God Is Here

 May 26, 2024

Sunday

Many people do not recognize God in church. They come because they believe they are supposed to. They come because church offers a social outlet. They come because they have a service they need to perform. They come without knowing that God is sitting next to them. Therefore, they also come not expecting anything to happen. Or they come expecting that all that happens to be the actions of people rather than actions of God.

Pastors lament over church members becoming consumers who complain about the music, the temperature, the sermons, and just about anything that brings change to what they have expected. There should be no surprise when people don't recognize that God is in the church. Often, it appears that people are uninterested when they hear of someone proclaiming faith in Christ. They fail to rejoice over baptisms. They don't see the miracle performed in the restoration of a failing marriage. A person from the outside is met with suspicion because they can't imagine that God has worked in this person's life to bring him or her to this church.

What would happen if every church member knew that God was at church? I believe they would go to church unless providentially hindered. I believe they would expect salvations every week. They would cheer during baptisms. They would praise God with every fiber of their being when they saw marriages restored. They would sing to glorify God without regard to what their voices sounded like.

Most people know that God is present but they have not acknowledged that He is present. They treat Him as if He is powerless, purposeless and somewhat useless. He is present but they have placed Him on life support. They can't imagine that He is aware of what is going on in their hearts.

In the comedy "Joe vs. the Volcano" Joe Banks is floating at sea on the luggage he has bought after his ship sinks. He has spent days taking care of Patricia who is unconscious. The moon comes up over the sea. He says, "Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." We know His name but it seems we have forgotten how BIG too.

God is present in church. He is present outside church. He is with you now regardless of where you are. Remember this for it is easy to forget.

Genesis 28:16 (NASB 2020) ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!”