Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac . I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day . So grab your cup of coffee , sit back , relax and let me help you start your day right .
I want to share a story with you this morning from a lady who called her pastor on Monday morning about a situation that she saw arise . She phoned her pastor at 9 am precisely on Monday morning . He answered and very quickly recognized Miss Sarah , who liked to sit in the second row from the front , right on the end , directly in front of the pulpit .
She promptly told him I won't be attending church anymore . He thought for a moment and then asked may I ask why ? She said I see people on their cell phones during the service . Some of them are gossiping , some just ain't living right and they are all just hypocrites .
The pastor began to say something , but Sarah was just getting warmed up and for the next five minutes she expounded bountifully , giving names , dates and specific actions of the things that she had seen and heard people within the congregation saying and doing that she felt were completely inappropriate for a church member .
She didn't hold back and she ended up by saying I just cannot go to a church where there are so many people who are living completely unholy lives . I feel the weight of their sin dragging me down , as I know within my heart what's going on around me even while I'm there .
Imagine sitting in church and texting gossip to one another , gossip about other people and probably gossip about me . I just cannot allow myself to sit in the midst of that kind of sin .
The pastor was silent for a moment as he thought about Sarah's list of so-called sins , which included things like whispering and texting in church , or jaywalking , or having dinner and laughing with people who were not part of the church , or having dinner and laughing with people who are not part of the church .
Finally , he said come to church again next Sunday morning and as soon as we're finished the congregational singing and you know I'm about to stand up and preach would you go out to the back and take a glass of water , then walk back and forth at the back of the church three times . Can you do that ?
She thought for a moment and said that's very strange , pastor , but if that's what you want me to do , I certainly will do it . He said good , and then next week . I usually take Mondays off , but I would love to talk to you again next Monday at nine o'clock again . Would you call me and we can have another chat ? She agreed and they both hung up .
Next Monday at precisely 9 am the phone rang again . The pastor answered and it indeed was Miss Sarah . He said well , how did it go ? She said I got the glass of water and I walked back and forth at the back of the church three times , just like you told me . He said good , now let me ask you some questions . Did you see anybody on their phones ?
No , the water was pretty full . I didn't want to spill any . Oh , okay . Did you see anybody gossiping ? Well , no , because I was walking holding onto the glass . Was there anybody that you saw who was living wrong as you were walking back and forth with this glass of water ?
She said I didn't see anything because I was so focused on this glass I didn't want the water to spill . I didn't want the water to spill . The pastor stopped for a moment and then said when we come to church , we need to be that focused on God so we don't fall . That's why Jesus said Follow me . He didn't say Follow other Christians .
He didn't say Look at what they're doing and what they're not doing . We cannot let our relationship with God be determined by other people's relationship with God . Our relationship is determined by how we focus on God and , Ms Sarah , your relationship with God is based upon how much you focus on Him and not on everybody else .
If you will do that , you will find the church a much more welcoming and encouraging place . Please come again next week . I really want to see your smiling face in your spot again on Sunday morning .
Hebrews , chapter 10 , verses 24 and 25 , says Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works and let us not neglect our meeting together , as some people do , but encourage one another , especially now that the day of his return is drawing near . Did you catch all of that ? This is what church is for .
We're to motivate one another , to find ways in which we can do acts of love and good works and encouragement to each other . That's what church is all about Not to find fault with the others around us , but to encourage one another . We build each other up to make the entire body of Christ stronger , which is ultimately our goal .
I hope you have a wonderful day , my friends . Encourage someone today , let them know that they are important to God and to His kingdom , and we will talk again tomorrow . God and to His kingdom , and we will talk again tomorrow . Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday , right here on Starting Right , with Danny Mac .