Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014

Making the most of every single week at church

(aka. the service of the plastic chairs)

Maybe it wasnt the most amazing sermon ever. Perhaps the songs just dragged on. The service leader
just made one too many awkward jokes that no-one but he found funny. Your screensaver has come on and
you are watching for that metaphorical-bouncing-ball to hit the corner of the screen. Maybe church hit rock
bottom or it just didnt sail anywhere near the heights that you expected.

Have you ever been bored or uninspired at a church gathering? Perhaps this has never been the case, but
for some of us this is a reality.

We should seek excellence in all those upfront things. There is no virtue at all in half-hearted efforts, but can
I suggest a course of medicine that will never ever let you down? It is a change that can happen, not just
from up front, but from the pews and plastic chairs (or those imported Italian polycarbonate designer chairs
that are all the rage).

Church will never be a waste of time if you do this one thing. Much more than this, this approach will lift you
out of yourself.

The more you put in to a church meeting, the more you get out of it.

Or put better

The more you put in to a church meeting, the more you get out of it and more others get out of it.

Or even better

The more you put in to a church meeting, the more you get out of it and the more others get out of it
and the more Christ is gloried.

Here are a few ways to rightly orient your approach to church: change your thinking; change your praying;
change your attendance patterns....

Change your thinking.
1. I do not come to a church gathering as a consumer; I do not come as a volunteer; I come to
church as a servant and follower of Jesus Christ.

Consumerism is on the rise and volunteerism is on the decline. More people than ever see online shopping
as a hobby and a therapy; less than ever help out in the school canteen, earn their scouting badges and
drive meals-on-wheels. What hope do churches have?

The good news is that our future is NOT pegged to the same decline as volunteerism because we are not
volunteers. Someone needs to tell people at church this truth. Those paid by the church are not the workers
and everyone else volunteers. We need to wash this language from our mouths. It is sub-Biblical.

Every image of the church proclaims loudly that we are not volunteers.

Jesus is the shepherd, we are the sheep. Therefore we follow him.

Jesus is the head, we are the body. Therefore we all do our part to build the body.

Jesus is the foundation, we are the living stones. Therefore we are built together to praise the Lord of all.

Jesus is the groom, we are the bride. Therefore we remain faithful to his leadership.

We need to change our thinking. The only volunteers in the room are those who are not-yet-Christian. They
dont have to be at church. Everyone else in the room is on the payroll of the King of Kings. All rely on his
benets and generous superannuation scheme. And he expects them to come to church as they conduct
every part of the their lives in service of the Lord.
Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014

For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that
we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

If this is true of all of life, it must be true of our Church meetings. What has God prepared for you to do this
week? and are you determined to walk in it?

If you see yourself as a consumer or volunteer you are not thinking of yourself as a Christian and you have
to do some serious soul searching. If you belong to Christ, you come every week as a follower of the Lord
Jesus Christ.

What difference will it make thinking this way? It will change you attitude; will lift your expectations of
yourself and other; it will raise you anticipation of what God want of you; it will resolve you to be watching for
opportunities; it will give you courage and determination to seek rst his kingdom at church.

Stop and think. What other differences will coming to a church meeting as a servant and follower of Jesus
make?

Change your thinking.
2. As a servant of Christ, it doesnt matter if I am on a roster, I come to a church meeting for the sake
of others.

Church is not just me-time nor even me-and-God-time. We need to do some quick and radical thought-
amputation, chopping off every gangrenous selsh thought, lest it ruin our whole lives. In its place graft
Gods truth.

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from
our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the
day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We never miss church (unless we are contagiously sick or incapacitated) not merely because of who we are
in Christ, but because of who we are with others in the body. Our thinking about church is radically other-
person-centered. Gods high calling is for us to be concerned with others, to think more highly of their
needs than our own.

What a difference it will make to church if we go in with the needs of others ahead of our own.

Instead of turning up to church ve minutes late we come ten minutes early. We have time to talk to the
new people (you know the ones who stand out because they turn up to church early or on time).

Parking. My father used to do something that annoyed me when I was young. Wed arrive earliest to
church and then park as far away as we could. To a child of ten this seemed like the stupidest thing in the
world; but this was radical thinking in action. He did it so that the older ladies of the church could park
closest to the entrance. That is servant thinking in action.

Bring two Bibles! One for yourself, the other to give away. It is amazing how many Bibles you can give
away at church, but you never will if you dont come equipped with two.

