1
00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,120
Continuing our our series on 
John, it's been an amazing 

2
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,320
series on this. 
Today we're going to dive into 

3
00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,320
John 14 a little bit. 
But before we do that, I just 

4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,720
want you to sit with something 
for a moment. 

5
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:23,320
Just a feeling, a feeling that 
most people don't always talk 

6
00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,800
about. 
And I want you to think about a 

7
00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,360
time in your life where things 
didn't collapse all at once, but

8
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,160
it just quietly stopped feeling 
right. 

9
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,640
And not a crisis, just a subtle 
shift where if somebody asked 

10
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:39,320
you, you would still say I'm 
good. 

11
00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,400
But underneath that, things 
weren't as steady as it used to 

12
00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,480
be. 
And it's not a panic. 

13
00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,040
It's not even an anxiety. 
It's something much quieter than

14
00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,600
that. 
And it usually shows up in just 

15
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,600
quick small moments, moments 
when we have some time to be 

16
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,480
quiet, moments when we're not 
distracted. 

17
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,000
And in that moment, you can just
feel it. 

18
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:12,840
Something is just not right. 
And in that moment, you also 

19
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,400
can't fully explain it. 
Because if you can put a name to

20
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,600
something, then you know how to 
deal with it. 

21
00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,400
But if you can't, it just sits 
there quietly affecting 

22
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,360
everything else that's going on 
in your life. 

23
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,720
So just stay in that moment for 
a second. 

24
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,120
And maybe that's you today. 
Maybe you're sitting with that 

25
00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,200
feeling of something is just not
right. 

26
00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:41,400
And we can, we can get to the 
bottom of that feeling by asking

27
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,240
one question. 
But it's a question that most of

28
00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,760
us tend to avoid. 
And that question is, do I 

29
00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:53,480
actually know where I'm going? 
Because that quiet instability 

30
00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,720
and that underlying tension, 
that's not random. 

31
00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,560
That's what it feels like when 
we are moving through life 

32
00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:04,400
without direction. 
See, in our modern life, we have

33
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,560
more navigation than ever. 
We've got Google Maps, we've got

34
00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:09,680
Waze, we've got GPS on our 
phones. 

35
00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,880
But also at the same time, we 
have more people feeling lost in

36
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,000
their lives than ever before. 
So we can get to a restaurant 

37
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,960
within 3 seconds, but we don't 
really know where our life is 

38
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,440
heading. 
And the problem is that we are 

39
00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,320
very used to moving with 
confidence, right? 

40
00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,760
You you open your GPS, you put 
in the address and it tells you 

41
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,120
where to go and you don't 
question it. 

42
00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,120
You don't question every second 
turn, you don't second guess the

43
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,360
route, you just follow. 
But see, that only works if the 

44
00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:46,440
source is accurate and true. 
And if the source is wrong, you 

45
00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,200
can drive for an hour completely
confident, but heading in the 

46
00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:55,200
complete wrong direction. 
And when that feeling shows up 

47
00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,080
for us, most people don't 
question the direction they're 

48
00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,600
on. 
They think they just need to 

49
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,320
keep moving. 
I just need to do more. 

50
00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,600
I just need to be consistent. 
I just need to keep building. 

51
00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,800
So I want to ask you this 
morning, do you know where you 

52
00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,040
are going? 
Not today, but ultimately you 

53
00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:19,120
know, not your career, not your 
retirement plan, not next month,

54
00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,240
but do you know where you are 
going eternally? 

55
00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,680
And I want to tell you to answer
that question, we don't need 

56
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:34,720
direction, we just need the way.
See, the reason why we 

57
00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,360
experience that feeling and why 
we struggle to put our finger on

58
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:42,160
it is because we often rely on 
the world and not the word as 

59
00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,160
our source to answer that 
question. 

60
00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,880
Do I know where I'm going? 
Because one of the biggest lies 

61
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,400
of our time is that as long as 
you're a good person, you'll 

62
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,800
find your way. 
You know, as long as you have 

63
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,080
good intentions and you don't 
offend people, that's the right 

64
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,360
path in life. 
So when people say I love my 

65
00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,960
life according to the Bible, but
I only take all the positive 

66
00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,280
things and I apply that and all 
the harsh things, I stay away 

67
00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,560
from that because I don't want 
to hurt people's feelings. 

