What Kind of Fireman?
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★WHAT kind of fireman would I be if I didn’t warn you about fire? What kind of policeman would I be if I didn’t warn you about criminals? What kind of doctor would I be if I didn’t tell you about disease? What kind of pastor would I be if I didn’t warn people about hell?
I would rather love folks into heaven, but if I have to scare them there, that will work too. What would you say about a fireman who saw your house burning down and who simply said, “It’ll burn itself out in a little while”? What would you say about a policeman who saw juveniles vandalizing your property and simply said, “Well, you know, boys will be boys”? What would you say about a doctor who, when telling you that you had cancer, simply said, “Take two aspirin and rest”?
You would probably say they are not taking their jobs seriously. And I would not be taking my job seriously if I did not tell people about the place called hell.
The point
A pastor justifies urgently warning people about hell by comparing himself to a fireman, policeman, and doctor—all of whom warn of danger because they care.