Friday, August 24, 2018

Deadline

Friday, August 24, 2018
This is Paul’s urgent plea for Christians to live like Christians.  He calls it “right living”.  And, to have right living, there must be some right thinking!  Paul ties this call to the urgency of the imminent return of Christ.  That return has always been at the back of revival – should Christ return today, how would He find the condition of your heart, and the way you live?
There is a sense of decision attached to all this.  And whenever I think about how serious it is, I’m reminded of a cartoon I first saw many years ago.  It is the scene of a church worship service.  The pastor is preaching away, and an usher is standing next to the pew closest to the exit, where a man is seated in the pew closest to that exit.  He is dressed for a day at the football stadium, and has his hot dog, fries and drink on a tray table, balancing a portable TV on his lap; the game is on, and he is glued to the screen.  The usher says:  Ralph, ol’ buddy, sooner or later you’re gonna have to make some choices!  Ralph is the perfect example of what Paul warns about:  one foot in the world, and the other in the church.  Now, this is not a new problem, but it is a problem nonetheless. 
Most churches are quite small.  I used to think churches didn’t grow because people didn’t care about their neighbors enough to invite them to Church and to accept Christ.  These days I think that’s only partly right; churches don’t grow because there’s not a strong enough witness to announce that Christianity is important.  I’m pretty sure it’s Ralph’s fault!
Here’s why I think Ralph has missed the whole point of church and being a faithful witness with his lifestyle.  When people look at someone like Ralph they see Christianity as an add-on to the lifestyle of someone who doesn’t take being a disciple of Jesus very seriously.  Sporadic attendance at church, waffling in ethical decisions like calling-in to work “sick” when it’s really the need to go fishing, and more, are not exactly shining examples of a changed life. 
Add-ons are like options on that new car you want to buy; if they come without too much cost, well, sure…throw it in the deal.  But to be a Christian where His life takes over your life…well, let’s not get too radical, preacher; there’s a real world out there and that kind of overly-religious stuff is, well, a bit too much!
Hi, I’m Ralph, and I’m a Christian…well, at least 6 or 8 Sunday mornings a year.
For You Today
If you take Paul’s warning to the Roman believers seriously, here’s a way to clean the slate and begin anew:  clean the slate! 
Wipe the calendar clean…start with Jesus and His church as your priority.  Let add-ons make your schedule if they don’t interfere with your walk with the Master.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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