Luke 4:16 Jesus
went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he
went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.
‘As was his custom’ – four little
words that contain a powerful message. Jesus went to the synagogue every
Sabbath. For Christians, the equivalent would mean being in a church every
Sunday. Every Sunday, unless you are ill, or caring for someone who is sick,
grieving, or physically unable to go. No excuses, no reasons, no other things
to do, or too busy to go. Every Sunday.
And yet when pastors preach, teach, write,
or blog this, there is an instant push back. “You can’t mean every Sunday?” “Isn't
once a month, or several times a year enough?” “We’re too tired to get up on a
Sunday morning.” “We've too much going on.” “We've got sports meetings to
attend.” “It’s a beautiful day, so can’t we just worship God in the mountains,
at a beach, or even over at the mall?” Every Sunday, are you sure???
‘On the Sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue, as
was his custom.’
If we are Christians, we are meant
to follow Christ, so guess where He’ll be on Sundays? With His Bride, the
Church, praising God – every Sunday.
Question: How often am I in church on Sundays?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for our short
comings with regard to how we practice our faith. You constantly challenge us
about church, but sometimes we push back, justifying our complacency and
defending our decisions. Pardon us for being fair-weather followers and
convenient Christians. Help us to recommit our lives in service and worship of
You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin
Presbyterian in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask
questions about today’s devotion, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest Celtic Christian drawings called ‘Spirit of the
Celts.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Celts.
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