For a scripture reading, and
it will also serve as my text, turn with me to John Chapter
14. The Gospel of John, Chapter 14. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there you may be also. And whither I go, ye know,
and the way ye know. 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. If you'd known me, you should
have known my Father, my Father also, and from henceforth you
know him and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord,
show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. It sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I
been so long time with you, and yet thou hast not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou
then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak
unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth
in me. He doeth the words. Believe me that I am in the Father,
believeth me. Believe me that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very word's
sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth on me, the works that I do, the works that I, let me start. It's really blurred in my Bible. I'm having a hard time. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that
I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go unto the Father. And whatsoever you shall ask
in my name, That will I do that the Father may be glorified in
the Son. If you shall ask anything in
my name, I will do it. Oh, what a promise. Has to be
in his name for his glory. But oh, what a promise. All right,
we'll stop there. I invite you to turn back with
me again to the Gospel of John John chapter 14, and we'll try
to concentrate on verses 5 and 6. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world through the womb of a virgin. He was raised among
men, and they saw Him, but they didn't see anything in Him that
prompted them to worship God. to learn anything about God,
they had their own systems, their own teachers, their own places
to go. And he grew up among them a tender
plant, subject to pain just as we are, subject to all the things
in this world, and yet he lived a life perfect in the eyes of
God, without sin. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us. Those disciples who gathered
around Him, they believed on Him. They believed what they
knew about Him. They didn't know much, but they
knew enough. They believed that He was that
promised Messiah that the prophets had talked about for centuries. Talked about the coming Redeemer.
Talked about him whose name would be Immanuel, God with us. Believed that he would lead them
out of captivity. He's God's prophet that Moses
spoke of. He's the coming Redeemer. They
believed that. But they didn't understand what
this Redeemer was coming to do. Though he told them plainly,
I must go to Jerusalem, and there they're going to lay their hands
on me, and they're going to try me in their courts, and they're
going to hang me on a cross. And I'm going to die in Jerusalem.
And they're going to carry my dead body and lay me in a tomb,
and on the third day I'm going to rise from the dead. That's
the heart of the gospel, but they didn't know the heart of
the gospel. They believed on him. They believed according
to what they knew. How much faith does a man have
to have to be saved? It's according to what you know. And I can't answer that question.
I don't know. Enough to rest his soul. Enough
to bow to his authority. Enough to exercise his means. That's what you have to know.
But in detail, they didn't know a lot. And he was about to leave
this world. They didn't know that his everyday
life, just getting up, and the everyday life that he lived was
going to be their righteousness. They didn't know that. And they
were with him. They lived with him. They listened
to him talk. They watched him eat. They held
his hands. Talked to him. He taught them.
They followed him. Are you with me? You understand
what I'm saying? They were with him, but they didn't know that
every breath he took, every step he took, that he would wrought
out a righteousness for them. He was living a life that they
couldn't live. They didn't know that. And they
didn't know that when he went to Jerusalem, and died on that
cross, but that was redemption. They didn't know that. And now he's about to leave this
world. Did he know their ignorance? Sure he did. Sure he did. He was about to be given over
to the will of his enemies, tortured, mocked, put to death as a common
criminal. And then three days after his
demise, he'd be raised from the dead, step onto a cloud, ascend
up into glory, and take his place at the right hand of majesty
on high, having by himself purged our sins. And then John 14, he begins to
comfort his disciples concerning these things of which they were
ignorant. And he begins with these words.
Let not your heart be troubled. But oh, it will be. It will be
when the Spirit of God begins to convince you of sin, and then
of righteousness, and of justice satisfied. Judgment. Let not
your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Huh? Believe also in me. What's he
saying? You believe that I'm God? That's
what he's saying. You believe I'm God? I'm God
come into the flesh. I'm all you're ever going to
see of God. Right here. You believe in God? Believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. What on earth is he talking about?
