Is He Past or Is He Present - Part 2

Christian dura mater goals of the most offensive thing. Jesus is asleep and it's only become more so into the room with Vista culture value to the point, David examines crossed claim to be the only way to have the principal not the truth.

We are responsible to share without the encouragement for doing that and introduce the conclusion of his message is present is that it was Jesus who said I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except through me. He is the door of the sheepfold and he is the only way to heaven. People really bristle when you say that and obviously I wouldn't say it if it wasn't in the Bible.

It's God's word that tells us that Jesus Christ is the way to heaven will have more about that in the lesson we share together today well right now were going to do part two is a pastor is a present. This is where were going to talk about the exclusive nature of claim in Jesus Christ. When Jesus said I am the door.

What he means is just as the shepherd was the door of the sheepfold. I am the door by me.

You have to enter in. No one comes into the fold except through me. This is very similar to the next. I am Jesus neck says I am the good shepherd you know that if you go to Israel and you doing historical tour you see the places where people are buried or places where they have recovered the culture of Jesus day what you will discover is that the favorite Christian figure in all of these catacombs is the figure of a shepherd. He is in the bloom of his youth. He has a crook or a shepherd's pipe in his hand, sometimes he is attended by one sheep only other times by two, usually in the picture. There are several sheep at his feet in various attitudes. It was a shepherd. These early Christians love to paint on the walls of their chapels on their territories and chiseled them on their tombs and they engrave the image of the shepherd on the chalices which they used it to take the Lord's supper. They traced it in gold on the glasses from which they drank and if you go to any of the souvenir shops in Israel you will find many many things that have shepherd's emblazoned upon them. In our day.

The best love song is what is it it's the shepherd song right anything something that's really interesting. Jesus never referred to himself as a priest.

He never referred to himself as a preacher he never called himself a clergy man. He never said he was a bishop.

He never said he was an elder, but oh how he loved to call himself the shepherd. Jesus is the shepherd. He said I am good shepherd. Let me tell you three things about the shepherd that the Bible teaches about Jesus. First of all, the good Shepherd loves his sheep women talking a lot about this at our house that I know you understand. Never been all that much for having an animal. My wife said to cats for as long as I can remember that maybe one of the reasons I don't know. But as you know we have a puppy and I didn't know you could love an animal like we love that puppy.

I mean, I love that dog like he was one of my kids.

I take them everywhere I go.

If I can. I took him to the bank the other day. He sat up on the bank and I did my stuff people look at me like I'm I think they think I'm just getting old. I think that's what I love that puppy and I calling my name and when I leave the house. He cries when I come back he gets all excited. He's my friend and I think that the shepherds of those early days had that kind of relationship with her sheep. We have some evidence that they gave her sheep names and they called her sheep by name and when they would come back into the fold at night. They counted them the nature all of them got in. You know the story about the shepherd that had 100 sheep, and one of my lost in the left and 99 and you want to find the one that's the image of a shepherd. The sheep are the only animal I know that are totally helpless without a ship hi Bender ministerial conferences where they speak on the shepherd and the sheep and they love to going to detail about how sheep are the dumbest animals on the face of the earth and them. They say really nice things about the congregation. I don't get it but that's what well I'm not going down that road, but I want to tell you this, where she and were as helpless in our own walk in the Christian world as sheep are without a shepherd. Ladies and gentlemen we need shepherd and we need a shepherd who calls us by name.

We need a shepherd who knows us.

We need a shepherd who makes sure that we did in the fold before darkness and protects us and keeps evil beasts away from us. We need a shepherd. That's why we love Psalm 23 the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Did you ever read the part that says he leads me beside still waters. Why does he do that because I don't have enough sense to go there myself, she I am a shepherd, but I'm also his sheep good Shepherd loves his sheep and the good Shepherd believes his sheep have you ever had times like this I was thing about this today you will get our car, I have a GPS on my phone… One on her phone. We got one in the car only to look at each other, which GPS should we use sometimes return the one on the car would turn on the want of a phone and they don't agree I've gotten lost a lot.

Following my little EPS anybody wants you know when it comes to directions. You all know I'm hopeless sometimes life feels to me like I'm looking at a map and someone took the names of all the roads and all the streets in all the places off the map is just a bunch of lines and I have no idea where I'm going. What I'm supposed to do.

I probably said this to the Lord more in recent years and ever in my early life. Lord I don't know what to do. But my eyes are on you. How many of you know, when you don't know what to do and you don't have a method makes any sense.

You got to stay close to the shepherd.

People always ask me.

Dr. Jeremiah how can I know the will of God and what they want me to do is to give them some formula that they can go ABCD and even the space is filled and they know they're supposed to be a doctor not a lawyer with the Bible is like that. And though I have heard many constructs and many sermons about how to know the will of God.

I just cannot like you to put them all at the siding. Remember one simple thing.

