everybody worships something - what do you worship?
And...is it Bringing you everlasting joy?
For a long time Christians have been criticized for ‘worshiping the cross’, and for being ‘backward’. We're just a bunch of worshipers. But what if I were to tell you that everybody worships something?
You see, what you worship is that which you place at the top of your priorities. Even if you think you don't worship anything, you do. Whatever it is that you prioritize, that's what you worship. The question becomes, are you worshiping the right thing? That thing that's going to bring joy to your life? And how about prosperity?
Do you think your job is your priority? Some people think that their career is all that matters – they have this short term view of life that tells them that it’s now or never. That they must do whatever it takes to advance their careers. Now, don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with doing a good job for your employer. But is your job all that matters to you? Is your career all you think about? Do you feel the pressure of advancing in your career at all costs? Is this you? If this is you, I’m afraid you worship your job. Is your job the right thing to worship?
Or it's not career necessarily but is the same short term view of life telling you that you must accumulate as much money as you can as fast as you can? The short term view of life imposes a sense of urgency – we only have so much time to do what we want, or what we can. Now, don’t get me wrong –there’s nothing wrong about being wealthy or saving money. But if you put money at the top of your priorities – if all you think about is money, then you worship money. Is money the right thing to worship?
Some other people, pressed by this short term view of life, put having fun at the top of their priorities. Having fun can mean a lot of different things: sex, drugs, gossip, watching TV, etc. They aspire to survive the work week so that they can have some fun during the weekend. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with having fun, but if that’s at the top of your priorities, then I’m afraid you worship fun. Is fun the right thing to worship?
I always tell my son and anyone interested to hear: there are only 24 hours in a day. Depending on what you focus on, that’s the direction you’re headed. If fun is what your focus is, then fun is all you’re ever going to get. If money is what your focus is, then money is all you’re ever going to get. If your careers is what your focus is, then a career is all you’re going to get.
Then what?
Then you die, of course. We’re all going to die. Like somebody once said: there are only two certain things in life, taxes and death.
Now let me ask you this: can you take your career with you when you die? Can you take your money with you when you die? Can you take your fun with you when you die?
Of course not. But you see, it’s the short term view of life that causes people to worship the wrong things.
Unfortunately for these unbelievers, nothing that they worship is going to be useful to them after they die.
Christians have a much, much longer term view of life. In fact, we have an eternal view of life. We worship the cross because that cross represents our Salvation. There’s plenty of evidence that Jesus walked on this earth 2000 years ago. There’s also plenty of evidence that He preached and was jailed and crucified. Why did He die? He died to give us a chance to be saved.
Saved from what?
Saved from sin. We would not be able to be saved on our own, so we need the grace of God to save us. As you know, Jesus died and is risen. There’s also evidence of His resurrection, did you know that?
How do I know that? Let me ask you a couple of things:
Well, you find…nobody.
We worship Jesus Christ because He came to save us. After we die, we won’t take our fun, or our money, or our careers with us - we reserve these things for this life. But we’ll take something much more valuable – we’ll take our fellow Christians, with whom we’ll reunite in heaven at one point or another.
And that’s why we choose to worship God.
Do Christians have fun, or money or careers? Of course we do - but we don't worship these things.
Everybody worships something – what do YOU worship?
You see, what you worship is that which you place at the top of your priorities. Even if you think you don't worship anything, you do. Whatever it is that you prioritize, that's what you worship. The question becomes, are you worshiping the right thing? That thing that's going to bring joy to your life? And how about prosperity?
Do you think your job is your priority? Some people think that their career is all that matters – they have this short term view of life that tells them that it’s now or never. That they must do whatever it takes to advance their careers. Now, don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with doing a good job for your employer. But is your job all that matters to you? Is your career all you think about? Do you feel the pressure of advancing in your career at all costs? Is this you? If this is you, I’m afraid you worship your job. Is your job the right thing to worship?
Or it's not career necessarily but is the same short term view of life telling you that you must accumulate as much money as you can as fast as you can? The short term view of life imposes a sense of urgency – we only have so much time to do what we want, or what we can. Now, don’t get me wrong –there’s nothing wrong about being wealthy or saving money. But if you put money at the top of your priorities – if all you think about is money, then you worship money. Is money the right thing to worship?
Some other people, pressed by this short term view of life, put having fun at the top of their priorities. Having fun can mean a lot of different things: sex, drugs, gossip, watching TV, etc. They aspire to survive the work week so that they can have some fun during the weekend. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with having fun, but if that’s at the top of your priorities, then I’m afraid you worship fun. Is fun the right thing to worship?
I always tell my son and anyone interested to hear: there are only 24 hours in a day. Depending on what you focus on, that’s the direction you’re headed. If fun is what your focus is, then fun is all you’re ever going to get. If money is what your focus is, then money is all you’re ever going to get. If your careers is what your focus is, then a career is all you’re going to get.
Then what?
Then you die, of course. We’re all going to die. Like somebody once said: there are only two certain things in life, taxes and death.
Now let me ask you this: can you take your career with you when you die? Can you take your money with you when you die? Can you take your fun with you when you die?
Of course not. But you see, it’s the short term view of life that causes people to worship the wrong things.
Unfortunately for these unbelievers, nothing that they worship is going to be useful to them after they die.
Christians have a much, much longer term view of life. In fact, we have an eternal view of life. We worship the cross because that cross represents our Salvation. There’s plenty of evidence that Jesus walked on this earth 2000 years ago. There’s also plenty of evidence that He preached and was jailed and crucified. Why did He die? He died to give us a chance to be saved.
Saved from what?
Saved from sin. We would not be able to be saved on our own, so we need the grace of God to save us. As you know, Jesus died and is risen. There’s also evidence of His resurrection, did you know that?
How do I know that? Let me ask you a couple of things:
- When you go to Muhammad’s grave, who do you find? Well, you find Muhammad, of course.
- When you go to Buddha’s grave, who do you find? Well, you find Buddha, of course.
- But when you go to Jesus Christ’s grave, who do you find?
Well, you find…nobody.
We worship Jesus Christ because He came to save us. After we die, we won’t take our fun, or our money, or our careers with us - we reserve these things for this life. But we’ll take something much more valuable – we’ll take our fellow Christians, with whom we’ll reunite in heaven at one point or another.
And that’s why we choose to worship God.
Do Christians have fun, or money or careers? Of course we do - but we don't worship these things.
Everybody worships something – what do YOU worship?