I've heard every kind of twisted imagination that can come out
of the mouth of a man. Let me tell you what a mansion
is. I looked it up to see if they could define it. They can't
even define it. But here's the sense that I get
out of what a mansion is. A mansion is a house reflective
of the stature, success, and status of a man. That's what
a mansion is. You can go to North Carolina,
Asheville, North Carolina, and you can look at the Biltmore
House. That's a mansion. Probably one of the largest houses
ever built in America. Built by the Biltmores. That
house was a status. It was a symbol, a picture of
the status of that man who had it built. Reflective of that stature, success,
and status. And he said concerning them,
I go. I go to prepare a place for you. The house that I'm going
to prepare is going to be reflective of my status, of my success,
of my glory. And oh, if it is, what kind of
a house must it be? Huh? Oh, my Lord. What kind of a house must it
be if God himself I go to prepare a place for you. In 2 Corinthians 5.1, the Apostle
Paul says, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle,
that's what we live in here, a tent, just a tent, were dissolved,
we have a building of God. Not made with hands. Huh? Oh, Arminian's doctrine, I can
still remember, is so foolish to me now, but it wasn't back
then. He said our good work was sending up lumber to build our
house. Huh? I'd rather just stay in
the tent. What kind of a house would it be if my lumber was
being sent up? My good work. He said, we know
if the earthly house of our tabernacle was dissolved, we have a building
of God, a house not made with hands. Now listen, eternal. Where? In the heavens. Where's
that? I don't know. I don't know. Paul describes our bodies here
as tents for our souls, just temporary dwelling places. And
when we depart from these tents, we have a house. not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. I go to prepare a place for you. Beloved, if you and I truly believe,
then we're heirs of God, are we not? We're heirs of God. All things are yours, the ministry,
angels, the world, life, death, things present, things to come,
all are yours and you are Christ and Christ is God. All things are yours. What's
that mean? That means God put this place
right here and all the past that brought it to be for you. That's what that means. That
means that He separated me from a life of sin and misery and
darkness and ignorance and religion and just plain old crap. and
taught me the gospel so that I might come here. That's for
you. That's what Paul said. The minister
is for you. Paul, Apostles, these things
are for you. God doesn't need a minister.
He's perfect wisdom. You don't need a minister. We
need ministers. All things are yours. We're fellow
heirs with God. And then listen to this. Knowing
our frailties, he adds this. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I told you everything you need
to know. Huh? I told you everything that you
need. What do I really need to know? I need to know that He's
my salvation and that His going to the Father absolutely necessary
to prepare a place for me. That's what I need to know. If
it were not so, I would have told you. I would have told you. And then listen to this, if I
go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you
unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. What's he saying? He's saying
I'm the way. I'm going to go, I'm going to prepare, I'm going
to come again, I'm going to gather you, and I'm going to take you
home with me. Huh? Sounds to me like it's all in
him. That's because it is. It is. He's going to do something
in heaven itself to make for us an eternal dwelling place.
And then in verse 4 he says, And whether I go, you know. And
the way you know. Now you remember what I said
just how ignorant these men were. They didn't have the light that
you and I have. Think about it. They didn't know
what he was doing, that he was their righteousness, that he
was their redemption. They didn't know that. They would
know it, but they didn't know it yet. And in the light of these
things, Thomas said unto him, Lord, we don't know where you're
going, and how can we know the way? Now let me tell you something. We used to make fun of old Thomas.
Somebody didn't believe us, that's what we called him, the doubting
Thomas. We'd make fun of old Thomas.
But I'm going to tell you something, there's a whole lot more like
Thomas than there is like John. I'm a whole lot more like Thomas
than I am with God. Old doubting Thomas. In fact, all the disciples cried
this, Lord we believe, help thou our unbelief. Now let me read this verse again.
Thomas saith unto him, We know not whether thou goest, and how
can we know the way? That's the title of my message. How can we know the way? If we don't know where he's going, he's going to heaven. Where's
that? I don't know. We don't know where you're going.
And how can we know the way? And here's the question. proposed
of the Lord's disciple, and I'm sure many then and after. How can we know the way? I have
five things for us in this text that I hope will answer the questions
asked of this disciple. The first is concerning a place.
He said, We know not whither thou goest. My friend, the reason
we don't know where he was going, and I'm talking about them and
the questions they ask and so on, is because we're so ignorant
of the Word of God. You remember, the Sadducees didn't
believe in the resurrection. And they told Christ this big
long story about this widow who died, and his brother had to
raise up seed for his brother according to the law, and so
he married her, and then he died, and this went on and on and on.
Whose wife is she going to be in the resurrection? The Lord
said, you do err. Why? Not knowing the scriptures. Why are we so ignorant? Because
we're ignorant of the word of God. And I'm telling you this,
get it in your head. If you can get it into your head,
God will get it into your heart. But it ain't coming into your
heart until it gets in your head. And you ignore the scriptures
and you'll go the rest of your life ignorant of God. And that's
just so. We don't know where you're going.
