“How Do I Get to Heaven?”
John 14: 6
January 31, 2010
Intro: Probably the greatest virtue of our day is “tolerance.” Josh McDowell said tolerance used to mean, “to respect others beliefs and practices w/o sharing them.” But tolerance now means, “every single individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyles, and truth claims are equal.”
-This sounds nice b/c we don’t like to say anyone’s right or wrong for fear of offending. But we need to understand this view has serous ramifications spiritually. If you’re tolerant religiously today it doesn’t mean respecting people of other faiths and their views, but it means accepting that their view of God is just as right as your view of God.
-Spiritual tolerance is now defined as saying all religions are equal; that all religions are valid b/c eventually they lead to the same place anyway. Now try that mode of thinking out w/your wife sometimes and see where that gets you. Can you imagine?
-Husbands, that’d be like taking a girl from work on vacation w/you for a week. Then you come home and tell your wife, “I had a great time w/Mary. I know it wasn’t you down there in the Cayman Islands w/me, but my affection for Mary ends up showing my affection for you as well. Hope you had a great week.”
-What do you think’s going to happen next? I’m pretty sure you’re going to end up w/a fist lodged in your mouth. Today we’re concluding our series “Heaven.” We’ve been discussing it for the past month but today we’re finally going to see how we actually arrive there.
Sermon Idea: Today in our passage of Scripture we’re going to see Jesus sharing w/His followers the exclusivity of Xianity. We’ll see Him sharing w/His followers why He’s the only way, the only ticket to heaven.
-I’m going to be upfront w/you here. This isn’t going to be a politically correct message. This is going to be a message that truthfully talks @ what the Bible says. And what the Bible teaches us is that there’s only one path to heaven.
TEXT: JOHN 14: 6
Bckgrd: Jesus had just finished telling His disciples that He was getting ready to die. In John 13: 33 Jesus said, “My children, I will be w/you only a little longer.” As you can imagine His disciples were devastated. But at the beginning of ch. 14 Jesus tells His disciples He’s going to heaven to prepare a place for them.
-It’s as though Jesus was telling them, “Hey! You didn’t waste your time following Me! I’m going to take care of you.” He let them know in no uncertain terms that He was the only one who could truly take care of them.
-And it’s here we see 3 assertions of Jesus that demonstrate why Jesus is the only path that leads to heaven. The 1st assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only path that leads to heaven is:
DIV. 1: JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN (v. 6)
Exp: Now I know that statement is going to sound arrogant to some. If you make a statement like that then in essence what you’re saying is that this way is right and all the other ways are wrong. That’s a pretty heady statement to make. And I’m here to let you know I’m not the one making that pronouncement. This is what the Bible teaches.
A. Acts 4: 12, “There is no other name under heaven by which man must be saved.” John 3: 35-36, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
1. Those are pretty exclusive claims right there. And they fit perfectly w/what Jesus says here in v. 6. He said, “I am the way.” For a little history, early Xianity was known as “the Way.”
a. Notice Jesus didn’t say, “I am A way.” If He would’ve said that then it would’ve indicated that there were other “ways” as well. Instead Jesus said, “I am THE way.” He’s making a statement that He is the only way.
b. You may wonder, “the way to what?” Jesus is the only way to heaven. He’s the only way that leads to a relationship w/God. Jesus is like a map that leads us to God. He’s the only road that leads to God. The point Jesus is getting across here is that f you desire to have a relationship w/God; if you desire to discover eternal life, it can only be achieved thru a relationship w/Christ.
2. Now you can use the map analogy and say, “Hey, if I want to go to downtown Columbia, there are a lot of different ways I can get there. I can take N. Main Street all the way into town. Or I can get off on 277 and take that right into Bull Street. Or I can get downtown by taking 126 off of I-26.”
a. That seems like a good analogy except for one important fact. And that fact is that the road to God is a ONE WAY street. And Jesus is the highway on which we must travel to be able to reach Him. That means to get on any other road, regardless of how well paved it might be, won’t get you to your desired destination.
