He Missed One Service
(From TRUTH IN CHRIST, May 16, 1997)

Paul Harvey reported on a 73 year old man who was pinned beneath his farm
tractor for four days and nights in driving rain and freezing temperatures.
Concerned friends finally went to see about him, apparently just in time. It
seems as though he is going to survive his ordeal although he will lose
a leg below the knee.

Although the report was centered upon the amazing fact that this 73 year old
man could live after being pined beneath a tractor for four days and nights,
a more amazing fact is what caused his friends to go and see him. What caused
these people to go see about him? He missed a "prayer meeting."
That's all. He missed one service. I believe there are two possible
suppositions we can make about this incident.

On the one hand we could suppose that this man was so faithful and regular in
his church attendance that everyone knew if he was not there, something had
to be seriously wrong. A question: What if you had been pinned under the
tractor? Would your absence have been noticed? Could you honestly classify
yourself as a faithful, regular worshipper?

On the other hand, we could assume that the people in this man's congregation
have such concern for the souls of men that if anyone, no matter how regular
or irregular, missed a service they went to see about them.

"How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one be gone astray, doth
 he leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh
 that which is gone astray?" (Matthew 18:12)

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but
 those things which are revealed belong unto us and to
 our children for ever, that we may do all the words
 of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)