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What Sacrifices Please God?

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What Sacrifices Please God?

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What Sacrifices Please God?

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What sacrifices please God, what kind of sacrifices shall we bring to God so that God will respect us and the offering that we bring? This sermon focuses on seven points about the sacrifices that please God and what it means to be a living sacrifice. 

Transcript

 

The first recorded offering made to God is found early in the book of Genesis.  There were two brothers, Cain and Able, and they brought offerings to God.  Now it's not clear what instructions God had given to Adam and his family about offerings but both Cain and Abel brought offerings from their livelihood.  Cain was the tiller of the ground.  He was a farmer and he brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.  Abel was a keeper of the sheep and he brought the first born of his flock.  But which sacrifice pleased God?  It says that God respected Able and the offering that he brought, but it also said He did not respect Cain and the offering that he brought.  Was it the offering?  Was it the attitude?  Was it both?  Well God makes it clear several places in the bible that there are some sacrifices that please Him and there are other sacrifices that do not please Him.

The sermon for today is titled "What Sacrifices Please God?"   What sacrifices please God, what kind of sacrifices shall we bring to God so that God will respect us and the offering that we bring?  I hope to bring out the answers to that question and to help us as we think about how we can be pleasing to God. 

In Abel's case the sheep that he had offered would most likely been sacrificed on an altar.  It would have been first killed and then consumed by fire and that would be the end of that sheep.  The animal would no longer be living.  It would have been sacrificed.  It would have had it's life taken as an offering to God. 

I'd like to turn this afternoon to Romans, chapter 12 and verse 1.  The apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church in Rome and he is instructing them on the Christian way of life.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore brethren, (Paul wrote that he would be beseeching his readers.  That means that he was asking them urgently and fervently.  It was more than just a passing request.  He was begging them, imploring them to do something.) by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, (Well the thing that Paul urges the Christians to do deals with how we treat our bodies.  We're to present them as a living sacrifice.  He goes on to say how they should be presented.) holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Now a typical sacrifice, at least the type of sacrifice we think of and read about in the old testament involved the death of whatever it was that was being sacrificed.  So Paul was introducing a slightly different concept that we can present ourselves to God in a sacrifice, but that we will continue to live.  It reminds me a little bit of the story of Abraham and Isaac.  God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.  Isaac was required to present his body as a sacrifice.  But God stayed Abraham's hand and provided a ram for the offering.  I can't imagine how Isaac felt as his father bound him and laid him on the wood of the altar and then looked up at his own father stretching out his hand above him with a knife. That was a total commitment, a total sacrifice.

In a similar way we are also asked as Paul wrote, to be a sacrifice, not a physical sacrifice like Isaac was supposed to becoming, but a spiritual sacrifice.  Not a sacrifice that going to end in our own death, but a sacrifice that's a part of our life.  We're to be a living sacrifice and that indicates to me an ongoing life of sacrifice. 

During today's sermon I want to bring out seven points about the sacrifices that please God, what it means to be a living sacrifice.  This was something that the apostle Paul was urging, fervently asking us to become.

1. The first point is that the sacrifice must be total. 

There are a number of different animal sacrifices instituted in the old testament.  For some of them the complete animal was offered by fire and it would be totally consumed until nothing but the ashes were left.  In other sacrifices a portion may be set aside, cooked to be eaten by the priest or even by the person who brought the offering.  But either way you look at it, the commitment on the part of that animal was the same. It was a total sacrifice.  The animal couldn't just sacrifice part of his life and go on living the way it had before.  The sacrifice was total, it was complete.  It's clear that we're looking at such a sacrifice that something had to die, something had to die.  If nothing had to die, then there was no sacrifice.  A life was sacrificed.  Therefore if we're to present our self as a living sacrifices, there's also something that has to die.  The system referring to our physical life, otherwise we couldn't still be a living sacrifice.  Let's turn back a few chapters to Roman 8, verse 13.  In this verse Paul explains what needs to die so that we can go on living.

Romans 8:13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; (So a living sacrifice does not live according to the flesh or according to what our human nature desires because that brings death.) but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  Verse 14:  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  So we will live.  We can be a living sacrifice if we put to death the deeds of the body, the desires of the flesh.  That is what must die as a part of our sacrifice; the deeds of the body.

