Sermon of the Week
John 14:1-6 (NIV)
"Crossing The Bridge"
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Message Introduction
To cross a bridge we must have a destination that is separated by something and a desire to get there. Man is separated from GOD because of sin, and the only way back to GOD’s Love is to cross The Bridge. JESUS is letting HIS disciples know “Not to be weary, because HE will provide the bridge to The Father’s House. So our first of four questions today is “Who needs The Bridge? “
1. Who Needs The Bridge
Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD”.
1. This is to the Jews and the Gentiles! Sin separates “ALL” of us from GOD and we “ALL” fall short of GOD’s glory.
a) Notice, the scripture does not say “fallen”, because that would indicate we use to fall, but now we got it right. It says we “fall”, which means, we will continue to fall short. In fact, even as Christians, we never stop falling short. However, with CHRIST we fall in GRACE and get back up thru MERCY. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and Mercy is not getting what you do deserve! That’s how GOD’s Grace and Mercy works.
The movie “Toy Story” has a character named Buzz Lightyear. He is a toy space hero that thought he was real and could fly. But through a series of events, he finds out that everything he thought was real kept failing him. He began to realize that he was in fact just a toy and he couldn’t really fly. By the end of the movie, his attitude had changed. Buzz Lightyear realized “he could not fly, but he did fall gracefully!” We all fall! Not one of us can walk out the front door and fly off. But we all can fall on GOD’s Grace and get back up thru HIS Mercy.
2. Why Do We Need The Bridge
1. Because, it is not a matter of IF you fall, but WHEN you fall, GOD’s Grace and Mercy will not leave us hanging!
2. The Bridge is the only way back to GOD’s Love. Without The Bridge, we all would be condemned in our sins and forever separated from GOD. But GOD did not want HIS relationship with us to end, and therefore, GOD did not send HIS Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through HIM might be saved. (John 3:17)
a) Instead of sending HIS anger down, GOD sent HIS Mercy down!
b) Instead of sending the Angle of Death down, HE sent the Sacrificial Lamb down!
c) Instead of sending HIS Wrath down, GOD sent HIS Love down!
3. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23). The Bridge provides the way for our debt to be paid. In other words, “The Bridge Paid the Way” for us to experience GOD’s Love.
4. Romans 5:8, says “But GOD demonstrates HIS own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice, the scripture says “HIS own Love!”
a) GOD doesn’t demonstrate a borrowed love, but HE demonstrates HIS own love for us. When our children mess up and make mistakes, we cannot expect the school teacher, the police officer, or the judge to demonstrate love to them. We cannot let drugs, alcohol, or sex demonstrate love to them. We as the parents … must demonstrate our own love to them in the same way GOD demonstrates HIS own Love to us.
b) GOD already knows we are going to make mistakes and fall short, but HE doesn’t leave us to someone else until we get it right! GOD demonstrates HIS own love for us, and sent HIS own SON to the cross. GOD could have prepared any of HIS prophets or righteous servants to hang on the cross for our sins, but the mere fact that HE sent HIS SON, truly demonstrates HIS AGAPE love for us. For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) For GOD so loved the world, HE provided “The Bridge!” I’m sure we all know the answer to the next question of “Who is the Bridge?”
3. Who Is The Bridge
In John 14:6, JESUS Says “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the FATHER except through ME.”
a) Notice JESUS does not use the words “a way/a truth/a life”. HE uses the word “the”.
If I asked the question “Do you know where a white house is?” Most likely you would know of several houses that are white, and based on your own opinion, those are the houses you would tell me about. But if I ask you “Do you know where the white house is?” the answer would be “In Washington D.C.”
b) We cannot look for a way to GOD. We must accept The Way to GOD, because JESUS is the only one who can pay our debt. Any other way will leave us to paying our own debt. When we eat out at a restaurant, it’s hard enough for me to pay that bill, so I know that I cannot pay my own bill for my sins!
