A Battlefield of the Mind: Battling Lies with the Truth of the Christian Worldview

cc 2.0

We raise our weapons and rally against the night.  It's coming you know.  It's here.  And we face it at every turn.  Battle after battle, clash after clash.  We seem so weak at times, we seem so vulnerable.  While the enemy marches on us with ten thousand veteran troops, we seem to rally with a handful of tattered, broken young boys and old men, armed with rusty weapons and meager defenses.  Too often it seems like the battle of helms deep, too many orcs, not enough defenders at the castle, and terrified leaders.  But then again, sieges can always be turned. 

The institutions of the west have been conquered, twisted, and re-oriented to attack the founding principles.  Academia, Hollywood, late night talk shows, news media, public education, universities, government bureaucracies, newspapers, big business entities, and internet have all embraced counter-american values and now actively seek to brainwash the young, subvert traditional values, fundamentally transform america, and embrace secular ethics.  Don't get me wrong, there are many institutions, businesses, news sources, and internet outlets that fight against this agenda.  But for the most part, the vast majority of the entrenched institutions are controlled by a secular progressive elite.  But what become clear several months ago is that the american people, the everyday average joes across the nation do not agree with or support this agenda.  In fact there is a growing rage against it.

So there is great reason to be hopeful.  My primary concern is to carry the gospel to lost people.  But my secondary concern is to help uphold culture, politics, and society.  That's why I discuss both together.  We as Christians, as the church on Earth are called to both carry the gospel and uphold society.  Yes, politics is messy.  Culture is messy.  Most Christians just throw up their arms and try to stay out of it.  I can't do that, because I know I'm called to interact in both the spiritual realm and the physical realm.  All these things are intertwined.  Simply saying that "politics, religion, and ideology" are all bad is just stupid.  All of these things are interrelated, and all of them affect each other.  So I simply attempt to carry the gospel to the lost of this world, and uphold society by sharing biblical values based around liberty and choice in politics, philosophy, and government.  

We exist on a perpetual battlefield. This is a war.  And we are soldiers.  We don't fight with weapons.  Instead, we fight with ideas.  We demolish false pretensions, lies, and stacked up ideologies that attempt to circumvent the truth.  

Has that concept been lost?  Maybe it has to a certain extent.  Though I see great reason for hope.  There are so many things happening that never make the news.  So many Christian ministries serving day and night, yet they never make the news.  There are so many activists out there sharing Christianity, sharing Jesus, and taking a stand for religious freedom.  It's a blossoming time for evangelical Christianity, and biblical values in modern culture.  Things are really changing, for the better, I hope.  


The struggle remains day and night.  It continues in our lives.  We all have are regions and sectors of the world, the areas where we're called to serve.  We serve in small towns, medium sized cities, regions, like the midwest, the east, the south, and so on and so forth.  It's an honor, really it is.  To have been selected for this mission by God, before the foundations of the Earth, to do this, to be loved by Him, is an honor beyond measure.  I hope you carry it with you, within you, as love that holds you in times of difficulty.

It makes sense doesn't it?  Yes indeed it does.  God is good.  He calls us to much action, and much boldness.  We are called to dangerous faith, faith that acts in desperate situations.  But the world is always coming to the brink.  This isn't a new phenomenon.  It has happened time and again throughout human history.  The narrative of man improving himself and the woes and failures of the past being gone, giving way to a bright altruistic modernism is simply false.  The 20th century was the worst yet as far as violence, war, genocide, and famine are concerned.  Humanity hasn't changed.  We haven't "evolved" beyond petty rivalries and power struggles.  There are just craftier ways of taking power and wealth today than in the past.  So be it.  Society comes to the brink, God rallies a few heroes to restore order.  It has happened and will happen again.  There is nothing new under the sun.

Be a channel for the Lord's work to be done.  Don your spiritual armor and stand against the mobs of hysterical secular revolutionaries.  Prepare the way for the Lord.  Plant the seeds of salvation through the witness of His power in your life and affairs.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not comprehended it.  Be the light in this world.  Be the noble man of honor and dignity. Be the serene woman of dignity and strength. That is so lacking in our world today.  It's easy to be a selfish slob, it's harder to be a dedicated man of honor.  It's easy to become darkness and spit in the face of good.  It's harder to do good and be good in a corrupt world.  

The battlefield of the mind is where we wage our battles.  This is a battlefield that we can't necessarily see with our eyes. But we can perceive it with our minds.  It's a system that's all around us, and it's all encompassing.  It's harder to notice for most because we've been raised up in it.  Often times there are rare people who can see it despite the fact that they have been raised in it.  But for the most part, people don't realize that it even exists.  They think their ideas are their own, when they are actually repeating ideas that have been programmed into them by the surrounding system.  So many live under the system, chasing after what it tells them to chase after, and living the way the system tells them to live.  

The solution is to take several steps outside the system, and try to see it for what it is.  We have a guidebook to help us do that, it's called the Bible.  The Bible gives us a road map to detect and subvert the current system.  We do this by considering the worldview around us, and fighting against it with the truth of God's word.  

Why are you so full of lust?  Why does your mind race so often with endless images of half clad women?  Or why does your mind race with images of the perfect female body, and why does your mind attack you and shame you into thinking that you aren't good enough and that you constantly have to look prettier, and that you have to eat less and that no matter what you aren't enough and you aren't wonderful and aren't lovely and aren't perfect enough?  Why aren't you the one who is good enough?  Well, the struggle is real.  The truth is, our minds have been absolutely bombarded by lies, false realities, false philosophies, false ideologies, and backwards ideas intended to shame us, use us, manipulate us, and send the money flying from our wallets and purses into the hands of those who propagate these false ideas.  

The word of God says that you've been made perfect in Christ.  The word of God says that you are of great value to God.  The word of God says to not worry about anything!

And the ideas of the world say that you are nothing but evolved space dust.  The world says that you are of no value unless your sexually appealing, have a perfect body, or are filthy rich.  The world says to worry about everything and try to force everything to go your way.  

The world says that your in charge.  Take life and make it what you want it to be!  The word of God says, obey God's will and not your own.  The word of God says to die to self, and live to Christ.  

The world constantly tells us to indulge our senses, indulge our stomachs, indulge our sexuality and buy everything we want.  The word of God says that you don't have to covet what others have.  You can be totally content with what you have right now.  You don't have to constantly feed your desires, you can shut them off, and stop them from throbbing endlessly, demanding to be titillated.  

Do you see how the ideas of the world have us under their control?  Yes, for many of us they certainly do, to varying degrees.  Yet God is so good, when Christ enters our lives he begins to set us free, breaking chain after chain, usually over a process of many years, he uproots the lies from our minds and implants the truths from His word.  Praise be to God for this sanctifying process. It's such a joy to be free from the lies of the world, those old nasty lies that run us ragged, fill us with stress, and drive us absolutely nutty. 

Challenge the lies of the world with God's truth.  The truth is in his word.  Learn to study.  Cultivate disciplines and practices of daily study.  It's not so hard.  If you struggle with integrating God's word into your daily routine, ask God in prayer to help you.  He certainly will.  I struggled with that so much, I was so set in my routines, so resistant to changing them.  But I asked God to change that, and he did, he opened up my routine, like a rush of air, it was changed.  Thanks be to God. 

We rush in a frenzy, trying to gather the forces of justice and light to rally against the insurrection rising up amongst us.  Western civilization seems determined to commit cultural and political suicide.  Secularism moves out in all directions.  We fight, but it seems like we fight against a tidal wave.  

We gather our men and women together into columns.  We rally at the great city in the wilderness. The clouds of the sky break to bright mid day son as we march upon the great evils of our time.  We can do this.  We can do this together.  Unite my brothers and sisters.  The times are desperate, the evils multiply like overlapping dark storms upon storms. 

When great evil rises, and all seems nearly lost, a desperate few who dare to believe can change everything.  A few, so few that still believe that God will rise up against their enemies will win the day.  When all seems impossible, when the land of the enemy is filled with giants, a good report brings victory and hope to the people.  We will be victorious.  Believe, and never stop fighting.  Day in, day out, month by month, year by year, in it for the long haul, never stop fighting on the battlefield of ideas, propagate the truth, spread it across the world, once found the truth is greater than a million lies.  

Additional Articles:

1. The Return of Jesus Christ & the New Jerusalem
2. What will the New Universe be like?
3. Origin, Meaning, Morality, & Destiny: An atheist and a Christian on discuss Worldview
4. Seven Objections to the Bible and Seven Reasonable Responses
5. Quick Fact Sheet: Four Points to Consider
6. 10 Answers to Common Questions Raised by Skeptics
7. Believing in the Miraculous: The Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross
8. Can you see through the illusion?
9. Philosophy, Science, Logic, and History: Presentations on the Truth of Christianity from Multiple Disciplines
10. No Evidence for God?