Let's turn to Colossians 3, verse 5 and read another letter from Paul to see a little more detail about these deeds of the body and what he may be referring to.  In this verse Paul describes just what it is that we must put to death.

Colossians 3:5  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: (Then Paul begins to present here a list of things that we must put to death.  These are the things that must die so that we can be a living sacrifice.) fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desires and covetousness, which is idolatry.  Verse 6:  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,Verse 7:  in which you also once walked when you lived in them.

Paul writes that we ourselves once did these terrible things that he listed.  We shouldn't deceive ourselves that we haven't done these things.  We have been disobedient to God, those disobedient ways must be put to death.  We can continue in Verse 8: But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of your mouth. Verse 9: Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.

When we become a living sacrifice, when we respond to God's calling, we put off the old man, the old way that we used to live.  We put aside, we put to death the ways of the flesh.  That is what must die as we present our bodies as a living sacrifice.  The sacrifice is total, we can't cling to even a littlebit of our favorite former ways.  We can't just pick part of what is righteous to focus on and leave the rest undone.  We can't tell God, I'll make you a deal, I'm going to focus on the 4th, 6th and 8th commandments and I'm going to do such a good job at them I won't have to keep the rest.  No, our goal is to be a total sacrifice and to have all the decisions that we make in our lives to be the right ones.  The totality of who we are must be committed to following God; our motions, our thoughts, our desires, all of it.  For you to become a living sacrifice does not mean that you literally sacrifice your physical body, but it does mean that you completely turn that life, the life that you have, over to God to use as He sees fit. Many people are willing to give or to offer to  God an hour or two a week, but if you are willing to completely sacrifice and eliminate from our lives the things that they're doing that go against God's way, to be a total sacrifice we must give up those wrong ways and devote all of our effort to pleasing our Creator.  The verse we started with in Romans 12 about the living sacrifice said that we present our bodies a living sacrifice.  That seems to say that our physical bodies are involved.  But it is a sacrifice of our bodies and the desires of those bodies.  We just can't do whatever we want with our physical bodies.  We have to sacrifice those pulls and desires that go against God's way so that we can present them to Him.  Now, not everything that we have to give up, not everything that you have to sacrifice will be something sinful or even bad.  Sometimes we'll have to pass up things that aren't inherently wrong because we have more important priorities now that we're Christians.  Also the sacrifices you make, they don't always have to hurt.  God isn't asking for us to adopt aestheticism or to punish the physical bodies that we have to make Him happy.  God is interested in our conduct.  He doesn't want a cartoon, He's interested in our intentions and our motivation much more than any physical activities that we're performing.  We do have to sacrifice some of our physical desires to follow God, but when we do so we don't have to go without the things that our bodies really need.  We will have the needs of our bodies fulfilled as Christ explained in Matthew 6 and verse 33.  We are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things; what we shall eat, what we shall drink, what we shall wear shall be added to us.  We will get those things. 

Well talking here about total sacrifice, there's another aspect that I want to bring out which is that sacrifice has a cost.  When an animal was offered under the old covenant, where did that animal come from?  Was it just grazing about aimlessly near the tabernacle or the temple and the person just take one and take it to the priest?  No, there was a cost involved.  The animal to be sacrificed may have come from the herd, the personal property of the person who is making the offering.  Now in that case, the cost would be all of the feed, all of the care that had been given to that animal as it grew.  The cost would have been the value of that animal if they were going to butcher it, maybe have it for dinner.  There was a cost if you were going to offer one of your own animals.  Now for those who may not have had their own animal, they would need to purchase an animal from someone who had one for sale.  Now in that case, there is another created cost of that sacrifice.  The one giving the offering to God had to pay a price and obviously the animal itself paid a price.  Well who pays the cost for a living sacrifice?  Let's turn to I Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20 and see what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.

I Corinthians 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, whom you have from God and you are not your own?  Verse 20:  For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

They belong to Him.  Verse 20 says we were bought at a price, our body, our spirit, they both now belong to God.  God has purchased us, we've been purchased by God through Christ's blood.  That was a high price to pay.  There was definitely a cost associated with our living sacrifice in addition to the cost that we have to pay ourselves by sacrificing our time and sacrificing our pleasures. 

