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April 4, 2022 1:00 am
Have you experienced crippling fear? Our everyday problems—sickness, financial distress, or vocational challenges—often intensify our anxiety. In this message, we reflect on Jesus’ promise of heaven to his troubled followers. If we keep our eyes fixed on what Jesus is preparing for those who love Him, we can make it to the finish line.
Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)Rain forests looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter believers in Christ can be sure that heaven is a real place that reality is a great antidote for the crushing weight of anxiety. We sometimes feel are you weighed down by fear. Remember the words of Jesus place is being prepared from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line after Luther, why are so many people anxious when they know they have an eternal home to look forward to all day and I think the reality is this all that we need to do is to look into our own hearts to see that there is anxiety there, even though we have the assurance of eternal life.
You recently as I've been reading various chapters of the New Testament. I've been impressed when over and over again. There's an emphasis on eternity in hell.
For example, Peter talks about the fact that we have a home in heaven, but now we are in heaviness because of different trials. He's always pointing us to the future.
I've written a book entitled prepare your heart for an uncertain future final words of warning and comfort from Jesus to his followers or gift of any amount. This book can be yours.
Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337, when Jesus speaks we should hang on to every word Jesus answered and said in one of the most famous verses in all the Bible I am the way and the truth and about life. No one comes to the father except by me, except through me. That's the entrance a very special entrance into heaven. When you think of that the claims that Jesus are making is staggering. He is the way the way to where the weight of the father.
He takes one hand, and he puts it on us as sinners.
He takes us from the city of destruction and he takes us to the city of light. He takes us in our sin and he takes us into the presence of the father and leaves us.
They are as perfect as he himself is he is the way my wife knows that I have a huge distrust of signs when were driving in places we never been before she trust them explicitly and implicitly. I always think these guys, I don't think that that's the way you can understand we were in England recently.
You know you have to drive on the left side of the road, I shall not say the wrong side though I'm tempted to say that we heard English spoken finally as God intended it to be spoken but to trust those signs one day a tourist said to a guide in the desert that they were supposed to walk. He said where is the path guides that I am the path we say to Jesus.
Where is the gate, how do we get there. I am the way I take you by your hand all the way to the father. I am the truth is statement. Most of us would like to say that from time to time we preach the truth we've told people the truth. We help them find the truth but to say I am the truth I am the embodiment of truth.
Truth is who I am. What is statement and today in our postmodern age. People don't want to hear about truth. In fact, it is believed that everyone has his own catch this now has his own absolute truth. So, my truth is absolute.
It's totally different from yours, but yours is absolute also is any wonder why were in such confusion could I say the truth has universality 2+2 is equal to four disabled, it would 2+2 still be equal to four. Even if the moon turned to green cheese or the Cubs were to actually get in the World Series.
I mean, what 2+2 still be equal before the answer is yes. Is it true for all cultures, yes you ever have lunch with someone who says well you know I want to give you my opinion.
Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about opinions but what you need to do is to take your glasses off. I looked him square in the eye without glasses, though I see you more clearly with them, I might add, and then you smile and then you say this, you know, you are entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own truth. If you find some truth it applies to me to.
And Jesus said I am the truth. Everything that he says is truth. Everything that he is is truth. I am the way, the truth, I am the life. Physical life absolutely. Just like the moon has to depend upon the sun for its light.
So the universe has to depend upon Christ for its continued existence. He created it and by him. It continues to consist the Scripture says spiritual life absolutely I am come that they might have a life and that they might have it more abundantly. You want to find a way to heaven.
It is Christ. Christ, Christ, Christ and none other. None other. What Jesus does. Here is he defines the gate T shows us the parameters he shows us the way and that there is one thing about truth that is so distasteful to this modern generation truth always excludes if 2+2 is equal to four.
Then there are is almost an infinite number of wrong answers to that equation and and truth always excludes people to want to be excluded. Today everybody's right everybody's doing his own thing. Everybody coming to God in his own way. Truth excludes Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life you get to the father.
You get to the Father through him. Heaven has a very special entrance. Christ well also. It is going to give us a very special revelation special revelation and that is seen already here on earth. In one of the most remarkable passages in all the New Testament, even though I have memorized this passage years ago re-study that thought about it often. I am still blown away by the words of Jesus in the next verses you'll notice that he says in verse seven. If you really knew me you would know my father as well and from now on you know him and him and Philip said, Lord, show us the father and that'll be enough for us on a glorious statement by the way, I think when we get to heaven will just simply say show us the father take us to the father and we shall be satisfied, show us the father, it'll be enough for us. Verse nine Jesus answered, don't you know the Philip, even after I have been among such a long time. Philip put this together. Anyone who has seen me here it comes. Now, anyone who has seen me has seen the father. I can't take it in when an affirmation of who he is, of course, we can see God as God.
