Funny story – Back in the Spring my daughter was needing some laundry detergent. She asked her brother, if the next time he was at Costco, could he please pick up some more laundry detergent for her. Which of course he was happy to do.
It just so happened that he was at Costco that very Saturday and, as a good brother, he made sure to get the laundry detergent.
Now the only thing that remained was to deliver the laundry detergent to his sister.
And lo and behold – he would see her at church the next day. How handy!
So bright and early Sunday morning my daughter showed up to church … and when she arrived at the aisle to sit with her brother … he proudly handed her the big container of laundry detergent! (Haha!)
The laundry detergent was a big container! And it was really heavy! My daughter had parked off campus, which was about a 10 min. walk. That’s a long way to carry a big, really heavy container of laundry detergent!
So after church, she asked hubby if he would carry the laundry detergent to the car for her, since hubby and I had also parked in the same lot.
The service finished, everyone filtered out, and the new crowd began flooding in for the second service. Crowds of people were everywhere! The parking lot was backed up with cars! The main road was backed up with cars, as people were trying to turn into the parking lot.
And here we went, carrying that big container of laundry soap!
We could feel the amused looks from everyone walking into church, as they wondered: “Why are you carrying laundry detergent out of church??”
We could feel the amused reaction of everyone in their cars in the parking lot, who were arriving and exiting … as they likewise wondered: “Why are you carrying laundry detergent out of church??”
We could feel the gazes of everyone in their cars on the main road as they waited to turn into the parking lot … as they too wondered: “You went to church to get laundry detergent???”
And it was true! What a terrific picture of why we go to church!
We go to church each Sunday to get “laundry detergent”! (spiritually speaking)
Each week we slog through the “mud and muck of life” as we are daily immersed and surrounded by a culture permeated with sin!
* We are immersed in a culture of falsehood and lying.
* We are immersed in a culture of stealing and taking advantage of others.
* We are immersed in a culture of unwholesome talk, unkind words, obscenity, slander.
* We are immersed in a culture filled with bitterness and revenge.
* We are surrounded by anger, malice, hate, contempt.
* We are immersed in a culture of lust and sexual immorality.
* We are immersed in a culture of rampant greed.
As we drive to work each morning, and back home again each evening … road rage, hate, aggression, anger!
As we interact with our coworkers and try to accomplish our tasks at work each day … lying, falsehood, blame-shifting, cheating, manipulation, slander, etc. …
As we interact with others in society with whom we have business dealings; the other parents at our kids’ school; etc. etc. etc. …
After being immersed all week long in a culture polluted with the muck and dung of sin, we reach Sunday and we are feeling rather “covered” by all the pollution and muck splattered up all over us from the past week!
Splattered by “muck”! Yuck!
We need some soap!
We go to church to get “laundry soap” (so to speak). We go to church to get clean! We go to church to have the “filth” which has been splattered all over us from this past week washed away by the “water of the Word.”
* “Jesus Christ loves the church and he gave himself up for the church, to make us holy, cleansing us by the washing with water through the word.” – Ephesians 5:26
* “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing [washing] of your mind.” – Romans 12:2
* “Be made new in the attitude of your minds.” – Ephesians 4:23
* “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2
The “laundry soap” we receive at church “washes” and cleans our minds by instructing us:
* “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which his idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5
* “Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12
The “laundry soap” we receive at church we can then carry home with us.
Out the church doors, past all the people flooding in for the second service … we go carrying our “laundry soap” with us! Through the parking lot, past all the cars arriving and exiting … we go carrying our “laundry soap” with us! Past the people backed up on the main road, trying to turn into the parking lot … we go carrying our big container of “laundry soap”! (aka: the truths from God’s Word!)
We get “laundry soap” at church to help us make it through another week of being “dragged through the mud and muck” of life.
This is our “laundry soap”:
* Love must be sincere.
* Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
* Be devoted to each other with love.
* Honor one another above yourself.
* Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
* Be joyful in hope.
* Be patient in affliction.
* Be faithful in prayer.
* Share with those who are in need.
* Practice hospitality.
* Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
* Rejoice with those who rejoice.
* Mourn with those who mourn.
* Live in harmony/peace with everyone.
* Do not be proud.
* Do not be conceited.
* Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
* Do not take revenge.
* Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
– Romans 12:9-21
Laundry soap – what a beautiful object lesson of why we go to church!
