Knows the Way - Part One

I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 6 and find with me verse 16. We're continuing our year-long series called "Just Jesus." Where we want to know Him, see Him, love Him, and live Him in 2025. This isn't just another teaching series - it's really about a relationship. It's about all of us, together, getting closer to the One who changes everything. This month, we begin a new mini-series called "Know the Way." And I don't know about you, but I could use some direction these days. Anyone else feeling a little lost sometimes? Have you ver took a Long car trip? I’m sure most of you have. Just trying to get form Colorado Springs to Denver on a weekend, can make for a long car trip… am I right? Our family usually drives when we go on trips. And when you drive for long period of time, it gives you a lot of time to think about life. Perhaps sometimes when you have a lot of time to think.. no matter who you are you can get a bit philosophical in your mind. Have you ever been philosophical? Let me give you some questions. Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean? If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or the soap dirty? I dunno… What do you think? Who closes the bus door once the bus driver gets off?

But thinking about long road trips, I kept thinking this week, how paths have always kind of been a quiet representation of the lives we live. I mean, Think about it….. in our lives… There are inclines and declines, ups and downs. There are sharp turns and tripping hazards. There can be both fear and Joy in the path before us. And I know when we travel, we’ve witnessed all of these things. We went up the mountains and down. One time, during this season we drove 17 hours to Florida to sea world. Coming through the mountains of West Virginia on our way back to see my mom, we hit some crazy sharp turns. We’re talking about the kiss your own butt turns. We saw hazards like accidents and road construction. And as I was thinking all of this… I was also reminiscing when I was a kid, in the back of my families car, and I never had to worry about anything. I did have to worry about how I was getting somewhere mainly because I had trusted in my family in knowing the way to get there. Do you remember back in the day where we would print off like 100 pages of Mapquest directions and we actually had to drive and navigate at the same time, on our own without phones? I remember the first time I got the van back after the teens went to Main Event and in the door of the van was a road atlas. Like, I haven’t seen one of those for ages. And I’m not even sure if it was up to date. Our lives are full of noise, and choices and paths. It's true.. everyday you come to little and big crossroads in your life. Small ones like: "Should I hit snooze again?" "What should I have for lunch?" "Should I text them back right now or wait?” And big ones like: "Should I take this job?" "Is this the person I should marry?" "Where should we raise our kids?" "How do I handle this diagnosis?” And here's the thing - we're living in a time where we have more information than ever, more options than ever, but somehow we feel more lost than ever. Anybody else feel that way? You know what's different now compared to those old road atlas days? Back then, if you got lost, you had to stop and ask someone for directions. Remember that? Pulling into a gas station, rolling down your window, "Excuse me, how do I get to…?” \ And in West Virginian the answer was always, its just a little ways down the road.. but a little ways in West Virgina was like a other 30 minute drive around turns and up and down hills. Now we just trust whatever voice comes out of our phone, even when it takes us down some sketchy back road at midnight. One time, my GPS told me to turn, and I did, and I ended up turning into traffic. And I wonder... have we done the same thing spiritually? Have we stopped asking for directions from the One who actually knows the way?

And this brings us to our text for today. Look with me to Jeremiah chapter 6, verse 16. Because God knows exactly what we're going through - this feeling of being at a crossroads, this need for direction. And He speaks directly into it. "This is what the Lord says: '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'" (Jeremiah 6:16 NIV). I love how this Scripture begins, and it begins with something very relevant to our lives and our walk with Jesus. Jeremiah 6:16 begins like this: "This is what the Lord says.” What this teaches us is...Our willingness to listen for God reflects a belief that God wants to communicate with us. Think about it - if I didn't believe my GPS wanted to give me directions, I'd never turn it on, right? If we want to know God's will for our life, or even in a particular situation, or even for the future of this church, first we need to believe that God is willing and able to communicate with us. And secondly: we need to learn to hear His voice through the clatter of the world... and even through our own selfishness and our own preferences. It's like trying to hear your GPS over the radio, the kids in the backseat, and your own thoughts about "I think I know a better way.”

