\\ A HUMAN SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-8

X. INTRO:

A. According to the Boston Globe, on the night of her death, Cassie’s brother Chris found a poem Cassie had written just two days prior to her death. It spoke, not of a literal death, but of life as a living sacrifice.

"Now I have given up on everything else

I have found it to be the only way

To really know Christ and to experience

The mighty power that brought

Him back to life again, and to find

Out what it means to suffer and to

Die with him. So, whatever it takes

I will be one who lives in the fresh

Newness of life of those who are

Alive from the dead."

XI. a Human sacrifice

A. Offer a Human Sacrifice: You!

1. Bodies a living sacrifice: placed on the altar to be consumed in 100% devotion, yet not consumed in death, but living service. Whole burnt offerings rose to God and were thus impossible to reclaim.

2. Holy and acceptable: OT offering of weak and blemished animals not acceptable, thus implying our being perfected in Xst, and also being wholly and unreservedly offered. The perfect sacrifice was a lot more costly than the blemished animal.

B. Well why should we?

1. The first what for is in the “therefore” of God’s salvation mercy

a) Therefore: considering salvation, not by works, law or religion, but by faith and grace alone, and all the mercy that includes

2. It’s a reasonable response

a) Logikos: logical, reasonable, intelligent, deliberate, spiritual

b) Latreia: service, worship

c) This is your “ministry logically deduced” (ministry = service, but used about spiritual things.)

d) God is worshipped in the dedicated service of living sacrifices, whether gathered in song, or sweating in the streets.

e) Lough Fook, a Chinese Christian, moved with compassion for the Chinese slaves in the South African mines, sold himself for a term of five years as a slave to carry the Gospel to his countrymen working there. He toiled in the mines and preached Jesus while he toiled.
Lough Fook died; but not until he had won to the Saviour nearly 200 disciples who joined the Christian church. That is a radical sacrifice.

XII. a radical sacrifice

A. Get Radical

1. Not like everybody else, especially in the way you value and prioritize life.

2. The way “everybody” thinks is not always right, nor like God thinks.

B. Get Morphed

1. Get “morphed” by a mind transplant

2. Minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit through the Word and prayer.

C.Get Clued In (on God’s thoughts)

1. Then we can start to know what God wants for us and thinks about us.

2. That is Good, Pleasing and Perfect.

3. It’s Experiential

a) Testing and Proving is in the Doing

b) So we move to what we should expect to be doing, which leads us to recognizing that we are…

XIII. a collective sacrifice

Lets Do A Human Sacrifice

X. INTRO:

A. According to the Boston Globe, on the night of her death, Cassie’s brother Chris found a poem Cassie had written just two days prior to her death. It spoke, not of a literal death, but of life as a living sacrifice.

XI. a Human sacrifice

A. Offer a Human Sacrifice: You!

1. Bodies a living sacrifice: placed on the altar to be consumed in 100% devotion, yet not consumed in death, but living service. Whole burnt offerings rose to God and were thus impossible to reclaim.

2. Holy and acceptable: OT offering of weak and blemished animals not acceptable, thus implying our being perfected in Xst, and also being wholly and unreservedly offered. The perfect sacrifice was a lot more costly than the blemished animal.

B. Well why should we?

1. The first what for is in the “therefore” of God’s salvation mercy

a) Therefore: considering salvation, not by works, law or religion, but by faith and grace alone, and all the mercy that includes

2. It’s a reasonable response

a) Logikos: logical, reasonable, intelligent, deliberate, spiritual

b) Latreia: service, worship

c) This is your “ministry logically deduced” (ministry = service, but used about spiritual things.)

d) God is worshipped in the dedicated service of living sacrifices, whether gathered in song, or sweating in the streets.

XII. a radical sacrifice

A. Get Radical

1. Not like everybody else, especially in the way you value and prioritize life.

2. The way “everybody” thinks is not always right, nor like God thinks.

B. Get Morphed

1. Get “morphed” by a mind transplant

2. Minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit through the Word and prayer.

C.Get Clued In (on God’s thoughts)

1. Then we can start to know what God wants for us and thinks about us.

2. That is Good, Pleasing and Perfect.

3. It’s Experiential

a) Testing and Proving is in the Doing

b) So we move to what we should expect to be doing, which leads us to recognizing that we are…

XIII. a collective sacrifice

A. See Your Body

1. We belong to each other

2. Doing His will as His body requires that we remember we are only one part.

B. Know Yourself

1. We need a sober estimation, not too high or low, and we need to find our place.

C.Do Your Part

1. A Sampling, not a complete list. (see also 1Co.12, and 1Pet.4:9-11

2. It is more outward directed ministry than inward

3. Prophecy: fore & forth

4. Serving: broad, joy in it

5. Teaching

6. Giving

7. Encourage/Exhort: call alongside

8. Lead: take the point on the mission

9. Mercy: forgiving and relieving

XIV. invitation (See song intro)