Powerful Gospel Skit
IMPORTANT UPDATE: A spirited discussion has sprung up in the comment section regarding the theological accuracy of the skit. This is good. We did not do our job providing appropriate commentary and so we are blessed to see our readers displaying more discernment than we did.
If we had a chance to do things over again we probably would still have posted the video but with the clarification that it is flawed — just like any human presentation of the Gospel can be flawed in its emphasis.
We would encourage you to use the same discernment when watching this skit that you should be using in evaluating any movie, article, book, etc. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9).
We believe that the “good” and “true” parts of this skit are what impact our emotions so powerfully when we watch it. The strength and victory of Christ are what move you to tears, not the distressed arm-waving.
Starting at the 1:48 minute-mark we believe the gospel is presented in a powerful and largely accurate way. Jesus does die for the girl’s sins before she begins running to Him. The video clearly shows Him standing as if nailed to the cross and then falling to His knees in death.
The girl throws away the gun and begins fighting her way to Christ only after He begins to steadily draw her to Himself — arm-over-arm — in an inevitable tug-of-war. In our opinion this sequence “makes the skit” and was the reason we chose to share it with you.
We have seen many evangelistic skits but this one is special. Please take the time to watch it and then share it with family and friends. If you are not a Christian please take this opportunity to understand what Jesus Christ offers you. If you have already experienced the saving power of Christ, be reminded and inspired and moved to tears all over again. May God bless you all!
September 28th, 2007 at 1:33 am
Thanks! Looks great, watching as I speak. Thanks for the link.
Paul
September 28th, 2007 at 3:57 am
[…] Gospel Skit Check out this skit HERE illustrating what Christ has done for us. […]
September 28th, 2007 at 4:32 am
I was really inspired by that evangelical skit… It made me think of a verse in Hebrews, where it says ‘…and without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins…’ (Perhaps paraphrased a bit:) … My favorite part was when the girl, desperate and ready to commit suicide, threw the gun and tried to return to Jesus. When Jesus stepped in and later redeemed her, I felt overwhelming gratitude for what he also did for ME…. Anyway. Thanks for posting the skit… It was great! … On a sidenote, being somewhat new to this blog, I am really impressed– REALLY impressed with the character and maturity of Brett and Alex, and everyone else involved… This blog is spectacular, and I want to share it with some of my friends …
September 28th, 2007 at 7:10 am
That is great!! I have seen this video before. The message is so powerful. I have some people in mind that I can share this with. Thanks for posting it! God Bless!
Amanda
September 28th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Wow, that DID make me cry. So beautifully portrayed!!
Thank you Jesus!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 10:15 am
that is a powerful video. i was moved to tears by the end. Christ’s amazing love for us far more vast than we can ever know or describe, yet this preformance manages to capture some of that infinite mystery in a way that touches my soul. it’s amazing. i’ll have to show it to my family and friends.
thank you, alex and brett, for posting this. what an encouragement!
September 28th, 2007 at 10:41 am
That was amazing! That would be a very powerful skit to do at my youth group. That is just so moving! Thanks so much for posting it!
In Him,
Kelsey D
September 28th, 2007 at 11:13 am
My friend just emailed me this video a couple days ago . . . really good and very moving. Thanks!
Becky
September 28th, 2007 at 11:35 am
This is such a strong reminder that we need to be so so so watchful that we do not get distracted by worldly things…but it is also an image of hope… if we are in that bad place, Jesus is right there to welcome us back with protecting arms.
September 28th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Tears of joy rolling down my face. What a beautiful picture of God’s mighty, saving, beautiful Grace!
September 28th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Wow…I knew I was going to end up in tears if I watched this! I’ve seen several different videos of this skit, and it gets my heart every time. The girl fighting to get back to Jesus is such a real portrayal of my own desperate cry to God against the distractions and temptations of the world…”You’re all I want, You’re all I need.” And Jesus not only calls with forgiveness and love, but fights the enemies who seek to destroy.
Amazing love - how can it be?
September 28th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
That IS an excellent portrayal of our sinfulness and God’s redemption. Thanks for sharing.
~Lady Tai
September 28th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Oh, my mascara is just running down my face, that was such a moving presentation. I cry every time I hear that song, but with the skit…wow. Is it from Bethel Church in Redding? I know the song is. Thanks for posting it.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
WOW! That’s an amazing, incredible, powerful and phenomenal skit!! A group from my church that went on a short term mission trip to India performed one for us almost exactly like that and I really enjoyed!! It’s fantastic getting to see it (or one very close to it) again. Thanks for the post!
September 28th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
hope I don’t put a damper on this, but I’ve seen this before as well, and I see the beauty of it….but there is something that profoundly bothers me. That is Christ’s reactions on the side. He looks fretful and helpless….eventually He proves strong, but there is a lack of sovereignty in this skit that is bothersome to me. I have never visioned Christ on the side putting his hands on his head and looking up in a, “Oh, my gosh, what am I gonna do.” way that is portrayed here. And, I don’t believe the Bible portrays Him that way either.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
At first, I was struggling to get the allegorical picture, but when I began to understand, I was blown away. God’s grace is amazing. When we push aside the things of the world to press through to him–there is true peace. It kind of reminded me of the woman with the issue of blood, who had to push her way to Jesus. Often the closer you get to him, the fiercer the opposition, but what is on the other side–Him–is more than worth it. Whether we are pushing to get to him for the first time or just trying to get to him in the midst of our daily schedule and struggles, he is there waiting…..and he is all we’ve ever wanted or needed.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
That was an awesome skit thanks for putting it on
September 28th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Every time I have seen this skit it has been at a point in my life when I really needed to be reminded of Christs everlasting and amazing sacrifice and Love! The part that makes me cry every time is when she finally stops trying to redeem herself and gives it up to him to save her, so true and simple, but hard to do! Thanks for posting!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Even though the skit was beautiful and once again, brought me back to the cross, I have to agree with DeeDee. It troubled me how they portrayed Jesus looking helpless like that. God is sovereign. Nothing anyone does, or doesn’t do, can change His plan. If that were true, he would not be the same God portrayed in the Bible. Does that make sense?
September 28th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I hadn’t really noticed it before but I completely agree w/Deebee’s point. The version I saw the “encouraging person” was portrayed as either an Angel or a Christian mentor. That worked better. I don’t think Christ is sitting and fretting while we go through the trials in life.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Though I think that it is an incredible and moving skit in many ways, I have to agree with DeeDee, Elizabeth, and Lindsay M. It seems like Christ is wringing His hands, wishing the girl would come back to Him…when she finally decides (on her own) to come back to Him, only then does He fight off the ones attacking her and finally reign victorious.
Wish I could wholeheartedly say that I love it, but the fact that Jesus isn’t sovereign in the skit really troubles me.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
That was amazing, I went from shivers to tears in a matter of seconds. Thank you so much Alex and Brett, for sharing it with us. I can’t wait to share it with my friends.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
WoW! That was really good, despite the slightly erroneous depiction of Christ….
What is the name of that song, and who sings it? I think I’ve heard it before, but I don’t know what it’s called.
-Thanks
jeffrey
September 28th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
DeeDee and everyone - Perhaps a better way to portray Jesus would have been as more grieved and longing instead of helpless, which He definitely isn’t! God IS sovereign, and yet He allows us free choice and doesn’t force us to come until we choose, but I believe He longs for us to come/return. (”Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to to show you compassion.” Is. 30:18)
Just my thoughts. Alex & Brett may wish to address this better.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
that is so awesome that you posted this video!
I saw it about a month ago and posted it myself on my blogs I loved it so much!
It’s a great picture of what Christ does for us.
I think this video can really touch lives.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Man, that was really something! I’m crying now as I write. How awesome God is! Thanks for posting that, Alex and Brett. I really needed it right now.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
I was also struck by the somewhat helpless depiction. However, when the girl does finally turn back, notice that it appears to be by Christ’s strength - he is shown as pulling a rope, pulling her to him. When he lets go of the rope at the end, to face the demons of sin himself, she collapses and is unable to continue. So I think that overall the emphasis on God’s power is there.
September 29th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Wow! That was truly powerful! Thank you for sharing Alex & Brett!
September 29th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Note by Admin: We have since discovered that this comment was a joke by someone poking fun at the Rebelution and the Modesty Survey. Pay it no heed.
I liked this video a lot. A little too much actually. I felt myself being tempted every time the girl turned around in her jeans. I do not know what to do, I love the message but I can not help but be tempted.
September 29th, 2007 at 3:23 am
I agree with Mark on some counts, eg. the clothing of some of the participants wasn’t modest.