68
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,000
You know, I don't want to box 
them in. 

69
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,920
And that sounds beautiful, but 
it's done. 

70
00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,160
And I hope that doesn't hurt 
your feelings because the world 

71
00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:25,240
instills in us just enough 
desire for other people to like 

72
00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,040
us that we tiptoe around hurting
people's feelings. 

73
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,000
We twist and edit the truth so 
it works for everybody. 

74
00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,240
And there's a quote by Leonard 
Ravenhill that says if Jesus 

75
00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,360
shared the gospel like most of 
us do today, he wouldn't have 

76
00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:47,200
been crucified. 
That's because the world tells 

77
00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,760
us to seek comfort instead of 
conviction. 

78
00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,280
That tells us to take the the 
safer options instead of 

79
00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:56,960
standing for the truth, no 
matter the consequence. 

80
00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,920
And I love this, this verse in 
Colossians 2, verse 8. 

81
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,240
I took this one from the new 
King James Version. 

82
00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,520
It says beware lest anyone cheat
you through philosophy and empty

83
00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,880
deceit according to the 
tradition of men, according to 

84
00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,120
the basic principles of the 
world, and not according to 

85
00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,720
Christ. 
That's like when people say, you

86
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:18,960
know what? 
Just do what works for you. 

87
00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,760
You do you. 
You'll end up where you're 

88
00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,280
supposed to be going as long as 
you are sincere. 

89
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,560
And that sounds beautiful, but 
it's dumb. 

90
00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:35,400
Proverbs 1412 says there is a 
way that seems right to a man, 

91
00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,680
but it is the it's end is the 
way to death. 

92
00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,960
And that verse doesn't describe 
careless people. 

93
00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,800
It describes people who are 
convinced that they are right. 

94
00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,360
And that's where the idea of 
sincerity breaks down. 

95
00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,680
Because you can be completely 
sincere and completely wrong. 

96
00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,680
Because sincerity doesn't 
determine truth. 

97
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:05,640
And it also contradicts Jesus. 
Because if all we need is to be 

98
00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,560
sincere and have good intentions
and not hurt people's feelings, 

99
00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,280
then that means that everyone is
right. 

100
00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:16,920
And if everyone is right, then 
Jesus is wrong. 

101
00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,880
But if Jesus is right, then most
people are lost and they don't 

102
00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,880
even know it. 
So we just keep moving through 

103
00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,000
life with confidence, but no 
idea where we are actually 

104
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,080
going. 
And so when we get to John 14, 

105
00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,840
we see that truth isn't 
something you build, that's 

106
00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:42,400
someone you follow. 
I remember once running a trail 

107
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,240
in the mountains and I thought I
knew the way. 

108
00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,400
I was pretty sure about the 
direction and I was very 

109
00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,120
confidence running. 
And at some point, I just took a

110
00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,680
wrong turn. 
And when I looked up, the path 

111
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:57,000
completely disappeared. 
And I stood there for a while 

112
00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,040
trying to figure out where I 
was. 

113
00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,160
And thinking back about that, I 
realized that confidence doesn't

114
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,280
equal direction because you can 
be confident and still be 

115
00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:11,720
completely lost. 
But luckily you don't need 

116
00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,200
direction, you just need the 
way. 

117
00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,560
So when we get to John 14, we 
see how direction collapses 

118
00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,640
because John 14 begins with 
Jesus talking to a group of men 

119
00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,520
who think they know where they 
are going, but actually they 

120
00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,320
have no idea. 
And if you've traced what's 

121
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,040
already happened, like Stephen 
shared with us last week in John

122
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,320
13, you start to feel the weight
in that room. 

123
00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,080
In 13 verse 21, Jesus has 
already said that one of them 

124
00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:45,080
will betray him in 13, verse 30.
Judas has already already left 

125
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,960
the room in 13 verse 38. 
He's looked at Peter and told 

126
00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,160
him that he will deny him before
the night is over. 

