[Rich walks into scene disoriented where there's an Angel standing]
Rich: Man! What happened?? The last thing I remember was that squirrel running out and Kyle grabbing the wheel yelling "Get the squirrel! 10 points!" [chuckles] But where am I??
[looks around and notices angel]
Rich: Excuse me miss, where am I??
Angel: This is the gate of heaven.
Rich: [excited] What? Awesome! It's time to be with Jesus and barbecue and celebrate! No more pain just joy and barbecue! I bet they really know how to cook in heaven!
[Enter Kyle]
Kyle: Bro!!! That was awesome, you were like "we're not gonna get the squirrel" but I was like "we're gonna get the squirrel" and we swerved and we were totally gonna get the squirrel but then you were like "Ahhh!" and the car was like "Skurrrr!!" and we were like....
[Kyle looks around confused]
Kyle: Hey, where are we??
Rich: Dude, you'll never guess this is the gate to heaven!
Kyle: Wow! Really??
Rich: Yeah, and you see that lady over there?
Kyle: Uh- huh
Rich: That's an Angel!
Kyle: Whoa! That's sweet! So she can probably fly around and stuff and be like "I'm an Angel," and play harps and all kinds of cool stuff!
Rich: Yeah, totally. Here's the best part we get to walk on streets of gold, and never hurt, and best of all... barbecue!!
Kyle: Wait, what kind of barbecue are we talking about here??
Rich: Better than you can imagine.
Kyle: Like Cheeseburgers, bacon dogs, corn on the cob??
Rich: Yep, not to mention Carne asada, baked beans, and beef ribs.
Kyle: Oh! All smothered in...
Together: Louisiana sweet and spicy BBQ sauce!!!
Kyle: [excited] What are we waiting for?! Let's go!
[Friends start to walk into heaven but are stopped by the Angel]
Angel: Hold on before you go any further I must see if your name is in this book.
Kyle: Wow, that's a big book. Never saw that in no library.
Rich: I remember hearing about this book, it's the book of Life. Everybody's name who's in it gets to go to heaven. [walks over to angel] My name is Rich Ferreira, that's two r's kinda like ferrari.
Angel: [points] okay just head over there.
[Kyle walks up to Angel]
Kyle: My name is Kyle Kirshner. Make sure to check under K's kirshner starts with a "K". [Angel looks saddened] Or maybe try Ace... A lot of people call me Ace.
Angel: [still looking saddened] Okay, go ahead and head that way. [points in opposite direction]
Kyle: Okay cool. I'll head this way and you head that way and I'll meet you on the other side of the gate.
Rich: No wait, that way doesn't go around, bro. You have to come around this way. I thought you knew...
Kyle: Knew what?? What are you talking about??
Rich: You can't go that way. [nervously] You know, you have to believe in Jesus as your savior. You knew, remember we went to youth group that one time... I saw you! You were listening to the pastor you looked like you got it.
Kyle: Yeah he made some cool points about being a nice person. But you never told me I had to believe in Jesus. Why didn't you tell me?!
Rich: I just thought you knew.
Kyle: [Angry] I thought you were my friend! How could you not tell me about the most important thing I would ever need to know?! And now it's too late!
Rich: I'm sorry. I just thought... I... I don't know what to say.
Kyle: [frustrated with tears in his eyes] Well there's not too much left to say, See ya Rich.
Rich: [through the tears] Bye, Kyle.
[End Skit]
After hearing this skit my friend Tim got up and told his story; He had a friend that he felt God was urging him, when they were talking, to tell him about Jesus. He refused because he didn't want to make their friendship awkward and he just didn't feel ready to share that with his long time friend. Less than a week later his friend died. He says to this day he's haunted by that ignored conviction to share the Gospel with his friend that he'll never get an opportunity for a second chance at.
I've had three of my friends murdered, four shot at, three held up at gun point, and several others having close calls in the military in the past couple of years. With this kind of track record I know better than most that you, or those close to you may not have tomorrow. Yet, I still don't live with the urgency of spreading the news of a Kingdom that's good, and a Kingdom that's near. Let this be our wake up call.
5 comments:
This was a great post Erik! And so true. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives, and even just our christian friends that we forget about the many that still don't know christ. That's why it's so important that no matter what we are doing in life, we need to be doing it for Jesus.... because the life we live reflects heavily of the word we follow.... I know so many have and will continue to find Christ through you!
Hey great memory on the skit and it it was cool to read your thoughts as it was a long time ago that we did that at WW but it really convicted me to continue to share the gospel. Take care
Rich
At school today as I was walking to my car, someone stopped me and said, "I just want you to know that Jesus Christ loves you." After he said this, I immediately thought about what you wrote. I am well aware of the fact that Jesus loves me, but to hear a stranger tell me that made me realize it more than ever. A simple action like that can be very impacting. God's love is so amazing that I don't know how someone can not share that with others. Of course, it's difficult, but it's what we are called to do. And, we don't have to go around proclaiming our faith to every single person we see, but it can be as simple as telling someone that God loves them because that might just be the thing someone needs to hear.
"Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1:16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (cf. Mt 10:27). Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern "metropolis". It is you who must "go out into the byroads" (Mt 22:9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet, which God has prepared for His people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:15-16)."
-Pope John Paul II, August 15, 1993
Continue to keep writing!!
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