What Does It Mean to Sacrifice?

What does it mean to sacrifice? I'm not talking about going out here and slitting the throat of an animal, and skinning it, and then burning it on an altar. But when I mention the word sacrifice to you, what does that mean? Now, the world has a certain perspective, a certain view on what it means to sacrifice. Take the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telephon. Many entertainers were told to sacrifice their time, their weekend, to perform. Is this the type of sacrifice that we're looking at, or God is looking at?

Is this the attitude that God would be looking for? Sometimes a mother might sacrifice her life in giving birth to a child. What about that? People sacrifice for the good of their marriage. Many times there's a martyr in a marriage, and one of them will sacrifice for the other. Wife will sacrifice, send her husband to school, maybe to medical school. He's got to go to school for seven or eight years, so somebody's got to work, so she goes out and works. What about all of the volunteers who sacrifice their time to work in hospitals?

All these volunteer programs. There are others who give up their lives to work in religious orders. They become nuns or monks or whatever it might be. Do we in the Church really understand what it means to sacrifice? Do we know what sacrifice means? Do we know what attitude God is looking for in sacrificing?

I thought that the sermonette today really will tie in very well with what we're going to cover here. Now, many of the activities I listed in the introduction are very commendable, very honorable, and I'm not saying you shouldn't do these type of things, such as volunteering to your help. But there is a missing dimension in sacrificing that the world is not aware of, does not understand.

And it's a missing dimension that all of us need to be aware of because we need to incorporate that dimension into our lives. So with that in mind, notice back in Leviticus 1 and verse 3, the burnt offering. Leviticus 1 and verse 3. Now, you might remember, the first seven chapters here in the book of Leviticus mentioned the five major sacrifices that they had.

And this is only one of them. And I might just hasten to add that each sacrifice teaches a different lesson. You can read through the instructions concerning how to do those particular sacrifices, and you'll find that there are different lessons, and sometimes they're very similar lessons. But let's focus on a couple aspects here of the burnt offering.

Verse 3. 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. So you find, first of all, that it was a voluntary offering of his own free will. This was not one where they held a gun to your head and say, you must offer this.

It was one he did on a volunteer basis. And then, secondarily, in verse 9, he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water, and the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice and an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to God or to the Lord. So here we find that this was a sacrifice where everything was burnt. They put it on the altar and they burned it all. Now, some of the sacrifices, like the peace offering, some of it was given to the priest, some given to the person, and it was shared, it was sort of a communal meal, part of it was sacrificed to God.

But this is one where you find they burned it all on the altar. So, this is a sacrifice that explains that if you're going to sacrifice, you have to give all. So does that mean you have to give all your money, all your time, all your effort? What does that mean? Well, we'll see as we go through the sermon. It's impossible for a human being, cut off from God, to do this in a right attitude, to sacrifice in the right way.

It takes the spirit of God, it takes the calling of God in the understanding to truly understand properly how to sacrifice. Now, all of the sacrifices were a type of Jesus Christ. When you go through them, you analyze them in great detail, you'll find that they all picture details of Christ's sacrifice, what He was going to do when He came. And it's interesting to note, in Ezekiel 40-48, in the millennium, we find that there will be a temple built, and there will be sacrifices again in the millennium. Now, I will doubt, or doubt, that anyone, let's say the majority of the people in the millennium, will ever offer up a sacrifice.

If you have two billion people, there's no way they're all going to get up to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice. The sacrifices that were offered back here looked forward to Christ's sacrifice. In the millennium, they will look back to Christ's sacrifice. And we always ask the question, well, why do this?

And I'm not here to say I know exactly why, except it will be there as an example to teach them and remind them constantly about Christ's sacrifice. But let's notice, going on over here to Matthew 26 in verse 37, I mentioned that the sacrifices were a type of Christ, and when Jesus Christ was about ready to offer Himself up as a sacrifice, He had kept the last Passover with His disciples. In beginning in verse 37, Matthew 26, 37, He and His disciples went out to Gethsemane, and He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

Then He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. He went a little further and fell down on His face and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. I think Christ understood fully that He was going to have to die, but He also understood the type of death He was going to have to die. And so when He says that this cup might pass from Me, I think He was referring to the beating, the scourging He was going to have to go through.