How can we know the way? Well, the first is concerning
a place. And we're so ignorant of the Word of God, and for this
reason we're ignorant of God Himself. And there is, for lack
of a better term, a place where God is said to dwell. God speaks to His prophet Isaiah,
and He says, Have you not known? Huh? Have you not known? Have you
not heard? Has it not been told you from
the beginning? Have you not understood from
the foundation of the world? Isaiah 40, 22. It is he that
sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof
are as grasshoppers. Now listen. That stretcheth out
the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent
to dwell in. Where God dwells. I don't know,
but he said he stretches out the universe as a tent to dwell
in. There's a place, whether natural
or spiritual, I don't know, but God dwells there. I suspect it's a spiritual place
because he said in Acts 17, in him we live and move and have
our being. He's all around us. Our Lord calls this place his
Father's house. It's a place of rule, authority,
absolute sovereign dominion. There's no need of advisors there
in the kingdom of God. God is all-wise. There's no need
of a son in glory. He's the light. There's no need
of armies there. God himself is almighty. And
there's no need of a police force because there is no schism. The Spirit of God inspired John
to write about this place. And he said, in this place, Shall
he no wise enter into it, anything that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written
in the Lamb's book of life. That's the only thing he's going
to let in. In this place called heaven there
is a great white throne. And the dead, small and great,
stand before God and are judged by Him according to His perfections
and their offenses. and out of the book of life.
That's judgment. Judgment's not according to the
best you can do, but according to God's perfect and holy character.
In Revelation 20, 15 it says this, And whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. But
what about their works? That's concerning their works. Or what about the law? That's
concerning the law. What about those who sacrifice
their lives in religion? That's what that's talking about. Whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And there's
a place of absolute rule, holiness, harmony, and God dwells there
and rules over all things. And this place is eternal. Heaven is with God. That's where
heaven is. And this world in which we live
is just a temporary place. It's created and populated and
given an environment conducive of life to manifest the glory
of God. That's why it's not like any
other planet. Oh, we're going to find a planet
with light. No, you're not. Not unless you come here. He gave this place and environment
to fulfill his purpose, and his purpose is to save chosen sinners.
When that's over, he's going to fold it up. The expectation
of creation waiteth. It's being preserved. That's
what he's talking about. It exists. It's being maintained. It's being preserved. It waiteth
for the manifestation of the children of God. That's what
the Bible says. When our Lord talked about going
to His Father's house, He was talking about heaven itself. Alright, here's the next thing.
The cause. The cause. Verse 2. I go to prepare
a place for you. Does that seem amazing to you?
Huh? God is Himself in human flesh. came into this world, left this
world with this promise, I go to prepare a place for you. I can't even conceive in my mind
of being honored by the president. I can't really in my mind believe
that the mayor of Texarkana is going to step me up on the stand
and say here's a model citizen. Huh? But this says that God Himself
is going into heaven itself in the presence of God and prepared
a place for you. Does that seem amazing to you?
That leaves me spellbound. That leaves me speechless. I
don't even know how to preach such a thing. I have, with all the honor and
glory of Christ Himself, A mansion for you. And we won't stay here just as
long as we can. Why? Huh? Well, Paul said, I won't stay
because it's necessary for you. But other than that, he said,
I'd rather be there than here. You think about what he's telling.
Oh, you won't be comforted. Here's comfort. I'll go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go, I'm going to come
again. Oh, here's the cause. I go to prepare a place for you.
Here's the dwelling place of God. Even the seraphims covered
their face and their feet. Yea, Job said the heavens are
not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and
filthy is man that drinks iniquity like water? And he's going to
prepare a place for me. All have seen come short of the
glory of God. If man has any hope after death
of entering into glory, a place must be prepared for him, of
himself, by himself, for himself. No man can make himself worthy
of this place, but Christ can. You can't even look yourself
in the mirror and imagine God himself saying, well done, my
good and faithful servant. Look yourself in the mirror and
try to say it. You can't say it. But in Christ, that's how
it is. Why? Because he went and prepared
a place for us. Our one hope is that Jesus Christ,
being the Son of God, should make a place for us. Salvation is the cause of His
appearance, His ministry, His life, His death, His resurrection,
His intercession, and His coming again. Now is my soul troubled, Christ
said. He said that right after He gave
this comfort to these disciples. He said, now is my soul troubled,
and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.
Before this cause came I unto this hour. I'm sorry, this was
said before in John chapter 12. For this cause came I unto this
house. I'm not going to pray for deliverance from it. And then thirdly, listen to this. This is about the way. We don't know where you're going.