But we can see God in the flesh we sing at Christmas veiled in a flash the Godhead see. Yes, the Godhead see he that hath seen me has seen the father to see Jesus is to see God. You know when it comes to the problem of evil, and why God permits and ultimately even causes the things that happen in the world, whether they are earthquakes or the suffering that is so great upon this earth because of things like that and why God would permit men to do evil things to others, such as the Holocaust. I wrestled with that question. As I'm sure you have for years I took an entire course on it when I was studying philosophy in the University had read the atheists I've read the believers and I have to say to you today, and I've never said this for publicly, I don't think although I may have under the age where it's possible for me to say something twice. I don't think that there is really a rational, fully satisfying, rational answer to these kinds of problems we just need to grasp God in faith, but what Luther said is this Luther to be distinguished from Luther by the way we do get some mail here that says Irwin Luther.
He said when it comes to these questions, he says, God remains a mystery. He says, flee from the hidden God and flee to Christ. Luther didn't mean that there are two gods, there's the mysterious hidden God and there's Christ know the reason that we can flee to Christ is because Jesus said this mysterious God whose ways are past finding out if you see me you have him show us the father and I will be satisfied and Jesus said look at me and be satisfied for if you see me you have seen the father while we were in England we were in Trafalgar Square. That's the way Americans pronounce it.
Actually I guess it's Trafalgar is kind of dropped those last those last letters and you know you see but 100 feet in the air that statue of Lord Nelson is too high for me to see I can only see him. Generally, I can see the features on his face that that statue is too high, but it is said that in London I tried to find it in couldn't but it is said that there is a statue of him same representation but on high level so that the people can see what that statue up there looks like Jesus is God at eye level.
I can't handle the mysteries of God. I'm convinced that there is much more about God that we do not know than that which we know I can't handle his mysterious purposes. All that I can do is trust him.
I can look at Jesus now. Now I began to understand so so this is what the father is like and imagine seeing him someday someday we will see the father directly, once we get to heaven to know Jesus is to know the father to listen to Jesus is to listen to the father we've all thought to ourselves. You know I wish I could have a conversation with God is a book written by that title, which is not a conversation with God. It's really should be entitled a conversation with me. The author Walsh who wrote that book is pure blasphemy human thoughts. It's the echo of this man's own voice but we all wish that we could really talk to God. Well, the disciples were able to and you and I can read their dialogues because Jesus said that, don't you know Philip you say don't you believe Philip that I am in the father and the father is in me the words that I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the father living in may. Who does the work you think you can make it, you who are discouraged today. Can you we make it because we realize that heaven is a special destination and that's where we put our emphasis in our mind and it is a special reunion because were going to be with Christ and with others and has a very special entrance so we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, and we have confidence in him that he's going to lead us to the father and ultimately heaven is going to have a very special revelation where we understand God more fully and we begin to do that as we look at Jesus.
Can you make it seen the shore well.
Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven of taking a hand in finding it. Gods of breathing new Aaron finding its celestial of waking up in glory and finding it home.
That's her destination. That's where were headed. That's why you can make it through today when Jesus said let not your heart be troubled. I almost have to interpret that to mean that your hearts can't be troubled without your permission so you can let your heart stop being troubled. Jesus is saying if you understand these truths correctly, you have authority over your heart. You do not have to let your heart be troubled, stop letting you do that and focus in on the shore that you can make it bottom line of courses that if we have our eyes fixed on heaven, we can make it we can make it on this earth. You can go through almost anything you can read accounts of prisoners in concentration camps who suddenly burst out with applause and singing will. Why would they do that here they are almost ready to die shriveled emaciated full of joy. Why well the story is one of them had a radio that he had smuggled into his cell and he heard that World War II was over when you've got that private information you can make it. Ella Wheeler Cox learned what some of us need to since were not acquainted with sailing. At least I'm speaking for myself that actually you can have a window blowing in a certain direction on a given day in one boat can go West and the other boat can go east because it's not the direction of the wind, but it's the set of the sail that determines where the boat goes, so she wrote a poem. One ship drives east and another West with the selfsame winds that blow just the scent of the sales are not the gales which tell us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate as we voyage along through life just the scent of the soul that decides its goal and not the cone or strife. I heavenly heart enables us to keep going, don't don't let your heart be troubled. Don't give it permission to do that believe me, Jesus said, you'll have rest for your souls. Let's pray together. Our father, we want to thank you today for your word and for the comfort of Jesus, we thank you for his astounding claim that he that had seen may have seen the father we ask today Lord, give us confidence in this age of confusion that the one in whom we have believed is the one who is the anchor for our souls and will keep us all the way to the father's house and if you're here today and it never trusted Christ as Savior you've never believed on him.
