Sunday Services – they’re the change sheds, not the main game!
Ps Dermot Cottuli – Grace Church Rokeby
“Welcome to the change sheds.”
This is how I started a message to our church a few weekends ago….
“This isn’t what church is all about.
Where you’ve come from and where you’re going after you leave this place today is what church is all about.
What we do on Sunday’s isn’t the mission of the church. What you do during your week is.
This is just a moment in time where you come in off the field and get to have a breather before going back out to play.
Your mission is out there, it’s not in here.
As the senior pastor I’m just part of the support team who are working hard to see you fixed up and ready to go again.
You are the church, what you see around you isn’t, it’s just a meeting.
The game isn’t played in the change sheds, the game is played out on the field.
Denying self, taking up your cross daily and following Jesus (the hallmark of true discipleship), is all about what happens out there, not in here. And if you don’t understand how important your day to day life is in comparison to what happens here each Sunday you’ll hamstring your effectiveness for Jesus and won’t make the necessary changes out there that you need to be making. You’ll think that everything hinges on how well you perform when we gather together for our meetings or when you’re doing other things that are considered “spiritual.”
It is far more important to the kingdom of God and your relationship with Jesus that you turn up for your family, to your work, to your school, each Monday ready to lay your life down for the people in your world than whether the song leader hit the right notes or the preacher throws in a Greek word or two in his sermon in any given Sunday service.
Now obviously for the coach and the coaching team, what happens in the sheds and team meetings is important but for everyone out there watching us it’s what happens on the field that’s critical. Jesus isn’t particularly worried about what’s happening in the shed as long as his team is playing well on the field because the game isn’t won in the shed, it’s won on the field. And if things are going well on the field, then things will be going well in the shed.
What happens in the shed isn’t seen, but what happens on the field is. You are far more important than I am when it comes to seeing the mission of Jesus being carried out here in Hobart. I’m just a supporting character, you’re the main event. And before you say Jesus is the main character (I get that) you need to realise that he’s chosen to reach the world with his love through you.”