He understood that He was going to be taken out and crucified, and could it happen differently? But it could not. The sacrificial system, although the prophecies in the Old Testament had predicted and were types of what was going to happen to the Messiah and to our Savior. And so He cried out to God. And in the end, you might remember, He always said, Not my will, but Your will be done. Christ had to have supernatural power to be able to go through the sacrifice He was about to give.

Now, constantly, when Christ was on the earth, you find that He relied upon His Father. It wasn't just His own abilities, skills, talents, but He prayed to the Father. There were times He'd go out and pray all night. Many times, you find that He prayed and He studied, and He got off by Himself. So, I could renew that relationship with His Father. One thing about Christ was also His whole life was a sacrifice. You tie this Scripture in with Philippians 2. And you'll find that Jesus Christ gave up His glory when He was in Heaven. He gave up His residence there, His glory, the radiance, the power that He had as a spirit being.

And He came to the earth. And so, His whole life, living in the flesh, was a sacrifice that He had given up, living on a different level. Now, the world's concept of sacrifice simply could be summarized in two or three words. And that is giving something up. The idea is you're going to sacrifice, you give something up. What about Lent? I'm not talking about that thing in your dryer. But I'm talking about the Catholics observed 40 days of Lent prior to Easter.

Now, they have to give something up during that period of time. Some people give up chewing gum. Some people maybe give up water, drink more beer, whatever it might be. People think, well, I'm making a sacrifice. So everybody has to determine for himself what type of sacrifice. What about the Muslims? During Ramadan, Muslims all over the world fast from dawn, that's before sunrise, to sunset.

They have their first daily meal after sundown about the time of their evening prayer. So they skip breakfast, they skip lunch, and for 40 days they don't eat except in the evening. Now, when you look the word sacrifice up in Webster's dictionary, it means to suffer loss.

Loss of or give up, renounce, injure, destroy for an idea, belief, or an end. In other words, when armies go to war, what do they do? Well, they sacrifice their young men for the cause. So they give people up or they injure them. In the Carta dictionary, it says giving up something that is valued. Loss in giving something up value. It's not a sacrifice if you don't value it. For me to give up chewing gum is not a sacrifice. I don't chew it anyway.

So why would it be a sacrifice? To give up something that would be important to me might be considered a sacrifice. In Carta, it goes on to say to abandon somebody or something for an advantage, to gain an advantage.

Now, what I've mentioned here, these might all be elements of what would constitute a sacrifice. And I'm not denying that giving something up of value is not a part of sacrificing. But there is a missing dimension that the world does not understand. And it cannot understand simply because God hasn't revealed it to them as yet. What is that missing dimension? Well, the missing dimension is simply that we are not just a sacrifice.

We are to be a sacrifice. You and I are to be one. We are to be sacrifices before God. Now, how do I know that? Well, Romans 12, verse 1, tells us something. Romans 12, beginning in verse 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Now, is God telling us here that we've got to go out and burn our bodies on an altar?

Well, obviously not. That's not how you become a sacrifice. You'll notice here it says, a living sacrifice. So we find that we are to be alive, but we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. This is what conversion and repentance are all about. Why does it say our bodies? Well, the body represents the total person and is an instrument by which all of our service is given to God. When you serve somebody else, you serve God, you pray, you study, you do anything. Aren't you using your body?

It might be the mind in the top part of the body. When you go serve somebody, help someone, don't you have to go and you're using your body. You put it into motion. So we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Now, how do you do that? Well, Galatians 2, verse 20, tells us. Galatians 2, verse 20, Paul makes this statement.

I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So in order for us to be a true sacrifice, Christ must live in us. Now, this is why I say that it's impossible for the world to actually obtain to this type of sacrifice. It goes, number one, God is not dealing with them now. This is not the age of the time that God is trying to convert the world.

