WI-FI MOOCHERS

Today I want to call you out; you Wi-Fi moochers! You know who you are—sitting at Starbucks for hours and refusing to make a purchase, any purchase.  All the while slowing down the Wi-Fi as you binge watch “Stranger Things” on Netflix or cat videos on YouTube.  You’re enjoying the benefits of that perfect atmospheric blend of “corporate” and “rustic.”  And who’s footing the bill?  Us, the patrons.

I’ve actually seen a guy bring his desk top computer (that’s right DESK TOP computer) to Starbucks, with monitor, loads of cords, keyboard, and mouse to play online video games.  Did he purchase anything?  No. Was he there for hours? Yes, yes he was.

Come on, don’t be “THAT GUY!” Buy something! Anything! A mini scone, a tall coffee, or a strawberry cake pop. A banana or an octopus cookie or a Frappuccino Cookie Straw or a venti iced skinny Hazelnut Macchiato, with sugar-free syrup, an extra shot, light ice, and no whip. Anything!

I see this same principle in the church world: They say in the average church 20% of the people give 80% of the offerings.  They also say that 20% of the people do 80% of the serving.  The rest come to church for getting.  Come on, don’t be “THAT GUY!”

The author of Hebrews lays out some ways to get us “in the game.”  He helps us to stop being spectators and start being contributor.

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 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 10:22-25 (NIV)

Draw near

With our hearts sprinkled clean, we’ve been welcomed to draw close to God.  We’d been alienated, unable to come close because He’s holy and we’re not.  So, He cleansed us, He made us right and able to approach a holy God.  We’d been outsiders, outcasts, lifeless, hopeless, and wrong.  Everything that was wrong with us was made right with everything that’s right with Christ the moment we came to faith in Him.  My point is, we can only truly get into the game because God’s made a way for us to.

Grip hope

At my church, we proclaim a lot of hope.  What if we were to take that hope everywhere we went?  What if that hope shaped everything we thought, said, and did?  What would happen is everywhere you went you’d be contributing what everyone is lacking.  And sharing hope isn’t false optimism.  Our hope is grounded in this powerful truth: “He who promised is faithful!”

Spur love

The church culture should be one where love and good deeds is being stimulated, stirred, and kindled.  It’s one where sideline sitting shouldn’t be norm. All that goodness God’s pouring into my life needs an outlet.  The outlet is love and good deeds.  I need to be a contributor.  We all know what happens when we take in more than we work off?  It’s being “overweight.”  We can’t be “overweight” Christians.

Good habit

What if you’re just one good habit away from a fuller life?  For some, their undisciplined life has brought on a season of lack.  One of the greatest habits of life is meeting with other believers.  In fact, those days the enemy tries to keep you home from church with drama, are the days that you probably need to be there the most.  What if that’s the day God had a Word for you that would move you further along in your faith.  What if that’s the day your kid hears something that sets them on the right path.  One thing I know, a habit isn’t something shaped on the fly.  I can’t wait until Sunday morning to decide the habit of attending church faithfully.  That needs to be planed ahead of time: “We’re going to church tomorrow morning.  I don’t care what you have to do, at this time the car will leave.  Whatever shape you’re in at that time, we’re going to church.”  And what do you do while you’re there?  Encourage.  There’s a couple that thinks their marriage won’t make it.  They need someone to come alongside them and speak hope into their broken situation, encourage!  There’s a guy holding on to his sobriety.  He’s one bad day away from falling back into old habits.  He needs a brother to come alongside him and say, “Bro, I bear this burden with you. Can I pray with you?”  Encourage!  There’s a kid who’s come from a broken home where they see no love.  They need a church grandma who’d love on them. Encourage.