Improvisation

Most cooks have experienced it.
You go to your pantry to get the one ingredient you were sure you had…and it is not there.
No time to run to the store.
You improvise.

Yogurt instead of sour cream.
Applesauce for a healthy alternative to oil.
Make your own buttermilk with non-fat milk and lemon juice.
You make do with what you have on hand.

Being left handed was a bit of a detriment when I learned how to play piano.
My left hand was so much stronger than my right hand.
Consequently, the melody was overshadowed a bit by the accompanying chords.
I learned to improvise the left hand rather than play what is written.

Anyone who ever took a theater class knows all about improvisation.
Improv helps you think fast on your feet…stimulates creativity.
Improv can be quite funny.
Improv takes a raw idea and expands it…embellishes it.

Improvisation has its place and can be very useful.
There are times, however, when improvisation would be disastrous.

Can you imagine building a house and improvising on the materials?
Can you imagine constructing a bridge and improvising on the design?
Can you imagine planning a road and improvising on the surveying?

The house would not stand.
The bridge would not function.
The road would not be passable.

There is a time and place for improvisation.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” (Luke 14:31,32)

Many people think they can improvise the way of salvation.
They think they can pick and choose what to believe and what not to believe.
They choose salvation options a la carte…from the menu of choices they have concocted.

Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

No improvisation here.
No wiggle room.
No exceptions.

One Way!

This is not a popular belief.
Jesus never set out to be popular.
Jesus intended only to do His Father’s will and speak His Father’s words.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13,14)

Can you see it now?
The person waving his arms…calling all to travel on the wide road.
There’s plenty of room.

Why take the narrow road?
The wide road is so pleasant…so roomy.
All the roads lead to the same place.
It doesn’t matter how you get there…just that you arrive.

But it does matter!
Only the narrow road leads to Him!

We cannot afford to expand or embellish the way of salvation.
Our eternal life depends on it.
No improvisation here.

We can be creative in how we share the Gospel.
We cannot be creative with the Gospel we share.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs You are doing if God were not with Him. In reply, Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…”
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
(John 3:1-3 and 12-15)

When I was a new believer, I loved this passage of Scripture.
It was as if a light bulb was turned on inside of me.

The Israelites were grumbling in the desert…wishing they were back in Egypt.
Had they forgotten that they were slaves in Egypt?
At least they had food to eat…and water to drink…they rationalized.

The Lord sent venomous snakes among them…many were bitten…many died.
The people realized their sin and asked Moses to pray to God for them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. (Numbers 21:8)

What if the people improvised?
Do we have to put a snake on the pole?
Do we have to use a pole?

Since many died from the venomous snake bite…they were not going to fool around.
Snake on a pole it is!

Somehow the seriousness of our sin is not taken so seriously!
We think our sin is not a life or death situation.

We cannot afford to improvise.
We are also told to look up in order to live.
We are to look up to the cross of Christ.
The blood of Christ is the only antiserum for the venom of sin!

Improvising the way of salvation is disastrous.
God’s way is the only way to be saved.
God’s Way is through His Son Jesus.
Look to Him…and Live!