God has to call. I mean, how can you be crucified? How can you be a sacrifice? Well, if you remember when you were baptized, what happened to you? Well, you went down under the water and came back up.

And what was crucified? The old man was crucified. The old way of life, the old way of thinking, the old approach. The man of sin had to die. And you rose up. As Romans 6 says, you become a new creature. Old things are passed away, and all things become new. So we do have to die. The old man dies, and there is a new life. But that new life is not you. That new life is Christ living within us. And so there is a giving up aspect to sacrifice. And that occurs at baptism. At baptism, you and I had to give up our life.

You had to give up the big I. The big I is, I think, I believe, I want to do this. We all have that. Instead, we have to come to the point to where, what does God want? How does God want me to think? How does God want me to act? How does God want me to live? You see, there is a big difference between the two.

I think Luke 9 describes it very eloquently in verse 23. Luke 9, verse 23. It says, then He said to them, all, if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. So there is a denial of the self, our wants, our desires, our lusts, our way of thinking. And we are to pick up our cross, which would be any trial test or whatever it is that God gives us. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life, for my sake, will save it. So, brethren, you and I must lose our life.

You need to think about that. Our life, the way the carnal mind, the carnal way goes. We have to lose that. So the old man, again, has to die. And then it goes on to say, for what profit is it for a man to be, he gains a whole world, and is himself destroyed, or lost?

So what you find, this is a case where if you lose, you win. You and I have to lose the old way, and we will win eternal life, is what the Bible indicates. Now, you and I might be required to do something.

Matthew 19.27 focuses on that. Matthew 19.27. Peter answered and said to him, See, we've left all and followed you. Therefore, what shall we have? What are we going to have if we become a Christian? That's a question I think sometimes we ask ourselves. And Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on the twelve tribes, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And everyone, okay, this includes all of us, everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands, for my namesake shall receive a hundredfold that's in this life and inherit eternal life. Now, I want you to notice that when you were baptized, you were required to be willing to give up everything. And you're still required to give up everything. That never changes. That value remains constant. Now, you'll notice what he's talking about here.

He goes on to say here that he should give up houses, brothers, sisters, mates, maybe money, lands. Now, most of us, thankfully, that hasn't occurred to you. But I do know that there are some sitting here who, because they obeyed God and were willing to put him first, have had their families turn on them, have maybe had a mate walk out the door and leave them and divorce them. We've had people who've come into the church, and they have been totally disowned by everyone who's known them. I'm reminded of the story in Africa about this gentleman who embraced the truth of God, began to keep the Sabbath.

And, of course, they believed in witchcraft. They did not believe in the true God. And he was reprimanded by the chief. And he was told that if he adhered to what he believed, that he would lose his family. So he had to walk away and leave his children, his wife, his village, his relatives, and go somewhere else and begin to live.

Those things have happened. What this shows, God doesn't require all of us to do it, but we've got to be willing to do it. What this means is that we've got to be willing to put God first. He comes first in our lives. We all have to give up ourselves, our way, our thinking. There is a way that seems right into a man, but the ends there are the way of death, as we know.

We have to recognize that God is the way. As Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. When you are a sacrifice to God, when we say that we are a sacrifice, we become a living sacrifice, God will determine the race you run and what you might have to go through.

God knows, individually, the race that you will have to run. In Acts 9, we have the example of the Apostle Paul. This is one example that we could quote of many. Acts 9 will begin in verse 14.

Saul had been struck down on the road to Damascus.

Christ had revealed himself to him, and Aeneas had been asked to come in, lay hands on him, baptize him, and that he might also receive his sight. He was a little hesitant to do this, because Saul had been out trying to destroy the church.

