faith AND fear

Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.
Ezra 3:3

“Despite their fear of the people around them”

Have you ever been afraid to worship God?

What if worshiping God could cause you to suffer or even die, would you still do it?

What is it that keeps you from worshiping God?
- Threat from a gun
- Threat from a club
- Threat that you will lose your job
- Threat that you will lose your family
(For many people around the world, these threats are very real and very possible. Pray for them!)

But for most of the Christians in the United States it is more like…

- I might get wet from the rain

(I know from experience that most pastors hate rainy Sundays because they know attendance will be down.)
- I didn’t get enough sleep.
- I have a lot to do around the house.
- I’m not interested in the topic or the guest speaker.

I want you to think for a moment – What if the current conditions for Christians in the United States changed?

Would your faith in God and commitment to glorify Him change too?

What about your children and grandchildren – is your faith and commitment teaching them that they should be willing to put God first, even before their own life?