What Time Is It?

My son still hasn’t grasped the concept of “rounding up.” When he asks what time it is, I might say, “1:15,” to which he replies, then “why does the clock say 1:13?” Of course, my wise reply is always, “If you can see the clock, why did you ask me what time it is?”

Time is a strange thing. By its very definition, time is exact. Yet, have you ever noticed that everyone’s watch displays a slightly different time? Or why is it that on some days time seems to pass quickly while on other days it tends to creep by slowly?

Sometimes the profundity of time begins to strike the heart in the midst of crisis. For instance, when a friend or loved one dies at a young age it may cause one to consider how much time he or she has left. Or when a parent notices how a child has “grown up overnight” they sense an urgency to cherish time spent together. Such moments cause us to move beyond the child-like notion that “I’ve got all the time in the world to accomplish my goals and dreams” to the question, “Do I still have enough time to make an impact?”

I imagine Moses was experiencing one of those moments when He wrote, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). I think we would all do well to pray similarly.

The Bible gives us a balanced perspective on time. On the one hand, we are called to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). On the other hand, we must keep in mind that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (I Peter 3:8-10).

In other words, as believers, we must live in both this life measured by time and the next life measured by eternity. But how?

Consider Peter’s words in I Peter 3:8-10:

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

Here, Peter describes several implications for living in the balance of the temporal and eternal:

1) The limitation of time produces hope. Consider for a moment the fact that hope is based upon a future reality. Without time, however, there would be no such thing as a future. Peter looks to the future and describes the end of time in verse 10. There is great hope for the believer when we look forward to the coming of the Lord and, consequently, the destruction of plaguing sin.

2) The limitation of time produces urgency. In the next chapter of his letter, Peter warns believers: “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit…” (I Peter 4:7).

For those who have not yet trusted the Lord, a look toward the Lord’s future return should create an urgency to trust Him by Faith. “Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

3) The vastness of eternity instills trust. Christ’s pending return and the ensuing judgment in no way means that Jesus is hard-hearted toward sinners. In fact, the opposite is true. Peter explains that, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Balancing the fact that God is patient while at the same time remembering that the opportunity for repentance is limited should bear several results. First, it should be a wonderful message to the unbeliever hearing the gospel. Second, it should be encouraging to Christians praying for and sharing the gospel with their unbelieving friends. Finally, it should build our trust in God’s goodness, wisdom, love, and sovereignty over all things.

4) The vastness of eternity changes our perspective. When believers realize that this temporal life on earth is merely a vapor compared to eternity (James 4:14), we should be encouraged all the more to endure –even in the midst of suffering. “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

The reality of broken dreams, shattered lives, inconvenient truths, and disappointing relationships are worth enduring faithfully for the sake of eternity with Christ. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17). In the words of A.W. Tozer, “True religion confronts earth with heaven and brings eternity to bear upon time.”

How well are you coping with time and eternity?

  • Have you repented of your sin and placed faith in Christ alone? You are not guaranteed tomorrow.
  • Are you calling upon the Lord on behalf of other who don’t know Him? God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
  • Do you view today’s struggles as permanent problems or as temporary afflictions? For the believer, there is nothing so terrible on earth that can outweigh one moment of glory.
  • Is your heart’s treasure in time or eternity? Is it evident from your life?

Be sure that eternity is coming. Do you know what time it is?

Blind Faith?

The phrase, “blind faith,” is a contradiction in terms. So it seems appropriate that the Bible would show an example of true faith in the lives of two blind men. Matthew 20:29-34 describes what happened:

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Several things jump out from this text regarding faith:

1) Jesus responds to faith. The Bible points out the fact that great crowds were following Christ. I’m sure it would have been easy to pass by the two blind men without giving them a second thought. Surely the crowds were demanding His attention. Yet, He refused to be distracted from these men of faith.

God has always been eager to respond to faith. Jesus said in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” No matter what else has God’s attention (word wars, terrorism, etc), nothing can distract Him from a simple plea of faith. Aren’t you glad that God always responds to the faith-filled cry of His people?

