From time to time after worship, someone will say to me, "Oh, I wish so-and-so had been here to hear that." Maybe you've said it too.
Sometimes you're right. Maybe they did need to hear it. But whenever someone says that to me, I usually smile and respond, "They should've heard it. But you were here."
In Matthew 11, Jesus rebukes the cities where he had performed miracle after miracle. The people of the cities had seen God's work with their own eyes, yet nothing had changed. There was plenty of evidence, but no repentance.
This is one of those passages that sound like it's for someone else to hear. We all know people who should be in church or who could use a come-to-Jesus moment. There are people you can probably picture in your mind who you know need a little humility, or just a little wake-up call.
But Jesus wasn't speaking to absent people. He was speaking to the ones standing in front of him.
And there's the challenge.
Every time you open the Bible, sit in worship, or hear a sermon, you have a choice. You can spend the whole time mentally forwarding the message to someone else, or you can refocus your attention and ask two things. First, "Lord, what are you saying to me?" Second, "Lord, what are you asking me to share with others?"
Don't treat God's Word as if it were addressed to your neighbors. Read and listen to it like your name is on the envelope.
And don't worry, the Holy Spirit is pretty good at getting a message to those who need it. That's your job when the Spirit tells you it is.
So, the next time you're tempted to think, "I wish they had heard that sermon," remember this: Maybe they should have. But you did. And that's probably why God had you there.
Stay blessed...john
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