The Kingdom of God -- its nature and character -- is such that it confounds the wise and intelligent of our day. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18-20, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"

Paul has well spoken! The kingdom of God IS foolishness to our world. For example our world says, "If you want to succeed, be first." The kingdom of God says, "If you want to succeed, be last." Further our world says, "If you are going to be somebody, you've got to be bold, self-confident, and proud." On the other hand the kingdom of God says, "If you are going to be somebody, you must be meek, humble, and self-suspecting."

Many years ago, a woman approached a pastor and related her struggle with Christ-she said, "I just can't seem to live the Christian life the way I should. I'm frustrated. I don't have spiritual victory or a sense of accomplishment. I struggle with the simplest forms of obedience, and I'm constantly defeated. Can you help me?"

The pastor asked what her approach had been, and she replied, "I've tried everything. I've attended churches where they speak in tongues, have healing meetings, and have all kinds of extraordinary spiritual experiences. I've spoken in tongues myself, had ecstatic experiences, been prophesied over, and experienced several supposed miracles. I've been ‘slain in the spirit.’ But despite all of that, I'm not pleased with my life and I know God isn't pleased. I've tried to get everything from Him that I can, but I'm not satisfied. I'm still miserable."

This woman's testimony is typical of so many in the church today. We have our quiet times. We go to church. We do the right things. We say the right words. We do all that we are told to do in order to "Experience Jesus." Yet we find that we are just as miserable, confused, and unfulfilled today as we ever have been. Listen we struggle in our walks with God many times because we do the very opposite of what Paul is teaching in our text this morning. Paul's message in this passage is a simple one the characteristic ACTIVITY of the Living Sacrifice which leads to a life of glorifying and enjoying God is NOT trying to get all we can from God, BUT giving all that we are and have to Him. Wholly dedicating our lives to Him and His service. That is what comprises the activity of the Living Sacrifice.

First century people were quite familiar with the ritual of sacrifice- whether they were Jew or Gentile, most had stood by an altar and watched as an animal- which was identified as their own- was slain in a ritualistic manner, and then placed on an altar to be burned and thus ascend in the flames to the deity they worshipped. Thus, for Paul to suggest that they themselves should "present themselves" as an offering would have evoked in their minds a striking piece of imagery- in essence, Paul is calling us to perform what essentially is a priestly act of worship! Present also is used in the aorist tense in the Greek -- a past tense of completed action. The implication behind this is that the Living Sacrifice is one who must ONCE FOR ALL give themselves to God. In other words a temporal commitment to God is a concept foreign to the Living Sacrifice. The Living Sacrifice is one who views his vessel as the property of God, never to be retracted!

Finally, in accordance with that, notice that Paul's exhortation here is that we, "Present [our] bodies as a sacrifice. . . ." Sacrifice is another word associated with the Old Testament sacrificial system. The Old Testament worshipper, upon giving an offering to the Lord, understood that that offering belonged to the Lord. And thus, even though he might physically share in the offering -- as in the case of the peace offering -- he did not think of himself as eating his own provisions, but as sharing the hospitality of God. And so Paul exhorts the believer to consider their vessel the possession of God! Thus, the Living Sacrifice understands that he no longer has a claim on his life -- it is the Lord's!

Now with this, notice specifically that which we are called to present as an offering of worship to God: our bodies! This would have been a radical thought in the first century AD. In Paul's day, the prevalent view when it came to the body was that in reference to religion, the body didn't matter. Pagan philosophy still prevalent in the first century held that the spirit/soul was inherently good. But the body was inherently evil. And so, because the body was deemed to be worthless, something that eventually died what was done to it or with it was of little consequence to the gods. For obvious reasons, this view opened the door to every sort of immorality.

Dr. John MacArthur writes:

Another translation that is quite appropriate here would be this: "Present YOURSELVES to God." By Paul's exhortation for us to offer even our "bodies" to God for His service, we understand this to be an exhortation that EVERYTHING in our lives is to be offered to God. Nothing is to be held back!

In faith, Abraham responded.

Now, had Abraham continued in the sacrifice of Isaac (had he not been stopped) Isaac would have been a DEAD sacrifice, but Abraham would have been a LIVING Sacrifice, in effect saying "I will serve you, Lord, even if it means yielding to You that which is most precious in my eyes!"

A LIVING Sacrifice is one who has given themselves and all that they have wholly to God to be used as GOD WILLS! It is the unconditional offering up of ourselves to God! The second word that modifies Living Sacrifice is holy: hagian in the Greek; that is, it must be "dedicated to God." Now brothers and sisters, this is an important qualification. So often our commitment to God is restricted, "All that I have is God's- but He better use it the way I want." We say or think thus: "God I give you everything in my life." But we add the condition, "But it better not cost me my health." Or perhaps it is this condition "It better not be at the sacrifice of a loved one." Or perhaps it is conditioned upon not having any difficulty in life or work. Many of us think that we will serve God, but He better not make my future uncertain.

