PSALM 5:7 – But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.”
THEME OF THE DAY: HOW TO GO TO CHURCH. How did we go to church this past Lord’s Day? How will we go in two days? I am not referring to our attire, the mode of transportation or route we took, or anything of an exterior nature. It is about the heart, our attitude, the real person within us that attended and will be attending church.
When it comes to church attendance and our hearts, we may come in two ways, with the wrong heart or with the right heart. Let’s quickly identify and get the wrong heart out of the way so we may be encouraged with the right heart.
The wrong heart that attends to church will look like this; attending out of mindless habit, a sense of duty, with little spiritual desire, out of fear of what people may think if we don’t, with no anticipation of meeting the Lord through His Word, prayer, and corporate worship, and attending with not much affection to be with other believers. Here is a warning. If these attitudes habitually define our church attendance, we should question whether we are even Christians for these will not consistently be in the lives of God’s children. Now the good heart attending church.
The good heart making its way to church will have at least these three qualities. The first is found in today’s scripture. We come out of love. First and foremost, we attend church because we love the God who created the church as His forever family and we are part of it! We love family time! And that leads to the second attitude in the good heart that comes to church.
We attend church to love and minister encouragement to other believers – And let us 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). Too much of church attenders come with a consumer mentality of “what is in it for me?” instead of a contributor mentality, “What can I give to minister to others?” If church were a sport, it would not be for spectators but participants. No “bench warmers” allowed!
A third good attitude in the heart coming to church right is of the highest priority – to meet the Lord, to worship the Lord, and be changed by the Lord. David, the sweet Psalmist, captures this well in the sixty-third Psalm – O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands (Psalm 63:1-4). At the end of the day, this is how and why we come to church!
So, Sunday is coming. The Lord’s Day is fast approaching. Let’s take time before and do some heart work by getting it ready to come to church right!
PRAYER: “Father, may I be faithful in church attendance with great delight, anticipation, and affection.”
QUOTE: “The gathering of God’s people weekly for corporate worship is a responsibility and privilege.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim