It’s easy to be captivated by the rituals and beauty of Sunday worship, to enjoy the music, the liturgy, and the sense of community. Yet, there’s a real danger in letting our faith become a spectator sport—much like watching weightlifting videos from the comfort of the couch without ever picking up a dumbbell. The call of Jesus is not simply to admire or ascribe value to him, but to follow him. Over and over, Jesus says, “Follow me,” inviting us into a way of life that is active, transformative, and often uncomfortable.
Worship, in its truest sense, is not the end goal. It’s a means of reorienting our hearts and lives toward the one we claim to follow. If we only gather to sing and listen, but our lives remain unchanged from Monday to Saturday, we’ve missed the point. True worship is not about being entertained or inspired for an hour; it’s about being reminded of our role in God’s ongoing story and being equipped to live it out.
The analogy of the “theater of worship” challenges us to see ourselves not as the audience, but as the performers, with God as our sole audience. The musicians and preachers are merely prompters, reminding us of our lines and our part in the great drama of redemption. This shift in perspective calls us to take our faith seriously, to move from passive consumption to active participation.
Following Jesus means more than knowing the right doctrines or attending church regularly. It means practicing forgiveness, loving our enemies, standing with the marginalized, and letting go of our own preferences for the sake of others. It’s about letting the teachings of Jesus shape our daily decisions, our relationships, and our priorities. The invitation is clear: Jesus never said, “Worship me.” He said, “Follow me.” The question is whether we will answer that call, allowing his life to grow in us and through us, changing everything about the way we live.
Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV) — > Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Luke 5:27-28 (ESV) — > After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
James 1:22 (ESV) — > But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
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