Then, verse 15, the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Three-fold commission that Saul, later named Paul, had. In verse 16, I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. So Paul, when he was called by Christ to become an apostle, to be trained, understood up front that he was going to suffer a lot. If you all remember the story, Paul was stoned and left for dead. He was beaten with 39 stripes, three or four times. He was shipwrecked three or four times. There were times when he was naked, didn't have anything to eat. There were times when he prospered. He went through all kinds of persecution, beatings. He was thrown in jail. And I dare say that none of us have gone through what the apostle Paul had to go through. We have our own personal trials, our own personal race to run that we go through. But you find that Paul had to be willing to go through it. Now what this shows and what Matthew 19 shows is that there are Christians who are required to make the ultimate sacrifice. We can go back and we can read in the New Testament how many were martyred. How many had to be willing to get their lives up. How many were persecuted. How many were thrown in jail. How many suffered as a result of their convictions and their belief. Thankfully, we live in a time where that's not required. But it may be in the future. And we have to be totally committed to go God's way. And that we are a sacrifice before God. We are a sacrifice and we have to do it willingly. Leviticus 1 and 3 don't turn there, but remember when we read that it was a voluntary free will offering. We have to have our free will once we've been conquered by God be willing to do so. Ephesians 5 shows the attitude that Christ had. Ephesians 5 verses 1 and 2.

Ephesians 5 verses 1 and 2. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love as Christ also has loved us. And notice, He has given Himself. So He sacrificed something. He sacrificed His life. He gave Himself for us. An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. So Jesus Christ was willing to give Himself up for us and to God. And God said this was something that was a sweet-smelling savor. It was pleasant in His eyes. So the giving up or the taking of a life, that's what sacrifice means.

Now, when are you and I supposed to give our lives? Well, when you were baptized. The old man died and you rose up to be a new life. Now, you and I are to stay dead. But we all know that we pick ourselves off the altar occasionally and get out and go do our own thing. And we need to realize that we are a sacrifice. It's giving up of a life. The word sacrifice in the Old Testament meant that they cut the throat and the animal died. All frame is giving a gift. So the sacrifice is also a gift that is given to God. So you and I are sacrifices, but we are also to be gift givers, as we will see. Mr. Armstrong, when he wrote and spoke, mentioned this. The highest good for mankind is human good. It is basically selfish. The highest form of human love is mother's love, but it's still selfish. It's my child, my baby, and what we would call the empirical self. It is a love where you love what's within your realm. The love of God is different. The love of God is quite different from that. Again, there's nothing wrong with mother's love. There's nothing wrong with the love of a father for his children. But that's not the ultimate love and the ultimate sacrifice that God is looking for. Sacrifice is an act of love, of giving, of sharing, out of the right motives. So it's got to be done from the right perspective, right attitude and motives. People in society many times sacrifice, but too often it's for selfish purposes. As I mentioned earlier, you might sacrifice to go to school or to send a husband to school. In politics, a lot of times, a wife and family will sacrifice a lot for their husband. But, generally, eventually, you know it's going to pay. It's going to come back. If he's elected to office, you get all of the benefits. So there is the world's concept of sacrifice, and it's hard to have the right motives. Now, in Luke 6, verse 31, this is pointed out.

Christ says, just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them. Likewise, that's an extremely hard principle to live by constantly. It's something we strive for, isn't it? But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. So if we love people who love us, we're no better than sinners.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. So I want you to notice, he's saying that people can do good, people can love, and they're sinners. Christians can do good, and Christians can love. But if they only do it for those who love them and give to them, then we are no different than the world. We are just like the world and abiding by the world's standard and approach. Now in verse 35, he begins to broaden this. But love your enemies. What do people do in the world when it comes to their enemies? Well, you hate your enemies. Somebody punches you, you punch them back. Somebody steps on you, you step on them. People react that way. So love your enemies. Do good. And lend, hoping for nothing in return. So the proper attitude is to give, to serve, to help, not expecting to get anything in return. And we'll go on to see how to apply that, and your reward will be great. For you will be the sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful just as your Father also is merciful.

So the world loves, the world does good, the world lends, the world helps. But that's not what God is looking for. I mean, he wants us to do those things, yes. But there's more, is what I'm saying, that God expects of us. He expects us to give without expecting anything in return.