Another aspect of this first point of total sacrifice is that it's a continual sacrifice.  When we are a living sacrifice, it's not just a one time event in our lives.  There's something that has to be on-going throughout the rest of our lives.

I want to read from I Corinthians 15, verse 31.  In this chapter, Paul was explaining to the Corinthians our hope in the resurrection.

I Corinthians 15:31  I affirm by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. (Paul wrote that he died daily.  That's the continual sacrifice because we're living sacrifices.  That sacrifice continues every day that we're still living.  Every day we have to make choices.  We have to make decisions in our lives to seek God first, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice doesn't require just an occasional dedication to God.  It requires constant dedication to Him.)  Verse 32: If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me?  If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."  Because we believe in the resurrection, we die daily.  We deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Christ each day because we know God will reward those who seek Him.  If you didn't do so, if there were no resurrection, then as Paul wrote, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.  If we believe that this life is all that matters, there would be no motivation for us to become a living sacrifice.

So the first point of what it means to be a living sacrifice is that the sacrifice must be total.  God is pleased with a total sacrifice.

2. The second point is the sacrifice must be holy.

The verse in Romans 12:1 that we started with, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy.  Over in Leviticus God said to Moses: "Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy for I the Lord, your God am holy."  God has instructed us to be holy.  To be holy is to be like God for He is holy.  He wants us to become like Him.  A holy God wants to have a holy people.  Let's turn to I Peter, chapter 1 and verse 13 and read what the apostle Peter wrote about being holy. Peter writes:   

I Peter 1:13  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, Verse 14:  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; Verse 15:  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, Verse 16:  because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Peter wrote that we are to be holy in all of our conduct, in all of our behavior.  He says we're to be obedient children.  Someone who is obedient, that's somebody who obeys.  We must obey God to be holy.  But how do we obey God?  By doing what He asks.  By keeping His commandments.  Peter also writes here that we're not to conform ourselves to the former lusts.  The old desires that we had before we responded to God's calling.  This is describing again on how we need to put to death these lusts of the flesh and become holy by obeying the commandments that God has given us and to live in living sacrifice we need to be holy as God is holy.  To do that we need to always have God's law in our mind and in our hearts to guide our actions.  To be holy we must continue to practice righteousness, not self-righteousness but true righteousness, doing what's right.  All God's commandments are righteousness as it says in Psalm 119. 

I'd like to turn to I Samuel, chapter 15 and verse 22 and read the words of the prophet Samuel on this topic.

I Samuel 15:22  Then Samuel said:  "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 

God delights when we obey His voice.  To obey is better than sacrifice.  As a living sacrifice we need to be holy and pleasing to God so it's vitally important that we obey God's voice and strive to put His law into practice in our lives.

Let's turn now to Galatians chapter 2, verse 20.  Let's look at how it's possible to live a life in obedience to God.  Paul writes here:

Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

What does it mean that we've been crucified with Christ?  Well a few chapters later in Galatians Paul says those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  We must put to death, we must crucify the passions and desires of the flesh, then we can be crucified with Christ.  This verse, Galatians 2:20 says it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  I am not living, instead my life has been figuratively sacrificed.  This verse explains how we can live a life of obedience to God, it's by having Christ living in us.  How does that happen?  It's through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which we receive at baptism.  When we yield to God's spirit, we can be obedient to His commandments and be holy as He is holy.  So the second point for what it means to be a living sacrifice is that the sacrifice must be holy.  God is pleased with a holy sacrifice.

3. The third point is that the sacrifice must be acceptable to God. 

The verse in Romans 12:1 that we looked at, it discusses the living sacrifice says to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.  So a living sacrifice means to be acceptable to God.  Let's turn to Leviticus 22, verse 17.  Under the Levitical system, some animals were acceptable to be sacrificed and some were not.  I'm not talking about a species of animal being acceptable or not, but I'm talking about an individual animal that may be selected from the herd. 