This would be an opportunity for you to do that simply say I accept Christ as the way the truth and the life. The forgive her of my sins and the one who leads me all the way home you talk to him.
Grandis, O Lord God, your peace in your column. In Jesus name, amen I do know about you but I need to hear that over and over again were living at a time when there is so much strife so many loud voices and it seems as if the person who shouts the loudest wins the argument. What we need to do is to go back to the words of Jesus. The words of comfort the words of hope.
I've written a book entitled prepare your heart for an uncertain future and you and I know that the future for us. Certainly is uncertain, perhaps even fearful. Prepare your heart for an uncertain future final words of warning and comfort from Jesus to his followers. When Jesus spoke there in the upper room. He was talking to his disciples, but really he was talking to all of his followers. I like to think that he was talking to all of us. I believe that this book will be a great blessing to you and for a gift of any amount.
It can be yours.
Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book. Prepare your heart for an uncertain future final words of warning and comfort from Jesus to his followers. Yes indeed, in the midst of all that is going on in our culture all the discouragement all of the clashes of worldviews we need to call our hearts in the presence of Christ. Thanks in advance for helping us in this ministry. Remember, if you want a copy of this book, which I believe will be a great blessing to you. Go to RTW offer.com it can be yours for a gift of any amount or call us at 1-888-218-9337. I want to thank you in advance for your prayers for the fact that we have so many people who stand with us regularly. God bless you and keep your heart calm.
It's time again for you to ask Pastor looks her question about the Bible or the Christian life. When parents and their daughter disagree about marriage trouble may be on the horizon. Emily from Illinois asks. I am a 24-year-old single lady. I'm self-employed and live at home with my parents. I grew up in a godly home was taught the Bible was homeschooled.
My parents have taught me and my sisters. The importance of Proverbs 31 so I strongly believe in biblical marriage and believe that raising godly children is a very high calling for a wife and mother.
The problem is, as my parents have only one goal for me to marry and have children. They believe a girl should stay at home with her parents under their authority until she marries, and is placed under her husband's authority. I've been content with this.
About a year and 1/2 ago God began to do a work in my heart that it was time to move on. I feel so strongly that God would have me use these years to serve him in a ministry that would not be possible if I should marry and have children. I prayed much asking God if he would have me stay single for the sake of the ministry.
My parents viewpoint is that if God had called me to ministry he would've shown it to them as well. I know the Bible tells me to honor and respect my parents, but does there come a place in my life where Christ becomes, the greater authority Emily.
What an interesting story you have to tell. First of all let me say that you are very fortunate all begin, thereby the fact that you have Christian parents who care about you and who want to make sure that they have their very very best for their daughter and no doubt they are praying that God's will will be done in your life, etc. there are many children who can't say that but having said that, I really do feel that your parents are wrong in insisting that you marry, you know, after all, a God may have something else for you and that if the right man doesn't come along. What are you to do to make that the dominant desire on their part for your life. I feel is really wrong and misleading. Indeed God may have other things for you. Now you say that you are 24 years old. There comes a time in your life when you are held accountable to God and not your parents. Seems to me, Jesus said that on one occasion when he said that you have to love me more than you love your mother and your father. There comes a time when a child has to find his own way.
In his relationship with God. I like to point out that humanly speaking, we would never have had the Protestant Reformation.
If Luther had believed that one should always obey his parents because his parents certainly did not want him to enter the monastery there in Erfurt.
They wanted him to be a lawyer.
His father was miffed about that for many years. While I'm glad that Luther did enter that monastery to seek God, I'm glad that his life did take the path that it did so I really do believe that there is such a thing as respectful disobedience and your parents are worthy of respect. But at the same time you cannot be held in bondage to their desire for you to marry seek God, be kind, be respectful, but also you're going to have to decide in God's presence what your future is going to be about. I pray that he will give you the grace to work this out so that you can go on with what God has called you to do.
Thank you.
Documents are if you'd like to have your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us have run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614.
In his famous upper room discourse. Jesus said that those who would believe in him would do greater works than he did at first glance that appears impossible. What works could be greater than his next time I run into when join us as her. When Luther turns again to John chapter 14 and explains this astounding statement. Thanks for listening today for Dr. Erwin lutes or this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher