if jesus is the most talked about figure in all of history, the question is then, what did jesus actually say about himself? And so over the course of seven weeks, we're actually walking through the seven, I am statements of jesus and, and looking at the context and the claim and what does it actually mean to us when jesus actually gave descriptions of who he is and what he's doing and why we're here in light of that. And so this week we're gonna talk about the claim of jesus that says that I am the way the truth and the life And that's found in John Chapter 14. So if you have your bibles go ahead and open up to John Chapter 14, but while you're turning there, I want to share with you an experience I had uh last summer, that was just awesome. Um I am an avid golfer, I love golf, I grew up playing the game and I love uh just the dynamics of golf, I love the beauty of nature within a golf course. And so I had a really special experience about a year ago, we were in California and I didn't get to play, but it got to actually go to pebble Beach, if you know that golf course, which is pretty awesome and um and just beautiful right golf course right along the ocean and it was just great. I was there with my wife, we were just kind of walking up and down, just kind in that area while we were driving up and down the coast and um and then we actually came to this tiny little sign that just said Cyprus point and I said members. And it just had this, I mean the sign was maybe like this big like, like it was not this massive sign and it was in the middle of the woods. And so we actually missed it the first time as I drove what's known as a 17 mile drive and then I was driving back, I was like man what is that? I'm just kind of curious and so let's just kind of pull in. And so I pulled in and it's literally just a parking lot And the parking lot didn't feel much bigger than this room to be honest. And there were not even lines on the parking lot so it's just a square parking lot and then there's just a small white house built from the 1920s, maybe the size of like maybe a three or four bedroom house. So not even this massive building. I'm like Huh? That's real interesting. Um like what what is this place? There was nobody there. It was just this empty parking lot, it was tiny, it was in the middle of these woods and I and I just didn't get it and I just sat in the parking lot there and I and sam looked at me and like hey do you want to go and so you have in there and um this this, I was like well let's just kind of explore what, just explore what this area is. And so I got out of the car, I'm like, okay, what's so special about this parking lot? It's tiny. This tiny house. Well I turned the corner and this is what I saw. This is just no filter directly off of my phone from the steps. What I didn't realize was that cypress point is rated as one of the top two or 3 most beautiful golf courses in the entire world. Also one of the most exclusive with the fewest, one of the fewest members of any golf course in the entire world. There are less than 300 members and they actually just cover all the operating costs. But because there's less than 300 members and because they're mostly out of state, that's why there are days where the course is disclosed and it just exists. But if we just bring that picture up one more time, um that picture here is that demonstrated, the course is literally cut into the rocks of the pacific ocean. And then um what you don't see in the picture is that just to the left there on one of the holes there was deer grazing. And I'm just like my, so someone who grew up loving golf and I see this and I'm like, wow, this is incredible. And this is just, and I can see why this gets rated as one of the most beautiful golf courses in the entire world and so few people actually know about it because you can't play it and, and, and, and that's why being built in the 19 twenties, why they kept that old field and why it's a small parking lot and why it's a small clubhouse. Well man, I would have missed everything if I would have just stayed in the parking lot, I was technically at Cyprus Points golf course, but I didn't realize what it had to offer until I got out of the car. Here's the point this morning is that I think for some of us, Christianity is like that for some people, Christianity is this idea like, well, I'm kind of curious what this is and so you kind of pull in and maybe even you park the car, but I want to tell you that unless you actually step out of the car and get on the course until you actually see what Christianity has to offer, you're missing it. Maybe you don't know what you believe yet. Maybe you don't, you openly don't believe in Christianity. I want you to know that I am so glad you're here that admission grove, we want this to be a safe place for people to explore their faith and to take that next step. So consider this almost like a preview. Okay, what does Christianity actually have to offer and then for those that actually claim to follow jesus and to believe in God, I want to challenge you this morning. As do you understand why we would believe what we believe? I wonder if people that have played that course cypress point time and time again. I wonder if they get used to the beauty and then miss just how amazing and how rare that really is. And so if you're just checking things out, this is a great sunday to be here because we're gonna talk about what does it actually mean to be a christian? And if you've been a christian for a long time, I want to challenge you to actually get out of the parking lot and onto the course. And let's see what does Christianity actually offer us. So if you're taking notes, write this down. Is that jesus gives us access to the promises of God, Jesus gives us access to the promises of God And just going through John Chapter 14 we're gonna be taking a look this morning at seven promises that can literally change your life. seven promises that alter reality for you and transform everything. If you grab hold of them and believe