Look for opportunities to talk about the sermon with people afterwards. God has just spoken through his
word, it is weird to move so quickly to other things like work, the weather or politics. Rather than just
asking What did you think of the sermon? perhaps you could tell them what you thought. I really loved
what he said about God being our Father. What did you think?

Instead of thinking where can I sit so that I dont feel awkward, ask yourself: where can I sit so that others
will not feel awkward. When you walk into church, where you sit is a theological issue.

See church as the beginning of your gospel work for the week. Pastors see church as both the end and
the beginning of their work. It is the culmination of a lot of preparation, but it also opens up a lot of gospel
Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014
opportunities. This can be true of everyone. Ask people what you can pray for them and then do it during
the week. Perhaps send text messages the next day about the things you have discussed. If you meet
someone new invite them for a coffee (or equivilent) THAT week. Imagine what an impact that would have
to someone else at such a little cost to yourself! Dont just ask people for their contact information give
them yours as well.

If you do talk to a new person use all the skills you would show to someone coming over to your house.
Show them around; tell them what happens, where the toilets are, how to nd their way around the Bible,
introduce them around. Never just leave them without them meeting others. Couples are often welcomed
worst because they look like they have someone to talk to. If you met someone last week make an effort
to speak to them the next week. It is very unfriendly to do otherwise.

Pray with someone else at church. Make that an aim. Imagine a church where members prayed after
church together! There is something really right about that.

Stop and think. What else will it mean for you if you are really going to come to church for the sake of
others? What ideas do you have to be much more radically other-person centred?

Change your thinking.
3. Church is part of my gospel work and like every work it will be affected by thorns.

If going to church is work; it is also affected by the curse on all work. If we expect perfection we will only be
disappointed.

Thorns and thistles affect the work of Adam in the land and these same things affect gospel ministry. Jesus
spoke of metaphorical thorns and thistles in his parable of the four soils (Mark 4:1-20). There will be some
coming to church who will be incredibly fruitful and we must expect this. But some will not even hear Gods
word, others will be give up after a short time and still others will be among the thorns, but the worries of
this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it
becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:19).

Expect church meetings to be like this. There is a battle going on not just to get to church, but even in a
church meeting. Being realistic will drive you to prayer. It will see church not just as a time of afrmation, but
an arena of confrontation.

Can I suggest two implications:

Self examination. Before taking the thorn out of your neighbours eye, what about yourself? If you are
worried about the things of this age or money or.. What can you do to make sure that these things are
not a problem? James tells us that to really receive Gods word as an implanted seed, we must turn our
hearts from the evil within. James 1:21 says: Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral lth and evil,
humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.

Use the right medication. We often treat thorns in others as if they can be dealt with by supercial
measures. We unwittingly adopt a humanistic world view. Here is your greatest tool that you can use in
conversations before and after the church meeting. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says : All Scripture is inspired by
God and is protable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the
man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Stop and think. What other effects do the thorns have on our experience at church? Besides expecting
this, what else can we do about it?

Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014
Change your praying.
4. Pray to prepare for church

We used to ask our kids if they were ready for church. Nothing takes longer than making sure six (yes 6!)
children have their shoes, Bibles and clean clothes on. We used to ask also every week if they were ready
on the inside. We used to pray as a family every week before I turned the key in the ignition of the car. Do
you prayerfully prepare for church, or is this something just for kids? At different times, I know that it used to
be a culture of prayer every Saturday night in preparation for the Sunday gathering to come. Does our
casual approach to church (on the outside) also leak into a causal attitude to God (on the inside)? Some
people treat the Lords Supper as the occasion to x up relationships with others and prepare to meet God,
but doesnt every gathering of church provide this opportunity.

Much of this ows from what we have seen. 1. Pray that we may serve Christ in everything we do at our
church meetings. 2. Pray that we be able to make a difference to one other person that night. That would
be a good goal. If 100 people were praying that prayer, any given weekend gathering would be transformed!
What an exciting church. No, much more than exciting. What a God honouring church! 3. Pray about the
hearing of the word in the face of thorns, confess the sins to God and ask May the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You. LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14).

If you are responsible for others then lead those you are responsible in this prayer. If you have children, then
pray with them. If you lead the church meeting, you obviously lead in prayer early in the meeting. If you are
a Bible Study leader, raise it in your mid-week group. My co-leader this year has been sending regular text
messages to our members before church each week. If you meet up with a young Christian before Church,
model this kind of prayer with them.

