"Lets Get Back To The Basics In Our Faith" Series

The Ultimate Decision

July 22, 2014

Every morning I have the same routine. I start the coffee, get all my Bible supplies, computer and get ready to start studying for the lesson. I have been doing the same things for 7 years now. Plus I have made coffee every morning for 35 years. This morning I was waking past the coffee pot and all the coffee was running over the counter and down to the floor. Now most of you have read the crazy story of my trip to Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds but this is a new one. I poured the water in the coffee pot and then put in the filter. The problem was I didn’t put in the part to hold the filter nor did I put the coffee pot underneath - No Pot!! So I just pulled the plug and moped everything up and tried again.

So why after all these years of making coffee did I do this? Well, first of all my ADD this morning must be in full swing. There is a T Shirt a friend sent me. The saying goes

"I have ADD

Some people just don’t understand

Where’s the Chicken”

Yes, where is that chicken? I was apparently thinking about it while I was making coffee. Doing the same thing all the time can become rote. Then while we are doing them we or I should I say, “I” am thinking about something else. So that is my answer and I’m sticking with it.

Rote - mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition, a joyless sense of order, rote Merriam- Webster

In a lot of our church services we do things that can become rote. The Apostles creed if you read it for the first time is a great statement. After a thousand times it can just be words without meaning. You can actually be thinking about what you are going to have for lunch while you are saying it. Many denominations have certain verses or creeds that they say in a service. The problem is when we make the service the same all the time it can become rote if we are not careful.

So many of you have written in that you would like to have “Church Unity” among all the brethren. The devotionals recently have now stirred in many of you a desire to get back to basics Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. So here is the problem with church.

1. We have too many meetings to discuss “Agendas and if everyone is following “Doctrine”.

2. Too many people feel like the church they attend is THEIR Church - There is only one church and it is God’s church.

3. We must pray for the Lord to make us humble through His Holy Spirit.

4. I know of many congregations who have run the new pastor out of town. Maybe they created some new things or used a guitar instead of singing hymns. There have been many an angry meeting even with the mention of the word guitar???

5. We need to come to worship the Lord, not to be entertained or to feel like “What can you do for me”.

So where did the Christian church gather momentum. The teaching first started with Jesus on a boat or on the hillside or synagogue But the first church was mentioned in the book of Acts.

Acts 11:19-26 “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.’

The Church for Christians is NOT brick and mortar but you and I who HUMBLY fall at the feet of the cross and beg for unity among the brethren. We plead for mercy from the Lord to teach us and we don’t have preconceived notions who should attend.