and live them out. So the way this is gonna work is that I'm gonna start reading through, we're gonna start reading through john chapter 14 and we're gonna pause and I want to identify these promises of God that we can grab onto and hold on to and then we're gonna be walking through these and explain them as we go. So if you have your bibles, john chapter 14, let's jump into it, John chapter 14: verse one and jesus is speaking, it's just days before his death, it's days before easter here and he says, let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me now, why would Jesus say, let not your hearts be troubled? He would say that because in John Chapter 13, actually, he just told the disciples, he had this incredible moment, he washed the feet of the disciples. But then at the end of the chapter, he says, hey, just so you know, I'm gonna leave you guys and then peter is like, no, no, you know, I'll never, I'll never forsake you and jesus terms is actually you're gonna deny me So, peter, one of the most vocal passionate leaders was acknowledged that he's gonna deny jesus and then jesus to the whole group says, oh and I'm going to leave. So that's why he starts off by saying, let not your hearts be troubled. I believe in God, believe also in me. Well, the first promise that God gives us here in verse one is that he offers, he gives us the peace of God, he gives us the peace of God when you believe in jesus, when you believe in Christianity, when you believe in God, you receive a piece in your soul so you have a body, you are a soul meaning you can change your hair color, You can change things about your body, you can gain weight, You can lose weight, You have a body, but your identity, who you are, Your personality, your makeup, your thoughts, your experiences, everything that makes up the essence of who you are, that is your soul. And if we're honest with ourselves, we wrestle sometimes that when we go through a difficult situation or circumstance, or maybe we're doubting ourselves, maybe we are struggling are and we're fighting and we're and we're hurting. There's a restlessness of the soul. The first promise that God gives us is that no, let not your hearts be troubled, fear, not believe. And God, that belief is that solution to it. Now, let me clarify what Christianity does not promise Christianity does not promise wealth. It does not promise financial gain. It has principles how to be wise with what you have. But it's not promise wealth, Christianity also does not promise health when you believe it's not like everything's great. You have money in the bank and you will never have any issues again. But no, it actually offers something deeper than health or wealth. And that's piece for your very soul. How many times do we read in the headlines in newspapers that famous celebrities, rock stars, movie? Um actors and actresses or great leaders, people that you thought had it all together end up committing suicide or overdose or struggle. Why? Why is that? I believe it's because they could not find peace in their soul. See the word believe isn't just a simple acknowledgment, but it's much deeper than that in that culture. The idea of belief just kind of a short definition. If you want to write this down, it's actually not on the screen, but it's the word believe means to put the full weight of your life in something or someone to put the full weight of your life into something or someone. There are certain activities that you cannot kind of do. For example, you cannot kind of ride in an airplane. Oh, did you fly? Kind of Like 50% of the flu. Well, it doesn't work like you're either on the plane or you're not right. Same thing when it comes to belief. It's just not. Well, sometimes, no. Are you all in to put the full weight of your life in this? And this idea of belief is a powerful one Because it leads to what Ephesians chapter six verse 15 calls the gospel of peace that comes there's peace for your soul. It comes through forgiveness. But John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. That whosoever. Now pause for a second instead of believe. Put the definition in that whosoever puts the full weight of their life in him shall not perish, but have eternal life, John is speaking in our Jesus speaking in John Chapter six, we're going to talk next week about the claim to be the bread of life, but in john chapter six verse 29 Jesus says, the work of God is this believe or put the full weight of your life in the one whom the father assent. And then the theme for the entire gospel of john, john chapter 20 verse 31 the author writes, but these have been written that you may put the full weight of your life, that jesus is the christ, the son of God and that by putting the full weight of your life in him, you may have life in his name. So, just because your christian does not mean you will not have trouble, but rather when you're in trouble, you have a solution called faith and belief and trust in him. Now, I want to clarify something because somebody is struggling, don't go up to him and just say, well, just believe, okay, that doesn't help in that situation. But understand in that difficulty your your faith, your trust might be all that you have, but ultimately, it's jesus is all that you need. And so peace comes through God. But secondly, same verse, when you believe in jesus, you actually received the person of jesus, the greatest gift of God is God himself. You have peace of God or piece for your soul, but then you have the person of jesus, he is actually claiming to be God here. He says believe in God believe also in me put the full weight of your life in me, you can trust me. We talked last week about why we can trust him and the fact that he is the good shepherd and he lays his life down for us. one of the greatest things of heaven or are getting to heaven one day is the ability to actually see jesus face to face. You know when kids get scared, where do they turn? They run into mom and dad's room? Why? Because there's something about being present with the ones you