John 14:1

I administer directly most of the time with the youth group, specifically the high school group. That's why there are so many young people in here. They're not hiding from someone else; they're in here to hang with us today. So, welcome, guys. It's good to see you. Not that we haven't seen each other quite a bit this summer, but it's been fantastic.

All right, so we're going to be in the Gospel of John, chapter 14. If you want to turn there real quick with me, we're going to read through the first six verses and then we will get started. So, it's John chapter 14. Ironically, maybe by some strange coincidence, or it could have been planned, we are talking about the way, the truth, and the life, which we just sang about.

John chapter 14, verse one, says, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I 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 will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Heavenly Father, as we dig into your word today, we pray that you would speak to us, Lord. We ask that you would not just speak to us so that we can hear, but that you would speak to us in a way that we understand. Father God, speak to us in a way that inspires action. We know it's not good enough just to hear the word, but we are called to be doers of the word. So, Lord Jesus, help us to take that radical step from reading and hearing to understanding and then to obedience.

Father God, we just give you this time and pray that you would work mightily in it. Thank you, God, for the opportunity. We pray these things, Jesus, in your name. Amen.

All right, so real quick, apparently they heard about our free Harley giveaway or something because we are running out of space. If you guys would do me a favor and kind of squish in, that would be great. There’s not actually a Harley; I'm just kidding. But you could make some room so that we can accommodate the people who are still coming in towards the ends.

That would be fantastic. I know it's one of those huge things. I got this chair because I like this chair, but the next one, the one next to it, is just about the same. I promise you.

All right. So, like I said, my name is Jason. I'm the high school pastor primarily. Today, we are going through this "I am" statement. We've been taking a trip through all the different "I am" statements in the Book of John. Today, it's "the way, the truth, and the life," which could go a lot of different ways. If I don't meet your expectations, it's okay. You can read it again later and dig for yourself. It's all right.

In John chapter 14, verse 1, Jesus starts out saying, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." He begins with the instruction, "Let not your hearts be troubled," which indicates that their hearts were indeed troubled. It's not just a request; it's actually an instruction. When you look at the Greek, it is laid out as "do not let your hearts be troubled," which is remarkably similar to what it says in English. It's not a request; it's a command. It's "don't let your hearts be troubled."

Now, why would the disciples, in this context where Jesus is speaking to them, have troubled hearts? Jesus has just told them some very difficult truths. He has informed them that He is going away and that very soon they won't see Him. One of them is going to betray Him, leading to the chorus of disciples asking, "Is it me? Is it me?" None of them knew who He was talking about at this point. He specifically told Peter, "You're going to deny me three times." These are all difficult things for them to hear because they are with Jesus, thinking that they are going to be together. Peter insists, "I will never leave you," but Jesus responds, "Actually, you're going to deny me three times."

At this point, you can imagine their hearts are troubled, disturbed, and a little bit freaked out. So, He says, "Let not your hearts be troubled," which is easier said than done. It's one thing to tell someone to stop worrying about something; it's another thing entirely to actually stop worrying about it. I don't know if you have ever had that situation where someone says, "You just need to stop worrying about it," and you think, "Oh, okay, great. I'll just stop worrying about it."

But Jesus gives them the key in the second half of this verse when He says, "Believe in God."

Believe also in me. The cure that Jesus offered for troubled hearts is to believe. Believe in God; believe also in me. If we believe that God is who He says He is, that will go a long way toward eradicating whatever it is that we're worried about—whether it's health issues, where He says, "I’m the great physician," or concerns about making ends meet, where He identifies as Jehovah Jireh, the provider. If we believe, it goes a long way toward alleviating the things that trouble our hearts.

How often do we have troubled hearts? If you are like me, it’s pretty much all the time. It runs from one trouble to the next, and then to all kinds of other issues. But the cure is always to trust Jesus more and to believe in Him. The disciples were facing a couple of specific fears, primarily the fear of Jesus leaving them and the fear of letting Jesus down. I don’t know about you, but I encounter those same fears. You have those moments when you’re standing in the back of the room, and the room is filling up with people, and you’re about to speak. You think, "Oh Lord, don’t leave me; don’t leave me up there." Then He reminds you, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

The fear of letting Him down and all these concerns are wrapped up together. But Jesus says the cure for that is to believe in God and to believe also in Him. In verse two, He says, "In my Father’s house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. Would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" He asks them a rhetorical question. If it wasn’t true, would I have told you this? We know that Jesus doesn’t lie. He says, "I’m going to prepare a place for you." It’s not just that He’s preparing a place for all of you; it is specific and singular. He is saying, "I am going to prepare a place for you, and for you, and for you."