Listen! That we are to offer ourselves to God as a HOLY Sacrifice implies that we give Him ourselves with NO STRINGS ATTACHED! Samuel Rutherford, writing to Marion M'Naught whose husband was deathly sick, wrote this:

This captures the essence of a HOLY Sacrifice. It is one that says, "All that I am is Thine with no strings attached- even if it pleases You to take, remove, or afflict that which is most precious in my eyes!" And yet, let us be quick to acknowledge that while this may seem burdensome and hard, the God to whom we yield ourselves is just and good! Do not forget these passages:

Notice, the "acceptable" sacrifice. The sacrifice with which God is well-pleased is that which is given by ones trusting in Christ.

Abel's offering was acceptable to the Lord because Abel was regenerated -- he was trusting in God as the basis for his salvation. This is an important point since our tendency is to respond to Paul's exhortation such that we think that the offering up of ourselves is that which saves us and satisfies God's wrath. Further we think that our offering makes us acceptable before God. Don't forget there is no amount of sacrifice that we could undergo that could secure God's favor! Our acceptance before God is based solely on Christ.

As one man said, "Because Jesus Christ has made the only dead sacrifice the New Covenant requires, all that remains for worshippers today is the presentation of themselves as Living Sacrifices!" For any here thinking that their good deeds is that upon which they will stand before God on the day of judgment.

Indeed let us stand before God holding in our hand the only sacrifice that can secure God's favor -- the Sacrifice of Christ! And let this sacrifice compel us to offer ourselves to God.

This is such an important point that we forget. Often in our lives we give to God that which is most dear -- we have to; He's bigger than we are. And the result? Our offering is given begrudgingly. Though we have given ourselves away to God, we fail to glorify and enjoy Him because as God uses our offering in a way that doesn't comport with our desires we reap a disposition of bitterness, anger or jealousy. I love what Cranfield wrote:

It is this free surrender that makes the offering up of our bodies acceptable to God.

God also desires that our offering of a Living Sacrifice be presented by ones who are broken.

As we have seen, this is a common theme in Scripture. When a worshipper gives to God out of a sense of merit --thinking that he has something in and of himself to offer to God -- God rejects that sacrifice. Why? God only accepts the offering of a broken and contrite heart because the worshipper offering to God out of his own merit is a worshipper trusting in himself and not God. And so, it is the sacrifice of a broken and spiritually bankrupt individual that God "will not despise."

God also desires that our sacrifice be yielded by ones that are blameless.

Brothers and sisters, listen carefully! One of the standards taught throughout Scripture is that God will only receive the best -- that which is spotless and pure! Now, while we are blameless in Christ, notice that this text goes behind positional blamelessness -- it talks about clean hands, a clean mouth, and a man who has not "lifted up his soul to falsehood."

The universal testimony of Scripture is that because God is morally pure, so His people must likewise be morally pure (not only judicially but also practically). And thus, when we offer ourselves to God and yet are careless about our sin, we offer that which is unacceptable to God. God want's clean hands and a pure heart!

And so the first Activity that leads to a life of glorifying and enjoying God is the unconditional GIVING OF OURSELVES wholly unto God. And yet brothers and sisters, here we have a problem today. It seems that many suffer from SCD – "Sacrificially Challenged Disorder," or what is more traditionally labeled as "Burn out!" One hears a lot of talk about this "disorder" today. We're too tired to serve the Lord anymore. We've gone through too much. Perhaps we're angry for how we have been treated. And so, we've lost our energy and our concern for any further ministry. Don't miss a very important point in the Old Testament service of worship -- that which has served as the illustration for Paul here -- the offering was thrown on an altar to be burned up for the Lord. From this we see the problem of all struggling with spiritual "Burn out." They're "burned out" but not "burned up!"

In other words a part of them still remains. They lust for rest. They have pride. They have a desire for appreciation and recognition. They have unbiblical expectations for a good life, happiness, and self-fulfillment. Indeed, there is nothing that will rob you of your zeal for the ministry faster than having your rights, plans, wants, needs, and expectations all trampled underfoot. Indeed! The only way to avert "Burn out" in the ministry is to give those rights, plans, wants, needs, and expectations to God. BURN THEM ON THE ALTAR OF THE LORD!

And where does the strength for such an incredible act of sacrifice come from? As broken people, we understand that the strength can only come from the Lord! Thus let us ever and always remember the "mercies of God" and out of love and gratitude, let us wholly devote ourselves to God relying upon His Spirit to renew our strength. Let us rely upon God to enable us to run and not grow weary and empower us to walk and never faint. That is what constitutes the first Activity of the Living Sacrifice: Total Devotion to the Lord!

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