After a long deliberation the jury members were called back into the court.  There was a soft whispering going on all over the court room.  The Honerable Judge Donley said, “members of the jury have you reached your verdict”.  The head jury man looked at the judge and said, “yes your honor we have finally reached a decession”.  The judge motions for the baliff to recieve the piece of paper the head jury man is holding up.

The baliff hands the folded up piece of paper to the judge the judge reads it and hands it back to the baliff.  The baliff walks it back over to the Jury man.  The judge says in a calm voice please read your verdict.  “We find in the case do you really need to worship, the answer is, No”. There seems to be alot of clapping and cheering at this time just a few people sat in the crowd stunned.  The people were saying, ” see I told you it was a waist of time.  I thought for a moment I wasn’t going to get to sleep in on Sundays.  The Judge looking over his wired framed glasses said, “order now we will have order in this court room”.  He then asked for a reading of the verdict.

* Jury member number one who was hate said, “NO”.
* Jury member number two who was conciet said, “NO”.
* Jury member number three who was envy said, “NO”.
* Jury member number four who was kindness said, “YES”.
* Jury member number five who was goodness said, “YES”.
* Jury member number six who was self-control said, “YES”.
* Jury member number seven who was discord said, “NO”.
* Jury member number eight who was jealously said, “NO”.
* Jury member number nine who dabbled in witchcraft said, “NO”.
* Jury member number ten who was rage said in a hateful voice, “NO”.
* Jury member number eleven who seemd to be intoxicated slurred,  “NO”.
* Jury member number twelve who seemed to be fearful of alot of the jury members reluctantley said, “ah ah no”.
(some of the jury members looked at him and shook their heads yes and smiled)

There was all kinds of chattering going on in the court house.  The judge stands up and yells, “ORDER”!  He said, “of all the years I have served the people of this county I have seen justice and injustice prevail.  So, before I render my verdict.  I want to address  the people in this court room”.  “Failure to see the benifits of coming together and worshipping in an assembley with brother’s and sister’s of like faith means you feel you can do it on your own “.  You may try to say that the church wasn’t doing anything for me.  So, why should I go? why should I worry about everything else going on around me.  Why, to parphase a late President, ASK NOT WHAT MY CHURCH CAN DO FOR ME BUT, WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY CHURCH.

As the prosecuting attorney pointed out in his closing statement.  “To worship in an assembly is not an arbitrary requirement of God but, it does have spiritual benefits, which God knew in advance”.  In the book of Hebrews chapter ten, verses twenty-four and five.  (24) and let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.  (25) Let us not give up in meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching”.  As the judge lowered his glasses to see over the entire court room, he had everyone’s full attention.  He said, “Worship in assembly is not for God’s benefit it is for your benefit.

One part of worship is fellowship.  The church allows faithful worshipers a place to strengthen their bond, in order to with stand tragic events, great sorrows, trials and calamities that will come up in ones life.  A faithful member has his brother’s and sister’s in Christ that he can lean on for comfort and support in times of need”. I know several members of this jury who are not preparing for the true joy we will feel when we worship around the throne of the heavenly Father.

Being a part of worship now is just a wetting of our appetite of what we can expect when we are face to face with the creator of it all.  Or when his son Jesus, comes back to us with his arms open wide revealing his nailed scarred hands saying come brother enter your place of rest.  I can not for the like of me understand what has happened in your life to allow your heart to be hardened to the point that you would turn your back on one person who never turned his back on you.

The court room was silenced by the judges remarks and even some of the jury dropped their heads in shame.  After the judge finished he stood up and said, “I OVER RIDE THIS VERDICT”, as God is my witness as long as I have breath in my body I will fight so I can worship, my children can worship and my children’s children can have the oppertunity to worship till God sees fit and calls us all home to celebrate this victorious fight.

So, do we need to worship?  No, if’s and’s or but’s the answer is “Yes”.
Case Closed!

Hang in there because… were gonna get there.
In Christian Love,
Kevin Mundstock