Christ - The Way to God

I want to read the text again,
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. Our Lord preach so that men could,
at least in their heads, understand what he was saying. I wish today that the preachers
and the theologians and the professors could learn to preach the unsearchable
riches of Christ in the language of the people. It could be done. And not only could it be done,
but it would be done if we had as our one goal the glory of
Christ and the good of the people. Now you put that down. You say
preaching is, the average preacher is over my head. It shouldn't
be. I just can't understand what the preacher's talking about.
I'm sure he does. I don't know whether he does
or not. If you don't, I don't think he does. I'm sure he understands
what he's saying, but he just can't get it across if he believed
that he could. A person doesn't have any trouble
making known their wants if they're in pain. They say, If they're hungry, they say,
I need food. If they're thirsty, they say,
I'm thirsty. Not too hard to communicate if
you have a need, is it? And the people today in the pulpit,
in the classroom, doesn't matter where they're handling God's
Word, if they had as their one goal, their one goal, and this
is where it's being missed. The glory of Christ, the glory
of Christ, and the good of the people, they would be understood,
I'm saying at least in their head, if not in their heart. Our Lord called himself the door. I am the door. You know what
a door is, don't you? It's a very common thing, it's
an entrance, it's a way of entrance. Our Lord called himself the water
of life. You know what water is. You know
how important water is. You know at times how grateful
you are for water. My heart quenches the thirst.
How when the body's just crying out for something to drink and
you get a glass of cold water and it goes into your mouth and
down your throat, into your body, it feels so good, it refreshes.
You know what water is. Christ said, I'm the water of
life. He said, I'm the bread of life. You get hunger pangs
and hunger desires and go to the table and your wife or mother
has fixed a beautiful supper and you sit down and eat it.
You know what food is. You know what bread is. He said,
I'm the bread. He said, I'm the foundation.
Anybody here who's ever built anything that has stood has first
of all laid a foundation. The foundation determines the
size of the building. It determines the width and the
length. Also determines the height. The
foundation's got to be able to support the structure if it's
high enough. You know what a foundation is? Christ said, I'm the foundation.
And he said, I am the shepherd. None of you have ever driven
down the highway or saw a picture of a bunch of sheep out there
in the pasture and there was a man sitting under the tree
watching them, caring for them, providing for them, guiding them,
directing them, owning them. You know what a shepherd is.
And then here in our text, he says, I am the way. I am the way. No man cometh to
the Father but by me. I'm the way. What is a way? Common word. Just as common as
door. Just as common as water or bread.
Just as common as foundation or shepherd. What is a way? Well,
when we try to define the word, we get complicated. You know
what a way is, but for the sake of definition, it simply means
the chief means for attaining the goal. The chief means, for
example, the way to honor is to do some great deed. Now, honor
is the goal, honor is the object. Great honor is what I want. I'm
the subject. I'm the person who wants it.
I'm the one who seeks it. The way, the way is to do some
great deed. The way for me to get honor is
to do some great deed. It's the chief means for attaining
my goal. The way to Lexington, Route 64. That way, the way to Lexington,
Route 64. All right, Lexington, that's
my goal. That's my object. I'm the subject. I'm the one
who wants to go to Lexington. I want to be in Lexington. That's
my goal. I'm the subject. That's my goal.
What's the way? Route 64. That's the way to Lexington.
All right, the way to God. God is my goal. Happiness, forgiveness
of sin, eternal life, a right relationship with God, communion
with God, fellowship. John said our fellowship is with
the Father. I'm not interested in religion
as such. I'm not interested in your laws
as such. I'm not interested in your customs
or traditions or your creeds or catechisms. Really and truly,
my object, my goal, is to know Christ, to win Christ and be
found in him. That's my goal. Your goal may
be to find the right church, and the right ceremony, and the
right ordinances, and the right theology, and the right philosophy,
and the right prophecy. That's your business. My goal
is God. I want to know God. And I hope
that's your goal. I hope you're the subject. You're
the one who wants to know God. You're the one who wants to come
to God. You're the one, I'm the one, who wants to have fellowship
with God. I want to win Christ and be found
in Him. I want to know God, the living
God, the true God. Not a God, but the living God. Our Lord
said, this is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only
true God. The only true God. The Baptists claim they have
the only true God, and the Catholics say they have the only true God,
and the Jews say they have the only true God, and the Mohammedans
say they are the only true God, and the Confucius, and the Buddhists,
and the Hindus, and all these different... You say, how do
we know who has the true God? You're not seeking any man's
God. The Hindu God, or the Muslim God, or the Christian God, or
Billy Graham's God, or my God, or your God. Not our goal, our
goal is to know the living God, the God of the Bible. Is that
your object, that's your goal, to know? That's what David said,
as the heart panteth for the water brook, so panteth my soul
after thee. Why do you look up, preacher?
