Sacrificed Alive!

Rom 12:1-8 There are only two options—either man invented God, or God invented man. If man invented God, then He is an idea, nothing more. He is what Karl Marx said he was—an opiate for the masses, a tool to keep people in line while their masters tell them what to do. Or else He exists as a kind of security blanket to keep people happy in hard times. If we invented Him, then serving Him is serving ourselves. All those good things we do for Him are just things we do for ourselves. We are free to do or not do them as we please. But if God invented man—we exist to serve Him. He brought us into this world, and His pleasure takes us out. We are not free to ignore Him. We were created for His glory. Even so, we seem to want it both ways. Man wants to believe in God when he has a need, and ignore Him when He becomes inconvenient. If man invented God, let God serve us. If God invented man, then let us serve Him. All that we have is His already. We are His servants—his stewards. “Stewardship” is a word we for “giving.” But stewardship is much, more. It is to acknowledge that God is our master. Stewardship is living, working , spending, and giving for Him. It is not an act, but a philosophy of life. Sooner or later, all that the Bible tells us comes around to stewardship. Take Romans, for example. The first eight chapters cover familiar territory. We are sinners and cannot save ourselves. Jesus died for our sins. The Holy Spirit comes to live and control our lives. In chapters 9-11, we learn Israel’s place in history, and that God has a special place for the Jews. But there is still a huge, unanswered question as we leave Romans 11. Why? Why did God creates us? God did not create us alone. We are part of an ecological system. Trees have an ecological purpose. So do birds, bees, and even skunks. So what’s our purpose? Why did God create us? God created us to serve Him as stewards of creation. We are His hands upon this earth. That’s what Paul means in Romans 12: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. God does not consider stewardship an option. Everything I have and do is for His will, not for mine. I am only a success in life only to the degree that I serve Him. How do you measure success? By what you accumulate? How long you live? How many people know your name? None of these things matter at all if have not presented ourselves a living sacrifice to Him. In the Civil War, General MacClelland was a huge success as a general. People loved him. His soldiers loved him. There was only one problem. He did not win battles. He was so bad that Abraham Lincoln once asked him if, since he wasn’t using the army, did he mind if he borrowed it for a while. MacClelland was very good to his troops, but he had the wrong purpose. He forgot that he served his country by actually winning battles. He forgot that the men were not his masters. The nation was. In the same way a man who forgets that he is a steward of God is not a success. He is a failure. Stewardship is having our minds conformed to His will as it says in verse 2. Do not conform to any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Giving ourselves to God first means of all giving our will to Him. Something similar happens when a soldier enters boot camp. He no longer gets up when he wants to. He no longer thinks for himself. He must bend his will to that of army. He is no longer a civilian, but a soldier, transformed by having his mind changed through discipline, indoctrination, and training. Being transformed by a renewed mind is not something that is exclusively for ministers or missionaries but for all Christians. We surrender our will to God without compromise and without exceptions. If we all did this, money and workers would not be an issue. All who bend their will to God know they are stewards of God’s blessings, not just consumers. Rom 12:3 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” We are surrendered to God to the degree that we have faith. If we question whether God is really God, we will not be willing to put our faith in him. The great tightrope walker Wallenda once walked across Niagara Falls on a cable. The crowd cheered Then he carried a chair across the gorge. Again, they cheered. Then he asked who would get in the chair and go across with him. No one volunteered. They were all for cheering him on. They were all against having faith. If we are truly be stewards, we must truly have faith in His power to carry us. That faith is manifested in many different ways. Paul lists some of those ways. 4-8 “ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 1. By our speech. “If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” Most people are big talkers. We yell at the big games. We talk about families. We talk about politics. We talk about our work or golf or scrapbooking. Where are those who will by faith talk about what is really worthwhile? Where are those who will offer their tongues as a sacrifite to God, for the purpose of talking about Him? 2. By our time and effort. If it is serving, let him serve; Other people are good workers. Without these quiet workers, churches could not exist. But why do we work? For whom? Are ww working to maintain an institution, or are we working to further the Kingdom? God is not interested in our efforts, but our hearts. Jesus told the story of some good workers. In Matthew 7 :21-2 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Work without an attitude of stewardship attached to is is busywork. Serving God is not the only concern. We must also serve a God we know. Our faith must match our service. If you are a giver, you need to ask yourself why. If you are a worker, you need to ask yourself also why. 3. By our knowledge.”If teaching, let them teach.” The average member in this church knows more about the Bible than all but a handful of people in the country. We do not realize this, because we do not get out among people who know less, but it is true. What are we doing with the knowledge we have? Are we using it for His kingdom? God tdid now give you knowledge to become smarter, but to make others smarter. 4. By encouragement. if it is encouraging, let him encourage; God has strengthened us, so that we can strengthen others. People need more than anything someone who will be a friend. Christians are great about making friends—with each other! Christian friendship is befriending people who need it more than we do. Whenever we encourage others, we are stewards of God’s grace. Whenever you do it to the least of these my brethren, you do it to Him. 5. By generosity. if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; Tithing is usually suggested as the pattern of Biblical giving. But tithing is just the beginning. God wants our whole lives. There are all kinds of reasons put forth for tithing. But there is one huge reason we do not tithe--Fear. We fear if we give, we will not have enough left to live on. You can never out give God. Paul says that our generosity to others is not based on our sense of duty, but on faith. We must believe that God will take care of us before we will take care of others. Faith is the only thing that will overcome fear. We must believe before we can receive. 6. By leadership. if it is leadership, let him govern diligently. Not everyone is called to be a leader, but many who are called to lead refuse. Leadership is hard work. It is easy for us to make excuses that we cannot lead, or are not called to lead, when really God is practically begging us to lead. If God places a burden on our hearts, then we need to lead. 7. By mercy. if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Mercy is the act of caring for other from the heard, whether they are guilty or not. The more guilty a person is, the more they need mercy. We can only give the mercy God has shown us. But is God has shown mercy to us, then how much more we need to show mercy to others. Now, let’s get practical about this, by looking at the value for today. We put God first by Spirit guided stewardship. Here’s my challenge. Look at three gauges in your life to see if you are putting God first. 1. Your checkbook. What’s the first check that comes off your paycheck? Where does giving to God fit in this? 2. Your schedule. When you make your schedule for today, when does time for God fit in. Are you setting aside time each day for worship, and service? 3. Your enthusiasms. What would you rather do with yoru time? Be honest. What hobbies consume you. Where does serving God fit into that for you? All Spiritual gifts really are are a list of your enthusiasms, what brings you joy? Being a living sacrifice hurts at first, but it doesn’t have to forever. It gets better. Then it gets wonderful. When we learn how to be good stewards, we find the joy of serving in the house of the Lord. This week, we’ll get even more practical on stewardship.