Below is something I came across online somewhere.
I don’t know who wrote it but I have added a little extra at the end, so it is something of someone else’s and something of mine.
I hope you enjoy it.
A Rescue Line
Author: Unknown
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church’s pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening.
In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.
With that an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.
“A father, his son and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast,” he began, “when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.”
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.
The aged minister continued with his story, “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the lifeline. He had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.”
“As the father yelled out, “I love you son!” he threw out the lifeline to his son’s friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.”
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old ministers mouth.”
“The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus…
Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son’s friend. How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us.
Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the lifeline he is throwing out to you in this service.”
With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.
However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old mans side.
“That was a nice story,” politely stated one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son’s life in the hopes that the other boy would become a christian.”
“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it? But I’m standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me.
You see — I was that father and your pastor is my son’s friend.”
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The above is an account I came across. I don’t know if it is true or not, but as a christian I believe that it could be true. I’m also aware that people who are not christains could have difficulty in believing that the account could be true, as who would really sacrifice his own son to save his son’s friend? With this in mind I was given a picture which is listed below.
A father, his son and the son’s friend are standing on a platform at a train station. The son, and the son’s friend are both going onto a train but on opposite sides of the platform. Once the children are aboard the train, the train will depart and the child will not be seen again by the father. The son’s train is heading towards a holiday destination. It will be a great time. Fun, laughter and joy will be at this destination. The son’s friend’s train is heading in the opposite direction to a concentration camp. There will be pain torture and sorrow at this destination. The father is aware of where both children are going and he can stop only one from entering the train. Who will he stop?
As a christian I believe that the father in the above account, “A Rescue Line”, saw this reality in an instant and made his choice to save the son’s friend.
And there’s more…
I believe that the above picture is true for everyone. Let me explain the picture fully. The platform is life as we know it today. It is the here and now. The trains are death. Everyone is going to take one of the trains at some day. The holiday destination is heaven and the concentration camp is hell. The train we take from the platform depends on a choice we have to make. Those that choose to accept Jesus and ask him into their life are going to the holiday destination. Those that don’t are heading for the concentration camp. You may say that you haven’t made a choice to go on either train, but not having made a choice is a choice. It is the choice of in-action that leads to the concentration camp.
You can change which destination you are heading to by accepting Jesus now.
Wannabe Christian Doorman 