1. Jesus of Nazareth: I Am the Way….

2. “The Way” ❖ Acts 9:2 ❖ Acts 18:25-26 ❖ Acts 19:9 ❖ Acts 22:4 ❖ Acts 24:14, 22 ❖ Christianity is not a ❖ religion, it is a way of life

3. Judges 2:22 ❖ I will use [God’s enemies] them to test Israel and see whether they will kept the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors have

4. The Way ❖ Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will posses.

5. Proverbs 10:29 ❖ The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

6. The Way ❖ Joshua 1:7 Be strong and very brave. Make sure you obey the whole law. Make sure you do not turn away from it to the right or to the left….

7. Jeremiah 6:16 ❖ Stand at the crossroads and look; ❖ Ask for the ancient paths, ❖ Ask where the good way is, and walk in it, ❖ And you will find rest for your souls….

8. Mark 12:14 ❖ (the Pharisees to Jesus) ❖ You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

9. Matthew 7:13-14 Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it. How do we stay on the Way? 1. By looking at Jesus 2. By knowing the scripture 3. By listening to the Holy Spirit 4. By knowing your history

10. The Way ❖ Isaiah 30:20-22 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of afflicition, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”

11. The Way ❖ Legalism vs. Lukewarmness ❖ Freedom in Christ (Gal 5:1) vs Everyone did as he saw fit (Judges 21:25) ❖ Both individuals and churches can lose the way very easily.

12. The Way: Grace vs Truth ❖ John 1:17 Jesus came, full of grace and truth. ❖ If we lean to the “left” we are full of grace and have little truth. ❖ If we lean to the “right” we have a lot of truth and little grace. ❖ Jesus: Isaiah 42:3 AND Matthew 23:23-36

13. The Way ❖ When you lean to left its all about who you know and being a part of the club. God is love means doing all that I want. No power to change here. ❖ Leaning the right makes you too conservative and narrow that they will miss it as well. Quick to condemn and focus on the truth and law that they forget love and mercy.

14. How Do We Find the Ancient Path? How Do We Keep to the Way? ❖ 1. By Looking at Jesus ❖ 2. By knowing the scripture ❖ 3. By listening to the Holy Spirit ❖ 4. By knowing our history ❖ Challenge: Every one of us here is part of the never- ending journey to help us as a fellowship of disciple keep our churches on the Way of righteousness.

15. The Way: We Need to Learn From Our History Freedom vs Direction “Statistics” vs Growth Hierarchy vs Autonomy