It's not to be selfish. It's not what is in it for me. Too often people do things because they think what's in it for me.

The love of God, the Greek agape, is a love with no strings attached.

It means that you love another person, it doesn't matter what they do.

Now, it's hard for human beings to do that. In fact, it's impossible for human beings to do that in the way that God wants. It takes the Spirit of God to be able to do that.

Now, what if God functioned like the world, didn't function as we see here, no strings attached? What if God said, okay, you love me, I love you, and those who don't love me, I hate you, I don't like you, I despise you, get out of here. What about all those people who don't know anything about God, don't know the true God? Would God love them? You see, that's not what the love of God is all about. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Romans 5 says that even while we were enemies, that Christ died for us. And so we find that God loves us. It doesn't matter if we love Him. God first loves us. And then we respond. Now, the majority of people who've ever lived not responded to God yet. But He still sent His Son to die for the majority, not majority, for everyone, every human being who's ever lived. Many times in marriage you find that people will serve their mate if they can get something. You ever found yourself doing that? Well, being human, I have. I'll admit it. I think we've all done that if we're not careful. Too often men will do things because they're wanting certain favors from their wife. A wife, a lot of times, will do things because she wants a little more money from her husband, trying to soften him up a little bit. Or possessions, things of this nature. All of those have motives attached to them. There are times that people sacrifice and they feel like a martyr. I've done all these things. I've done these things for my family, for the church, whatever it might be. And nobody pays any attention. Well, is that what we're after? Being paid attention to? We may go through our whole life and no one ever says anything. Does that mean you should not do it? Well, of course you should do it. You should love people. You should love God's way. You should serve and give. In Luke 14, turn over here a few pages, verse 12, Luke 14, verse 12, we find the attitude that we need to have.

Then He also said to him who invited him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or rich neighbors. Let's say they also invite you back and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the main, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. For you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

So God's love is giving, expecting nothing. Nothing in return. Now verse 11 shows that humility goes before this. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted. So humility goes along with sacrificing, giving up our desires, our wants, and submitting to God's wants and desires. Don't we live in a society today where everybody claims to have rights, dogs have rights, trees have rights, women have rights, homosexuals have rights, men have rights. You go on and on and on. Everybody has rights. And if, quote unquote, somebody does something against you, that goes against my rights, and you can't do that. And so you find people are always very quick to demand their rights. Well, this is the way society is. People aren't willing to sacrifice and give of themselves. Sometimes people sacrifice, and mentally they pat themselves on the back and say, you did a good job. That was great. And so we do it sometimes just for our own accolades. These are not the right reasons. We don't serve to be seen. In Matthew 5 and verse 43, Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43, it says, You've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor, hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you, and persecute you. Now, does that not run counter to the way the stream runs? The river runs this direction, and God tells us we need to paddle a different direction. Then He goes on to say that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes a son to rise on the evil, and on the good, sends rain on the just and the unjust. Then for if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, but do you more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect, even as God is. So God wants us to strive for that standard that He has set a perfection. Now, let's go on to chapter 6, because man has divided this. This is one discourse that Christ was giving. He goes on to show the pitfalls we can fall into. Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds, your service, your sacrifices, anything that you do, before men to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed or a good deed, do not sound the trumpet before you, as a hypocrite is doing the street, and that they may have glory from men. Surely, I say to you, they have their reward. That is their reward. Many of these Pharisees, Sadducees, used to hire a trumpet player, and he'd come along, and right before they were about to maybe drop a coin in a beggar's box, and the trumpet would sound, and their body would look up, and there it would go. Well, that was all the reward that they will get from that. But we are told in verses 3 and 4, but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Here's the body of Christ. Some left hands, this would be right hands, some left hands, middle hands. We all are part of that body. So, we're not to try to impress one another within the body of Christ or anybody else.

It says that your charitable deeds may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. So, God the Father sees all. He's the only one that we need to impress, not another human being. So, do we serve to get recognition?

Do we say, well, nobody appreciates me? In society, people give up things that they might get.

We, as Christians, give up so that we might give. There's a vast difference. Give, get, give, or give up so that you might be able to give. When you were converted, you were baptized, you gave up your old way, and what does God require of us? Now, well, now we can give in a right attitude, sacrifice with right motives, serve, give the gospel to the world by helping to preach the gospel and serving one another. So, how should we go about sacrificing? Well, 1 Peter 2 and 5 gives an interesting principle. 1 Peter 2 and 5 will start here.

How do you go about sacrificing? You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. So, notice we, as a New Testament church, are referred to as a holy priesthood. That, symbolically, we are a priesthood. Now, why? Why is that analogy used? So that we can offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ. So, what you find is that our sacrifices are to be spiritual in nature. And then they must be acceptable to God. God has to look down and say, yes, that's right. Your motive's right, your intentions are good, you did it in the right way, and so, therefore, God accepts it. It's done by Jesus Christ because it's through His power, His strength, His attitude, that all are accomplished. You know, many times we serve only if it's convenient to serve. If it's convenient, we'll do it. If it's not, we've got to go out of our way, or do something we don't like, then we don't serve. Do we always serve when we want to? You know, sometimes opportunities for service don't come up when we want to. Sometimes you have to serve when you didn't expect. Do we always want to serve on our own terms, or do we serve out of the right motives? Turn back here, Hebrews 13, verse 15, begins to tell us how to go about with spiritual sacrifices. Verse 15, therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise. So you and I are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. So how do we offer sacrifice of praise to God? Well, it comes through prayer. When you get down and pray, do you praise God? Do you acknowledge God? Do you thank God? Well, we should. Singing is a way to praise God. Too often when we're in a group like this, maybe we don't really sing out as much as we should. This isn't as much of a problem here. But in Rome, we probably have 60 chairs set up, and we have 25 people. They're sort of scattered around the audience. And everybody who sings becomes a little self-conscious. Because, somebody can hear me, and they're going to know what my voice sounds like. But who are we trying to impress? Who are we trying to praise in singing? It's not your neighbor. It's God. And so we praise God through singing. We praise God in our thoughts, in our mind, our thinking. We give God the credit for what is spiritually accomplished in our lives. Jesus Christ constantly gave credit to the Father. He said, I can of myself do nothing. And so He couldn't do things by Himself spiritually. Sure, I mean, we can all cook. Well, some of us can cook. Or we can go out and cut the yard. We can do physical things. But spiritual accomplishments have to come through God.

Now, in verse 16, we read, But do not forget to do good and to share. For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. So God is well pleased with our doing good. That means serving others, helping others. See, it's not wrong to do good and to help others, but again, it has to be from the right motives and the right attitude. Do we just do what we want to do? Or do we serve when it may be distasteful? Or do we sacrifice our time? We found that out. I thought it was a very good point that Rick brought out. Do we sacrifice by our time, by giving up of our effort? The word share here in the Greek means to fellowship or to associate, to share with what one has and anything to participate. Fellowship. You realize that when you come here and you fellowship with one another, that that's part of sharing. You're sharing your life. You're sharing your gifts. You're sharing your experiences. If we come at the last moment and leave the first thing after services, we're not sharing ourselves. Part of the joy of the Sabbath is the opportunity to fellowship, to talk to God's people, to be with people of light and mind. We can talk about God's blessings during the week, about principles, the Word of God, any number of things that are sharing. So we need to share ourselves, share our time with one another. Now the book of Philippians 4 and verse 16 takes it a step further. Philippians 4, 16. Paul says, Where even in Thessalonica you did once and again, or you sent aid once and again, for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Ephrathitis the things sent from you. In other words, they either took up a collection or passed on tithes and offerings. But Ephrathitis brought it to Paul to help him. And he says, this was a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice. Remember, we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice that's acceptable to God. So this was acceptable, well-pleasing to God. So, rather than you and I are to be willing to give. And here you find that there are times when maybe members, others, have needs. Somebody is riding low on food. You give them food. You help. You serve in whatever way. Capacity gives opportunities that God has blessed you with. Westward study translates these verses. But I have all things to the full and overflowing. I have been filled completely full and at present in well supply. Having received at the hands of Ephrathitis the things from you. A scent of sweet savor. A sacrifice, acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Now, sweet aroma when it comes to the spiritual means the attitude and approach behind the actions are acceptable to God.

Now, sweet aroma, if you ever walked into somebody's house before, maybe they have a candle lit. And there's a fragrance coming out from that candle. That would be a sweet aroma. It would be something that would be pleasing. Now, there is something that God says that He does not like about sacrifices. In Proverbs 21 and verse 27.

Proverbs chapter 21. And we'll read here in verse 27.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. So, if a wicked person sacrifices, God doesn't accept it. Now, let me explain. The sacrifice of a wicked can accomplish the same thing as the sacrifice of the righteous. Somebody needs food. Someone, and I'll just use the term here that the Bible uses. The wicked decides, okay, I'm going to give to them, and people will see. They'll know. I'll get a pat on the back. So, they're doing it for that motive. Now, the person who is a recipient of the gift is going to benefit whether the wicked gave it or the righteous gave it. But, it is God who is going to determine whether it was done in the right motive and the right attitude. So, he says, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more, when he brings it with wicked intent, his intentions are wrong. Now, what's an abomination? Abomination is a stench in God's nostrils. The best way I can describe that, my wife and I, we lived in San Antonio on one occasion. We had a shot of deer or two. We skinned them out, put them up in the freezer, and we put the carcass out in our garbage can. At that time, it was something like 80 or 90 in San Antonio. We came back a week later, going to put the can out on the curb, and I lifted the lid off. There was a wretched stench that emanated out of that garbage can. There were maggots in there chewing on the scraps. There were flies buzzing around. It was just a horrible odor. That's an abomination. That's what God is talking about, something that is a stench in His nostrils as compared to a sweet aroma.

San Sano, Jewish commentary, says this, trying to impress others, furthering His design. Somebody who's trying to impress. God hates it even more when a gift is intended to buy him off. Thank You, well, if I give more money to God or to charity, then I'll have God's favor, and I'll have His blessings, or induce Him to condone, approve, or bless some wicked scheme.

So, the hearts have to match the action. See, the two go together. Here's the heart, the mind. That has to match our actions. And our actions have to be right, and our heart has to be right. In Psalm 51, verse 17, David learned a very valuable lesson here. He says here, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise. So God expects, out of us, a broken spirit. When the prophet came to David and explained to him that he was the one who committed this sin, it had Uriah killed and took his wife for Bathsheba to be his wife. David hadn't fully understood what he had done wrong, and when it hit him, he repented. God expects us to have a broken spirit. Have you ever seen a child, one, two, three, who's just as stubborn as a mule? We had an assistant once who had a little boy about two years old, and I don't care what you did to that boy. You could spank him, you could take privileges away, not eat, and he would just stand there just like this, and he would not give an inch. He was absolutely the most stubborn child I've ever seen. Now, is that what God is looking for in us? Now, God wants us to have a broken spirit, where we say, yes, Lord. You're right. This is the way I want to go. You and I are to have, as it says here, a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, not one that is hardened. When you were baptized, the foreskin of your heart was to be cut away, and you are now no longer to be hard-hearted, no longer to be stubborn, no longer to be just set in your own ways. The sacrifice of God is giving ourselves up to God. We have to have a crushed spirit and heart and be repentant. Now, in verse 19, it says, "...then shall you be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness." If we are doing what is right, then God is going to be pleased. It takes time and effort to be righteous. It takes God in us to truly be righteous. What does the Bible say about our own righteousness? Our righteousness are as filthy rags before God. And so our righteousness don't amount to anything. Now, in Psalm 27, back up here, just a few pages, Psalm 27, verse 6, we read this, "...and now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore I will offer the sacrifice of joy in the tabernacle. I will sing praises to the Lord." Now, as the margin says here, sacrifice of joy, sacrifice of joyous shouts to God.

