Musick-al Note # 200
In our day of decreasing money values, much time is expended to investigate the true value or real worth of an item before it is purchased. Then a great deal of effort and time is spent in giving proper maintenance and maximum utilization of the product to obtain the optimum service from it. This is true whether we speak of clothing, household items, automobiles, buildings, land or a hundred other things. We want our money’s worth!
Strange then, isn’t it, that when we speak of life’s most important aspect (religion), man seemingly doesn’t care whether he gets his money’s worth or not. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a building and then will not use it half the time or only when we feel just right. Sometimes these facilities are provided by our ancestors and we are not concerned enough to attend and even fail to give proper maintenance and upkeep. We don’t get our money’s worth from it.
We make sure a preacher is hired. At today’s prices, this no small expense. The church usually expects him to preach both morning and evening as well as teach classes. Yet when you attend only half the time or less, you just aren’t getting your money’s worth. It’s like buying a car, providing the necessary fuel to go to town and then letting someone else use the car while you walk. You obviously aren’t getting your money’s worth.
We provide opportunities to study together from God’s word, often buy materials and expend the energies of dozens of teachers but you do not take advantage of all this. Your contributions help buy the building, pay the preacher, provide necessary materials, provide a multitude of opportunities to benefit yourself, your family and your friends and yet if you do not capitalize on these things, you aren’t getting your money’s worth.
Do you think that God ever thinks along these lines? After centuries of teaching, leading and forgiving men’s sin, only to have mankind turn to idols and worthless pursuits as the Old Testament proclaims. God has sent His Son, Jesus into the world to give direction and save man. Jesus gave his own life on the Cross of Calvary to ransom all men from the penalty of sin (1 Timothy 2:6). That penalty was death (Ezekiel 18:4). Was it worth it to God? The answer is YES if you are obedient to the gospel of Christ and are faithful until death.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 