Why is it so difficult to rise up and worship on Sunday morning? Is it just me or do we all experience this phenomenon? I can remember the struggles that my brother Phillip and I put my mother through almost every worship day. Once, we had my mom so frustrated that she was trying to put two shoes on Phil’s right foot. It took her a minute but she figured it out. Why is this such a problem?

Maybe it’s because we don’t worship on the Sabbath. You know that the sabbath is actually Saturday, right? The jews, before the time of Jesus, always went to the synagogue on Saturday. Saturday is the seventh day of the week, Sunday is the first day. Earlier followers of Jesus began to worship on Sunday because of the resurrection.

Could it be that simple? Or, maybe it’s because we live our own aggendas right up to the edge of Sunday and then try to squeeze in a good worship before we have to go back to work. When I was a teen I had a friend who used to say that “Saturday was his night to howl.” That’s true for most of us, I’m afraid, and I believe it’s what makes Sunday a day to mourn instead of celebrate.

Try looking at it this way; If you had an interview with the president this morning, would you have stayed up as long as you could last night and partied as hard as you could? Would you spring up in a panic, having ignored your alarm to the point of total frustration, and rush madly around trying to gather the appropriate clothing for the occasion? Would you have slammed down a quick bite to eat in route and run in five or ten or fifteen minutes late to your appointment? Is the president of the free world more important than the Creator of the universe?

“You have defiled my altar. ‘But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animalas, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 1.7b-8)

Let’s stop giving God our left over time. I’m giving you official permission to skip church if you stayed up late last night and did whatever you wanted to do. Why? Because God doesn’t want your left overs any more than your girlfriend/boyfriend, husband or wife, children or parents do. DO NOT enter a house of worship intending to give God the present of your presence when you cannot pay attention nor enjoy His presence at all. Lay down and go back to sleep. But I want you to remember something…

Ecclesiastes 12.13 – “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

So, if you need to, go back to sleep but know this; I have taken away your excuse for being tired and lack luster in worship. You now know that you should go to sleep sooner and honor God with your energy and vitality as much as with your money or your talent. And “to him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” If next Sunday rolls around and you do the same old tired routine then know that you are in open rebellion against God and rebellion “is as the sin of witchcraft”. No, this isn’t a warm and fuzzy blog. Get serious about serving the One True and Living God who sent His One and Only Son to pay for your sin and my sin and the sin of all humanity on the cross of Calvary. One man for all time offering one sacrifice for all sin for all men. This is the day of worship!