Because the scripture says, heaven is his throne and the earth is
his footstool. He's the God of creation. He's
God in whom all live and move and have their being. He's the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the God who wrote
this book. He's the God who created all
things. He's the one only true God. I want to know Him, all
right? What's the way? Who is the way? Well, here it is. Christ said,
I am the way. It's just that plain. He spoke
so that men, as I say, in their heads at least, could understand
what he was saying. I am the way to God. Now, I praise
God. Let's begin here. I praise God.
He was pleased to provide a way for sinners. He didn't have to. He was not obligated to provide
a way, right? I do know this. He took not on
himself the nature of angels. The angels fell, kept not their
first estate, sinned against God, were cast out of Heaven.
He didn't provide a way for them. They are chained, Jude said,
in everlasting chains, in darkness awaiting judgment. God provided a way he wasn't
obligated to. He took on himself, willingly,
the seed of Abraham. We were not deserving of his
mercy. Oh, what is man that thou art mindful of him? David said,
who is David? What is my house that you should
show mercy to us? Now, if you're interested, In
solving all the mysteries of God and creation, I can't help
you. I can't help you, except to say
that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. If
you want to spend your time trying to find proof of the existence
of God, proof to your natural senses, proof to your eyes, I can't help
you, but I can only say the fool has said in his heart, there
is no God. If you're a student of prophecy
who wishes to know the future and the program of God for this
world, then no human being can help you. But I'm telling you
this, if you're a sinner, now listen to me, if you're a sinner,
and they're hard to find, did you know that? Someone said a
sinner is a sacred thing, the Holy Ghost hath made him so.
Did you know that a sinner is hard to find? Now you can find
some pretty good sinners and some fairly bad sinners and some
not so bad sinners, and you can find some sinners who haven't
broken all the laws and some sinners who have some faults,
but to find a sinner is difficult. But if you are a sinner, you
are a person who in Adam has been barred from God's paradise
and because of your sins from God's presence. If you're a fallen
creature, if you're a sinner who seeks mercy, like the publican
in the temple, not like the Pharisee who stood and boasted he wasn't
like other men and bragged about his attainments and accomplishments. If you're a sinner who's seeking
mercy, if you're seeking forgiveness, If you're a sinner who comes
before God's presence with a rope about your neck, guilty, casting
yourself on the mercy of the court, seeking his grace, having
no good thing, then I can plainly and dogmatically tell you that
the way to God is Christ. The way to God for you is Christ.
Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh
to the Father but by me. I am the door, by me if any man
enter in he shall be saved, and go in and out and find pasture.
Christ is the way." Now there are four things that I want us
to look at. The first one is this, and I suppose we could
begin and end this message on this one point. We don't need
four points, maybe just this one. Christ is God's way. Christ is God's way. For God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." That's
God's way. Colossians 1.19 says, "...it
pleased the Father that in him," in Christ, "...it pleased the
Father that in him should all fullness dwell. That's where
God put it. He didn't put it in the church. He didn't put
it in the priesthood. He didn't put all fullness in
the law. He didn't put it in the baptistry.
He didn't put it in the sacraments. He put it in Christ. That's God's
way. That's where God put it. That's
what we're saying. He's God's way. He said, I am
the way. Whose way? God's way. Not the Baptist way
or the Methodist way. It's God's way. Christ is God's
way. See what I'm saying in him it pleased the father that in
him should all the fullness dwell Galatians 4 4 and 5 says this
in the fullness of time in God's own time in his due time God
sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem
them that were born under the law God sent him forth God sent
him forth for the express purpose of redeeming his people The angel
of the Lord came to Mary and Joseph and said, Mary's going
to have a son. Name him Jesus. Name the son
Jesus. What is the word Jesus? It's
the Old Testament word Joshua. What does it mean? God my Savior. That's what it means. God my
Savior. Name him Jesus. Name him Savior. For he shall save his people
from their sins. That's God's way. And then in
Isaiah 53, verse 10, it says, it pleased the Father to bruise
him. Now, God's never had any other
way. Christ is God's way. He's God's way, listen to me,
and I'll say it as plainly as it can be said. I'll say it so
that, not necessarily that men might believe it, but that they
might understand it. Christ is God's way from all
eternity. For the Scripture says he is
the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. Before
there was a sinner, there was a Savior. You see what I'm saying? I want that understood. That's
as clearly as I can say it. Before God made this world, before
God made Adam, before God gave Adam the law not to eat of the
forbidden fruit, before Adam ever fell, before this world
was ever plunged into darkness, death, disease, and sin, God
had a Savior. He's the surety of an eternal
covenant. His blood is the blood of an
eternal covenant. He was the Lamb slain before
the world began. That's right. The Father chose
us in Christ before the foundation of the world was ever laid. That's
what Scripture says. God, from the beginning, has
chosen you to salvation, from the beginning. All right? He's God's way, not only from
all eternity, but He's God's way, listen to me, for righteousness
sake. God is not only mercy, but He's
righteous. Our God is not only good love.
I hear somebody say, God's a God of love. That's not so. The Bible
doesn't say God is a God of love. The Bible says God is love. God is love. He's the source
of love. He's the essence of love. He's
the beginning of love. He is love. There's no love except
of God. God is love. God is light. You
wouldn't have any light if it wasn't for God. God is life. You wouldn't have life without
God. God is truth, you wouldn't have truth without God. God is
love, you wouldn't have love without God. Whether God is not,
love is not. There's no love in hell, God's
not in hell. There's no light in hell, God's
not in hell. That's right, there's nothing
but eternal death in hell, God's not in hell. God is love. Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh." Oh, you listen to people talk and they're
saying what they believe. They say God is a God of love
because they do not know God who is love. And for righteousness' sake,
Christ is God's way. God has to be righteous. God
cannot pardon sin without a sacrifice, without suitable payment. God is righteous. God is just. Christ is God's way for justice
sake. Christ is God's way for mercy
sake. Now, for example, picture all of God's people in prison.
They should be in prison. They are in prison. They're in
bondage to the broken law, right? That's right. We're in prison.
We're in chains. We have broken God's law. We
are condemned. We're under condemnation. The Son of Man came not to condemn
the world. The world was already condemned. We're in prison. We have broken
God's law. We are spiritual criminals. We're
guilty creatures. All right, mercy stands on the
outside. Love stands on the outside. God's
attributes, mercy and love. Mercy says, let the sinner go
free, let the guilty go free. Open the gates, open the prison,
and let God's people out. God would show love, God would
be merciful, open the gate. But justice stands within and
says, no sir, no sir, the gate cannot be opened, these people
are guilty. These people are guilty. They cannot, righteousness
says they can't go free. God's law, God's law and God's
justice and God's righteousness must be honored. They cannot
go free. Mercy and love says I want them. Justice says I have them. Righteousness says they're mine.
Now you can go out here and find a drunk the on the steps of skid
row somewhere He's dirty and filthy and and you might buy
him for a quarter That's right. You might buy his soul. You might
buy him. You might buy services. You might
buy his hat his shoes anything you've got for a dollar Let me
tell you something suppose he kills a person Suppose he murders
someone they take him down put him in jail You can't get him
now if you had all the money in the world No, sir. The law has a claim on him. The
law. He belongs to the law now. He
belongs to the state. He belongs to the law. You can't
buy him. You say, I want that man to come
plow my garden. No way. I'll give you $100,000
to let him out to plow my garden. No way. I'll give you a million
dollars to let him out to plow. No way. But that man's not worth
a quarter. He is now. The law's got him. And the law's not going to turn
loose of him till the law is what? satisfied. Justice has
got it, and justice is not going to turn him loose until justice
is satisfied. And that's the way it is with
you and me. Every transgression shall receive a just recompense
of reward. Without the shedding of blood,
there's no forgiveness, no pardon, no parole, no turning the sinner
loose. So wait a minute. Christ comes.
Christ comes down here in the flesh as a man. And he is imprisoned
in our place. See, he who was sinless became
sinful that the sinful might be sinless. He who was free was
in bondage, in subjection, born under the law, tested in all
points as we are, yet without sin. And he came down here and
was imprisoned, and he went to the cross, and he died. He died
on the hangman's gallow for us. He just took our place, took
the rope off my neck and put it on his and strung him up.
He was identified with me. He was numbered with the transgressors.
Well, you say, how can one person satisfy the justice and the righteousness
and the law and the holiness of God for so many because of
who he was? That's the key. It's who he is.
He's God. You see, God can satisfy. Man
could never satisfy the infinite holiness of God, the infinite
righteousness of God. But Christ is infinite. And He,
by one offering, has perfected forever them that are sanctified.
