"The Way" is how Jesus referred to Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 ESV).
Throughout the book of Acts, people who were followers of Jesus were not called Christians but considered "a sect of the Nazarenes" and followers of The Way, or people of The Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:5,14, 22). Luke says that Aquila and Priscilla explained to Apollos "the way of God" more fully (Acts 18:26). Peter refers to Christianity as "the way of truth" (2 Peter 2:2). Hebrews says that Jesus' broken body is the "new and living way" for us to enter the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 10:19–20).
The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, was known as Saul, whose sole mission was to arrest those who "belonged to the Way" (Acts 9:2; 22:4 ESV). In Ephesus, Paul met some in the synagogue who "became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way..." (Acts 19:9 ESV). Paul moved the disciples in Ephesus to another location when "some became stubborn and continued in unbelief" and spoke "evil about the Way," which nearly created a riot (Acts 19:8-9, 19:23-41 ESV).
During Paul's trial before Felix (governor of Judea and Samaria), he said, "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect (means - a strong personal choice), I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets" (Acts 24:14 ESV). Felix knew about the Way (v 22). The Romans considered the Way to be a sect of Judaism rather than a separate religion.
Christianity didn't begin as a religion but rather as a movement, with the Romans classifying it as a sect. Its early followers were Jews based in Jerusalem who didn't necessarily view themselves as Christians but rather as followers of a Jewish sect. The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" was by Ignatius of Antioch around 100 AD.
A group of followers settled in the ancient Greek city of Antioch some 10-15 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Here, the term 'Christian' (meaning follower of Christ) was first used (Acts 11:26). It wasn't a name the followers of Jesus had given themselves, but rather, it was a term applied to them by the people of Antioch. Historians debate whether or not it was used as a derogatory term.
These terms are used in the Bible to describe the developing church as a movement of Jesus Christ. Even today, every Born-Again Christian is part of Jesus' movement. He is our head pastor and leader. When people join His movement, they become the physical expression of what God is like so that the fullness of Jesus can be seen and heard through them.
The early Christians were not just committed to a cultural practice or obligation but lived in complete devotion to the Gospel of Jesus. When a person becomes Born-Again, they commit themselves to being fully devoted followers of the Way found only in Jesus and living out their identity as His Church instead of merely attending church.
Jesus called us to LIVE on The Way to fulfill the Great Commandment so that we may LEARN the way of fellowship with Him and then be sent out by Him to LEAD The Way for others to come to know Him and fulfill the Great Commission.
LUKEWARM LAODICEA
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:14-20 ESV)
The city of Laodicea was located around 50 miles southeast of Philadelphia in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia Minor, near the influential, ancient cities of Hierapolis and Colossae. Before the city was named Laodicea, it was called "Diopolis," the "city of Zeus." It was a place of considerable size, trade, and wealth, with theaters and pagan temples. It was on the primary trade route between the cultures of the West and East and became a commercial and banking center. Laodicea was known as a primary hub for the Roman aqueduct system. The water was tepid and unpleasant, but nearby Hierapolis gushed hot thermal springs.
The church in Laodicea was among the rich and famous. It was known worldwide for its medical expertise in eye and ear medicine and its black wool. It was a wealthy church comfortably content with what it had and indifferent to the things of the Holy Spirit.
Laodicea later became a Christian city of eminence and a meeting place for church councils under Roman and Muslim rule. There was a devastating earthquake in AD 600, and most citizens of Laodicea resettled into the modern-day Denizli, a city of over 500k people. In the eleventh Century, the city died out after invaders came through and utterly destroyed it. It is now a place of desolation.
Because Jesus loves the Church, He chastised and threatened the overseeing Angel for allowing the people to become "lukewarm" in their relationship with Him and asked for repentance. The Greek word for "lukewarm" is 'chliaros' and it means to become tepid and weak. Cold or hot drinks were common at feasts, and it was considered an insult to the guests if they were lukewarm. Physicians used lukewarm water to induce vomiting. Lukewarm food was distasteful and caused nausea. Jesus wasn't saying that their condition was irrevocable but that they needed to repent to be healthy again.
Jesus rebuked their self-righteousness and demanded that they turn from the outward appearance of spirituality and turn inward to the heart. He promised that if they overcame that, they would sit with Him on His throne. Jesus told them that when they repented, He would "anoint" their "eyes" with "salve" so that they would spiritually perceive things as they really were and understand their condition (Vs. 3:18).
Jesus said that He stood knocking at their door and was waiting for them to open it. The word "door" (Gk: 'ithura') means a portal or entrance, a gate. The word "knock: (Gk: 'krouo') means to strike and knock continuously to get our attention.
It is the "lukewarm" Born-Again Christian who lets the cares of this world cause them to fluctuate between being active and apathetic, hesitant, indecisive, uncertain, and uncommitted in their relationship with Jesus, so He has to pound on the door to get their attention.
Throughout our lives, each of us will have many doors before us that we can either open or keep closed. The question is, what door does Jesus want you to open? When you begin to grow in the understanding of just how beautiful, merciful, marvelous, good, just, and holy Jesus is, the more you will desire to worship and grow in intimacy with Him.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27 ESV)
Jesus said that those who desire to have a personal relationship with Him will know, understand, and attend to Him because intimate lovers of God only need the whisper of His voice to get our attention so that we can perceive how and what His message is when He gives it.
We must learn to "hear" (GK: 'akouo' to be actively hearing the sound of something) His "voice" (Gk: 'phone' = a sound, tone of a musical instrument, a gentle breeze, thunder, or a noise). You learn His voice by constantly reading and studying His written Word, the Bible, as if it is a letter from your lover because IT IS!
THE HARD AND NARROW WAY
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)
Jesus taught that the way (road) that leads to life is narrow, and few find it. The Greek word for "life" is 'zoe' and, in context, means the blessing and fullness of a genuinely active, vigorous devotion to Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
The "Way" is a journey. The Ethiopian eunuch went on his way, rejoicing after Philip led him to receive Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:30-39).
The "Way" is a manner of thinking, feeling, and making decisions.
"Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus." (Acts 18:24-28 ESV)
Paul and Silas were near Philippi when they encountered a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and followed them for many days, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation" (Acts 16:17 ESV). Notice that the demon was speaking the truth. Yet, this irritated Paul so much that he ultimately said to the demonic spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour" (Acts 16:16 ESV).
Just because someone is speaking truth does not mean they are Born-Again, which is why we are commanded to "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1 ESV).
FOLLOWING 'THE WAY'
Before Christianity became a religion, it was known as a distinctive WAY of life. Every Born-Again Christian is a person who LIVES a certain way, not just BELIEVES a certain way. Even the demons in Hell believe in Jesus (James 2:19 - emphasis mine). Jesus said,
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
Those of The Way in the first century were the true end-time Israel who began fulfilling the prophecies of their final exodus from exile and returning to God. The Way meant they were the beneficiaries of God's great new act of redemption through Jesus, His anointed One, in a manner of ongoing Christian living as part of a restoration journey.
Being a follower of The Way was a matter of both belief AND practice. Correct belief AND right living separate just believers IN Jesus from being receivers OF Jesus. Belief and living are a seamless whole in Biblical spirituality. It was because they believed God was fulfilling His promise of a new Exodus through the person and work of Jesus that they lived this new journey lifestyle.
Early Christians were called followers of "The Way" because of HOW they lived and, more precisely, because of WHO they followed. The Way is not simply a set of behaviors but a person. It is the way of Jesus – how He lived, what He demonstrated, and what He taught. It is only by trusting in and following the one who IS the Way that a person enters into life everlasting and begins an eternal journey of intimacy with the Creator God of all things. To be a follower of "the Way" means understanding yourself to be the beneficiary of God's great new act of redemption through the Anointed One, Jesus. Thomas A. Kempis wrote in the book "Imitation of Christ," "If we wish to be enlightened and free from all blindness of heart, let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ."
The earliest converts to The Way were people from all social classes, ethnicities, genders, and political leanings. They were not called Christians because they were pious people who lived morally superior lives with a condescending attitude toward their fellow human beings. They were called Christians (Christ-like ones) because they imitated their leader, Jesus Christ. Their humility, compassion, concern, love, and treatment of all people as equals found a receptive audience among the weak, poor, and oppressed.
Being a follower of The Way is not a path to travel but an example to follow. To follow The Way, we have to be like The Way and imitate The Way. We need to pay careful attention to how we live our lives so that people can see we are ON The Way.
There are too many in the (c)hurch who are IN The Way because they lack the love and compassion of Jesus and don't emulate His humility as their way of Life. Being ON The Way is a lifestyle of love, mercy, and compassion energized by the love and merciful goodness shown to us by Jesus.
The early church was filled with those who had a passionate love for Jesus. Their trust in Jesus meant everything to them, and often it cost them everything. Jesus said,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ESV)
He was saying that the way He taught, the way He lived and demonstrated it before them, is THE way! This is the "truth" of how God originally intended for us to live, leading to "life" abundant, life in its fullness for ourselves and the world. The way to know God entirely is to follow in Jesus' footsteps.
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Living the "way" of Jesus means living the way of the Cross, dying daily to self, and living a life of kindness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, humility, and selflessness with great joy and thanksgiving.
We are people of The Way and children of the Resurrection. We love first "because God first loved us" (1 John 4:19 NIV). Our ministry is to proclaim a message of great hope to the world by showing the gifts of grace, mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, and rebirth. The Way of the Cross is a path of love.
By God's amazing grace, we transform relationships of hate, division, fear, and discrimination into relationships with the capacity to hear, reflect, empathize, and advocate for those from cultures and traditions different from our own.
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.' (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)
Walking the Way of the Cross means honoring Jesus' sacrifice by living the life He modeled for us – walking the way of love. Our fundamental role is to be God's love in the world and help restore and reconcile people to unity with God (See 2 Corinthians 5:18). We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to model a different way of living when our world desperately needs loving models.
One of the primary reasons people stop going to church is because they are tired of the harsh judgments and the hypocrisy that have become emblematic of Christianity in America. As agents of God's love and grace, we can counter this negative bias by creating loving and welcoming communities of healing and wholeness.
"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples" (John 8:31 ESV)
Jesus said that a person proves they are ON The Way if they "abide" (stay) in His Word. One of the ways people recognize those who are Born-Again is by how they love one another.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 ESV)
Another proof of being ON The Way is by the bearing of fruit.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV)
The fruit (singular) is love, which manifests itself in "joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
The final words given to the Apostles by Jesus before the crucifixion were;
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.' (John 15:8-11 ESV)
What makes The Way unique from every other 'path' to God is that the leader of The Way is Jesus Christ, who is both 100% fully God and 100% fully human and willingly surrendered His life to die, then was raised from the dead three days later - and is alive today. The Way of Christianity is the ONLY religion where ALL responsibility for salvation rests on the founder and not the followers.
In conclusion, a person who is ON The Way has become Born-Again by repenting of their sin and receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior, following Him daily by spending time with Him in prayer, studying His written Word, the Bible, living as He commands to be like Him, and by sharing His Great News to achieve the goal to disciple others in every nation on the earth.
If you are not ON The Way but desire to know Jesus, today is the day to start a new path that leads to eternal life.
Let's pray....