Leviticus 22:17  And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Verse 18:  "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the children of Israel and say to them: 'Whatever man of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the Lord as a burnt offering  Verse 19:  you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep or from the goats.'' (The animals to be offered had to be without blemish.  It had to be without fault. Continue in Verse 20:  But whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it  shall not be acceptable on your behalf. (For us to become a living sacrifice acceptable to God, we cannot have a defect or a blemish.) Verse 21:  And whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. ( A living sacrifice must be perfect without defect to be acceptable, that's a pretty tall order. Which of us are free of defect?  Which of us are perfect? How can we ever fit that description?  Because we can become an acceptable sacrifice, free of defects through Jesus Christ.) 

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.  Verse 26:  that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Verse 27:  that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Jesus Christ gave Himself for us so that He can sanctify us, make us holy, cleanse us.  Because of this process, we can be presented without spot or wrinkle.  We can be presented to Christ as holy and without blemish.  We've been washed from our sins with Christ's own blood.  Our robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb.  An animal that was born under the old covenant with a leg that was too long or two short or that was blind, broken or maimed would never be allowed to serve as a sacrificial offering to God.  But unlike such physical animals, we have the opportunity to have our blemishes, our defects removed.  We can be perfected so that we can become such an acceptable offering to God.  As we present our bodies as an acceptable living sacrifice, we must heed the word that James wrote to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.  But when we do find ourselves with spots and stains on our garments, we must repent, we must ask God to cleanse us.  To cleanse our hearts and minds so that we can again be acceptable in His sight.  We will look at this more specifically in the next point. So the third point for what it means to be a living sacrifice is that the sacrifice must be acceptable to God.

4. The fourth point is that a living sacrifice must be repented. 

I'd like to turn to Psalm 51, verse 16, so we can read through what David wrote about the sacrifices that God wants to receive.

Psalm 51:16  For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offerings. (Well God required the Israelites to offer physical sacrifices and to make burnt offerings but did those things bring God delight?  David said that they didn't.  God didn't design the whole sacrificial system so that He could enjoy the smell, the delicious fragrance of steak.  The system was there to teach a lesson to the nation.  It was to show them right and wrong and to encourage them in righteousness.  So if God doesn't want animal sacrifices, what kind of sacrifices does He want?)  Verse 17:  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.

God says that these are sacrifices that He wants.  A living sacrifice will have these qualities.  God wants His people to have a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart so people should understand their true nature and be able to see themselves as they really are.  Someone with a broken and contrite heart is truly sorry about something. 

I'd like to look at II Corinthians 7, verse 9 to see what Paul wrote about this sorrow, this condition of Godly sorrow. 

II Corinthians 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry but that your sorrow led to repentance.  For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  Verse 10:  For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Sorrow itself doesn't lead to repentance, it must be godly sorrow which comes from a contrite heart.  Plenty of people are sorrowful after they have sinned, but are they sorrowful because they sinned or are they sorrowful because they got caught?  A broken and contrite heart is sorrowful for going against God's command.  Such a heart will produce repentance leading us to salvation.  As a living sacrifice, are we repentant?  Are we willing to change our sinful ways?  A proud person has a difficult time admitting he or she makes mistakes.  A proud person can get puffed up with their own importance and can't believe that they can possibly do anything wrong.  But a repentant person is humble.  They know their weaknesses.  A repentant person knows how he or she does not measure up to God's righteousness on their own.  A repentant person stays teachable, is submissive to God and is always looking to increase their understanding.  A repentant person also always remembers their own mortality.  When Paul says that we present our bodies a living sacrifice, that means we give up our claim to these bodies and we hand them over to God's service.  We know that we're merely instruments in His hands to use as He sees fit.  We put our mortality, our life and our death is in God's hands.  I'd like to turn to Ephesians, chapter 4 and verse 32.  We'll see another thing that an repentant person will do as it was in sacrifice. Paul writes:

Ephesians 4:32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Someone who is repentant and has made the sacrifice of a broken spirit, having a broken and contrite heart will value the forgiveness that God extends.  We must remember the deep love and the care that God has shown by forgiving us of our sins through Christ.  So as a living sacrifice we must show that same care to our brothers and to our sisters, being kind to them and forgiving them just as we've been forgiven.  So the fourth point for what it means to be a living sacrifice is that we must be repentant.  God is pleased with the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

5. The fifth point is that a living sacrifice must do good and share. 

I'd like to turn to Hebrews, chapter 13, and verse 16.  We'll look at another reference here to the sacrifices that please God.

