What Kind of Person Would I Be

A year ago, on our way out to dinner one evening, Lanette and I came upon an accident that had just happened. As we came around a turn there in the middle of the road was a heavily damaged car that had run off the side of the road,  hit a tree head on, and had been thrown back into the middle of a two lane road.  There was a young girl hanging out the driver side window screaming "Help me! I'm stuck, get me out of here!"

Because we were headed to dinner, we chose not to stop. After all we didn't want to get involved or make matters worse. I'm not a policeman, fireman or even a paramedic. I've been trained in first aid but she obviously needed more than that, so we just drove on by. We did call and report the accident and prayed she would be okay until trained personnel arrived.

That's not exactly what happened. The accident did happen but we didn't just drive by. We stopped. While Lanette called for help I did what I could to calm the young lady down while we waited for her to be cut from the wreckage.

What kind of person would I be if I had just driven by and left her screaming for help?

The idea of not stopping helps me understand the seriousness of God's words to Ezekiel. I've posted them below, but I must warn you before you read them. This is not just an Old Testament story or something that doesn't apply to us today. Before you read it know that it's very convicting, so read it at your own risk.

Ezekiel 33
¹The word of the Lord came to me: 
²“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 
³and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 
⁴then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 
⁵He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 
⁶But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
⁷“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 
⁸If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 
⁹But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Jesus invites us to follow him and, in the process of doing so, he will make us fishers of men. Following God is not just for our benefit. When we follow Jesus others will benefit from us following as well. We have been called to share God's grace with others. It's not someone else's responsibility - it's yours.

If you just drive by then you've never experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ!

If you missed the message this week make sure you watch it.