I have a question for you…
Let’s say that a bunch of people from the community were going to the mountains for a long weekend, and they were going to take a bus. Most of the people you don’t know, but there are a few friends going, and a couple family members going, but you can’t go. Everyone has been anxiously awaiting the trip – a chance to get away, relax in the peace and quiet, and a chance to make some new friends and catch up with some old friends.
Now, you happen to KNOW that this particular bus company isn’t very reliable. On Friday, you find out the bus that they’ve been assigned for their departure on this Sunday afternoon trip. You KNOW it has problems with the brakes – without a doubt, the brakes will not hold up for a round trip through the mountains, and that left unchecked, the bus will crash – sending the bus and its passengers down the mountainside ending in a fiery crash at the bottom. You know that they will experience fear, hopelessness and regret before they hit the bottom.
What do you do??
Tell the passengers they are in danger? They don’t believe you – ‘the bus company wouldn’t let us ride on the bus if it weren’t safe’ ‘You’re just jealous ‘cause you can’t go!’
Confront the bus company? They won’t let you in the front door. You have no tangible proof that the brakes will fail – even though there is no doubt . You show them the maintenance log – they haven’t been touched in years – but that doesn’t mean they’ll crash on Sunday. You point out the worn out hoses – but they’ve held up so far. The dirty brake fluid should make another trip or two. Nothing you can show them proves that the bus will crash.
Do you say ‘I tried, and they didn’t believe me – it’s their choice to get on that bus.’ Do you tell yourself that maybe you’re wrong – maybe they can go down that road and not go over the cliff.
What do you do?? There are friends on that bus – and family members (ones you actually like) – people from the community with children. You know that if they go down that road, you won’t see them again.
What do you do? Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.
Got it?
You found a way to save all of those people from that most definite fiery crash, didn’t you? I think I’d sneak into the bus station and take all the lug nuts off the bus, so that when they came to pick up the passengers, the tires would all fall off and they couldn’t go on the trip!
Ok, now – let’s say that there are a bunch of people from the community – same people – friends, family, parents with children – and they are going down a path of sin, addiction or abuse that will surely lead them to the fiery gates of Hell. You KNOW that without Jesus, they can’t get into Heaven. You KNOW that if they continue on the path they are going, you won’t see them in Heaven. Everyone is happily going about their merry way, living their lives the way they want to. Left unchecked, their sin will certainly lead them down that mountain of fear, hopelessness, regret – and worst of all, eternal separation from God.
Do you talk to them? Maybe, but they don’t believe you. You have no tangible proof that the path they are on will lead them straight over the cliff.
What do you do??
Do you go to the same lengths that you went through to stop the hypothetical bus? Do you beg, plead and not give up? Do you find a way to introduce them to Jesus?
Do you start to lose faith in your own knowledge of Jesus – maybe they’ll be okay.
Or do you say: I don’t have time; enough money; enough space. I told them about Jesus – what more can I do? I tried - it’s their choice to go down that path.
Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.
Let’s say that a bunch of people from the community were going to the mountains for a long weekend, and they were going to take a bus. Most of the people you don’t know, but there are a few friends going, and a couple family members going, but you can’t go. Everyone has been anxiously awaiting the trip – a chance to get away, relax in the peace and quiet, and a chance to make some new friends and catch up with some old friends.
Now, you happen to KNOW that this particular bus company isn’t very reliable. On Friday, you find out the bus that they’ve been assigned for their departure on this Sunday afternoon trip. You KNOW it has problems with the brakes – without a doubt, the brakes will not hold up for a round trip through the mountains, and that left unchecked, the bus will crash – sending the bus and its passengers down the mountainside ending in a fiery crash at the bottom. You know that they will experience fear, hopelessness and regret before they hit the bottom.
What do you do??
Tell the passengers they are in danger? They don’t believe you – ‘the bus company wouldn’t let us ride on the bus if it weren’t safe’ ‘You’re just jealous ‘cause you can’t go!’
Confront the bus company? They won’t let you in the front door. You have no tangible proof that the brakes will fail – even though there is no doubt . You show them the maintenance log – they haven’t been touched in years – but that doesn’t mean they’ll crash on Sunday. You point out the worn out hoses – but they’ve held up so far. The dirty brake fluid should make another trip or two. Nothing you can show them proves that the bus will crash.
Do you say ‘I tried, and they didn’t believe me – it’s their choice to get on that bus.’ Do you tell yourself that maybe you’re wrong – maybe they can go down that road and not go over the cliff.
What do you do?? There are friends on that bus – and family members (ones you actually like) – people from the community with children. You know that if they go down that road, you won’t see them again.
What do you do? Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.
Got it?
You found a way to save all of those people from that most definite fiery crash, didn’t you? I think I’d sneak into the bus station and take all the lug nuts off the bus, so that when they came to pick up the passengers, the tires would all fall off and they couldn’t go on the trip!
Ok, now – let’s say that there are a bunch of people from the community – same people – friends, family, parents with children – and they are going down a path of sin, addiction or abuse that will surely lead them to the fiery gates of Hell. You KNOW that without Jesus, they can’t get into Heaven. You KNOW that if they continue on the path they are going, you won’t see them in Heaven. Everyone is happily going about their merry way, living their lives the way they want to. Left unchecked, their sin will certainly lead them down that mountain of fear, hopelessness, regret – and worst of all, eternal separation from God.
Do you talk to them? Maybe, but they don’t believe you. You have no tangible proof that the path they are on will lead them straight over the cliff.
What do you do??
Do you go to the same lengths that you went through to stop the hypothetical bus? Do you beg, plead and not give up? Do you find a way to introduce them to Jesus?
Do you start to lose faith in your own knowledge of Jesus – maybe they’ll be okay.
Or do you say: I don’t have time; enough money; enough space. I told them about Jesus – what more can I do? I tried - it’s their choice to go down that path.
Pause a minute and think about that … I’ll wait.
1 comment:
Wow i have been reading alot about the changes that have been made to our churches in our lifetime. Do you remember Mr. Bradley (of Bradley acres, he was my preacher when I was age 4 to hmmm 16 or so?) Do you remember the daycare he used to run from church? We had a HUGE bibleschool it was super fun. Well there was a change made to the Southern Baptist convention, and Antioch had to withdraw and only purchased their sunday school materials. What was the change? It was something called fundamentalist Christianity. You see, at least up until 1979, Southern Baptist churches didn't require you to believe the Earth was actually created literally in 6 days to be saved, and also women were allowed to be pastors! We were also allowed to work together with Black Churches in the community. It was called a moderate society. It was really good for democracy and ths the safety of our communities. I hope you will look into it, you can read more into it at the University of Virginia here http://web.archive.org/web/20060829152111/religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/sbaptists.html
I think its sad that what was so good for our neck of Sandston was called too 'leftist' by a few and bullied into the shadows. I stayed at my church and taught sunday school 6 years with preschoolers, but my daughter never got a taste of what i knew a church could be. You know what is funny, Baptists were chased away from Sweden for allowing female pastors! I would never tell my daughter she couldn't be a pastor if she wanted to. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, but removing the lugnuts is extreemist, and rather creepy coming from someone as wonderful as I remember you:) Oh look on my blog 'You will know them by their fruits'
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