This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pick Someone up for Church.
This one is inspired by my experience on WordPress. Some of you have told me how hard it is to go to a sound church. Of course many churches are not biblically sound today so there’s that challenge. But then there’s the challenge of the distance. Also when we get older it is harder to get to church when it is so far away.
Here’s my challenge to those who are younger and drive: Have you consider picking up people for church, especially older members who live far away?
You might ask if I have a verse for this point, after all there were no cars back in the time of the Bible.
My passage for today require thinking through the implication for our situation we mentioned. Hear James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Notice this verse mention what pleases God the Father. What pleases the Father would be if believers visited orphans and widows. We are to go to them. Yet it is also good for them to assemble with God’s people on Sunday. So consider visiting them; but also visiting them to bring them to congregate with the rest of God’s people on the Lord’s Day and to hear God’s Word together with His saints!
Do you know anyone who needs a ride to Church? Help them out! Do you not know of anyone to pick up to go to your church? Pray about it. Ask your pastor. Ask other church members of how you can help out to pick someone who have various difficulties in coming to church: They are too poor to pay for public transportation to church, too old, too weak to walk, the church is far away, weather affects their use of public transportation, etc. Its okay to go out of your way to pick them up. Think about how much it will bless the person spiritually! Think about the following: while it hard to pick someone sometime, yet think of how privilege we are today to pick someone up without breaking into any literal sweat even when it is hot: You have AC! (I’m assuming you have AC). Think about God’s church being blessed with these individuals who can come to church.
Before I was married as a young man I use to pick up a lot of people to church. Sometimes I would make two trips to pick up people I got to know. That is I drop off one group and then go pick up the second. Yes its tiring. Sometimes you have to wake up earlier than others to get to church. People will be late; people can be rude. But do it for the Lord. For young men, don’t just think about getting a two door compact sports car; consider a four door to be able to be available for God to use you to pick people up to go to church. I look back fondly at picking people up for church, Bible study, etc.
Also sometimes people who really need a ride are too shy to bring it up. You might have to be more proactive. Noticed anyone you haven’t seen in a while? Call them up. See how they are doing. Sometimes its because they need help to get to church but they are too shy to ask. It can be embarrassing.
Be someone’s answered prayer request today.
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What a great idea. Thanks.
Blessings,
Michael Wilson
Christian Training Center
lifeisrelationships.wordpress.com
I love this idea, brother! My little grandma drove long past when she really should have. Eventually she became too sick to go to church, so we would go to her house in the afternoons and fellowship with her and read Scripture. I wasn’t saved, but I loved my grandma so I sat patiently and listened.
Wow so awesome you shared that. I imagine God uses those times to also plant seed in your heart?
He sure did, brother. Glory to God, what love is this? That while we were yet sinners He died for us. Truly, amazing grace!
We can try so hard to invite people who might not be willing to come to church but then neglect those who want to go to church. Good post. I hope God uses this to move people towards action.
Good point haven’t thought it this way before
Thank you, Jim; another excellent post for those who may not think of these things. This was a normal thing in our hometown where people lived closer together but truly a sacrifice unto the Lord for those who would welcome this service.
Amen.:)
I wish you were able to get rides to church 😢
I could. I just can no longer sit on a pew as I have a bad back and would continue to change position often. I have you as my unofficial pastor and several others who give good lessons as laymen.:)
Reblogged this on a simple man of God and commented:
I did not get to this before church, because … busy. Here it is now!
My wife and I used to pick up a widow for church, but then I started teaching a Church History class before our regular service. (I do occasionally give a ride home, though!) I have also been part of many life-giving ministries at other churches, for children all the way up to elderly.
Yes, it can sometimes be awkward, especially not knowing the person(s) getting a ride. But it gets easier. And you make new friends.
And it is part of our duty as the Church.
Daniel
Great post. Driving people to church was a thing that we did without question in my old church . I remember we used to drive this little old lady every Sunday for months. It turned out she was demon possessed.😔
Blessings pastor Jim
Whoah demon possessed?? That sounds like a crazy story…
Crazy for sure pastor Jim. This woman hated every time I quoted Scripture when she was in our car. One day the thing in her manifested … I didn’t know what to do … needless to say that was the last ride we gave her . Is a long story just giving you a short version 😊.
Thanks for the good exhortation! We need to be on the lookout for others in general rather than so focused on ourselves.
Amen I hope you have today off? I am heading home from our church hike and I’m quite tired!
Yup, off today but spent most of the day working on our powder room. It’s taking me forever. It’s finally ready to paint. Today I painted that small space with oil-based primer and that left me feeling queasy. Have a good rest of the day! I’m R&Ring until bedtime.
[…] for the preaching. Going to church early might allow us time to accomplish these tasks. If we pick someone up for Church you definitely will be leaving your house earlier than usual! Sometimes showing up early is […]