Across the Barricade
I’m so grateful for relaxed Covid restrictions so we can go to live concerts. I bought lawn seats for the Need to Breathe concert a few weeks ago at the Toyota Music Factory. I went with my wife Molly and my daughter Alli. The venue has stadium seats for about 4000 people. There’s an open lawn area behind the seats that fits another 4000 people. We like sitting out on the lawn even though it’s far from the stage. We brought our blanket and beach chairs and found a good spot toward the back. Our friend Ren and his wife Nicky were there with some others in the front of the lawn section, where the guards stand to prevent “the lawn” people from sneaking down into the seats.
We watched two warmup bands. Then Need to Breathe came out. It was a beautiful night, and we were quite happy. After a few songs, Ren ran up to us and said, “We’re going to the standing room only section right in front of the stage! Follow me!” We were stunned and hesitated until his words sunk in. We grabbed our lawn chairs and followed him. Before we knew it, the guard escorted us to the VIP section, in front of the barricade that restrains the people in the seats, 20 feet from the band. We asked Ren, “How did you do this?” He recounted his conversation with the guard. He said to her, “It looks like there’s a lot of room in the standing room only section in front of the stage. Could you upgrade us?” She said “yes.” Just like that. Just because he asked.
Salvation by faith is the same. We are all born on the wrong side of the barricade. We have a sin nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. Because of that, we sin. Our personal sin separates us from God. God loves us and graciously provided a solution to our problem. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sin, in our place. To remove the barricade and gain access into God’s presence, all we have to do is ask. We just confess that we are sinners in need of a Savior and ask Jesus to forgive our sins. God then ushers us past the barricade and into His presence. Romans 5:2: “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (NLT)
We will never forget the Need to Breathe show. Two hours of exceptional music and fun. The experience was so much better up close. When the show ended, we had to leave our privileged position and go home. If we ask God to cross to His side of the barricade, He won’t tell us the show’s over and it’s time to leave. He’ll invite us into His home forever. Why would we ever settle for life outside the barricade? If you want an upgrade, just ask!
