April 20, 2008
The Rev. Dr. Dennis E. Morey, Pastor

Sermon: "Paved Roads"
Scripture: John 14:1-14

Paved roads, don't we love them? Anyone who has lived through this past winter living in the country has no sympathy for anyone living in town complaining about pot-holes.

We are a generation that is used to having the ground beneath our feet and beneath the wheels of our vehicles permanent and firm.

I love history but when I see those pictures in the Newspaper about how Oskaloosa used to look and I see those huge ruts in the mud streets, I am glad I live in 2008.

We understand at an early age that we are supposed to walk on the sidewalk and the rule about keeping the car on the street is one that is agreed upon by everyone who drives.

Even though the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, it is just understood that staying on the pavement is the rule. Cutting across yards or gardens is not allowed. Although staying on the street may technically be further, because of the pavement it is by far the best way.

What would our world be like if we did not stay on the pavement? The paved road is the way that someone else living before us made, not only for themselves to travel but others as well. The decision and hard work was done before us. We are to enjoy the pavement and follow the way. Stay on the street.

I have before me here a road map. Drawn on this piece of paper is the way that was made for me to go. If I want to get to Pella, I find the road that will get me there in the least amount of distance and time.

Now I can decide to go south toward Ottumwa on 163 go through that town then travel on 34 to Albia then go up highway five to Knoxville and to Pella. But that is not the best way, for it is 95 miles going that way and it will take about 2 hours.

If I go that way, I am going to have to stop and buy something to eat, maybe buy gasoline, and there will be a dozen distractions along the way.

The best way to get to Pella is just go up highway 163, a nice 4 lane interstate and a distance of about 20 miles in 20 or so minutes. There are no distractions, and my goal is accomplished using less time, less money and encountering fewer distractions.

Now if I want you to go to Pella, which way will you choose to go? The road is paved going either way.

For the Jews, the way to know God had been paved by those who lived before them.
There were those in Jesus' day, who were still laying pavement, trying to tell the people that the only way to know God was their way. You have to go the way of the law.

It was understood that the human race was not capable of living in a relationship with God. As humans we are sinners. God cannot tolerate sin.

God tried to give the Jews the formula for knowing him: four rules about living in relationship with God and 6 about living in relationship with each other. They were to live by those 10 commandments in response to God's care. So long as they did, they were blessed by God.

There came a time when those 10 commandments were no longer seen as the way to respond to God's care, but the way to get it. This took the focus off the grace of God and put it on the human ability to earn God's favor. They changed direction and tried to pave a new road in hopes of getting to God.

For the Jews, there were 613 laws to follow one for each letter of the 10 commandments. Not only was it mandatory to follow those 613 laws, if the occasion ever came up that required you to break one of those laws, you had to know the lawful way to get around the law, in other words, the legal loopholes.

Jesus came to get them off that long winding path that would never get them to God. All the pavement they thought they were laying, calling people to follow them was, in reality, getting them further away from God.

God will love us if we do this! God will care for us if we don't travel more than 2 miles from our homes on the Sabbath. If I need to travel further, then I must go the day before and put a piece of bread in the place I need to get to on the Sabbath. Wherever my bread is, that is my house also.

God will listen to our prayers if we don't draw water from a well on the Sabbath. If we need to draw water, God will over-look our poor planning if we tie a woman's girdle to the rope and then the water vessel to the other end of girdle. We can get all the water we need that way for we are not tying a rope which is forbidden on the Sabbath, we tying up a woman's girdle which is permitted on the Sabbath.

The laws had become mired down in details.

Did you ever wonder why Jesus chose disciples that had little or no background in religion? Jesus needed adults who were not so polluted by such a damaged religious system.

In today's scripture, Jesus is gathered with his disciples. At one of the Jewish festivals, the Jews tried to stone Jesus to death. They had asked him if he was the Messiah of God.

He replied that the works he did should have answered that question. He said, in fact, that he and the Father were one. That made them really angry and they wanted him dead. Jesus and the disciples barely escaped.

Now the Passover was coming and Jesus wanted to return to Jerusalem and the disciples reminded him that it wasn't long ago that the Jewish authorities tried to kill him.

Thomas said, "If he is so determined, then let's go with him and die together if we must. Things have gotten really confusing for the disciples. They see Jesus doing miracles, and they listen to his teachings and parables and they seem to be in such contrast to the religious system of his day. The Temple officials are hot on their trail.

What would happen next? Jesus was talking about dying, leaving them behind and for what? The whole Temple culture and economy was the only thing the disciples would have to build on and it just didn't fit what Jesus taught. Given what Jesus had done and what he taught, how in the world would these followers of Jesus ever be able to join the religious in paving the road to know God?

It was time again for the Passover Feast and they gathered with Jesus in the upper room to celebrate this feast that had been handed down to them since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Today begins, the Feast of the Passover for the Jews. Their liberation from Egypt will be the theme. Moses got them across the Red Sea and to Mt. Sinai where they could worship God, where God gave Moses the 10 commandments which were later developed into the way to know God.

This passage of John is the last hours of Jesus' life. He gathered in that upper room with his disciples, he could see the confusion on their faces. He had heard their disjointed conversations and he heard the sadness in their voices.

He said, "Don't be so worried, and do not be so frightened. What I am going to do, I am doing for you. I must go on to prepare the way for you to follow me. Just as surely as I am going to the Father, you are going to follow. But I am going first so I can make a way for you. In my Father's house there is room for anyone who wants to come along."

He was calling them away from the road that had led so many on such a long journey that could never be completed.
Jesus was calling them away from a life of laying pavement on that long road to no where.
And he said that he was becoming the Way. He was laying down his life and that would be the WAY on which everyone who would ever know God must travel.

He told the disciples to stop being so worried and upset. He said, "You all believe in God, then believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If there was room only for a few would I have preached the way I have, and would I have invited everyone to come?

I am on my way now to prepare a place for you. We will never be split up.
Wherever you are, I will be there and some day we will be together forever.
But then we have covered that already. You know the way and you know the place where I am going, right?

Thomas said, "Lord, we don't get it. We don't know what you are talking about. What way, what place?

Jesus replied, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but through me. It is simple, you know me you know God,"

Thomas said, "You want to be the path, fine, but show us what is up a head. Show us the Father. Then we can be focused. With our eyes fixed on Him and we can stay on this road you have paved."

Jesus said, "Thomas, I'm glad you brought that up. You see me, well then you have seen the Father also. Everything you have seen me do and heard me say has come from the Father. If you can't believe any other way, then believe in what you have seen me do.

I'm telling you this, that when you focus on what I have taught you, you guys are going to be a mighty force, for you will be able to do more and touch more than I have in all my time with you.

In fact, when you focus on what God has called you to do; you can ask anything you need to support that focus and I will personally guarantee you will get it."

Friends, where are we in this Good News today?
Have you ever had a question about life and wondered about what's next? Have you ever wondered about heaven? Have you wondered who is going to be there and how to get there?

These are the clear words of Jesus. There is a place for every person who understands that Jesus has paved the way. We aren't going to get there any other road.

There are some who say the way to get to heaven is by doing good deeds. Friends we can lay that pavement but there isn't enough time in a life-time to do enough good to finally find God.
Finding God through our own personal goodness is a dead-end alley, but it is a life-time in length. There is nothing we can do to find God, or to earn our way into heaven. It just isn't possible.

The way that Jesus has paved is the way of faith. It is saying, "I don't understand it all. Everything I have I have earned. I can't understand obtaining anything of any value apart from my planning, my work, and my sacrifice. This is difficult but with God's help I will try."

Friends the road has been paved before you were ever born. We all need to stop worrying. We need to stop putting our faith in the rising gas prices and the falling stock market. Those roads, even when they are smooth have many distractions that lead us away from knowing God.

I want you to turn in the Pew Bible to Psalm 118 it is page 565 in the Old Testament portion. There are 594 chapters in the Bible before this chapter and there are 594 chapters in the Bible after this chapter. It is interesting that if you add those two numbers you get 1188. Look at Psalm 118:8 and see the central message in God's word. Let's read it together. "IT IS BETTER TO TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN MORTALS."

Why are we worried, why are we upset? It is because we have put our confidence, our faith in mortals, looking to one small group and one person to lower interest rates, or we wait for the bank to give a better deal on CDs, or praying that the gas prices would go lower as if our confidence is there.

Why not trust the One who paved the road for you to know God? Why not just enjoy traveling on it? It is the surest and best way, the most direct way to know God. He is THE way to experience God's presence both in this life and in the next. Amen.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
(From the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible.)

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