ILLUS: The Charlotte Observer Newspaper reported the story of 70 year old Trudy Rosenfield. Trudy lives in England and was coming to visit her cousins in San Jose, California. Her cousin came to pick her up at the airport but she never got off the plane. He called the airline and was stunned to learn that no one named Trudy Rosenfield ever boarded the plane for San Jose, California.
-But they did say a Trudy Rosenfield had boarded a plane to San Jose, Costa Rica. The whole flight Trudy was a little surprised at how many people were speaking Spanish. She turned out to be in for a real surprise when she stepped off the plane and a flight attendant told her she was in Costa Rica instead of California.
b. You know, there’s not a whole lot we can do unless we have correct directions. It didn’t help Trudy very much in getting to San Jose, b/c she was in the WRONG San Jose. But here’s the cool news.
B. Christ gives us specific directions on how to come into a relationship w/God and discover Heaven. He tells us if we want to get there then come to Him and He’ll lead us there.
Reit: The 1st assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only path to heaven is Jesus is the only way to heaven. The 2nd assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only path to heaven is:
DIV. 2: JESUS’ WAY IS TRUTH (v. 6)
Exp: I want you to notice Jesus didn’t say, “I am A truth.” He said, “I am THE truth.” Again, that eliminates the idea that there are other truths out there. To say that there’s more than one truth doesn’t make any sense logically. For example if you take 2+2 what’s it going to equal every time? It’s going to equal 4! That’s truth. It will never, no matter how hard you try, equal 5.
A. No matter how hard we try to say that there are other teachings, that there are other ways to heaven, it will never be true. There is only one truth, and that truth is Jesus. And Jesus teaches us that it is THRU HIM and Him alone that we’re able to come into a relationship w/God. Look at what Jesus said at the end of v. 6. He said, “No one comes to the Father except thru Me.”
1. Would you say that’s an exclusive statement? Well, guess what? Truth is exclusive! Now we don’t like to say that. As a matter of fact a majority of people like to say that there’s no such thing as something that’s absolutely true; that’s true for all time.
a. That’s the result of living in a pluralistic society. And I believe that’s one of the major reasons we have so much confusion today b/c we struggle w/the basic issue of what is true and what isn’t. We spend so much of our time trying to make everything true that nothing makes sense in the end.
b. The statement, “While that may be true for you doesn’t mean that it’s true for me” absolutely confuses me. It’s from comments like this that we say, “Well Xianity and Islam are both viable religions that lead to God.” Really? Then what do we do w/the parts of the Bible that completely deny this?
2. What do I do w/the statement that’s inscribed on the Dome of the Rock (the big gold dome in Jerusalem that Muslims revere) that says, “God has no Son therefore He cannot be our Father”? Obviously that’s a contradiction. So what do we do w/this? Well, Jesus tells us He is the truth. In other words, He doesn’t lie.
a. Heb. 4: 14-15, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone thru the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize w/our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was w/o sin.”
b. Once you decide Jesus is truth; once you accept this, it’ll change the way you live. Your devotion will be to Christ. Your hope will be in Jesus. You’ll find it easier to be obedient to His leadership. Why? B/c you know His ways are true. You know He’s not lying to you.
B. But that’s a hard thing to accept b/c it’s a whole lot easier saying there’s no absolute truth b/c that means you can live like you want to. It means you can rationalize away whatever you want. If there’s no absolute truth then there’s no absolute wrong.
1. You can say, “Maybe it doesn’t work for you but it works for me.” But if there’s truth then you’re going to be held responsible.
ILLUS: How many of you have received a speeding ticket before? Did any of you use the excuse, “I just didn’t know what the speed limit was” or “I didn’t know how fast I was going”? I’ve honestly used those excuses before, which lets you know I’ve had at least 2 tickets. Did those excuses work for you?
