My wife makes a great cobbler. The other night she made a strawberry cobbler, the kind my grandmother and great aunts used to make. So I had a little bit. Scrumptious! I wanted more, but decided to wait until later. Well……. Later came a few days later. It had been a hectic week. So I came home on Friday for a late lunch, a sandwich. Then I saw the cobbler. So I got a bowl, put several spoonfuls in it and sat down to enjoy my cobbler in my recliner. The first bite was better than scrumptious. Then I heard a faint brrrrrrummm, brrrrrrummm. Oops. I had left my phone lying and now it was vibrating. I jumped up to get it. After finding the phone, I started back to my chair.
I could hear it before I saw it. Slurp, slurp, slurp…. What the…. I knew my best friend Rocky (the dog) wouldn’t dare touch my cobbler. Was it an intruder, some stealthy cobbler connoisseur?
And then I came around the corner. Imagine as I hang my head and give a very heavy sigh. (Very heavy) And then, I uttered what I imagine was a fairly loud “Are you kidding me?” (Okay, so it was a fairly loud utterance.)
And there she sat, sitting in MY chair, eating MY cobbler. She of course is Rosey, my youngest daughter’s cat. She looked up, gave me a glance, licked her lips and went back to slurping down my cobbler. Did I mention she was in my chair?
I was incredulous. I was speechless. But I was also rooted in place. That cat in my chair lapping up my cobbler. Even though she’s a cat, and even though she seems to rule the house, I never thought she would be that brazen. But you know what? She was.
Kind of like another brazen power I’m aware of called evil. Seriously, evil works in a similar fashion. Even though I often say Rosey can be evil, and even though I’ve seen her do things I thought were evil, I never imagined she would come into my space and take what was mine. Wrong! And the devil, evil, whatever you want to call it works the same way.
Listen to the words the prophet Ezekiel uses to describe evil in Chapter 28.
“14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.”
In short, evil isn’t shy. Evil wants it all, your life, your soul.
Now, listen to what Jesus says in John Chapter 8 about those who succumb to evil, those who choose evil over the free grace offered to us by the sacrifice of Christ.
“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.”
Strong words meant to help us understand that when we choose to align ourselves with evil, we consciously choose separation from God. Ezekiel says when we separate ourselves apart from God, we choose evil. We become evil.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. “I don’t do any major evil.” “I’m basically a good gal/guy.” And to be honest, some of us think about the worst thing we do in this life is when we don’t exactly live up to our basic Christian commitment. This belief is what we call a dangerous mistruth.
When most of us don’t fulfill the most basic of our vows to God, we think little of it; again, because we see major sin as something like robbery, murder, adultery, etc. This mistaken belief contributes to a listless faith life prone to ignoring the basic tenants of our faith like regular worship, regular prayer time and daily Bible study while at the same time ignoring opportunities for Christian education. That’s right, when we consciously choose to ignore Sunday school and small group opportunities; we miss out on personal spiritual growth, tipping the scale further in evil’s favor.
Why does this matter? Because it is a proven fact that Christians who ignore spiritual growth are easy targets for evil. Think about it. When we are in the proper relationship with God, we know we’re doing these basic things. When we find ourselves on the outside looking in, it’s usually because we’re ignoring these things. When we find ourselves controlled by thoughts and feelings that are in opposition to the Gospel, it’s almost always because we’ve ignored these things. As a consequence, relationships suffer and die. When we feel like we don’t fit in or when we feel like something’s missing, more than likely, it’s because we’ve been ignoring the basics.
Let me explain further. Hebrews 10:24-25 says “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
In the first century church there was a special emphasis placed on the weekly gathering. Every time the believers gathered, they celebrated a communal meal, usually followed by the Lord’s Supper and of course worship. At specific times there were also baptisms. At the least, the elements of fellowship and worship were always present. In the eyes of the early church this was not only important, but necessary for the welfare of the individual members.
As time went on, we figured out the need for education. We often refer to this as the Sunday school and small group movements. In fact, for John Wesley, the small group component was not only necessary, it was expected.
Now, it is important to understand that although these components might be observed on the same day or evening, they all had separate and specific intent. Worship is directed at God. Worship is of and for God, not for us. Yes, we derive benefit and joy from it, but through and from Him. Fellowship is a separate component. Don’t miss this. We don’t come to worship to derive personal friendship with others. We come to worship because of the unique relationship we have with God and God alone. Relationships with others are a byproduct of our worship.
That last thought doesn’t mean that the other components aren’t important. In fact, I have found that it is through Sunday school and a small group conducted well that all the other components become not only more clear, but also more meaningful. When we share our struggles, our victories, our fears and our strengths, a bond forms. We derive healthy relationships that help support our walk with God. If you feel anything else, you need to either ask why or give it more time. When asking why, you might want to speak with your teacher, small group facilitator or myself. Questioning can be normal, but shouldn’t be prolonged.
The best part is what happens as we bond with fellow believers and grow in spiritual knowledge and strength. We become better insulated from evil. We become better able to stand, to survive, to endure and become the Godly influence all Christians are expected to be in this world.
Sadly, I have seen people, young and old, new and not so new wander from the faith because they refused to engage in the regular spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer and Bible or group study.
Christ Church has worship every Sunday. If you’re a committed Christian, you’ll want to be a part of it. Over the last several years, Christ Church has committed to offering small group opportunities. If you’re going to go beyond the status quo, you need to give it a try. Christ Church also offers weekly Sunday school. If you’re committed and consistent, you’re probably already there. And finally, Christ Church offers opportunities for fellowship. Contrary to popular belief, this time will never be what it is intended unless the basics are in place. In other words, the energy you expend on spiritual commitment will both promote and strengthen relationships. This is what God intended, and this is why the process will never work in reverse.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get a clean bowl and some more cobbler. But first, I’m going to lock up the cat.
Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Jim
