Movable Walls - April 2005

Image from Brockhouse.net

This week we want to tackle a issue that few Christians like to talk about, and that is inconsistent attendance. We are talking about it this week because it is the week after Easter, and we learned last week that the week after Easter is usually the lowest attended church service of the year. This fact combined with a story we heard a few months ago about how a worship center was built combined to prompt us to write this post.

Each year churches see a spike of visitors around a few holidays - Easter and Christmas most notably, but many times churches are back to regular or lower attendance the next week. To accommodate this trend there have been some worship centers built with movable walls. The walls divide the sanctuary into multiple rooms most of the year, but the weeks that have high attendance they slide the walls back and open up the full sanctuary, only to pull the movable walls back into place the following week.

To us that seems to show the exact hypocritical nature that most people that regularly do not attend church complain about to people that do attend. A better example of this may be in the form of a story I was once told here goes - There was once this pig farmer that refused to go to church. The farmer was very successful so within the community he had influence and he was very open about his dislike for the church due to the hypocrite’s that he saw in the church. This caused many of the local church members to worry, and they ask their pastor to go visit the farmer. The local pastor went and visited the farmer several times, and time after time the pastor talked to the farmer about how church was not about people, but about a relationship with Jesus. Nothing ever changed, and the farmer always ended their meetings with how the church was full of people that were hypocrite’s and how he refused to be around such people. Finally the pastor went one more time to see the farmer, but this time not to invite him to church, but to buy a pig from the farmer. The farmer was a bit shocked, but he had many prize winning pigs, and showed them all to the pastor. The pastor kept saying yes that is a nice pig, that is a very nice pig, but I want to see your smaller ones. Finally the farmer showed the pastor his small and runty pigs. The pastor looked and looked and finally picked at this one small pig that looked very sad. The pastor ask to buy that one, the farmer said he would rather him buy a larger, better pig, even adding if it was a matter of money that he would cut the pastor a special deal. The pastor assured the farmer it was not a matter of money, and that he was adamant about wanting this small, runty pig. Finally, the farmer agreed and sold the pastor the small pig. Once the pastor had the pig he told the farmer that he was going to go into town and tell everyone how bad of a pig that the farmer had sold him. The pastor told the farmer how he would completely ruin his reputation for being a good pig farmer throughout the region. The farmer protested and said “You can’t do that. I tried to sell you a bigger, better pig, but you picked the smaller and sickly one”. The pastor said “I know that, but you always pick out the weakest and worst Christians and tell everyone how that is all the church has in it, so why should I treat you and your pigs any different.”

Now that is a simple story, but it proves our point - the world will always pick out the worst, most inconsistent, most hypocritical church members as examples of how the church is. Every Christian has to deal with the sin’s and mistakes of every “bad” or “fallen” Christian in the world. SO, why let the world get away with it. Get up, show up, and grow up in your faith and impact the world. Do not become the example that the world uses against the rest of the body. Be the example that can be used as a example of how to live the Christian life, not the example of why the lost are no different then the saved.

Now we are all sinners, and we are all saved by grace, and our best works are nothing but filthy rags to God. Our works do not save us, nor do they improve our chance of getting into heaven. What they do however is show the world that we are different. They show the world that our lives have been transformed by Christ and His life on earth. A great example of how God changes and calls us can be found in Hebrews, chapter 10.

Hebrews 10:15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."

Hebrews 10:17 Then he adds:

"Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

There are lessons for all Christians on how to live and thrive found within those verses, but today we are focusing on the lesson found in verse 25. To us it seems that the best way to live the life described in verses 19 through 24 is to be in regular fellowship with other believers that will encourage and mature us. Does that mean you have to go to church to be saved, no, but we have yet to find a better way to be encouraged and to mature in Christ then to attend church.

Maybe you have been hurt by a church, guess what almost every other Christian has too. That may just be the right reason to move to another church and start over, fresh, no history, no legacy, and no ill will. Maybe you do not feel that you can be matured or encouraged at the current church you attend, if and when you go. Well, then find another one that will mature and encourage you. There are plenty of churches out there, and one of them needs you - regardless of your past. They need your special gifts, your special skills, and your special spirit to complete that body.

God has a place for you to serve, you just have to find it. Don’t let you missing this Sunday’s service be the reason that your local body can put the movable walls back in place, or the example that the world uses to avoid coming themselves.

