You Can't Get There From Here

Jake was trying to get to a destination he had heard about for years but he didn't have the proper directions. He went this way and that way and finally he stopped and asked a man holding a Bible and was told, "You can't get there from here." Jake was puzzled and didn't quite understand why he couldn't get to his destination from where he was. The man with the Bible began to explain to Jake why he couldn't reach his destination without the proper directions.

I'm sure most of us have heard this gag line before but in Jake's case, he was lost and couldn't find his way. To his credit, he was trying but that won't get anyone to the destination he was seeking. The man told Jake he was actually an ambassador representing Jake's destination and he could help him find his way. Jake was happy to listen to the ambassador and then find his way to his destination. As Jake listened to the ambassador tell him about his destination and all about the King who resides there, his heart began to warm and he wanted to know more. He wanted to know more about this King and the ambassador told him everything he needed to know about the King and what he needed to do to reach this destination.

I'm sure you have figured out what Jake's destination is and who the King is he was being told about. The ambassador represents each one of us who are Christians. It is our duty to tell this world about Jesus, who is the King is this story. As Christians and ambassadors of heaven, we need to tell the lost people in this world about Jesus and His kingdom. 

There are so many Jakes in this world who are lost and have been given so many wrong directions. Jake couldn't reach his destination from where he was because he wasn't saved by Jesus. He didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus. He had not accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior. It could be he was given instructions from a New Age philosopher who believes all roads lead to heaven. That's a lie. All roads do not lead to heaven; there is only one way and that is Jesus.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  JN 14:6

Jesus said this as He was telling His disciples about His Father's kingdom or heaven. The Bible is very clear about this doctrine. Sin entered the world and every person who was born following Adam's and Eve's disobedience to the Father's command. Jesus died on a cross to pay the debt incurred by sin. Only he, a sinless man, could pay that price and provide salvation from sin and the Father's wrath. This is the correct set of directions to Jake's destination. But Jake couldn't get there because he had the wrong directions. He had been told so many different things by the world concerning this destination but he had never received the correct directions until he met the ambassador.

Just months before I was saved and accepted Jesus as my savior, I had seen, repeatedly, a book advertised on TV. It was L. Ron Hubbard's book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. This later led to the Scientology movement, a mind science religion practiced by many around the world. This might be familiar to some due to the popularization of it by many in Hollywood. Much of it is based on Eastern Philosophy and the work of Sigmund Freud. I don't want to dwell on this false religion here but you can easily research it on your own. 

Exactly why this attracted me I don't remember but I do remember it sounded interesting and might have been something which could have helped me at the time. I was struggling with alcohol abuse and knew I need help; I needed something to help me change my life. I was ready to buy the book but Jesus intervened and saved me. He sent an ambassador to tell me about the King, Jesus.

The world has many different philosophies on how to get to heaven or nirvana or wherever the final destination may be of any given religion. The one character in Pilgrim's Progress which has always stood out for me is Mr. Worldly Wise Man. This guy will show up anywhere there is a personal problem to be discussed and he always has all the answers to everyone's problems. He also has the answers for those seeking heaven or Jesus. He will never give you the truth but will always give you a lie wrapped in what appears to be ultimate wisdom. But it's worldly wisdom and here's what the Bible says about worldly wisdom.

As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 1 Cor 1:19-21

God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. This is what the Apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth and it still applies to us today. We should never be intimidated by the wisdom of the world or led astray by it. It is foolish and will lead us down the wrong road and off of the path which leads to Jesus.

We are ambassadors of Jesus and His kingdom. It is our responsibility to tell the world about Jesus. How many Jakes are out there trying to find the truth and are getting the wrong answers and are being misdirected? How many are hearing Mr. Worldly Wise Man tell them lies and will never lead them to Jesus? Think about the cults of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witness. They are not afraid or too lazy to come and knock on your door and tell you lies about God. They are willing to stand and talk as long as you listen (unless you begin to tell them the truth and then they always have an appointment to get to). But the point is, they are out there spreading false information about God while Christians are content to let them do it. Now, we can't stop them but we can surely counter their message.

There are many ways to reach the world with the truth concerning Jesus and what He has done for us. I have a friend who used to be part of a Saturday morning door knocking ministry. He can no longer participate due to physical issues but the point is, these people would select a neighborhood and do cold knocking. They introduced themselves, announced where they were from (their home church) and simply talked to the people about Jesus and church attendance. I took part in many public outreach ministries and gave many the opportunity to hear the truth though speaking and music.

We are ambassadors and we have to allow the people we work with or our neighbors or unsaved friends to know about Jesus. This can be done without forcing the message down anyone's throat. Praying and asking Jesus to open a door for this conversation will give the opportunity for us to reach out. If you know a Jake, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to create an opportunity to talk to him/her about Jesus and what He has done in your life. If we don't talk to them, the world will, the cults with the false messages will and Jake will not hear the truth. There is nothing in God's word that tells us to wait for them to come to church and then tell them about me. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. But it does tell us to go into the world and tell them. You can't wait for the lost to come to church; instead of inviting them to come to a place they have no interest in, tell them about Jesus and give them a reason to want to come. Jesus tells us to go out into the world and tell them about Him.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  MT 28:18-20

Bill Petite