The story is told of a pastor of a large church who had a dream one night that really opened his eyes. He dreamed that he could see his own church worship service on Sunday morning. But there was something very strange happening.
The choir was singing. The mouths of the choir members were open......but no sound was heard. The people in the congregation were singing. But there was nothing from their mouths, either. The preacher himself got up to preach his typical Sunday sermon. He opened his mouth to preach.....but nothing came out.
There was absolutely no sound at all in the entire worship center. Then, the pastor saw a little girl up in the balcony & heard her little voice singing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."
The pastor was confused & suddenly woke up. "Lord, what was I dreaming? It doesn’t make sense to me." He asked.
The Lord spoke to his heart & said, "Pastor, you just saw a picture of what I see in your ministry & in your church every Sunday morning. People are singing & you are preaching.......but I hear nothing. Your heart is not focused on me. You are focused on yourself. The only one I heard in your church last Sunday was the little girl in the balcony who matters to very few people in your church. But she matters to me......because she came to church today with the right motive: to love me with all of her heart!"
What if Jesus showed you a dream of your church? What would He hear? Whose heart is truly focused on the Lord? (Dr. Larry Petton, Cross Pointe Community Church)
Mat 15:8 (GW): “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
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