I went to church last Sunday and a nagging feeling will not leave me.
Congregations often press upon a pastor to meet certain requirements for a Sunday sermon. He needs to be sensitive to the non-believers, giving them the opportunity to hear the gospel. At the same time, he also needs to encourage and discipline the believer. These competing interests cannot be satisfied in a one-hour sermon. This leaves me to believe that the pulpit is under duress.
Must every sermon be a call to the unsaved? Must every sermon encourage the believer? Must every sermon have a life-altering message? I ask these questions because I fear the church is settling into a cultural speech practice: the practice of convincing or persuading a crowd.
God sanctified the Sabbath, naming it as the day of rest. Unfortunately, current Sabbath messages often have Christians sweating or cringing. What sin will the pastor address today? What new life lesson will I need to incorporate into my daily walk? What spiritual discipline have I neglected? It is the pastor’s duty to uphold righteousness, but it is also the congregation’s duty to rest. Even a pastor can rest while standing behind a pulpit. All he needs to do is worship God and glorify Jesus. Sharing his testimony, not only to encourage his congregation, but also to relish in his own salvation.
I promote moral living and submit to correction, but repetitive droning about Biblical ethics is not welcome in a church service. Sabbath is the day to worship God and rest in His acceptance. The Sabbath is the one day when believers should find contentment and acceptance, not more yokes. I am not suggesting that we stop preaching truth, but let us use the correct venue. Sunday service should foster an atmosphere of acceptance and joy, not boredom and disrespect.
I believe God wants to cherish us. He wants His bride to experience divine favor. He teaches us in righteousness and He covers us in His righteousness. In my humble estimation, Monday thru Saturday teaches us righteousness and Sunday covers us in righteousness.
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