
how to get there is Jesus Christ. There is only one ability to
get you there, Jesus Christ, who is life. The ability to get
to God is Jesus Christ. Him being the way, truth, and
life We know that He is all we need to be at peace with God.
I pray God keeps me always seeing that Christ is all. If you have
more than Christ, you have too much. If you have less than Christ,
you have nothing. In Matthew 7, in verses 13 and
14, we read, enter ye in at the straight gate. For wide is the
gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many
there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate,
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it. If you try to bring anything
of your own for salvation, it won't fit. It says here that
broad is the way. This way to destruction is as
wide as the number of inventions that man has or that they say
can get you to God. Just like this Roman's rope.
We know that man has a lot of ways that they think are right. But if your way is not God's
way, the end of it will be death. This book testifies to that.
So unless you are saying what God says the way, truth, and
life is, then you are a liar. Man's way is darkness so that
he does not even know what it is that he stumbles at. But the
ways of fallen men are abomination to the Lord. In Proverbs 14 and verse 12,
we read, There is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death. So any way that man seems to
be right, the end of that is death. But also we read in Proverbs
4 and verse 19, the way of the wicked is darkness. They know
not at what they stumble. The way of the wicked is darkness.
Because they are in darkness, they stumble all the time. When we preach here, the distinct
sound that you will hear is Jesus Christ is all. That is by God's
grace what you will hear at this place. That is not boasting in
us, but it's boasting in God because it is all by his power
and ability that we do this. But this sand will either be
a saver of death unto death to you or it will be a saver of
life unto life. Nothing else. It is never a saver
of life to death or death to life. A Romans road or any other
man-made gimmick will only lead you to men. You are on the wrong
road. I cannot give you a formula for
getting on the way of Jesus Christ. I can only tell you who He is,
and He has been revealed who He is as He has been revealed
in the Scripture. I cannot give you a passage or
explain the truth to get you to know that Jesus Christ is
the truth. All I can do is tell you the
truth of Jesus Christ. I cannot give you life or tell
you how to get Christ, who is life. All I can do is tell you
He is life itself. You have the word right here
in front of you, or I'm sure you have access to it. You can
see that what I have told you is what scripture testifies to.
Come see Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. I can only tell you to bow down
to Him, ask for mercy. If He is pleased, He will give
you mercy. Him being all, if He is pleased
to show you mercy, and then Him bringing you to Himself, placing
you in Him in time, placing you in Christ in time, then being
in Him, you are in the right way. You are in the truth. and you have life. He says in
his word, all that come to him, he will not cast out. Are you in need of a savior? Seek Christ. He is the right
way. He is the only way. He is that
narrow way. Seek him that is the way, the
truth, and the life. Don't fall for religious gimmicks.
He is the only way, truth, and life. All I can ask is, what road are
you on? Sunday at noon, on this same
station, WVVACW, you will hear a portion of one of our Sunday
morning messages. Please tune in and listen to
the message of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Or come and be
with us on Sunday morning beginning at 10.30 a.m. We're located close
to Little Beaver State Park. Come and hear Jesus Christ preached
and Him crucified preached. How tedious and tasteless the
hours when Jesus no longer I see. Sweet prospects, sweet birds,
and sweet flowers have all lost their sweetness to me. The midsummer sun shines, but
dim the fields striving vain to look gay. But when I am happy
in Him, His name yields the richest perfume and sweeter than music
his voice. His presence disperses my gloom
and makes all within me I should, were he always lost, not have
nothing to wish or to fear. No mortal so happy as I, my summer
would last all the year. Content with beholding His face,
my, all to His pleasure resigned. No changes of season or place
would make any difference. my mind. While blessed with a
sense of His love, a palace, a toy would appear, and prisons
would palaces prove, if Jesus would dwell with me there. Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine,
If Thou art my Son and my song, Say, why do I languish and pine,
And why are my winters so long? O, drive these dark clouds from
my sky, my soul-curing presence restore, or take me unto the
on high where winter and clouds are no more.