The way you know the will of God as you stay close to the leader, who is your shepherd. You stay close to the shepherd who has the way all mapped out and as long as you stay close to him. You will always be in the will of God. I don't think the will of God is a place or position.

The will of God is a process. It's a process of walking with the ship and the best way to know that is to say close to him.

Here's a couple of verses that I wanted to give you today.

Psalm 32 eight I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. Isaiah 3021.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying this is the right way walk in it.

Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left of you know, ladies and gentlemen, I've had that experience. When I didn't know what to do. I just said, Lord God, I don't know what to do. But my eyes are on you and in very short time, God has told me what the next step look like the Lord is our shepherd. He loves us and he leads us but here is the most important thing about this shepherd. He lays down his life for us. The good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep know and studying the Bible. One of the things you learn pretty quickly.

If your student of the Bible is if the Bible says the same thing all bunch of times in a short passage. It's usually pretty important. I mean this is called emphasis. The Bible probably didn't have highlighters, writers, the Bible didn't underline things. But here's what happened. If they wanted to make a point. They made the point by saying it over and over again so just direct your attention to the 10th chapter of John and I want to read for verses that are in a very short span see if you can't pick up what the writer of this text wants us to know the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. John 1015 I lay down my life for the sheep. John 1017 I lay down my life that I may take it again. John 1018, no one takes it from me, but I landed on a myself I have power to lay it down and power to take it again. So here is the question who killed Jesus. Was it the Romans was that the Jews was it us with our sins in some way all of those are true, but the Scripture says, no one took Jesus life from him. He laid it down on his own. Our Lord's death was voluntary. He spoke of laying it down and taking it back up.

No one took his life from him, for no one had the authority or the power to do so. The good Shepherd, the son of God voluntarily willingly of his own volition out of love laid down his life for you and for me at the conclusion of the second world war. As the troops were returning to America. A mother went down to the port to meet her son who was coming home from the battle she had not been prepared for the extent of his wounds he was the ultimate wounded warrior in this the boys came down the gangplank's and were brought down in wheelchair.

She looked all over for her own son and finally she saw him as soon as she could. She worked her way through the crowd to the boy and she said son look up at your mother look up at me and the boy said I can't do that. Mother, my eyes are gone. She staggered for a moment and then she said, then said to stand up and greet your own mother, and he said I cannot mother my legs are gone to as the awfulness of the Lord's cruelty settled in the pond. Mr. woman. She knelt near to the wounded boy's body and she whispered, then son just put your arms around her mother's neck and give her a hug and he said mother. I cannot for lost my arms to end the devastated woman begin the sob and she cried out this terrible and cruel war you've lost your eyes you lost your legs you lost your arms and the boy raised himself up the best he could to the full height of the wheelchair and he said oh no, mother, don't say that lost them.

No no no mother I didn't lose them. I gave them for my country and the point is in the point is, Jesus did not lose his life. He gave it he gave his life in behalf of you and me. He voluntarily laid down his life for us in order that we might have eternal and abundant life is the good Shepherd in the Bible says, because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. Here's the good Shepherd is the bread of life is the light of the world is the door easily. Good Shepherd in the Bible says he is also the resurrection and the life.

In John chapter 11 where this statement appears Jesus has been called to what he thought it first was the bedside of Lazarus and then to the gravesite of Lazarus. Martha was really upset with Jesus and she said to Jesus, Lord, if you are my brother wouldn't have died but even now I know that whatever you ask of God, he will give you and Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe that in the Jewish people of our Lord's day did not believe many of them in the resurrection there was a whole group called the Sadducees that he believed resurrection existed in here is Jesus saying to this woman, I am the resurrection and the life of a course in a few moments is going to prove it calls Lazarus out of the tomb Bible is so clear about this part of what Jesus does.

Jesus is not just the I am for now, he's the I am for the future you say will pastor Jeremiah how's he going to resurrect us.

I mean, it seemed like everyone is cremated now and may take her ashes out of the ocean and that's got them all of the ocean. Jesus is going to resurrect his safety.

Same Jesus who put together the first time can get together the second time. I worry about that Bible says it one day when Jesus comes back.

If we pass on our bodies are in the grave. Our bodies are dead, but were still alive in the Bible says Jesus will bring us with him, bring the spirits of the souls of those who have died with him. And when the trumpet sounds and the voice of the archangel is heard those either collected or scattered remnants of our old body will be reconstituted into a life-size body is under the Lord Jesus. In other words, when Jesus comes back to receive us to himself. If we have died in war in our grade were going to be raised up and in the resurrection process we're going to get a whole new body we're going to get an extreme makeover on their way to heaven. He said how do you know that listening this facilities words from Philippians Lord Jesus Christ by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life know what is that mean to you what it means to me as though I don't want to die. I'm not afraid to die because more than anything else that I know what all the world. I know that when I die, that's not the end, God has a wonderful plan for your life and mine that goes past the grave and ends up in eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ himself, so I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world.

I am the more I am the good shepherd.

