To really feal at home!

Sermon delivered on 24 October 2008 at Lobatse, Botswana.

There is a story told of a person who moved into a new town, who asked his neighbour about the nature of the surrounding community. His neighbour who was a wise old man, answered him with a question… “How were the people where you came from?”. The newcomer answered that they were not nice at all. They were backstabbers, gossipers, liars, etc. Well, the old man interrupted, the people here are just like that.

The clever people say that we are moving more and more into a global village. That means that people are moving around more and more, and are moving in and out of different societies. Although this tendency is supposed to make people more relaxed with one another, getting used to change, it seems that just the opposite is happening…

The front pages of every newspaper in South Africa, and I hear, in the world is full of bloody pictures of foreign people being attacked, because they are not welcome in South Africa… Earlier this week I heard of about 400 people that died and about 16 000 people that fled due to this violence. Even yesterday I met a man in Gaborone who was on his way back to his village near Harare. He went to South Africa for an operation, but his life was not safe due to the attacks on foreigners.

But unbelievable as it may seem, this tendency of shunning newcomers is also present in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and was part of it for centuries. Not only the young Joseph, but also the leader Moses, as well as his wife Sipporah at a later stage, and even King David were pushed out to the fringes of society in their lives. Not to talk about the newly converted Paul, the Greek and Roman Christians, or Jesus Christ himself in the society of his time.

And therefore I believe that it is probably true that some, or even most of you may not feel perfectly at home in the church this morning. Some or most of us might be put of by someone else in this church who makes you feel unwelcome. Perhaps some of you have been aggrieved by me, or a previous pastor. Perhaps you feel that you are not even recognised in the church and in the congregation. You are not one of the “important people in the church.” Perhaps some of you will feel that the church was not there for you when you were going through difficult times.

But you know, brothers and sisters, that here in Psalm 84 we read that the sons of Korah does not only feel welcome, but finds a dwelling place in the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord is also their house, and they feel at home there. They are prepared to walk many kilometres to enter into the house of the Lord, and feel his presence there. But what is the difference in their lives? Why are going to church so often a cross to the Christians today, in comparison with the Levites in Bible times?

Is it because the sons of Korah were priests, and they were supposed to enjoy being in the temple? Is it because of the fact that they only had a temple in Jerusalem, and that going there was a big occasion? Is it because going to the temple meant that they would meet up with old friends, and have a happy time together?

No, dear friends, they were excited because of the presence of God! Yes, in the temple they had a special time to just cut them of from all their other activities, and dedicate time to God in his presence. In the temple they were able to come together and praise and worship him. In the temple they were able to pray to him without other hindrances.

But there is still more to it. In the temple they found access for everybody, without discrimination. Even the sparrows and the swallows found a place in the temple (vs 4). Yes, in the temple God did not favour anybody. Even the young of the swallow finds a place in the temple. Yes, all the children are very welcome there, and find a home in the temple.

So where have we gone wrong? Why are people looking upon the church with apathy, sometimes even with enmity in their hearts? In the first place we have lost perspective about going to church. Going to church is not a meeting with people, but a meeting with God. Johan Cilliers has written a book called “die uitwissing van God op die Kansel”, or the “annihiliation of God on the pulpit”, whereby he showed how pastors are not focusing on God and His word in the church service, but on mere human relationships. It is also true that going to church is more that who we are going to meet outside the church building, than the special meeting with God inside the building.

If we look for God, and to worship Him above all, we will find him, (Proverbs 8:17), if we come to church to meet up with the Lord, we will feel at home, and we will be able to really enjoy the atmosphere. We will experience God as the living God (vs. 3), who longs to assist us in our problems (Isaiah 30:18).

The second reason why church is not a pleasure anymore to so many Christians and even outsiders, is that we do not realise how much we have to be thankful for. We often look at the 20% that is still lacking in our lives, instead of thanking God for the 80% (and more!) that He has already given us! Like the ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19) we often forget to thank God for everything we received from Him.

In Psalm 84 the sons of Korah is full of praise for what the Lord has done for them. They realise that the Lord is the reason for the blessings in their life (vs. 5,13). They also experience the power that they find in the Lord, (vs. 6,8), as well as his protection, his grace, and his glory, as well as all His gifts and blessings (vs 12).

Last, but not least, people do not experience the joy of church because they have become stingy. We do not share what we experience with others. Immediately when we exit the church, we would start talking about the sport events of the past weekend, or exchange the week’s gossip news. In stead of reaching out to the newcomers in church that Sunday, we would gather together in our little clicks with our own private discussions.

When our focus is on God and the way he graciously hands out so many gifts to us, then our attitude towards other church members, and newcomers will also change. In this regard verse 7 is so beautiful: “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

In Botswana, which comprises mostly of desert, rain is very precious. Amongst the Batswana you will often hear the name: Motlalepula, which means: “the one who came with/brought the rain”. Just yesterday evening, when I went to deliver something to a congregation member, it started raining, whilst we are currently in the middle of winter. I asked the lady: “But where does the rain come from?”. “You must have brought it” she answered.

If we really look up to the Lord, and gather regularly in His presence to renew our strenght, we may know that he will also use us to touch others, and bring rain and prosperity to others whilst we go to and throw to church.

I conclude with the story of a community in this area who went to pray for rain in a time of severe drought. When they passed an atheist sitting on his porch, he asked them where they are going. “We are going to pray for rain”, they answered. He looked at them and asked: “Do you know how bad it can be in this area when it really starts to rain?”.

So the Lord answered them and the rain came down heavily for almost a month. Then they felt that the rain was too much, and they decided to pray that the rain will stop. When they passed the atheist on the porch again, he asked them again where they were going. They answered that they were on their way to pray that the rain will stop. He looked at them and asked: “Do you know this country when it stops raining?”.

Yes, dear friends, our dissatisfaction with the church is often the result when Christians do not count their blessings. When we stand at the temple porch, we often do not know what it must be like to live in houses without God. To live in families who have nothing to really live for. We do not know what it is like to have nowhere to go to in times of need. May God help us to really realise what we have, before we may come to times, like in our neighbouring Zimbabwe and even for some in South Africa, when we have nowhere where we can feel at home!

AMEN!

Bibliography:

Cilliers, A. 2001. Wat is die storie met die Kerk? Kaapstad: Lux VerbiCilliers, JH. 1996. Die Uitwissing van God op die Kansel. Kaapstad: Lux Verbi