How are you? How’s your week?

This past Sunday, we started our first sermon on Private Worship in our “Worship and Prayer” series. We looked at Paul’s call for us to be living sacrifices in worship of God.

The term “sacrifice” does not sound pleasant to us, or, at least for me, it has the negative connotation of suffering. But the truth is that we sacrifice for the things we love.

Some of us love the outdoors. We would sacrifice our bodies and time to go on a hike or go camping. Some of us have a certain hobby we love. We will sacrifice our time, effort, and resources for those hobbies. Some of us love food. We go to great lengths to eat at a delicious restaurant or to cook a mouth-watering meal.

All this is true for the things we love. And it’s even more true for the people we love. It takes sacrifice for parents to love their children in grace and truth. It takes sacrifice for a friend to walk with another friend in sorrow. It takes sacrifice for us to love one another.

However, the truth is that sacrifice for the things and the people we love does not feel like a great sacrifice. Actually, it usually is a delight, because it overflows from our love for those things and people.

Therefore, the question is not “Are we sacrificing enough for the Lord?” Instead, the question is “Do we love Him?” If we love Him, then the sacrifice will come organically. We will sacrifice all of ourselves, because love for Him is all-encompassing.

In our passage, we see that this sacrifice of love starts with a renewal of the mind through the engagement with Scripture. We start with that, and we let the worship flow from there.

How can we love and sacrifice in this way? It’s to know that we were loved first. Christ gave all of Himself for our sake first. He was the Ultimate Sacrifice for us first. We are able to take up our cross for His worship and glory, because He took up His cross for our sin and shame first.

Have you enjoyed His love for you this week? Have you allowed His love to renew your mind and to transform your soul this week? Have you basked in His love to the point that it leads you to love Him? Have you been in awe of His sacrifice that it leads you to sacrifice in worship?

Bring yourself before Christ this week. Lay yourself down. Offer all of yourself. This is what He desires, and this is our worship.

See you all this Sunday! Come out to Friday Night Study @7:30pm if you’re able!

In Christ,
Pastor Tim

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