At Your Convience ?

A light went off in my head tonight as our Pastor mentioned something about people using church for their convenience and although they are on the membership roll...appear there occasionally and perhaps only when they feel the need to be "churched". I'm thinking to myself, "I sure don't want to be classified as that type of Christian!" Have I been? I don't think so now..but there was a time when I would have fallen into that category. I know better now. I have come to realize that when I thought that church was there just for me, when I thought I needed a touch, or when I was looking for what God had to offer me...on my terms....that I was going for the wrong reason! Church is not for what we can get from God...although His gifts are abundant and He is generous in His giving...I see Church as being a place where we can give to Him...in terms of honor and praise and respecting Him for all that He has done for us!
All that we have we owe to Him. So when you think about why you are going to church and you check off all the things that you think are important..the music...the sermon...the friends you get to see...the potlucks and all the other things we have come to associate with "going to church"...stop and think...what if? What if all you saw when you entered there was a crude, rather archaic, bloodstained cross........no music...no banners...no fanfare..just silence and that cross...a reminder of what church should be about..a reminder of the sacrifice that happened over two thousand years ago..perhaps not a pleasant sight to envision, but in reality...That is why we have church, folks..to celebrate a King, a Redeemer, and if there were nothing there but that cross as a reminder...would it be enough to bring you back? I know that we all like to sing, dance and enjoy all that church has to offer us..but church is not for our convenience...it is not a spiritual 7-eleven! So, remember, when you go to your church next Sunday......take a mental picture of it without all the pretty stuff and in your mind's eye...see the scene that will never be erased from history...or from the thoughts of every believer...and think again about what you can do to serve your church!