Thornleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church (Sydney, Australia)

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Why are we Here?

by Mary Turbet

 
Why are we Here? - Real Reasons for Existence

 
Have you ever asked yourself the question "Why are we here in church today?"   Some might say I have to - (a) Set up the chairs. (b) Organize the music  (c) Lead out in Sabbath School. (d) Teach a l Class. (e) Deliver a sermon - and so on.

For me there are other reasons as well -  (1) It's my turn to drive; or (2) Noni will be waiting for me.  How often have I thought - if it were not for one of these reasons and letting Noni down - I would just turn over and go to sleep again.  But the reason we should be here is to worship our God and our Saviour, Jesus

So why are we here?  To-day I intend to tell you two small stories. The first is a true one.

I'm sure we all have them - some of those relations who are a bit way out. You know - the ones who don't quite act as you would like them to.

One of my relatives was like this - he dressed like a tramp - had outrageous ideas about almost everything - once he informed me that if he ever married he would provide his wife with one cup, one plate and a knife spoon and fork and I'm not sure what she was supposed to use for cooking utensils. Probably the tin from a can of fruit as a saucepan and a twig from the tree they were living under for a stirrer spoon! BUT underneath it all there was a very gentle nature.

One day he was walking down Martin Place and saw this man on what was then the Post Office steps. He, this man was obviously in need of help but no one was coming to his assistance. He wasn't just a bit grubby - he was really filthy. What would you have done?

Told yourself, I'm too busy. I have a train to catch. But he's so dirty.  Someone else will look after him. Walked to the other side of Martin Place.

As my lad got closer, he saw that medical attention was needed immediately. He called an ambulance and sat down on the steps with this man, cradling his head, this dirty, filthy head, in his arms and gently talking to him until the ambulance arrived. If I remember correctly, by that time he had died.

This lad does not profess to be a Christian, but isn't this Christianity?

Robyn has provided me with my second story entitled "Excuse Me, Are You Jesus" which I think she got from the Internet.

"A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been turned over. He told his friends to go on without him, waved goodbye and asked one of them to phone his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16 year old girl was totally blind. She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled by about her, no one stopping and no one to caring about her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you O.K.?" she nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride and he wondered. Then he slowly made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul "Are you Jesus"?  Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, isn't it? To be so much like Jesus that people can't tell the difference as we live and interact in a world that is blind to' His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live and act as He would. Knowing Him is simply more than quoting scripture and going to church. Its actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

We are the apple of His eye, even though we too have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.'

So "Why are we here in the world? There are many reasons -

I am sure we could easily add to this list. We should speak to our Lord every day worshipping him, thanking him for all his blessings and asking for his help. AND always we must remember that to-day is a special day, the day on which we worship God and give Him thanks for all His BLESSINGS.

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