But, lets go back for a moment… the verse says, this is what the Lord says. Don't rush past this. We typically do… typically when reading this, we rush into what God says, but just take a moment to marvel at these 4 words. The infinite, eternal, self-existent God – the One who spoke galaxies into existence by the mere power of His word – this God stoops to speak to us. And I can’t help, but to sit here and Marvel at this reality. Like it excites me. It excites me because I think we all want to be acknowledged by God and noticed. David write is Pslanm 139, You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. ‘He knows us… he notices us. In our waywardness, in our sin, the holy Gopd, full of glory and majesty speaks. Think about it - how many times have you posted something on social media and then kept checking to see if anyone liked it or commented? We're all looking for that validation, that acknowledgment that we matter, that we're seen. He's the one who calls the stars by name. He's the God who created you and eight billion other people on this planet. He's the one sustaining your beating heart and your breathing lungs right now. The very breath you have at this moment to let you hear and think and see and respond is grace upon grace given to you by the one who wants to speak to you. And this God is speaking. To the Israelites through Jeremiah in our text this morning, yes. But He's also speaking to you right now, in this moment. While you're sitting in that chair, while you're processing whatever's going on in your life, while you're thinking about the decisions you're facing - He's speaking. Our willingness to listen for God reflects a belief that God wants to communicates with us. If we want to know God's will for our life or even in a particular situation, or even for the future of this church, first we need to believe that God is willing and able to communicate with us and secondly: we need to learn to hear his voice through the clatter of the world… and even through our own selfishness and our own preferences. When we read the Bible, when we pray, when we gather together as a body of believers,, ………God desires to speak and communicate to us. And just one aspect of spiritual growth is learning to recognize and then having a willingness to listen to God's voice. Jesus reminds us in John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Do you hear that? Jesus, God in flesh speaks…. And those who love him, hears him. And he knows them. Oh God, you have searched me and you know me. That's the kind of intimate relationship we're talking about - being fully known and fully loved.

How do in know this? Well, Another thing we learn is Our willingness to listen for God reflects a belief that God wants us to trust in Him. You know what's one of the key building blocks for intimacy? Actually, intimacy comes in many different recipes, it's true. But one of the main ingredients that must be present for intimacy - it's trust. Trust is at the heart of intimacy. Think about it - when Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them," that's talking about the building blocks of a relationship. It's about knowing one another. A two way street. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He goes on to say... "and they follow me.” That's trust. Let me ask you something - would you follow someone you don't trust? Of course not. No one follows someone they don't trust. And here's the thing - we're not going to trust anyone, not even Jesus, if we don't build a deep, loving relationship with them. If we don't take time to get to know them for who they are. Or even take the time just to be with them. It's like any relationship, right? You don't trust someone deeply after one conversation. Trust grows through time, through experience, through seeing their character revealed in different situations. So how does loving that other person grow? How does trust develop? It grows when we spend time together It grows when we listen - really listen - to what they're saying It grows when we see their faithfulness over time It grows when we experience their character firsthand It grows through our small groups. And that's exactly what God is inviting us into. He's saying, "Spend time with me. Listen to my voice. Watch my faithfulness. Experience my character. And as you do, you'll learn to trust me enough to follow where I lead.”

Now, let me go back to my story. This is what I noticed when I looked in the rear view mirror at my kids sitting in the back seat of our car as we we would travel. They were at peace... They were able to be at peace and rest during the trip, not because they were wondering how we were getting to where we were going, but because they knew that their father knew the way. I was able to lead them and they could follow and be at rest the entire time. They weren't worried about: Which exit to take How much gas was left Where we'd stop for lunch What to do if there was construction They trusted me. They knew I had their best interest at heart. They knew I'd get them there safely. They knew I somewhat knew the way. Look back at our verse - Jeremiah 6:16 - God doesn't just say "stand at the crossroads and look." He says, "Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it.”