Hebrews 13:16  Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Some of the sacrifices that we must make to please God are to do good and to share.  But this verse starts out stating do not forget, which would imply that sometimes people forget to do good and to share with one another.  It's so easy to get caught up and working to overcome problems with our own behavior and our own attitudes that we can forget there's an outward component of God's love to do good and to share.  These are ways that we impact others and that we show the love of God in our lives toward those around us.  It says God is well pleased with these sacrifices.

What are some ways that we can do good?  We can serve others, we can help others, we can give of our time, we can give of our resources.  We're called to be servants.  Jesus Christ came to this earth, not in the role of a king but as a servant.  We should serve one another and be willing to sacrifice for someone else's good.  We should be quick to help others when we can.  We've heard that God loves a cheerful giver; someone who gives.  We should give cheerfully and be willing to share with others those things that we have.  We should be open handed in our giving, realizing that all that we do have has come from God.  When you do give, little sacrifices are just as important as big ones.  The gift of a kind word or a helping hand may be more important in the biggest financial sacrifice that you can think of.  I'd like to look at I Timothy, chapter 6 and verse 17.  Doing good and sharing is a sacrifice and God is well pleased when we give up something that we have or do good to another human being.

I Timothy 6:17  Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Do we trust in our riches or in the physical things that we own?  Do they somehow make us better or give us some kind of security?  God says that He gives us all things to enjoy.  It's ok to enjoy success that comes in this life and to enjoy the possessions that we accumulate, but we do have an obligation too, spelled out in Verse 18:  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, Verse 19:  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Our real treasure is in the time to come as it says in verse 19, where we will receive eternal life. To get there, God has asked us to sacrifice through doing good and for sharing with others.  So the fifth point is that a living sacrifice must do good and share.  To such sacrifices, God is well pleased.

6. The sixth point is that a living sacrifice must offer praise and thanksgiving. 

Let's turn again to Hebrews 13 where we were a couple minutes ago.  We looked at verse 16 to the previous point, but this time I'd like to start a verse earlier.  We're urged in this verse to offer a continual sacrifice, a praise.

Hebrews 13:15  Therefore by Him (Christ) let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. that is. the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

There was a sacrifice of thanksgiving under the Levitical system.  God instituted a sacrifice of thanksgiving as part of the peace offering that was described in Leviticus 7.  God wants His people to be a thankful people.  Do we have anything to be thankful to God for?  Where would we even start?  A living sacrifice must continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God.  As this verse in Hebrews says, giving thanks to Him through the fruit of our lips. 

I'd like to turn to Psalm 50 in verse 7 and look at one of the Psalms of Asaph.  This psalm shows the importance of giving thanks to God.

Psalm 50:7  "Hear, O My people and I will speak O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God!  Verse 8:  I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me." (The sacrifices offered in Israel were ongoing day after day, they were continually needed and required.  But God continues) Verse 9:  I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. Verse 10:  For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Verse 11:  I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (When an offering was made to God, He wasn't gaining anything by that offering itself. Whatever we can offer to God, already belongs to Him.  He doesn't need our animals or our money to fulfill some need that He has.)  It explains that in Verse 12:  If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine and all its fullness. Verse 13:  Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?  (Our God doesn't need physical offerings to be filled.  He tells us in verse 14 what we do need to offer to Him.)  Verse 14:  Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.  Verse 15:  Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me." God wants us to offer praise and offer thanksgiving to Him.  A sacrifice of our lips, it's a sacrifice that pleases Him.  What proceeds from your lips?  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  For one thing that proceeds from our lips is prayer, whether it's uttered silently or loud, our prayers should show thankfulness, gratitude, honor and praise to God.  We need to thank God when we pray; for His mercy, for His generosity.  A living sacrifice will continually offer praise to God.  Our sacrifice of praise to God should not only be confined to our prayers though.  Let's turn to Psalm 107 and verse 21.

