Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
How Often?
A business owner was interviewing a young woman for a potential position in his company. The applicant made a good impression and was well dressed. She had an impressive resume, in which she listed as references several prominent members of her church. The business owner looked it for several minutes and finally said, “I appreciate these references from your church. However, what I really want is a perspective from someone who knows you the rest of the week.”
Sadly, there is all too often a difference between how Christians behave on Sundays and how they behave the rest of the week. They are “Sunday-only” Christians. If you only knew them on Sundays, you might not recognize them during the rest of the week. Likewise, if you knew them only from MondayFriday, you might not recognize them on Sundays.
In Version One of Sunday-only Christianity, the weekday morals of these church members bear little resemblance to their Sunday morals. On Sundays, they attend church, sing songs, bow in prayer, dress well, smile, drop a check in the plate, and leave a positively religious impression. On the first day of the week, you’ll not hear them say anything vulgar and you’ll not see them doing anything bad. Here are some right fine folks!
But from Monday Saturday, they are completely different people. They are transformed from a religious version of Dr. Jekyll into a worldly Mr. Hyde. They drink, use foul language, and abuse others. They’re prejudiced, poor workers, greedy, lousy parents, and worse spouses. It’s as if they suffer from a spiritual version of Multiple Personality Disorder.
In Version Two of Sunday-only Christianity, the weekday devotions of these church members bear little resemblance to their Sunday devotions. The squeaky clean Sunday worshipers do not become worldlings as soon as they leave the church parking lot. In fact, they continue to be decent human beings through the week. There are not immoral or filthy or drunk. There is no abuse or wife-beating or dog-kicking.
The problem? These Christians leave their devotions at the church-house door. On Sundays, they read their Bibles and pray. They work their Bible class lessons. They worship God in song. They listen attentively and follow in their Bibles. They eat the Lord’s Supper. They read the bulletin. But from Monday through Saturday, you see none of this. No spirituality. No devotion. No overt religion. Prayers, Bible study, songs, meditations — all gone like the morning dew.
In Version Three of Sunday-only Christianity, the weekday service of these church members bears little resemblance to their Sunday service. On Sundays, they are all about the kingdom. They are there for work as well as worship. Whatever is done on Sunday — while at the building — they are available. They’ll distribute bulletins, fill in for prayers, prepare the Lord’s Supper, move chairs from one classroom to the next, go to the nursing home on Sunday afternoon.
But here’s the problem: These Christians can be counted on to do kingdom work ONLY on Sundays. They can’t be trusted to visit the sick or admonish the weak except when they see them at the Sunday assembly. They won’t attend outside classes. Classes on Sundays? Yes. Classes on weeknights or weekends? No. They can’t be counted upon for extra work. Workshops or gospel meetings are just too much — They’re too busy. Workdays at the building? No, that cuts in on family time. Visit the sick? Sorry, but they’ve got other plans. Hospitality? Only if they run into fellow churchgoers at the Sunday buffet.
The second and third groups are just as much “Sunday-only” Christians as the first. The first group is concerned with respectability; the second and third, with convenience. For the first group, as long as a certain segment of their peers think they are respectable, that’s good enough. For the second and third, as long as they are visibly religious and not ungodly in an overt way, that’s good enough. All that other stuff is just asking too much.
For all groups, they have not understood that following Jesus is a full-time occupation. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY and follow Me” (Luke 9.23).
The first group must learn that following Jesus is a life-altering choice. Their lives can never again be the same, because following Jesus changes everything.
The second and third groups must learn that following Jesus is an all-consuming passion. They can never again be content to offer a few hours or a few dollars or a few days, because Christ is all and in all (Colossians 3.11).
How often are you a Christian?
