Good morning everyone and happy Resurrection Day! God is so good, and I’m excited that the weather is beautiful in Rhode Island for our outdoor service. I imagine all of you receiving this today are planning on doing something special this Easter Day to celebrate Christ risen. My wife really wanted to make a nice Easter dinner even though it’s just the two of us. I said to her, “Oh, I guess you want to do that because I’m special?” She said, “No. Because Jesus is special.” Put in my place again :/
But, of course, she is right. Jesus is worthy of celebrating—and not just on Christmas and Easter but everyday.
Those of you who are still with me on this 94th day of our 100 Day Pursuit I trust are planning to go to (or watch) a church service. Your pastor will be preaching on the resurrection. Well, I assume he is. Since you’ll be getting a sermon about the resurrection I figured I’d take a different approach and encourage you on how to make the most of this day. Most of what I share applies not just to Easter Sunday but any Sunday.
Easter opportunity
One thing that is unique to Easter Sunday is that there are more outsiders and unbelievers, seekers and prodigals, that attend church than any other day of the year. That’s exciting! What does that mean? It means we should pray that they have a genuine experience of God’s love. Let’s pray that they would understand the message and their hearts would be softened to receive. We’ve been working our prayer muscles since day one of this pursuit. Now is the time to use them!
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25
Doing church well
At the start of the pursuit I told you I would sometimes speak very plainly. I’m going to do that today based on pastoral observations over the years. I want to instruct you on how to participate in your local church in a way that will cause you to flourish. This pursuit of God is not just a private thing. Yes, we need to shut away alone, but the Lord designed the church for our edification. We can’t grow into the fullness of God as Lone Rangers. We need the church in all its diverse expressions of grace.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace … 1 Peter 4:10
It probably goes without saying that just attending church does not guarantee that we will flourish. This is true of many other things we might do as well. We could attend school, for example, but mentally be in another world. We could go to the local gym but sit on a mat and just watch the tv screen. We could attend church but have a closed heart and not engage at all. So it’s important not just to go to church but to engage heartily and thoughtfully. Here’s what I mean.
Get there early
My first thought is very practical. Be on time. No, even better, be early. Whatever time your service begins, get there about 20-30 minutes beforehand. This is one of the most important times of the week in the life of a church. It’s a time for you to join the pre-service prayer (if your church offers that). It’s a time to see your church family and give them a (socially distanced) hug. Try to say hi to as many people as possible.
Show hospitality
Another reason to come early and to stay late is so you can connect with guests. Remember, some people are not Christians yet, they aren’t used to church culture, and they are nervous. They have bravely decided to step foot into a church. Let’s not miss the opportunity to show them love. I don’t mean overwhelm them, but just say hi and have a little conversation. Make them feel at home. Introduce them to some of your friends. Don’t be so engrossed with conversation with your best friend that you don’t notice them. This is basic hospitality. And it’s part of what makes certain churches so vibrant.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9
Get up early
Oh, let me add one thing related to getting there early. Get up early on Sundays. And go to bed early on Saturdays. “Oh come on Scott, it’s Saturday night! Don’t be such a killjoy.” You have to make your own decisions, but I’m just telling you from years of pastoring that wise people understand that Sunday morning is sacred, and they spend Saturday evening in quietness. Sure, there may be an exception here or there, but Saturday evening is an ideal time to read, pray for your pastor and the church, and get good rest. Then, get up early, refreshed, and spend some time with the Lord before heading out to the service. This way you’ll already be filled with the Spirit when you arrive. And you’ll be ready to minister to others.
Let’s be honest, many people don’t do what I’m saying. They stay up late on Saturday watching tv and movies. Some even drink excessively and are out at parties. They sleep late, rush around like crazy getting ready, speed to church, pound down a large coffee on the drive, and arrive stressed out and late. This isn’t a good way to prepare for the house of God. Jesus deserves better than that.
Be in your seat
Once the service starts you should be in your seat. I say, “should be” because this has always been a problem in every church I’ve been a part of. The worship begins but there’s a fellowship party going on in the foyer. Worship to the King of Kings has begun, but we are in a good chat with someone and don’t want to stop talking. Don’t do that. Get in a seat at least a few minutes before service begins. There’s nothing more discouraging to a worship leader to begin the first song and only 22% of the church is ready. Be ready.
Engage in worship
Most churches have between 20-40 minutes of musical worship to begin. Here’s what not to do, first of all. Don’t even look at your phone. Okay, maybe if you are looking up a verse of Scripture. But for the love of God, don’t scroll on social media when it’s time to gaze on the beauty of Christ. Don’t daydream, and don’t plan your day. Don’t scrutinize the musicians. Don’t people-watch. Don’t be distracted by the one person who is worshipping in a weird way. Don’t sit there like a stone statue.
Worship is not something happening on stage that we watch like a performance. Worship is a community activity. Everyone participates; everyone engages. It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing—sing anyway. Think about the lyrics. Pray in between songs. And sing the songs to God. If you can, stand up. Lift your hands on occasion or kneel. Some churches have lots of space in front of the stage where you can get closer to the music and really throw yourself into worship. My point is to give it 100%. If people played sports the way they worship they’d be crushed. Worship is warfare. It’s a fight. It takes good old-fashioned effort and spiritual exertion. It takes concentration. Give your all.
Listen and apply
When it’s time for the sermon we should know a few things. The messenger is just a messenger. Probably, the pastor is preaching and it won’t be perfect. Because he’s human. Be careful that you don’t focus so much on the imperfections of the preacher that you miss the message itself. I think it’s a good practice to take notes while you listen.
Most importantly, have an open heart. Our attitude should be, “Lord, speak to me through your messenger. Teach me. Expose anything in me that needs to change. Reveal Christ.” When the sermon is finished—take it with you! In other words, don’t just casually forget about it. Think about it that afternoon and throughout the week. Unless you apply the message to your life it’s a waste of time to even listen to it. Amen?
Come to give and serve
In 2021 it seems like almost no one brings an actual offering to church anymore. Most give tithes and offerings through the church website or online banking. I don’t see that changing. One of the beautiful things that is perhaps lost in not bringing an offering to church is the reminder that we are going to church to give of ourselves. I just want to encourage you not to have a consumer mindset. It’s easy to feel like the church is a big product that exists for us, kind of like a restaurant. But we should engage the church with a mind to serve and give. Only as we learn to have this mindset will we actually be refreshed by church. A consumer mindset will always leave us discontent, impoverished and grumpy. Those who give and serve tend to be joyful and excited. Selah.
And finally ...
So many other things could be said about how to engage in your local church beyond Sunday. Does your church have membership? Join. If it’s your church you should be a member. Be aware of the happenings in your church. If they send a newsletter out, read it. Find ways to serve in the church. When your church does an outreach, make every effort to participate. Pray for your pastor and elders. Be the kind of church member that makes it a joy for them to lead. Never engage in bad mouthing (gossip and slander). This can destroy a church the way a fire can sweep through a forest. Speak graciously and honor everyone. If someone is upset at someone else in the community, and they want to puke it all over you, walk away. Be loyal, as though the church is your family—because it is.
I could keep going with this but, well, it’s Saturday night and I need to get to bed early :) I hope this helps you to get the most out of your Easter service and will help you make the most of each and every Sunday gathering you attend. If your church is online only, engage with it the best you can. It’s obviously not the same as a live experience, but the Lord can still use it powerfully.
Happy Resurrection Day. Be blessed and filled and overflowing with the joy of Jesus. He is risen !!!
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13: 20-21