Last week, I wrote an article called, “What Do You Miss On Sunday Nights?” The article was written to encourage those who usually skip Sunday evening worship to consider coming back at night. We first noted that the Biblical mandate to gather together is not fulfilled by only attending Sunday mornings. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells that we should assemble together as often as is feasible. Then, we looked at three things someone misses when they don’t attend on Sunday night. In this article, we’re going take a look at this from another angle.
Many of the members who choose not to come to evening worship may understand what THEY are missing out on. They miss the deeper Bible study, the sharing of the Lord’s Supper with those who can’t come in the morning, and the congregational prayer and singing. However, they might not understand what WE (the members who are at Sunday night worship) miss when they are not there.
First, we miss you! We are a congregation that truly takes John 13:34 to heart. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” We love you and when you are not here, you are missed. Great friends are often defined by the things they have in common, and we have the most important thing in common: we are Christians! When the church was founded in Acts 2, in verse 44, the Bible says, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common.” We share a common Savior, a common faith and a common doctrine. We want more time with you.
Second, the church is not complete without you. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul writes, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” Each one of us has a unique contribution of personality, talent and faith that makes the church what it is. Each of us is being built up, as Peter says, “…a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:3). If a house is missing one of its stones, it is no longer complete. The church is not the same without you.
Third, we miss your singing. In Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, the Bible says that singing is for “speaking,” “teaching” and “admonishing” one another. When you are not at Sunday evening worship, we miss your voice. Every voice is vital to the morale and spirit of the congregation. When seats are empty, the volume of encouragement dwindles.
We know what we are missing every Sunday evening. Do you know how much the church misses you?