“Learn to do good, to be fair, and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows.” (Isaiah 1:17 The Living Bible)
You who know me or if you have become familiar first-hand with my early escapades in truancy during my first 6 weeks of high school, and maybe longer, you probably are thinking, “Who is he to tell somebody or anybody, “Don’t miss class!” Have mercy and put that pondering about that period of my life out of your mind, for now, since the Lord has changed me and is currently changing me, making me ready for the wedding between the Lamb and His bridesmaid. Because of change, I can utter those words and back them up with my attendance record when it comes to attendance at the “class” we call Sunday morning worship; a class where we are educated via a sent word from the Lord; a class where we are given a specific message for a specific purpose.
I plan to be in “class” this Sunday and I don’t mind telling you, “Don’t miss class!” You have not heard it all or learned it all; all being what God wants to reveal to you at this point in your personal life! You need to attend this high point of Christian Education. Yes, you have probably studied the word during the week and some of you attended Bible Study or some other gathering of the saints; a place where the Scriptures were taught. Good for you! But the admonition is not undone, unnecessary, or untimely. I’m standing by these three words: “Don’t Miss Class!”
When you pastor stands behind the sacred desk Sunday and gives you a specifically sent message, sent directly to YOU for a specific purpose, this is THE CLASS you do not ever want to miss!
Go be educated and do so, not in the sense that you can point to places in the Bible where certain topics are addressed, as if you are preparing to take a test. Go further and internalize what God has to say to YOU and then acknowledge via action five things suggested by Jonathan R. Wilson in his 1998 book, “Gospel Virtues:” (1) For education to be a practice, it must be a complex activity. Your faith, God’s grace, and your transformation make this complex. (2) Education must be socially embodied. Embodied to the point that you express what you have been taught during the Christian Education experience presented in the preaching of God’s word. (3) Education must realize goods “internal” to it. In other words, education must not be something beyond the practice of education such as fame, success, or fortune. (4) For Christians, education must be rooted in eschaton, which is the coming of redemption in Jesus Christ. (5) Finally education must extend our ability to participate in the virtues and the eschaton that identifies our (believers) community. Read this concise extract again for understanding, and then comprehend the following. You will come out of service; come out of “class” so to speak, better than you went in. It always works like that, and it goes further if we stay God-conscious throughout the week putting the preaching into practice or at a minimum, the preaching will prop up your persistent confidence in the word of God.
Just like any other Saturday, I will conclude with one more word of encouragement that reinforces the fact that you to find your way into the house of the Lord tomorrow morning. What is that word? Actually, it is a phrase: “Don’t miss church!” You will be missing out if you do! Now come on! Stop coming up with excuses and cease taking exception because of your secular, scholarly, studious/erudite learning in other fields of education! You can’t beat Christian education! So, “Don’t miss church!” Be blessed!
“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.” (Psalm 86:11 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King