These roads were for years, the lifeline of these communities as it brought business in to local shops and diners.
But then, we got smart and made our roads bigger and faster and built them around the towns so we didn’t have to be bothered with stoplights and such. We could get to where we were going….faster…quicker and uninterrupted. It is…the American Way.
In traffic design lingo…it’s called a ‘bypass’. You just lay down the new roads around the towns so as to ‘bypass’ all the traffic and things we don’t need to be slowed down with. Makes sense.
Oh….there are those few folks who choose the scenic drive and opt to stop in small towns and take in the sights. But the majority of us…ain’t got no time for that.
I’m afraid over the years, we’ve done with the American Gospel what we did with our roadways. We’ve bypassed so many ‘truths’ in scripture when it comes to teaching what being a follower of Christ is really all about. Who has time or interest in all these petty little’ intersections and stoplights’ on this narrow path to heaven. Let’s just call it the ‘Bypass of Profess & Believe’ and we can get to heaven that much quicker and on our own terms.
I mean…really…who is even ‘that in to being holy as He is holy’ or ‘laying down one’s life’ for His sake? ‘Dying to self’? …my gosh…are we still harping on that negative talk? Can’ you tell us ‘pleasant’ things? (Isa 30:9-11) And honestly, the idea of ‘taking up one’s cross and following Jesus’…what does that even really mean? It sounds religious and poetic and we do sing that song “I have decided to follow Jesus’. And let’s not even touch on the jewelry industry and home décor business that makes millions selling ‘crosses’ for us to wear or hang up.
I’ll admit…our roadways into Dallas may get us there faster thanks to all the new bypasses. But I’m afraid all the bypasses around scriptural truth has indeed put us on a wider road so we don’t get slowed down by that ‘narrow path’ that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7:13-14. But the destination of those ‘wider’ -faster roads lead to somewhere else. Just ask our Brother 'Super Christian' in Matthew 7:21-23.
In Luke 10, we find the story where a lawyer approached Jesus inquiring about eternal life. He wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit it. (25). Jesus pointed him, of all places, back to the law. He asked the lawyer, how do you read this?
The lawyer responded by saying ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus nodded saying “You have answered rightly; do this…and you will live.” (28)
“Do This.”
He didn’t say “Believe This”. He said DO THIS.
Remember what Mary told the servants who needed a quick supply of wine at the wedding and they turned to Jesus for help? She told them (if you want to see your miracle…) “Do whatever He says to do!” (John 2:5)
Do This: “Love God with ALL your heart…”
James would later write: “Be DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (1:22)
Did you catch that? What happens if we just ‘hear’ the word but not ‘do’ the word?
We deceive ourselves.
And what did Jesus warn us of regarding what would happen to so many people before His return? They would be … deceived. (Matt 24:4,11)
And don’t forget the way he wrapped up his Sermon on the Mount in Matt 7:24-27. He said ‘Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and DOES THEM…is like a ‘wise man’ who built his house on the rock. Do you remember what happened to the house when the floods came and beat against it? It stood firm.
But He gave us the flip side as well. “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does NOT DO them, will be like a foolish man…built his house on sand. And then the same floods came and beat against that house…it imploded…came crashing down. It did not withstand the floods.
What did Jesus say was going to come in the last days…just like it did in the days of Noah?
A flood.
And a flood will sure enough test your foundation. By the way, Jesus also clarified that the people did not even realize what had swept them away until after the fact. (Matt 24:39) “And if you think you are standing firm, take heed lest you fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12) [Don’t be looking for climate change induced flooding of literal water either.]
Jesus was a master question asker. Two of the most profound questions, in my opinion, recorded in the gospels was where he asked a man who could not ‘walk’: “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6) The man began to make excuses. I find this profound because there are countless believers today who seem stationary, unable to move and certainly scoff at the idea of ever being able to ‘walk like Jesus walked’ which is what scripture clearly says we are to do: (1 John 2:6)
The other question: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and Not DO the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)
So back to my original point…we have found ourselves on so many ‘bypasses’ around the gospel that we stumble and stutter when confronted with all these things scripture suggest we should be…’doing’.
If you would, look up these verses…write them out. Then consider this: If a new believer came to you and asked you to explain some of these various terms and phrases, how would you answer them? No need to look up in a commentary or Google it as we are mature believers, right?
“Be holy as He is holy and be holy in ALL your conduct”. ( 1 Pet 1:15) What does it mean to be ‘holy’?
“Come, take up your cross and follow me” (Mark 10:21) Huh?
“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” ( 1 John 3:3) How do we do that? And purify ourselves of what? I thought He was doing…whatever that is? ( 2 Cor 7:1)
And can you explain what the really means to ‘Love God with ALL our hearts”?
Why do I think that is easier to profess than it is to do? Maybe we can ask the rich ruler in Matthew 19 to give us insight?
Here’s what the modern day ‘bypass’ looks like in our churches. We get a new believer/convert baptized and then immediately get them ‘plugged in’ to ‘serving’. Maybe joining the choir or working in nursery or helping teach a kids class, etc. The idea of ‘making disciples’ is such a foreign concept to us today. Who could even accurately define what a disciple is?
But this I know… when Jesus got baptized…do you know where the Spirit immediately led Him?
Into the wilderness…to have His heart tested. (Luke 4:1-13) If He had to have His heart tested…who are we to think we don’t? And when I say tested…I mean tested to see if He truly loved God with ALL His heart. Do you know why God led the Israelites through the wilderness after coming out of Egypt? To test their hearts to see if they would ‘do’ what God commanded them. (Deut 8:2-6)
In case you forgot that story, nearly all of them failed the test and their bodies were scattered in the desert where they died. ( 1 Cor 5:10) When did God change?
Oh…one last thing. After Jesus ‘passed His test’…being tempted by the devil and proving that He loved God with all His heart…scripture reveals this nugget: “THEN Jesus returned in the Power of the Spirit…” (Luke 4:14) and we have page after page of how He then went about healing all manner of sickness and disease and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. (Acts 10:38; Matt 9:35).
You know…doing the things that the ‘Church’ is suppose to be doing today. Right?
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