2) Faith requires effort yet has no merit. Be careful to understand, faith is not a work that merits (earns) the favor of God. Rather, it is the anti-work in which we admit our desperate need of Christ and cast ourselves upon His mercy. That’s why these men call out “Lord, have mercy on us.” They had nothing to offer so they appealed to Christ’s mercy. Faith always comes to God with empty hands, open to receive His mercy.

But this does not mean that Faith is passive. In fact, I Timothy 6:12 instruct believers to “Fight the good fight of the faith.” Certainly that requires active effort.

In this case, While the two blind men had nothing to bring Christ meriting His mercy, it did not stop them from pleading. Most likely, because of the large crowds that followed Christ, these men had to plead loudly. The Bible even says that the crowd rebuked them and told them to be silent. But that just caused them to cry out “all the more.” I imagine their faces were red from all of their shouting.

We must not be guilty of saying, “If we cannot earn God’s grace, I will not make an effort at faith.” The life of faith is a battle requiring all our strength to be poured into our reliance upon Christ. It takes more effort to trust Christ than to trust ourselves

3) Faith is evidenced by following. Isn’t it interesting that the last detail the Bible provides about these men is that after Christ restored their sight they immediately followed Him? It might be easy to think this is merely a cause-and-effect relationship (ie. Jesus healed them and out of thankfulness, they followed Him).

But while thankfulness is certainly a wonderful byproduct of receiving mercy, I don’t believe that is the core explanation for why they followed Jesus. Instead, I think it’s the other way around. I believe that they desired to follow Christ before they were ever healed. Why do I think that?

Faith is following. In John 10:27 Jesus explains, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”If you aren’t following Christ, you’re not living by faith. The fact that they followed was merely evidence of the faith they exercised. In other words, if a person claims to have faith in Christ, yet never follows Him, something is wrong.

While thankfulness is right and good, it is not explicitly associated with faith. For instance, a person may be thankful that someone recognized their accomplishment. That would be a result of merit –not faith.

The act of following, however, by definition puts the leader first. It admits dependence upon Him. That’s the essence of faith in Christ.

4) Faith is not really blind. While the two men were physically blind, they were not uninformed. In fact, they called Jesus the “Son of David,” indicating their understanding and belief that He was the Messiah. That required spiritual insight from God. Faith responds to the Spirit’s illumination of God’s Word to our hearts. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). In this way, it is never blind. That’s why I love this story. By opening their physical eyes, Jesus symbolically reveals what has already occurred spiritually within these men!

 

  • Have your eyes been opened? Have you exercised faith in Jesus Christ alone for gift of salvation?

 

  • Are you following Him –even in the midst of life’s rebuking crowds?

 

  • Are you continuing to study and rely on His Word for the increase of your faith?

 

  • What life event is competing for your faith today?

Remember the Elevator!

My son Bryce and I joined my parents for a family vacation in the Boston, Massachusetts area recently. We were able to visit some famous landmarks and walk most of the Freedom Trail. However, Bryce’s favorite part of the vacation had nothing to do with sightseeing. Bryce’s favorite part of the vacation was pushing the buttons on the hotel elevator.

My mom usually takes longer to get ready than anyone else in our family. One morning, my dad, Bryce, and I found ourselves waiting for mom at the elevator. Dad and I must have gotten distracted in conversation, because all of a sudden we both realized Bryce was on the elevator without us –and the door was closing. I reached out to grab the door, but it was too late. Bryce was on his way to the lobby by himself.

Then, I heard him crying. Ouch. Nothing hurts more than hearing your child cry and not being able to help.

So, I jumped on the next elevator and made my way down to the lobby as mom and dad stayed behind in case Bryce came back up.

The elevator door opened on the lobby level. Bryce was nowhere to be found. I was just about to go back up, and I heard him. I walked around the corner and found him with the front desk staff of the hotel. I was so thankful!

I’m not sure who was scared the most –Bryce or me. Either way, we were both fearful of the same thing: separation.