127
00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:58,000
And in that moment in the room 
they don't fully understand 

128
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,160
what's happening, but they can 
feel something is just not 

129
00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,760
right. 
So by the time we arrive in John

130
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,320
14, the tone has completely 
changed because these are men 

131
00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,680
that have built their entire 
life around Jesus. 

132
00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,160
They've left everything to 
follow him, believing that they 

133
00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,640
are part of something that's 
going somewhere, something 

134
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,120
stable, you know, something 
that's building. 

135
00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:25,560
And then Jesus says in John 13 
verse 33 where I'm going, you 

136
00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:30,080
cannot come, yo. 
Just like that, everything they 

137
00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,320
thought they understood shifts 
because now the future is 

138
00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,440
unclear and the direction is 
uncertain. 

139
00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,720
Now the person they've built 
their whole life around is 

140
00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,080
speaking in a way that sounds 
like he's leaving and that room 

141
00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:54,240
goes quiet, but not in a 
peaceful way, in a heavy way 

142
00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:57,920
where people are thinking and 
processing and they're trying to

143
00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,240
hold on to something that's 
slipping. 

144
00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:06,440
And in that moment, if you open 
to John 14 verse one to four, 

145
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,120
Jesus says do not let your 
hearts be troubled. 

146
00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,000
You believe in God, believe also
in me. 

147
00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,240
My Father's house has many 
rooms. 

148
00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,280
If that were not so, would I 
have told you that I'm going 

149
00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:19,720
there to prepare a place for 
you? 

150
00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,040
And if I go and prepare a place 
for you, I will come back and 

151
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,400
take you to be with me. 
That you also may be where I am,

152
00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,400
You know, the way to the place 
where I am going. 

153
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,400
Do not let your hearts be 
troubled because you know the 

154
00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,600
way to the place that I'm going,
you know? 

155
00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,400
And then Thomas says what 
everyone is feeling in John 14 

156
00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,600
verse five, he says, Lord, we 
don't know where you are going 

157
00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,360
and how can we know? 
And he's not trying to sound 

158
00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,760
deep. 
That's a man trying to steady 

159
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,360
himself because everything just 
shifted and he can feel it. 

160
00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,160
And then when things start to 
feel unstable, we all do the 

161
00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,320
same thing. 
We start reaching for things we 

162
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:10,400
can hold on to in that moment, 
just like we experienced those 

163
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,840
times where things just don't 
feel right. 

164
00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,920
Thomas realizes something that 
most of us avoid to confront, 

165
00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:23,000
and that is, I don't actually 
know where this is going 

166
00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,200
anymore. 
I thought I knew, but I don't 

167
00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,000
know where it's going anymore. 
And that's maybe maybe that's 

168
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,160
you today sitting here where you
thought you knew where something

169
00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,800
was going, where your life was 
going, but you just actually 

170
00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,080
don't know where it's going 
anymore. 

171
00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,960
But you don't need direction. 
You just need the way Jesus says

172
00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,600
in John 14 verse six, He says I 
am the way and the truth and the

173
00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,160
life and no one comes to the 
Father except through me. 

174
00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:54,040
Now, when Jesus says that to 
them in that room, He's not 

175
00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,920
comforting them. 
He's removing every alternative 

176
00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:59,680
that they are looking to hold 
onto. 

177
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:06,760
And that's an uncomfortable 
thought for us because when we 

178
00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,600
do not know where we are going, 
we are searching for clarity 

179
00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:13,520
because clarity seems and feels 
like control. 

180
00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,480
So if I can understand what's 
happening, I can manage it. 

181
00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:21,360
And if I can see what's coming, 
I can prepare for it and I can 

182
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,440
make sense. 
If I can make sense of it, then 

183
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,680
I can handle it. 
And we do the same thing with 

184
00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:30,480
God. 
We say, God, just show me what's

185
00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:37,320
next and then I'll trust you. 
And it sounds spiritual, but 

186
00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,680
it's no, you can't say that can 
hurt people's feelings. 

187
00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:48,000
It's not, it sounds spiritual, 
but it's not because if you slow

188
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,240
it down, it's not trust. 
It's a condition, Lord, I'll 

189
00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:58,680
trust you once I understand. 
And in John 14 verse 8, Philip 

190
00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:01,800
says, Lord, show us the Father 
and it is sufficient for us 

191
00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:08,520
control disguised as trust 
because in Philip's mind the 

192
00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,480
certainty of the future is 
crumbling. 

