Rocket Pack Jack

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Last week, I had a chance to help out on something a little out of the ordinary.  It was only the second time I have done this in my life, though I probably should have been doing it more often. 

This time I got to be Rocket Pack Jack. 

[You got to be what, Bucky?]

Rocket Pack Jack. 

Don’t know who that is? 

Well, let me tell you. 

He looks like this:

A little bit of an unusual motorcycle outfit.  Right? 

Probably.  But it is a little more. 

Now, how about this guy? 

Same thing, maybe.

Let's see who these people are.


Every summer, our church holds Bible School for a week, and there is a theme each year to get the kids – ages 0 through 99 – engaged. 

Now, Rocket Pack Jack is a superhero character who stars in a save-the-day video, and in some of the materials used during the week.  Here's the video cover:

Well, I thought the character's getup looked enough like a motorcycle suit that I played Rocket Pack Jack one evening.  Incognito, of course.  Nobody would suspect that ol' Bucky's alter ego was really Jack.  

Right?

That night, I arrived on the bike, parked it square in front of the church on the sidewalk, and high-fived and shook hands with most of the kids and adults as they were coming and going. 

The kids, especially, thought that was great.  They readily engaged with Jack. Some of the adults, not so much.  They weren't really sure who I was supposed to be, but went along anyway. 

By the way, the theme this year was called Agency 3D.

It is a sort of investigator thing where the kids search for clues like a detective would do.  This time, though, it was to prove that Jesus was a real human being, that he died, and was resurrected again for our salvation: That he was the real deal. 

Here’s the way it unfolded during the week:

    Day 1 - Is Jesus really God's Son?
    Day 2 - Was Jesus more than just a good man?
    Day 3 - Was Jesus' death real?
    Day 4 - Is Jesus alive?
    Day 5 - What do I do with the evidence about Jesus?


Let’s go back to the 3Ds.  They stand for Discover, Decide, and Defend. 

In other words you Discover that he was a real guy – actually God’s son sent to earth to redeem sinners.  You also discover that he was unfairly tried and brutally killed, but arose from the dead again.  That last part is the important one.  No other god has ever done that. 

By so doing, he has taken the punishment that we would otherwise be subject to. 

Taking the punishment we deserve happens if you believe that he is who he is, that what happened really happened, and that the only way to get to heaven is to believe all this and accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. 

Look here:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.  (John 3:16)

That sounds good, doesn't it? 

In our Bible School, all the evidence was presented.  Then you were invited to Decide whether to accept the evidence.  If you do, you are in. In heaven, you can be a perfect motorcycle rider – or perfect at anything else you want to. 

Wow! 

If not, well, that’s when only burning fires await you for all eternity after you leave your scooter behind on this earth. 

Not good. 


Once you have decided – and provided you have made the right decision; to believe that Jesus is your Savior – then it is your task to introduce that faith to others.  You Defend it, in other words. 

See how it works?  Discover, Decide, and Defend. 

Remember, none of us is promised another minute of life on this earth.  You could pass on into eternity before you finish reading this.  The next turn in the road could be your last. 

If you have not yet discovered and decided, what are you waiting on? 

…and, what does it hurt to do it?  Why not?  Sort of like insurance – fire insurance, in fact. 


Oh, wait a sec.  I have to go get my rocket pack back on.  Now! 

See you next time, 

Jack      
...er, Bucky



More Info:

■ "Salvation and forgiveness of sins is....about receiving Christ as Savior and recognizing that He has done all of the work for us. God [actually] requires [just] one step of us—receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and fully trusting in Him alone as the way of salvation. That is what distinguishes the Christian faith from all other world religions, each of which has a list of steps that must be followed in order for salvation to be received. The Christian faith recognizes that God has already completed the steps and simply calls on us to receive Him in faith." 
from gotquestions.org

■ Agency D3 Videos: Intro, More Than Just a Good Man, We Stand, God's Son, He is King, He is Alive. 

■ Verse for the week – "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"  (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

■ Rocket Pack Jack and Agency 3D are Lifeway Christian Resources trademarked names. 

My alter ego with the "real" Rocket Pack Jack
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