Why are Coming to Church?

Article for November

Isaiah 1:12–14 12“When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?  13Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.  New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

Do you go to church?  Good.  Do you come to worship God and remember Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice for all? Good.  Do you come to church to be seen, or do you come to fear and give all glory to our God who is our creator and our savior.  You know there are many who go to church for the wrong reasons.  Some give in hopes of getting something in return.  And others go to show off their self-righteousness.

We have five divine services to select from.  They are all ceremonies to help us worship our Lord.  But the ceremony is not what’s important here, rather it is where your heart is and where your faith is.  We can give much; we can make it look like we are better than others by what we give or how we give.  But the giving is not what is important here, rather it is where your heart is and where your faith is.  Many have faith and many have works, but few seem to have works, because of their faith. (James 2:14-26)

Many seek their own glory, but the glory regardless belongs to God.  God gives us His glory, our faith, prepares us for His chosen works, and the means to boast in Him. (Ephesians 2:8-10).  We are to be humble servants boasting in our Lord, rather than arrogant givers who think they are Christians and better than others. 

Do you receive joy in slashing the sword of spirit at others who have faith?  Does judging others justify your motive to prove you are a better Christian?  Who among you have taken God’s place and instead of glorifying God dishonor Him by glorifying yourself.  Do you know you make your giving null and void?

Luke 19:1–4 1[Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through. 2And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.

Fear the Lord in His means to destroy and in His means not to save.  Though you cannot choose to be saved, that’s God’s choice; you can choose not to be saved.  Choosing not to be saved is against God’s will but if this is your choice God will grant you that choice. 

There is a man who fears the Lord and realizes the power of the Lord.  The power to create, the power to destroy, and the power to save.  This man like many others is small in his stature in size and that he is not regarded as someone good by the public.  We all have our sin, and our sin makes us small to others who sees our sin, but don’t see their own.

Zacchaeus, small as he was, was about to step up to see Jesus who was approaching the place where Zacchaeus was perched in a tree.  Let us parse this idea.  This small tax collector was about to make that first step to not just see Jesus but to come to understand fearing God through the site of God manifested in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

That is, Zacchaeus knew through the teachings received from those who taught the word of God that God can build one up or take one down.  Zacchaeus knew his standing with the public and knew his own sins that gave him his reputation.  Now as Zacchaeus climbs the sycamore tree to see Jesus, he sees the Son of God, Yahweh Elohim the one who he knew to preach grace, mercy, and forgiveness. 

Luke 19:5–8 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

The light of the world shines upon this sinner whom many despised.  And this light enlightens one who Jesus came to save.  This is us, small because of our sin, and still enlightened because of the word of God being taught to us.  Salvation is revealed to us through Jesus Christ.

Teaching God’s word was part of the Jewish culture back then.  For some of us Christians it is part of our culture to be taught the word of God.  But for many their culture is lacking, and the world rejoices in it as the world only cares for itself.  And some don’t feel welcomed in the culture that teaches God’s word because of some who are either overzealous or arrogant towards the lost and others whom they deem not to be Christians.

Isaiah 1:18 18“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

Look hard, God is not just talking to the Jews, and Jesus is not talking to just the Jews.  Forgiveness is upon us though our sins are grievous.  Maybe you’re not a tax collector, maybe you are a Pharisee, or self-righteous, or you sin in other ways.  Either way, your sins are grievous and need forgiveness.  Dark as you are the light shines on those who repent and admit their sins as did Zacchaeus, as did the tax collector who prayed next to the Pharisee in the temple. 

Zacchaeus even went to the length to pay retribution for his sins.  It’s a shame we still have Pharisees even in our own church.  But Jesus died for your self-righteous sins too.  Repent and receive the forgiveness you need.  Unfortunately, this is where I feel I’m talking to a brick wall and have failed you.

Luke 19:9–10 9And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus repents, admits his sin, and tells Jesus he will correct whatever he did to wrong others.  Jesus says forgive as many times as one repents. (Luke 17:3-4).  So repent and be forgiven.  God is a God of grace and mercy, to those who fear and love Him.

Jesus brings us salvation, true, and it comes from no other place or action from us.  We praise and thank our Lord for His grace and mercy as we do not want to follow Him in vain.  We love our God as He gave us Jesus Christ who died and took the punishment for our sins, in hopes that we will follow all His word, law, and gospel.  Do you not fear God, do you not praise God, do you not thank God.  Do you not love God?  Believe, for God loves you. Don’t believe me, look through the eyes of God’s gospel, do you see it?  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May