Faithfulness
Daniel Parks

I receive a steady barrage of incoming mail from religious hucksters peddling their gimmicks promising to increase the faithfulness of church members in attendance and offerings. Some employ innovations such as drama and dance which make services more appealing to the flesh. Some employ campaigns with lofty goals designed to excite members to attend and give. Some employ contests with awards such as lapel-pins and certificates and trophies. Some employ guilt-trips.

I reprobate all their gimmicks. They are perfectly suited for the synagogue of Satan. They have no place in the church of Christ.

Saints attend the worship services of their church because they love Christ. They therefore desire every opportunity to corporately worship Christ, hear the gospel of Christ, and fellowship with the saints of Christ. The frequency with which they attend will be a fair indication of how much they desire to learn of Christ and fellowship with His saints. They will not be "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some" (Hebrews 10:25). Those who do not attend, apart from providential hindrance, are evidencing by their absence that they would rather be present somewhere else, be doing something else, be with someone else.