love. We have the value and the truth and the joy of being present with God. And so while Christianity doesn't offer us health, it doesn't offer us wealth, it does give us the peace of God and the person of jesus and number three it gives us the place of Heaven. Let's keep reading here actually, it says here in my father's house are many rooms if we were not. So I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you um to myself that where I am, you may be also and you know the way to where I am going. So we received the peace of God, the person of jesus, but also the place of Heaven. If jesus created the entire universe as we know it in seven days, Really, six days with a day of rest, imagine what he can do with an eternity, notice the phrasing there says I'm going to prepare a place, It's an ongoing thing. And here's what this means is an imagery of a home and what I love about that, is that what he's saying is that there is a home for you and for me, what he's saying here about heaven is that it's a real place, it's not a cloud. I used to think as a kid, heaven was a cloud where you played the harp and I was like, that's not cool, I don't want to go right, and if satan can't really debunked heaven, he can maybe try to diminish what it really is to us. Are you legitimately excited for heaven? Do you actually think about it? Because in this, this few these few verses, it's described as a home, it's described as a real place. It's described as a big place enough for everybody who believes, but then also that we have a room that you have a spot that he intentionally is saving a spot for you. I love the idea of just getting up to heaven and finally hearing the words truly welcome home, that spot. It's something that we hang on to and that when we're going through a difficult time, say one day, it will not be this way, how awesome is the place of heaven. If the best way to describe it is by saying what's not there In Revelation 20 it says there will be no more mourning, no more tears, no more crying, no more death. Everything else there. What I realized, what I've come to realize is that the moments that take my breath away, like when I saw that view of the ocean, maybe for you, it's a mountaintop, maybe it's the ocean, Maybe it's a national park or the Grand Canyon or maybe you're at night and you just see countless stars or a sunrise or a sunset if you ever have that moment where you're just in awe. That glimpse, that tiny moment, it's just a mere shadow of what's to come. If you've ever felt close by a loved one or experienced love on a wedding day or the joy of having a child or hearing a little voice say back, mommy, I love you anytime you experience that joy, that connection, that deep sense of appreciation for this life, that is just a glimpse of what's to come in heaven because it will be beyond anything you can ever imagine or think and without any of the pain and sickness and health of this, this life. All acceptance, no rejection, no rejection, all truth and love. No wondering what the person's thinking. No question am I good enough. Am I worthy? Standing there without shame, without guilt and the beauty of the relationship with God the father, jesus son and then the holy spirit and unity with all believers from all history, every tribe, every tongue all cultures, everything from sports to arts too. To work to beauty, anything you can imagine it's gonna be incredible. But we don't think about this. That is the promise of God that received the place of heaven. Let's keep reading because the next question is, well, how do we get there verse five thomas said to jesus Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way jesus said to him, I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me. The next thing is we received the path to salvation. We received the path to salvation, John Chapter 14: verse six is the most exclusive and inclusive statement in all of scripture people that claim that Christianity is judgmental or exclusive, awesome. Often point to this verse because he doesn't say I am a way a truth and a life, but the way the truth and the life and it is because I love you. I want to share that. It's only through belief in jesus that you gain access to these promises. But it's also the most inclusive statement because it's all who believe gender, ethnicity, financial backgrounds, like all your mess ups, all your religion, whatever you have, everyone is in the same boat for all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but all who believe are saved. There are no systems, There are no rankings. There are no things that separate man, woman from access to God. I think of it kind of this way is that um, you know when you use google maps, right? And you or maybe you just go Siri on your phone and say find directions to and you put in the place and it usually gives you like two or three options. Okay, imagine saying, Okay, uh find directions to heaven. Okay, step one Jesus. That's it. There was not this long list of steps. It's, it's immediate and it's simple. It's not easy because it cost him everything. But we just turned to him. That's it. So we have the path to salvation. But let's keep, let's keep reading here. I want you to skip down to verse 12 and john writes this says truly truly I say to you, whoever believes in me in other words, whoever puts the full weight of their life in me, we'll also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do Because I am going to the father simply put when you believe in jesus, you find purpose for your life. You've been created on purpose with a purpose. You have been made in the image of God, a unique personality, a unique calling a unique gift set unique shortcomings. Everything that makes up the essence of who you are was created so that you could fulfill this mission or vision that God has for your life. I don't believe there might just be like one thing that you have to do, but it allows you to actually live with purpose and everything that you do. It's the idea that it gives us the freedom to be