The Wrong Question

Sometimes we ask the wrong questions, plain and simple.  We've all done it at different times and in different places.  It's a summer day.  You are outside doing yard work.  You notice that your neighbor is also getting ready to do some yard work.  You give a polite wave, and he does the same.  A few minutes later, you look over and see your neighbor repeatedly pulling the cord in a fruitless effort to start up his lawn mower.  After that, he is down on his hands and knees examining every inch of the mower to see why it will not start up.  You walk over and say....what?  Come on, be honest.  We ask, "Can't get it started?"  Really?  Is there actually uncertainty as to why your neighbor is crunched up inspecting a mower engine?  Could he just be that bored?  Of course he can't get it started!  Wrong question. 

We ask wrong questions when it comes to our spiritual lives, as well.  "How much time do I need to pray every day?"  That's like asking your spouse, "How much time do I need to spend with you today?"  I hope your couch is a comfortable place to sleep!

How about this one - "Do I need to go to church?"  Or, more commonly put, "I don't need to go to a church to be a Christian."  While the question/statement may be true as it is, it is the wrong question.  It's like saying, "I don't need to live with my spouse to be married."  OK.  technically that may be true.  But really?  Is that really how we want to approach the issue? 

Let's be clear - church attendance IS NOT required for salvation.  To say that it is would be adding a work to our salvation, which would clearly go against the clear teaching of Scripture.  It is not an issue of have to, but an issue of want to.  

We often quote Hebrews 10:25, but let's keep the context by including verse 24, "And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching."    It is not merely a matter of not forsaking meeting together.  The heart of the exhortation is in the reason - stir one another to love and good works...encouraing one another.  So, if the wrong question is, "Do I have to go to church?", what is the correct question?  One could ask it any number of ways, such as, "Why not go to church?" or "When can I go to church?" 

Do you want to be encouraged in your Christian walk?  Do you want others to convict you and challenge you to live for Jesus?  If so, why would you not want to be with people as often as you can who can help you do this?  I know that the rise of the internet with sites such as Facebook give us the impression of "fellowship."  I am a fan of Facebook and I get the twitches when my internet connection is down.  But can this take the place of good old fashioned church meetings?

Think about it this way - I control what I put on the internet.  I can create whatever persona I want.  I can make super spiritual posts on Facebook.  I can tweet Bible verses all day long.  I can muster up spiritual passion for a YouTube clip.  Maybe it isn't an act.  Maybe I am genuine is what I reflect online.  OK.  But what about when I am down?  Well, I can just not go online.  I just tweet about my lunch plans.  And nobody will ever know what I am facing. 

How does going to church counter that?  If I am at church Sunday after Sunday, there is a good chance that I won't be fired up every week.  Some weeks will be great and some will be down times.  Sure, I may be able to fake it with some, but it is a lot harder than faking it online.  And, if you get close enough to others, you can know when they are being totally honest.  Being at the same church for almost 11 years now, there are some people I have gotten really close to.  For some, all I need to do is see their eyes and I know how they are doing.  I know the "twinkle" in their eyes when things are good.  I know the pain in their eyes when things are not going well.  For some, I can tell as they pray if they have been praying during the week and i can tell if it is the first time they have prayed in days.  The same is probably true as others see and interact with me.  The look in my eyes, my body language, my tone of voice - all of it reflects what is going on inside of me.  None of that comes across online unless I want to communicate those feelings.  It is in the long term connection to a group of believers when I cannot hide what is going on inside of me.  

I meet at least once a week with one of my elders for prayer.  All are invited to pray with us, but usually it is just the two of us.  We have been doing this for years now.  When I am down and he is on cloud nine, he lights a fire under me.  When he is down and I am on cloud nine, I light a fire under him.  When we are both on cloud nine, we light a bigger fire under each other.  When we are both down, we cling together and urge each other on.  Could I thrive as a Christian if I wasn't a pastor and he was the only believer I gathered with?  To an extent.  We would still be lacking.  We need that third person to make sure that we don't get so fired up as to become arrogant.  We need a voice of wisdom and keep our passion moving in the right direction. 

Blessing comes from this "mulitude of counselors."  Some at church encourage passion in me.  Some encourage depth in me.  Some encourage me to think more carefully.  Some encourage me to focus on people more.  I need them all.  Better yet, I want them all in my life.

But even with this, we have been asking the wrong question.  Basically, what we have just talked about is an answer to the question, "What's in it for me?"  Wrong question.  When it comes to church, the question is actually, "What I can contribute to others?"  So, maybe the question to ask yourself isn't just "How much do you want to be helped in your walk with Christ?" but "How many others do you want to help in their Christian life?"