We should also praise God in front of others.  This was brought out in the sermonette pretty well.

Psalm 107:21  Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! (The psalmist is lamenting here that men don't thank God enough for the wonderful things He does.) Verse 22:  Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.

When it says to declare His works, that's not something that we keep to ourselves.  When you declare something, you admit it publicly.  We should communicate to other people the wonderful things that God has done for us and His goodness.  We are to be the salt in the light of this world.  A light has to shine outward to be seen.  As a living sacrifice we should continually communicate our enthusiasm for God's way of life.  We should continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.  He deserves our honor, our glory and our praise.  So the sixth point is that a living sacrifice must offer praise and thanksgiving.  God is pleased with a sacrifice of praise.

7. The seventh and last point that I wanted to make is that a living sacrifice is not alone. 

There's something bigger at work than just God's plan for you individually.  If we turn to I Peter, chapter 2 and verse 4 we can see what the apostle Peter had to say about what God is putting together from these living sacrifices.

I Peter 2:4  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, Verse 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.

We should present ourselves as living sacrifices to Jesus Christ a living stone.  Are we being built up into a spiritual house just by ourselves?  No, we are being built up with other living stones with one another.  Christ is going to use His church, His bride, all of us as a holy priesthood.  It's not just me offering myself as a living sacrifice.  We all offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God and we all may be offering slightly different sacrifices.  Our spiritual sacrifices don't always look the same because we've been given different functions in the church and different backgrounds.  We are being built up together into a house for God and we are all to offer sacrifices with one priesthood.  We need to remember when we make sacrifices to God that it's not just you and God.  We need to remember our brothers and our sisters in the church and all work together to be pleasing to Him.  God is putting us together.  He's building us, He's helping us to prepare to become Christ's bride and we need to remember every sacrifice to Him that we are not alone.  We aren't to stand alone sacrifice.  We are part of something bigger. 

So the seventh and final point is that a living sacrifice is not alone.  God is pleased to build us up together to offer spiritual sacrifices.

The apostle Paul fervently urged us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, not a physical sacrifice, but a spiritual sacrifice, not a sacrifice that is going to end in our death but a sacrifice that is part of our life every day.  We are to be a living sacrifice indicating an ongoing life, a sacrifice.  Jesus Christ showed what it means to be a living sacrifice.  When we read about Him we see that He did not try to please Himself.  He was driven by the mission that He was carrying out and the job that He was supposed to do.  Jesus didn't worry about making Himself comfortable or getting caught up in the cares of this life.  He sacrificed those things for the future, for our future.  He spent His entire life, not for His own good, but for the good of others, for the good of us. 

I want to share what it says in  I John 3:16  By  this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  Jesus laid down His life for us, but not just at His death.  He laid down His life every day.  He made us a priority and He made choices each day of His life to put God's plan and God's people before any personal comfort or ambition that He might have had.  Jesus lived the life of a true living sacrifice. We also need to lay down our lives figuratively speaking, by putting to death the pulls and desires of our fleshly bodies and living for God's way and for the good of our brothers and sisters in the church. 

I'd like to turn back to Romans chapter 12 to end today's sermon.  So what kind of sacrifices should we bring to God so that God will respect us and the offering that we bring.  What sacrifices please God?

Romans 12:1  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.

Well that's all we've been talking about today.  We need to present our bodies, our entire being to God so let's continue on in Verse 2:  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.

It's this world that we need to break away from.  It's so easy to conform to this world.  It's what we see from the time we've been born.  We've been raised in this world.  We've been trained by this world.  Our nature is to conform to this world that we see around us.  But God wants us to break free.  He wants us to be transformed.  He wants us to change, to live differently.  As a living sacrifice, something inside us has to die.  We have to put to death our reliance on ourselves.  We have to put to death our worldly ambitions.  We have to put to death the ways that seem right in our own eyes.  We have to put those things to death.  We must die to our sinful desires so that something else can live and that is Jesus Christ living in us.

What is the focus of your thoughts, the physical or spiritual?  If we become living sacrifices our minds will be renewed, our minds will be transformed so that we can understand and prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God.  Then we can be a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.