Going to School

A student started going to school at the age of 5. Kindergarten. He was worried he had to know all that there was to know about school before he went, but his mom told him, "School is for learning. As you go, you learn, so don't worry about knowing everything first." With confidence, he went. Every day. He rarely missed a day. He was a perfect attender.

As he grew and moved into higher grades, he realized that the teacher was telling him to do things he really didn't want to do. Follow the rules, read the textbook. It wasn't fun for him, and he didn't like following all the rules, which made him not like the teacher, but he did his best to follow them because he liked to be in school. And the books were hard to read. He didn't understand them, so he didn't try. He hoped he could learn what he needed from his friends. He wasn't doing well in class.

He continued on in his school career. He made lots of friends and had a lot of fun, but continued to just show up to school with perfect attendance, making sure he followed the written rules of the school, and even volunteering for different jobs around the school. He still didn't read much of the textbooks or follow the teachers' instructions. He moved on into High School somehow, and had much social success, but still didn't listen and follow the teacher's instructions. He looked forward to the day when he would graduate and move on in his life.

When graduation came, he became excited. He felt like he had been the perfect student. Everyone liked him, and he was very popular among the other students. On the day of graduation, all of his friends received their diplomas and were ready to move on. However, he did not receive one, because he didn't graduate due to his poor grades. He went before the school faculty to find out why he could not graduate and receive a diploma like all his friends.

He argued, "I have rarely missed a day. I show up all the time to school. I dress nicely. I have lots of friends who love me. Why can't I graduate also?"

You showed up, but you did not grow. You were here, but you did not read or study. You sat in the chairs and looked like the perfect student, but you did not listen to the teachers lessons. Just showing up to school is not enough. You must also listen to the teacher, read the textbook and do what they tell you. That is how you can graduate.

How often does this story play out in churches all across America, and even the world? Christians think they can show up to church, have perfect attendance, make lots of friends and have good fellowship, volunteer in the church- but never open the bible (textbook) and apply it; never pray to God (the teacher) and listen and do what He says. Church is not there to go and check the box, and in the end think that we can have salvation. Jesus says on that day, he will tell those people, "I never knew you."

Does the fault for that go with the people, or the church? The church's responsibility is to educate and equip the people within the church, much like a school's responsibility is to educate and equip young people for their future. The church has to be truthful, and not just tell people to come in and be comfortable, and live your best life now.

Don't get me wrong- the local church is important, and it's important for followers of Christ to attend, receive teaching, have fellowship, give, pray. But the main thing they are to do is grow in Christ, in order to grow God's kingdom through listening and obeying. The church is not just there for us, it's there to glorify God.