Jesus, the God who created everything out of nothing, who created this planet and wonders like Yosemite, as well as the beauty of sunrises and sunsets, is preparing a place for us. There is another point of comfort in that. He continues, "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also." He is not just going away for a moment; He is not the kind of father who abandons His children. He says, "I’m going away, but I’m going to come back, and I’m going to bring you to me."

It's not the attitude of, "Hey, I'm done with you. You're worthless. I don't care about you." Instead, it is, "No, I'm leaving for a short period of time, and then I'm going to bring you to where I am, to where we can be together." It's a temporary separation.

He says, "You know the way to where I'm going," which is interesting because this phrase starts off the whole rest of the conversation that we're going to be going through. Notice he doesn't say, "You know where I'm going." He says, "You know the way to where I'm going." Jesus doesn't give them a destination; he gives them a path. It's like imagining you're following GPS directions without knowing where you're actually going.

Last summer, we went to a summer camp on Catalina Island at InterVarsity's Campus by the Sea. It was fantastic. But to get to the island, you have to take a boat. To get on the boat, you need to reach the port. However, getting to the port in San Pedro is a disaster. They are working on the roads faster than the GPS programs can update.

As I was driving, my Waze app instructed me to take a right, but there was no road there. There used to be a road, but now there are cones and a drop-off. So, that route was not going to work. It was a whole series of wrong turns, and the app kept updating. Finally, I arrived, but the bus beat me there because apparently, bus drivers are better drivers than I am. Nevertheless, we all got there.

Even though I had an inkling of where I was supposed to go, getting there was difficult. Jesus doesn't give them a destination; he says, "You know the way." The disciples often highlight things we might miss, and in this case, Thomas jumps up and says, "Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" He is looking for the destination before he steps out on the journey. He wants to know where he is going to end up before he gets started because he needs to know where he is going before he knows how to get there.

But that's not what Jesus told him. Jesus said, "You know the way to where I'm going." He didn't say, "You know where I'm going." He said, "You know the way." It's not uncommon to want to know the destination; very often, we all have that desire. We want to set our own agenda.

We like to plan at our own pace. My family and I have saved up, and we're going to Disneyland this year, which is going to be amazing. However, it's not just one of those things where we can roll up to Disney. We made all kinds of different plans. We looked to see when the very deadest day, as far as crowds, is at Disneyland.

You know what we found out? The day after Labor Day is supposed to be the deadest day at Disneyland. Thank God we're homeschoolers because we can go. We could even go in our pajamas, but we don't have to. We want to make our plans and set our own agenda. We have researched hotels and all kinds of different things. We want to know these details.

But see, Jesus is pointing out to Thomas that if you know the way, you don't need to know the destination. Jesus is presenting a moving target; He is not presenting a specific place. If the destination is a person and not a single point, that person is going to move. For example, if you're trying to find me and you use your GPS to say, "I need directions to Jason," it’s not going to work because I’m mobile. I move from place to place. However, if you want to find me, if you follow my family, eventually we will all be there.

That’s what Jesus is presenting: "I am the way." This brings us to point number one: we are following a person, not looking for a place or a destination. Jesus says to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is saying, "You stay with me; I'm the way."

We were looking for directions, not realizing we were looking for a person. But you don’t know; I’m the way. You stick with me, and then we’ll get there. Thomas saw Jesus as just another guy with them; he didn’t really grasp who Jesus was. Jesus is the way; He is the path to the Father. He is the truth, the truth of the Father revealed about the Father. He is the life, the eternal life given by the Father.

In John 17:3, it says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God."

True God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. So Jesus says, "No, it's me. I'm the way, the truth, and the life. I'm the way to the Father." Later on, it’s going to get even funnier because He says that He and the Father are one, and that’s really going to mess them up, but we're not there yet. We would be remiss if we didn't get to the last part of that, where it says, "No one comes to the Father except through me."

See, Jesus is the only way. There are a lot of counterfeits out there. There are a lot of other thoughts, and many people get very upset about this phrase. If you're one of them, I'm sorry; I didn't write it. I'm just reading what's there. But here's the thing: He is the only way. Everything else is going to be a counterfeit. Every other way is a counterfeit way. Every other truth is only a half-truth at best. Every other life is going to leave you unfulfilled and missing the mark. No other way will bring us to the Father.

