And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Sometimes I wonder why people are so anxious to get out of church. I was watching a service the other day and as the preacher prepared to give an invitation, the pastor was sitting on the front row and called out to the preacher to ask the people not to leave. How sad. That at the first opportunity, people jump out of their seats and run out the front door. How sad that pastors have to do that: beg people not to leave during the invitation. While everybody’s head are bowed, nobody looking, they slip out the door instead of slip down to the altar. They’re going the wrong way. Instead of up and leaving, they should be going down and lingering.
People don’t want to stick around for the preaching, the invitation to the altar, the praying of the saints of God. It’s just a delay to them. It’s a delay to their busy Sunday. What’s so important that we can’t be delayed at the house of God. I heard someone say the other day, “The preacher goes long sometimes.” Long? Who said that preaching must be 15 minutes, or 30 minutes, or whatever set time? Maybe the preacher didn’t go long? Maybe the church member fell short!
I heard that one church, if anybody comes down to the front during the invitation and wants to get saved, they usher them off to some room so that everybody can go home on time and not be delayed. And they’ll present them in the evening as saved. Whatever. Lester Roloff said to those troubled girls in the homes, “You want to be free? You want to be free to live like the devil is what you want!”
What people miss when they can’t handle a delay? I’ve noticed through the years that ones who are so adamant about church starting on time are usually the ones that want it to end on time also. Sometimes, things just take some time. I always think about Mary at the tomb. It seems that Jesus put on hold the whole plan of the universe just for her. He told her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” But later that day it was fine for Thomas to touch the risen Lord. Something happened between those two events. Some preachers say that Jesus ascended and made the atonement somehow. I don’t know. But whatever it was, Jesus hung around that tomb waiting to console Mary. I’m sure she was glad that he delayed.
God help us not to get all turned upside down if the Man of God delays. Stick with the crowd that sticks around.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
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