How should we know the way? He said, I'm the way. Isn't that
what he just told us? I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go, I will come again. I will receive you unto myself,
that where I am, there you may be. It's all of Him. And this
is our problem. We always try to figure things
out within ourselves. It ain't in yourself. It's in
Him. It's in Him. He's the way. Our Lord's answer
to Thomas and others that were perplexed about the same problem.
He saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And
O Spirit of God, make these words effectual in our hearts for your
glory, salvations in a person. If you know Him, you know everything
you need to know. Huh? That's right. Jesus Christ is God come into
the flesh. All provision given to God's
elect was given in His Son, given to His Son. He was made flesh,
dwelt among us. And his appearance here was as
of a representative person. If I'm to know him, I'm to know
that up front. He's a representative person. He's not telling me to do something.
He's doing something for me. He's a representative person.
He did not live his life and die his death and ascend into
glory for himself. He didn't need to be justified.
He's already God. He didn't need to make himself
righteous. He was already righteous. He
was already perfect. Already without sin. Already
in union with the Father. I and the Father are one. That's
what he told them. He came here as a representative
man, as a substitute, and he came to save a people for the
glory of God. A people his father chose and
made provision for in him. And when he said to them, I go
to prepare a place for you, he wasn't talking about building
them a house or making for them a reservation. He was talking
about obtaining eternal redemption for them. That's what he's talking
about. By his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption. for us. He was talking about
being raised from the dead, declaring their justification of God, and
then ascending into glory, and His sitting there in union with
us, having redeemed us, having saved us by His own blood, He's
sitting there at the right hand of God making intercession. That
means He's saying, Oh Lord, don't kill them, don't kill them. They'll
do better. No, he's just sitting there.
He's not saying anything. He don't have to say anything.
His person sitting there says it all. Do you understand what
I'm saying? This is the glorified, successful
Christ. Died for his people. Came as
a representative man. And God has elevated him as high
as he can be elevated. Set him at his own right hand.
And he ever liveth He's not just making intercession for you until
you die. He ever liveth to make intercession for the saints.
He is our intercession. In his gospel, the righteousness
of God is said to be revealed by faith to faith. His righteousness. His righteousness. That righteousness
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe. He is the way. He's seated at the right hand
of God. And His very being is making intercession for us. He's
the way. And He is the truth. I don't know about you, but I've
heard enough lies. I've got a belly full of lies. I've heard enough false promises
and ignorant words. He is the truth. He's what establishes
the truth. That's right. You shall know the truth, he
said, and the truth shall make you free. And he's the light. In religion, we used to think
about if we did this, then we can have life. If you have Christ,
you have life. He is life. To know God is eternal
life. Only the living know Him that
have been raised from the dead. He is eternal life. He is the
life. is to have eternal life. And
we know that the Son of God has come and given to us an understanding
that we may know Him that's true, that we're in Him that's true,
even in His Son, and this, He's the true God, and this is eternal
life. And listen to this. He said,
I go. He's the way. I go. And then, fourthly, I want us
to see the comfort which is given to them. Oh, I wish I believed this with
all my heart. I do believe it. God cannot fail. He cannot fail. If my salvation
is dependent on Him, then I need to rest because He cannot fail.
He tells Joshua before they cross over and go into the promised
land, he said, be of good courage because God Almighty is going
with you. I'm going with you and I cannot
fail. I'm not going to fail. I won't
fail you. I won't let you down. God cannot fail. He cannot be
altered. He cannot be driven back or pushed
aside. If God be for us, Paul said,
who can be against us? Does the gospel give good news?
That's good news to me. If God be for me, who can be
against me? You can stomp and cuss and jump
up and down, do whatever. I'll do this. I don't care. Do what you gotta do. But I tell
you this, God cannot fail. These men wrestled as we do just
to walk with Him, let alone fantasize accomplishing a salvation by
their own merit. The more they knew Him, the more
their merit went out the window. That's true with us too. But here's the problem. Am I
one for whom He's going to prepare a play? I can't answer that, but He can. He said to them, who did? Christ did. He said to them, I go to prepare a place for you.
Now listen to me. I only know my election and yours
the same way. His gospel comes in power, it
comes in the Holy Ghost, it comes with much assurance in Christ.
How much assurance? Well, assurance enough to rest
your soul on Him. Assurance enough for you to bow
to His Word, bow to His means, bow to His messenger. They said,
if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. He said, I told you.
Here's your problem. You're not my sheep. As I said,
only my sheep hear. How do I know if I'm his elect?