That brings us to point two. The first two points come pretty quick; the last three take a while. It's all right. Point number two: only in Jesus and in Jesus alone do we find the way to the Father. Only through Jesus and through Jesus alone do we find the way to the Father. No other way is going to bring us there.

When we went to Paraguay this summer on a missions trip, as part of the day before we went home, we visited a place called Iguazu Falls, which is not Sioux Falls. If you've been there, you know it's not really a travel destination; it's just a place. I grew up there for a little while. But Iguazu Falls is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It is incredible. It is like twenty Niagara Falls all in this giant valley. The park is huge and borders three countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. So when you're driving there, you're like, "Oh, hey, look, we're in Argentina. Oh, hey, look, we're in Brazil. Oh, hey, look, we're in Paraguay." It’s kind of fun as you're driving there.

When you get to the park, the first thing they give you is a guide. You come in, and they say, "This is your guide. You have to stick with him because it can be confusing and dangerous." There are parts along the path where, if you mess around, it's a long way down. So they give you a guide who tells you where to go and what you're supposed to be doing. Interesting, isn’t it? That’s what we have in the person of Jesus.

We have a guide to take us through things because they can be confusing. Is life ever confusing to you? Half the time, I have no idea what's going on or why things are happening. Is it dangerous? Yes, it can be. There are all kinds of different dangers we deal with. But that's why we're called to be with Jesus, because He is the way, the truth, and the life.

In verse seven, He goes on to say, "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him." Isn't that interesting? He says, "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also." Now, He is talking to the disciples. Who knows Him better on earth at that point besides them? Yet, even they missed it. He points out that something is going to happen that will change their perspective.

Now, Thomas, the rest of the disciples, and honestly, all of humanity, didn't really know who Jesus was. Even we who know Jesus don't fully grasp the vastness of who He is. We know a portion. As you grow older spiritually and spend more time walking with the Lord, you realize there is more about Jesus that you don't know than what you do know. You keep finding out new things, learning new things, and reading new things in the Word that make you think, "Well, I had never seen that before."

Knowing Jesus, who is fully God, means we know the Father because they are one. This is where we get into the doctrine of the Trinity, which is always a challenge to teach because it's not something we can explain very well. There are several examples that people use generally in Sunday school or youth group, like saying, "It's like an egg. There’s a shell, the white, and the yolk, and that's like God." But it's not really accurate. Others might say, "It's like water, where when it's cold, it's ice; at room temperature, it's water; and when it's hot, it's steam." However, none of these examples are sufficient because it's not something we are meant to fully grasp. We are not meant to understand everything because it requires a measure of trust or faith.

In case we missed that point, Philip pops up in verse 8 and says, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough." He expresses a desire for a clearer understanding, believing that if they could just see the Father, it would be sufficient.

If you could make a way, God, that we would not have to have any questions or doubts, then we would totally believe. Is it belief? If God answered our every doubt, would it require any faith? Not at all.

But look how Jesus answers it. We know from Hebrews 11, verse 6, that without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. He tells us that we have to believe, and He rewards those who seek Him. If we don't have to believe, we don't have to try to seek Him, and there's no reward in that. There's no trust there.

Jesus said to Philip in verse 9, "Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" He is saying that He and the Father are one. If you have seen Him, you know Him. If you know Him, you know the Father. He points out that this is all one thing together.

In verse 10, He asks, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" The words that He says are not spoken on His own authority, but the Father who dwells in Him does His works. He questions how they can not believe, stating that it is not just Him saying this; what He does testifies on His behalf. He emphasizes that these words are not His own and that the things He does come from God. The Father is doing the works.

The works that Jesus did prove the claim that He was from God because no one else could do what Jesus did. No one else was raising the dead, healing lepers, healing the blind, or helping the lame to walk. In verse 11, Jesus says, "Believe in me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves." He indicates that you can believe because it is true, or you can believe because you saw it. It's okay either way; you just have to believe.

Some people believe because they understand, know, or grasp it. Other people believe because they have seen what God has done in their life or someone else's life. Both are valid. Sometimes there tends to be a little friction between the two, reminiscent of the Pharisees and Sadducees, where one group feels superior because they thought of it one way or saw it one way, while another group feels better because they have experienced it. They are both good. If it brings you to faith, they are both good, whether through works or words.

Jesus goes on in verse 12 and says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father." He says that if you believe in Him, you are also going to do those works. This doesn't say you might or you could; it says you will. If you believe in Him, you will do the same works that He did. It's not a possibility for you; it states that if you believe, you will do this.