I also agree with DeeDee. It’s not right that Jesus sould be fretting about our situation because He can do all His holy will. That can be the case though if that man is a mentor/older Christian.
Even so, the video as a whole is wholesome and I’d definitely recommend it to my friends (same as I do the rebelution
). Thanks again for sharing, Alex and Brett 
Rating: 8/10
September 29th, 2007 at 8:12 am
OH MY LANTA! That is so ironic that you just posted that because my friend Sha sent that to me a couple weeks ago (and she is the dance director at our church youth group), and told me she was going to talk to our youth pastor and worship pastor about performing that… and they just gave us the okay to do that! So sometime this year, we’re going to be doing that skit at our church! Isn’t that crazy? But amazing… have you ever seen the one “Locked in a Cage” by Skillet? Our church has done that one for many years also and I know that global expeditions performs that one a lot on their mission trips…
September 29th, 2007 at 8:16 am
Also - in reply to what many have said… YES God is sovereign… but at the same time, He does care about us and what we are going through. He longs to help us, but we have to let Him. In this skit, she has pushed Him out of her life and that is why it’s portrayed the way it is… God IS sovereign - but He gave us free will, He’s always going to be there even when we turn away. He cares about us and He longs to help us, but we have to let Him…
September 29th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Wow……I like it a lot. It makes you think.
A great music video on God Tube is Letters from War. I cried both times I saw it.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Very interesting! Thought provoking and a very good reminder of Christ’s sacrifice. My Mom made a good point though, we shouldn’t be leaving our youth with in that state of ‘Let’s stay and listen to rock music’ idea. It’s a starting point, but it’s a huge part of the ‘teen scene’ that we are all trying to get away from. It was very good though, don’t get me wrong.
In Christ,
Sheila
September 29th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Wow. Great Video. Can I use that skit at my school?
September 29th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Wow. That was such a blessing. Thanks so much for posting it!
September 29th, 2007 at 10:25 am
(continued)…Though after watching it again and reading some of the comments, I have to aggree with DeeDee and the others…that part did bother me. Though it’s possible that it’s just trying to show that Jesus is saddened…but it did seemed more like they portrayed Him as ‘helpless’ (and Jesus is certainly not helpless). Other than that though, I found it great.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:53 am
(continued) I didn’t like the part with Christ being kinda “helpless” either… However I think the skit (as a whole) was trying to say that the sins of the world pull us down, tempt us, and TRY to keep us from Christ- (not that they actually CAN keep us from Him/salvation.) -And the skit did have Christ pulling her to Him with the rope and holding back the girl’s tempters Himself (for she couldn’t.) Sometimes God brings us through hard times. In the end it brings glory to Him! Just because He isn’t doing anything about what is happening to us doesn’t mean He can’t or that He isn’t there.
I didn’t like the immodesty either, however with the pink girl I think it made the point it was trying to make- and with the main girl- well- she was an average girl in a sin filled world, not yet mature in her faith…
I truly enjoyed it! Thanks so much for having it posted!
September 29th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
What’s this song called? Some of my friends find religion in music like this, and I know other kids in my youth group would love to hear this and share it.
September 29th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
While I really appreciate what Alex and Bret are doing in general with this site, I have to disagree with them on this call. This video is wrong for at least two reasons.
DeeDee pointed out the whole God being helpless thing, which I definitely agree is a big problem. It looks like God is standing there thinking, “Oh, I wish they would listen to me, why won’t they obey me?” This isn’t true in the real world at all. God is completely powerful and sovereign over creation (Psalm 33). He chooses who He saves and who He doesn’t (Rom. 9:14-16). Yes, He begs and pleads with us through His Word, but He also guides us to Himself through His almighty power (Eph. 2:1). God is the opposite of helpless. We are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:5). Being dead, we are not able at all to seek to follow God. We have no desire to “let” God into our lives. It’s just the opposite, because Col 2:13 says God has to “make us alive in Him [Christ].” Once the Holy Spirit makes us alive, then we can seek God. God is in control; if He isn’t, then He isn’t all-powerful, which means he isn’t God.
I also disagree with this video for another reason. This reason, unpopular as it is, is still in the Bible, so I don’t think I can ignore it. I find it strange that Jesus is portrayed. Plain and simple. God shouldn’t be made by men to look like a man. Only God has the power to become human, while still keeping His divinity. Now, pardon me if I’m wrong, but humans don’t have the ability to take God and portray Him as a man, while still keeping His awesome divinity. That just isn’t possible (Deut. 4:15-19). Not to mention, changing the “glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man” is considered foolish, sinful, and changing the truth of God into a lie according to Romans 1:22-23. If I remember correctly, the Second Commandment says something about making images of God too. Whenever you pretend to be God, things don’t turn out so well (e.g. Satan, Nadab and Abihu, Aaron, Nebuchadnezzar, etc.).
I know you may not agree with my views here, but please read the Scriptures and see God’s glory and grace.
In Christ,
Althusius
September 29th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
wow very powerful and moving thanks
September 29th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
DeeDee, Elizabeth, Lindsay M and Jessie U:
I understand completely where you’re coming from, with your concerns about how Christ’s sovereignty is portrayed…though I was so caught up in the power and beauty of the picture that it really hadn’t even occurred to me until I saw your comments.
But probably if you think back a little bit, you will remember experiences — or at least seen other people experience — where it *felt* or *seemed* like Christ was standing by idly or helplessly. Some of the Old Testament Minor Prophets are an illustration of that.
Also, many books - Isaiah in particular - are full of ”pleas” from God to us to do something that is not in us to do; turn from our wicked ways and worship Him only. Much like the ”frantic” hand-waving and attention-getting attempts of the savior portrayed in the skit.
So…I happen to find the depiction not very erroneous after all.
As we learn, by God’s grace, more about Him and His characteristics, we learn a better way to interpret/understand this. But still, especially to someone who doesn’t yet fully comprehend these encouraging truths, without a doubt it can appear as though Christ is helpless / powerless.
We cannot expect drama, or any art, to be scripture. Nor is it intended at all to be a substitute for the full truth of God’s written word in the Bible but rather a tool to point us to it. Any attempt we humans make at portraying the truths of scripture through art is going to be fraught with weakness and shortcomings.
But we should not allow that to scare us away from venturing into art…nor should we become guilty of ”over spiritualizing” it beyond recognition. It is still a very powerful, God-given tool that can be used mightily. It is (and should be) often used to communicate very narrow and specific truths with great impact - as is the case with this skit.
The gospel is a very simple message. Things like this skit that preserve the simplicity of that message and point people to the awesome power of Christ and what He did, should be celebrated. Certainly we don’t want our discipleship / sanctification to stop there, but it’s a great start!
With all the philosophical / theological comments out of the way, here is a productive question:
Is there a way that the savior in this skit could be portrayed that would better communicate the fullness of Christ’s characteristics, without detracting from the clarity or power of the message communicated?
(This is not a loaded question; hopefully it will result in at least some meaningful discussion…)
September 29th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
kristin and any others who have asked for the name of the song…
It is “Everything” by Lifehouse. The video has “lighthouse” in the title, but that’s not correct.
I’ve seen this video before, and I couldn’t finish watching it, because I was offended by some of the content and theological issues. I watched the whole thing this time, because Alex and Brett posted it, and I’m still offended. I can understand how many could perceive it as a powerful evangelistic tool, but I also can see how it could be confusing and even depressing for non-believers. It even depressed me, because it seemed to me that Jesus was only a little bit more powerful than the world, as if the world even had a chance against our Lord and Savior.
Like I said, I can understand why many would be touched by this video, but I just wanted to share what I perceived its message to be.
Noah
September 30th, 2007 at 5:34 am
Wow! I really like it! Very well done.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:01 am
… I agreed with the responses of Crissy and Michael, who said what I wanted to say before I did…
I recently finished reading the book of Hosea… There were many passages where God was warning his people, and then later expressing his desire for them to be reconciled. He wasn’t begging them, and he wasn’t forcing them. Though he loves and cares about us, he created us with the ability to choose– we have a free-will… He’s a perfect gentleman and won’t ever force us into a decision. The risk in love is that He gives us a choice to respond to it or reject it.
September 30th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Michael -
Good question.
I think that a better way to portray Christ in this instance is sorrowful, with His head bowed. This would show that He is grieved by sin, but not imply that He is unable to do anything about it.
I do understand what you mean, though, and it makes sense in a way to have Christ ‘distant’, but maybe the savior should stand in one place, and the girl stray away. That way, it’s not that the savior left the girl, but she left him.
