Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer a sacrifice to God

“Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.”

This morning we are looking at the second affect of prayer according to John Bunyan.

Prayer is a Sacrifice to God.

Listen to how the psalmist describes it in Psalm 141

We are going to begin by looking at the Biblical idea of sacrifice, which is different than our modern idea of sacrifice.

Today when I say, I have really sacrificed for my family.

No one here is wondering how many bulls or goats I have slaughtered and burnt on the altar or how much grain have I given up for my family.

You realize I have given up time or money.

I wanted to give time or money to my wife or children.

But before Jesus, sacrifices Biblically speaking were very different.

Do you know what the first sacrifice was in the Bible and who preformed it?

Look with me at Genesis 3:21 At this point God has just finished telling Adam and Eve there punishments remember when their eyes were open, Adam and eve realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together to hide there nakedness.

But in verse 21 of chapter 3 we read...

I have heard other pastors point out that God was the first one to sacrifice animals to cover our sins.

When He made Adam and Eve clothes from animal skins.

Now scripture doesn’t tell us that God command Cain and Abel to bring sacrifices but we read in chapter 4 about the offerings they bring look at verses 1-7 with me.

I have hear people say that Cain’s offering was rejected because it was not a blood sacrifice, I do not see that in the text.

What we read, look at verse 4

Which animals did Abel pick?

The firstborn and their fat portions, that is Abel brought the best of his flock.

Now some Jewish sages say that Cain brought the worst of his crop.

Let me ask you a question, why did Cain bring his offering?

Was it to please God? Did He bring God’s his best looking to please his heavenly Father?

Of course not , that is why he got angry with his brother right?

He was jealous.

God went on to warn Cain that sin was crouching at Cain’s door.

Why was God warning Cain?

What did God desire from Cain? Repentance right?

God wants your heart and mine.

How mind blowing is that?

The God of all creation wants a relationship with you , with me, with all of His children.

I have witnessed many grieving parents with estranged children that will not talk to them.

It is so hard because as a parent you desire relationship and our heavenly Father is no different He desires relationship.

That is why prayer is a sacrifice to God.

God’s greatest desire is for you to know Him and glorify Him and be satisfied in Him.

I do believe that we can see by the reaction of Cain when his offering is rejected that his heart wasn’t right.

Cain was not giving His best to God to please God, it appears to me that Cain was giving out of obligation.

If Cain was giving with the right motive, he would have realized that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because Abel had given God the best off his flock.

Cain had the opportunity to analyze his own heart and repent.

God didn’t desire sacrifice for the sake of the sacrifice.

He wants relationship restored with His children.

God does not want you to read your Bible and pray everyday to check a box, I did my duty today as a “good Christian” He wants us to read our Bibles and pray because we ant Him.

You must desire to know Him and serve Him and obey Him.

Let’s look at this concept a little closer.

If you remember back to our Old Testament reading this morning.

Do you remember what God had instructed Saul about the Amalekites?

God’s command to Saul is very clear, kill all the Amalekites and all their animals.

This is a difficult passage, people question God and say what kind of God would do this, He is not a loving God.

This is hard to understand, but let’s try to understand it this morning.

First God is absolutely loving but He is also Just.

Sin has a penalty right?

What is the penalty for your sin for my sin?

Death either ours or the perfect spotless lamb of God right?

Now A.W. Tozer points out that God’s attributes are not at war.

It is not like God’s justice is fighting with God’s love and during the tug o war some of us our saved.

He is always loving and always just at the same time.

They work together.

Because God is always just our sin had to be paid for, so either you pay for your sins with your own life or you repent and believe in Jesus and his sacrifice pays for your sin.

But the justice of God will be satisfied and it is Gods will that we all would be saved.

God gave the Amorites 400 years to repent.

Listen to Genesis 15 God is speaking to Abraham

God gave the Amorites 400 years to repent.

Just like Cain, God desired the Amorites to repent.

Remember God doesn’t want any one to perish but for everyone to repent.

We reject God.

So when we see God order the entire destruction of the Amalekites, it is because of their own refusal to repent.

If you want to know the heart of God in the Old Testament, study the life of Jesus, because Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father, in John chapter 14 and how would describe Jesus?

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So why did a loving compassionate God command the Saul to kill all the Amalekites?

Look at Deuteronomy 25 with me.

We see our answer in verse 18, God was punishing them for their own sin.

What did they do?

First they did not fear God.

They attack the people of God when they were tired and weary.

Not only that but who did they attack?

Those who lagged behind and who would have been lagging behind?

Women and children and probably the elderly.

These people were wicked.

They had no regard for God or life.

They attacked and killed women and children and the weakest among God’s people and God was punishing them.

So we see God’s command is clear to Saul, God is using Saul and the Israelites to punish the Amalekites, but what happened in the text I read earlier?

Did Saul obey The Lord?

Saul thinks so or is lying to himself and attempting to cover it up with Samuel.

Does it work?

Have you ever done this?

Have you lied to yourself or the Lord about obeying Him.

Our hearts can be deceitful.

It can be tough, I think I have lied to myself about my motives and it’s heard to discern that.

That is why Psalm 139 is so important

Does that make sense?

God commanded the Israelites to destroy all the animals.

So why did they keep them?

Saul said they kept the best to sacrifice them to God.

Does that make sense?

Why? Do we read numerous times where God says the sacrifices of Israel were a pleasing aroma?

It wasn’t because burning animals smelled good.

The sacrifices that pleased God were a symbol of repentance.

A sign that God’s people wanted to turn from their sin and obey.

They wanted relationship with God.