Belief without action isn't really belief. If you believe something, it is going to change how you act. So, He says, "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do." This is where it gets really interesting: "Greater works than these he will do because I am going to the Father." It is one thing to say you are going to do things; it is something else when Jesus says you are going to do greater things than He did. How does one do that? How in the world are we doing something greater than Jesus?

At this point, I started digging through commentaries and looking for insights from scholars who were much smarter than I am. I found a couple of different schools of thought. Some say that this was limited to the apostles, that He was talking to just the people in that group and saying they would do greater things than He did. We did actually see them, through the Book of Acts, doing a lot of the same things that Jesus did. However, it doesn't say "whoever believes in me and is in this room." It says "whoever believes in me will also do the work." So, I don't really buy that it was a timeframe thing just for the Book of Acts.

Some people suggest that it is because the tools are so flawed that whatever work happens is great. For example, it is one thing if Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel; it is another if someone else accomplishes that with ketchup packets and a straw. It is really impressive because those are terrible tools. That was another interpretation I encountered. They argued that because we are so flawed, anything we do that brings glory to God is an amazing work, as the chances of us actually doing something that good are astronomical. I don't really think that interpretation fits either.

I also considered whether it is just based on mileage. Jesus worked in a very small area for a short period of time.

I can confidently say that having gone to South Africa and South America, I have more ministry miles than Jesus did. Does that make it greater? I don't think so. I don't have a good answer for how or what we're going to do that is greater. But I know that Jesus said it, so I trust it.

So, why then don't we see more miracles? If Jesus was walking around doing miracles, why don't we see more miracles? Hold on to that thought; we will jump back into it in a second. In verse 13, He says, "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." This is where some people go twisting way off into left field, thinking, "I'm going to get a Maserati." That's not what He is saying.

Notice the condition He puts in there: "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." There is a condition to this. This is not about whatever you feel like saying that you're going to get. That's not how God works. God is not a candy machine where you get to pick like B4 to get a Snickers. God wants glory. We are most joyful when we bring Him maximum joy. I was taught that several years ago, and it's been bouncing around in my head ever since. God wants the glory, and He wants to use us to get there.

So, He says, "Whatever you ask in my name, if it glorifies the Father, if the Father may be glorified in the Son, I will do that." James tells us in the book of James that we have not because we ask not. We need to ask, first of all, but he also says we have not because we ask amiss, to spend it on our own fleshly lusts, whatever that particular thing is that we're dealing with.

What we often have a hard time understanding is how much of our own agenda is wrapped up in what we're asking God for. How much of our own self-interest is mixed up in our requests? If you add to that our limited understanding of what's actually happening at any moment in time, it's amazing that we ever get it right.

I also thought maybe we don't see more miraculous things because we don't look for them, we don't think we need them, and we don't notice when they happen. We live... that was a fantastic example.

We have more information available to us at this point in our lives than any other generation that has walked the face of the earth. At a recent youth workers conference, they discussed how your standard junior hire, in an hour, takes in more information than it would have taken someone 25 years ago to accrue. This is largely due to the distractions we face today.

I was looking at some statistics just the other day, and it was frightening to see the amount of time we spend on devices. If you have an Apple device, they have released a feature that allows you to see how much time you've spent on different activities. It's scary. You look at it and think, "Ooh." Are we going to get away from these devices? No, it's not going to happen. Life is now done digitally. We can either rail against it or figure out how to operate within it. I'm working on trying to figure out how to navigate this digital landscape.

However, we often miss the miraculous things happening around us, both miraculous and otherwise, because we are totally fixated on other distractions. I was in Panera yesterday, along with a bunch of other people, working on my message. I was typing things out when I stopped for a moment to look around. The place was about halfway full, and it was a pretty big Panera. All the tables were occupied, and I only found one table where conversation wasn't happening in the usual way. Perhaps we don't see the miraculous because it exists beyond our immediate focus.

Then Jesus points out a way that we can improve our understanding of God and enhance our relationship with Him. In verse 15, He says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." I don't think this is presented as a conditional statement; rather, it is an if-then statement. If you love me, then you will keep my commandments.

This brings us to our third point: do something. Whatever it is that God has called you to do, do it. While this is easy to say, how do I know what God has called me to do? How do I know what it is that God has for me? Here are a couple of easy rules to consider.

