Rooted in WorshipSample

Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Romans 12:1

Yesterday, we focused on the “view” from the top of Romans 12:1. With a clear view of God’s mercy in front of us, the most natural response is to worship. To explore this in more depth, let’s return to a quote from earlier in this reading plan.

“The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.”

John Piper

The “why” of our worship takes only a few words, “knowing God truly.” The “what” of worship then takes the rest of the paragraph to explain. Worship is the opportunity to express love to God with everything we have- heart, soul, mind, strength, and actions! True worship is not an activity; it is a lifestyle. Jesus made this clear when he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). Worship is a lifestyle.

Paul said it in this way, “...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). The shocking nature of this statement is lost on us today. You have probably never witnessed the sacrifice of an animal, but at the time when Paul wrote this, animal sacrifice was a common part of life. Jews, Romans, Greeks, and almost all ancient cultures of the time sacrificed animals. There were a variety of reasons that an animal could be sacrificed and a variety of methods, but the result was always the same- a public death in which the animal gave its life for a greater purpose.

So why did Paul use a graphic image like this for worship? What was he trying to teach?

1. Worship is costly. A sacrifice costs the animal its life. Worship is an all-encompassing lifestyle that is costly. As David once said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) Is your worship convenient or costly?
2. Worship is a lifestyle. A.W. Towzer said, “If you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him one day a week. There is no such thing in heaven as Sunday worship unless it is accompanied by Monday worship, Tuesday worship, and so on. Is your worship daily?
3. Worship is holy. Our holiness cannot be naturally formed; it must be supernaturally transformed. Holiness is developed at the intersection of God’s transformative power and my willingness to walk by faith. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
4. Worship pleases God. God is not an emotionless robot or an apathetic force. When you worship, God is pleased! “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”- Eric Liddell.

Soon after becoming a believer in Jesus, I moved to Africa to teach in an all-girls school. There was a great need for teachers in this area, and I was ready to live in a mud hut if need be! When researching the country assigned to me, I learned that there were many dangerous venomous snakes in the countryside. I bought the largest flashlight available to keep an eye out for snakes.

When I arrived, I found fifty-five young girls crammed in my classroom! On top of that, I was asked to teach African history, a subject I had never even studied before. In those days, there was no internet, so I had to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me daily. I had to make many physical sacrifices during that time, but they were all worth it because I had the opportunity to share with the girls all that the Christian life has to offer.

My time serving in Africa allowed me to offer my whole life to God in worship. As I did, the Holy Spirit was with me every step of the way, and I became acutely aware of his presence. This is the beauty of a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice has offered everything to God, only to find that the result is not death but abundant living!

Reflection:

Is your worship convenient or costly?

Is your worship daily?

Is your worship holy?