What If Jesus Came to Church?

Joe Slater

Would you be present next time the church meets if you knew Jesus would be here? I'll dare say that very few members would claim they were providentially hindered!  Jesus drew "standing room only crowds" in the first century Palestine, and would undoubtedly do the same here today.

Imagine Jesus leading singing. Wouldn't that be grand? Surely your mind would not wander, but you would sing enthusiastically, hanging on to every precious word. You truly would sing in spirit and truth.

What if Jesus led the opening prayer? Can you comprehend how fervently you would be praying as you made His prayer your own? Oh, what a prayer that would be!

Now picture Jesus serving communion. He blessed the bread and hands it to you. As you break off a piece, you see the nail prints in His hands, and your heart is broken afresh, that He had to bear your sins on Calvary. A little later He gives you the fruit of the vine, and you remember with profound gratitude His blood that was shed for your redemption.

The next part could be a little embarrassing. What if Jesus received the offering? Would it make any difference in the amount you give? Could you look the Lord in the eye cheerfully as you place your gift in the plate?

If Jesus got up to preach, you would likely join the hundreds of others in listening intently and taking notes. It would matter not at all if He spoke past the scheduled time; indeed, whenever He stopped, you would wish that He could continue preaching. The words of God would refresh your soul and renew your determination to walk in the light.

If we knew Jesus would be here, I would venture to say that all of the  Sunday morning crowd would be back tonight! Who cares that we've already been to church once today? The Lord will be here, and we wouldn't miss it for the world!

Yes, what if Jesus came to church? You already know what I'm going to say. He's here every time we meet! No, you won't see Him with your eyes or hear Him with your ears; but He is here. The church is His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16 [the church is the people, not the building]). He watches and listens as we sing, pray, commune, give, and proclaim His word. Let us worship as though the Lord is right here with us -- because He is"