LIVING SACRIFICES: Revolutionary Terminology
Rom. 12:1
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: CAN YOU PULL A FAKE ON GOD?
1. A teenage girl tells the story of how she faked report card. “I failed the first quarter of a class in middle school, so I made a fake report card. I did this every quarter that year.”
2. “I forgot that they mail home the end-of-year cards, and my mom got it before I could intercept with my fake. She was furious—at the school for their error.”
3. “The teacher also retired that year and had already thrown out his records, so they had to take my mother’s “proof” (the fake ones I made throughout the year) and “correct” the “mistake.” I’ve never told her the truth.” [true] Do you think you can pull a fake report card on God? No!
B. TEXT
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” Rom. 12:1.
C. THESIS
1. Paul’s statement in Romans 12:1 contains revolutionary terminology; if it’s looked at closely, it may explode with divine meaning.
2. We’re going to look tonight at what it means to be LIVING SACRIFICES; our MOTIVE to be one, WHAT KIND of sacrifice God wants, and SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of how to be one.
3. The title of this message is, “Living Sacrifices.”
I. THE MOTIVE TO SACRIFICE: GOD’S MERCY
A. WE DIDN’T DESERVE IT
1. God’s mercy is one of the greatest wonders. The Creator doesn’t need us, we don’t deserve to be favored, and there is much about us that’s opposed to Him. Yet He still loves us and extends His grace and mercy to us – not to become His sweatshop workers, but to become His own sons and daughters and heirs of all He has!
2. Paul points out in Romans 11:17-24, what a mercy it was for we Gentiles to be grafted into the covenants (stump of Jesse) God made with the Hebrews. Because they didn’t believe, we got to step into their places. Like being on a waiting list for a plane seat, and making it on because someone else failed to show up. It’s a mercy! A Bonus!
B. THE EXTENT TO WHICH GOD WENT
1. God’s mercy is also seen in the great efforts God went to in order to atone for our sins. It was against nature that God help those who were His enemies
2. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:6-8.
3. And God’s mercy wasn’t free, but very costly: it cost Him the tortuous death of His one and only Son, Jesus. He was beaten and crucified so that our sins could be laid on Him. What incredible mercy God has for us!
4. Since God Himself has sacrificed so much for us, we too should be willing to sacrifice for Him!
II. WHAT WE’RE TO SACRIFICE?
A. “OUR BODIES.” WHY?
1. The only acceptable sacrifice in history was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His was the substance, of which all other sacrifices were but shadows. Hebrews 10:3-4 tells us that the O.T. Temple sacrifices could never take away sin but were only an annual reminder of that we were sinners – they pointed to the need of a greater sacrifice. Jesus’ death once and for all atoned and obliterated sins permanently. The “divine switch” transferred our sins to Him and His righteous to us (2 Cor. 5:21). He suffered in His body to atone for us.
2. Under the new dispensation God desires a whole new type of sacrifice. New Testament believers are all “priests unto God” (Rev. 1:6; 5:10) and should have something to ‘sacrifice’ to Him; “You…are…to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet. 2:5.
3. In general, it is our bodies we are to offer in sacrifice to God. God doesn’t just want our thoughts or good feelings, He wants the entirety of our beings – including our bodies.
4. Paul says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” 1 Cor. 6:19-20. Our bodies are “members of Christ” Himself, 1 Cor. 6:15.
5. Is this sacrifice asking too much? In light of what Jesus suffered for us, of course not. As another example, think of times of war; men feel it’s right to fight. Yes, their farm or business will suffer in their absence. Yes, they will miss their wife or husband, and children. But they must defend the nation. All personal considerations take a back-seat to the demand of patriotism & duty. And will not the Christian soldier sacrifice as much for the Savior who died for us? The Lord Jesus Himself set the example of self-sacrifice; “Christ pleased not Himself,” Rom. 15:3.
B. WHAT TYPE OF SACRIFICE DOES GOD WANT?
1. ONE THAT’S LIVING. The Jews sacrificed their animals and other valuables, which symbolized the worshiper’s life. Those sacrifices led to the death of the victims. God doesn’t want a dead sacrifice, but a living one.
