LUKE 24:25–27 – And Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
THEME OF THE DAY: HE IS PRESENT EVERY TIME. I recall early in my pastorate that I asked someone who was inconsistent in church attendance the question, “Why aren’t you faithful to the Lord’s Day?” The response caught me off guard but then, it didn’t. He said with honesty and straightforwardness, “I find church boring.” I never thought about that response before, then, I did. Church, boring? I would never admit it, but I wonder how many times I have been in church, but not in church. You know what I mean. I am sitting in the pew, singing the songs and hymns, looking at the preacher during the sermon, and bowing my head during the prayers but my mind and heart left the building a while ago. I must confess some of my best “laying out of my week’s schedule” has mentally occurred on a few Sunday mornings. And knowing human nature as I do, each of you has lost the battle of distraction in church as well.
What really underlines the challenge of the first paragraph is not “church is boring” or we are easily distracted. Those are symptoms of the real issue, and a serious one. It is tied to the problem the disciples had in today’s scripture. And Jesus confronts them. They had forgotten all the scriptures point to Christ, the Living Christ and this is easy to do. Not just in church, but when it comes to reading our Bibles in the privacy of our homes. How often have we listened to sermons, but not listened? How often have we read our Bibles but not read our Bibles? What needs to happen to us is what happened in the story below.
Dr. Adoniram Judson “A. J.” Gordon (1836–1895) was an American Baptist preacher, writer, composer, and founder of Gordon College and Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary. He tells the story that changed his life and ministry. Here is the account – Dr. A. J. Gordon, while preparing his Sunday sermon, was so tired that he fell asleep in his study. He dreamed that it was the next morning in the pulpit and the church was packed. A stranger walked in and a deacon let him have his seat. The stranger was so commanding yet attentive, and Gordon found himself as if speaking to him alone. He decided to meet this stranger after church. As the congregation filed out one by one, the pastor (in his dream) looked in vain for the stranger until everyone was home. “Do you know him?” he asked the deacon. “Why, yes. He is Jesus Christ.” “Oh. how I wished I could have talked with him!” Gordon lamented. “It is alright, pastor,” assured the deacon, “He’ll be back next Sunday.” Gordon awoke, realizing in a new way that every time he preached and spoke about Christ, Christ is in the midst. This dream revived both pastor and church. Gordon preached with a new power. He established “Salvation Centers” in Boston, gave great sums to missions, to weak churches, to the Jews, to the Chinese. He started a school to train missionaries. He died at age 59 with “Victory” on his lips.
Each time we read our Bibles and hear a sermon, stop, and realize what is really happening. God is speaking to us. We are listening to Him. Let’s start making this awareness every time the Bible is opened. To do so will ensure nothing is boring about church or the spiritual life. How can it be? God is speaking to us.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I forgot what is really happening when I read my Bible and hear it preached.”
QUOTE: “Each time we read the Bible and hear a sermon, God is speaking. He is talking to us. Don’t forget that.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim