We all need guidance, not just in travel, in all of life. Problem is, we don't like to admit that until life goes sideways, until we're having a tough time in life. Then all of a sudden we go reaching out, looking for counsel wherever we can find it—from parents, from our career coach, from a therapist. Why does it take us to get to the point where life has fallen apart to realize we need guidance in life? Wouldn't it be great to just have counsel and guidance all the time in life? Well, that's exactly what Jesus wants to give. That's what he was offering when he called himself the way, the truth, and the life. He was offering himself to you as the greatest counselor you've ever met—the counselor you've been looking for.
[00:25:07]
When there's a problem you can't figure out on your own, when there's a mess you got yourself into that you can't get out of on your own, you need a wonderful counselor, who can do the things that you can't do for yourself. That's Jesus. He does everything you can do on your own, but he doesn't just show you the way out of that mess, show you the way out of that situation. Jesus is the way.
[00:28:09]
Yeah, Jesus gets troubled, but then he lays his troubles in the hands of the Father. That's what he always does. He says, Father, glorify your name. In other words, Father, whatever your plan is, let's do it. Let's make it happen. And that's the kind of perspective that Jesus is asking us to have. He's not saying we shouldn't be troubled or that we shouldn't experience trouble. He's not saying we should just live this Zen existence just above all troubles. Jesus expects us to be troubled, but then he asks us to lay our troubles in the hands of the Father. Trust the Father with our troubles.
[00:32:13]
This is why Jesus is the counselor you're looking for. Number one, because he's powerful. He's the kind of counselor who can change things. Why? Because he controls things. He's not the kind of counselor who will tell you to have serenity about the things you cannot change and courage to change the things that you can and wisdom to know the difference. He's not that kind of counselor. When Jesus is your counselor, all things can change. Everything in the world can change. And if it doesn't change, it's because he's got a good purpose for it.
[00:33:09]
We usually believe in what we can see, but Jesus says, no, believe in me. We believe that this disease that we're dealing with is never going to get healed. We believe that this relationship is never going to get better. We believe that this stressful situation at work is never going to change. And Jesus says, it's time to stop believing in what you see and start believing in me because I'm in charge of all things and that means I can change all things. I've got power and I got a plan.
[00:34:55]
What makes heaven so amazing isn't the place. It's the person. Jesus is the best person you've ever met. Like, get in your mind, just the most joyful and encouraging person you've ever met. Okay, you got that person in your mind? Okay, now get in your mind the most strong and bold and courageous person you know. Okay, you got that person? Now get in your mind just the most wise and helpful person you know. Okay, you got those three people. Now mash them all together. Multiply that by about 10,000 and maybe you have something close to Jesus. He's the best person in the universe and one day he's coming back to pick you up and take you home because he's a counselor who keeps his promises.
[00:40:45]
He's faithful. He's coming back. He's never going to leave you or forsake you. He's always going to come through for you even if you really can't see it for a while. Even if you're sitting alone in your room lighting a candle every night for a while. He is coming for you. He's faithful to love you, to guide you, to lead you. You just got to look for him.
[00:41:47]
Jesus says, don't look for a path. Look for a person. Don't look for a life philosophy. Don't look for a moral code. Look for me. I'm the way because I'm going to clear the path by dying on the cross to pay for your sins. I'm the truth because I've got intimate knowledge of God and his heart, God and his ways, and I'll bring you into unity with him. I'm the life because I'm going to conquer death when I rise from the grave.
[00:43:17]
He isn't just some wise man or prophet. He doesn't just point people towards the path to God. He is the path. And he's bold enough to say he's the only path. No one comes to the Father except through me.
[00:43:53]
If you're gonna make it to the top of that mountain, you're gonna need someone who knows the way and Jesus offers one better—not just to point you in the direction, to lead you, guide you, even carry you on that path if you need it. He's gonna make a way to the top of the mountain, not just show you the way, he's gonna become the way. And the incredible thing is that everybody's invited along with him.
[00:45:18]
So don't focus on the narrowness of the path, celebrate the openness of the invitation. Everybody is invited to the top of the mountain along with Jesus. Everybody qualifies because it doesn't depend on us. We're not the way, he is the way, and he's making a way for anybody who wants to come.
[00:45:45]
He is so ridiculously welcoming. He is inviting anyone to enter into God's presence with him. He's inviting everyone to come to the top of the mountain with him. Doesn't matter who you are or what you've done, you're invited. Do you get how ridiculously welcoming that is, how ridiculously inclusive that is? I don't think we get it.
[00:46:11]
And that's why the gospel is such good news, because it doesn't depend on me. I'm not the way. He is the way. And he's inviting everybody to join him. He's planned the party of the millennium on the top of Olomana. And he paid the cover charge for this party himself through his own life. He's the counselor who shows you the way by making a way. And he's bringing everyone who wants to come. He is so welcoming.
[00:47:17]
But then at the same time, number four, he's honest. He says, I'm the truth. Unlike everybody else who shades the truth or manipulates the truth or just doesn't even care about the truth. Like for the last, I don't know, 25, 30 years, I've been hearing all kinds of Christian leaders complain about how nobody believes in truth anymore. Everything's relative now. And they feel like it's something new in our culture. Something new in the world. And there's nothing new about that.
[00:47:56]
We only support the truth when the truth supports us. And that's why Jesus is the counselor you've been looking for. Because he doesn't just give you the truth only when it works. He says, I am the truth all the time. And I'll give you the truth all the time. Even when the truth is inconvenient. Even when the truth is unpopular. Even when the truth is offensive. I'll give it to you straight even when you don't like it. That's the kind of counselor you need. That's the kind of counselor you really want.
[00:49:52]
Man, you want a counselor who will give you the truth, because the truth will set you free. The truth will give you life. And that is the best thing about this counselor named Jesus.
[00:50:38]
He is life-giving. He says, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. He is making a way for you to find abundant life, life to the full, life that starts right now.
[00:50:55]
Family, Jesus is showing you the way into abundant life right now through the Holy Spirit who lives inside you, the Holy Spirit who will comfort you and teach you and guide you. And so you can go to Jesus, your counselor, through the Holy Spirit anytime, through prayer, through his word, through fellowship with the body of Christ. You can receive the counsel of Jesus right now.
[00:51:46]
Your heart might be troubled right now. Lots of people's hearts are troubled right now. It could be financial trouble, physical trouble, family trouble. I want to invite you at the end of the service, come forward. Take your troubles. Put them in the hands of Jesus. Let's pray together.
[00:52:38]
You saw us stumbling around in life. So you sent us someone to guide us, but not just to show us the way, to make a way by becoming our wonderful counselor, one who would do tela, accomplish everything that we can't do for ourselves. Thank you so much for Jesus.
[00:53:14]
We praise him because he has such good plans for us and so we can go with his blessing from John 14. Jesus said don't let your hearts be troubled. Yeah, I know they're troubled but believe in God, believe also in me. So I invite you come right now, come forward, help bring your troubles to your counselor. Go in peace. Aloha.
[01:02:27]
