Where Is Your Heart While At Church…
A while back I had a church member come up to me after church one Sunday morning, “Pastor doesn’t it bother you that _______ and ________ and _______ and _____ are always playing games on their phones or tablets during church? Even while you’re preaching?”
I nodded my head, “Yes,” I replied, “You’d be surprised what I can see from the pulpit.”
Not long afterwards another person came up to me one evening and said, “Why are people posting sermons on Facebook of other pastors live sermons, while sitting here supposedly listening to you at the same time?”
“I know, I’ve seen it and I cannot tell you why.” “Well, maybe you should say something,” they said. “I have,” I replied, “Multiple times I have addressed it from the pulpit for people to stay off their phones and tablets during church and it has fallen on deaf ears.”
“That must break your heart, pastor. I’m sorry.”
Yeah, it breaks my heart, as it would probably any pastor or Sunday School teacher or teaching elder in the church who puts a lot of time and effort into preparing and lesson or Bible study.
I know for me personally, sometimes there is 12-16 hours of reading and studying and writing that goes into one sermon. Add to that prayer, meditation, seeking the Lord’s guidance on what He wants me tell His people. And believe me I know that I am no Spurgeon or Whitefield or even the pastor down the street who has been in the pulpit for 40 years. I know that all my people have is me on Sunday mornings and oh, how I dread that sometimes it is not good enough for them, let alone for God Himself.
But it is disheartening and discouraging to say the least, when I look out and see of them very obviously engaged in a game of “Candy Crush” or some kind of “Word Scramble” while I am pouring out from my heart and spirit what God has told me to tell the people. For me it is completely disrespectful for people to do that, it would also be disrespectful to do that to a college professor in a class you were taking or any other class where someone has put a lot of effort into giving you some kind of education or enlightenment. Sleeping during a sermon or class is another one that just aggravates me, especially when it is younger healthy people who have no medical excuse to do such. Disrespectful, ungodly…..
But what really breaks my heart the most is the fact that they are telling God when they do these things, “The preaching and teaching of your Word is of little value to me”. It tells God that “Your Word, it’s preaching or teaching, is not worthy of one hour of my time and nor complete attention.”
They are saying by, their actions, they have a greater love for the things of the world.
It’s bad enough they are disrespecting the pastor, but to disrespect God…Wow.
Maybe its time to go back and read all of Psalm 119 and see how much stress is placed on the Word Of God by the Psalmist. How many people in the last year, living in country’s where Christians are severally persecuted, would give everything they have to just be in church for a couple minutes, one hour and hear the Word Of God preached and taught. They see God’s Word of more worth than basic necessities and His ministers as most precious.
Can I just make a suggestion? This coming Sunday, leave your phone in the car. Or maybe encourage your pastor and let him see you put your phone into the offering plate as it comes around and then sit at the bottom of the pulpit until the end of the service. How about leave your “Tablet” at home and just bring the old leather covered and paper paged written Word of God and actually follow along. It will not only encourage your pastor, Sunday School Teacher and Teaching Elders, but it will also give respect to living God who has, is and will continue to speak to His people through His Word and the preaching and teaching of it. His Word is life and truth. Give God the best of your time, your absolute attention, from a heart that is overwhelmed with His love, shown to us in The Word, Jesus Christ