He's God's way. He's God's way. He came down
here and opened the prison doors, not just by His will, but by
the sacrifice of Himself. Not just by saying, let the prisoner
go free. You don't do it that way. You
come down here and bear what the prisoner is supposed to bear,
and suffer what the prisoner is supposed to suffer, and take
what the prisoner is supposed to take, the justice and righteousness
and holiness of God. That's why he died on that cross.
That's why the Father turned his back. Christ went to hell.
Hell. What is the essence of hell?
It's not literal fire. The essence of hell is separation
from God. And Christ cried, My God, why
hast thou forsaken me? That's hell. Depart from me! That's hell. He's God's way. Now notice, secondly, there's
no other way. Listen to the scripture. There's
none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must
be saved. The name Christian won't save
you. The name Baptist won't save you. The name Catholic won't
save you. The name Christ, well, his is
the only name. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, Christ the Lord. Turn to 1 John 5, 11.
1 John 5, verse 11. We were reading this last night
in the men's Bible study. 1 John 5, 11. Listen to this. 1 John 5, 11. Will you look at
it yourself? Look at it for eternity's sake.
Look at it for your soul's sake. And this is the record. This
is it. that God has given to us eternal
life. And brother, eternal life just
doesn't mean the length of it, it means the quality of it. Because
everybody's going to live forever. That's right, everybody. But
this eternal life is the life of God. It's divine life. God's given us eternal life,
and this life, where is it? Where is it? Read it with me,
everybody in here together, out loud, will you read it together?
And this life is in his son. That's where it is, it's not
in the church, it's in his son. It's not in the elements at the
table, it's not in the water of the pool, it's not in the
law, it's not in Arminianism, Calvinism, Pelagianism, Antinomianism,
Legalism, Methodism, or any other kind of ism, it's in him. That's
where it is, that's where the life is, it's in him. And he
that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life." He was the way that Adam taught Abel.
Did you know that Adam taught Abel the way to God? How do you
know that, preacher? Because I'm looking and I see
Abel comes to worship God. He comes to confess sin. He comes
to seek God's favor. He comes to seek communion with
God. He comes to the altar, and you
know what he brought? He brought a lamb, and he shed
the blood. His daddy told him that. Now,
his brother didn't do that. His brother was a rebel. He tried
another way, and God cut him off. God cut him off. God'll
cut you off, too. I don't care who you are. You
may be Abel's brother. You may be Adam's son. You may
be the pastor's son. God'll cut you off. You come
some other way, God'll cut you off. There's none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved except
Christ. This is the way that Abraham
taught Isaac. That's right. How do you know? Well, I'll tell
you how I know. I'll tell you how I know. Abraham, you know,
our Lord said, Abraham saw my day. He saw it and was glad and
he rejoiced. And you know how I know Abraham
taught Isaac the way of the cross? It's because when God had told
Abraham to take Isaac to the mountain and sacrifice him, they
started up that mountain and Isaac, young strong boy that
he was, Abraham 110, 15 years of age, Abraham put the wood
on Isaac's back and the fire Whatever they carried then didn't
have matches but fire on it. And they started up that mountain
and Isaac stopped and he said, Father, here's the fire and here's
the wood. Where's the lamb? Where is the
lamb? Oh, I want to ask that so much
when I listen to preachers on television and radio. Fella,
where's the lamb? There's your song service, and
your giveaway program, and all of your promotion, and there's
all of your theology, but where's the lamb? Where's the substitute?
Where's the sacrifice? Where's the blood? Where's the
offering missing? Where's the lamb? And then the
prophets knew no other way. Turn to Acts chapter 10, verse
43. Look at this. The prophets knew
no other way. Isaiah sure didn't. He said he
was wounded by a transgression, bruised by a nicotine. Job sure didn't. He said, I know
my Redeemer liveth. Look at Isaiah, or rather Acts
10, 43. To him give all the prophets
witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins. There ain't no other way. The
apostles knew no other way. You know what Peter said? We
know we are not redeemed with corruptible things, but with
the precious blood of Christ. They knew no other way. The redeemed
in glory know no other way. Turn to Revelation 5, verse 9. Listen to them. All those people
up there out of every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue unto
heaven. And verse 9 of Revelation 5,
and they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation. And you, you have made us unto
our God kings and priests. You did it, Lord. We didn't do
it. Mama didn't do it. And I'll tell you this, The Apostle Paul pronounces a
curse on everybody who preaches any other way. He said, though
we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel. What
does he say? Let him be a curse. He's the
only way. And then watch this. He's a sure
way. Turn to John 6. He is a sure
way. Preacher, my goal is God. The
object of my search is communion with God. I want to know the
living God. Well, Christ is the way. Can
I be sure? All right, listen, John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up
at the last day. I'll lose nothing. The soul that
on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert
to its foe. That soul, though all hail, should
endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake. All that the Father gave to the
Son, all for whom the Son endured, obeyed the righteousness of the
law, all for whom the Son suffered and bled and died, all who trust
Him and believe on Him and are brought by the Holy Spirit to
love Him, and are brought into by the Spirit of God and the
new birth and regeneration of vital living union with Christ,
all shall be redeemed. Not a one shall be lost. That's
what Christ is saying. No man ever sought mercy in Christ
and failed to receive it. No man ever sought forgiveness
in Christ and failed to receive it. No man ever sought heaven
in Christ and failed to receive it. Our Lord is plenteous in
mercy. Last of all, Our Lord is God's
way, he's the only way, he's the sure way, and he is the free
way. Listen to the scripture. Oh,
everyone that thirsteth, come. Come without money. He that hath
no money, let him come by wine and milk without price. Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you
rest. That's free, isn't it? The gift of God is eternal life. That's free. the gift. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requires is
to feel your need of him. Do you need him? You need Christ? I do. In my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. I need a righteousness. In my flesh I cannot please God. I need one of whom the Father
can say, I'm well pleased. I'm under the law of God. I'm
under the justice of God. I need someone who can satisfy
it. Christ can. I need Christ. I need Christ. And he doesn't command you to
produce a righteousness. He commands you to receive one
already worked out. Receive it. He does not command
you to understand everything in this book. He commands you
to believe it. I just don't understand. I read
the Bible and I'm so confused. Let me ask you this. When the law of God speaks against
your thoughts and your deeds, and you're evil, are you confused?
No, I understand that. I understand what God says and
I understand that I have fallen short of his glory. When God
Almighty says that he's holy and he will in no wise clear
the guilty, you know what I mean? Yeah, I know what I mean. When
he said, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. I know what that
means. Now, you're not confused about that, are you? No, I'm
not confused about that. And when God says that he will
bring every secret deed and every outer word and every transgression
into judgment, are you confused? No, that's plain. That's about
plain as it can be said. When God says that you're a sinner
from the sole of your feet to the top of your head, and you
cannot please him nor satisfy him nor approach unto his presence
because of your sins, are you confused? No, that's plain. When
God Almighty says that you cannot by your deeds or your works gain
acceptance with Him, is that clear? I'm not confused about
that, I see that as plain as day. When God says that He loves
sinners and delights to show mercy, and so He gave His Son,
He sent Christ down here as a man to do for me in what they could
not do, is that clear? Yeah, that's pretty clear. When
he says that his son went to the cross and shed his blood
and died under the Father's wrath, under the Father's judgment,
as a substitute for those that believe, do you understand that?
Yeah, I'm not confused at all about that. Do you understand
that Christ Jesus said, if you're thirsty, come and drink. If you're
hungry, come and eat. If you're weary, come and rest.
If you're disturbed, come and find peace. Do you understand
that? Well, why don't you come? That's clear. You're not as confused
as you thought you were. You're confused about some of
the secret things that belong to God, but the revealed things
belong to you. And I'll tell you this, if you
walk in the light God gives you, he'll give you more light. They said, show us a sign. He
said, no sign shall be given except his word. Now you believe
his word. You walk in the light God's given
you. That's what you're subject to do. As a subject of the kingdom
of Christ, you're required to walk in the light he's given
you. do what he commands you to do, that which you understand.
Confess Christ, believe Christ, receive Christ. He'll open more
light to you. He'll reveal more light to you.
You'll grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. I am the
way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but
by me. Our Father in heaven by the power of Thy Spirit, for
the glory of Thy dear Son. Give us a word in this day. Speak
through Thy servant. O Lord, we pray that we may be
enabled of thy Spirit to truly be an ambassador of Christ, that
God may beseech men by us and through us and through our words,
that we may seek his glory and his praise and not our own, the
true eternal good of the people. O Lord, not that we might boast
of numbers and great monuments to our works and to our deeds,
but that we might rejoice in him by whose power all things
are accomplished. Speak through us and to our hearts
and move according to thy will and use this message to bring
sinners to faith in Christ, to love Christ, and those who love
him to love him more. In his name we pray, amen.

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