We all need The Bridge and we know that JESUS is The Bridge, but some of us are still left with the final question of “How Do We Cross The Bridge”
4. How Do We Cross The Bridge
Remember, to cross The Bridge we must have a destination that is separated by something and a desire to get to that destination. Some of us have accepted JESUS and spiritually stand there on The Bridge. Some of us will come to church and literally sit on The Bridge.
1. We must first acknowledge the fact that we cannot build our own Bridge. JESUS said “No one can come to the FATHER except thru ME”
a) Ephesians 2:8-9 which says “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of GOD; it is not of works, so that no one can boast.” We cannot jump from our sinful nature straight into GOD’s Love on our own. No one can buy or work their way into salvation. From the womb, no one is born with the right to GOD’s kingdom; it is only by the birth through salvation, we can inherit the kingdom of GOD. Therefore no one can boast about what they are doing to get into heaven.
b) No one can come up with their own faith system. Faith is a gift of GOD. All we have to do is ask for it. When we ask GOD for the gift of faith, we declare that we cannot do it on our own, and we depend on HIM to provide. We cannot cross The Bridge on our own!
c) If we are just standing or sitting on The Bridge, because we don’t know how to get across, we must surrender to GOD’s Holy Spirit. We get to “GOD the Father” through “GOD the SON”, but we MUST allow “GOD the HOLY SPIRIT” to work in our life!
c) Allow the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher and Counselor
2. GOD is our destination, JESUS is The Bridge, and the HOLY SPIRIT is the strength and courage to get us across. For GOD has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). The Holy Spirit is our navigation system that never fails, and HE is always recalibrating our lives back to GOD.
3. If we try to cross over on our own, we will
a) Constantly look down at our old sins, feel weary on our journey, and even want to turn around and go back to our old ways!
4. But with the HOLY SPIRIT as our teacher and counselor, it will be very clear.
a) We will still want to look down, but the Holy Spirit will say “Look to the FATHER!”
b) We will feel weary from time to time, but the Holy Spirit will say “Keep your eyes on your
SAVIOR!”
c) We will even want to turn around because discouragement, but the Holy Spirit will tell us that
“The LORD will never leave us nor forsake us”! (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Message Conclusion
1. All of us need The Bridge because of our sinful nature.
2. We need The Bridge, because we cannot pay our own debt.
3. JESUS ensured his disciples and us that HE would be The Bridge to the FATHER’s House.
4. We must understand that we cannot get to GOD’s Love without GOD’s Holy Spirit guiding us.
Invitation
Many of us may have taken the first step towards the bridge, but hesitate to accept HIM as the only way! GOD's flawless plan of salvation is available. You don't have to keep searching for a way anymore. Let this be the day that you accept THE Way. Get into a perfect relationship with “GOD the Father” through “GOD the SON”, and allow “GOD the HOLY SPIRIT” to work in our life! The Holy Spirit is willing and able to lead you to CHRIST, so that you may be in relationship with GOD. If you want to cross the bridge, just confess with your mouth that "JESUS is LORD," and believe in your heart that GOD raised him from the dead and you will be saved. I am not making this up, read Romans 10:9-10! It doesn't matter what you have been doing in the past. If you confess and believe you will be saved, and you will be crossing the bridge!
Prayer
LORD, we thank YOU for the flawless plan of salvation! We thank YOU for YOUR grace and mercy! Help us to walk by faith and not by sight! Keep us on the straight road. Bless those who believe and have accepted The Bridge . . . The Way . . . The Truth . . . And The Life! If there is someone who is struggling with this message, please lead them to a healthy worship service, so that they may receive YOUR Truth! There is none like YOU, and we praise YOU for choosing us! In JESUS name we pray, Amen!
As always, we pray that you find a church home to be active in! Be a part of your community as you glorify GOD! Even if you are currently deployed . . . GOD has you there for a reason! Share HIS Word. If you are lying in a hospital bed . . . GOD has you there for a reason! Share HIS Word. Even to the sick . . . let the name of JESUS come from your lips as you share HIS Gospel from your heart! If you have any questions pertaining to the sermon, please feel free to email us, or speak to your local pastor, and always ask GOD for clarification!
Rejoice In HIS Blessings Today
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