Like you said, I hope people will contribute good discussion to this.
Megan H.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:02 am
good thoughts everyone. it’s helpful to think about things like this instead of taking them at face-value. i was incredibly blessed by the video and sent it off to a few friends right away. i do understand some of the concerns about Christ seeming helpless, however to me, he did not seem helpless. he appeared to be genuinely distressed over her condition and to be crying out for her to return to him. after she saw that she couldn’t return to him on her own, he began to pull her in. then he ultimately took the ’sin’ on himself so that she could be free from it and once again enter into a relationship with him.
megan h, i like the idea of a sorrowful Jesus for the skit, but i wouldn’t want him to simply stand there. the way he is waving his hands, trying to get her attention but is obscured by the world is to me an effective picture of Christ’s love for us.
i do agree though, the hands-on-the-head thing didn’t seem accurate.
i dunno, those are just my thoughts. if anyone sees something i’ve said in error, please point it out!
September 30th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Actually, mo, the waving hands thing to try to get her to come back to Him bothered me because if Christ wants to be seen or noticed, He will be seen or noticed. He doesn’t have to ‘try’, like we as humans do. Maybe just standing there isn’t the best portrayal, either. I’ll have to think on that. I do think that He can be obscured by the world, but He will reveal Himself when it is His time.
September 30th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I can’t believe this!! Why do you guys have to be So darn critical?? It’s a SKIT for God’s sake… It’s something used to reach people and touch hearts of this generation. It’s meant as a “door opener” where then it’s open to pastors or whoever to explain it. Why do you have to analyze THEOLOGY in a simple skit?
What is so immodest about a girl wearing everyday jeans and a t-shirt.
This type of thing is what gives Christians a bad name.
Just stop with the cynical remarks, the criticism, the rudeness and the theological debates.
Look - I believe all that stuff, I’m a strong Christian…
Does anyone not understand where I’M coming from? What kind of message are you sending to non-believers when you have to condemn the stupidest things?
Get a life people. and stop judging others. It will only come back to you.
Maybe you should try seeing things from someone else’s perspectives…
like maybe someone like me who has been through everything that that skit portrayed. Thank you very much.
September 30th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
wow. that is such a good picture of Jesus giving Himself up and then being so powerful.
also you can see people trying to drag her into newest fashions,trying to kill herself …..
thank you soooo much for putting that up for teenagers to see and steer clear away from people trying to drag them into sin,I know it is very hard to stay away from sin but Jesus will always be there for us and will always protect us if we call on his glorious name.
September 30th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
i see your point, megan h, thanks for pointing that out. this is an interesting thing to ponder, isn’t it? how best can we portray Christ’s reaction while people are running from him?
September 30th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Megan H,
I’m not discrediting your comment by any means…it just seems to me that God allows us free will at GREAT cost to himself. Even though He appears helpless in the skit, it seems to me that the Jesus character is simply allowing the girl to live the life she has chosen for herself. A line in a Micheal Card song comes to mind: “…He simply speaks the sentence that they have passed upon themselves”.
That being said, I do think that in a way it breaks God’s heart to allow us free will. Look at the ways free will has been used throughout history…Hitler… Lenon…abortion…Saddam…hooter girls…insane asylums…children raising other children because of AIDS (spread through rape a lot of times)…the list goes on and on. And yet this is the proof of love, that God in his infinite wisdom and power lets us choose. Though he IS in control, he is not a control freak. That He who spoke the universe into being would allow us to say no to him, knowing fully the cost.
September 30th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Good question, mo. How CAN we best portray Christ’s reaction while people are running from him? I know that he wouldn’t be hovering in the back ground, “trying” to get her to notice him - like Megan H. said, when he wants to be seen, he WILL be seen. I think God sometimes lets people follow their own path and give them over to their own sin for a time so that he can glorify himself in an even more amazing way. But he wouldn’t be fretting over it, because he knows what he’s doing, and all that happens is all according to his perfect - if not mysterious - plan.
September 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
i cried when i got to the part where Jesus was pulling the girl toward him, then fighting off the demonic spirits on her behalf - it just confirmed to me what IS taking place now, as i continue to pray for my children, who are young adults and have chosen to not follow him at this point in their lives. powerful, and i am going to email it to both of them right now.
thanks for blessing me with this
September 30th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
It was definitely emotionally powerful, but the fact that 3 out of the 4 people portraying worldly elements were people of color left a sour taste in my mouth. Why do the dark sins of the world have to be portrayed by dark people? I wonder what kind of message that would send to an unbelieving person of color…
October 1st, 2007 at 9:54 am
Crissy, you saddened me by your reponse. I as far as I can see no one has been cynical or rude about the skit.
Only a few people have commented on the girls clothes. It may come as a surprise, but to some people a girl wearing jeans is immodest and to others a stumbling block. I happen to be one of the people that think it immodest for girls to wear pants, but I’m not judging them because they decide to wear jeans.
I also don’t think we have been judgemental, but concerned about some things in the skit. Of course this is what I’ve got out of the responses.
This is a discussion among concerned Christian youths and perhaps a few adults and no one has gotten out of hand. I’m sorry that you think we are taking the skit so negatively and I believe that we all understand that it’s purpose is to be a “door opener”. I am speaking for myself, but I hope for others as well.
You said that you had experienced the same as the girl in the skit and you may even have felt that God was standing aside helpless, but the truth is He wasn’t and isn’t.
Most of the responses have expressed their concern about the way God was portrayed with perfect right, but not the message of the skit itself.
Another thing that came across to me in your response was your accusation of us being judgmental. I couldn’t help but get the feeling that you were judging others for their concern about the skit. I have no desire to offend you and hope I haven’t.
I hope I was able to get across to you and perhaps clarify things a bit.
God Bless,
Amanda
October 1st, 2007 at 10:32 am
Thank you for your comment, Amanda. That is exactly how I I was going to respond. Chrissy - I am sorry if my comments and those of the others have come across as harsh or critical. I was not trying to condem the skit - I think its message was powerful and hopefully has brought many to Christ. I was simply saddened by the fact that someone would portray our beloved Savior as anything other than sovereign. As for “analyzing” the theology, I think you have been misguided. Discussing theology and doctrine is a healthy thing and, as long as our hearts are focussed on Christ, He can lead us to some awesome revelations about Himself. Of course, it should be kept at discussion level - and it has. It was not our intention to argue with the author of the skit or malign that person in any way. As for the modesty issue, I personally did not think the girl’s clothing was inmodest, but for some young men her semi-tight jeans could be a stumbling-block. I do not think, however, that this has been the main dicussion topic and it really shouldn’t be - it has nothing to do with the message of the skit.
Jessica - I happened to notice the same things you did about the worldy influences. I doubt the author of the skit was trying to make a point by casting those people, and though I see how it could offend some people, again, it has nothing to do with the overall message of the skit.
God bless,
Elisabeth
October 1st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I thought the skit was cool…Thank you to whoever posted it!
There seems to be quite a bit of debate going on…yikes! I think, like Elisabeth says, that we should remember the basic focus of the skit, which is really about salvation.
Thanks again to whoever posted it–I think it is a powerful illustration, and a great idea.
Carly D.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:16 pm
On the contrary, Crissy, I think it is helpful that the guys tell us what clothes are a stumbling block to them. Some guys have problems with tighter jeans. Thanks to the guys who told us this. You are very honest. I don’t want to be a stumbling block to anyone.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
As I watched the video, I felt very powerfully for that girl when she tried to run to Jesus. But I still don’t think it’s perfect. The trouble with skits like these is that they’re too limited and too imprecise, which means it’s going to lead to some theological issues:
1. Was the girl a Christian at the beginning of the video, or a non-Christian? Only Adam and Eve began living with a deep relationship with God. If she was a Christian to start with, how is this supposed to be a evangelistic tool? If she’s supposed to represent all of humanity, then it’s untrue that all of humanity will be saved.
2. Jesus didn’t somehow defeat sins with His strength, He suffered in our place. Personnally, I was expecting all those people who represented sin to beat Him to the ground and kill him. But they didn’t. So where’s the cross in this video?
3. Is it right to represent God using a steorotype (robes, etc), let alone an actor?
4. Would a non-Christian really understand the necessity of the cross and of repentance? Or wouldn’t they just think: God’s going to forgive me in the end anyway.
I don’t think God was portrayed as helpless. God was distressed that her sins were seperating her. I don’t think the girl was immodest (ever since that modesty survey, that’s all we seem to comment about. Give it up!). And I don’t think God picks and chooses whom to save, or that humans have nothing to do whatsoever with their own salvation.
