Who will be there? Who won't?

I am sitting on my porch this Saturday night in the quiet town of Cowden, IL wondering who will come to church and who won't make it to church tomorrow morning.  A few years ago I spent Saturday nights trying to overcome my nerves and calm down enough to enjoy the night.  That has passed and now most Saturday nights I began to pray for and wonder about the people who will make up the congregation at the Worship Service in the morning.

Who will be there?  Who won't?

It's no surprise that I spend the majority of my time during the week working on a 30 minute sermon.  This week was a little tougher and I think I spent about 12 hours writing this sermon.  That doesn't include all of the thinking in my car, lying awake in the morning wondering, or the time spent in prayer waiting on the Spirit to reveal the answers to my questions.

I spend a lot of time writing my sermon in the hopes that it will change people's lives for the better.  That is why I am a Pastor.  I want people to know that God loves them and that He has sent His son Jesus, not just to teach them, but to save them.  When my time comes and I pass on from this earth I want to see everyone I know in Heaven.  I don't want anyone I know to be lost or to continue to suffer through life without knowing the all-encompassing love of God.

I write my sermon during the week hoping that many, many people will hear it and their lives will be better because of it.

So who will be there?  Who won't?

It's such an easy decision to skip the Worship Service for most people.

"I've heard hundreds of sermons, how will today be any different?"
"We have gone the past three weeks, can't we have one off?"
"Wouldn't it be nice to just not have to do anything today?"
"If we skip church I can get a big jump on all the yard work I have."
and on....and on...and on...

Such an easy decision to not attend.

Who will be there?  Who won't?

Who feels to guilty?
Who doesn't want to have to see that person?
Who is staying up way too late tonight?
Who just wants God to let them be?
Who is tired?

Who will be there?  Who won't?

Comments

Unknown said…
That Sunday we had our largest attendance in 10 months.
March 26, 2012 at 11:19 AM
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