For the remainder of the trip, anytime Bryce was starting to wander off or get too far ahead of me on a sidewalk, all I had to say was, “Remember the Elevator.” That was a sober reminder of the terror of separation.

Thankfully, nothing can separate those who are in Christ Jesus from the love of God. Romans 8:38-39 states,

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers,height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

There is no more need to fear separation. No matter where life’s elevator takes us, we can always be sure that God will be there (Psalm 139:8). And, when we finally step out for the last time, we will enjoy the unending, uninterrupted presence of Christ forever. That’s the kind of elevator worth remembering!

A Costly Drink

I have a confession to make. Sometimes, when my ashtray runs out of spare change for Sonic, I drive through Chic-fil-a and order a large water. Why? Because it’s FREE! I’m not talking about a rinky-dink little plastic kid’s cup either. This is a large styrofoam cup full of thirst-quenching ice water for absolutely no charge. I know, that’s cheap of me, but it’s a burden I’m willing to bear.

The fact of the matter is that although I don’t pay for the drink, it still has a cost. Chic-fil-a is willing to absorb that cost on behalf of its customers. How gracious!

It sort of reminds me of Scripture’s invitation in Isaiah 55:1: ““Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!” The same invitation is repeated in Revelation 22:17 saying, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” And, it’s the same opportunity Christ presented the woman at the well in John 4:10.

Here we see, in full display, the gracious offer from Christ for a free drink. Only, this drink is not mere physical water held in a Styrofoam cup. Instead, it is the costly treasure of His Salvation purchased by His blood spilt from His human body for our sin. Christ drank from the cup of God’s wrath (Isaiah 53:4-6) in order to offer us a river of living water!

What I love about the Bible’s use of the “living water” terminology is that it goes deeper than describing a mere transaction that takes place in salvation. This water quenches a thirst. Whereas my free cup of water from Chic-fil-a may satisfy my physical thirst on a hot day temporarily, Christ’s living water satisfies fully forever! That’s powerful.

  • Have you ever wondered how a martyr stands in the face of death for Christ’s sake? Because he is fully satisfied in Christ.
  • Do you marvel at the sacrifices some missionaries will take to proclaim the gospel to unreached people? Sacrifice becomes privilege when your every thirst is quenched in Christ.
  • How do you suppose a person overcomes tragedy or great loss? By drinking deeply from the river of life.

You too are invited to partake from the river of life. The water is free, but make no mistake –it’s cost is infinite!

Uniforms Don’t Make the Player

Recently I’ve been interviewing people about their experiences (or lack thereof) with discipleship. However, I haven’t used the word “disciple” or “discipleship” in my discussions. Why?

Discipleship may be the most understood word in the church today. For some it means classes, for others it means preaching. Others equate it with special programs or extracurricular activities.

The problem is that since nobody can define discipleship its easy for everyone to consider themselves disciple-makers. After all, who’s going to tell them otherwise?

You may be wondering why this is such a big deal. It all comes back to the Great Commission -go and make disciples. That is our primary calling in life. What a tragedy it would be if we all got to the end of our lives thinking we had been fulfilling the great commission, only to find out we had missed it.

Maybe we would base our claim of “disciple” or “disciple-maker” on things like church attendance, good citizenship, or service in the church. The problem is, even an atheist could participate in those things. Its not the test of a disciple-maker.

It would be like a man showing up for a football game and telling the coach that just because he memorized the playbook and bought a uniform, he is a football player. He may dress the part and talk the part, but until he has been transformed into a football player, he is an imposter.

So what does it look like to be transformed into a disciple-maker? How do we define “discipleship?”

Great question….

Grace Alone for Living Alone

I face it every night. After tucking my son in bed, I close the door and walk back into my living room. There it is, my faithful companion: being alone.

I didn’t choose the single life. Yet God chose it for me (at least for this season). I was happily married with a newborn when my wife passed away in an automobile accident.

Every night I must choose how to pass my time. I could catch up on work, watch television, read a book, surf the internet, etc. But the one thing I would love to do is the one thing unavailable to me at the moment. I am anticipating a time that I can remarry and have a wife with whom I can share my evenings. I long for the day I can sit down and pour out my heart with my mate after a long day. I am eager for the next chapter of my life in which I can laugh with a new companion.

