Much like my counterparts of yesteryear there is a great deal of my Saturday preparing for my Sunday. Although mine is not to the degree of those of the past. I’ve heard my parents speak about spending Saturday’s ironing ‘Sunday go to meetin’ clothes, preparing things for Sunday’s dinner that could be prepared ahead. Getting done any normal daily work that could be done a day ahead so that Sunday was spent in genuine rest in the Lord Jesus.
Sunday’s are not so Holy for the church or the world either one. I would be guilty of failure to “rest” on any given Sunday. Although I’m in church for morning and evening services, I’ve been known to spend those few hours in between at a store, or any other number of activities. But my Saturday’s are spent preparing Sunday School lessons, Powerpoint presentations for services and attempting to get my head wrapped around worship. The world takes its toll on me. Even though I’m home much of the week.
Saturday is not the only day I work on the building, but it does cause my mind to be more focused. Sad… but true.
What’s in your tool belt for the weekend services? That’s the question I ask myself.
HAMMERING IT DOWN
No self-respecting carpenter would be found without a hammer in his/her too belt. Jesus Himself learned the trade of carpenter from His earthly father and building the church is the foundation of Christianity. If Sunday services are no more than a lecture hall, we’ve missed the mark. God nailed down our purpose when He handed out the great commission for all believers. Not just preachers.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Contrary to popular belief He did not say sit on your hinder parts in the church on Sunday and accept no responsibility in the building process. Pastor’s need to pass out a few hammers on Sunday morning and remind the congregation as they leave the building to use the tools he’s given them for the week.
PRYING IT UP
I fully believe it would take a pry bar to get some believers up out of their seats, their hands out of their pockets or their voices out of the depths of their soul. Today we should be preparing out hearts for the services in the morning. Imagine if we took the time on Saturday to pry the sins and junk deep within us out and entered the building with a Spirit of freedom to worship. Wow!! What would that look and sound like?
King David knew that a clean heart was necessary for the freedom of fellowship with God when he wrote Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
It would be good if today we did a little cleaning before Sunday and pried some of the dirt out of the corners of our lives.
MEASURING OUR FAITH
My grandchildren love to find David’s tape measure and pull it out as far as the can only to release it and watch it zing back inside itself. I fear we often measure our faith in the same manner. A quick look at the distance we’ve traveled, the things we’ve done and then it’s back in the box with a pat on the back for a job well done. But what if we measured our faith by the word of God instead of by the world’s standards. Would our faith even make it out of the box?
In preparing for Sunday’s services I wonder what my faith looks like to God. Have I built anything substantial this week or is my work simply cosmetic. While the structure beneath is rotting inside.
SAWING THE WORD
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
If we look at the New Testaments example of building the church, I’m pretty sure we’re not even in the same blueprint. And before anyone says “times have changed.” We must admit, “The Lord hasn’t.”
His word is as relevant today as it was the day it was written. If Peter could see 3000 saved, so can we, but not without a change of attitude toward the tools of the trade.
Nowhere in the book does it say there was a dress code to serve Christ.
Deuteronomy 22:5 reads:
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
This scripture was written at a time when both men and women wore basically the same form of apparel. Although no doubt there was a difference between the two. Just as my jeans and my husbands are completely different. My pockets have bling! His pockets have a leather patch. I wear lace, he wears plaid. But people will read into the word things that just are not there. They do the same thing with worship, evangelism and ministering the gospel. Rather than focusing on building the house… they worry about the drapes.
There are rules. They still apply. But many of the rules for which we govern our Sunday’s with are not found in the word.
When you build a house, you start with the foundation. When you build a church you do the same. Every single word of God.
Isaiah 28:9-10 reads
Who shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
God laid out the instructions for building His church. We need to stick to the plan.
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