コミュニティと弟子訓練

Jesus is the Way (Jn. 14:6)

2019.08.04P. Cha

Let us come to know Jesus, the only way, truth, and life. He frees us from bondage, walks with us, and brings us to the loving Father, so that we can share him with others.

Share the gospel by knowing Jesus well

Sharing the gospel was a main goal of the Zoe ministry in Thailand, where many have never heard it. A man of 102 asked why he had been made to wait so long. Zoe has seen about 16,000 people accept Jesus in 16 years, roughly 1,000 a year. Our team shared with about 570 people in five high schools, and about 270 said yes. 1 Peter calls us to be ready to give an answer for our hope. Before having every answer, we must live so that others notice the peace in us. Most important is that we know Jesus well and that he makes an impact in our lives.

Jesus is the only way, not one of many

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." People ask why Christianity is so exclusive, but we want to be as exclusive as Jesus himself said he is. Like the four blind men who each touched a different part of an elephant, many think all religions lead to God, yet Jesus says no. Comparing the founders shows the difference. Muhammad claimed to be a prophet, and Confucius never claimed to be God. Jesus claimed to be God, using the "I am" of Exodus 3, and received worship. He proved it by miracles over sickness, nature, demons, and death.

Jesus is God who came down to rescue us

Good and moral people could not and cannot come to God on their own, so God had to come. Jesus is God who became a human being, not just one more excellent teacher. He does more than show the way to God. He is the way out. As in the Exodus, he rescues us from bondage, shame, guilt, and judgment. He is also a path to walk with him. As God led Israel through the wilderness and took the slavery out of them, Jesus makes us more and more like him as we follow.

Walk with Jesus in loneliness, anxiety, and pain

If you are reluctant to share Jesus because he is making no difference in your life, pay more attention to following him. In loneliness, you will find he is near. In anxiety, not knowing whether to take a job, go to school, or marry, trust him and you will experience his guiding. In pain, you will see that Jesus understands. He cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," took your sins to the cross, and walks through suffering with you. As you walk with him daily, he sets you free more and more and brings you closer to himself.

The destination is a loving Father

Jesus does not only make you happy or set you free. He brings you to God as your loving Father. Other religions end in a tyrant who demands submission. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father saw his filthy, rebellious son far off, ran to him, kissed him, and celebrated. God does not stand with pen and paper counting missed quiet times. He rejoices over you as I rejoiced when my newborn daughter looked and snored like me. For those hurt by imperfect fathers, Jesus introduces a perfect Father who brings renewal and healing. J.I. Packer says in Knowing God that a mature Christian lives by the thought of having God as Father.

Religion says "DO"; Jesus says "DONE"

Every religion spells the way to heaven D-O. Do more, serve more, and earn merit to tip the scale. Jesus spells it D-O-N-E. We can never be perfect, so God became a man, lived a perfect life, took our place on the cross, and paid for all our sin. Adopted as God's children, we receive new life from God's Spirit, and what we never had becomes ours. I grew up as a pastor's kid, thinking myself better than others, but I began to grow when the cross made sense to me. No one else can die for your sin and introduce you to God as your loving Father. The Tokyo team's children, who asked to go on the mission, are learning to say yes to the Lord and live for what lasts forever.

Apply to Life

  • Let us come to know Jesus more deeply, and let him make a real impact in our lives.
  • Let us live so that others see our peace, and be ready to give an answer for our hope.
  • Let us turn to Jesus in loneliness, anxiety, and pain, and walk with him daily.
  • Let us trust that Jesus has finished the work of salvation, and come to God as our loving Father.
  • Let us pray for friends and share the gospel with them, inviting them to hear Ravi Zacharias in October.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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