Convictions About the Sabbath & Traveling

We rarely traveled when I was a child and it was even rarer to be traveling on a Sunday. But I do have some memories passed down to me by my parents concerning travel and honoring the Sabbath.

We often went to see my cousins on weekends, about an hour and a half’s drive from Brewton to Jackson, Alabama. Most of the time we’d go over on a Friday or Saturday but return to Brewton on Saturday evening so we could be back in time for worship on Sundays.

But there were those occasions that we did stay with grandmother and the cousins until Sunday afternoon. Some of my cousins were not regular in Church and others were very regular. My family would get up and go to Sunday School and then to Church. I think the fact that my family was going to Church that Sunday helped encourage some of my cousins to attend Church.

I also remember a few occasions traveling some distance from our home. And on a few of those occasions I do remember going to a “strange” Church on Sundays. What was strange was not the fact that they did anything different from my home Church but the fact that it was a different place and I didn’t know the people.

There were two lessons impressed upon my life by the example of my parents. First, attending Church, during a “family reunion” can make an impression upon others for God’s glory and the good of others. I highly suspect that one of my cousins is walking with God, partly as a result of the influence of my family. Till this day, my immediate family is looked at and to for spiritual influence.

Second, attending Church while traveling and visiting other Churches can make an impression upon others about our true convictions. Worship for many is about convenience. They will gather for worship if they feel like it. They will gather for worship if it is not raining. They will gather for worship if they don’t have anything pressing to do. Seeing my parents keep worship as a priority in their life communicated to me that following Jesus was not about convenience but about convictions.

These convictions witnessed by me and my sisters communicated to us that “God is God and we are created for Him and that God was not created for us”.
Now these are some great lessons but are they based on the truth of God’s Word? I believe that answer is “Yes”.

Where ever the Apostles went in their travels, recorded for us in the Book of Acts, they gathered to worship at the local synagogue on the Sabbath. There they worshipped God, encouraged and were encouraged by other believers and they shared the Gospel.

In Philippi the community of Jews was not even large enough for a synagogue [there had to be at least 10 men to constitute a synagogue]. A group of women met at a place of prayer by the river. Because of Paul’s conviction about worship he went to this place to worship [Acts 16:11-15]. Likewise, we have the same opportunity as we travel and attend worship services at other Churches.

Think about it, what kind of impression does it make when you meet someone at Church who is “just passing through town”? Doesn’t it say something about their convictions and their devotion to Christ?

Also, what does it say about our level of conviction and devotion when we don’t make time to worship the Lord while traveling? I’m not talking about some kind of legalism; I’m talking about worship that is genuinely from our hearts.

But possibly more relevant to our lives on a weekly basis, what does it say about us, when not traveling and we won’t even make the effort to come to Church and worship the Lord? What does it say about our convictions and about what we are devoted to?

Let me encourage you to find a place to gather to worship the Lord [a Bible believing, triune God worshipping Church] from the heart on a weekly basis.