Now, that doesn't mean you should go walking down the street or through the mall and there mustn't wow. Hallelujah! Shout out. That's not what this is talking about. But what it is talking about is that you and I should be joyful. You ever been at home alone? Turn the radio on and a real catchy tune comes on and you start singing to it. You're expressing joy. I was driving down the road today. I have the old ambassador tapes that used to be put out. Young ambassadors were listening to some of the songs and some of them were very moving. You're beating, you're jumping, if you can sing along, you try to sing along. People may think you're funny, but this is what God is talking about. The joy, the excitement that we get when we sing praises to God. And there should be that when we're singing here as a congregation also. There's so much that we could cover on this, we're not really going to be able to cover. Just jot down James 1.27, where it talks about pure religion and undefiled, is to visit the widow and their afflictions and the orphans. So it shows that we should be willing to give of our time to help those who are in affliction. Now let's back up to Leviticus again, but this time Chapter 2. Leviticus 2 and verse 11, we have another sacrifice. This was the grain sacrifice, or the King James Version says meal offering. Now notice again, each one of these gives a different aspect to the offering, and this one certainly gives a different viewpoint. Verse 11, no grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven. So when they baked something and they were going to have a grain offering, there was no leaven in it. For you shall burn no leaven or any honey and any offering to the Lord made by fire. Now, why is that? Well, leavening is a type of sin, so therefore it wasn't to have sin in it. And honey, if you burn honey, honey is not too good if it's burnt. So, you know, not to do that. In verse 12, as for the offering of the first fruit, you shall offer them to the Lord, and they shall not be burned on the altar for sweets. Every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offering you shall offer salt. Now, I want you to notice, first of all, covenant then seasoned with salt. Now, what does that have to do with us? Well, it has to do with something that's very vital. Mark 9 explains, Christ in the New Testament gives us insight as to what this offering was about. Mark 9, verse 49 and 50. Mark 9, verse 49, for everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Now, brethren, every sacrifice of ours is to be seasoned with salt. Now, what does that mean? Well, salt is what you add to food to make it tasty, to make it different. What is it that God adds to us to make us different? It was His Spirit dwelling in us, His Word dwelling in us, His principles, His mind, His approach dwelling within us. Salt is good, we find in verse 50, but if salt loses its flavor, you can pile a ton of it on food. If it's lost its flavor, it doesn't do any good. How will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with one another.

So, brethren, what is it that makes us different? Isn't it having Christ living in us? That we are to be different? Christians are described as the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. Now, it's pictures the attitude that we are to have, because when God enters into the New Covenant with us, what is it? How do we enter into that covenant? Well, when we repent and receive His Spirit. There is a covenant relationship that God establishes when He gives us His Spirit.

You and I are to have that attitude of giving service, God's Spirit, the example to all others around. Wherever we are in our community, we should be a light, an example, we should be the salt, we should add taste, we should be the ones who are outstanding examples. Now, if you and I do this in Matthew 16, we find that we will receive a reward. Matthew 16, 24.

Verse 24, Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. So here is where you're trying to save it, you're guaranteed you will lose it. But whoever loses his life, so again, we are to lose our life, for My sake, we'll find it. What profit is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son, a man, will come in the glory of his Father with his holy angels, and then he will reward each according to his works. So we will be rewarded according to our works. If we are sacrificing out of the right motive, the right principles, in the right way, and we are a sacrifice, then God will reward us. God expects us to exert a healthy, purifying influence on society. You know, salt also, and we could give a whole sermon on salt, but salt is a preservative. And you and I have the responsibility to be preservers also, a number of things we could talk about there. And that reward ultimately is going to be in God's kingdom, in his family. You and I cannot out-give God. The more you give, the more God gives to you. The more you serve, the more God blesses. So, brethren, we are to be a living sacrifice. That's the missing dimension. We are a sacrifice.