“May the Pressure Begin to Build”

“A portion of Interstate 20 westbound has been shut down in DeKalb County after part of the road buckled Monday.  According to GDOT, crews were working  underneath the interstate filling an abandoned gas line with concrete when something went wrong and the road buckled.  They are working to figure out what caused the pressure to build.” (Quote Reported by: Fox 8 News Atlanta)

I saw this picture and the report of I-20 in Atlanta buckling on Monday.  The last line of the report caught my attention more than the buckling of the highway.  I’m not an engineer and that is probably a good thing, but I thought “Really?  The Georgia DOT is going to have to research and figure out what caused the pressure to build enough to buckle the road?”  Hey, GDOT, call Pastor Marty in Raleigh North Carolina and I can save you some time and money.  Are you ready GDOT?  Wait for it: There is a blockage in the gas pipe that caused the pressure to build and you cannot continue to force concrete into a pipe with a blockage without the concrete having to go somewhere.  Thus, in this case, up and buckling the road some 5 to 6 feet.  Now if they would have said the GDOT was trying to figure out what blocked the pipe to create the pressure, that would have been different.

Of course my mind begins to process this news from Atlanta’s I-20 mess from a biblical point of view.  I’m not sure why that happens.  Some would say I’m crazy.  Some in my family would probably agree with you.  But here goes my crazy comparison.

A few weeks ago I told my congregation “You cannot bring out what you didn’t put in.”  Or in other words, If you do not read, memorize, and study God’s Word, (put it it) then when you need to call on it (bring it out) for witnessing or sharing comfort to someone, or having a foundation to make your stand, there’s nothing there.  With that in mind, the more you read, memorize, and study God’s Word, the more you worship and sing His praises, the more you put God into you the more the pressure builds up to the point you blow!  You cannot help but to talk about Him, share about Him, tell others what Christ has done for you.  The Christ in you HAS to come out.

We just celebrated this past Sunday the greatest event in all of the history of the world.  “If Christ has not been raised,” Paul states, “your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (1st Corinthians 15:17)  In Romans 6 Paul reminds us Jesus has been raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so, “we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)  He goes on to say believers are “united” with Him.  He conquered death and we will too.  Read 1st Peter 1:3 - 9 again, today.

Believers, yes Believers, this is only for you, for if you are reading this and not a believer in Jesus Christ, it will be very hard to grasp what I’m saying.  But Believers, how in the world can you take in the fact that Jesus died for your sins, rose to life so you too could live, have eternal life and not share it?  How can we take all of what He has done for us and the pressure not build inside of us so that it has to come out.  How can we take His Word in, how can we have His very Spirit in us and not explode if it doesn’t come out?

I have the answer to my questions.  Unfortunately, far to few Believers are taking in enough of Him to build the pressure up to bring it out in witness.  If the pressure is not there, very little will be forced out.  That is the sad truth.

My challenge for you is to take more and more of HIM into your life this year, starting today.  Read more, study more, memorize more, pray more, WORSHIP Him more and watch the pressure build up to the point there is no way to keep His message of salvation inside of you.  There is no way to not tell what He has done for you.  Just remember; “You cannot bring out what you didn’t put in.”

May the Pressure Begin to Build!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship, Grow, & Serve