I am the way the truth and the life that's the next one. This is the most offensive thing Jesus ever said when he was on this earth for 27 he said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me.

Try that on at your next office party and see what happens. One of the biggest issues today is that you cannot be exclusive with the gospel and you think I don't all roads lead to heaven know that's a bad trip you want to go on is in everyone's face. Just a matter of sincerity. No how many of you know you can be sincerely wrong I am directionally challenged and I am a living illustration that you can be directionally seriously wrong. We have such trouble with this idea that Almighty God would say to us through his word. Here's the way to come to God and there's only one way and I remember one summer we had a summer Bible conference speaker and he got up and he said something I never forgot.

He said listen, just as you can only be born physically. One way don't be surprised. You can only be born spiritually. One way God put in motion was and it totally characteristically exclusive of God to make being born the same for everybody who gets born physically in the Bible says in order to get to heaven you have to be born again. So how do you get born again. There's only one way just like there's only one way to be born. The first time there's only one way to be born. The second time Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the father except through me.

Jesus said there is one God and one man between God and man and that man is Jesus Christ. There's only one way so I did like that sermon pastor.

I think that was very nice.

I don't think you should say those things you know you could get in trouble for saying that will bring on the trouble because I'm here to tell you if a man claims to be a representative body and gives you any other message he's not helping you. He's damning you to an eternity without God is telling you there's a way you can get to heaven and that way isn't there is a Baptist way it is in the Presbyterian waiters and the methods wiped not a charismatic like it's God's way. God said you can get to heaven. Here's how you do it through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ said that in John 14, 126. This is one of his great iambs.

He said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me finding he said I am the vine and you are the branches. John 15 you have to stay connected to me if you going to bear fruit.

Jesus is the vine where the branches and he says if you want to be fruitful as a Christian stay plugged into the vine missile passage in John 15 is really wonderful thing to study. It starts out by saying if you're connected to the vine, you will have some fruit if you stay connected and really work and make sure you stay connected the vine, you have more food and finally at the end, this is you have much fruit. You can have some fruit. You can have more fruit we can have much fruit. Everybody was a Christian has some fruit in their life without a Christian and here's the secret. The closer you stay to the vine, the more fruitful you will be learned so many illustrations in my life that the way the Lord manages that for all of us because most of us don't have the discipline to keep things out of our lives that suck up the juice of God. He proves us destiny. That's what God does when you're in the vine. The Bible says the heavenly father who is the gardener.

He pruned you.

Here's what I've learned in this is what I want you to take home with you. You are never closer to the vine and to the father than you are when you are being pruned, you will never sense the presence of the Lord in his love for you more than when he reaches down and begins to do that work in your life and nieces. No, this is a leafy branch and it's sucking you dry.

You need to get that out of your life, because I have plans for you and my plans are that you will prosper here and prosper here and if you do all of these other things you can prosper in the things I want you to prosper. So there you have it.

Seven. Statements about Jesus seven things you may not have known about Jesus. Some of them you do here to tell you. Many women this Jesus been talking about. He's the real deal. I asked him in this week about his relationship with the Lord, and he started in this long diatribe about his church.

I don't care about that church really is important, but it's not the answer Jesus. Is he the bread of your life and see the light of your world. Is he the door.

Is he your shepherd is he your way, your truth in your life.

Is he the vine for you and can be trusted. Starts at a decision moment in time when you say okay Lord. This is my life move in and take over, and he will. There's no course licensing growing up that went like this, I have decided to follow Jesus and more more I believe in my heart that this is a decision we make. We may not have all of the information we would like to have, but we make the decision to follow Jesus Christ. Let me suggest to you that when you make a decision. Just light begins to pour in on your life.

The more you commit yourself to him. The more you understand how vital it is that you do that you have to make the decision. You're the only one he doesn't bully his way into your life. He waits for you to decide, and I'd like to ask you to think about doing that right now, today, will you decide to follow Jesus. When you ask him to come and forgive you of your sin and give you the gift of eternal life and will you open your heart to him so that he can come and take up his residence within you and guide and lead, encourage and strengthen you from this day forward. If you do that if you make that decision today wherever you are in whatever situation you may be in if you get in touch with us will send you a couple of booklets that will help you get started one's called your greatest Turning Point in the others called first steps of faith. These two booklets are absolutely free. We would love to send them to you because we want you to get started right along with the Lord be with us tomorrow because tomorrow then asked this question. Is he the king of the Jews oversee King of Kings find out the answer tomorrow. Right here the message you have just originated in Shadow Mountain Community Church with senior pastor Jeremiah with us the difference. Turning Point is making you like to Turning Point, PO Box 33, San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website Jeremiah dog/like a copy of David's Jesus, you may not help Christ and rediscover the joy of salvation and you can also download the free Turning Point model will flavored smart device searching your app store for the keywords Turning Point ministries instant access 12 programs and go to David Jeremiah dog/radio join us tomorrow as we continue the series Jesus, you may not know point Jeremiah Friendly's and