-They didn’t work for me. As a matter of fact the policeman told me that was no excuse. I was speeding and b/c that was the law, whether I knew it or not, I had a price to pay. He told me it was my responsibility to know the speed limit; to know the law.
a. And the same thing is true concerning the truth of Jesus. It is OUR responsibility to know the truth. The good news is God’s not trying to hide the truth from us. The truth of God is something that is plain before us. Rom. 1: 20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are w/o excuse.” Nature speaks clearly to us that there’s a creator.
b. And when someone recognizes this and seeks to know this Creator, He will reveal Himself to us. Heb. 11: 6, “And w/o faith it is impossible to please God, b/c anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” We have the truth of Jesus before us and we’ll be held accountable for what we’ve done w/that truth. It’s our responsibility to seek Him. And when we do, He’ll reveal Himself to us.
Reit: The 1st assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only path to heaven is Jesus is the only way to heaven. The 2nd assertion is Jesus’ way is truth. And the final assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only path to heaven is:
DIV. 3: ONLY JESUS GIVES LIFE (v. 6)
Exp: John 1: 1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was w/God, and the Word was God. He was w/God in the beginning. Thru Him all things were made; w/o Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”
A. You know what those verses tell us? They tell us that Jesus is the life giver of all creation! He has strict ownership over all things created. Therefore, Jesus is the only one who gives life! That means the air you breathe to stay alive comes from God. He is your Creator.
1. Now this view is in direct contrast w/what’s being taught in our schools. It’s being taught that life basically came @ by accident. A series of events came together and life began in some sort of primordial ooze. That’s an interesting theory but if you play that theory out then ultimately you come to the conclusion that life has no real meaning or purpose.
a. How can it if we’ve just evolved or come @ by accident? But the Bible tells us in Genesis that we were created in the image of God and that God desires to have a relationship w/us. We’re also told that God has a plan for our lives. Jer. 29: 11, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
b. Isn’t that neat to think @? Only God gives life. But what @ other gods? Let me tell you something. There’s no such thing as other gods. I’m not saying that to be mean or cruel. I’m just reiterating what the Bible teaches.
2. 1 Cor. 8: 4-6, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so called gods, whether in heaven or on earth ( as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, thru whom all things came and thru whom we live.”
a. Life comes from the one true God. So the question becomes, “Then how do we obtain eternal life?” Other religions teach it’s something you have to earn. Others say we’re all going to end up in heaven anyway. Still others say there’s no such thing as heaven. You just live and then you die.
b. But the God of the Bible teaches that when you place your trust and confidence in Christ, He will give you the hope of eternal life. You know what’s awesome @ that? It means we have HOPE! We have hope for a life beyond this one. We have hope that regardless of how we’ve lived in the past that God can actually redeem us and make us better.
ILLUS: There was a story in Parade magazine @ a self-made millionaire named Eugene Land. Mr. Land had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders in East Harlem. He was trying to figure out what he could say that would inspire a group of kids who were living in what seemed like a hopeless situation.
-Statistics showed that most of the kids in the 6th grade class would eventually drop out of school. When he stood before the class, he looked at his notes and decided to throw them out and speak from his heart. He told the kids, “Stay in school. If you do that I will help pay the college tuition for every one of you.” At that moment the lives of these students changed b/c for the 1st time they had hope.
-They had hope of a life outside of a crime-ridden neighborhood. One student later said, “I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling.” Nearly 90% of that class went on to graduate from high school b/c they’d been given hope.
B. Let me tell you something. Jesus offers you hope. Now there are a lot of different things that offer you hope, a lot of different religions that make a lot of promises to you. But here’s the difference.
1. Jesus will come thru on His promise. When He offers you hope and you take hold of it, you can know that He will follow thru on what He offers. Let me close w/this verse. Josh. 23: 14, “You know w/all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled, not one has failed.”
Conclusion: Jesus shares w/us 3 assertions that demonstrate He’s the only way to heaven. The 1st assertion is that Jesus is the only way to heaven. The 2nd assertion is that Jesus’ way is truth. And the final assertion that demonstrates Jesus is the only way to heaven is only Jesus gives life.
-Maybe you’re willing to accept this truth today and invest yourself into a relationship w/the one true God. If you are, then I want to encourage you to pray this prayer after me: Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I know you died and rose from the grave for me and I ask you to save me.