Mysteries of the Crucifixion: The 7 Sayings of Christ on the Cross

Accompanying Video:

Message Audio:

The Salvation Army is mobilizing worldwide. The purpose of this mobilization is to encourage salvationists to step outside the walls of our churches and buildings, and to go into our communities to share the gospel.

One of the things I like to see is when I look over, and I notice someone has brought a friend to church with them. It’s an incredible blessing. I see it with older folks in the church, and even with the teens and younger kids, who invite a friend to come with them.

It’s an attitude we try to have as protestant “evangelical” Christians. So when you hear someone refer to evangelicals what they are referring to is Christians who actively share their faith with others.

Today we’re looking at the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and meaning of that event. Connected with that historical event, we’re then considering the implications of this living gospel, and how we can carry it with us where we go.

Does it penetrate to the deepest recesses of your being, your soul, and your understanding of the world? Do we really understand the significance of the cross?

Let us consider the state of reality. Did you know that the way things are right now are not as they were intended to be? It’s true. These lives we live today are a struggle, often broken, filled with chaos and strife.

We as a species were destined for paradise. But paradise was lost, through a string of events we call the fall of man. Today we live in the fall. But as Christians our ultimate destiny is paradise. It’s paradise regained, thanks to Jesus.

We live here 80 to 90 years. We’ll spend forever in paradise. Millions and millions of years are just the beginning of eternity with Christ. But today, right now, really matters. Because the door stands cracked open. And soon it will be shut forever. That is the door to salvation. That is the door to eternal life. Who is the door? Jesus. But once Jesus returns and sets all things right on Earth, that door will close. Many people will be very surprised, and the fate that awaits them is terrible indeed.

Every person we see, every single one is made in the image of God. Every person we see, our coworkers, our friends, family, strangers and gas station attendants. Their souls hang in the balance, today. They die for lack of knowledge. Everything is at stake right now. Right now is when we can make a difference.

Paradise was lost, but it has been regained and we are destined for that eternal city, the New City of God. This place is where I want to be! John wrote of the city when he said:

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” -Revelation Chapter 20

We have access to this glorious future, to eternal life, to eternal joy, to paradise itself! We know why:

Two thousand years ago Jesus willingly went to the cross, voluntarily. He was there for hours, suffering. Today as we consider reaching those in our community, I’d like to draw your attention to the 7 sayings of Jesus while he was nailed to the cross.

Our savior is nailed to the wooden cross beams, and lifted up and the cross base is dropped into a hole in the ground. And as Jesus is there, slowly dying, having been whipped and beaten, he makes several statements. Let’s take a look at these statements and see what they teach us about the mysteries of the cross.

The roman soldiers were debating over who would get Jesus’ robe. This was right after Jesus had been hoisted upon the cross. And this is when Jesus made his first statement:

Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

So often in our world violence begets violence, hatred is met by hatred. The Jews and the Islamic nations have fought back and forth for hundreds of years. Family disputes go on and on. They hurt us, so we hurt them. Back and forth, back and forth. When hate was thrown upon Jesus, when violence was thrown upon Jesus, it did not bounce back, it stopped with Jesus. At the cross, Jesus returned the hatred of his enemies with love, and He absorbed the sin of the world, ending it. Next…

The criminal on the cross says to Jesus, if your really the son of God get us down from here. Then the second criminal says,”We are punished justly, we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Luke 23:43: Truly, I say to you on this day, you will be with me in paradise.

At that moment, the criminal confessed his own sinfulness, and declared that Jesus Christ was the king who would come into his kingdom. And by his humility, his willingness to see the truth, that he was guilty, and Jesus was innocent, did he receive eternal life. He repented, and said that Jesus was pure, and he was justly deserving judgment. So he received grace.

Mary the mother of Jesus and John the disciple of Jesus were there when Jesus was on the cross. So after Jesus’ words with the criminal, he turns his head towards mom and says, “Mom, this is your son” gesturing toward John. And then to his dear friend John he said, “Son, this is your mother.”

This reminds of us the importance of relationships, and family.

In Matthew chapter 27 it says “42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

At this moment it is believed, that for three hours the presence of God the Father left Jesus Christ utterly alone on the cross. At this moment Jesus atoned for the sins of the world, in total darkness. An eclipse of the sun occurred, and it was completely dark.

Jesus saved others, but he did not spar himself. He went to the cross, suffered the condemnation for the sins of the world. Jesus became sin, in so doing, God the Father could not look upon God the son, but turned his being away from Him and left him alone. That is the punishment we deserved, and Jesus took it for us. What a terribly high cost.

Jesus declares forgiveness, he declares grace to those who slaughter him, but he does not spare himself the great suffering, the great passion of being utterly left alone, to have all the sin of the world poured upon him like a great river of filth and darkness descended.

Three hours, total darkness. And after three long hours Jesus cried out “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?”

He’s suffering, and he’s crying out in sadness that he has been left so incredibly alone, left condemned with the worst sinners.

Jesus’ then utters the phrase: “I thirst.” And many consider this a declaration of his extreme suffering. He is in the most intense state of suffering. He is offered the sour wine, but does not receive it. He accepts no consolation.

Shortly after these words Jesus declared victory when he said, “It is finished.” He had atoned for the sins of the world, and it had been fully accomplished. Jesus was victorious to the very end, just as he is victorious in our lives today.

Then finally Luke 23:46 Jesus is reunited with God the Father, when He says “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And then Jesus died.

Jesus cried out one last time (Matthew 27:50) and he gave up his spirit. Matthew 27:51 then says “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open.”

Jesus’s victory on the cross had torn away the veil between God and people. Jesus opened the door to relationship between God and man through his mediation. He shook the world, defeated Satan, and opened up the tombs, in that he had defeated death, and declared eternal life open to all who would believe in Him.

These things are true! And real! This all really happened. It’s recorded by eye witnesses in the gospels. Jesus Christ is alive. He is resurrected, and he has defeated sin and death. Think of the weight, value, and importance of what Jesus has done. Eternal life is open to all who would believe in Jesus. It’s open today.

Friends we are so blessed in this church, at the salvation Army Escanaba to come here every week and celebrate our glorious Jesus. But friends, there are so many out there today who don’t have that opportunity. They know nothing of Jesus. And we have to reach them. We have to mobilize. It’s easy to sit here on Sunday and worship God. It’s a lot scarier to leave our comfort zone, to step out into the community and minister to someone we don’t know much about.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.” And he said, “go forth and preach the gospel to everyone.”

We know everything hangs in the balance. The stakes are so high. Today I invite you to go into your communities; to visit with someone who needs Jesus, develop a relationship with them, and bring them into the family of believers.



Related Posts:

1. Eulogy: A Tribute to Grandma
2. The Return of Jesus Christ & the New Jerusalem
3. What will the New Universe be like?
4. Origin, Meaning, Morality, & Destiny: An atheist and a Christian on discuss Worldview
5. Seven Objections to the Bible and Seven Reasonable Responses
6. Quick Fact Sheet: Four Points to Consider
7. 10 Answers to Common Questions Raised by Skeptics
8. Believing in the Miraculous: The Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross
9. Can you see through the illusion?
10. Philosophy, Science, Logic, and History: Presentations on the Truth of Christianity from Multiple Disciplines

Living a Lifestyle of Worship

Living a lifestyle of worship is something that has to happen one day at a time I think.  We as Christians could be tempted to assume a "once and done" attitude about our Christian faith.  But it's really about loving God and loving people one day at a time.  It's about attending church services faithfully, and Bible studies faithfully, week in and week out, in good times and bad times.  That isn't always easy, but thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ it is something we can do with joy and patience.

Are you tempted to give up when things don't go your way?  Do you get angry or confused when things won't come in your own time?  I know it's been frustrating for me at times, wishing I was married is one big thing, and yet it never seems to happen. But I try to be patient.  Recently I had two deaths in the family, my grandma and grandpa both passed away.  It's a time of grieving for me.  Yet I never questioned if God was good.  I already know God is good, and that can never change.  As Job said, one who endured great suffering, "Should we accept good from God and not misfortune?" (Job 2:10).

There will be many ups and downs in the Christian life.  We've been appointed to testify regarding the grace of God in Christ Jesus in a dark, fallen world.  That will challenge us time and again.  We've been appointed to suffer (Philippians 1:29).  And the goal is that through our suffering we'd become more Jesus, and through our suffering that the Holy Spirit would carry the gospel through us.

Living a lifestyle of worship is an honorable calling.  It's something we should all aspire to.  How can we worship God day and night?  How can we live a lifestyle of worship?  

I think it means understanding who God is, and living in amazement of his divine characteristics.  God made the universe from nothing.  God made the plants, the animals, the stars in the sky, the seasons, the sun, the moon, and God our race.  God is timeless. God is omnipotent.  God is non-physical. He designed the various laws of physics that govern our universe.  God through his creative  spirit developed the human senses, the human body, the design of romance and relationships, he developed the arts, the philosophies, the constructs of society and government, He made it all by his infinite wisdom.  

God to us personally is both a father and a friend.  He is a savior and a comforter.  He is an encourager and discipliner.  This is a beautiful relationship that we have the honor of participating in.  Yet ultimately the greatest glory of God, and our greatest reason to love Him is because of what he's done for us in his son Jesus Christ.  

Our sins had separated us from God almighty.  Yet God in his compassion offered us a way to be redeemed and brought into right relationship with Him.  God sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ on a rescue mission to save a wayward humanity.  God became a man, Emmanuel, which means "God with us."  Jesus Christ lived a perfect life.  He healed the sick, served the poor, and guided his disciples.  He spoke to the multitudes proclaiming a mystery called the "coming of the kingdom of God."  Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and willingly went to the cross for us.  He chose the cross.  Jesus was nailed to the cross, spit upon and mocked, and for many hours he suffered on that cross.  

Finally at the ultimate moment, all of the sins of the world, my sins, were placed upon Christ, and at that moment, God the Father turned his face away from Jesus, and He was left alone, to die alone, as a sacrifice for the sins that I've committed.  And three days later, Jesus resurrected from the dead, saying to us today, if you believe in me, you will be resurrected after your death, and you will inherit the kingdom eternal.

Ultimately our daily worship must center on the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross, and his resurrection.  Jesus is coming again, and He will make all things right on Earth.  Live in light of eternity.  Keep your mind focused on living a life in light of eternity.  Christ has redeemed you, and every good deed you do now equals treasure in heaven.  That's what Jesus said.  So work and labor for eternal life.  Carry the living gospel to the lost in any way you can.  Be creative, and think outside the box.  Carry the gospel, the scriptures, and defenses of the faith in the community, on the internet, on social media, and in any and every way you can.  Heaven is real, hell is real and the souls of humanity hang in the balance.  Who will tell them if we won't?  We must.  And I believe that we will.

So in conclusion, I'd like to encourage you to build a lifestyle of worship.  Serve Jesus, in light of eternity and carry the great mighty gospel to those in your community who don't yet know him.  Thank you for reading, God bless you.  



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4. Expert Testimony: the Demise of Evolution, Complex in DNA
5. Origin, Meaning, Morality, & Destiny: An atheist and a Christian on discuss Worldview
6. Seven Objections to the Bible and Seven Reasonable Responses
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The Seven I Am Statements of Jesus: Who is Jesus?

Audio Message:

Who is Jesus? Who is it really that we’re following? What did Jesus say about himself, and his identity? We talk about Him enough don’t we? Jesus this, Jesus that, but who is Jesus? 

The prophet Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet wrote about Jesus, and who he was, before Jesus was even born. In fact there are dozens of descriptions in the Old Testament about who Jesus was, even before he was born into the world. Isaiah wrote:

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted." -Isaiah 53:3-4 NIV

Yet at the beginning of John’s gospel, which is what we’ll be looking at today, it’s also said about Jesus, that he is the Word. Which is a phrase that seems to describe Jesus as a voice of God in the world. John wrote:

John 1:1-5, 9-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John this guy, two thousand years ago said “We SAW HIM.” We hung out with Jesus. And we witnessed his glory day in and day out. They chilled with Jesus. They hung out with him all the time and he mentored them. Anybody here ever had a person mentor them? Support them? Spend time with them? That’s what Jesus did with the first disciples, the first Christians.

The gospel of John is by far my favorite gospel. I really think it was written down by John for just our time in history. If you’ll open your bibles to John, that’s where we’ll be looking today.

We talk about Jesus a lot. We use his name a lot. But how well do we know him? How well do we know and obey the one we follow? We’ve got to stay in the word of God, the Bible. The more we read it, the more it becomes a part of our mind. And we access Jesus through the word.

Jesus said that through the word he had given his disciples, they had been made clean. The word of God is our most direct means of accessing God and being transformed by God.

Today we’re going to specifically talk about the 7 I Am statements of Jesus in John. The 7 “I Am” Statements of Jesus are a great way to build in your mind a framework of who jesus is and what his position as our “savior” really means. I’d encourage you to memorize one or more of these “I am” statements. And recite them in your prayers to God. And recite them to yourself when your struggling or in need.

What comes into our minds when we think about Jesus is the most important thing about us. That’s what A.W. Tozer a great Christian pastor said. And it’s true. Everything hinges on our relationship with Jesus Christ. So let us pay the most careful attention to what Jesus says about himself.

In John Chapter 6:35-40 It says: 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

1. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”

Therefore according to the word Jesus is our sustainer.

He provides for all our needs. Which is why we have food to eat and water to drink. That’s why I always thank God before I eat any meal. I encourage you to do the same. So many people, even Christians don’t pray before their meals. And I think to myself, what are they doing! God has given us such abundant food in this country, yet we don’t thank Him? Are we so entitled, and so snotty to think that we deserve all this abundance? We don’t deserve anything. We receive what God gives us.

Jesus loves us. He is our bread of life. Whoever comes to Jesus will never go hungry or thirsty. Jesus indicates how we should live in response to this gift: Live to do God’s will, and not our own wills. That’s what Jesus did. He did the Father’s will perfectly. We are called to do the same, to live as God wants us to live.

Challenge the lies of the world: Do you provide for you? Are you the ultimate source of what you have? That is a lie of the world. That we have to force things in our lives to go a certain way by manipulating people and circumstances to meet our needs. Ultimately our real provider is Jesus. And we can live that way, with that mindset.

2. Jesus said I am the light of the world. 

Jesus is our illuminator

From John chapter 8 verse 12: “12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

What a mysterious saying. What did Jesus mean by this, to say he is the light of the world? I think several factors play into this. First, the word of God says that Jesus actually holds reality together. In this way, Jesus is the light of the world, in that he guides reality. Yet we get another clue about light and darkness earlier in the book of John, in chapter three it says:

John 3:20-21 (NIV) says: 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

So we who choose to follow Jesus, step from the darkness into the light. The darkness is a place of hiding, of fleeing from god. We hide the evil we do, and refuse to accept that God is real and that we are accountable to Him. But those of who follow Jesus, are willing to admit, yes we do everything in the presence and sight of God, we step into the light, and say yes, I am under God’s light, I choose to show that what I do is done before God. We live in the light of Christ. And this isn’t always easy. Because if there is sin in our lives, addiction, sexual sin, masturbation, pornography, lying, cheating, stealing, that light of Christ burns those areas of our soul. And we’re convicted by those areas. And we’re disturbed deeply by them. If you really belong to Jesus Christ, and then you go and sleep with some random girl or guy, let me tell you, you’ll have a very hard time enjoying it. Because your living in the light, and you’ll know that you’ve done that before God. The light burns the sin out of our lives. Because we can’t stand the sin when we live in the light. We want it gone. We hunger and thirst to be holy and righteous. Which feels better than any fleeting pleasure of sin.

Before I knew Jesus I couldn’t see much. I couldn’t see any thing really. I was blind. I kinda understood that I was human and I existed and I suppose to I don’t know, get a job, or go to college, or have a family or something. But I had no idea what life was really about. Couldn’t really figure it out.

But when I came to know Jesus, finally I could see what life was really about, and what the meaning of life was.

3. Jesus said I am the gate. 

Jesus is our doorway.

John 10:7-16 says: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus said again and again, “I’m telling you the truth.” Not my truth, not a truth, not one of many truths, but the truth. I love that about Jesus. I so desperately want to know the truth about this messed up, yet beautiful and mysterious world we live in. Jesus gives me the truth. It isn’t always easy to hear, but at least it’s the truth. And we have to love the truth if we’re going to recognize it.

Jesus is our doorway into the truth. He is literally the door through whom we walk to receive new birth, eternal life, an entirely new life, from the dead world that we come from. Emptiness, darkness, sin, decadence, Jesus removes it all. But we have to come through Jesus, not through ourselves, or our ideas, or by way of a pastor or preacher, or through religious ceremonies. We have to come personally, you, alone to Jesus and ask Him to be your savior, to remove your sins, and give you new birth through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s the truth. But only through Jesus. But in Jesus we find a life of purpose, a rich and satisfying life. I used to be a drug addict. Emptiness, loneliness, confusion, ego, pride, all of those things encompass that lifestyle. And it’s lame. It’s boring. Jesus gave me a life that means something. Where I can do things that are important. He can give that to you too!

The lie of the world this relates to is self-sufficiency. The world tells us, the television, which I like to call the “tell lie vision” tells us we have to do it ourselves. Me, me, me! What I want! I deserve it. It’s all about looking to ourselves and our aspirations and our dreams and our goals. That isn’t what we’re called to. We’re called to look to Jesus, and enter through him. Not our own opinions. Forget our own opinions, most of them are wrong. Look to Jesus and the word of God, and embrace those views, they are the truth. Just as Jesus said, I am telling you the truth. Take it or leave it.

4. Jesus said I am the good shepherd. 

Jesus is our leader.

Now in the same chapter, just one verse after Jesus says that he is the gate. He continues and says:

John 10:11-18 (NLT) says,“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Not only is Jesus our gate of entry, our doorway to salvation, Jesus also goes along with us on the journey. It’s kind of like Lord of the Rings, the heroes go on their quest, and Gandalf comes with. That’s what Jesus does for us. He comes with us, and protects us on the journey of life. Not only that, but he leads us. And ultimately he laid down his life for us. Jesus says that he knows us, and we know him, if we’re part of his family. And he says they’ll listen to my voice. And surely we do, don’t we? That’s why we read the Bible and study the gospels.

Jesus also says that he lays down his life voluntarily, which is what he did on the cross. No one took him by force and sent him to the cross. He’s God on Earth, if he wanted he could strike down everyone around him with a mere thought. But no, he goes voluntarily, he knew he had to, to die for our sins. To receive the punishment we deserved.

5. Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life. 

Jesus is our life giver.

John 11:20-27 says: "Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

We all know the historical event of Mary and Martha. Their brother died. And Jesus came, and raised Lazarus from the dead. Why did Jesus do this? What was the meaning of this event?

One of the worst things about life is that we grow old and die. In fact it’s so normal, that we don’t even hardly think about it. We just assume that we grow up, then start getting wrinkly, then eventually we die.

Jesus is the only one who can deal with this issue of death. And fundamentally at the core of the gospel is that Jesus Christ tells us that if we believe in him we can live forever. Forever. So I think Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to show us quite clearly that he was God and he had the power to raise us from the dead after we die as well. Plain and simple, if you want to live forever, believe in Jesus. He can raise us from the dead, he’s shown us he can, when he raised Lazarus.

6. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. 

Jesus is our road home.

Jesus is sitting down with all the disciples. And things are happening. The wheels of reality are turning. The establishment has put up with Jesus and his teachings, his miracles for this long. Jesus has been fought and attacked and mobbed and the religious leaders are just about done with him. In fact one of his twelve, Judas, has decided to betray Jesus. Jesus is having the last supper with the disciples. And they are all super sad, because their best friend is telling them some very bad things are about to happen. And Jesus can tell his friends are sad. So he says:

John 14:1-7 says: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.[a] If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Jesus is so awesome. He says, dude, Thomas, I am the way. Come through me, I’m your God. You’ve been with me all this time. Thomas didn’t get it. Many of us struggle to “get it” too I think. But we can come to understand these things. If we’re diligent about pursuing Jesus.

Jesus makes the most astonishing statement. And it’s beautifully put. John 14:6 is my life verse. After my parents divorced when I was 16 I went on a rampage. I just like, threw up my hands and said I’ve had enough. Because I had honestly tried so hard to do as I was told and fit into the system. I tried to get good grades, but the classes were awful and the teachers didn’t care about what they taught. I tried to be a good sports star just like my dad wanted, but the coaches were corrupt, they pushed their own sons to starting positions. They did nothing when I was mercilessly mocked and bullied by the other players. Everyday I would go to school, get bullied by the preps, then go to practice, get bullied by the jocks, then I’d come home to my parents screaming at each other in the hallway. So I’d go in my room, and cry, and turn on Korn.

When my parents split my dad refused to talk to me because I quit basketball. I started doing pills, and the preps got scared, because they knew how much they bullied me, so they got me expelled. And I was expelled. I woke up in a mental hospital and was told I was expelled.

For the next 10 years I just said screw it, I’m not gonna care about anything. I’m gonna do whatever feels good, I’m gonna do drugs, and I’m gonna chase girls, and I’m gonna kill myself eventually. That was the plan. But part of me was wondering what life was really about, because the public schools, the material life, the videogames, the parties, it all felt empty.

Years went by, as I wondered what the meaning of life was. Why am I here? What should I do? Jesus Christ answered all of my questions in one sentence in John 14:6 when he said, “I’m the way, I’m the truth, and I’m the life.” Jesus is the way to live. Follow his example. Jesus is the meaning of life, Jesus is truth itself. And what is the meaning of life? Well because Jesus is the life, I can live forever. Eternal life is the meaning of life.

