Day 12
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Joel 2:16
“Do you like it?”
“Yes!” I said. And I did. I wanted it.
“Then take it.”
“Ok,” as I stuck it in my pocket. I thought nothing of it. The boy from church toddler class said I could have the little, green, Hot Wheels car so I took it home.
Later my mom found the stolen property in my pocket, “Where’d you get this?”
“I took it from church,” I said.
“You can’t take things that don’t belong to you,” she clarified.
I didn’t know. I liked it. I wanted it. The boy told me to take it; so I did.
I learned a valuable lesson that day: TAKING FROM CHURCH IS BAD
Well, today I’m going to give you permission to break that rule: TAKE FROM CHURCH!
Now, before you start eyeing a pew for your living room I need to clarify. We leave church at church. We need to take church home. We profess a lot of hope, share life, and point to the greatness of All Mighty God all at church. But that’s not just for church. That’s supposed to go home with you. You can “amen” all you want on Sunday. But how’s that “amen,” that agreement, affecting your Mondays, your decisions, your worries, your stressful afternoons, when you find out your kid’s been suspended for fighting at school, when the doctor’s report is bad news? Take hope home!
Joel was calling a sacred assembly and wanted everyone there: the young, the old mature, babies, the newly married, all. The author of Hebrews puts it this way: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25
Do you like hope? Who doesn’t? Take it with you. Put it in your pocket and take it home.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Joel 2:16
“Do you like it?”
“Yes!” I said. And I did. I wanted it.
“Then take it.”
“Ok,” as I stuck it in my pocket. I thought nothing of it. The boy from church toddler class said I could have the little, green, Hot Wheels car so I took it home.
Later my mom found the stolen property in my pocket, “Where’d you get this?”
“I took it from church,” I said.
“You can’t take things that don’t belong to you,” she clarified.
I didn’t know. I liked it. I wanted it. The boy told me to take it; so I did.
I learned a valuable lesson that day: TAKING FROM CHURCH IS BAD
Well, today I’m going to give you permission to break that rule: TAKE FROM CHURCH!
Now, before you start eyeing a pew for your living room I need to clarify. We leave church at church. We need to take church home. We profess a lot of hope, share life, and point to the greatness of All Mighty God all at church. But that’s not just for church. That’s supposed to go home with you. You can “amen” all you want on Sunday. But how’s that “amen,” that agreement, affecting your Mondays, your decisions, your worries, your stressful afternoons, when you find out your kid’s been suspended for fighting at school, when the doctor’s report is bad news? Take hope home!
Joel was calling a sacred assembly and wanted everyone there: the young, the old mature, babies, the newly married, all. The author of Hebrews puts it this way: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25
Do you like hope? Who doesn’t? Take it with you. Put it in your pocket and take it home.
Good word, Pastor Israel. Well written. Keep writing...
ReplyDeleteCiao,
David Zepeda