“Your building is on fire!”
While on a two-week ARMS medical mission in Cambodia, we had a Team of about sixty Christians and one atheist. (You don’t have to be a Christian to help on a mission.) We just completed our last site of week 1. We had loaded all the equipment and were boarding the bus. As it went, the atheist sat next to me. As we talked, he asked, “Pastor Nick, all these Christians keep telling me about the gospel. I’ve heard it multiple times. I understand it, so why don’t they just leave me alone?”
I told him, “I don’t think you understand it. Let me help you out, just a little bit.” I explained, “You’re an active-duty Airman. Let’s say it’s late Friday night and you and your buddy have been out in town, having a good time. It’s just past midnight and y’all have returned to your dormitory. You both live on the fourth floor, across the hall from each other. You go into your room and he goes into his. Within minutes you both are dead asleep. Now, let’s say about 1:00 AM the fire alarm goes off – the building is actually on fire. You hear the alarm and wake up, but your buddy is still sleeping because you can hear him snoring through his door. What would you do?”
The conversation went something like this:
Atheist: “I’d go into his room and wake him up!”
Me: “The door is locked.”
Atheist: “I’d pound on the door.”
Me: “He’s a heavy sleeper.”
Atheist: (Beginning to panic) “I’d kick the door in!”
Me: “It’s double-bolted.”
Atheist: (Full panic) “I’d yell for someone to get the ‘jaws of life’! I’d get a ladder! I’d rappel through the window! I’d call his phone!”
Me: “Why would you do all that?”
Atheist: “Because he’s in danger and if we don’t wake him up he’s gonna die.”
Me: “Exactly! These Christians keep telling you about Jesus because your building is on fire. They’re just trying to wake you up.”
Even through his stunned look, comprehension was occurring. It slowly dawned on this young atheist that he would do the same thing if he knew someone was in danger. He would go to great lengths to wake someone up to see them saved. Unfortunately, he did not give his life to Christ at that time, but he did admit that he had a lot of soul-searching to do.
If you’ve ever sinned, or know someone who has (Hint: that’s everyone), their building is on fire and they need to be saved. The bible says, “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom 10:13)
I challenge you to love someone enough to explain to them, “Your building is on fire!”