I have been in church all my life, in  several churches with a lot of different worship styles, and I have seen a lot of weird and sometimes funny things happen in those services.  However Easter Sunday this year something truly remarkable happened, and the Lord has used the last two weeks to challenge me and grow me from it in ways I never knew about.

Our pastor is very down to earth in his preaching, straight from the Bible and with lots of insight and practical applications, which I love.  Many times during his sermons, he’ll stop and say, “does this make sense to you?” which is a wonderful way of seeing how clearly he is communicating, and also to refocus those who may have mentally drifted off.  And the usual response is a bumch of head nods and amens, and we continue on.

However!  Easter Sunday as he was giving a clear presentation of the Gospel, he asked that question and a deep voice from the back clearly said “not really!” What????  I looked at those around me, they looked at me, we all looked around, totally startled!  Did we really just hear that?  Someone said “not really”??  NOW what do we do?  I believe we were all stunned at what happened.

Now our pastor, because if previous knowledge of the person, continued with his sermon, and we went on as usual.  For me, however, the questions just kept pouring in, and I don’t think I ever really refocused on the sermon.  What did this man mean?  Did he nor understand a point?  Or was he not a Christian?  How could he NOT comprehend what I so clearly heard and understood??  And why wasn’t anyone addressing this?  Were we really going to not make sure he knew Jesus?? 

Later, after talking with our pastor, I learned of those extenuating circumstances.  But God has just been hammering my heart since then about how casual I am sometimes about people who don’t know Jesus!!  When they hear the Gospel at church, I just assume they are absorbing a lot of what I am, and they are blessed by being there.  What a mistake!  The Bible itself says “but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit, for they are foolishness to him…” (I Corinthians 2:14).  And the same holds true when I share the Gospel or church things or stories..I have to remember that they don’t hear it the way I think they do!

So…what would have happened if this man was a first time visitor that no one knew?  Would we have stopped and gotten a godly man to take him aside and lead him to Jesus?  Would our pastor have stopped and addressed it from the pulpit?  And what about US?  Are we prepared to address the people that may answer back “not really!”?  Are would we just move on and pray they get it later?  May God help us to say NOT REALLY!  May our aim be to be more aware of our witness for HIS glory!!