The Sin Of Omission

We have a lot of people today, members of this church. Oh, they enjoy this church. They want to eat the fat and drink the sweet. They want to sit on the wrong side of Jordan and they say, “Feed me pastor.” They love Deeper Life Conferences. They love Bible conferences. They never win souls. They want the victories, but they don’t want the battles. When the invitation is given, and I’ll be pleading for souls, they’ll be clock- watchers. They’ll say, “Hey, I’m missing the cafeteria line.” I mean, they enjoy the church. They enjoy the tall grass. They enjoy the wrong side of Jordan.

You see, my dear friend, what do you have to do to destroy the church? Do you have to fight the church? No. Just fail to do your part. And, if you fail to do your part, behold, you sin against the Lord. And, be sure your sin will find your out.

I heard about a man whose employer said to him, “You’re fired!” He said, “Why? Ididn’t do anything.” He said, “That’s why you’re fired. That’s why you’re fired.”

Let me give you a parable. There was a man who lived in the twentieth century. His house was new. Two cars and a boat graced his garage and carport. A color television gleamed in his den. His family was healthy, and lo good fortune did smile upon him. As was his custom, when he was in town, when the fish were not biting, when he was not at the lake, when company did not come, when he could get up on time, when he was not too tired, when there was nothing else he could do, he went regularly to church. On these occasions, once every five to six weeks, he spent his time deploring the decaying state of the church. The Sunday school was low in its attendance. The choir was skimpy. The congregation was small. The offering was poor. And, the preacher was discouraged. “They ought to do better,” he said. “What do they think this thing of religion is about anyway? Surely they could do better than this.” So, vacation and days off came and went until many moons had passed. As it is in the way of the world, this man’s children grew up. He knew that they did not go to the church, because they, down at the church had not interested them in religion. The man’s health failed. One day he noticed something strange. They, down at the church, came by no more. They did not visit him in the hospital. Verily, verily he was angry. But, being a great heart, he decided he would forgive them and go to the church once more. But, behold, when he arrived, there was no church, only a 7-11 store. “Where is the church?” he demanded. “Dead” was the answer. “Oh,” he moaned. “They should not have let it die.” “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Those of you who are sitting here this morning, who do you think turns on these lights? Who do you think enlists these ushers? Who do you think takes care of the babies over in the nursery? Who do you think trains this choir? Who do you think pays the mortgage? Who do you think does this? Did you know there are people who think they do God a wild favor when they get here on Sunday and listen to a sermon? I mean, they say, “Hey, look, look, I got here.” My dear friend, a lot of folks are parking on somebody else’s nickel. Did you know that? Let me tell you something friend, “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”