This Week's Bulletin

Worshiping God by the Clock
Ken Chumbley

Several years ago I read an article with the above title. I have adapted many of the thoughts that were in that article as I believe they contain a very important message. The author of the article wrote about receiving an invitation to a social event. The time that was given for this event was "8 p.m. 'til who knows when?"

What about our worship services, our Bible classes, our Gospel Meetings? Wouldn't it be great if brethren were so hungry for the word of God, so eager for Christian fellowship, and so desirous of worshiping God that a time of commencement could be announced and then indicate that the conclusion would be "who knows when?"

The author made the following statement: "Apparently, this attitude was present at the gathering of the church for worship and study at Troas (Acts 20:6-12). Most of the time when reference is made to Paul prolonging his speech until midnight, the reference is to make a dig at someone who has preached a little longer than 30 minutes. However, not only did Paul speak until midnight, but even after raising Eutychus from the dead, the people continued in fellowship and stayed until the break of day."

However, that is not the situation today. It has virtually been set in stone that a sermon should be preached in such a way that it is no longer than twenty to thirty minutes-and that the worship service should take no longer than an hour. Why? Have we come to the point where we worship God by the clock? An article was written a number of years ago, in which one individual was quoted as being pleased that they had completed the Lord's Supper in a large congregation in eleven minutes, thus showing how efficient the congregation was!

Sadly, too many do not have time for God or for Jesus Christ. Too often we leave little room in our lives for God and Christ in our thoughts and in our time. We are so busily engaged with our materialistic lives, imbibing all of the pleasure that we can and thus Christianity is removed to a remote place in our lives except for when emergencies arise. The basic problem is that we are not seeking "first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matt. 6: 33).

We joke about being able to beat others to the restaurant, but in reality, many times, such things as eating, recreation, business, and so many other things have higher priority in their lives than worshiping God. We are not hungering and thirsting after righteousness as we ought. If we were, we could not spend enough time studying God's Word and hearing it preached.

It is said that in the early years of the Restoration Movement, John Smith rode on horseback for many miles to hear Alexander Campbell preach. As he was returning with a companion, Smith complained: "That was a long ride to hear a man preach only 30 minutes." His friend replied, "You have misread your watch. Brother Campbell preached three hours."
Earlier in my life I had the opportunity to hear, on different occasions, two of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century: Foy E. Wallace and Gus Nichols. Both preached for over two-and a half hours, but it sure did not seem like it! How many of us today would listen to a three hour sermon, even from the world's greatest orator? We can go to football games that can last up to three hours, but are unhappy when services take longer than an hour.

"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). If we reduce our hearing of God's word, we reduce our faith! As we reduce our faith, we reduce our service to God. All of these work together to weaken the church and to cause the problems of lack of church growth. Let us "hunger and thirst after righteousness," "seek first the kingdom of God," and be willing to devote the necessary time to our worship.

Copied from The Reminder;
Original from the High Plain News, Cheyenne, WY