Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A Dangerous Place
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me.
—John 12:26
What is the most dangerous place in the world?
A war zone certainly qualifies. The jungles of Africa can seem very dangerous, especially at night, when wild animals run right through the safari camp. You can hear animal sounds like you have never heard before in your life. That’s a scary place to be.
But did you ever think that one of the most dangerous places you can be is right in church? Attending church can be hazardous to your spiritual health if you are coming for the wrong reason.
Why is it hazardous? Because you are exposed to truth. If you have no intention of putting that truth into practice into your life, your church can actually be one of the worst places to be.
It’s a dangerous thing to hear the gospel without any intention of applying it in your life.
You may be fooling yourself. Are you in church because other people are? Are you going because it’s popular? Or are you going to church because you have made the decision to follow Christ?
Jesus said, “ ‘If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor’ ” (John 12:26).
When I signed up to follow Jesus, I didn’t sign up to do what other people were doing. I signed up to be His follower, no matter what. He will stand by you as you follow Him, and God will honor you.
Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.
SPECIAL OFFER
On Being a Servant of God
"I don’t know of a better resource for you to add to your bookshelf than On Being a Servant of God. Written by one of the great communicators in the church, Warren Wiersbe, it is a book that I believe will enrich your life."
-Greg Laurie
On Being a Servant of God invites you to listen in on the thirty short “armchair chats” to gain practical and encouraging insights that will increase your desire to serve the Lord for His glory.
You can have your own copy of On Being a Servant of God in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. 