“But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So, the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be to you.’” (John 20:24-26 NASB)
I’m an expert on the topic highlighted in the title above, “When you miss, you miss out!” I will be totally transparent as to why I say I am an expert, but before I tell you how I got my “expertise,” let me balance the scales a little bit. Earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees while working full-time, I maintained a B+ average. In earning my doctorate in Theology, eighty credit hours and a dissertation, I had a straight A average.
Now, I hope that will help you balance what I am about to share with you. When I first enrolled in high school, back in the day, you had to take a semester-long course called “Orientation.” On my schedule, Orientation was the first period. There was no credit given for the class, so perhaps that is why I missed a lot, I mean a lot, of classes. I missed so many classes that I got an “F.” Who in the world gets an “F” in Orientation. Don’t say, “Nobody,” because I sure did. I missed out a lot about the value of high school, the importance of signing up for the courses that would prepare you for your future goals, and I missed out on making a good impression on my teacher, who was also my guidance teacher. That kept him from recommending me for a college scholarship, in spite of my academic turn-around and accomplishments. As a side note, I would later teach with Mr. Umphrey at a local high school, when I graduated from college and started a five-year high school teaching career. I am fairly sure he saw the change. But if he could speak to you now, he would tell you by missing class, I missed out. I would concur. When you miss, you miss out.
Enough about me, right? Let me get to the point, that being that the same principle applies to church attendance. When you miss, you miss out! You miss out on hearing the message that the Lord has sent specifically for you. You miss out on interaction with the righteous and missing out, you become more vulnerable to the ways of the unrighteous. In high school, at times, there was a special guest during the time Orientation class met. Well, not being there I missed out on the presence of someone who had achieved greatness. It is the same with church! When you miss church, you miss out on being in the presence of Someone who indeed is Great! You ought to be thinking, “God is great, and greatly to be praised!’
While I have exposed my errant way of my high school day, I have also expressed principle, more than a thought, but a principle that you need to remember regarding church attendance: “When You Miss, You Miss Out!”
So, what are you sitting there? Get going! Don’t miss church! Enjoy the service! Be blessed!
“Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 The Living Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King