How far are you willing to go to worship God? How far will you travel physically to worship
Jesus? Why? Why do you go to a particular church? In fact, why go to church at all? Most
importantly, what would the living God have you do?
Most people simply go to church where their parents, friends or relatives have gone. Yet millions
today go for other, more personal, reasons. Does it matter where you go to church? It absolutely
does. In the past I’ve had several people tell me that as long as you believe in Jesus and you’re trying
to live a good moral life, it doesn’t really matter where you go to church or what your specific beliefs
on things are. This seems to be the go to answer when they don’t agree with something taught in
the Bible. This way of thinking is wrong. God didn’t create us to do and believe whatever and
worship in any way we choose. He tells us what we need to know in the Bible about how to
worship and what to believe.
But think!
Why does God have a Church? What is its purpose? Why did the early Christians go to very
“unpopular” places and even risk their lives to meet secretly in homes, in small rented halls or
even in caves? We know that tens of thousands of Christians literally met in caves along the Appian
Way in Rome and elsewhere, fearing Roman persecution. In those early centuries, many Christians
were literally burned to death, or were publicly thrown to wild animals and tortured to death! They
must have had a very special reason to “go to church” and be willing to risk ignominy and possibly
even death. We all need to think about that!
The three kings (Mt 2:1-12) came from the East, followed the star to worship Jesus. They put time,
energy, traveled long distance and gave all they had…Why? Did they do this because something
compelled them to do so? King David (2 Samuel 6:12-29), Peter (Mt 14:22-29), Philip (Acts 8:8) and
Stephen (Acts 6:16) went all outside of their comfort routines to worship God. What would you do?
How far would you go to worship your King? How far will you travel to meet Him? What is the
extent you will go to testify and praise God? How far will you align yourself with the fear of the
Lord versus the fear of men? How far will you risk to take Jesus at His Words like Peter? When
it doesn’t make sense? When it seems stupid? How much will you sacrifice, give to love those
around you? How far will you allow the
Holy Ghost to be the master of your life? What are you willing to risk to identify with Jesus?
The question is: are you sold out to the worship of Jesus no matter what? Will you say yes to him
when your flesh wants you to say no? How far will you go to worship Jesus? What is your answer
today?
We need to realize that God wants us to learn about His genuine purpose for our lives, and how to
fulfill that purpose. He obviously wants us to study and understand His purpose in guiding world
events. Remember Jesus’ command, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted
worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man”.