Guns to our heads

What would you do if you were held at gun point?  No, I’m not talking about martyrdom for your faith.  The gunman doesn’t know your faith and isn’t interested.  If he told you to sing a Justin Timberlake song and pronounce your love for him, would you?  If he told you to strip down to your underwear, would you?  If he told you to hit your child repeatedly to the point of death, would you?

I think we would all sing the Timberlake song (if we knew one) and say we love him to save our life.  That’s easy.  I think many of us would strip down to save our lives, because it’s not very difficult.  I don’t think many of us would strike our own children, but I could be wrong.  To me that’s just too hard, it’s asking too much even if I will die.

To me it seems pretty apparent that we would all do something easy in order to save our life.  If you said you loved Timberlake at gun point is that sincere or survival?

Enter the elementary aged Sunday school lesson.  The teacher is taking to the kids about God and she then tells the little children about hell.  (I don’t think they are probably this crude, but this is what gets absorbed by the listeners)  Hey kids, in Hell God’s not there, it’s a place of fire and darkness, and there is no company, no love, no peace, and no hope.  Forever.  And you are going there when you die.

Gun is to their head.

“What do I have to do to be saved?”  Pray this prayer to Jesus.

“That’s it?  That’s easy.” 

Is that sincere or is that survival?  How many church or Christian education lifers out there haven’t had this done to them?  Raise your hand.  A gun has been put to your head.

Sincere faith is when a person recognizes they are sinner and the only way to be cleaned and made new is the blood of Jesus who died for them and they make a personal claim on that blood and they trust that it will work.  Does that happen at gunpoint?

How many generations have ignored the gospel call on their life because they already believe they have it? They did that easy survival thing at gunpoint.  Is it the same?

Imagine this conversation between your average Christian believer and a witty unbeliever…

If you are right and I’m wrong about God’s existence then there are no negative consequences for me. But if I’m right and you’re wrong about God’s existence then there are huge consequences for you.

What do you mean?

I mean to say Hell. (Gun to the head)

You think you lose nothing if God is not real?  (Grabs gun from the Christian and takes aim back)  What about all the time you spend at church, time and money raised for missions trips, money given to Christian educations, and church donations?  What about all the Sunday mornings you could have been watching football?

What about all the guilt people have made you feel about not measuring up to God’s standards?

What if Hell and original sin were invented by your preacher so you would fear your soul was doomed and would buy the cure from them week after week? 

Did you believe in God out of fear like you are asking me too?  (Shots fired)

Um.

Now I’m asking.  Did you?  Jesus poured His blood for you to save you from your sins.  He took the bullet for us, let’s put away our guns and trust that His blood will do what He says it will do. 

Hey kids, Jesus is the best and He took care of your biggest need.  He did all the work Himself.  He loves you that much.  All we have to do is trust Him.  Do you want to claim His victory or do you want to try take care of your biggest need on your own?  

I believe the goodness of Jesus wins people’s hearts; especially if their hearts haven’t been spiritually bullied yet.