When I was a kid, some of the preachers I grew up listening to in church would scare me to death with their talk about hell and fire and flame and brimstone and punishment and eternity.
There was a Christian movie released in the 70s when I was a teenager called 'A Thief in the Night' (gotta love those sideburns, right?) It was shown in a lot of churches at the time. You should know it was a Christian movie because, back then, I wasn't allowed to see any movies that weren't Christian. (Thanks, mom.)
It pictured various scenarios, one after another, of people being 'raptured' - taken to heaven suddenly when Jesus returned - and leaving loved ones behind. It was kind of like an early "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames," minus all the mylar.
- Two people driving and suddenly the driver disappears and the passenger is left and crashes into a tree.
- Two people in the backyard and suddenly one is gone and the other throws the ball to nobody.
- Two in bed together, one is taken and the other rolls over to find an empty space.
Very uplifting - but honestly, that movie made me wet my pants - several times. If I was allowed to have gee-willikers back then, it would have scared them out of me. It would probably make most people laugh today because our 'scare factor' is much higher in 2012.
After I saw that movie, there were times I'd come home from school and expect to find my mom doing what moms do at that time -- washing dishes, vacuuming, reading, making my bed for me -- and -- SHE WOULD BE GONE! I'd run around the house screaming, 'Mom! Mom! Mom! Where are you? Please don't scare the gee-willikers out of me!' And doggone it if I wasn't convinced that she'd been raptured, just like in the scary movie.
And 60 seconds later there I'd be - crying in a heap - and then she'd come around the corner.
'What's wrong, Kevin?'
'I thought you'd gone to heaven without me!'
'No, I was just picking tomatoes in the backyard.'
'OK. Well ... DON'T DO THAT AGAIN! YOU SCARED ME!'
And so on.
I'll just tell you this: I never want to scare anybody into the Kingdom, because scaring people produces temporary life change until we forget to be scared - and then we have to keep on scaring people in exponentially greater ways to keep them connected to God rather than helping them daily walk toward the grace and love of Christ.
Let's just do that.
OK?
And be blessed.
There was a Christian movie released in the 70s when I was a teenager called 'A Thief in the Night' (gotta love those sideburns, right?) It was shown in a lot of churches at the time. You should know it was a Christian movie because, back then, I wasn't allowed to see any movies that weren't Christian. (Thanks, mom.)It pictured various scenarios, one after another, of people being 'raptured' - taken to heaven suddenly when Jesus returned - and leaving loved ones behind. It was kind of like an early "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames," minus all the mylar.
- Two people driving and suddenly the driver disappears and the passenger is left and crashes into a tree.
- Two people in the backyard and suddenly one is gone and the other throws the ball to nobody.
- Two in bed together, one is taken and the other rolls over to find an empty space.
Very uplifting - but honestly, that movie made me wet my pants - several times. If I was allowed to have gee-willikers back then, it would have scared them out of me. It would probably make most people laugh today because our 'scare factor' is much higher in 2012.
'I never want to scare anyone into the Kingdom ... '
After I saw that movie, there were times I'd come home from school and expect to find my mom doing what moms do at that time -- washing dishes, vacuuming, reading, making my bed for me -- and -- SHE WOULD BE GONE! I'd run around the house screaming, 'Mom! Mom! Mom! Where are you? Please don't scare the gee-willikers out of me!' And doggone it if I wasn't convinced that she'd been raptured, just like in the scary movie.
And 60 seconds later there I'd be - crying in a heap - and then she'd come around the corner.
'What's wrong, Kevin?'
'I thought you'd gone to heaven without me!'
'No, I was just picking tomatoes in the backyard.'
'OK. Well ... DON'T DO THAT AGAIN! YOU SCARED ME!'
And so on.
I'll just tell you this: I never want to scare anybody into the Kingdom, because scaring people produces temporary life change until we forget to be scared - and then we have to keep on scaring people in exponentially greater ways to keep them connected to God rather than helping them daily walk toward the grace and love of Christ.
Let's just do that.
OK?
And be blessed.
4 comments:
I remember you mentioning The Thief in the Night in your last sermon, so I watched it this afternoon. It made me wonder something. Since you were afraid that you were not Raptured, how old were you when you knew, without a doubt, that you had accepted Christ? When you were old enough to make that decision for yourself? My life has been very different from yours, but I know that there is an age when children can be baptised. I just wondered when you knew.
I'd say I was about 8 when I knew for sure -- 8 or 9, right around there. That's what i remember, at least.
That is beautiful. I have a 5 yr old granddaughter and to imagine her making that decision for the rest of her life is something I can't fathom. You are and were blessed.
Agree with not scaring anybody into the kingdom but -
It can be a sober reminder about why we should not hesitate to witness.
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