Application
When we ask Jesus to be our Friend, He never leaves us and is totally
committed to us. We too need to help our friends and care for them.
A serial story of the adventures of two friends who knew Jesus as their
true Friend.
Text
Matthew 28:20, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
Episode 1 - The Prize
Sid's Gran had won a competition. The prize was a week's cruise on a
luxury liner. As the summer holidays were coming up, she asked Sid
if he would like to come along. Sid was excited and asked if he
could bring a friend along as well. Gran said, "Yes," so Sid rushed
out to invite his good friend, Basher, who's a fun guy and a crazy dude.
The cruise was full of very rich and snooty people. Poor Sid and Basher
had quite a struggle trying to fit in. One night during the evening
meal (a very posh affair), the lights suddenly went out. When they
came on again, everyone started screaming, "I've been robbed!!" Even
Sid's Gran's necklace was stolen. The captain had everyone questioned,
but nobody could shed any light on the robbery.
The Detectives:
Sid and Basher eventually got to their cabin and excitedly talked about what
had happened. "Perhaps we could solve the mystery," suggested a
sleepy Sid. "This trip looks like it's going to be fun," replied
Basher, "We will be the on-board detectivies!" They both snuggled down
and happily dreamt about chasing robbers around the ship.
Next day, Sid and Basher decided it was time to have a good look round the
ship, so they started to explore. They split up, arranging to report
back by the swimming pool in half an hour's time. Sid was exploring a
corridor when he noticed that one of the cabin doors was slightly ajar.
He saw a dim light coming from the cabin and heard muffled voices. He
tiptoed up to the door just in time to overhear, "Where are we going to stash
all this stuff, then?"
A gruff voice replied, "We'll sort it out later, we must have at least half a
million's worth of stuff!" Sid leaned closer to the door, straining to
hear. The other robber answered, "So where are we going to hide it?"
Unfortunately, he leant too far and the door suddenly opened and Sid
fell into the room - landing ungracefully at a pair of enormous feet!
Sid felt himself being grabbed and jerked to his feet.
Trapped!
"So, what have we here, then? A prying little Harry, eh?" Sid was
about to answer that his name was Sid, not Harry, but they ignored him.
"How much do you think he heard?" asked one crook. The other
said, "What are we going to do with him?" They looked at the
frightened Sid and came to a decision.
Setting Sid down on his feet and holding onto him tightly, the man who seemed
to be the boss said, "Look kid, you've got a choice. Keep your mouth
shut and maybe we'll let you go - but if you blab to your family you're in
for it! We'll tie you up and throw you overboard if people start
looking for you. Do you hear what I'm saying? Do you know what
I mean?"
Sid's Choices:
Sid had to make a choice about his tricky situation. What choices could
he make? Neither choice looked very good. We all make choices
every day - some big and some small. Jesus gives us the choice of
whether to follow Him or not. That's a very important choice, and a
decision that only each one of you can make.
Sid knew what the the robbers meant to do to him, so he made his decision and
whispered a prayer, "Jesus, please help me!" The he stamped down as
hard as he could on the man's foot and ran towards the door. But just
as he thought he'd got away ...
Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened!
Episode 2 - No Escape!
Sid had made his decision and whispered a prayer, "Jesus, please help me!"
He stamped down as hard as he could on the man's foot and ran towards
the door. But just as he thought that he had got away, Sid felt himself
being jerked backwards by the seat of his jeans. He wriggled and
squirmed in a vain attempt to free himself. "No one's going to come to
your rescue," said a gruff voice as Sid struggled with all his might.
"You see, we're right down by the ship's engines, and so no one's going to hear
you shouting for help above this racket. And this cabin's a spare one
and no one ever comes down here. So you may as well give up struggling
and behave yourself, you horrible little urchin." "No way!" thought
Sid and shouted at the top of his voice, "Help! Help! Jesus!"
Playing Cat and Mouse!
"Help, Help!" mimicked the robber in a sarcastic voice, "Who's going to come
and save you? Your Granny? I don't think so! Now, keep
still, you're starting to get on my nerves! And if you don't keep
quiet, we'll drop you over the side tonight!" But Basher had heard him
call and was coming to the rescue!
Sid's efforts to free himself had nearly succeeded, so he gave one more
enormous wriggle. He felt the man's grasp loosen and he lurched forward
like a rugby fly-half and dived between the man's legs! Hands came out
in all directions as the robbers tried to catch him a second time. Sid
could hear himself shouting, "Help! Help! Help me Jesus!" as he scooted
around the room. He was starting to think that he couldn't play cat and
mouse much longer in such a small space.
Basher to the Rescue!
