Where Were You?

Hey, Brother. We missed you this past week at church. Where were you? You missed a great Bible lesson Sunday morning before the worship service. I noticed that you were missing Sunday night, also. We had another great sermon. I wish you could have heard it. And Wednesday night. The brother had a great lesson. Where were you?

Oh? I see. Let me list your reasons.

You were very tired at 9:30 AM, so you slept in.
The Sunday morning teacher is boring, but you were there for the sermon and communion.
Sunday evening, you had a TV program you had to watch, the wife had to fix supper, and the kids had homework. Besides, the Sunday evening sermon is never as good as the Sunday morning one, so you didn’t miss much.
The Wednesday evening teacher is past boring, and, any way, you had worked hard all day and were tired. Besides, there are never many there. (Oh, that’s my point exactly!)

You know, when those excuses are put down in writing, they look pretty puny to me. Maybe if you studied the lesson and were there to contribute on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, you could improve the discussion. Those two brethren put in many hours to prepare their lesson. If you truly love your brethren, shouldn’t you be there to support them, and to encourage them? The preacher puts just as much time in the Sunday evening sermon as he does in the Sunday morning one. Shouldn’t you be there to hear it, and to encourage him?

Oh, and by the way, if you don’t love the brethren enough to show up for those occasions, how do you expect to be able to fellowship with them in Heaven? God planned for elders, and the elders have appointed times for Bible classes that will increase your Bible knowledge and improve your fellowship with the brethren. If you do not take advantage of those times, why do you expect to enjoy your time in Heaven? Or do you expect to be in Heaven? Why would you want to be there if you don’t like to study the Bible, and to fellowship with your brethren here on Earth?

Another thing to think about. When you think about it logically, would you not agree that God expects us to take advantage of the opportunities we have to fellowship together and to learn more about His Word? When we miss these opportunities, do you not think that we disappoint God? Do you really want to disappoint the one and only, true and living God, the most powerful being in the universe?

Think about this. Think very seriously about this. I am not trying to offend anyone, but to make you think about this: No one knows when the Lord will return, or when your time to die will come. We must be prepared at all times, because every second is one second closer to the end for each of us.

What say ye?