In just over three days our church will present our 2013 production of The Judgment Seat. Let me share with you that A LOT of time, effort, finances, and heart are put into this production from it’s planning to its performance. Let me tell you that literal blood, sweat, and tears are put into this production every year. Let me tell you that actors, counselors, parking guides, registration, group guides, and those serving behind the scenes working to build and decorate sets and provide food and encouragement to all involved sacrifice sleep, paychecks, and healthy bodies in order to present the gospel in this way to their community and those who drive even from other states to experience The Judgement Seat.
As this season’s production quickly approaches… the buzz about this year’s theme and thoughts and concerns about it come with it. Since I just won’t be the one to let the cat out of the bag about the theme, I am going to share with you about the heart behind it, and not just behind this theme, but the heart behind every theme.
The heart behind the theme is that everyone who participates in this production as a servant of it or an attender to it, will seriously consider life, death, sin, and salvation and what the Bible has to say about.
Please know that those of us who write the script and prepare the scenes are well aware of certain things. We are well aware that theatrical licenses have had to be used in order to crunch a lifetime and eternity into eight 5 minute scenes. We are well aware that every year exaggerations have been made and extremes in limits have been pushed in order to drive home the heart of the theme in the best way we know how.
Please know that sleepless nights, quiet moments, Scripture searchings, God’s will seekings, prayer utterings, have been poured into and over every scene. It is with great fear and trembling that we do what we do and write what we write and portray what we attempt to portray. We are well aware that it is us who will stand before our God accountable for every year of this production…
Our themes are usually way out of many’s comfort zones. Our themes usually cause many to ponder some hard questions and have to address some hard issues. Those many being we who present, act, serve, and counsel within it, as well as those who walk through it. The hard things have to be addressed. We can’t be afraid of them. Jesus asked the hard questions and Jesus was willing to be asked the hard questions… so should we as His body. We may not know the answers to them yet, but we should at least be ready to hear and voice them.
What is the heart behind The Judgment Seat?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…
Romans 1:16
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…for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:13-14
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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10
There is a saying that goes, “It’s all about who you know”
…and we want you to know Jesus, because we are convinced that He is the Lord, and we are convinced that He alone can save, and we are convinced that if you know Him, then you know exactly who you need to know.