Just then the door burst open sending the robber who was blocking it flying
across the room. Sid glanced up and there was Basher, coming to the
rescue! Basher quickly took in the situation and leapt on top of the
nearest robber, bringing him neatly to the ground. Basher sat on him
and shouted, "Run, Sid! Get going! I heard you call and I knew
you needed me! Run! Run!"
Sid wasted no time and charged through the open door and down the corridor as
fast as his legs could carry him. Without looking back, he turned into
another corridor, up some stairs and then into another corridor. "Well
done, Basher!" he croaked over his shoulder as he gasped for air.
"You're so brave! Fancy you hearing me calling for help ... Basher!
Basher? ... Basher!!"
Basher Disappears:
Sid suddenly realised that he was alone. He stopped running and turned
around. "Basher! Where are you? This is no time for playing
hide and seek! Stop playing around, Basher!" But, except for the
rumble of the ship's engine, the corridor was silent. Sid called and
called, but there was no reply from his friend and rescuer. "Oh,
Jesus," he prayed, "Please help Basher!"
He started back down the corridor, trying to find his way back to the robbers'
cabin. But in the maze of stairs, ladders and corridors he totally lost
his bearings. He was getting to the point of giving up all hope of ever
finding his friend, or anyone else for that matter, when he spotted a sign on
one of the doors, it said "Captain". Sid took a deep breath and knocked
timidly on the door. At once the door flew open!
I'm very Busy!
"Any news?" asked the captain, "Oh! Who are you, boy? Look, go and play
your silly little games somewhere else, I'm very busy!" Sid gasped,
"But we're trying to find the robbers!" The captain just patted Sid on
the top of his head and replied kindly, "Yes, yes ... now go and play, Sonny!
Can't you see I'm very busy?"
"But, I know where they are!" spluttered Sid. The captain looked stern,
"That's not funny, young man, this is a serious business. Now, be off
and don't bother me with your games!" With that he slammed the door in
Sid's face. Poor Sid. His voice drifted helplessly in the air,
"But they're by the engines!"
Sid felt a sob rising in his throat. It was no good. The captain
would never believe a little guy like him! He wandered off, not knowing
where he was going, but knowing that he had to find Basher. At last,
turning into yet another corridor, he suddenly realized that this was the
right one! There at the end was the door to the robbers' cabin.
Thrown Overboard!
And it was open! Sid caught his breath and flattened himself against the
wall of the corridor and moved cautiously towards the open door. He was
a mere two paces away when ... splash! Sid froze. "Oh, no Jesus!"
he gasped, "They've thrown Basher overboard! " Taking his courage in
both hands, he peered round the door ...
Jesus always hears our prayers and answers just at the right time. Do
you think that Jesus had been listening to Sid and Basher's prayers?
Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened!
Episode 3 - Basher's going to Drown!
Sid caught his breath and flattened himself against the wall of the corridor
and moved cautiously towards the open cabin door. He was a mere two
paces away when ... splash! Sid froze. "Oh, no Jesus!" he gasped,
"They've thrown Basher overboard! " Taking his courage in both hands,
he peered round the door.
The cabin was empty, but the port hole was open! Sid dashed across and
looked out. Below him he could see the deep blue sea with waves
chopping its surface. And there floating in the water was a bag!
"Oh no, Basher's going to drown!" he shouted in panic. But when
he looked more closely, it was ... just a bag of rubbish! "That's not
Basher!" exclaimed Sid, "Whew, thanks Jesus! They didn't throw him
overboard!"
The Evidence:
He drew his head back into the cabin and looked around. It was a mess!
Chairs and tables lay on their sides and there was a broken lamp on
the floor. Suddenly Sid spotted a slip of white paper lying on one of
the chairs. Sid's fingers shook as he plucked it off the chair and read
the writing scrawled across the sheet:
"BACK OFF BOY IF YOU EVER WANT TO
SEE YOUR FRIEND AGAIN!! Here was the evidence Sid needed!
He grasped the note firmly in his hand and rushed out of the room. This
time, he found his way back to the captain's cabin quite easily. He
knocked loudly and confidently on the closed door. Once again the door
was thrown open and once again he found himself standing in front of the
ship's angry captain!
The Captain Agrees:
"I've got proof! I've got proof that they took Basher! Look!"
And Sid jammed the note under the captain's nose. This time the
captain smiled at the boy. "Yes, Son, I know", he said gently.
"What! You mean you've changed your mind and you believe me now?
You're going to help?" spluttered Sid as he tripped over his questions in his
excitement. He couldn't believe that the captain was going to take him
seriously.
"Yes, I do believe you. You see, I've had a note from the robbers too.
It says that they've got your friend, Basher, and that they'll dump him
overboard if I don't get a helicopter for them. There's nothing I can
do to make them change their minds. The helicopter is on its way."