So here's the question: Will we choose the "ancient paths?” Sadly, Jeremiah's people wouldn't follow this advice. They did not consider God's way, and they paid dearly for taking the wrong path at the crossroads. I mean look at the ending of this vers… they said, We won’t! If we go into verse 17, God even send a rams horn blow to warn them, he set watchmen over them, and what’s their response… we wont listen! Eventually disaster fell upon them. Warning after warning and they wouldn’t listen. They chose their own paths. Years later, here we are. Even as a church, we have moments in our life where we're going to need to stand at the crossroads and ask... which way do we go? Will we choose the ancient paths that God has laid out for us? Or will we follow the same destructive path that the Israelites chose,, and say, we wont. Now, when I say "ancient paths," what comes to your mind? What do you think of when you hear the word “ancient. For me... it's rocks. I think rocks are ancient. Sometimes, and I know this is weird. But I have alleys been a dreamer. Ever since I was a kid on a 500 acre farm, I would at times just lay in the hay field and dream of life. And sometimes, I like to do this.. I would lay and watch the clouds, and wonder where this rock came from. How did it get here? In this place, at this moment to be sticking in my back as I lay here resting under the summer sun. But even with these thoughts, its never about the number of years, for the age os something is. The truth is, a rock is extremely old. It's ancient. It dates back to the foundations of the world.\ God calls us in Jeremiah to look for the ancient paths. For us English speakers, most of us when we hear the word "ancient," we think of something as simply being old. Like this… (Pay Phone) and yeah, that is beardless me. To some people this is phone ancient... for some of us, that's only like 20 years ago. It's like it was yesterday we had to literally put coins in a phone just to call someone. But here's where it gets interesting. Have you ever heard the phrase "lost in translation?" It happens. It's easy to lose specific truths if we don't explore words that have been translated. The word "ancient" finds its origin in a Hebrew word - O’lam. As we study the Hebrew language, we discover that this word Olam includes time, but it also considers space. So ultimately we can say that O'lam (ancient) literally means "a place hidden beyond the horizon" or "a time hidden beyond the distant time.” So when Jeremiah proclaims the Word of God, he isn't calling us just to focus on old paths. No... God is calling us to walk in His way, to follow Him, to follow Jesus. His ways are the "timeless paths" that are marked by His truth that never changes or becomes outdated. You know, even as we study the life of Jesus, we see that the closest disciples who followed Him couldn't initially answer the question, "Do you know the way?" Even while the disciples walked with Jesus, they still struggled with the question, "Do you know the ancient paths?”

So I want to show you something in John 14. Before we wrap up, I want to show you how Jesus helped His disciples - and how He helps us today - to find and to know the way. But not just any way - the timeless paths that bring peace. Turn with me to John 14. Listen to how Jesus starts this conversation: "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. So right here... right off the bat... what do we see? Jesus says, "Don't let your hearts be troubled.” Now, think about what's happening here. Jesus knows He's about to leave. He knows His disciples are about to face the most confusing, frightening time of their lives. And what's His opening line? "Don't be troubled.” It's like when you're about to take your kids to the doctor for shots, and you say, "Don't worry, it's going to be okay." They're looking at you like, "Easy for you to say!” But Jesus doesn't just say "Don't be troubled" and leave it there. He immediately follows it with the antidote: "Trust in God, and trust also in me." Remember earlier.. what’s one of the building blocks for intimacy, and relationships?? Trust. Jesus is taking them right back to the foundation of their relationship. He's saying, "We've walked together. You've heard my voice. You know my character. Now, in this moment of uncertainty, lean into that trust we've built. And I think about this.. and wonder… how many times has God showed up in our life, and we recognize it.. that’s a miracle, that’s a god moment… but then… instead of hinging our trust in knowing that God is with us and in us and for us.. we forget, and we wonder off on our own way, or path. Choosing to forget what God did in our life to show us his mercy’s and love and goodness. It's like He's reminding them - and us - that the ancient paths aren't just about following directions. They're about following a Person who’ve we've learned to trust. And I think of all the people I interact with all the time.. who say they believe in God, but they have yet to trust in Jesus. Now look at what he continues to say: “There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” Now pause right there. Jesus just dropped some major truth, and I love how He frames it: First, He reassures them - "There's plenty of room." Nobody's getting left behind. Nobody's getting forgotten. Its like when your kids want more at a buffet and you’re like, just eat this and come back.. theres plenty. Trust me, they refill the cheese wontons. There will be more. Then He basically says, "Have I ever lied to you? Has he? God says, I have loved you even before you were born.. do you believe that? He says, I want to lavish my love on you… do you feel and know that love? Jesus is appealing to the trust they've already built. You see at some point, you’ve gotta start trusting in the things that God has already done in your life before you move forward. And where does that start.. by trusting in your salvation given to you by faith in Christ. If you can't trust God with what He's already done - redeeming you, saving you, placing his very presence within you - how are you going to trust Him with what's coming next? It's like building blocks - each answered prayer, each fulfilled promise, each moment of faithfulness, each moment of hardship that you give to God, and say, I want you’re will… becomes another reason to trust Him for the next step. And notice what He promises: "I will come and get you.” He's not saying, "Here's the map, good luck finding your way” He's not saying, "I'll send someone to pick you up” He's saying, "I myself will come and get you” It's like when I tell my kids, "Wait right here, I'll come back for you." They don't need to know the route I'm taking or how long it'll be. They just need to trust that Dad will come back. Look at what the verse says, In verse 2 he says, I will go… And then in verse three he says, I will return. We’re living on this ancient path right now… Think about it for a second. Jesus made a promise - "I will go" - and then He actually did it. He went to the cross, conquered death and the grave, revealed Himself to over 500 people, then ascended to heaven. He kept His word. And just as surely as He went up, we believe He's coming back. That's not wishful thinking - that's living faith. Why will He return? He tells us straight up in John 14:3: "I will come and get you.” Then He says something interesting to the disciples in verse 4: "And you know the way to where I am going.” Now, put yourself in their sandals for a moment. Jesus just said, that they know the way. But watch Thomas's reaction in verse 5:"“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”You can almost hear the frustration in his voice, can't you?