But for now, God has brought me to a place of being alone.

Being alone, however, is not all bad. In fact, Christ himself spent great amounts of time alone (Luke 4:42,5:16, 6:12, 9:36, Mark 1:35, 6:45-46). There can be great value in solitude. Yet, it is a difficult path.

Being alone forces you to make choices regarding how you will occupy your time. There is no one else around to dictate your time for you. You have no excuse –you and you alone make the decisions.

While there are a million-and-one things you could spend your time doing, everything boils down to two categories: get bitter or get better. You can choose to loathe in self-pity and bitterness about your state of solitude, or you can choose to spend your time in ways that are beneficial to your heart, mind, and soul. Which of the two options do you think Jesus practiced in His moments of solitude?

In order to take advantage of solitude rather than feeling like the victim of solitude, consider these tips:

1)   For the believer, being alone is never really alone (Matthew 28:20). Remember, God is with us and will never forsake us (Romans 8:31).

2)   In the moments of greatest weakness, remember that being alone requires grace alone. Grace is not just seen in forgiveness of past sins –it is also the strength to withstand present and future sin! Not only that, grace provides the power to remain faithful in the most difficult of circumstances (2 Corinthians 12:9).

3)   Remember that God is still in control of all things (Romans 8:28). He has not forgotten you, but has a purpose for all of the circumstances you are presently facing.

Whether or not I ever remarry remains to be seen. Yet no matter my future, one thing is certain: God’s grace is sufficient for me.

Beautifully Bruised

I give myself shots of insulin in my stomach for diabetes. Occasionally, one of my shots will leave a bruise. Once, I was enjoying some time at a swimming pool, when someone asked me if I had been in a fight. They had seen my bruise and assumed that I had incurred a punch to the gut. “That looks like an ugly bruise,” they said.

I explained where the bruise came from and we both had a good laugh. Later, however, I thought more about that bruise. As ugly as it was, that bruise represented the life-sustaining power of my insulin. In a way, the ugly bruise was very beautiful.

There is a beautiful bruise mentioned in Scripture as well. Genesis 3:15 sets the scene for this bruise.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God met them in the garden. Sin had exposed their nakedness and brought shame into their lives (Genesis 3:7-10). God had already declared the penalty for sin: death (Genesis 2:17). Although they did not die immediately, their sin did eventually bring physical death, and worse, spiritual death.

As God meets with the first couple, He explains the many consequences of their sin. For instance, Eve would experience pain in childbearing and Adam would work hard farming with very little return.

In the midst of this difficult news, God did share some good news. In fact, it is the good news! In Genesis 3:15, God promises that Eve’s offspring will defeat Satan’s. In Romans 16:20, Paul refers back to this same concept.

 

The Curse

Interestingly, God never places a curse on Adam and Eve (although God does tell Adam that the ground is cursed due to his actions). While God doesn’t pronounce a curse on man, He unequivocally places a curse on Satan. Don’t miss the significance of this fact. It is as if God said to Adam and Eve, “Although you sinned, I will not curse you, but instead, I will go to the root of the problem and curse Satan.” When you look at it from that perspective, a ray of hope seems to shine out of the curse itself.

God, therefore, chose to go to war with Satan rather than to go to war with mankind. He inaugurated a fierce battle on our behalf! The battle belongs to the Lord –not us. He promised to fight for us. That means our hope does not depend upon what we can do to defeat Satan, but on what God does to defeat Satan. What, then, did God promise to do?

 

The Seed

God promises that a seed of woman will come forth to defeat Satan. That seed is Jesus!

Notice how the Bible intricately traces the offspring of Eve all the way to Christ. In the book of Genesis alone, the word, “seed” is used forty-one times. At each mention, the promise of “the anointed one” or “Messiah” gets closer and closer.

In Matthew 1:23, the lineage is completed as the Bible states, “ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Two thousand years after the promise had been made, God came to earth in the flesh in order to war against Satan.

