I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-11)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-11)

MEASURING OUR FAITH (continued)

    SELFISHNESS CAN PREVENT US
    FROM MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR LIVES.
    Why? Because selfishness basically says,
    “I want things the way I want them, period.”
    As an example, I have seen people who frequently attended
    church but suddenly they started attending on an infrequent
    basis, or not at all. It seems that they have decided other things
    are more important than meeting with other believers to worship.
    Apparently they have allowed other activities to have a higher
    priority.

    God may be encouraging them to come to His house, but they have
    selfishly decided that they would rather “do their own thing”. Of
    course families will miss at times when they are ill or go on vacation,
    but what we are talking about is frequent absences throughout the year.
    Incidentally, even when we are on vacation, we can still worship with
    a local church. Whether we do or not depends on our level of love and
    commitment to the Lord.

    The pandemic has prevented some from attending the church physically
    due to compromised immunes systems, or because they have medical
    conditions (cancer, diabetes, etc.) which put them at a greater risk of
    being around crowds of people. The good news is, many churches are
    offering online access to their services. It is not the same as actually
    being there, but it requires the same level of commitment to ‘connect’
    each week. There is still a need for supporting the church (financially,
    service, etc.), but there is an opportunity to virtually meet with other
    churches too.

    If you are wondering about your own commitment, think about the
    number of times you met with other believers (physically or virtually)
    during the past twelve months compared to how many times you did
    not. Don’t make excuses or justify your absences, just look at the numbers.

    When comparing our consistent and regular worship to those in biblical
    times we all fall short. Those who give the Lord first priority in their lives
    will assemble together to worship approximately a minimum of 52 days a
    year, however in biblical times they worshipped together daily.
        All the believers were together and had everything in common.
        They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had
        need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
        courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with
        glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor
        of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily
        those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)

    Did you notice the last part of the previous scripture reference?
    It says “the Lord added to their number daily those who were
    being saved”. Could there be a correlation between the worship
    attendance of believers and the number of lost people being saved?
    The verses just referenced imply there is a direct relationship.

    I have given some thought as to the reasons why these two would be
    closely associated. No one knows what the Lord is thinking when He
    offers salvation to the lost. However, using human reasoning there
    are some possible reasons why the lost are impacted when believers
    assemble to worship on a consistent basis.

    First and foremost, the lost see that we are sincere and committed to
    our faith. They know that we are not just playing at church or religion,
    but we have a genuine faith in the Lord. It can create an interest in them
    to attend church in order to see why we are so attracted to and committed
    to worshipping the Lord. If their observance of us causes them to attend a
    worship service, it gives the Lord an opportunity to speak to them through
    the pastor or possibly the music. It may take only one visit for the Lord to
    convict a lost person of their need for Him. I believe this is one of the reasons
    we are commanded to worship together.
        And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
        and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the
        habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as
        you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

    The phrase, “not giving up meeting together” is not a suggestion, but
    a command from God’s Word. I am sure you also picked up on the phrase,
    “and all the more as you see the Day approaching”. We know that as each
    day passes, we are brought closer to “the day” when the Lord will return to
    take His children home. That means that believers should be increasing their
    worship attendance and not reducing it by replacing it with other activities.
    We have a responsibility to the lost to worship together consistently and
    frequently.

    Some recent statistics indicate that only 17% of professing believers attend
    worship services consistently. Seventeen percent! That means that 83% of
    believers are choosing to substitute other activities for worship. Whenever
    the lost see that we are replacing worship with any number of other activities
    (or just a selfish desire to stay at home), they will want no part of something
    that appears to be superficial to those who claim to have a faith in the Lord.

