When I was a kid I remember asking a friend why they weren’t at the church service the previous week. He said, “I was helping my dad build a dog house.” In all my 7 year old tact, I said, “So you think your dog is more important than God?” Poor kid. I’m surprised we stayed friends. Of course, he’s only doing what his parents tell him to do for the day.
I’m a pastor. I think a lot about Sundays. It’s the day the church gathers for corporate worship. I’m bothered when believers don’t make it a major priority for their lives. But I think in our one-liner, meme-generating world, we’re making some less than thoughtful appeals which seem designed to play on guilt rather than grace. I see them often. Here are a few that strike me as being a little misguided. When I see thoughts like these, they make me cringe even though I completely support the overarching message they’re communicating. If you can go Black Friday shopping at 4:00 AM, you can make it to church at 9.
Christian, did you know that Jesus died for you? Did you know that he died to forgive you of your sins, make you righteous, and place you in the glorious plan of God that is so spectacular that the angels long to look into what we have? Did you know this glorious mystery that has been revealed is called the church? The church has been gathering the first day fo the week for over 2000 years. We follow the pattern of the early church after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus didn’t do his work on the cross just to make you individually righteous, he did his work so that you may be a part of something so much bigger than you. We are part of a group, a divine group. The local body is an just one expression of something much larger. Sunday is our chance to weekly plant a flag and confess that we believe the son of God has come, he has been resurrected for our forgiveness, and that he’s returning. I don’t think once a week is too often to confess that together.
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By his word God made the world
And pronounced it good. Image bearing man he gave, The tree of life for food. Another tree stood as a test, Adam must obey. Would He serve the Lord his God Or disregard his way? The perfect home did not endure Sin would wreck their peace. The world forever changed that day, Enslaved no longer free. Another tree, a sacrifice A biding hope pronounced The serpent crushing one would come The Son of God announced Israel’s kings were fallen men, They never could obey. Was the promise lost for good, Or for another day? The prophets groaned, the people cried, The silence would not break. Invading armies took their land, Israel seemed unmade. A little town called Bethlehem Unlikely place of hope. Mary’s son through virgin birth, Born to save his own. Bound for the tree, yet there he lies The hope of nations rest. The weakness of a baby boy, The strength of humbleness. Jesus lived a sinless life, Yet died a sinners death On the tree he broke the curse, For our sins he bled. And on that tree he took the blame, For our sins he died, but death could not defeat the king, He rose to give us life. Much was lost at Adam's fall, More is gained through Christ. Adam's sin brought death to us, Jesus gives us life. |