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Listen while you read: "For The Beauty Of The Earth"1
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Mark 6:2 – When the Sabbath came, [Jesus] began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him that he even does miracles!" (NIV)
Over many years of being a pastor, one of the saddest things about ministry that I experienced was the number of people who took their faith for granted and attended church infrequently. No matter how hard that I tried to encourage them to be at worship on Sundays, they often had something else to do with family or friends. They simply believed that God would indulge their lack of dedication to His Son, and just turn a blind eye, allowing them to do what they wanted.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus, Who knows God more personally than we could ever imagine, was always in synagogue on the Sabbath. He wouldn't dishonour God by neglecting to worship and study on the special day set aside for glorifying His Father. He could have been exempt and gone elsewhere. He could have communicated with God wandering in the flowered fields or hiking the hills. He could have enjoyed the company of family and friends, but instead, He chose to worship God in His house with His people.
There are many people who have given up on church attendance, and a new generation of what's called "nones" has arisen. This term comes from those who respond to surveys about religion with "atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular", and are combined into a category called "religiously unaffiliated", widely known as "nones". They believe in their own version of God, a supreme being who watches over them and who will receive them into His kingdom after death. That's the biggest lie the devil has spread, and, sadly, many of the nones will not realize it until it's too late.
If weekly worship in God's house was important for Jesus, then shouldn't it be our priority, too?
Psalm 122:1 – I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (NIV)
Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (NIV)
Point to ponder: How often do I attend church on Sundays? What would Jesus do?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, many of us have made up our own image of a god who is an indulgent father or grandfather, who lets us do what we want, and whose infinite compassion will overlook our lack of faith. You never said that. You never taught it. You never lived that way, either. Teach us with Your astounding knowledge, and guide us back into Your Father's house on a weekly basis, so that we may truly be Your followers and God's servants. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.
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About the author:
John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Our faith needs constant renewal through prayer and worship.
Thank you for this devotional.
(Ontario)
Thanks John, so well stated, we do need to attend church as God wants.
Blessings.
Thank you for bringing this truth to us this morning. We need fellowship with like believers to strengthen our own walk. Thanks.
Thank you so much Rev. John for your devotional again today.
You have a gift for being open, relevant, and inspirational. As I begin reading, I often say to myself, this must be John Stuart writing!
God’s best.
John, thank you for sharing this pointed devotional with us today! In this era of permissive thinking, the pervasive mantra seems to be, “if it feels good do it”! Anything goes, or so it seems. Hopefully I’m a better witness to who God really is these days. Thanks again for writing this devotional. Blessings.
Thank you, John – so true. I’m not sure how I would cope with life if I weren’t part of the Body of Christ and being spiritually fed each week in worship. It’s such a blessing and has always been God’s intention and exemplified for us by the Lord Jesus.
God bless you.
Thanks, John, for your very important words today. Yes, it is so important that we go to Church each Sunday and worship together giving thanks for the Lord’s daily love and care of us. He certainly is ever deserving of our reverence and what better way to show our devotion by gathering together and learning more about Him. Blessings for your very mindful and directive writings.
Hi John,
Well written and timely devotional. I have experienced the exact same issues as a pastor and your submission has opened my eyes to the “nones” through “Pew Research” which I was not aware of until reading your devotional. Thank you for this information which I wish I had had access to years ago.
Keep writing and God bless.
Dear Rev. Stuart:
I greatly appreciated your devotional today on the need for regular church attendance.
(Ontario, Canada)
How I WISH I could have more influence on my neighbours. There are only 2 cars out to church on Sunday mornings on my part of the street – it’s beautifully quiet, but for the wrong reason. It’s downright frightening to think about their future after life here. They’re all really good people, and they equate that with being God’s people I think. Thank you for the info on ‘nones’ … there’s another one of the devil’s tricks!!
“Nuns” are women who have committed themselves to Christ – “nones” are people who have committed themselves to their own ideals and understanding – which is 180 degrees away from Christ. Tragic!! God bless you for all your work on behalf of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Thanks, John. There’s another aspect to this. In the ministry I lead in the summer, which provides chapel services in RV parks, there are some who attend church because it’s right there, down the road so to speak, but have no personal relationship with Christ. Fortunately, our pastors preach the Gospel, so they cannot claim to not have heard the message!