193
00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,640
And so he starts to negotiate 
for a sign just like we do. 

194
00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,920
Lord, you say we will face 
challenges in this life, but 

195
00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,120
just give me a sign. 
Show me that you are in this and

196
00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:29,560
then I'll be at peace. 
Two Chronicles 32, verse 31 says

197
00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:32,920
God left him to test him and to 
know everything that was in his 

198
00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,760
heart. 
So when you experience that 

199
00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:40,240
moment, that feeling that just 
doesn't feel right, what's in 

200
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,200
your heart? 
Is it trust or is it control? 

201
00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:48,080
Do you really have faith or are 
you negotiating for signs? 

202
00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,040
So in John 14 verse 9, Jesus 
responds and he says, have I 

203
00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,080
been with you so long and yet 
you have not known me? 

204
00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,160
Philip, He who has seen me has 
seen the Father. 

205
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,560
So how can you say show us the 
Father? 

206
00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:05,480
So notice what Jesus doesn't do 
there. 

207
00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:10,080
He doesn't give him plan or 
steps and He doesn't explain how

208
00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,640
everything's going to unfold. 
He just removes what they are 

209
00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:18,320
reaching for and he doesn't give
direction. 

210
00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:24,760
He gives truth. 
He gives the way again, John 14 

211
00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,640
verse 6, I am the way and the 
truth and the life and no one 

212
00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,600
comes to the Father except 
through me. 

213
00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:36,040
Not I'll show you the way, not 
let me show you the Father. 

214
00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,640
I am the way. 
You know the Father because you 

215
00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:47,280
know me, which means the issue 
is no longer do I know where I'm

216
00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,800
going. 
That goes deeper than that. 

217
00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,320
It becomes, do I trust the one 
who's leading? 

218
00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,320
And this reminds me of a story. 
There was a guy that hired a 

219
00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,680
guide to take him on this 
adventure through a a forest, 

220
00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,440
dangerous forest. 
And just as they've all prepared

221
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,680
and as they start walking, the 
guy says to the guide, Are you 

222
00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:12,640
sure where we're going? 
And the guide just says, stay 

223
00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,040
close to me. 
So they keep walking through the

224
00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:16,840
forest and they walk for about 
30 minutes. 

225
00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,960
And the guy again says, hey, 
just to check, Are you sure you 

226
00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,000
know where we're going? 
And the guide says, just stay 

227
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,720
close to me. 
And so they keep walking for 

228
00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,920
about another hour. 
And the guy says, just have you 

229
00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,040
double checked the coordinates? 
Are you sure? 

230
00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,240
And the guide says, just stay 
close to me. 

231
00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,880
And at one point, the guy says, 
I think I see a better path. 

232
00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:40,880
And he heads off in a different 
direction. 

233
00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,280
And hours passed. 
It's nightfall. 

234
00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,000
It's dark. 
This guy comes crashing through 

235
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,160
the Bush. 
And he's done. 

236
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,360
And as he comes through the 
Bush, he walks into the guide. 

237
00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,960
And the guide is sitting there 
peacefully around a warm fire 

238
00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,600
with the entire camp set up. 
And this guy is raging. 

239
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,320
And as he's about to unleash 
onto the guide, the guide just 

240
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:11,200
says, I didn't lose you. 
You left me, so do you trust the

241
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:16,000
one who's leading? 
Deuteronomy 8 verse 2 says 

242
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,720
remember how the Lord your God 
LED you all the way in the 

243
00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,080
wilderness to humble and test 
you in order to know what was in

244
00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,960
your heart? 
What is in our heart? 

245
00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:31,800
Is it trust or is it control? 
When we get to this point, this 

246
00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,400
is where it starts to press on 
us because we are comfortable 

247
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:39,520
with Jesus when He fits into a 
plan, we understand and when it 

248
00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:43,640
fits into a plan that we can 
control, just like Philip says, 

249
00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,520
Lord show us the Father and it 
is sufficient for us. 

250
00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,120
Let me take control of that 
plan. 