Jesus is the seed of woman promised in Genesis 3:15. How appropriate that God used the seed of the one who was deceived (woman) to battle the deceiver (Satan)! Satan sought to kill and destroy Eve through sin, but God chose to defeat Satan through her seed! But how?

 

The Sacrifice

God declared to Satan that the seed (Jesus) would “bruise thy head.” What great news! Jesus would defeat sin and the grave once and for all. His work on man’s behalf would allow mankind to be restored unto God.

However, the Messiah’s salvation for mankind would come at a price. Verse 15 continues, “and thou shalt bruise his heal.” Christ’s victory over sin would come at the cost of His own life. Satan would not take Christ’s life away from Him; rather, Christ would willingly lay it down. Why?

Sin, remember, deserves death. The only hope for mankind to escape eternal separation from God is if someone else will take the penalty. Christ conquered sin by sacrificing His life on mankind’s behalf.

The picture of Christ’s substitutionary atonement is seen at the end of Genesis 3 where God clothes Adam and Eve with the skins of animals. God killed animals in order to make a covering for them. In the same way, God sent His own Son to die in order to make atonement (a covering) for our sin. Those who have placed their faith in Christ Jesus now wear his garments of Righteousness –washed white in the blood of the lamb (Revelation 19:8).

The resurrection of Christ demonstrates both his victory over sin, and the new life that is given to those who receive His salvation (Romans 6:4). The Bible even refers to Christ as the “Last Adam” to indicate the new life given to those who are born again (1 Corinthians 15:45), replacing the old life ruined by sin.

 

The Plan

The fact that the gospel is proclaimed in the first book of the Bible may be surprising for some. But, God’s plan to defeat Satan actually predates Genesis. In fact, the Bible refers to Jesus as the Lamb who was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He did not begin at Bethlehem, rather, He has always existed (John 1:1). He was even active in creation (Colossians 1:16). Further, His mission –to sacrifice His life on behalf of mankind- has eternally existed! Before sin even entered into the World, God had made a way of redemption for His children.

And, because Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven, we will enjoy all of eternity in His presence. Because Christ was bruised, we now have life!

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

What Was Mom’s Favorite Color?

You would think I would know the answer. Yet, as my son waited on my reply, my mind was blank.

How is it possible that I could forget Jill’s favorite color? I’m sure at one time I knew. What does that say about me?

I painfully had to admit to my son that I couldn’t remember such a simple detail.

Bryce was three months old when Jill passed away so I feel a deep responsibility to make sure I provide him with a strong representation of who she was.

As the words, “I can’t remember” passed through my mouth, I could feel failure.

It felt like I had failed Jill and I had failed my son.

As a single parent, representing someone else is a tall task. Some single parents represent another parent that was never there. Others have the difficult assignment of representing a parent who was there, but chose to leave. Others represent a parent whom they left.

In any case, representing another human being is difficult. And to do it perfectly is impossible.

However, there is one person who represents others perfectly. On the cross, Christ represented us by taking our sin in our place. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that God, “made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

After His resurrection, Christ ascended into Heaven where he sits at the right hand of God representing us perfectly to the Father on our behalf (Romans 8:34).

None of us is capable of being a perfect parent, much less, two perfect parents at the same time. But because Christ represents us before the Father, He is mediating for our weaknesses, our faults, our oversights –and yes, our sin. Oh, and did I mention that He represents us perfectly –based upon His righteousness? That means when the Father looks at me, He sees Christ’s righteousness.

That takes a lot of the “Single parenting” pressure off. Not just the pressure to represent my wife to my son, but even more, the pressure to represent Christ to my Son.

What a comfort to know that Christ helps me fill the void in my son’s life by representing the love He so desperately needs from a mother. And how wonderful that through Christ, I am given the grace to love my son more than I ever could on my own. Color me represented!

Does God Want Your Church To Grow?

Does God desire for your church to grow?

