Messiah Lutheran Church:

Dear friends:

There are things that we do because we want to. There are things we do because we have to. Some of us go to work because we want to. We almost feel guilty being paid for what we do because we enjoy it so much. Others of us go to work because we have to. We don’t enjoy what we’re doing, but we need the cash to pay for the groceries, the mortgage and the car. No matter what we do, there are basically only two attitudes that we carry. Because I want to, or because I have to.

If you have a family, you know this attitude also translates to church. This morning, perhaps your son or daughter asked you the same question. "DO I HAVE TO?" Do I have to go to church? Do I have to sing those songs? Do I have to sit and be still while that guy in a black dress stands up and talks and talks and talks? Maybe you have the same feeling. Do I have to? Well, let’s take a look at "church", at worship this morning and see what worship is and how it benefits us. I pray that by the end of today’s short talk your attitude will not be "do I have to" but "I want to."

Is worship, or what many call "doing church", something that we have to do or something we want to do? There has always been a tension between legalism and God’s idea of worship. Too often legalism, the "you gotta do this" thought wins out. The Pharisees in today’s text picture this position perfectly. They approached God’s law as a set of rules to follow in order to earn eternal life. They had studied and thought about God’s law so often from this viewpoint that they developed the Mishnah, an interpretation and application of the commands of God. According to this set of rules, if you picked some grain on the Sabbath, you were sinning. Picking grain is harvesting. Harvesting is work. Therefore, you are sinning, since you weren’t supposed to work on the Sabbath. But is that what worship is? Just following a set of rules?

Some think so. Many Christians are following the legalistic approach to worship. "You have to do your duty to God" is a phrase that creeps in to far too many conversations about Sunday worship. Church attendance becomes one more thing you do to fulfill your side of the bargain with God. The danger of this legalistic approach is when you start to think that you’re going to heaven because of what you did. You went to church. You followed the rules. Now, God has to give you entrance into paradise. Next time you go to a funeral, listen to what people say about the person who died. You may hear people say things like "He was a good man. He was nice to his family. He was honest. He went to church. He’s in heaven." The unspoken thinking is that this person deserves to go to heaven because he followed the rules. Is that what worship is? Just following a set of rules?

Jesus blows this idea right out of the water. In response to the Pharisees who challenged Him and His disciples on their behavior, He said "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." David did something against God’s rules, something ceremonially forbidden in the Old Testament time. But he did it with a proper motivation. It is always lawful to do good and to save life. Both David and the disciples were within the spirit of the law, if not within the strict letter of the law. Is worship just about following a set of rules, or following the spirit of God?

Let’s get something straight right now. Worship - what we do on Sundays - is not about rules and regulations and what we specifically do for God. Worship is showing God what we feel. Worship is showing God our love and thanks. Worship is what we want to do. It’s not a duty - it’s a privilege, a joy! It’s the highlight of our week! It’s an opportunity to show God our love and an opportunity to integrate God into our daily lives. Worship is something we are to do every hour of every day in our lives, but we choose to focus on God together in public worship once a week.

There’s a story of an elderly lady in a Methodist church in southern California. Her congregation had always worshiped at 11 AM on Sundays. In their long-range planning sessions, the congregation found that there were many who preferred two services on Sundays. So, they decided to offer two services, at 8 and 10 each Sunday. Well, she went ballistic! She said "11 o’clock to 12 o’clock on Sundays is God’s hour. It has always been His time and I’m not going to change." Is that what worship is? Just following a set of rules? No!

We may laugh, but do we do the same? Oh, we have personal preferences when it comes to worship times and formats of worship, but we dare never elevate them to "God’s will." There are things that we could do in worship that are not contrary to God’s will, but we won’t. Why? Because even though God has not forbidden them, we know they are detrimental to worshiping God. Some churches have clown and puppet worship. Forbidden? No. Wise? Certainly not! It takes wisdom to prepare and present a proper worship service. We are to always ask two questions when it comes to the form our worship takes. Does this enhance or detract worship in our congregation? Does this glorify God or satisfy our itch for entertainment?

True worship comes from the heart and shows itself in all that we do. But God has given us the command to worship together at least once a week. Are there benefits to this? I know I’m preaching to the choir when I ask this. You know there are!

When it comes to Sunday services, God didn’t intend to "cut into our fun time" when He gave us the command to come together and worship. He gave us this command to bless us. He knows how hard we work. He knows what we need, and we need a Sabbath. We need this worship time. As Jesus Himself says in the last verse of our text: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

The word "sabbath" means rest, and our worship time together on Sundays is all about restoration. God is seeking to restore us spiritually, mentally and physically. Please notice those three areas of God’s interest, and also note how often we focus just on the last one. So often I hear people tell me "Sundays are the only day off I have. That’s my time to sleep in/ to play/ to read the paper until noon. That’s the way I relax, and isn’t that what the Sabbath is all about? Rest?"

True, the Sabbath is all about rest, but not just physical rest. Our God wants us to benefit spiritually and mentally as well as physically. The primary purpose of the Sabbath is spiritual restoration. Let’s face it: our faith takes a beating during the week. We are tempted to sin in so many ways. We are tempted to be lazy, to lie, to cheat, to use bad language, to be mean to others. We are tempted to be arrogant, spiteful and ruthless at work. We need the spiritual recharging that the Gospel gives us. We need that drink of living water refreshing our souls. We need to hear that God still loves us, that He forgives us, that Christ has died for all our sins and given us the gift of heaven. We need that! And worship gives it to us. It benefits us spiritually.

And, it benefits us mentally. Remember, our "job" on earth is to be Christ’s witnesses. Our worship service refreshes our memories of what Christ has done. We get to go over the details on a regular schedule. Our worship service refreshes and deepens our appreciation of our forgiveness. Our worship service reminds us of each other’s dedication to Christ. We are not alone in our efforts to praise God in our daily lives. That’s refreshing, isn’t it?

Worship benefits us spiritually, mentally and physically. Enjoy them today! Don’t think of church as something that you have to do for God. Think of it as a precious gift that God has given to you. Soak in the blessings that God is giving you today! Reinvigorate yourself with the Word and love of God. Let the Holy Spirit recreate your spirit. Relax and bask in God’s love. Let His forgiveness wash over you and calm your soul. Think of your time here at church like time on the ocean shore. As you bask in the sun, let the waters of God’s love and forgiveness wash over you like the surf does on the sea shore.

If you found yourself and your family on the beach on a sunny day, would you or they say "Do I have to be here? Do I have to enjoy the sun or the sand and the waves?" Or, would they say "I want to be here. I enjoy the benefits of what this vacation from life is bringing?" I pray that you have enjoyed your time here in worship just as much as a day at the beach. Now you know what worship truly is and how it benefits us. Next time you come, you know the answer to the question "DO I HAVE TO?" And maybe you won’t hear that question. Maybe, by the grace of God, you’ll hear "I want to go!"

AMEN