A Lost Soul Returned, Only To Turn Away Again

Yesterday morning, Tim and I were scheduled to help with the check-in and check-out of the children in our church. There was one man I didn't recognize who stood in my line. He was holding a baby in his arms and an elementary-school-aged daughter was standing beside him. I immediately asked if he was new. He responded, "No," but when I typed his daughter's name into the computer, she didn't show up in the church's database. He saw the puzzled look on my face and sheepishly told me that he hadn't been in church for over a year. I then excitedly welcomed him and his daughter back, and felt bad when I had to send him to another line-up to register his daughter, as the church's security system is only eight months old.

After I finished with the check-ins, I sneaked into the sanctuary to hear the Pastor's sermon. The message was on tithing. I am not against tithing, but I don't feel it's an appropriate topic for a Sunday morning sermon. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable for the man who decided to come back to church again after being gone for a whole year only to hear a sermon about giving ten percent of your money to the church. I felt even worse when I saw the man quietly walk out of the sanctuary. After a few minutes passed, I decided to get up to see if I could find him. I spotted him pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to the gym where the Sunday school program is held. I approached him, touched his arm gently, and asked if he would like me to get his daughter for him. He smiled at me, said, "Yes," and thanked me. When they left, I told the girl and her father to have a wonderful Sunday. It's too bad they couldn't have had it in church. A lost soul with children returned, only to turn away again.

When a Pastor gives a message on tithing during the Sunday service, does he/she have the unsaved and lost in mind or does he/she have the church's finances in mind? And doesn't a sermon on tithing show a lack of trust in God to provide? The Pastor says you should have faith and give your ten percent even if you can't afford it, when, hypocritically, the Pastor stands on stage in front of the people and uses the Sunday morning service as an opportunity for the church to gain wealth, instead of using the Sunday morning service as an opportunity for the church to gain souls for God's Kingdom. In God's eyes, even one soul saved is worth having a Sunday morning service focused on reaching the lost, wandering souls of our world.

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. 

Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country 

and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 

And when he finds it, 

he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. 

Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 

'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 

I tell you that in the same way

 there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents

 than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Luke 15:4-7 (NIV)