    What do the scriptures have to say about the decrease in worshipping by
    those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ? This ‘falling away’ is
    one of the signs that the return of Jesus Christ is getting very near.
    Look at the following verses from God’s Word:
        Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
        Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not
        soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
        word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
        Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
        except there come a FALLING AWAY first, and that man of sin
        be revealed, the son of perdition;
        (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (KJV))

        The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon
        the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by
        demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars,
        whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
        (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

    So what should we do when we sense the return of Jesus is nearing
    and the troubles of this world are increasing? We look to God’s
    Word and follow the advice we are given (at all times, and not
    just when we believe the return of Jesus is at our doorstep).
        As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us
        that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and
        be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we
        may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not
        everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will
        strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
        (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3)

    We should:
        Stay centered on Christ.
        Stay committed to the Word.
        Stay compassionate toward others.
        Stay connected to the church.
        Stay calm in your Spirit.
        (when disciples heard that Jesus was going to leave them,
        they had anxieties, but Jesus told them not to be anxious,
        and He gave them the reason for losing anxieties)
            “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;
             believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms;
             if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going
             there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare
             a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
             me that you also may be where I am. You know the way
             to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

    A pastor told me once that he grieves each time a member of his church
    tells him they purchased a second home on a lake, or near the beach, etc.
    He said that he knew he would see them less and less in church. Some
    would eventually stop attending altogether. This is not to imply that
    owning a ‘getaway’ place is wrong, but it is the negative impact it can
    have on our worship that should be considered.

    Of course there are many other activities (fishing, golf, yard work, etc.)
    that we can allow to replace our time of worship. As believers, we need
    to enjoy the things the Lord has given us, but we need to ensure that our
    enjoyment is in addition to worshipping, and not a replacement for it.

    What could possibly cause someone to change from a frequent church
    attendee, to an infrequent attendee, or someone who no longer worships
    with other believers at all? To some it is a result of sickness, to others it
    is a compromised immune system that means they need to avoid crowd
    gatherings (especially during pandemics), but to others it is selfishness.

    Some will justify their actions, but whenever we have to justify not doing
    something the Lord wants us to do, it is a form of rebellion. We are clever
    enough to find many reasons for justifying what we want to do as a substitute
    for meeting with the Lord in His house.

    Any time we find ourselves justifying our reasons to avoid going to church,
    we should feel an overwhelming guilt of being selfish. If not, then we could
    be developing a lack of sensitivity to the influence of the Holy Spirit. More
    importantly, the sincerity and validity of our faith may be in question.

    I can remember having to make an unselfish choice at times in my life,
    but one stands out in my memory. However before I explain, I have to
    admit that I have not always sacrificed my selfish desires in order to
    obey the Lord, but in this case I did.

    I sincerely loved to play fast pitch softball every spring, summer and fall.
    One year I played 119 games. It was the same season that major league
    baseball was on strike so I played more games than the professionals did
    that year. One time we were in a tournament and our church was having a
    revival during the same week. As a starter on the team, everyone expected
    me to be there for the game. I fully planned to be there too, but for some
    reason the Lord convicted me that I should attend the revival instead. It was
    a tough choice for me, but I notified the team in advance and told them that
    I would miss the game due to church.

    The team won and our next game of the tournament was after the revival,
    so I didn’t have a conflict. However when I went to the next game, I was
    benched for not being at the previous game and did not get to play…at all.
    When this happened at the next game as well, I felt it would be better for
    me and the team if I moved to another team. Although we had hundreds of
    teams in the city, there was a lot of communication in the softball community.
    When the word was out that I was no longer playing on a team, I was contacted
    by a team in a different and more competitive league. I joined that team and
    finished the season with them. We had a great season and there were other
    believers on the team, so we had a lot in common.

    I’m not sure how my previous team finished the season and never checked
    to see because it wasn’t important to me. What was important to me was
    that I made a tough choice that I felt the Lord wanted me to make. Even
    though my decision did not turn out very good for me initially, I believe
    I was rewarded with a fun and successful season with the new team. This
    incident taught me that if we are patient, the Lord will reward us for our
    obedience. The Lord may have been working with someone’s heart on the
    previous team or at the revival I attended. I always wondered if the choice
    I made was part of His plan to convict someone (including me) in some way.

    Making adjustments to our attitudes, habits, priorities and desires is never easy,
    however the Lord gives us some encouraging words whenever we have a sincere
    desire to make changes in order to be more like Jesus, and to develop a closer
    fellowship with God.
        Now when Jesus saw the crowds,
        he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
        His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
        He said:
        Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
        Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
        Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
        Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
        for they will be filled.
        Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
        Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
        Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
        Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
        Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
        say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
        because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way
        they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12)