What does it mean that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life? How can we reveal that truth in the way we live and interact with others? Join pastor Shawn Brummund as he opens the word and examines this subject.

<p>What does it mean that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life? How can we reveal that truth in the way we live and interact with others? Join pastor Shawn Brummund as he opens the word and examines this subject.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Granite Bay SDA Church

Shawn Brummund

The Way, the Truth and the Life

This was recorded at the Granite Bay Hilltop SDA Church, located in Granite Bay, California.

Hope you are blessed by the message and that it draws you closer to God.

In John chapter 13, verses 34 to 35, we have Jesus there reclined on the Passover table.

We have his faithful disciples, 12 of whom he has already ordained as the Apostles of the Church, and he knows that his hours are short to be able to give some of that last very important precious counsel to his disciples.

And so in those 2 verses in that very deep and important chapter as the Apostle John records for us, Jesus says to them, a new command I give you, love 1 another.

As I have loved you, so you must 1 love 1 another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love 1 another.

The last supper was completed on that foreboding Thursday night.

Jesus was on, Judas I should say, was on his way to the religious leaders to betray his Lord to his arrest and death.

Jesus' mind was inevitably becoming focused on the most immense task a human being has ever faced.

He was to lay down his life for his children, for his sheep the very next day.

He himself was going to bear the sin and guilt of all the world upon himself.

That all who would choose to repent, all who would agree to come to God by faith might be granted eternal life.

And knowing the beginning from the end, knowing the number of hairs that are on each of our heads, knowing the sinful nature that has taken such a deep root in our souls, He gives His followers of faith a new commandment.

Now, we must not mistake this to be a new commandment in regards to God's revelation for indeed in the very first author of the Bible, that of Moses, God had made it very clear that we are to love those and even those who do not love us, that we are to love our neighbors as ourself, that we are to love the Lord our God with all our mind, our soul, and our strength.

Now God had already revealed it, but the problem was that his disciples had been brought up in a Sabbath school and in a synagogue where the teachers had not taught them this essential truth.

And so for them it was a new commandment, a new commandment I give to you Jesus, that you love 1 another.

And if you in case you're wondering how I desire for you to love each other, love each other in the same way that I have loved you.

1 of the most foundational proofs and witnesses that we are truly with Christ is that we are found loving 1 another.

And regardless of the existence of the different, Now listen carefully friends, and regardless of the existence of the different church organizations that may contain, and do contain I should say, many of Christ's followers, even today Christ has called us to love 1 another.

And so friends, even as I went back and I reviewed this counsel of Jesus, Jesus spoke to me and he said, not only am I to remember to love everyone within the Granite Bay Church, everyone within the Northern California Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, everyone that I meet around the world in this great remnant movement of truth as God has given to us, God has called me to love all fellow believers as Jesus has loved me.

And so do you love your Baptist neighbor?

We must not forget as we're going to touch on even again today in today's important message and topic that indeed many of God's, in fact, I would dare say that the vast majority of God saved, Holy Spirit filled, heaven bound believers are outside of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Now God tells us that's going to change as time goes on.

But friends, there are many believers outside of our organization.

And God has called us to love them even as Jesus has loved us.

But Jesus doesn't hold tight on his counsel that evening because he knows that his time is short.

He knows that the counsel he shares is precious and so he goes on to them and tells them, let not your heart be troubled.

And he tells them that where he goes, he will come again and receive them to himself.

And then after that he says, and by the way, you know where I'm going and you know the way.

Now as we read the rest of the passage, of course, it tells us very clearly that the disciples weren't quite on the same page as Jesus, that it actually turned out to be a setup.

But he was doing it in a righteous way because indeed Jesus was setting them up so that he might further impact them with 1 of the most, in fact, I would say the most fundamental truth that God has ever given to mankind.

And so Thomas speaks up for the group and he tells Jesus and he says, listen, not only do we not know where you're going, but because of that, we don't know the way.

Many of you have come to see it, accept it, understand the depth of it, and understand that it indeed is the most fundamental truth ever given to mankind.

Jesus takes this opportunity to drive home this fundamental truth with a dogmatism that makes the average modern mind cringe at the hearing of such a statement.

Come with me to John chapter 14 and verse 16, verse 6 I should say.

We're going to the Gospel of John and we're going to spend some time there so just if you're using a paper copy of the Bible, Keep your thumb in John because we're going to be jumping back and forth a little bit.

We're going to John chapter 14 and verse 6.

Thomas speaking in verse 5 for the disciples, Jesus responds and says, I am the way.

Now remember Thomas said, listen we don't know where you are going and we certainly don't know the way.

And Jesus says, well this is where I am leading up to.

No 1 comes unto the Father except through me.

No 1 comes to the Father except through me.

And so according to Jesus, how many can come to the Father without Jesus?

Now he's not doing that because he wants to be exclusive.

He's not doing that because he wants to be mean to those who want to find their way into heaven through other avenues, through other people, through themselves, or what other different ways that they've been sold on making their way to heaven.

But Jesus knows that there is only 1 way that we can succeed in getting to heaven.

And that's why he is so dogmatic about it, because he says, listen, you might have a map and you might be given 6 different maps, and those 6 different maps will show you 6 different ways, but only 1 map is gonna get you there.

There's only 1 hope that we have, dear friends, and that is through the person of Jesus Christ.

And that's why Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, no 1 can make it to the Father except through me.

Reminds me of a documentary that I watched several years ago.

It was released in 2004 by Frontline and this particular episode was entitled, The Jesus Factor.

And the main topic or the main subject of that particular episode was a documentary on President George W Bush and as many if not all of you know George W Bush was a very overt open Christian he was not shy about his faith he was very open about it he would even share it sometimes in his political debates and campaign debates and such.

And some of those clips were shared during this documentary.

Bush, well, I should say there was a, as you watch these documentaries, quite often you have different friends of the family that are being interviewed on that particular person.

And so as this 1 gentleman was being interviewed, a friend of the family, he was recalling an experience that he had with the family of the Bushes, and he was enjoying some iced tea or whatever it was out on the lawn or the yard of either George W.

Bush's lawn or his parents' lawn because it was George W.

Bush as well as his dad, George Bush Sr., President Bush Sr., And then we also have the ex-First Lady, which was of course George W.

Bush got into this conversation with his mother and within the family, how is it that we make our way into heaven?

How is it that a person is saved and makes his way or her way from this life into the eternal life of heaven.

Bush, well he knew the Gospel, he knew the statements of Jesus and he said, well listen, the Bible makes it very clear that no 1 can come to the Father except through Jesus.

Well his mother was on a different page and she said, well you know I actually believe that I don't think that's true.

I think that as long as we desire and make an effort to be a good person and we do our best in this life, then we go to heaven.

Bush goes, listen, we can all do the best we can, but none of us can merit heaven.

And so they went on on this debate until finally, of course, being the family that they are, they had connections.

And Mom Bush gets on the phone with Billy Graham, and Billy Graham happened to be available, and she says, well, this is the debate, this is where I'm at on the debate, and this is where George W.

So Billy Graham answers and said, you know what, I think that the mother's right.

You know, don't worry about it, just be a good person, love your neighbor, and don't worry about it.

And of course, that kind of cinched up the debate in the mother's mind, but George W.

Bush, I've got to give him credit, At the end he says, no, you know what?

I'm going to stick with what the New Testament says.

The Way, the Truth and the Life

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