Who’s There?

            You may have heard of the mother who rebuked her boy for not attending church willingly. She admonished him, “You go to the movies for entertainment, and you go down to Freddy’s house and have a nice time. Now don’t you think it is only right that once a week you should go to God’s House, just for one hour?”

            The boy thought it over and said, “But, Mom, what would you think if you were invited to somebody’s house and every time you went, the fellow was never there!”

            I think some people have quit attending worship services because they think God is not there. He is. And not only is he there, but so are the others who have gone on before us in the faith. You cannot see them, but they are there:  1 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back (Heb. 12:1.) NCV

            Assemble with the church; God is there.

Three Times and You’re Out

            An old story about a husband and father who refuses to go to church goes like this:

Preacher: "Why don't you ever come to church with your wife and family?"

Man: “I don’t go because every time I do, they throw something at me.”

Preacher: “What do you mean?”

Man: “When I was just a baby, my parents took me to church and the minister threw water on me. When I got married, the wedding ceremony took place in a church, and they threw rice at me.”

Preacher: "And if you don’t start going to church soon, the next time you do I’m afraid they’ll throw DIRT on you!”

            That sounds like a preacher story, doesn’t it? However, a deeper meaning emerges.

            There are literally millions of groups in the world seeking to mold people into an image. Only one of these groups is the local church, and its mission is to serve as God’s instrument in molding people into the image of Jesus.

            According to Hebrews 10:19ff, it is essential that Christians place a priority on meeting with that one group—the most important group—in the world.

            19-21 So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body.

 22-25 So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching (Heb. 10:19-25.) THE MESSAGE

One Toot, and You’re Out

            Do we make our guests (visitors) feel welcome in our worship assemblies?

            Many years ago, in a small Scottish church, an usher was painstakingly attending his duties, making sure that all in the worship service were in their places and properly quiet during the sermon.

            Suddenly, he spotted an old Scotswoman with an ear trumpet. He had not seen these contraptions (ear trumpets were metal instruments, shaped like trumpets, long ago used to assist the hearing impaired); consequently, he hurried over to the woman and, in a low but threatening whisper, told her, “One toot and you’re out.”

            Are there any members in your congregation who convey this spirit to your guests, “One toot and you’re out”?

Will The President Be There?

            One day the telephone range in the office of the St. John’s Episcopal Church during the years Franklin Roosevelt served as president. “Tell me,” the voice said, “do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?”

            “That,” the Rector explained patiently, “I cannot promise. However, God will be there and that will incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.”

Wishing You Were Here

         An old story tells about a Sunday school teacher who challenged her kids to go home that afternoon and write a letter to God. The following Sunday, they were to return with their letters.

         A boy who was her student wrote:

         Dear God,

         We had a good time at church today. Wish you could have been there.

         I hope that never happens at my congregation!

While They Were Sleeping

            Here’s something no preacher wants to hear:

            Shortly before she dismissed them to the worship assembly, a Sunday school teacher asked the children her class, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

            A little girl answered, "Because people are sleeping."

The Best Times of Our Lives

Several years ago, Jim Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On the night he was inducted, Kelly celebrated with friends at a local hotel in Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame is located.

Many stars from great Buffalo teams of the past were present. Also present were coaches like Marv Levy and several of his assistants. They all enjoyed themselves greatly renewing old relationships and swapping stories.

Someone noticed several flashes from a nearby doorway. He went to investigate. Inside the hallway were dozens of Buffalo Bills fans; they were straining to see inside so they could take photographs of their heroes.

Hall of Famer Bruce Smith noticed the fans and encouraged them to come inside. Players and coaches gathered together so the fans could take pictures. However, the crowd grew so large, Jim Kelly suggested they move out to a nearby ballroom.

The crowd swelled to the point where hundreds of fans were taking photos. Players, coaches, and fans intermingled, swapping stories, encouraging each other, and just simply enjoying each other's fellowship.

Bill Polian had been the general manager of the Buffalo franchise during the glory years, when they won four AFC championships in a row. A couple introduced themselves to him and requested that he pose for a picture with them.

Bill Polian was confused by all of the attention from the fans. He felt compelled to ask, "... why is there so much excitement over this? I mean, I understand Jim [Kelly] is who Jim is, and what he's done for Buffalo..."

The wife cut them off. "You must understand: that was the happiest time of our lives. We just wanted to be close to you guys again."

I think fellowship with Jesus and his family should be like this. The Peace Offering in Leviticus 3 was to be a time of celebration and fellowship between God’s chosen people, His priests, and God Himself.

The Peace Offering anticipated the New Covenant’s worship assembly on the Lord’s Day. On Sundays, we gather together with others who are passionate and celebrate the success of Jesus. This guy is a conqueror; this guy is a superhero. We fellowship with each other, we eat with each other, we commune with each other—and with God.

On Sundays, we honor the Father for Christ’s exploits. And gathering together in this event that we call the worship assembly, where we honor God, we feel great joy being in the company of one another. We laugh, sing, celebrate, commiserate, and we experience true fellowship.

All of this anticipates an even greater celebration of fellowship in heaven. And who knows? Perhaps, there, we will declare that these worship assemblies were the best times of our lives.