us, that God has purpose for my life and it actually means that he gives purpose in every little conversation that you have. It brings purpose into the mundane task, the diaper changing that, the email you send the conversation, you have the drive time, whatever it is, is an opportunity to experience God's purpose for your life. He didn't just change the world. He actually used people to change the world and in that setting, he actually used a bunch of uneducated, mixed up, messed up people to start the largest organization in world history known as the church. I just read an article that based on the number of professing christians in the world that about half of all christians who have ever existed live right now. And despite what media might portray that, you know, church is declining, everything is declining worldwide. The church has never been stronger and there are more movements and revivals breaking out across the world than at any point in all of history, God is alive and God is moving and we are living with purpose for life because of who jesus is. That's a promise, okay, understand this, that God created the world. And I've said this before. But God created the world by speaking it into existence. In other words He commanded nothing and nothingness obeyed him. He commanded death and it became life. So if God can create the world out of nothing and he can raise the dead. Mm hmm. Then when he says or speaks the truth that he has a plan for your life, that you will do great things, then who are we To honestly question that the very word that created the world just told us. You will do great things. That's a promise. And we can bank on that. Let's keep reading verse 13 and 14. Whatever you ask in my name this I will do. And that the father may be glorified in the son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Simply put you have the privilege of prayer. You can go to God and you will actually see answers. You can talk with him. That's incredible. And that's a promise. And we can bank on that. And then let's keep reading here for time's sake. If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I were at and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. The last promise of this passage is that he gives us the power of the Holy Spirit. If you're beginning to doubt how in the world will we be able to understand these things to receive the peace of God, the person of God, the place of Heaven purpose in our life, the privilege of prayer. Well, he actually gives us the power of the Holy Spirit. And I want to focus in on that last verse and that last phrase there where he says, I will not leave you as orphans. In fact, as the band comes up on stage, I want to talk with you about the concept of being an orphan that um I can't imagine that difficulty. In fact just the other night one of our Children came crying into our room and just share it. I can't imagine like you guys not being here which then of course Sam and I start crying too. But that's what orphans experience. I used to take mission trips and go down to Mexico and you would see in these orphanages and and what they would describe is that an orphan feels anonymous. I don't feel known. They feel abandoned and they feel alone. I'm here to encourage you this morning that you're not alone. You're not abandoned and you are not anonymous. God loves you. He died on a cross for you and rose again. So that when you believe put your faith, put the full weight of your life in him, you can receive the peace of God for your soul. You can receive the person of jesus. You can receive the place called Heaven that is greater than anything you could ever imagine. That you can receive purpose for your life. That you can actually receive the path for salvation. That you can see and understand that you have a privilege of prayer and that you have the power to overcome. Because the same power that conquered the grave lives and those who trust in him and that we are no longer orphans, but we are freed men and women, Children of God. A God who is madly in love with you, A God who loves you right now as you are in this moment, there's nothing you can do to make God love you more and there's nothing you can do to make God love you less. But just as you are, it's who God says you are as a child of his. This isn't John eight that if you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And he who the son sets free is free. Indeed, I want to encourage you to close your eyes and bow your heads. And if you've never prayed to receive jesus, I want to challenge you to do that and to pray with me right now and to mark on that connection card that you're committing your life to jesus so that we can follow up with You. Don't stay in the parking lot of Christianity, but experience the promises of God and if you are a christian, maybe you've forgotten some of the things that you actually have access to. We want to challenge you to focus on one of these promises and to celebrate and to thank him for doing that. Let's pray together dear heavenly father. Just thank you for your son. God I am a sinner and I am broken. But God you saved us. You are Lord and your savior and I commit my life to you. Mhm. God help us to remember that as Children of God of Children of you, we have your piece. We have relationship, We have the place that you are preparing for us. We have salvation, We have forgiveness. We have purpose in this life. We can come to you right now in prayer and have conversation and relationship with you. And ultimately God, you do not leave us as orphans. But as Children as your Children. God, you send your holy spirit to and well us with power to overcome sin, Power to find our purpose. Power to love and serve as you has loved and served us. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for giving us access to the promises of God help us to celebrate and rejoice and who you are and what you've done and what that means to be your child. God help us to find joy in your promises this morning, it's in your son's name. We pray. Amen.