I hear. I hear. He said, I know my sheep. It's
not about you so much knowing him as it is about him knowing
you. If he knows you, he will allow you to know him. Huh? I know my sheep and, he said,
have known mine. And I call my sheep. I call them
by name. Hey, Jesse, come on. And they come. I call them and
they come. And I put them out here to pasture.
And they just go out there and eat. Them's are predators out
there. So what? I'm the shepherd. The rest of them run when the
wolf comes. I don't run. I don't run. I don't play. I give unto them, I'm the Good
Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. And I'll tell you something else
about my leg. I give unto them eternal life, and they'll never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. They
were chosen of him, called of him, taught by him, and kept
by him. I know my sheep, I'm known of mine. There's no comfort,
no hope in believing in election, predestination, but there is
in knowing Christ and believing on Him. Election has nothing
for you apart from Christ. Read Ephesians chapter 1. He
chose us in Him. Boy, I believe in election. Well,
good. Maybe God will allow you to believe
in His Son. Then election will mean something
to you. And there's another thing. He
said to those He sent out to preach, He said, He that heareth
you, heareth Me. He said unto them, I go to prepare
a place. He may say that to you through
me, or one of these other men. He that heareth you, heareth
me. That's what he said. Well, can a person put validity
in what one man says above another? God says you can. In Galatians 1.8, Paul said,
Though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we preach to you. Let him be accursed.
That's putting a validity on one man above another. He tells
you over in, where is it, 2 John, where he talks to the elect lady,
and he says, If somebody comes to your house and brings not
the doctrine of Christ, don't let him in your house. And don't
say, well, have a blessed day. No, now you're partaker of His
sins. If He don't come, tell Him to
get. Well, that's rude, yeah. He needs
rudeness. He needs to be told to get. When
our Lord said, I am the way and the truth and the life, He's
not giving us a list of options or one of many ways. He's declaring
to us that He is the way. No man, listen to this, no man
cometh unto the Father but by me. No approach in God is absolute
God without a mediator and there's one mediator between God and
me and the man, Christ Jesus. And many are they who die in
their sins thinking God will accept the best they can do or
have respect to their offerings and sacrifices and show mercy
in the light of their kindness to others. My brother was one
of them. That was his dying words to me, the last words I heard
from his mouth. That was his hope before God.
The whole of our hope is in Christ. How so? As the way, as the truth,
as the life. And he's not merely the way as
he goes before us as an example or as a prophet pointing out
the way. He is the way. John the Baptist,
last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the new. John
the Baptist, who did he talk about? He talked about this one
that was to come. I'm not him. I'm not him. I'm just here to tell you about
him. I'm the forerunner. The Bible says you and I have
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now listen
to this, by a new and living way, which he consecrated for
us through his flesh. That is, huh? Oh my. He is the way. And to know him is to know the
way. Let me tell you this and I'll stop. Back there in the
Civil War, there was a man, he was a Union
soldier. And he fought in many bloody
battles. And in one battle, his brother
was killed. In the next battle, his father
was killed. That left his mother alone. And nobody had permission to
let him go home. He was a soldier. He committed
to serve the United States. And there was only one who could
give him any hope, and that was the president. And so he went
to the White House, and as he approached it, the guards stopped
him, and they said, what's your business? State your business.
And he told them what had happened. And they turned him away. They
said, the president can't see you. He's busy. And so he walked away just broken,
just broken hearted. And there was a bench out there
under a tree somewhere. The White House back then was
open. Anybody could come up to it and
on the grounds. And there he sat on the bench.
And there was a little boy playing over there. And he saw this man
weeping in despair. And he come over and he said,
mister, what's your problem? What's your trouble? Why are
you weeping? Well, he said, I was hoping to see the president.
He was my last hope. And he said, I fear that my mother's
going to lose the farm and her only way of living. And she'll
perish because I can't go and take care of her. Well, why is she going to Paris?
He said, because I can't see the president. Oh, he said, I
think I can help you. Reached out and took the man
by the hand, and he didn't want to just shake off that little
boy, tenderhearted man, so he went with him. The little boy
just walked up the steps, looked up to that guard, and that guard
just peeled aside, and he walked right past the guard. Inside
White House was all these security people, and they just got out
of the way. The little boy just led that man right down the aisle.
The door was closed in the Oval Office, so he just came up there
and he just pushed the door open. He said, Dad, I got a soldier here who needs
to see you. No man cometh under the Father,
but That little boy was Todd Lincoln. That was a true story.
He brought that man right into the president. And the president
let him go. Let him go home. May the Lord take such things
as this and apply them to our hearts.