7. Jesus said I am the true vine. 

Jesus is our source.

In the final I am statement of Jesus, the 7th, Jesus is saying, so now you know me, I’m your savior now, and Jesus is saying, “remain with me.” Don’t get lost, you’ve got to stay connected to me. He says:

John 15:1-8: “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

All the odds are stacked against you out there. The world of sin will try to rip Jesus away from you, through temptations, through boredom, through family, drugs, sin, and through friends among many other things.

I urge you, cling to the Bible as if your life depended on it, because it does. Cling to prayer, because communication is the beating heart of our relationship with God. If we aren’t doing this two simple things, we aren’t a Christian, we’re nobody.

If we stay plugged into Jesus, then we’re gonna do great things. That’s what Jesus means by bearing fruit. If we remain in Christ’s love, by following him day in and day out, then we’re gonna grow, change, and do incredible things.

Many of my friends say that they got saved, that they encountered the risen living Jesus Christ when they were young, 5 years old, 8 years old, 10, 13, 15, 17, 18. Still others tell me they didn't encounter Jesus until much later in their lives.  It can happen for you now. Maybe it already has. But I want to offer the opportunity for you to make that commitment to Jesus today. Right now.

So let me present the gospel to you. Essentially, this is the gospel: Humanity fell away from God, long ago. And ever since the human race has been lost in sin. We all know we’re sinners, that we struggle with stealing, lying, cheating, using others, drugs, addiction, and all sorts of sins that entangle us, hurt us, and hurt those we love. The truth is we’ve sinned against God. And everytime we sin it adds to this list of the wrongs we’ve committed against God.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try to be good, we can’t do it. I know, I’ve tried to be good. Sin always seems to overcome all the good I try to do.

But God decided long ago that he was going to come into the world, and defeat the sin problem. That is why God became Jesus Christ, born as a man, and Jesus lived a perfect life. He never sinned once. He was fulfilling the mandate for each person to live as God desires us to live. He served others, healed the sick, spoke the truth, and loved his friends. Jesus willingly went to the cross, he wasn’t forced, he went of his own choice. Jesus was whipped until his back was bloody. He had nails driven through his hands and feet. And he was mounted up on the cross, to die slowly.

And on the cross, all of my sins, the entire debt that I had accumulated, all my sin, was placed upon Jesus Christ while he was on the cross. When I believe in Jesus, all my sin is transferred to Jesus. And in return, I receive his perfect righteousness. It’s like I put on Jesus as a garment of pure white. 

So it’s a simple trade. Jesus receives all my sin, and I receive his righteousness. Jesus died on the cross. He cried out father why have you forsaken me? And at this moment God the Father turned his face away from God the son, and condemned him as payment for the sins of you and me. Jesus lay dead for three days in the tomb. And then Jesus did the impossible. He was resurrected from the dead. So not only does Jesus pay our debt through his death on the cross, but he also resurrects from the dead, to show us that He is God, and that He will give us eternal life. He was saying with his resurrection that if you believe in me you will be resurrected after your death and you will live forever. Just as Jesus lives forever, right now. Jesus is alive right now. 

 If you believe three simple things, and insist in your mind that they are true, then you will be saved:

1. Jesus is God and man and lived perfectly, never sinned.

2. Jesus our savior died on the cross paying the debt you owned for the sins you’ve done over your life.

3. Jesus resurrected from the dead and is alive right now in heaven and he is coming again. We believe that through Jesus resurrection we are given new life as well, we are born again by the Holy Spirit.

Believe in your heart, and testify with your mouth. Very simple.

Who do you say that Jesus is? Is he just some guy? Or is He God your savior? 

Ultimately the choice is yours.  God offers us the sacred gift of choice.  You can believe conspiracy theories from the internet, about gnostic gospels and Da Vincian conspiracies made up in novels, or you can push aside all those lies, and trust in Jesus.  History attests to Christ.  He really existed.  The Bible is a historical document, with thousands of manuscripts that match one another.  Myths that preceeded Christianity have little in common with Christian history, which is based in fact, not fiction.  And the amazing harmonious complexity of the universe leads us to consider the fact that we live in a designed universe, tailored to support human life.  

Those are the facts.  But the choice is yours.  I offer it to you now.  Jesus once asked the disciples: Who do you say that I am?  And Peter replied, "Your are the messiah, the son of God."  How will you respond?  The choice is yours, make a good one. 


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