251
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,360
But we struggle when he replaces
the plan altogether or he 

252
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,320
changes the plan like that 
moment where he says where I'm 

253
00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,200
going, you cannot come. 
And now it goes from I thought I

254
00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,480
knew where we were going, but I 
don't anymore. 

255
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:07,000
You know, that wasn't the plan. 
And when people here I am the 

256
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,400
way most people don't reject it 
immediately. 

257
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,560
They just misunderstand it 
because they don't year it as 

258
00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,920
truth. 
They year it the way that we 

259
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:20,320
were trained to think according 
to the world, we year direction 

260
00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,360
and we year steps and we year a 
path to follow. 

261
00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,440
So we assume Jesus is saying 
here's how to get where you need

262
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,840
to go, but that's not what he 
says. 

263
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,600
And if you miss that, you miss 
the point. 

264
00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,840
And I want to show you how easy 
it is to miss that point. 

265
00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:42,080
There's a quote by Jiddu 
Krishnamurti say that three 

266
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:46,440
times fast, if we can get that 
quote up, it says the day you 

267
00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,200
teach the child the name of the 
bird, the child will never see 

268
00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,320
that bird again. 
Now, this quote isn't 

269
00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,040
criticizing knowledge. 
It's exposing what happens when 

270
00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,520
wonder dies. 
Because you see, when a child 

271
00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,840
sees a bird for the first time, 
there's this amazing wonder in 

272
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:06,400
it doesn't know what it is. 
So he watches how it moves and 

273
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:12,079
how it flies, and he starts 
diving into and looking at the 

274
00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:13,680
colors and the way that it 
reacts. 

275
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,960
And it starts studying the bird.
And there's a tension and 

276
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,119
there's a draw to it. 
And there's a kind of closeness 

277
00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,680
forming because he hasn't 
reduced it yet. 

278
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,240
And then someone comes along and
they say, oh, that's a Sparrow. 

279
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,680
And then at that point, the 
child files it under bird 

280
00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,160
subfolder Sparrow. 
And for the rest of his life, he

281
00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,320
feels like he knows it, but he 
doesn't, because he only knows 

282
00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,920
the name. 
And because he thinks he knows 

283
00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,480
it, he stops looking and he 
stops engaging and he stops 

284
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,000
paying attention. 
And wonder is replaced by 

285
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:55,120
certainty or confidence. 
And the point that he was trying

286
00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:57,920
to make is that naming or 
labeling something can replace 

287
00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,440
direct, curious observation with
a word. 

288
00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,880
And once that happens, we stop 
truly seeing it. 

289
00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:09,440
And we do the same with Jesus. 
We experience Jesus for the 

290
00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,960
first time and there's a wonder 
and we start paying attention 

291
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,600
and we start drawing closer and 
we start following. 

292
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,440
But then something happens where
where something just doesn't 

293
00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,360
feel right. 
And the world comes along and 

294
00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:26,760
they label Jesus. 
And then we hear things like 

295
00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,680
Savior and Lord and Messiah, and
instead of encountering him and 

296
00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,480
experiencing him, we just label 
Him. 

297
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,280
And depending on how we've been 
exposed to him, those words 

298
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,480
either become familiar or it 
becomes something we've already 

299
00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,520
decided we don't agree with. 
But in both cases, it's possible

300
00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,400
to deal with the label without 
ever experiencing the truth. 

301
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:56,120
So we stop listening and we stop
engaging, and somewhere along 

302
00:18:56,120 --> 00:19:03,400
the line we stop following Him. 
We replace encounter with 

303
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,240
assumption and we replace 
revelation with familiarity. 

304
00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,480
And instead of engaging with who
He actually is, we operate from 

305
00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:16,040
what we think we already know. 
I thought I knew where I was 

306
00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:21,000
going, just like Thomas Lord, we
thought we knew, but we do not 

307
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,960
know where you are going. 
And by the way, that's the same 

308
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:29,040
for people who reject Christ 
because often what they reject 

309
00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:31,760
isn't actually Christ. 
It's a version of him that they 

310
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:35,040
were given a label or distorted 
picture. 

