Living Sacrifice (pt. 2)

Since, our life is intended to be worship ― demonstrated by words, actions and thoughts that agree with God’s purposes ― then our lives must conform to God’s purposes. Life flows from the inside out. So, our hearts must change. Our thinking must be transformed so our word and deed are transformed. We take new pattern that agrees with God’s purposes. It is like we have transformed DNA. We belong to a pattern that God approves. We can know, agree and duplicate God’s pattern. God’s DNA expresses God’s purposes in life and the world.

Living Sacrifice

Paul urged us to give consideration to God’s mercies. And as a result of that consideration, give our bodies as a “living sacrifice.” When I think about sacrifices, what occurs to me is that sacrifices give themselves totally. It has no rights, no conditions. There is only surrender. Paul points out that this surrender that is holy and pleasing to God. This surrender is worship.

This surrender affects a person’s heart. It impels a person from the core of his being to act, speak and think in ways that please God and conform to His purpose.

Worship is not longer just going to a meeting and singing praises, rehearsing in our mind God’s works and character. Worship becomes living out God’s purposes in our everyday living.

Evangelism - Storing

We do not harvest crops for exercise. Does it make sense to pick a bushel of beans, but leave them sitting in the garden? This whole process of preparing, sowing, cultivating and reaping is people could enjoy the fruit. This whole process of spiritual horticulture is so God can enjoy the fruit.

We store the fruit, so it doesn’t spoil. And there are several methods to do this: drying, canning, and freezing. And people could partially prepare food – like make spaghetti sauce – before storing it. Storage is probably the most important step.

We do not have food to rot in the garden. We do not leave babies to fend for themselves. Why do we think new followers of Jesus are fully ready to go it alone? And we don’t send babies to school. Having formal classes are not bad. But parenting is not simply making sure children get to school. There is modeling, relating, and fostering values. These cannot be done in a classroom setting.

Evangelism - Reaping

This is the part of the process that everyone in the current church seems to focus on. A person makes a commitment to follow Jesus. He is born again. He is reconciled to God.

There are many tools that people can use for this. All of them seem to do a good job of explaining the process of commitment. Everyone needs to know how to complete this step.

It is an important step. Just like the birth of a child is an important step. But any parent will tell you, birth is just the start. And God says that every one of His children was reborn to have a relationship with Him. The process does not stop at the decision. The process has just begun.