You read your Bible, and in your Bible, you find the big no's and the big yes's. If it's a no, if it's a "don't do this," like "don't murder," that's clear. I'm not going to murder; there's a curb on that side. If it says I need to love everybody, great! There's a curb over there that says to love everybody. I'm going to stay here and look in between these things, where I'm within the yes's and I'm not riding off the no's.

What brings me joy? What makes me joyful in this? What makes me fulfilled? How am I glorifying God, and what makes me happy or joyful? Inside these boundaries, there's a plethora of different things. If you don't know what makes you joyful, if you haven't found it yet, try stuff.

We're going to roll a video here pretty quick. We had a great summer full of activities, all involving people who are doing things and trying new experiences. So let's go ahead and roll that, and then we'll chat about it in just a sec.

Thank you for the cross that you have carried. Thank you for your blood that was shed. You took the weight of sin upon your shoulders and sacrificed your life so I could live. Now nothing is holding me back from You, Redeemer of my soul. Now nothing can hold me back from You.

Your love will never let me go. Thank you for your death and resurrection. Thank you for the power of your blood. I am moved by your affection, the kindness and the greatness of your love.

Now, nothing is holding me back from you, Redeemer of my soul. Now, nothing can hold me back from you. Your love will never let me go.

Oh Jesus, you make all things new. Thank you that we're living in your kingdom. Jesus, you're the King upon the throne. Thank you for the way you've always loved me.

And now I get to love you in return. The sin of the world is what breaks the tree. Let every evil bow before the Lion and the Lamb.

We had a lot of stuff going on this summer. I would love to tell you more about it, but we don't have a whole lot of time left. One thing I did want you to notice is the audience participation part. If you were connected to any one of those events, why don't you go ahead and stand up? If you served at VBS, went to VBS, had a kid that went to VBS, served at the Kids Party Club, went to Paraguay, or participated in Ronald McDonald House, or if you went to camp—go ahead and stand up.

Look around. We are an active church. You can sit down again, but Tater, you can stand up as long as you want, buddy. If you don't know what makes you joyful, try stuff. I'm going to use John as an example because he stood up. Several of us were encouraging John to work at VBS. If you know John, then it's kind of a given that this would be a great fit for him. He wasn't sure at first, but I will tell you what: there was so much joy in watching John, the joy on his face, the joy on his kids' faces, and the kids in his group. It was just fantastic.

Maybe you're someone who thinks, "I can't serve at VBS, I can't go to Paraguay, or I can't do this." There is a plethora of things that we can do. Find something and do it. The thing is, we can't do these things alone, and Jesus knew this. He followed up by telling them, "Hey, do stuff with this." He said in verse 16...

I'm going to ask the Father, and He will give you another helper to be with you forever. Notice He doesn't say, "I'm going to ask the Father, and He might." He has complete confidence. He says, "I'm going to ask the Father, and He's going to do this," because they are one.

In John 17, Jesus prays for us. It's an incredible passage. If you haven't spent some time there, I encourage you to do so. Spend some time in John 17 because Jesus specifically prays for those who are going to come to believe in Him later, which is us. Look at what He says here. In John 17, verse 21, He prays that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they may also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one. I in them and You in Me, so that they may become perfectly one, so the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me. That just breaks my brain. Jesus says, "I want them to be one with Us the way that I am one with You," as He is talking to the Father. That we could have that kind of fellowship, that we could have that kind of unity, just blows me away.

The thing is, as we become more like Jesus, we will have that same confidence in our prayers. Not because we learn some special incantation or magic words, but because we come to know Him. We know what to ask because we've spent time with Him, seen Him work, and grown to be more like Him. My kids know what questions and what things to ask for from me, and they know what things not to ask for. They've learned or are learning. Most of the time, they know. Sometimes it's still like, "What are you asking me that for? That's insane." But because they know me, they know what to ask.

Our God is a good Father, and He wants to do things in us and through us. But we have to be on the same page with Him. The more we become like Jesus, the more confidence we will have in our prayer life because the Holy Spirit will be working in us and through us. Jesus, in verse 18, also points out, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you." God is not a Father who abandons.

God is not a father that leaves and doesn't come back. He says, "I'm not going to leave you as orphans. I'm going to come back for you." We have that hope.

Often, there are people who have a skewed image of what a father is because they've had a bad earthly father. If you've had a bad earthly father, God is the things that you knew you were missing. If you have a good earthly father, God is the things that you admire in your father. He is the prototype of dad; He is the embodiment of father. He doesn't leave us. He doesn't forsake us.