311
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,040
So you end up with two groups of
people, those who think they 

312
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:42,760
know him and those who think 
they've rejected him, but both 

313
00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,960
can be operating without ever 
actually encountering him. 

314
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,080
Now if we bring that back to 
what Jesus says in that room 

315
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:56,280
when he says I'm the way A it 
often doesn't land the way it 

316
00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,560
should because we hear it as 
information and not as an 

317
00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,080
invitation. 
He's not saying understand this.

318
00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:09,040
He's saying come to me. 
And the more I read this chapter

319
00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,080
and the more I thought about it,
I realized it's actually so 

320
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,200
simple. 
It's so simple. 

321
00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:21,280
He is not a way, He is the way. 
And if he is the only way, he is

322
00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,000
the truth. 
And if He is the way and the 

323
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:30,200
truth, He is the life. 
So if it's that simple, why do 

324
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,760
people still live in 
uncertainty, like they lost, 

325
00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,480
like they don't know where 
they're going? 

326
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,480
That's because once they go off 
the past path and they follow 

327
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:45,080
their own direction, once things
stop feeling right, they don't 

328
00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,200
turn back to Jesus. 
See, Christianity is not the 

329
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,480
absence of challenges, it's the 
absence of perseverance to turn 

330
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,960
back to Jesus every time you 
face a challenge. 

331
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,080
So they turn to the world and 
they start reaching for clarity 

332
00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:03,080
and control instead of truth. 
And we see this too. 

333
00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,680
We start going to other people 
and we collect opinions and 

334
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,960
perspectives and ideas. 
And all it does is it reinforces

335
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:17,080
confusion because truth is not 
something we build together. 

336
00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:21,160
It's something revealed. 
That's something that we learn 

337
00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:26,040
to recognize. 
And I've seen this so often and 

338
00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,360
I've lived this, I've done this.
You feel lost. 

339
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:34,000
So you go to someone for answers
and you say to them, just just 

340
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,440
give me the answer. 
And so they tell you something 

341
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,320
that you don't like to you. 
Or maybe you don't apply it. 

342
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,720
Or maybe it just doesn't work 
for you because you do you. 

343
00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:47,080
And So what you do is you leave 
them and you go to someone else,

344
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,960
and then the next person and the
next person, same question, 

345
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,000
different voices over and over 
and over again. 

346
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,800
And because I've lived it and I 
keep seeing it, there are 

347
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,640
moments where I see people stuck
in this endless cycle. 

348
00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:05,640
I'm just tempted to put a Bible 
in their hand, slap them, and 

349
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:11,920
say, start here, right? 
In a good way, but I can't do 

350
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,160
that because it'll hurt their 
feelings, you know? 

351
00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,360
Can't and won't are two 
different things luckily. 

352
00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,240
But jokes aside, at some point a
shift has to start happening for

353
00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,880
us if we are caught in that 
something just doesn't feel 

354
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,320
right. 
Because instead of going from 

355
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,320
one person to the next saying 
give me the answer or give me 

356
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,840
direction, we have to start 
asking. 

357
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,160
Show me where it is, Help me see
it. 

358
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:38,480
Help me read what's actually 
there. 

359
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,520
Because if you don't anchor 
yourself in truth, you'll start 

360
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,400
to drift. 
And if you start to drift, you 

361
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,800
won't know where you're going. 
But luckily there's a way out of

362
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,520
that because we don't need 
direction, we just need the way.

363
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,280
When we hear that and we are 
honest, we still, when we hear 

364
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,480
Jesus say I am the way, we still
try and leave room for something

365
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,000
else, for alternatives. 
And we won't say it out loud, 

366
00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,800
but it's there underneath 
everything. 

367
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:16,160
Because when Jesus says He is 
the way and Acts 4 verse 12 says

368
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,240
salvation is found in no one 
else, for there is no other name

369
00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,080
under heaven given to mankind by
which we must be saved. 

370
00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:29,360
We still try to leave room for 
alternatives, not intentionally,

371
00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:33,080
but in a subtle way because we 
start thinking, surely God 

372
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,840
understands my unique situation.
Surely sincerity counts. 

373
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:42,440
Surely there are other ways. 
You know all roads lead to Rome,

374
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,760
and it sounds reasonable until 
we bring the cross into it. 

