We have a confession...
Illustration
Object:
We have a confession in the common service. When we sinned as children didn't we have to confess if we had done something wrong? We didn't just go ahead as though nothing had happened. The genuineness of our confession would determine where we went from there. Apologies come first with others and with our God! Don't just start with your want list!
God asks us to tell him what we think he has done wrong. We won't have an answer if we hear what he has done for us and how we have failed him. Every pastor should help us answer this question!
Those last two verses summarize it and tell us what we have to do to set things right.
What use are all our offerings, our faithfulness in attendance, and in the traditions of the church: stand here, sit here, bow your head here, sing and praise there? When a new hymnbook came out, I heard complaints from some of the old-timers who didn't like that things were changed, even if it was only the melodic line. We must light candles on the altar and stand behind the pulpit to preach. Is the pastor using a loaf of bread or just wafers; wine or grape juice; little glasses or a common cup? We notice all the tiny details of worship even more than the words we are saying! But God is telling us that what we do when we leave the church may be even more important. That will show if we have learned anything in the service.
People we meet every day should see us acting justly, loving mercy, and that last dangerous one: walking humbly with our God!
This does not mean that we should forget all the things we do in worship! There are other passages that command some kind of formal response to God. This shows that we care what God wants us to do during our service, but if it does not touch our lives when we leave, we have sinned!
We shouldn't have to shout to our friends and neighbors that we are Christian! They should see it in our actions. The thing that brought converts into the mission in Nepal was the love that they felt. We had a clinic, and they only had to pay if they could and as much as they could. The Hindus' and Buddhists' patients had to pay "up front" before the priest would even pray for them! We treated people justly and did not seek bribes, like the government. It was so standard that everyone expected a bit of injustice.
Once they entered a church, the service emphasized the love that the Bible demands of us. Plus the people noticed that we were humble. We did not tell them they were all going to hell if they didn't accept our message right now!
Our church should teach us how to act and live when we leave after service. The church leaves the building!
God asks us to tell him what we think he has done wrong. We won't have an answer if we hear what he has done for us and how we have failed him. Every pastor should help us answer this question!
Those last two verses summarize it and tell us what we have to do to set things right.
What use are all our offerings, our faithfulness in attendance, and in the traditions of the church: stand here, sit here, bow your head here, sing and praise there? When a new hymnbook came out, I heard complaints from some of the old-timers who didn't like that things were changed, even if it was only the melodic line. We must light candles on the altar and stand behind the pulpit to preach. Is the pastor using a loaf of bread or just wafers; wine or grape juice; little glasses or a common cup? We notice all the tiny details of worship even more than the words we are saying! But God is telling us that what we do when we leave the church may be even more important. That will show if we have learned anything in the service.
People we meet every day should see us acting justly, loving mercy, and that last dangerous one: walking humbly with our God!
This does not mean that we should forget all the things we do in worship! There are other passages that command some kind of formal response to God. This shows that we care what God wants us to do during our service, but if it does not touch our lives when we leave, we have sinned!
We shouldn't have to shout to our friends and neighbors that we are Christian! They should see it in our actions. The thing that brought converts into the mission in Nepal was the love that they felt. We had a clinic, and they only had to pay if they could and as much as they could. The Hindus' and Buddhists' patients had to pay "up front" before the priest would even pray for them! We treated people justly and did not seek bribes, like the government. It was so standard that everyone expected a bit of injustice.
Once they entered a church, the service emphasized the love that the Bible demands of us. Plus the people noticed that we were humble. We did not tell them they were all going to hell if they didn't accept our message right now!
Our church should teach us how to act and live when we leave after service. The church leaves the building!
