The Fire Station

I’ve never worked at a fire station—or even really seen the inside of one. One time we got a tour of the garage of our hometown fire station. We got to see the trucks, they fed us hot dogs and chips. My grandsons even got to ride around the block in a fire truck and received complimentary red plastic fireman helmets and an official-looking sticker badge. Yet, somehow, I feel like I know all about the inner workings of a fire station. Admittedly, my knowledge is based solely on books and movies, but I can just picture the guys hanging out, cooking meals, eating together, sleeping on bunks or cots and then the bell goes off and down the pole they go, ready to run to the rescue of those whose lives are in danger! Surely, they must have some classroom time where they learn how to fight fires and rescue babies from eighth floor apartments. They must do simulations where they practice hooking up the hoses and running the ladders. I bet they learn all about the protective gear and how to properly wear each piece—protecting themselves so they can protect others. And then, when they get the call, they are all ready. They can respond to the call and save lives. 

I was thinking . . . what if they got so busy training that they missed the call? Or so distracted cooking meals and playing cards that they didn’t notice the fire was actually fast-approaching the station itself? Or, worse yet, so comfortable that they chose not to respond to the call at all . . . at least they were safe . . . maybe the fire wouldn’t reach the station . . .

And then I got to thinking . . . isn’t that a lot like too many of our churches?

The fire is raging! The flames are practically licking at the doors of the churches. Some churches have been consumed. And yet, too many of us remain within its walls—serving one more potluck, doing one more Bible study, practicing our evangelistic strategy one more time. We spend so much time planning social events (which benefit our own) and doing Bible studies (when convenient) that bring us comfort (yet rarely convict), that we fail to hear the call or look out the window to see a raging fire all around us. A fire that is consuming our culture, our country . . . our children. We don’t even see the poverty, abuse, and addiction that is rampant in our very own communities. We conveniently position our homes and choose our churches so that we can drive to the “fire station” without ever noticing the fires. We feel so good about the fact that we are training to be firemen that we fail to see that we have yet to ever jump out of a comfy bed, slide down that pole, and go out there and use our training to save lives! Because that is what is at stake here. Lives. Not just physical lives, but immortal souls. 

What will it take to make us willing to make personal sacrifices? To take great risks? I think, at some point, we have to stop training and go do the job. We have been forewarned that we will have to give up comforts, even relationships, and make great sacrifices. The Bible talks of many who, once they realized the great risks, turned back and quit following Jesus. I think we have to take some pretty serious moral inventory—is our fireman’s helmet and badge the real thing? Or simply cheap plastic and paper? We need firemen. Not imposters. The world is burning up.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so

deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

James 1:22 NIV

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.

But do not do what they do, for they

do not practice what they preach.” 

Matthew 23:2-3 NIV

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons.

He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today

in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed

his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son

and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,

 but he did not go. Which of the two did what

his father wanted? “The first,” they answered.”

Matthew 21:28-31a NIV

 “On hearing it, many of his disciples said,

“This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?””

…

“From this time many of his disciples turned

back and no longer followed him.”

John 6:60,66 NIV