2. There is in every sacrifice death and life. In offering ourselves, we do have to “die out” to our own will and wishes. Paul describes what happens, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Gal. 2:20. The beauty is that when we die out to ourselves, Jesus lives in us more strongly, and we then live the real Christian life through Him!
3. ONE THAT’S HOLY. God wants our bodies to be holy. God wouldn’t accept a sacrifice from the Jews which had ‘blemishes.’ God won’t accept lives spotted with common sins. Repent and be cleansed!
4. It’s our “REASONABLE SERVICE.” Unlike an unthinking animal being offered, our sacrifice/ service to God is “reasoned.” The Greek word is ‘logikos’ from which we get our word “logic.” God wants us to employ our minds in His service. And what God asks us to do is “reasonable.” He only asks us to do what He also gives us the power to do. So don’t think, “I just can’t do that!” Paul said, “I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Phip. 4:13. So can you!
III. SACRIFICES GOD CALLS US TO MAKE
A. O.T. SACRIFICES WERE REPULSIVE TO GOD
1. Isaiah 1:11,13, “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats….Stop bringing meaningless offerings!”
2. The real beauty that God derived from the O.T. sacrifices were the HEART ATTITUDES of the worshipers. That’s why, even in the O.T., there began to be revelations about what God really valued as sacrifices. Look at these alternatives:
B. 7 ALTERNATIVES TO O.T. SACRIFICES
1. A BROKEN & CONTRITE HEART. “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—O God, You will not despise” Psalm 51:16-17, NKJV.
2. TO OBEY THE LORD. ‘But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” 1 Sam. 15:22.
3. TO DO WHAT IS JUST & RIGHT. “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” Prov. 21:3.
4. ACKNOWLEDGE GOD. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” Hosea 6:6.
5. SHOW MERCY, WALK HUMBLY. “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams….? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy & to walk humbly with your God” Mic. 6:7-8.
6. PRAYER & PRAISE. “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” Ps. 141:2. “Offer unto God thanksgiving….Whoso offers praise glorifies Me” Ps. 50:14,23.
7. DO GOOD & SHARE WITH OTHERS. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” Heb. 13:15-16.
C. GOD WANTS LIVING SACRIFICES
1. God doesn’t want a dead animal, God wants a New Creation, in the image of Jesus, living out the life of Jesus before his/her family, friends, neighbors, etc.
2. We worship God with our humility, our mercy to others, our service, our good deeds, and sharing what we have with the needy. To that we can add our prayers and praise.
3. The bush that Moses saw burning on Mount Horeb was just a worthless thorn bush. What got Moses attention was that it was burning with sacred fire, but it wasn’t consumed. What a picture of the N.T. believer! Our worth is not in ourselves, but the sacred fire that burns on us. Other’s attention will be drawn by the fact that we’re burning, but not consumed – because we are living sacrifices! How many of you want to be one?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Hippolytus, 200 A.D., describes Christian baptism at Rome. Candidates took off their outer clothing, were baptized three times after renouncing Satan and affirming the basic teaching of the faith, and put on new clothes.
2. PURPOSE? Help them to understand they were putting off the old garments of sin, being buried in the waters with Jesus, and they putting on righteousness of Christ!
B. THE CALL
1. The first step toward God is to become a child of God. Has Jesus washed your sins away? Have you been clothed with the righteousness of Christ? If not, lift your hands. Let’s pray.
2. We’ve seen how outward sacrifices, like giving up things of value or doing charitable work – are not pleasing to God. What He wants is our hearts and bodies, to surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ – our minds, wills, and emotions; to let Him take the steering wheel of our lives. Then He can inspire us how to live.
3. Paul’s acknowledgment, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20) tells us WE CAN’T LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT THE INDWELLING CHRIST!
4. How many of you want to join me in asking for His indwelling presence to help us put the Word into action? Prayer.
