Will You Also Go Away?

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? - John 6:67

    We are always grieved when members of the fellowship of believers quit attending the worship services and withhold their support of the gospel. I realize that what they are doing is expressing their displeasure with the pastor or some member for something they do not like by boycotting the church! They are using their absence and withholding their finances as means to punish the offending party. This is called "leverage" or "means to accomplish a purpose."

    But the matter is much more serious than it appears at the first. If the pastor is called of God and the church is his body, boycotting them is to take a stand against God. It is to say, "If I had my way I would silence his message, close down his house, put the television program off the air, and bring home the missionaries." A church is not a building; it is people. So ask yourself, "What kind of church would my church be if all the members were just like me?"

    Let them all get their feelings hurt and pout when I pout. Let them all get offended and stay home when I stay home. Let them all withhold their gifts for preaching and missions when I withhold mine. No church could survive! There would not be a gospel witness left, neither here, nor on the mission field. We all operate from week to week, as God's faithful people supply the means.

    This is why I have absolutely no patience with this type of conduct any more than approval of a soldier who lays down his arms in the face of the enemy and goes home. The army calls them deserters; I thank God for you who are faithful.

    We are not perfect, but neither are you. Thank God for the person who can be counted on to fill his place and carry his share of the load; who requires no recognition, no praise, and never uses carnal leverage to gain his own end.

    Young people, look to these loyal servants of Christ. They are not wandering stars; they are always in their places bearing a testimony for their Redeemer and his gospel; imitate them!

    "Will you also go away?" The Master asked. "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."