The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

the bacon there. Here we go. Let me pin myself. Pin. Pin. All right. All right. Okay. So, we're back. So, let me start over. So, the scripture today I'm going to read and it's not going to be anything that any of us on this call I I wouldn't believe don't know. Uh it's it's not going to be revelational. It's not you're not it's not going to blow your mind. It's not going to be anything you didn't already know. But there's a reason why I want to bring it up other than it's of course it's the word of God. So, we're in John. We're in chapter 14 and we're in verse six.

And this is the disciples having a conversation with Jesus. And Jesus answers and says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the father except through me." Right? So I don't think there's anybody on this call if you if you've accepted Christ in your heart. There's there's no one on this call who who's not heard this, doesn't know this. It is the foundation of our belief that the only way in the world we get to go there is by through the sun. Right? We know this. The reason why I'm bringing it up today is because of high school.

Let me give you an example. High school. Uh I graduated high school. Maybe all of us did. Maybe maybe only some of us did. But I'm going to use high school as the example. I don't wake up every morning and put my feet on the ground and go, man, I graduated high school. Just doesn't I'm 57. I don't even think about high school. But you can't take it away from me. I graduated. It's a thing I did. It's on my It was on my to-do list. I accomplished it. It's something that's a part of me. Will never go away. And and the reason why I'm using that as an example is because if you're like me, and I I would imagine most people are this way, we don't wake up, put our feet on the ground by our bed, and wake up and go, "Hallelujah.

Praise God. I'm going to heaven." I I don't I don't think most of us do that. I don't think we wake up It's not that we take our salvation for granted. I'm not suggesting that for a second. I just think it's one of those things where we've done it. We're now saved. We know that our election is secure. And then it got me thinking on the way in today that everyone's eternity is secured. Everyone's every single human being walking this planet, their eternity is secured. You're either on one side of the fence or you're on the other, but it's secured either way you go.

And the reason why I was thinking about this was because I I attended a celebration of life yesterday And so on our way home and I I'll get off Anony's I mean this is Monday, right? I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, but but on our way home, my wife and I were talking about mortality as I imagine a lot of people do when you leave a celebration of life. And we have a we have a a family member who's older and they're not saved. Um and and we were talking about what that means. And I won't even go into all that. We could talk about this all week long.

Uh but it it got me thinking that uh we all have different gifts and I don't think my gift is evangelism, but we're all called to spread the gospel message by word or by deed. And so I would ask everyone on this call like like this family member of mine. I I would love to know that I'm going to see them for eternity in heaven. But that's only going to happen if that person accepts Jesus Christ in their heart. That's what we believe. That's the foundation of our faith. And so I I bring this up because we wake up every morning and we put our feet on the ground and that's not necessarily our first thought, but we have family members that are counting on us to to to have that conversation.

It's not us not up to us to have them accept, but it is up to us to to share that. And so I I started thinking myself, I'm like, man, I do these Bible studies on Wednesday nights and Thursdays, and I do this morning prayer call every morning. And I'm like, when was the last time I asked someone that I knew who wasn't saved a simple question? If you left this earth today, do you know for sure where you'll be? Because that starts the conversation. And you don't have to have an in-depth conversation with them right then and there. But if that sparks them thinking, that's our job.

That's what we're supposed to do. So having that memorial service yesterday got me to this place where I start thinking about what my responsibility is. And when was the last time I asked somebody that? I I don't even remember. That's how long ago it's been. And so I feel like I've let a lot of people down. I've let my father down. And I feel like we need to start doing that. I think we we talked last week about being prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have. And I think it's the same thing when you ask that question. You need to be prepared for what that conversation can look like and how it can go.

And that's just a simple conversation with yourself and with the Holy Spirit and where do I go and how do I get how do I make this happen? But I think that if each one of us took an inventory of the people that are in and around us that we know are probably not saved. How are we going to feel when we're at their funeral at their celebration of life and that pastor can't stand up on the stage and can't say the same thing that this man said on said yesterday afternoon? And so I want us all to think about that. It's not a Debbie Downer. It should be, hey man, I want to try and get as many people on the team as I can.

And and it's important because we don't wake up every morning, put our feet on the on on the ground and go, hey, I'm going to heaven. How many people am I taking with me today? So that's the message for today. Uh I think it's a simple one. I think it's the foundation of our our faith, but I think it's an ultimately a very important one. So thoughts, comments, suggestions? That's why I like these mornings. I like anytime we fellowship with believers because the Holy Spirit always gives us something that we probably need at the moment at the time and like you said you didn't think about it at the moment but now you put those thoughts in my thoughts you know probably in all of us start you know I just love these mornings because it's always something the Holy Spirit talks to us about.

Thanks Jimmy. I'd like to say that I when when I when I want to confront somebody instead of saying if you died where do you think you'd be going? I say I'd like to know I like to feel and know and think that when I die I'm going to heaven and I started from from me from my viewpoint. Awesome. Yeah. And I and I think um I think that uh so so again I'm business owner and been in direct market sales forever and I think that everybody I don't think there's a one-sizefits-all conversation. I think I think you have to know the person that you're talking to.

Paul said that I've learned he learned the he learned how to talk to the educated person and he learned how to talk to the non-educated. He learned to talk to the rich person and the poor person. And I think that's what we need to do. And I think we have to understand who who's in front of us. And I think our conversation can change based on who that is. But I I completely agree with you. I I think you can mix it up and you you look at at the end of the day, hey, I need to have a conversation with that person and a micro prayer, right? Um uh they happen all the time in the Old Testament, lots of lots of authors and just say, "Father, I'm going to have this conversation.

Uh Holy Spirit, just fill me. Give me the words that I need for this person for today." and then go talk to him and let the Holy Spirit lead that, not you. It's not on you. It's on him. But thank you. Yes, I agree. There's there's there's all kinds of ways. But the but but not saying something isn't helping them. It's not helping the kingdom. Yeah. Anybody else? Thank you. All right, we got 30 seconds. Anybody else? All right. All right. Well, then let's on this wonderful rainy day here in in Penelis, let's uh let's bow our heads and pray. If you're driving, please don't do that.

Uh Father, thank you so thank you so much for today. Uh Lord, thank you for making this super simple. I mean, there's no checklist. There's no list of things we have to do there. There's no grade. There's no I'm an I'm an A Christian or a CC Christian follow. We just It's just so simple. It's one verse. it. So, I didn't count the number of words, but at the end of the day, that's that's where our our faith uh stands. And so, Father, I pray that we would just as much as life can get in the way and as much as even church and the things that we do there can get in the way, different groups and these things and morning prayer call and Bible studies.

Father, at the end of the day, it's about not us, it's about you. And so, Father, I pray that each of us would remember that and that we would go out and we would share your good news, Father, whether it's by word or deed, that we would be a light to a dark place. So, walk with us today. Guide us, direct us, allow us to tap into the Holy Spirit uh more and more each day. Father, we love you. We praise you. And as always, in your son's name we pray. Amen. Amen. All right. See you guys tomorrow. You guys have a great day. Thank you. Have a good day.

God bless everybody. and blessed.

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly edited for readability.