SCRIPTURE: Psalm 84:10
(TM)
One day spent in
your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek
island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored
as a guest in the palace of sin.
STORY:
Ken Pell shared the following in his sermon, RADICAL FAITH:
I want to read to
you the opening story from David Platt's book "The Radical Question"
Imagine a scene
that took place in Asia not so long ago:
A room in an ordinary house, dimly
lit, all the blinds on the windows closed. Twenty leaders from churches in the
region sit quietly in a circle on the floor, their Bibles open. They speak in
hushed tones or not at all. Some still glisten with sweat; others' clothes and
shoes are noticeably dusty. They have been walking or riding bicycles since
early morning when they left distant villages to get here.
Whenever a knock
is heard or a suspicious sound drifts in, everyone freezes while a burly
tough-looking man gets up to check things out.
These men and
woman have gathered in secret, arriving intentionally at different times
throughout the day so as not to draw attention. In this country it is illegal
for Christians to come together like this. If caught, the people here could
lose their land, their jobs, their families, even their lives.
I was in that
dimly light room that day, a visitor from America. I huddled next to an
interpreter, who helped me understand their stories as they began to share.
The tough-looking
man--our "head of security"--was first to speak up. But as he spoke,
his intimidating appearance quickly gave way to reveal a tender heart.
"Some of the
people in my church have been pulled away by a cult," he said. Tears
welled up in his eyes. "We are hurting. I need God's grace to lead my
church through these attacks."
The cult that had been preying on his
church is known for kidnapping Christians, taking them to isolated locations,
and torturing them, my interpreter explained.
Many brothers and
sisters in the area would never tell the good news again… at least not with
words. Their tongues had been cut out.
OBSERVATION:
What does it cost us to gather together in Jesus’ name?
Nothing really, at least not here in America. For those who live in other parts
of this world it could cost them dearly. Is this the new definition of cheap
grace… a worship experience without cost?
The Psalmist speaks of the joy of being in God’s sanctuary.
Everything pales next to that experience. Those in Dr. Platt’s book knew the
cost of following Jesus, especially in gathering together in his name. They
didn’t take it lightly. They didn’t assume the opportunity would always be
there. They didn’t take the easy way out with other events demanded their
attention. They were much like the early Christians who gathered in the
catacombs out of fear of the authorities.
Would we be so casual about this tremendous opportunity that
is afforded us if it cost us more? If it cost us our very life… or our tongue?
Isn’t it true that that which we take lightly we are always in danger of
losing? We don’t always take advantage of our freedom to worship. It is a
precious gift… an important precious gift. May we treat it with respect that is
deserves.
PRAYER:
Make us mindful of those who are willing to risk their lives
in order to gather in your name. We pray that you will stand guard over them
and protect them. We praise you for their faithfulness in light of the physical
challenge which they face on a daily basis. May we treat the privilege of
worship with the same the same heart and mind as those individuals.
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