Sorry to be so critical. It’s only because I genuinly care about this stuff. I honestly don’t know what I would suggest to the actors if they were right here in front of me. They obviously really want to share the wonderful news with everyone. So don’t stop. Keep on trying. It’s almighty God who touches peoples’ hearts anyway. We’re just tools.
Plus, this video has put me in the mood to worship and marvel, at 10:00pm! Thanks for sharing.
October 1st, 2007 at 2:42 pm
David Daniel - I guess it’s really not my job to respond to everyone’s comments
but you said two things that are really disturbing. One - “I don’t think God picks and chooses whom to save.” Consider this passage from Romans:
“…when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad - in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call - she was told ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated.’
“What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who as mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharoah, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” - Romans 9:10-18
Seems like pretty harsh stuff. Look at it this way. No one is just an average, morally “nuetral” being. No one, on their own, “seeks” God. Since the fall, we are all, by nature, “children of wrath” - hating God and running from him. But God, in his mysterious mercy and divine wisdom, chose to reach out his hand and snatch back one. And another. And that one.
We just have to remember “Lord, your ways are not my ways, your thoughts are not my thoughts!” We can never understand the “why.” And I am certainly not saying I understand it fully - whew! Really, these concepts make my brain blow fuses. But I DO know that God is indescribably more wise than us. So we can have peace knowing that he knows what he is doing.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to preach.
I do hope that some of that made sense and that I didn’t offend you in any way! Please think about it, though. And God bless you!
Elisabeth
October 1st, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Oops, I forgot #2! Secondly, I don’t see how you can really have a saving faith in Christ if you beleive we humans have something to do with our own salvation. But I think my first comment covered that topic, too.
October 1st, 2007 at 4:33 pm
excellent point, david daniel, skits can never fully capture all of the deep, profound doctrine of the gospel. however, they can do an effective job of painting a picture of the gospel’s simple message. whatever its shortcomings, this skit has put many people in awe of what Christ did for them, and has given you and i and many others a desire to worship. that is what i believe it is meant to do. not to be a full sermon on the gospel. i mean, i can’t even explain the meanings of ‘propitiation’, ‘expiation’, and ‘atonement’ in that amount of time, let alone portray them in a mimed skit! what i’m trying to say is that just because the depth of the gospel may be impossible to portray through drama doesn’t mean we shouldn’t attempt such portrayal.
that being said, applause to the writer, director, and actors of this skit. way to bring glory to God and inspire people to worship!
i’m sorry i’m posting so much, but this conversation has me intrigued!
October 1st, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Same here, mo. And sorry my last comment doesn’t make sense - the first one that goes with it is “awaiting moderation.”
October 1st, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Wow… that’s so amazing that you posted this. Just this last week, this went around the BCM at my college. Everyone who saw it was so moved that they would pull someone else over to see it! Now we are making plans to do this as a skit of our own.
October 1st, 2007 at 6:41 pm
On the whole, I like the skit, and thought that the end was particularly moving. That being said, it’s good to see people want to be theologically discerning about the skit.
As far as the “helpless God” concerns that some people have expressed, if I thought that was what the skit portrayed, I would be disturbed as well. But, having watched it several times now, my thoughts are similar to Michael’s — sections from the OT prophets came to my mind as well. The waving of the hands, etc., seems to me to be along the lines of the following from Isaiah 65:1-2:
“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here am I, here am I,”
to a nation that was not called by my name.
I spread out my hands all the day
to a rebellious people,”
The part of this skit that has me puzzled is actually why the girl’s black shirt comes off when it does (in the middle of when she’s struggling against her enemies). The black shirt, I would think, is representing her sins (especially considering the shirt underneath is white), yet it comes off before Jesus is portrayed as coming and taking her place, and is, in fact, ripped off by her enemies. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? If you’ve seen other versions of the skit, is it possible that the shirt was inadvertantly removed during the struggle, and was supposed to come off later?
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:00 am
Elizabeth,
I hope I don’t offend you or anything, because that is certainly not my intention, but what you said about God picking and choosing whom to save really bothers me. I do not believe God does that. Consider these passages of Scripture:
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.”
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.”
2 Timothy 2:4 “Who (God) will have ALL men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Isaiah 45:22, 55:1 “Look unto me, and be ye saved ALL the ends of the earth;” “Ho EVERY ONE that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,”
Ezekiel 33:11 “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure int the death of the wicked; but that the wicked trun from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto ALL men.”
These verses clearly show that salvation is freely offered to ALL, not just the ones that God picks out. It’s for every single person! But we do have to choose to accept the free gift of salvation and believe in Jesus Christ. I hope the next few verses clarify this point:
John 6:37 “All that the Father hath given Me shall come to me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (He won’t cast anyone out, but we have to COME!)
Joshua 24:15 “…choose you this day whom ye will serve;”
Acts 13:39 “And by Him all that believe are justified…”
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Also Isaiah 55:1 and John 3:16-18 apply.
Yikes, this is getting really long. I just really can’t believe that our loving God would actually choose someone to be lost. That’s awful! And if it were true, then we would have no assurance of salvation because we wouldn’t know if God had chosen us to be saved or not. No, I believe the Bible clearly says that salvation is for all who will accept it. I also don’t think that would be a right representation of God’s character for He says many times in His word that he is not a “respector of persons.” He doesn’t play favorites. Salvation is for ALL who believe As for the passage you quoted, I think it could be read that way if not understood properly, but I’ve made this so long already that I won’t try to explain it here. If you want me to share my thoughts on it, let me know. Again, I hope I haven’t offended you in any way. May God bless you!!
As for the skit, although I did not like the music, I thought it was very moving. And I was also thinking, the skit is a human, imperfect portrayal of God’s infinite, perfect plan of salvation. So no one can accurately, perfectly portray that!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:21 am
A beautiful, beautiful skit that I do not regret watching. It literally sent chills all over my body and almost moved me to tears.
I wholly agree that the skit does not stand up to theological criticism in its allegorical portrayal. It is something told from “our” perspective, as some have pointed out. In application, it should be a pre-evangelistic skit rather than a presentation of Christian theology. The concerns are legitimate, but whatever was done was done beautifully.
It is still a wonderful and powerful Christian work of art, even if not a perfect allegory.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:46 am
Crissy and Wenslyn -
Thank you for pointing out that this skit should be ‘pre-evangelistic’ and ‘open to pastors to explain it’. I agree. But, the problem with the internet is that there are NOT pastors to explain it and clarify it. If this was shown in a church service (as I am interested in doing for our body), it would work wonderfully to have a pastor follow up on it. But the internet doesn’t allow that, therefore we need to be more careful in portraying the gospel.
I’m sorry if this doesn’t make sense. If it doesn’t,please feel free to tell me.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:49 am
I need to clarify myself. I am not totally against this skit. Far from it, it gave me shivers, and I was about to cry at the beauty of Christ’s love. I just think we need to be very careful about how we give the gospel to the world.
Like Elisabeth and mo, these comments are so intriguing (spelling?) that I can’t stay off. Thanks to everybody who is contributing to it!
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:49 am
Seeing as I am one of the most pessimistic people I know, and I usually have to look around for a while before I see the good in something, this skit is one of the few things I truly enjoyed that had an obvious “bright side” that I didn’t have to search for. Thanks.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:56 am
Wow, that was totally awesome!!! Praise the Lord, it just makes me want to screem and shout. That is such a powerfull message. That just shows so well how Jesus can and will save us from all our sins, and give us such a bright and awesome future. I hope and pray that this video will be viewed by millions of people, both Christian and non-Christian.
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:05 am
Wow. What a tear jerker! Thank you for sharing this.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:48 am
WOW. That vidoe made me remember what Jesus has done for me! So powerful! Thank you JESUS!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Wow… I had tears in my eyes as I watched it.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Melissa, I was thinking about your comment, and I felt I had to respond. I just wanted to say that no one would ever come to Christ unless he had called them. Sorry if I’m misinterpreting your comment, but it sounded like you were saying that it is absolutely up to an individual human being whether they come to Christ or not. Without God’s divine mercy all of us would be lost anyway. And it is by God’s mercy *alone* that we are saved. Not by our own act. Please tell me if I was not clear in this!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:09 pm
…..Continued…..about the skit, it looked pretty good, but my computer shows VERY bad quality in some videos, so I could quite make out whar was going on a lot of the time
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Everyone: This discussion is good. Alex and I did not do our job providing appropriate commentary and so we are blessed to see our readers displaying more discernment than we did.
If we had a chance to do things over again we probably would still have posted the video but with the clarification that it is flawed — just like any human presentation of the Gospel can be flawed in its emphasis.
We would encourage you to use the same discernment when watching this skit that you should be using in evaluating any movie, article, book, etc. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good (Romans 12:9).
We believe that the “good” and “true” parts of this skit are what impact our emotions so powerfully when we watch it. The strength and victory of Christ are what move you to tears, not the distressed arm-waving.
Starting at the 1:48 minute-mark we believe the gospel is presented in a powerful and largely accurate way. Jesus does die for the girl’s sins before she begins running to Him. The video clearly shows Him standing as if nailed to the cross and then falling to His knees in death.
The girl throws away the gun and begins fighting her way to Christ only after He begins to steadily draw her to Himself — arm-over-arm — in an inevitable tug-of-war. In our opinion this sequence “makes the skit” and was the reason we chose to share it with you.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Melissa, you have not offended me, and I do certainly see your point. And Emma, thank you for your comment - that is how I was going to respond. I do beleive that God has predestined some to save. These are the ones who are able to beleive. NO ONE who beleives will ever be cast away, but they beleive only because the Holy Spirit has revealed himself to them, not on their own accord. Consider this passage from Ephesians:
“And you were dead in the terespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly pleaces in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasureable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Do you see what I mean? It is impossible for us to have faith unless God softens our hearts. Those whom he has not “chosen” wouldn’t want to come to him anyway. Their hearts are dead in sin. We can have peace in our salvation, knowing that we have faith because God has chosen us - we would not beleive otherwise. Sorry if I am unclear. It’s late and sometimes I have trouble getting my thoughts out of my head in an orderly way.
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way - I am not trying to quarrel with you or anyone else. God bless ya!
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Thanks for mentioning Romans 12:9, Brett. This skit gives us a great opportunity to do both things mentioned!
Thank you also (Brett and someone else earlier) for pointing out the fact that Jesus is drawing the girl to Himself—arm over arm—before she runs to Him. I think I must have been just focusing on the girl in the video (and trying to see past the tears in my eyes!), and did not see Him begin to do this. I know this seems like a small thing, but it’s so important, because we want to be careful to present Jesus as the initiator of our relationship with Him, because “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
This has been an edifying discussion. Thank you to all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for keeping this discussion lively and intense, but not mean-spirited or harsh. It is such a blessing to have a community of Rebelutionaries to “fellowship” (albeit online) with! Let’s continue to “sharpen each other” (Proverbs 27:17) in the future, to the glory of God!
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:54 pm
It is a great priviledge and joy to share the gospel with others, and I believe the intentions of those who performed the skit were good. Yet at the same time, we need to be careful to share the gospel in a way that is God-honoring. (1 Cor. 10:31).
We must evangelize by the Spirit, not by the flesh. (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 12:2) We cannot use the things of this world to win people to Christ!
Sadly, this skit pulled at the flesh by playing the world’s music (which sent a contradictory message and was distracting) and having immodest clothing (which made others stumble and clearly defies Scripture–1 Timothy 2:9).
Since God commands us to spread the Good News, He will always show us how to evangelize in a way that pleases Him.
We must share the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in a manner that corresponds with God’s Word. There is nothing good in the flesh; leading souls to Christ is God’s work.
Written in love by a sister in Christ.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:20 am
Thank you for clarifying, Brett. I’m sure you’re right…after all, it’s always good to make sure that our media has good theology, etc.
But ultimately, this is a skit. Like the parables Jesus used, it isn’t meant to be over-analyzed. Jesus told simple stories about farmers and fathers and other people his audience would be familiar with, to get a basic point across. That is the point of this skit…not the tightness of the girl’s jeans (there is, in all humility, a point where you just need to surrender your thoughts to God…this girl was covered) or the number of colored people (would it have been equally racist to use more white people than black to portray the “bad” characters? White people might have been offended…) but ultimately the simple, sweet story of salvation. And Jesus’ hand motions, as I saw it, were just dramatization of His sadness for the waywardness of His child…the whole skit was very dramatic (it was done in mime, the actors had to use excessive body language to communicate)…that was the point, as I saw it. Maybe I’m missing something, but I felt the theology was very, very strong for the simplicity of this little film.
Personally, quibbling over details feels pointless to me. Here’s what I felt when I saw this story.
I cried. Hard. I don’t cry very often over movies and songs, they move me, but I don’t openly cry. That is intense, for me. This five minute, wordless, simple little skit made me weep. Every time I think about it my heart aches. Because…I see myself in that girl. I see myself in the way she is distracted, discouraged, depressed…sometimes reaching out for Jesus, ultimately pulling away. Confused and lost. I see Jesus calling for her, reaching for her, weeping for her…and I understand how much He loves me, how saddened He is by my sin. I watch Him conquer the wrongs in her life and I know that He does the same for me. And I cry because I have been distracted from my Savior. I have been pulling away from Him, caught up in a swarm of consuming worldliness. And today God used a simple, perhaps imperfect bit of film to draw me to Himself. Maybe this movie, along with His word and some guidance from mentors today, was like the rope in this film. At any rate, I am being drawn to Him because I have drifted, and because He loves me.
This movie has changed me. Thank you so much, Brett and Alex, for sharing it!! I want to draw closer to Jesus. I feel less afraid of what my peers think of me. I’m ready to do the things He wants me to. I’m ready to follow Him. I see some things He wants me to change and do in my life and I’m ready to do them. I want to read His word more and reach out to my lost friends.
God used this movie powerfully to break down some defenses I’ve been building up…to cry tears of reconciliation…to see how I’ve been pushing Jesus away in my life in a lot of different ways.
I’m not saying that this movie is sovereign or anything, or even perfect, but God used it in my life a little bit today to draw me closer to Himself.
I’m tired of fighting. Let’s not be like the Ephesians in Revelations 2 who are so caught up in doctrine and rules that they have lost their first love. It is possible to be devoted to the pureness of the Word and how we share the gospel, while also being on fire for Jesus and seeing how dearly and truly and deeply He loves us. Discussing doctrine is good, iron sharpening iron. But fighting over little details is such a waste of precious time…and after awhile, it can harden you to the simple, pure beauty of salvation and the love of Christ which is fresh every time we see it.
Please…don’t be offended by what I’ve said. I don’t mean to hurt anyone. I just want to share this with you.
Thanks again, guys. I’ll be sharing this with a lot of people. I pray that the message will help them as it has helped me.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:30 am
Emma and Elizabeth,
I’m sorry if I didn’t make myself clear enough. It’s only by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are able to see our lost and sinful condition. We all have the ability to choose either good or evil, though. If, after God has opened our eys and allowed us to see the truth, we still choose destruction, He respects that. He’s not going to force anyone to do anything. Love can’t be forced, it must be won. But He’s calling everyone! He longs for everyone to come to repentance. He’s calling the whole world. Do you really think it would be fair of God to let someone be lost without giving them the opportunity to choose salvation?
There are examples in the Bible of people who chose eternal death even after Christ had called them. I think the best one is Judas. There is no doubt that Christ called him, for He called each of the disciples to follow Him. Judas had the opportunity to be close to the Saviour for more than three years. But he still chose to be lost. He betrayed his Lord, and then hung himself. He was called by Christ, and had the chance to choose salvation, but he did not. Another example would be where Jesus said in Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalm, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
Also, God’s Word makes it clear that everyone is able to believe in John 3:16’s “whosoever” and in Romans 12:3, “…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” I think to say that some are not able to believe would imply that the plan of salvation is not perfect because it doesn’t cover everyone. Why would Jesus say anyone who believes will be saved when some people can’t believe? And would it be fair of God to punish someone with eternal death simply because He had not “called” them and they could not believe? I don’t think it would be fair of God to call some and not others. He calls everyone; He gives everyone a chance to choose. But God’s free gift of salvation won’t do me any good if I don’t accept it.
I understand that you don’t want to quarrel, Elizabeth, and that’s not my intention either! I’m glad that as Christians we can reason with each other without being unreasonable or mean! God bless!
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:37 am
Your comments are thought-provoking, Melissa. Growing up in a Sovereign Grace church, I have always accepted the doctrine of election without a doubt. I still don’t doubt it - I beleive it is an inevitable and mysterious truth clearly displayed in God’s Word - but I have really begun to think about in a deeper level.
It is mysterious, but we were not supposed to understand everything! We are not God!
I understand that many people struggle with this. Just because it is taught at my church doesn’t mean everyone IN my church has completely reconciled the fact. Our flesh’s main argument is this - “That’s not fair. MY God wouldn’t do something like that to people!”
