The Same Old Thing

Does church ever seem repetitious to you?  Predictable?  The same old thing?

Over the past few years, I've met some people who have drifted away from Sunday morning worship because they "knew every word by heart" or "could go through the service without even looking at the book/bulletin".

To be honest with you, I've thought the same thing at times in my life.

"Why should I go if I already know what he's going to say?"  "What's the point of reading that same story if I already know it by heart?"  "So I've sinned.  And God's wants me to repent.  And he loved me so much he sent his Son to forgive me.  Didn't we cover that last week?" (said with an extra scoop of sarcasm)

The charges are true.  I won't deny that my (and many others') preaching can be repetitious--turn away from sin; God forgives us; believe in Jesus; read his Word; etc.  I won't deny that the Lord's Prayer or the Apostle's Creed are well-worn after all these years.

But what if the repetition isn't the problem?  What if it's the point?

I ask those questions because I've been disturbed since I started my ministry by people who profess to be Christians, but upon closer examination are not.  They are much more common than I ever would have imagined.  You would be surprised.

Here's the proof:  I often ask people about their spiritual lives when I meet with them.  Most say, "I believe in God."  Most claim, "I believe in Jesus."  Many were raised in a Christian church of one kind or another.

But when I dig a little deeper, I hear things like this:

"I think God will let me into heaven because I'm a pretty good person."

"I'm pretty sure I'll go to heaven because I've really turned my life around."

"If I died tonight, I'd be saved because everyone will be saved."

I appreciate their honest answers.  But those answers are wrong.  I say that humbly, gently, but I will repeat it.  Those answers are wrong.  That's not what Christians believe.  Christians include the name of Christ when talking about the way to heaven.  They totally depend on him for salvation.

And that brings me back to my point.  The repetition at Eastside (and other churches) may make our services somewhat predictable.  But I think I'm okay with that.  If people clearly understand who Jesus is and what he has to do with getting to heaven, I won't complain too much if folks know what's going to come out of my mouth before it does.

One clarification--I don't, in any way, believe this to be an excuse for sloppy sermon preparation or a lack of creativity.  God's Word deserves the very best gifts he has given me.  I strive to find relevant, clear, and current illustrations to help explain God's truth.  I truly want to preach as well as I can.  I know 99% of preachers would say the same.

And that doesn't exclude the desire to find the best new prayers, confessions, and songs.  Perhaps some songs were written in 2010 that deserve to be repeated for the next decade.

But please join me today in silencing the Sunday morning yawn and thanking God for those "same old words"-- 

"I forgive you all of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

"I believe in Jesus Christ...who was crucified, died, and was buried.  The third day he rose again from the dead."

"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

The Apostle Paul said it better than I ever could.  Let me leave you with his words:

"It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you."  -Philippians 3:1

Blessings,

Pastor Mike