Reverse 911…a Call to Repentance

In most locations in the United States and Canada dialing 911 from any telephone will link the caller to an emergency dispatch center, called a PSAP, or Public Safety Answering Point. The PSAP can send emergency responders to the caller's location in an emergency. This system is set into place to help people in an emergency. If you have ever been involved in an emergency you know how valuable this number is. It puts you in contact with help.

Recently a new system was developed to call people and notify them of an emergency. This reverse 911 was most recently used in San Diego for fire evacuation, warning people of the fire and the coming danger. A typical 911 call is a call for help; instead of people calling, reverse 911 alerts and warns people of danger to come.

This is exactly what sharing the gospel is all about - we are warning people about the judgment to come and their need for repentance.  Recently in San Diego there were many that did not realize how close the fire was to their homes and the reverse 911 call came just in time. They saw the smoke but did not realize the great danger.  The good news Christians have to share is about the escape from danger.

There is a dangerous misconception that says the majority of people are seeking after God. They are calling 911 for spiritual help and as Christians we are to sit back and wait for the incoming calls. The truth is that the world has no idea the danger they are in. I don’t believe that an unbeliever can seek after God. You don’t start seeking God until after you have repented of your sin. It is not until you are convinced of your sinful state that you understand God’s grace.

God has called believers to preach the gospel, to sound the alarm to warn our generation. We cannot worry about the response.  The response should have no bearing on the message. We are warning people who have no idea of the danger and their need for a savior. Our approach must be to show their condition before God. They will not see the need for escape or need for a savior if there is nothing to be saved from.

Preaching repentance - is it really that important? Jesus thought so much of it that He preached it. The apostles were commanded to preach it: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," (Luke 24:47).

Those that believe the gospel is not a warning are preaching a gospel that is void of repentance and void of any sort of judgment for unbelievers.

If we take the New Testament at face value you have to come to the conclusion that repentance is a major ingredient to the gospel message. When you preach the gospel it is a call for repentance; for those that are unrepentant there is a judgment to come. We are not answering calls, we are making the calls. 

This sense of urgency has been lost in the church today because of the scoffers that are mentioned in II Peter 3. These scoffers are the ones that have been carried away by error. 

If you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow you would have some serious conversations with those you know. But because you don’t believe he is coming back soon we all put it off. We choose not to sound the alarm because no one else sees any danger. But, remember when Noah built the Ark? It wasn’t raining.

When God says he’s going to do something he does it. It is in these last days Christians need to sound the alarm even in the midst of the scoffers. With great passion and concern we warn and call for repentance because of the love of our neighbors and out of obedience to the Word and the grace that has been shown to us.

It is time to sound the alarm before it is too late.

By Ray Baumann Email: Ray.baumann@mac.com Click here for bio and archived articles