I agree with you. Salvation IS a gift offered FREELY to EVERYONE. Some will accept it - these are the hearts God has softened. But some will continue to kick against the goad and refuse to beleive. These God will give over to their own sins. Think about the example of the Pharisees. It’s not that God didn’t give them a chance. Hey, if anyone had a chance to see that Jesus was God, it would be those who lived around him. They always seem to be there when Jesus is preforming a miracle. All around them people are falling to their knees and accepting him. But the Pharisees just seem to get angrier. Yes, God gave them a free will to choose good or evil. But do you think while all these things were going on, Jesus was sitting there biting his nails and fretting “oh no! Are they going to beleive in me or not?” God knew ahead of time who would have faith and who wouldn’t.
The Bible also clearly says that he hardens people’s hearts. Consider Pharoah. God is performing all these signs through Moses, and each time it says “but Pharoah hardened his heart.” But the last time it says “And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” He gave him many, many chances to accept God…and finally gave him over to his own sins.
So, then, where is this all leading to?
God has predestined those who will believe and those who will disbeleive. It is not random “picking and choosing” but neither is it because of anything anyone has done. All of God’s decisions point to his unstoppable plan throughout history and the future - to glorify himself. I know this is a brain-frying concept (it was for me too and I still don’t understand it fully.) Wether we like it or not, this is truth. To our weak minds this just looks like injustice. But God doensn’t change his plans according to wether or not we approve of his method.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:10 am
Melissa, I don’t want to argue with you, but I do want to continue this conversation on the basis of loving and kind discussion.
Yes, God offers salvation freely to people, but it is ultimately He who softens or hardens their hearts. God is always in control, and everything moves by his sovereign plan, not by the independent choice of any individual person. If it was up to any person at any given moment whether they would accept Jesus or not, then really, God would not be in control! It is only by his mercy that any of us are saved at all, whether we call it injustice or not. And you are right, salvation is for all who believe, but it is up to God whether they believe or not. God’s plan is greater than anything we can comprehend!
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:14 am
I am completely new here and I just read all the comments above and I have something to add
First off, I want to say that I watched this skit a couple months ago at a church and I was in tears by the end because it’s absolutely beautiful how Jesus comes to the girl’s rescue. I personally agree with some who have said that the attire of some of the actors was innappropriate… But that wasn’t my main problem with it. There’s this song that I know from Sovereign Grace Ministries (I go to a Sovereign Grace Church) that kept running through my head while I was reading these comments about predestination and whether we choose God or God chooses us:
“Dead in transgressions and sins
Without God without hope in this world
Then the glorious light of your gospel broke in
The Father stood up from his throne
Opened his arms as he called out my name
Grace IRRESISTABLE drew me
Opened my eyes to see
(That) you are the way
You are the truth
You are the life, Jesus
The only way
The only truth
You are my life, Jesus
You are the source of new life
The giver of every good thing
Withholding nothing you lavish your kindness on me
You emptied yourself became poor
Humbled and poured out to death
Now highly exalted above all
Your name alone can save
{chorus}”
I think this song depicts what Jesus did for us, don’t you!? We were lying dead in our transgressions, and he gave us NEW LIFE. Praise the Lord… Man is not naturally good. We are naturally EVIL! (And believe me, it’s not easy for me to say that!) We would never seek God on our own….
And this brings me back to my point: I disliked in the movie how Jesus was depicted as more than a bit helpless. I have been raised to believe God is sovereign and that he chooses his people, and this turned me off at the beginning (even though I STILL cried at the end!). God is outside time and space! He’s not limited by our feeble choices and our fickle nature! And thank goodness he isn’t… If he was, I’d be right where that girl was before she “went back to” Jesus because I cannot of myself CHOOSE God! How can something evil choose something good? It logically can’t happen. So God plants his seed in our hesrts, and we grow and thrive.
Now, Melissa, something you said interested me very much. You said in the beginning of your above paragraph that “It’s only by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are able to see our sinful condition,” and that is correct; I agree whole-heartidly. But after that you begin to say that Jesus wants ALL of us to come to him. Wait a minute, you’ve lost me here. This is important…
If Jesus wants everyone to come to him, AND he’s the one who shows people their sin, WHY DOESN’T HE JUST SHOW EVERYONE THIER SIN? Wouldn’t that make it pretty simple?
(By the way, don’t think I’m yelling at you when I type in capitals; I only do that to make a point, not yell at anyone.) So the only conclusion I can come to on this issue is that Jesus chooses some to reveal himself to. Otherwise, if he’s sovereign, he’d just reveal himself to everyone, right? It can’t be both… Either God is sovereign, or he’s not. Either he chooses us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1) or he waits to see who will choose him.
And here’s the beautiful part of all this: Knowing that God chooses his children, that he thought of you before you were even conceived and named you, that he loved you, that he picked YOU when he could have picked anyone; doesn’t that make you feel special? And it should be humbling as well… That God would choose that which is lowly to be his child–amazing! Melissa, you mentioned several times the word “fair” in your recent comments. What is fair? Hmmm. Well to me, fair is that we all go to Hell. I mean, that’s what we deserve, isn’t it? We KILLED Jesus, and every time we sin we crucify him yet again. So the fair thing for all human kind would be Hell…
But no. We’re all, as a big group (humankind) heading to Hell (running there a thousand miles an hour, actually) and he stops some, gives them a GIFT, the gift of grace. Those who do go to Hell are only getting what they deserve! I know that sounds heartless (and believe me, I don’t want anyone to go to Hell anymore than you do!) but it’s true! Would you say it’s not fair to a thief if he goes to prison? We’re all thieves that deserve worse than prison (we’re actually murderers) and if God wants to place his pardon on some, what is that to the others? They won’t care, or even long for God. God will never place a longing in someone’s heart for himself and then say “Nope, didn’t choose you.”
Those who go to Hell have no regrets. They didn’t know another way because God didn’t reveal it to them! And that is God’s sovereignty at work in this world… And it should make you that more appreciative and adoring of our mighty savior. He’ll do anything to bring us closer to him, and this is just one of the many things he does, he lets us know in his Word (Ephesians 1, Romans 9, Matthew 11:27 and many many more places) that he choose his people, and that causes gratitude, and that causes praise.
I sincerely hope that I didn’t offend anyone as that was most definitely not my intent. I honesly love debate *smile* and I also want others to see this glorious truth, this amazing love… I hope and pray that I have glorified the living God with my above comments… God bless whoever is reading this.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:28 am
I agree with everyone that the skit could have been better, but we must remember something, this skit was put on by humans and it won’t be perfect! I definitly agree with Brett about the fact that the victory of God should move you to tears not the “helpless christ”.
A couple of things I think I should add, if your sharing this with a non-believer and they notice some of the stuff that is metioned in this blog, then address their questions. Kind of turn it into an object lesson on how we humans aren’t perfect, and how we need God’s help. Even if they don’t notice it then you might want to just lightly touch on the subject.
Do you understand what I’m saying? Am I making sense? If anybody has questions about my comment then please let me know.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:10 am
Katie, you summed that up in a much better way than I did.
That is EXACTLY the point I was trying to make - those words were in my head and I just couldn’t seem to get them down in an orderly way. And I belive you did glorify God with your comments. Thank you.
At least I do. God bless you!
Yes, “fair” is that we all go to Hell. “Justice” is that we all go to Hell. “Grace” is a gift - literally “undeserved favor.” And God is not only sovereign, he is good and wise. What an amazing God we serve! Thank you Jesus!
With that, I think our discussion is pretty well finished. Melissa, if you have any further doubts or questions, I would suggest you talk to your parents or your pastor about these issues. We humans often need a little help understanding doctrine.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 am
Ditto!
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:20 am
Elisabeth and Emma, I think your comments were great too! I really love discussing all this kind of thing
Thanks for being a part of it. It’s so neat to find like-minded people! I hope we can meet each other sometime… Take care and have a joyful day!
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
(note: I am not the same “Elisabeth” that posted several previous comments)
This is a really interesting discussion. Lately I have been really struggling with the calvinist vs. arminian, elect/not-elect, and free-will things…so this is quite a blessing to see this discussion taking place.
I have read that part of Wayne Grudem’s book, “Bible Doctrine” where it talks about the elect, and I must say, it put me to tears to think that God might choose to purposely send people to hell, that God has not “chosen” some people to be saved, or that Jesus might not have died for everyone to come to salvation.
I _personally_ do not agree with Calvinism, nor the elect, (although there are many scripture verses that point seem to point to the elect, there are many many that point to non-election) though Mr. Grudem poses an extremely convincing argument. I still believe that we are all given the opportunity to be saved, and God lets us choose whether or not we will accept Him.
