I can remember a time when I
was in darkness and the world of religion I was in had nice
cute little devices to get someone saved. One of the soul witnessing
winning gimmicks they employed was the Romans road. It gave
you a way where you could lay out the path to someone's salvation
very easy without having to know very much. you could actually
hand them a track. They even asked the question,
would you like to follow the Roman's road to salvation? But just so you know, salvation
is now as easy as clicking a button on your computer. You can take
this Roman's road online, and I'm kind of embarrassed to say
this because I looked at it because I couldn't remember what it was
about. And they said, 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. Of course, there is a
disclaimer. You have to have the internet
before you can do this. So I guess you're just out of
luck if you don't. What this world concentrates
on is on man and ultimately depends on man and his choice. That's
what this world is. No matter what gimmick they have.
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. Now I understand why this is
the case. I was completely there at one
point in time. But I was wrong as well. If you
would turn with me to John 14. Joe kind of mentioned this. John 14 and 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. No man cometh unto the Father,
but by me. And 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 about who Christ
is, and I'm going to try to do this by speaking of Christ and
what he says in this passage. The way, the truth, and the life. When I'm done and you still want
to look for such a way, if anybody out there wants to look at such
a way as the Romans Road, I suppose you can go that way. I pray God
change your mind about that and not just me telling you this.
I don't want to really change someone's mind by my words. I do want their mind to be changed
by God. Because if God changes your mind,
then no one else will change it to think something else by
better words than mine of their wisdom. Salvation is by Christ
and not by words. God may 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. There are men who can do
a very good job at explaining God's word, and I'm thankful
for that. But no matter how good or how
bad someone preaches the truth, it is God that gives the increase. But the word spoken will be God's
truth, not just any words. God will not use lies to bring
someone to Christ. God will call you to love his
word, so what does his word say? First, he says he is the way. What do we know about this word
way and about Jesus Christ being the way? First of all, the word
means road, route, or means. So right off we can see the road
to be on is Jesus Christ. Because 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 in our passage, it's specifically
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, and
it has to be without spot and without blemish. First Peter
1 and 19 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 our protection. This way, if you are on it, will
keep you safe from all who will come at you in unrighteousness.
Psalm 18 and 30 says, 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 know that 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, 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 Jesus Christ is the truth,
and this word means truth. You know, Pilate asked, what
is the truth? He asked this to Christ. Maybe
you or someone listening to me might ask, what is the 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, or if you're just talking to
someone and you say the name Jesus Christ, that you are preaching
the truth? No. We are told there will even
be false Christ to come. In Matthew 24 and 24 it says,
for there shall arise false Christ 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. First of all, Christ is God. He is the very one with whom
we have to do. Christ is come in the flesh.
God Almighty, Jesus Christ, came down to this earth and was born
of a woman in human flesh. He is no longer here. He has
ascended to the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ is that
Messiah spoken of as coming to be the substitute for his people
and his people only. Since we know Jesus Christ is
God, then who is God? So it is not just a matter of
saying the name of Jesus Christ and proclaiming God's truth.
Jesus Christ is 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. but He will cause you to love
Him if you're gonna love Him at all. We love Him because He
first loved us. Jesus Christ even told some who
believed on Him, it says in John 8, 32, and ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son, therefore,
in John 8, 36, it says, if the Son, therefore, shall make you
free, ye 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 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 has no place in them. God has never done anything
for these individuals because they are of their father, the
devil. 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 the truth
that I want to mention. Truth means the way things actually
are. Jesus Christ is the way things
actually are. There's not another truth. John
1 and 14 says, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the
glory of the only 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 was holy, just,
and good, but John says that the law was given by Moses. In
John 1.17 it says, 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 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 can just tell you I cannot
do it. All I can do is tell you about
Him. All I can do is tell you come and see who this man is,
Jesus Christ. And you have to bow down to Him.
And you're only going to do that if He enables you to do that. So then it says He also is the
life. This word life means, and I know
I'm getting pretty deep on these words, but this word life means
life. But it's not theology, Joe, that
we are concerned with, but Jesus Christ, a person that we are
concerned about. He says in his word that he is
all of these things. 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
1.4 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 my 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 539, search the scriptures, for in them you think
you 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 his
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. First John
1 and 1, it 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. 1 John 5 and 12 says, he that
hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. If you don't have life, it's
death. Jesus Christ is now seated at
the right hand of the Father till his enemies be made his
footstool. Wherever Jesus Christ is will
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 to ride. He is not a car you get in to
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, 11 says,
I am the good shepherd. 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
went on to prepare a place for us so that where he is, we will
be. There's only one way to get there,
Jesus Christ. The path or way to God is Jesus
Christ. There's only one truth to get
you there, Jesus Christ. The directions or details about
how to get there is Jesus Christ. There's only one ability to get
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 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. Matthew 7 and 13 says, 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 are trying 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 man has that they say you can
get to God by. We know that man has a lot of
ways. They think that they're 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, the truth, and the 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. Proverbs 14.12 says,
there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 4.19 says, the way of
the wicked is darkness. They know not what if they stumble.
When we preach here, the distinct sound you will hear is Jesus
Christ is all. That is by God's grace what you
will hear at this place. It is by God's grace what has
been proclaimed here for 30 plus years. And that's not boasting
in us or me. That is boasting in God because
it is all by his power and his ability. But this sound will
either be a savor of death unto death to you or it will be a
savor of life unto life. Nothing else. It is never a savor
of life to death or death to life. A Roman's 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
as he has been revealed in scripture. You have this word right in front
of you, or I'm sure you have access to it if you don't have
it with you right now. You can see that I have told
you what is in scripture, what it testifies of. Come see Jesus
Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. I can only tell
you to bow down to him and ask for mercy. If he is pleased to
do so, he will give mercy. Him being all of his pleased
by having mercy on you being being placed in him being in
him You are in the right way. You are in the truth and you
have life He says in his word that all that come to him. He
will not cast out All like I'm asked now is what road are you
on? Mason will you lead us in prayer,
please? Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this day. Thank you, O God,
for your great mercies and grace toward thy people. Thank you,
Heavenly Father, for thy word that we have heard spoken. Heavenly
Father, let it by the power of thy Holy Spirit dwell