375
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:51,800
Because the cross forces one 
question. 

376
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,480
If there were other ways, why 
did Jesus have to die? 

377
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,280
If there were multiple paths, if
sincerity was enough, if people 

378
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,480
could reach God through 
different paths, then the cross 

379
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,000
is unnecessary. 
And that's saying that God 

380
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,000
allowed his Son to suffer for 
something that wasn't necessary 

381
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,880
but just optional. 
But Scripture says in Isaiah 53 

382
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,360
verse five, he was pierced for 
our transgressions. 

383
00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,120
And Hebrews 9 verse 22 says 
without the shedding of blood, 

384
00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:27,160
there is no forgiveness, which 
means the cross is not one 

385
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,080
option among many. 
That's the only solution. 

386
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,920
That's the only way. 
And that changes everything, 

387
00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:38,640
because now it's not about what 
feels right, it's about what is 

388
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:43,080
true. 
See, if Jesus wasn't enough, he 

389
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:49,440
wouldn't have had to die. 
And if the cross is one option 

390
00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,680
among many, or not one option 
but the only solution, then 

391
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,240
what's happening in that room 
where Jesus is talking to the 

392
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,480
disciples? 
It starts to make sense because 

393
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,400
they are not rejecting Jesus in 
that moment. 

394
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:06,720
They are struggling to accept 
Him on His terms, and that's the

395
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:11,960
same thing we do. 
Most of most people are not 

396
00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,080
rejecting Jesus, they are just 
editing Him, keeping what they 

397
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,440
like, removing what they don't, 
adjusting Him to fit their 

398
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,840
lives. 
You know, this is what works for

399
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,840
me. 
And then they wonder why nothing

400
00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:28,360
holds and why things just don't 
feel right in their life. 

401
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,320
So you don't need a better 
version of Jesus, you just need 

402
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,720
the real one, because a version 
of Him cannot lead you, only the

403
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:41,080
real 1 can. 
And we don't need direction, we 

404
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,880
just need the way. 
So within hours of that room, 

405
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,920
that conversation, everything 
collapses. 

406
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,560
Jesus is arrested, the 
disciples, disciples scatter, 

407
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,800
Peter denies him, and everything
they thought was stable breaks. 

408
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,560
And this life pulls us into 
situations like this. 

409
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,360
And this is where his words 
become real when we experience 

410
00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:11,960
this in our life. 
Because in those moments, you 

411
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:15,720
don't ask where to go. 
You fall into what you've been 

412
00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,400
following all along. 
You don't discover what you 

413
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,040
believe, you reveal it in 
moments like that. 

414
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,600
And if you've stopped seeing him
and you've stopped seeking the 

415
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,960
truth, you'll default to what 
you think you know or where you 

416
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,760
thought this was going. 
And if you've reduced the cross,

417
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:35,480
you leave room for something 
else. 

418
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:41,320
And slowly you build your life 
on something that seems right 

419
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,760
and it sounds right, but it just
doesn't feel right because it's 

420
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:50,640
not him. 
Because if He is the way, not 

421
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,080
one of many, then he doesn't 
share space with other options. 

422
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,960
See, there's no version of Jesus
and your truth, or Jesus and 

423
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:04,640
good intentions, or Jesus and 
what feels right, or Jesus and 

424
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,480
another path. 
Because the moment you add 

425
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,720
something alongside him, you are
no longer following him. 

426
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:15,080
You've replaced him. 
And when everything in your life

427
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,200
starts to shift like the 
disciples experienced in that 

428
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,440
room, the question won't be 
theoretical. 

429
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,960
It'll be real and unavoidable. 
And it's not going to be, do I 

430
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:30,360
know where I'm going? 
The real question is, do I trust

431
00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:34,440
the one I've been following? 
Because you don't need 

432
00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:39,160
direction, you need the way. 
And if you're sitting here today

433
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:44,640
with that feeling or you've 
experienced that feeling, if you

434
00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:49,360
don't know where you are going, 
I want to say to you again, God 

435
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:52,200
is not a way. 
He is the way. 

436
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,840
He is the truth and He is the 
life. 

437
00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:58,080
God bless you.
