Life On The High Road -- Week 3

Life on the High Road

Week Three – The Bypass

Introduction

bypass – A route off to the side ; off the main road; a deflected road, normally around a city or town.

bypass - A feeling of being “passed by” in circumstances, in gifts & talents, and by people. This feeling always stems from comparison.

The problem with the bypass is that you can see everyone else there receiving favor and blessing but for whatever reason you cannot get to it. The message on the bypass is that the Lord sometimes calls us to it and to trust Him on it.

Bypass Envy – painful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, accompanied by a strong desire to possess this advantage. This desire is met with anger or resentment that another is experiencing this prosperity and you are not.

I Samuel 18: 5-9

“charah” – to burn with anger or jealousy

Mindset: “What more can she get?

Story of young David and his successes with King Saul’s battles. All the people loved him and sang in verse 7, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousand.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

That word anger is “charah” meaning more like a burning anger. Again it’s the comparison thing. We get caught looking around at the success that others have received and we think to ourselves “Really, what more can she get?” We need to remember on our bypasses that God made us all unique and all originals.

John 21:20-23

Mindset: “What about that girl?

I love this story in John when Jesus has just told Peter that his journey with the Lord would lead to suffering for God’s glory. Verse 20 picks up “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

The message Jesus has for us when we find ourselves thinking “What about that girl? Why isn’t it hard for her? Why does everything seem so easy and great for her?” is “YOU follow me. Don’t worry about what I have for her. I’m talking to you.” Take all t hose others off your list and you follow Jesus.

Our flesh responses

• “But Approach”
• “Reversal Approach”
• “Unfavorable Comparison Approach

Bypass Inadequacy – a deep sense of self doubt; stems from self absorbtion & comparison.

John 6: 9-13

This is the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. The disciples have looked around for food and Andrew speaks up at verse 9 to say “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but that is nothing for a crowd like this”…Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Mindset: “That is nothing for a crowd like this.”

Do you ever get caught thinking that what you have is just not enough – whether its being equipped with certain gifts and talents to accomplish a task, or even not feeling adequate in a relationship or family. Do not linger there in the mindset that “I have nothing for this.” Jesus says, “Give me what you’ve got. Give me your nothing and I will make it everything” - Just as he did with the small boys barley loaves and fish. Jesus made it enough for the crowd. That’s what he promises for us as moms, wives, etc. We’re left feeling bypassed. We need to quit being self-absorbed about what we are not. The Lord gave YOU for your family and your husband and your kids. Jesus tells us to see Him in our nothing, in our barley loaves and fishes, and He will make it everything.

Bypass Resentment – a feeling of indignant displeasure at something regarded as a wrong or an offense.

John 5: 1-9

Story of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate where many disabled people gathered hoping to find healing in the pool. Verse 5 picks up “One who was t here had been an invalid for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured, he picked up his mat and walked.

Mindset: “I have no one.”

If you find yourself in a lonely season, Pam encourages us not to miss this season. Press in hard to Jesus. Notice from the scripture that Jesus goes straight to the man. See Jesus in your loneliness – He goes straight to you just as he did the man in scripture. When we are feeling ignored, or that we have no one, Jesus is telling us “yes you do. See me – I want to be your everything. Do you want to get well? Then drawn in to Jesus and see him in this lonely season.

The Bypass is the High Road!

Psalm 37:7

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

I Peter 5:6-10

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because hi cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a littlewhile, will himself restore you and make your strong, firm and steadfast.”

Closing encouragement: Rest in the Lord – settle in. comparison stirs us up. Trust in the One who has your road. There are more promises in the Bible to those who wait than any other promise in scripture. Quit fretting! Don’t dwell on her road, Jesus calls us to come follow Him on your road to “zoe” (life).

Be done with comparison! Recognize it and cofess it. Take it to the Lord and focus solely on Him.

What our mind lingers on will inflame our emotions which will slowly captivate our will and eventually control our life.