The Helicopter:
Sid could not believe his ears! "What! You're going to let them get away
with it? And what about Basher? How do you know they won't harm
him anyway?" But, Sid's questions were drowned by the whirring of a
loud engine, coming closer and closer. Sid paused for a split second
and then ran as fast as he could towards the staircase which led up to the
ship's deck. A helicopter was hovering over the ship, its rope ladder
trailing down from its open door.
The captain panted up behind Sid, and coming round the side of the deck
were the robbers! The one who had caught Sid in the cabin was carrying
a large, heavy-looking sack over his shoulder. Sid started to run
towards the robbers. "You can't let them get away! " he yelled to
the captain, "They've got Basher!"
They're getting Away!
The robbers started to run towards the helicopter's rope ladder as it swung
above the deck. Sid was not fast enough and a robber had climbed up
the ladder and disappeared into the helicopter before he could reach him.
"Stop! Stop! Come back with Basher!" shouted Sid at the top of
his voice. The last robber who was carrying the sack was running
towards the rope ladder, struggling with the weight of the sack as he
grasped hold of the ladder's bottom rung.
Sid leapt after the robber and grabbed hold of the sack. "It's all right,
Basher, I won't let them take you!" he gasped. The robber was forced
to let go of the sack and scrambled to make his escape. As the sack
dropped with a terrible thud onto the deck, Sid gingerly opened it up
and ...
The captain had changed his mind when he heard from the robbers and it made all
the difference. When Sid came with evidence, the captain listened to
him. We change too, when we ask Jesus to be our friend - not all at
once, but gradually. Jesus helps us to make the right choices and live
a better life. Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out
what happened to Basher!
Episode 4 - Where's Basher?
As the last robber disappeared up the rope ladder, Sid's attention was drawn
to something much more important. For a split second he forgot the
robbers as he looked into the sack. No Basher, but it was full of
glittering, sparkling, dazzling, shimmering jewels! Sid leapt to his
feet and looked up to where the last of the robbers was just climbing into
the helicopter. "Where's Basher?" he shouted, "What have you done with
my friend?"
"He's hidden away and you will never find him! Work it out for your
self, otherwise, he'll soon be dead as a doornail!" sneered the robber.
Sid did not wait to answer back. Finding Basher was the most
important thing on his mind! Oh, please help me Jesus!" he prayed again
and ran back down the stairs and along the corridor.
Is Basher Dead?
"Basher! Basher! Where are you?" he yelled at the top of his voice.
He pushed open cabin doors to the left and right as he ran.
People started to come out of their cabins to see what all the shouting was
about. He pushed through them and ran blindly on, calling and calling
for his friend.
Suddenly Sid found himself in front of a door marked: "Stores, Keep Out!"
Sid pushed hard on the door and it flew open. "Basher?" he yelled.
There was a muffled noise from inside a large trunk standing at the
back of the room. "Basher?" he called again. Once again Sid heard
a muffled response, this time followed by a soft thudding sound which seemed
to come from inside the trunk.
Safe and Sound!
Sid ran forward and turned the key which was in the lock on the front of the
trunk. He pushed up the heavy lid and peered inside. And there
was Basher! Safe and sound but firmly gagged and bound. "Oh,
thank You Jesus!" he murmured as he untied his friend and threw his arms
around him in relief at seeing him again.
"Yuck! Get off me! We've got to find the captain," yelled Basher,
"Have I got news for him!" "Basher," said Sid weakly, "The captain
knows. I've managed to rescue the jewels, but the robbers have got
clean away!" Basher grinned, "Oh, no they haven't! I managed to
give them the slip just long enough to make a quick phone call to the
police!
They're Caught!
They are in that helicopter and would have arrested those robbers as soon as
they climbed aboard!" "Oh, Basher, you're a hero!" cried Sid.
Just at that moment the captain appeared in the doorway, closely followed by
Sid's Gran. The captain was delighted. Basher was safe, the
robbers had been arrested and the jewellery had been returned to their
rightful owners.
"Thanks to you two everything has turned out all right," the captain beamed
at them, "I don't know how to thank you ... but for starters I am going to
give the two of you, as well as your grandmother, a free cruise for a whole
week! And you and your Gran are invited to be my guests of honour every
day at the captain's table." And he made sure that Sid and Basher had
the best holiday ever!
True Friendship:
So it worked out all right in the end - but only because Sid and Basher's
friendship meant that they were committed to each other. They stuck by
each other and helped each other out. Sid's prayers and trust in Jesus
kept them safe and helped them during their dangerous adventure.
When we ask Jesus to be our Friend, He never leaves us and is totally committed
to us. When we call out to Him, He hears us and will help us.
We then need to do what the Bible teaches us and please Jesus. As we
come to know Him, God will gradually change our lives and make us more and
more like Jesus.
Like Sid and Basher, we also need to be committed to our friends and care and
help them when they are in need. Can your friends really trust you?
God bless.