The short and simple answer is “yes.” We can make this deduction from the fact that God has called us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and that ultimately; disciples from all nations will be gathered together in heaven (Revelation 7:9). In the mean time, God is working through His body, the Church, to gather His children (Matthew 16:18). Therefore, as the Church grows, God’s global kingdom grows. –and that’s not just God’s goal, its promise.

But there is another answer and its slightly more complicated.

Imagine you have a friend with two wild, unruly children. When his kids spend the night with your kids, you hide every breakable item in the house and never let them out of your sight! Although you love your friend immensely, you are really concerned about his lack of parenting skills.

One day, over lunch, your friend tells you that he and his wife are praying for another child. He explains how they are confident that God wants their family to grow and he even quotes Psalm 127:3, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”

Now you are feeling conflicted inside. You agree that children are a blessing from God, but something isn’t quite right here. Just because God blesses families with children doesn’t mean every family blesses God.

So you lovingly share Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” and explain to your friend that with every blessing comes great responsibility. You advise him to make sure he is being responsible for the children he already has before he adds more to his family.

Similarly, while we know that God is honored by growing churches, we also know that not every church honors God.

Hebrews 13:17 explains that pastors are “keeping watch over… souls, as those who will have to give an account.”

Pastors, this is one of the most sobering verses for you in the Bible.  You will have to stand before God and give an account for how you shepherded His church!

Before you start your next campaign for evangelism and growth, maybe you should ask yourself, how well am I shepherding the people God has already given me? Are my people passionate worshippers? Do they have a heart to serve one another and our community? Is there a strong bond of fellowship? Do we share a burden for lost souls? Is discipleship part of our DNA? Do we handle conflict according to God’s Word? Are we in harmony with one another?

Those are the kind of questions every pastor must ask himself on a regular basis.

So, does God want your Church to grow? The lengthier answer is, “Yes, but under responsible leadership.” After all, why would you want to be held accountable for more souls when you aren’t being faithful with the ones God has already given you?

Missing Members

I have spoken to several pastors recently who share the same concern: inconsistent attendance from church members.

Notice, the word “members,” which denotes those who have committed themselves to a covenant community for mutual edification, encouragement, exhortation, and evangelism. These people have expressed their intent to be a part of something which they are now neglecting.

Each pastor I have spoken with has listed different theories regarding the inconstancies in attendance. They have mentioned families who are worn out from a busy schedule during the week and want to spend “family time” on the weekend. They have brought up retirees who travel often. Some have mentioned the modern conveniences of watching services on television or via online streaming. Others have pointed to students on travel sports teams who play out of town on the weekends.

Whether the reasons are due to busyness or laziness, selfishness or apathy; two things are known for sure. 1) This is not a new problem, and 2) This problem must be addressed.

Not a New Problem

The writer of Hebrews pled with the early church to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25).

These verses are in the middle of a passage describing Christ’s intercession in our lives as our great high priest followed by a call to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (v. 22).

Meeting together as the corporate body of Christ therefore, is vital for the mutual assurance and growth of every believer.

Addressing the Issue

I believe pastors must spend time talking to their congregations about this issue periodically. In fact, it should be an expectation from the very beginning of membership. Churches should communicate the importance of attendance during membership classes.

But, how do you explain the importance of attendance without sounding legalistic? Here are a few thoughts:

  • Explain that attendance is not solely for the benefit of the attendee. Instead, by attending, they are blessing all others in attendance. Physical attendance communicates love, support, honor, and respect for one another. Each member must “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
  • Attendance is an opportunity to express unity with others centered on Christ. When a diverse group of people gathers together, the unifying factor (in this case Christ) is lifted up and shown to be more important than their differences.
  • Attendance is the most basic expression of commitment to the body.  It is an opportunity to “encourage one another.”
  • Attendance reflects our future. The Greek word we translate as “church” means “a called out assembly.” When the church gathers, we gather as those who are “called out” of the world. Corporate worship on earth, therefore, is a foreshadowing of heaven! Attendance stirs our hope in a future with Christ “all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The attendance issue is not about coercing people to do something they don’t want to do for the purpose of bolstering statistics and egos. Instead, it is about helping others find joy in the privilege and responsibility of participating in the body of Christ!