Stop and think. You obviously pray before almost everything you do. Why do you think it is particularly
important to pray before you gather as church? Any other practical ideas?

Change your attendance patterns
5. Count the cost to be at church every week

In past generations Church attendance was central for all believers and now for some it becomes an
optional-extra to an otherwise busy week.

In my childhood home, Sunday night was leftovers night - yesterdays chicken, Fridays rice, Thursdays
curry. Sunday evening churches can sometimes also be leftover nights! If there is no family gathering, uni
assignment, football grand nal, Masterchef nale or tiredness - then I will be at church. What does that
proclaim about Christ and his people? Not much.

Sometimes people miss church so they can witness to their non-Christian friends, but often they mean just
showing people that they are the same as everyone else. Remember that witness means pointing people to
the importance of Christ. What sort of witness is it to the importance of Christ in your life if you so easily
swap his meeting for anything else that comes across your diary.

If you do not have to give up anything to come to church that is ne. Dont worry. But if you say no to
some other activity on a given week then rejoice. You have actually made a sacrice for the sake of Jesus
Christ and you are now walking as a disciple and not just a hanger-on. We must count the cost, but the
more we count the cost the more we realise that the cost is extremely small compared to Christ.

Stop and think. What do you have to do in this area? How can you encourage others?

Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014
Change your attendance patterns
6. Be completely at church when at church.

It is possible to be at church, but not fully there. I admire the man who leaves his mobile phone in the car so
that he is not tempted to check the football results during church. I also admire the woman who doesnt keep
looking around when she is talking to the new person.

When we all sing together, do your best. We are so adversely affected by Australias Got Talent, X Factor
and Australian Idol. We tend to think of music as something that is done by a few gifted individuals whom we
judge as either good or bad. But our music team is the whole congregation of Christs people. We all sing
and it is not just for those who like that kind of thing. Imagine if some of the Israelites didnt feel like singing
when they crossed the red sea? Corporate expresses our unity in Christ, our joy in his victory and our
destiny in worshipping him. Psalm 150:6 ##Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!

In singing, his word dwells in our hearts richly, why would we forsake this? Colossians 3:16 Let the message
about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. John Wesley gives this advice
about singing. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half
asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.
1

When we pray together concentrate on what is being said and say a condent Amen. When we read open
your Bible and follow along. When a sermon is being preached take notes if that helps you concentrate.
Nodding, laughing at jokes, keeping eye contact with the preacher encourages him but ALSO helps you
concentrate. Be fully engaged in everything.

All these things are also a great witness to the unbelievers present and an encouragement to other
Christians. Imagine going to a church where people sing half heartedly and look unengaged during the Bible
reading or preaching. It makes you think, why are these people even here gathered if they dont even look
like they care.

Stop and think. How can you be more engaged in everything you do at church?

Change your attendance patterns
8. Think how I can get others to be at church

I heard a statistic that one in six people in our Australian community would come to church if someone just
asked them. I couldnt nd that statistic, but it makes sense. The American statistics are even higher. 82 %
of unchurched people would be at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited, but only 2% of church
members regularly invite friends.
2

If church is not just for me, then encourage someone else to come along to church who would not otherwise
be there. Imagine if everyone did this!!! They may not be a Christian, they may have missed a few weeks,
they may struggle from social anxiety, their guilt may be keeping them or it may be the thorns. Who can
you bring along?

It is too late to think that you wished youd brought your friend after the sermon was preached. It is too late
to ask them ve minutes before hand. You know your friends and how to bring them along. Have dinner
before hand, pick them up, introduce them to some others before hand etc... The biggest mistake we make
is the the most tragic one: not inviting them at all.
John Wesley, Directions for Sining in Worship with Commentary (from Select Hymns 1761)
1
http://backtochurch.com/participate/resources/statistics
2
Saturday Church, Jannali Anglican, Andrew Barry, March 2014

Stop and think. How can you invite others along? Who would come if you asked them?

Change my participation

The more you put in to a church meeting, the more you get out of it and the more others get out of it
and the more Christ is gloried. Wouldnt church be so much better for everyone if we had more
ministry of the plastic chairs going on. Stop and think. What can you do to make the most the
most of church: to serve Christ and others in everything.

Before Church

During Church

After Church