580 vs 5-8

I just got off the phone with an old preacher friend of mine. He is 72 years old and still preaching and serving as a pastor. He has served His church faithfully for the past 23 years. He checks up on me at least once a week. Has given me thousands of books. He kids me that I never had a real library before he gave me one. He did not give me fluff. I am enjoying a gem of a book by A.W. Tozer this week.

We talk for a half hour or more about books. He is always introducing me to an author I've never heard of before. In our conversations he always has some nuggets of wisdom I latch hold of for further thought. When he asked me how the weekend went what he really wants to know is how did Sunday go. I reported we had a good day but the attendance was down. I heard many complaining of not feeling well or having family members not feeling well.

Then we got to talking about how worship is not a priority for some people. Then came his nugget of wisdom. He commented, "It takes 580 gallons to fill a baptistry to baptize them. It only takes 5-8 drops of rain to keep them from worship. You can't love Jesus and not love His church."

That pastor has faithfully fed his flock solid doctrinal meat for more than two decades. He has never sought to entertain them. He is an old cowboy. He does not sugarcoat. He can skin the hide of sinners on one hand and love them with the other.

I agree with him. It does not take much to keep people from gathering to worship. Business dealings. Recreational activities and pursuits. Ball games. A sniffle. Fatigue. Hurt feelings. Family gatherings. Rain. Heat. Snow. Cold. It does not take much.

I saw this at Howard Payne University while a student there. Preacher students who would not get up to go worship publicly. If they were invited to preach somewhere and would be paid they got up though. Hypocrisy. Many times I walked down the halls knocking on doors and yelling for people to get up to go worship somewhere with other believers.

There must be something very different about our water today than the water found in the book of Acts. Those people gathered to study, worship and fellowship everyday. Once or twice a week did not suffice for those early believers. They hungered for more. The faithful stalwarts of congregations are dying off. Few are taking the baton from them.

580 gallons to fill up a baptistry. I looked it up today. In some parts of the world and my home state of Texas water is a precious commodity. Drought conditions make water scarce. Still churches gladly will make that 580 gallon sacrifice to celebrate a person's confession of faith in Jesus for salvation. It is a celebration. At times I have to wonder what we are celebrating. Jesus transforms people. He makes them new. Such people should want to gather often to grow in their faith.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NKJV)
17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

How can people truly testify Jesus saved and reconciled them when they have little to no desire for worship or the proclamation of the word of God. Something is amiss.

Where are the believers who are looking for excuses to gather rather than excuses to skip. I recall a group of members who met me at the back door of the sanctuary in a small country church in east Texas on a Sunday night after the service. They made a strange request. They wanted to meet the following night because they sensed God moving. I agreed. We ended up meeting for three straight weeks. We had wonderful worship and times in His word during those three weeks. Nobody has ever requested that again since then.

I confess I am biased. I love the local church flaws and all. I love the people of God. I love the ministry of the word. I love the praises of God. I love seeing folks redeemed. I love watching new believers mature in the faith. I do not like half hearted commitment. It is not scriptural. Thank God for the people who still gather to worship even when five to eight drops of rain fall. They would still gather if eight inches fell if they possibly could.

Let me close with this. Each week I have people who say something like this, "I'll see you Wednesday or Sunday Lord willing and if the creek doesn't rise." I respond, "I'll be here even if the creek does rise."

Gathering with the people of God is a priority for my family. It is what we are mandated to do. I don't care if your church meets in a house, a storefront, a barn, a school, a cathedral or wood frame building. We should want to gather if we love Jesus.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)
24  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.