It's like Jesus just said, "You know how to get to my house," and Thomas is saying, "But we don't even know your address!” I think Thomas is doing what we all do sometimes. Jesus says, "You know the way," and Thomas immediately starts thinking about: Road numbers and exit ramps "Go down Meridian, hang a left, go 1 - 2miles until you see the school and turn left.” He wants turn-by-turn directions He's looking for the spiritual equivalent of Google maps. But what was Thomas missing? His focus was on a map instead of the Messiah. Jesus is saying, "Thomas, on this ancient and timeless road that you're on, you need to understand something. I'm not sending you instructions on how to find me. There's no need. If you're on the ancient road, if you are following, if you are hearing my voice, I am coming to get you.” And then Jesus drops this powerful truth in verse 6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” It's like Jesus is saying, "Stop looking for the directions and start looking at Me. Stop trying to figure out the path and start following the Person. And that is so true with our lives.. lets be honest for a moment… HOW MANY OF US MAKE OUR FAITH ABOUT WHAT WE DO RATHER THAN WHO WERE PUSUIRING? The ancient paths aren't about knowing where you're going - they're about knowing WHO you're going with." And I think that’s ONEOFTHE points of discipleship. . … discipleship is not just about what we learn, as much as it’s about who we’re pursuing, together. The way isn't found in perfect directions, but in a perfect relationship with Jesus. You’re small groups isn’t about learning as much as its about leaning in., together. Being transformed together, into the image of the one who is the way, the truth and the life.

As Peter comes up… I just want to say.. Church… what I want you to see and gather from today is this… You are standing right now on the ancient paths. You are in this moment between Jesus going and coming. You’re standing on the crossroads of life. And just as Jesus reminded Thomas that it’s not about having a ticket punched or having a map… it’s about pursuing the guide. Or in this case.. it’s about pursuing the Messiah. Jesus didn’t come to offer a map. It’s not about how many hours you log into coming to church. Or how much you gave in your tithe. It’s not about coming in here and having your self righteousness ticket being punched to show others how dedicated you are….. Listen, Jesus isn’t in the business of passing out tickets anymore than he is interested in passing out maps. Jesus has come to lead us home. He has come to teach us and to place his Spirit upon us that we may truly find peace for our souls. You see our eternity isn’t determined by a map or a ticket. Our eternity is found in a person who is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that He proclaimed “I am the Way. I am the truth. I am the Life.” So, Church… do you know the way.. this morning? Or are you eyes till trapped in waiting for a map. "Heavenly Father, Thank You that You don't leave us to wander aimlessly through life. Thank You that You speak to us, that You offer us ancient paths that lead to rest for our souls. For those standing at crossroads today - whether in relationships, careers, health decisions, or faith itself - speak clearly to their hearts. Help them to hear Your voice above all the noise of this world. Lord, forgive us for the times we've demanded maps when You've offered Yourself as our guide. Forgive us for seeking directions when You've invited us into relationship. Help us to trust You more. Not just with our eternity, but with our everyday decisions. Remind us that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life - not just in theory, but in practice. For those who are weary from trying to figure it all out on their own, grant them the rest You promised. For those who feel lost, be their compass. For those who are afraid to take the next step, be their courage. May we leave here today with a renewed commitment to walk the ancient paths, to listen for Your voice, and to trust You as our guide. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who is the Way. Amen." *