Melissa: that was an excellent post from Oct. 2nd… I had been looking for more verses like those.
And to “a Child of God”: I am so glad that you have been immensely blessed by that skit. And I want you to know that you are in my prayers.
~Does anyone know of any other good books that talk about the elect/non-elect issue? I know of one or two, but if anyone knows of or recommends any, I would like to know their titles so that I can read more about both sides of that doctrine. ~
God be with you all,
Elisabeth Gruber
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:45 pm
(I am Elisabeth Gruber’s Twin)
~I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT MY SISTER SAID. Also, I think what the entire point of this skit is that the girl was walking with God, then she fell prey to the world. Finally she realized what she was doing, and was trying to get back to Jesus. This was very difficult for her, because many things were standing in her way. She got to the point where she repented of her sins (thus the color change of her t-shirt from black to white), and Jesus came to the rescue, standing between her and the evil.
This post was such a blessing; thank you SO much…
In His Service,
~Kirsten A. Gruber
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
If you can stand one more comment from a Gruber, I would like to suggest a wonderful book for anyone who wants a thoughtful, intellectual (but not stuffy) and balanced discussion (similar in depth and approach to Grudem but with the opposite conclusion) as you wrestle with this subject. “Why I Am Not A Calvinist” by Jerry Walls (professor of Philosophy of Religion at Asbury) and Joseph Dongell (professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury). Blessings as you all deal with a topic that honest, Godly people have struggled with for centuries. It is nice to see the intensity without the acrimony. To quote the Moravians, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, but in all things love”.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Elizabeth and Kirsten: I don’t know of any books that address this issue, but I am a Presbyterian, which is a Calvinist denomination, and I am going to put in what I think to be a verse which clearly states that people are chosen for salvation by God.
Acts 13: 48
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many AS HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE believed.
(note: when I write in capitals, I’m just trying to emphasize, not to sound like I’m shouting at you ;D)
~Emma
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I must say. . .this clip has really started a discussion-and a a good one at that. I believe the video had a powerful message. I think it was completely clear in its presentation of the gospel. Like many of you who commented earlier, I do not think that it was the best way to give the message. However, overall truth of the gospel was prevalent–and God will use His truth in the hearts of those who watch it.
Realize, humans are fallible and that includes Christians. Perhaps there was immodesty, music that was offensive to some, and slightly confused theology (depicting God as helpless), but I think that the message here is more powerful than its portrayal. Just as God gave victory to the girl in the skit with His strength, His truth and gospel overpower the cons in this skit.
But I do agree, we, as Christians should be careful on how we present the gospel, and we should be careful to let all that we do reflect the glory of God–rather than our own depravity.
On the side, I would like to say where my view is coming from. First, my church would never perform such a skit, or this type of music. My church is fundamental and “high church”. We perform high church music–believing that it reflects the awesome glory, and holiness of God because He is worthy of our respect. At church we sing to God as a Supreme, Sovereign Being who chooses to love us. We do not sing of Him as if He is on our own level. The style of music in this skit would be considered to be just like someone singing of their boyfriend or girlfriend. In other words, my church endeavors to make it evident to onlookers and to ourselves who we, my church body, is worshiping–by making sure our music reflects the character of God.
Now, having explained that, when I see a skit like this–aside from the message, it really confuses me in the area of worship. I am not saying that my personal beliefs (or that of my church) is something that I should be dogmatic about–I could be wrong, but isn’t our worship and music supposed to reflect God and not our personal taste, feelings and emotions?
October 4th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Wow. If only the one portraying God had been triplets.
At the beginning, the triplet #1 (Father) erects a cross where the triplet #2 (Son) is hanging. Triplet #1 points to the cross and starts the open call. Triplet #2 has his gaze fixed firmly on the girl. He died specifically for her. All this time, Triplet #3 (Spirit) is standing near the girl. When Triplet #1 begins drawing, Triplet #3 comes up behind the girl, encouraging her toward the cross. The crowd (World, original sin, whatever) has been holding the girl back all along. Triplet #3 sweep kicks the crowd away, picks up the girl over his shoulders and RUNS her to the cross.
That would be the way I remember it happening.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Wow, as I sit here and read this discussion, and I am thankful to God that there are young people out there who are in earnest to know the scriptures.
In reply to God picking and choosing who he saves, I think it is important understand this fully. As we DO know, the bible talks about a remnant.
Romans 11:1-7 asks the question, “Hath God cast away his people?” It goes on to say that he does not, and that he has reserved… men who have not wobed the knoee to the image of Baal.. “even so then at this present time also there is a remnant…”
So we can see that there is always a small group of people who have stood stanchly amid trials, carrying forward the truth to this day.
I really like what Melissa says, in that the Lord never goes through pick and choose who will and will not be saved. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that many will not be saved, but the Lord has an open invitation to all to come to Him.
Matt. 12:48-30 ” Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give ou rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.”
The Lord is now interceding for our lives, but he has given us the gift of choice. We have to CHOOSE to serve him or not. We have to choose whether or not we will come unto to him for rest. He is longsuffering, waiting as long as he can before his second coming so that as many as possible can see his love, and turn to him for help. But sooner or later, He will not wait any longer, and will come to this earth to take his people to live with Him. Those who did not accept him, when given the chance, will not be saved. the bible says “…And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 1 Cor. 3:8″
his OWN reward according to his OWN labour. Those who worketh iniquity shall reap death. Those who worketh righteousness shall receive everlasting life.
But if you’re ignorant, and don’t realize your condition, the Lord will now leave you there, and send you to hell for not knowing, No. At some point, in everyone’s life, they’ll have the decision of choosing life or death.
Luke 1:79 “To give light to them that sit in darkness..” so we see that He will give light to ALL so that they may choose.
How else will they know what they are choosing if they don’t have light to understand.
But those who know the bible says:
“Therefor to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17″
Since everyone is given light to choose, now they know, and they did not do it - thus they have sinned and sin cannot live in the presence of a righteous God.
It is an invitation. The Lord does not choose who will, and who will not be saved.
God designed that all would be saved, but through the gift of free choice, it has been refuted. Praise God for his mercy! His longsuffering, interceding for us, and sending his Holy Spirit to touch hearts.
I believe that EVERYONE has a choice to their salvation. It is scriptural. But don’t misunderstand me, you CANNOT save yourself, but you can choose to put the life jacket on.
I hope I have not offeneded anyone!
God Bless!!
October 4th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Amazing discussion, everyone. I too, coming on lately in the game, noticed a few things about the skit….I did NOT appreciate the sense I got that Jesus was in despair, wringing His hands and carrying on as if He had “lost another one”. When Nicodemus came to Him in the dark, afraid of what “they” would think of him, Jesus simply told him’’sell what you have and give it to the poor”. End of message. He left it ALL on Nic’s shoulders..and didn’t fret one bit. When One is truly sovereign, He needn’t fret over anything. And doesn’t.
the other aspect of it that really bothered me is this, and it may help in the discussion over election, above. The entire perspective of the skit was that of man…”oh, ain’t it loverly the girl wan’t lost at the end”. The whole thing portrayed the salvation/lost tension as a duality…side A vs side B…a football match, a Star Wars..that sort of thing. The “forces of evil” were “holding her captive”, and Jesus had to “wrestle” them down, have possession at the end. No, not the way it really is. When Jesus stood outside Lazarus’ tomb, there was no contest. the “final score” had already been written…death , naught. Jesus, infinity. (as an aside, when I used to think I was the great, wise, brilliant, righteous one who had “chosen” to follow Jesus, the thing that undid me totally was seeing Lazarus as a type of ME…DEAD. Able to do nothing but stink on my own. Jesus came and said “come forth”…and life entered and never will leave more. As if I had anything to do with it). The world loves a contest, a match…because the outcome is not settled until the end, and we’ve a bit of suspense and excitement as we watch and see which side is the better, more skillful, more wary, and, perhaps, the most stealthy. Not the case at all with our God. Sin, and the world, have NO control over His elect….there IS no battle, except in our own selves. Will we settle for the here and now, temporary satisfaction that sin promises (and rarely delivers upon), or will we hold out for the long term, eternal rest? We KNOW the truth…and the Truth. The lie bears NO authority over us. Except what we render it.