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	Image from Brockhouse.net This week we want to tackle a issue that few Christians like to talk about, and that is inconsistent attendance. We are talking about it this week because it is the week after Easter, and we learned last week that the week after Easter is usually the lowest attended church service of the year. This fact combined with a story we heard a few months ago about how a worship center was built combined to prompt us to write this post. Each year churches see a spike of visitors around a few holidays - Easter and Christmas most notably, but many times churches are back to regular or lower attendance the next week. To accommodate this trend there have been some worship centers built with movable walls. The walls divide the sanctuary into multiple rooms most of the year, but the weeks that have high attendance they slide the walls back and open up the full sanctuary, only to pull the movable walls back into place the following week. To us that seems to show the exact hypocritical nature that most people that regularly do not attend church complain about to people that do attend. A better example of this may be in the form of a story I was once told here goes - There was once this pig farmer that refused to go to church. The farmer was very successful so within the community he had influence and he was very open about his dislike for the church due to the hypocrite’s that he saw in the church. This caused many of the local church members to worry, and they ask their pastor to go visit the farmer. The local pastor went and visited the farmer several times, and time after time the pastor talked to the farmer about how church was not about people, but about a relationship with Jesus. Nothing ever changed, and the farmer always ended their meetings with how the church was full of people that were hypocrite’s and how he refused to be around such people. Finally the pastor went one more time to see the farmer, but this time not to invite him to church, but to buy a pig from the farmer. The farmer was a bit shocked, but he had many prize winning pigs, and showed them all to the pastor. The pastor kept saying yes that is a nice pig, that is a very nice pig, but I want to see your smaller ones. Finally the farmer showed the pastor his small and runty pigs. The pastor looked and looked and finally picked at this one small pig that looked very sad. The pastor ask to buy that one, the farmer said he would rather him buy a larger, better pig, even adding if it was a matter of money that he would cut the pastor a special deal. The pastor assured the farmer it was not a matter of money, and that he was adamant about wanting this small, runty pig. Finally, the farmer agreed and sold the pastor the small pig. Once the pastor had the pig he told the farmer that he was going to go into town and tell everyone how bad of a pig that the farmer had sold him. The pastor told the farmer how he would completely ruin his reputation for being a good pig farmer throughout the region. The farmer protested and said “You can’t do that. I tried to sell you a bigger, better pig, but you picked the smaller and sickly one”. The pastor said “I know that, but you always pick out the weakest and worst Christians and tell everyone how that is all the church has in it, so why should I treat you and your pigs any different.” Now that is a simple story, but it proves our point - the world will always pick out the worst, most inconsistent, most hypocritical church members as examples of how the church is. Every Christian has to deal with the sin’s and mistakes of every “bad” or “fallen” Christian in the world. SO, why let the world get away with it. Get up, show up, and grow up in your faith and impact the world. Do not become the example that the world uses against the rest of the body. Be the example that can be used as a example of how to live the Christian life, not the example of why the lost are no different then the saved. Now we are all sinners, and we are all saved by grace, and our best works are nothing but filthy rags to God. Our works do not save us, nor do they improve our chance of getting into heaven. What they do however is show the world that we are different. They show the world that our lives have been transformed by Christ and His life on earth. A great example of how God changes and calls us can be found in Hebrews, chapter 10. Hebrews 10:15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Hebrews 10:17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. There are lessons for all Christians on how to live and thrive found within those verses, but today we are focusing on the lesson found in verse 25. To us it seems that the best way to live the life described in verses 19 through 24 is to be in regular fellowship with other believers that will encourage and mature us. Does that mean you have to go to church to be saved, no, but we have yet to find a better way to be encouraged and to mature in Christ then to attend church. Maybe you have been hurt by a church, guess what almost every other Christian has too. That may just be the right reason to move to another church and start over, fresh, no history, no legacy, and no ill will. Maybe you do not feel that you can be matured or encouraged at the current church you attend, if and when you go. Well, then find another one that will mature and encourage you. There are plenty of churches out there, and one of them needs you - regardless of your past. They need your special gifts, your special skills, and your special spirit to complete that body. God has a place for you to serve, you just have to find it. Don’t let you missing this Sunday’s service be the reason that your local body can put the movable walls back in place, or the example that the world uses to avoid coming themselves.