Living Sacrifices
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· 14 viewsPaul asks us to be living sacrifices. Do we give God an acceptable sacrifice, or have we fallen short?
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Sacrifice What is it?
Sacrifice What is it?
As Jews they would have known all about sacrifice.
Was the law for them to offer up sacrifices to God.
They had the example of Abraham and Isaac
As Christians, they would now also have:
They had the example of Christ
By now they would have witnessed the murder of so many of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now Paul is calling on them to do something different. Let’s unpack
A Different Kind of Sacrifice
A Different Kind of Sacrifice
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
:1-2
Paul beseeches the brethren. (To urge, to invite to, to summon, to exhort, to encourage, to excite, to tempt)
So it was a point of urgency.
It was very important to him that the believers do this so it is important for us to know why and then apply it in our lives.
Beseeches them to do what?? To be a “living sacrifice”
To be a “living sacrifice”
Living Sacrifices
Living Sacrifices
Consider the act of circumcision. A sacrifice for sure, one that was worn on the flesh.
Likewise, God demanded a circumcision of the heart, and it’s this kind of circumcision… this kind of sacrifice I want to focus on.
NkJV
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
Living Sacrifices
Living Sacrifices
The first thing is he wants them to be a living sacrifice. Whoe ever heard of a sacrifice that was made where the one being sacrificed was still alive?
What we know about sacrifices.
Well the Jews did. Jewish males at least did. Consider the act of circumcision. A sacrifice for sure, one that was worn on the flesh. But that was not the only type of circumcision we read about in the Old Testament.
Likewise, God demanded a circumcision of the heart, and it’s this kind of circumcision… this kind of sacrifice I want to focus on.
Likewise, God demanded a circumcision of the heart, a circumcision not done by hands, but by actions, and it’s this kind of circumcision… this kind of sacrifice that I want to focus on.
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
Acceptable Sacrifice
Acceptable Sacrifice
Paul says sacrifices should be Holy and acceptable to God. What does that mean? Well, we have only to look at the extreme vetting they did of animals that were to be offered to God as a sacrifice.
So what are acceptable sacrifices?
So what are acceptable sacrifices?
Acceptable Sacrifice
Acceptable Sacrifice
‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.
‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish.
Keviticus 1:10
‘When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.
See the pattern? So an acceptable sacrifice is one without blemish! So how many can say that you are without blemish? Without sin, without any need of a sin offering to remove your blemish!
But we know that those sacrifices were insufficient!
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
Ingredients of an Acceptable Sacrifice
Ingredients of an Acceptable Sacrifice
Animal Sacrifices Insufficient Heb 10:1-3
Faith
Faith
As mature believers, and as disciples one of the most basic but foundational understanding we have of the Gospel is that the rolling away of sin could not have been accomplished without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
But what if I told you that it was never about the sacrifice of animals, and that even without those sacrifices, God’s mercy could be obtained? It’s true.
Took the sacrifice of Jesus
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
Both Cain and Abel offered a blood sacrifice, but the sacrifice according to Hebrews was a means by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. So it wasn’t the sacrifice that made him righteous, it merely demonstrated the righteousness that was obtained by faith!
That’s why willful sin (like Cains) is so devastating:
We discussed this recently. Cane knew the right way to do things, but chose to do it his way. Why? Did he not have faith in God perhaps?
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Praise
Praise
The Just live by faith Heb 10:26
Faith is a sacrifice Heb 11:4
Praise fulfils the requirement for a daily living sacrifice according to
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Do you see that? Continually offer the sacrifice of praise.
What is praise, well Paul lists it out right there as well: the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. So some people say I live a quiet life of praise, or I love to praise God silently in my heart. Now tell me how does that equal the fruit of your lips?
One of the blemishes we can have in our praise life is that we think it’s only for Sunday with Lizzie leading. Praise is for every situation whether in need or in plenty.
If you’re excited about what God has done in your life then tell Him!
Fellowship
Fellowship
Doing good and sharing is a pleasing sacrifice to God
but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Hebrews 13:16
What is doing good and sharing? It is the fellowship of the believers. It’s about being a part of the body of Christ.
What is doing good and sharing? It is the fellowship of the believers. It’s about being a part of the body of Christ.
What is doing good and sharing? It is the fellowship of the believers. It’s about being a part of the body of Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But what exactly does that mean? being built up a spiritual house and how does that equal sacrifice? Well Paul commended the Philippians for their gifts to him and called it a sweet-smelling aroma - a sacrifice.
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
And he spells it out even more specifically in
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Walk in love! Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like love in action? It should, because it is!
But the blemish that we can fall into if we’re not careful is isolating ourselves - especially when things are bad. Sometimes when they’re good.
Putting it all Together
Putting it all Together
Okay then. We’ve established that there are three primary components of offering up living sacrifices to God. I think the easiest is the praise part. As Pentecostals, we have basically grown up with lots of praise, but the question is, do we really walk a faith walk that truly-et involved with each other? Do we pray and share and do good?
And finally and probably most difficult is, do we live a life of true love and fellowship with each other? Do we get involved with each other? Do we pray and share and do good?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
So when we sing that song: Fragrant Offering, think about what it is saying. What kind of sacrifice are we offering up to God? Is it without blemish?
Because that is what God is looking for. He seeks sacrifices without blemish or wrinkle. Offering less than our full trust, praise and love for His people makes our sacrifice like that of Cain, one given on our own terms and the way we want to give, not the sacrifice He requires.
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