Houston Bynum
Perhaps you read of the church goer who wrote a letter to a newspaper editor and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This ignited quite a controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It continued for weeks until someone responded with this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall what the menu was for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead today." End of discussion.
What a great invitation: "It's suppertime!" (Compare Luke 14:15-24). As physical nourishment is essential for the body, so spiritual nourishment is essential for the soul. The early church seized every opportunity they could find to be together (Acts 2:46-47). They wanted to study together, to pray together, to eat together, to suffer together, and to spread the gospel together.
Some church members may say, "Just attending church never saved anybody!" Well, I know of very few who would maintain that just attending services saves anyone. "Sitting in a church building doesn't make you a faithful Christian any more than sitting in a chicken house makes you a chicken."
Others may say, "I live my religion during the week and not just on Sunday." We all should be Christians-24/7! But I tend to be skeptical of folks who assert their good works during the week but who at the same time show little interest in worship.
We grant that sometimes a person is unable to attend due to illness, employment shift, or class schedule. But otherwise, ask yourself the following: How do I feel about my Lord's desire that I meet Him at His table? (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34). Do I love God and my family in Christ? (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Do I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? (1 John 2:7-11;4:7, 19-21). Do I enjoy being with them? Do I appreciate the encouragement I get from them and do I encourage them? Do I gain spiritual strength for life and for service? These questions go directly to our motives for worship and fellowship.
David said, "I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1, NASV). So, "Come to suppertime" with the Lord and His people (Matthew 18:20).