Jesus says in verse 19, "Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. One day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Judas, not Iscariot, said to Him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?" How is it that we see Jesus working, and yet the world doesn't? It is because of the Holy Spirit in us. Our eyes are opened, and because we have faith, that is how we see Jesus work. That is how He manifests to us.

Jesus answered Judas's question, which is interesting. He said, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me." Notice that He doesn't answer Judas's question directly. He doesn't explain how this will work. Instead, He says, "If you love me, you're going to keep my commandments. If you love me, keep my word. God will love you, and we will make a home with you."

This brings us to point number four, which, if you're clever, you caught on to after point number three: do something. Jesus doesn't answer Judas's question; He just tells him to do Jesus-type stuff. Very often, God does not answer our questions directly. He simply says, "Okay, I want you to go out and do what I've called you to do." But how is this going to work? I'm not going to tell you that; you're just going to go out and do it.

We went to Paraguay, and if you've ever done cross-cultural missions where you don't speak the language...

It's pretty interesting to watch how God works in communication. As much as you would think so, not everybody in Paraguay speaks Spanish. Even if you have a command or a rudimentary understanding of job site Spanish, it can be a little difficult because they speak Guarani, which is a local tribal dialect, not Spanish. It's fascinating to try to communicate the love of God with a language barrier.

But God knew that was going to be there, and He provided ways. We had a lot of translators, yes, but at the same time, it's amazing how much you can communicate love to somebody just by spending time with them, making eye contact, and listening, even if you don't understand what they're saying. It's incredible how God does this.

A lot of times, we don't know how it's going to work. We might wonder, "Lord, how is spending a week on an island in a cabin with young people in various states of cleanliness and smelliness going to be for Your glory?" But you see God work. So keep doing what you're called to do and stop getting hung up on the hows. That was an admonition more for me than for anybody else, probably.

We can't get hung up on the question of how things are going to work. God calls us to do things, and then we let Him worry about the results. In verse 25, it says, "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Jesus tells us that while He is here, He has shared important truths, but there is another who will come to teach us and help us remember all that He has said. The Holy Spirit will minister to us by teaching and reminding us what Jesus has said so that we can please the Father and dwell as one with God.

This happens primarily in my life, and probably in yours, as we do what we are called to do. Very often, I gain understanding of why we did something after we've done it, sometimes during the process, but often in hindsight. That's how I see God work—as you step out and take action.

I don't know how this is going to go. You look at it and say, "Wow, I could never have done that," but God did that. We don't see those things unless we step out. This teaching happens greatest as we do.

In John 14:27, Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives peace do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." He ends this part of the conversation the same way he started, with the admonition to not let our hearts be troubled or afraid.

So how do we find this peace that Jesus gives to us? In my life, I find it in knowing Jesus and learning more about Him through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which brings me closer to the Father as I follow what Jesus commands. But it's a package deal. You don't get peace by sitting on your hands and waiting for it. We receive peace as we step out and do.

This brings us to point five: do something. However, one last admonition—don't fall into the trap of Martha and think that doing something means you always have to be cleaning or doing this ministry or that ministry. Part of doing something is sitting at the feet of Jesus, reading your Bible, spending time in worship, spending time in prayer, and spending time in fellowship.

If all we do is run from one activity to another, I can tell you we did a ton of stuff this summer, but you cannot keep that pace up for very long. At some point, things start cracking, and the wheels begin to fall off. We have to spend time at the feet of Jesus, which is part and parcel of doing something.

We will close here with Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ." If Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, it will change our way of living, it will change what we believe, and it will change and direct our lives. We will draw closer to Jesus as we do things with Him.

Let's pray. Jesus, what an amazing thing it is to look in Your Word.

Father God, I know for me that I can quickly fall into the trap of Martha. If I don't see action, Lord, I don't think people are doing things. But Father God, you know what we need to do, and you know what we should be doing. Even now, Lord, I believe that you are touching hearts. You're pointing out opportunities, and for some, you are just tugging on their hearts, saying, "Spend time with me, spend time in my Word."

So, Father God, I lift us up to you, and I pray, Jesus, that whatever it is that you're calling us to do today, help make it clear to us. Father God, we know that we don't often get the destination, but we know, Jesus, you are the path. I pray that you would lead us and that we would learn to stay close to you because you are the way, the truth, and the life. Father God, you have all those things that we need, so help us to follow closely. We pray these things, Jesus, in your name.