I’ve seen plays and skits similar to this…many variations on the same theme…that of the contest, the duality. I am waiting to finally see one that clearly and accurately portrays that the match is already won, and God’s “side” is, and always has been, triumphant. Even in those who will be damned for eternity, God’s power is shown…..that He is sovereign, even in the display of His righteousness in condemning those who He has chosen to condemn. Those who serve Him in this life are rewarded in eternal life, those who do not acknowledge His sovereignty –and the demonstration of His power, mercy, and judgement simply add to His glory. How to portray this in a short skit, though..now there’s the rub.
October 4th, 2007 at 11:30 am
God doesn’t choose? Really?
Ephesians 1:3-6: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 2:4-10: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Romans 8:28-30: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
2 Timothy 1:9: “…who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…”
Romans 9:16-18: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”
As to 2 Peter 3:9, I suggest you study the Greek on that. In the meantime, I’ll let Spurgeon answer:
“The whole world is gone after Him.” Did all the world go after Christ? “Then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.” Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem baptized in Jordan? “Ye are of God, little children,” and “the whole world lieth in the wicked one.” Does “the whole world” there mean everybody? If so, how was it, then, that there were some who were “of God?” The words “world” and “all” are used in seven or eight senses in Scripture; and it is very rarely that “all” means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts—some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile.”
October 4th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Those scriptures present a very convincing argument, Brian. I just pray that God will use them to reveal himself to those who struggle with the doctrine of election.
October 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
…whoops! Somehow I only submitted a couple sentences of my comment…weird…
Anyway, I just wanted to remind you all that as we continue this discussion, to put on humility. Not that I am perfect in this (oh yeah, right) but because I have a tendency to flare up when someone disagrees with what I believe in. Lets remember - this is about God - not us or what WE believe or don’t believe. Let’s glorify God with our speech.
The doctrine of election is a glorious truth. It is justice, and it is love. Who are we to question God in His sovereignty? To him be all the glory forever!!
October 4th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Elizabeth Gruber and everyone else -
I know of a book that everyone should read who is intersted in Calvinism/Armenian/elect/non-elect. It is “A Journey in Grace” by Richard Belcher.
When I read it, I was just establishing (of course, I still am) what my worldview is. I wasn’t even sure what a Calvinist or Arminian was. As I read it, it became clear to me that the elect doctrine was correct. This book is fiction, but it is extremely powerful. It opens up when a young theology graduate named Ira was asked by a church board interested in hiring a pastor, “Young man, are you a Calvinist?” This prompted him to research both what a Calvinist was, and what the Bible said about it. It has an interesting story line, with lots of Bible verses and right/wrong examples of Calvinists and what are known as hyper-Calvinists.
I had better stop, before I give you the whole book in this comment.;-D
I really encourage anyone and everyone to read this book.
Oh, before I finish, I must say that I came to this book leaning toward Calvinism, because that is what my dad is agrees with. After I read it, though, I no longer relied completely on what he said, but recognized the truth in the Word.
Hope this helps!!
If there’s any questions please ask… I’ll try to answer!
October 4th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Thancks for the suggestion, Megan. I am already a believer in the doctrine of the elect, but resources such as those are always welcomed.
Would you like to share what it was that convinced you that the doctrine of election was the truth? I would be very interested. But of course if it is too long to explain no big deal.
October 4th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Thanks for the recomendation! I’ll try to get ahold of it….
October 4th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Beautiful, beautiful. A friend showed me the skit a while back, but every time I see it, it gives me pause. What an awesome God we serve–that He’d pursue us when we’re so unfaithful!
October 4th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I have major problems with this skit. I do not have time to go in to the details now. But, to say the first thing that came to my mind, “And this is a good example why people are denying penal substitution these days.”
October 4th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
[…] In Case You Missed It… The final installment of hte Amazing Youth series will continue. But, just in case you missed it, be sure to check out this link to The Rebelution. On their blog, they featured an extremely powerful and moving demonstration of the Gospel. While many have had issues with this particular video due to its theology, I encourage you to take off your theological caps and simply let your heart be moved at the love of God and at the obvious power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, NKJV) […]
October 5th, 2007 at 11:35 am
“I encourage you to take off your theological caps and simply let your heart be moved”
Um… Take off your theological caps, and be moved. In other words, Don’t really care if the god presented in this video is the true God. (Idolatry…is it that big of deal any way?) Just let your emotions be taken wherever this video takes them.
I not so sure that the gospel is even presented in this skit! Where is the cross and resurrection?! All I caught was God the Father/Jesus (another problem) falling to the ground. Maybe this was representing Jesus’ death and burial? If it is the presentation of these esential truths is weak to say the least.
My second problem with it is that only half of the character of God is displayed. Yes God loves us and is grieved by the sorrows that come upon us. Yet God is not just love, He is righteous and holy. Sin is an infinite offense against Him! His anger burns against the wickedness that is done in this earth. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom 1:18). God abhors the wickedness done before him and will not have anything to do about it: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong,” (Hab. 1:13a) When sin entered the world, we we not only walked away from God, but God (metaphorically speaking) walked away from us. God placed us under His wrath because of the sin that humanity was now apart of. These truths of God are as important as the wonderful, precious truths of God’s love and grace.
My second problem with it is that only half of the character of God is displayed. Yes God loves us and is grieved by the sorrows that come upon us. Yet God is not just love, He is righteous and holy. Sin is an infinite offense against Him! His anger burns against the wickedness that is done in this earth. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom 1:18). God abhors the wickedness done before him and will not have anything to do about it: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong,” (Hab. 1:13a) When sin entered the world, we not only walked away from God, but God (metaphorically speaking) walked away from us. God placed us under His wrath because of the sin that humanity was now apart of. These truths of God are as important as the wonderful, precious truths of God’s love and grace.
These truths are not shown in the presentation. The person representing God (an issue of itself.) in the skit is never shown to be angry at the rebellion going on before him. Just sadness. Yes God is saddened by our choices and God is the one that lavishness His grace upon this people by sending his Son to redeem them. Yet, it is idolatry to just worship and talk about his love and goodness! God is all that he is. All his attributes define His character. Not just the ones that we like to dwell upon.
Then there is the issue of sin in this skit. In this skit sin is just problems that cause humans pain and misery here on earth. Now, those are bad in and of themselves. That is not, however, the Biblical definition of sin. Sin is a offense to God that angers Him and by engaging in sin one is placed under God’s wrath. God is the most offended party when we sin. Where is this in the skit? This side of sin is completely out of the picture!
Half of God does not make a full God. These important truths are nowhere to be seen in this skit. This is why I reject it.
So, here is an interesting question. Can the profound, wonderful mystery of God being both the offended judge and the gracious redeemer ever be shown in a skit?
October 5th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Charlie Albright - Your comment sounded very negative and it saddened me. I understand that you disagree with some of the aspects of the skit - there were some things I disagreed with, too. We just have to remember that not every biblical and theological truth can be portrayed in a simple, five minute skit! Besides, one human man could not possibly portray all the attributes and doctrines of God’s character in that short amount of time. I believe you truly want to glorify God by defending him, but is it glorifying to God to judge others? I hope I have not offended you - of course it was not my intention. I just wanted to encourage you and warn you as another sister in Christ.
God bless!
October 5th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
“Your comment sounded very negative”
Take this in kindness, it was suppose to be negative. I was not impress with the skit leaving such things out.
“We just have to remember that not every biblical and theological truth can be portrayed”
But what about the important ones? If the skit was trying to preach the gospel, which I believe it was, are things such as God, Jesus, his death and resurrection, doctrines that just can’t be fit in the time slot? (Don’t take what I am saying in a harsh way, I am just asking). Of course one is not going to explain the depts. of eschatology in a gospel presentation. But like I said before, removing half of who God is…Is that a small thing?
“can be portrayed in a simple, five minute skit!”
In that regard I for removing things that man has created that may distort the gospel. If a skit cannot say all that needs to be said I would reject it. Souls of men should not be lost because we can’t go another five minutes! So, I am not bound to use skits. What every is needed to faithfully and clearly present the gospel of Jesus Christ for His glory!
“but is it glorifying to God to judge others?”
What do you mean by this!? What I am doing is nothing other than what I have been told to do by the Lord. “but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess 5:21-22).
Let me be clear, I am not saying that the people doing the skit indented to eclipse part of God. But I am discerning if the message they preached is faithful to the message pass down to us by the Apostles. Holding on to what is good and Abstaining from what is evil (wrong).
Thanks for your concerns.
I am sorry that my comment is hard to read. I pasted one of my paragraphs twice.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Elisabeth: Charlie might have been able to soften the tone of his post (or maybe the tone was appropriate), but I appreciate his passionate and thorough defense of the doctrines that this skit skews or ignores altogether. Thank you for your gracious response, b