Two young newlyweds were preparing to enjoy their first baked ham dinner in their new apartment. The new wife got the meat out, setting it on the cutting board. She then took a knife and chopped off both ends of the ham with a knife and tossed the two small ends in the garbage can.
"Wait a minute," said the bewildered husband. "Why did you do that? Why did you just cut off the ends of the ham and throw them away?" "I don’t know. My mother always did," answered the wife. "Maybe it helps bring out the flavor."
Unsatisfied with this answer, the husband called his mother-in-law. "Can you tell me why you cut the two ends off a ham before you cook it?" "Well," said the mother, "I’m not really sure why. That’s just the way my mother did her ham, and it was always delicious."
As soon as he hung up he called his wife’s grandmother. "Grandma, we have an important question for you. Can you tell us why you cut the ends off a ham before you cook it?" "Oh, my yes, dear," answered Grandma in her quiet, thin voice. "I cut the ends of the ham off so it would fit in my pan."
For the past few weeks we have been asking the question “why?” We want to be on guard that we do not just go through motions or act because of bad information. We want to know why we do certain things as a church. Today we wrap this series up by talking about worship. Why worship?
We know that worship can be a divisive issue. Actually, worship in and of itself is not divisive; our preferences are what is divisive. However, this morning I want us to go deeper and really search why we worship.
To begin this search we must first ask…
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
Most of the time worship is seen as something that happens on a Sunday morning, at a set time, with a group of other people. And while it is true that we gather here on Sunday mornings for a worship service, we have to ask if that is all worship is? Is worship simply a five-part exercise: singing, praying, giving, communion, and preaching? Is that it?
I have reached the conclusion that worship is more than an event. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is a life given in obedience to God.
Most of us have had popcorn. Maybe it’s because I’m not a great cook, but one thing I can always be sure of is that when I make popcorn in the microwave some kernels don’t pop. I’ve always wondered why that is. These kernels receive the same heat in the same bag at the same time, but some kernels just don’t pop.
Some Christians read the same Bible passages, but some Christians don’t pop. They hear the same spiritual songs, but some Christians don’t pop. They hear the same sermons, but some Christian’s don’t pop. They are issued the same challenge to witness, but some Christians don’t pop. They know the same teaching to tithe, but some Christians don’t pop. They hear the same call to serve, but some Christians don’t pop.
I think the reason why Christians don’t pop is because there has been a misconception concerning worship. Worship is not simply an event that we go to. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is a life given in obedience to God.
This is based on 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.”
According to Paul, our spiritual act of worship is offering our bodies as living sacrifices. He doesn’t mention a closing song or a prayer time; Paul says that we live our lives as a worship service to God. Worship doesn’t start when you the first song is sung. Worship doesn’t even start when you walk in this building. Worship never ends! Your entire life is a worship service.
So now that we know what worship is, did you notice why we worship? Paul tells us why in that verse. Let’s read it again. 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.”
We worship because of…
GOD’S MERCY
In Romans chapter 11 Paul has just concluded describing to the church in Rome how God has worked His plan to bring the nations back to Him. It was through Jesus’ sacrifice that God is able to show mercy to us. That’s why at the start of chapter 12 Paul says, “Therefore…” Because God has shown us mercy, we will worship Him.
Worship is a response to God’s mercy. And it’s not a one time response. It’s a continual response. Worship is a life lived in response to mercy.
We hear that word mercy often, but let me give you an example of mercy on a small scale.
Imagine that one of the men in our church is serving by taking communion to the some of our members who can no longer attend on Sunday because of health reasons. As he is driving along, a police officer pulls him over. Normally a police officer has a reason for pulling someone over. It could be because of speeding, or failure to yield, things like that. Whenever you get pulled over there is a penalty for violations. Usually it is a fine. But this gentleman tells the police officer that he is taking communion to the shut-ins. And the officer decides to have mercy and just gives a warning.
Now I don’t want to see people in our church grabbing communion supplies so they can get away with speeding. I told this story so we would understand the meaning of mercy. Mercy not getting what I deserve.
But let’s think about it on a larger scale. I read about a man from Tulsa, Oklahoma named Tom McGee. Tom was a young man who went out for a night on the town. He got drunk, got behind the wheel, and ran head-on into a car driven by a young man by the name of Ted Morris. Tom McGee killed Ted Morris instantly while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time he had been arrested for drunk driving, so Tom McGee was put on trial for manslaughter, found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison. But the prison was over crowded, and prisoners were being given early paroles, so Tom McGee spent only a few months in prison before being released on parole.
Evidently he hadn’t learned his lesson, for it wasn’t long until he was arrested again for the same crime. So Tom’s parole was revoked, and he was sent back to complete his prison sentence.
But an interesting thing began to happen.
Jack Morris, the victim’s father, began to visit Tom McGee in prison. He visited the very man who had killed his son. After visiting several times, he started taking cookies that his wife, Elizabeth, had baked. And they became friends.
Finally Tom McGee was released from prison, but he had no place to go. So Jack and Elizabeth Morris invited him into their home, and gave him a place to stay. They provided the means by which he could receive an education, and helped him find a job.
They were members of a Church of Christ in Tulsa, so they took him to church with them, where Tom McGee accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord & Savior, and was baptized for the forgiveness of his sins.
And not too long ago, it came out that Jack and Elizabeth Morris have formally adopted Tom McGee and made him their son. That means when Jack and Elizabeth Morris die, Tom McGee will most likely inherit whatever they have accumulated in this life. Now that’s mercy.
But take that story and magnify it a thousand times, and that’s what God has done for me and you. We were sinners who had wronged God. And our deserved punishment was an eternal death sentence. And yet God had mercy, and allowed his Son to take your punishment. God’s Son died because of us. And not only that, God then adopted you into His family. That’s good stuff.
“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.” We worship as a response to mercy.
Until we get a handle on how incredible God’s mercy is, we’ll never be the worshipers we could or should be.
So what does it look like to offer our bodies as living sacrifices?
WHAT DO LIVING SACRIFICES LOOK LIKE?
Paul is writing to Christians who were very aware of what sacrifices were. They lived in a culture where part of their worship was to choose the best animal in your flock, kill it, and lay it on the altar. That was how they worshipped!
But think about the difference. Theirs was a lifeless sacrifice. Instead, Paul shifts gears and encourages them to grasp on to a new way of worshipping. A new way of worship that honored Christ’s sacrifice once and for all. Jesus Himself said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” When we live for ourselves, we are not living the full life that Jesus calls us to. It is in denying self that we find life.
But to deny self means we must change. And that is the point. To be a living sacrifice is to change. I must be willing to put my agenda, and my wants, and my ego on the altar and surrender everything to God. This is a big change.
Listen to the first part of verse 2 in Romans 12, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
You have probably heard about the pig and the hen that were out walking one day when they passed a church. The sermon topic on the sign board was, “How can we help the poor?” After a moment’s reflection the hen said, “I know what we can do. We can offer a ham and egg breakfast.” The pig said, “That breakfast would be only a contribution for you, but for me it would be total commitment.”
Many Christians never achieve the life Christ wants to give them because most of them are not willing to change. They don’t have a problem with making a contribution; it’s just the total commitment they have a problem with. To be totally committed to Christ means that we have to change.
How many of you woke up today and thought, “Today I’m going to change.” Some of you probably woke up and thought, “Today, I’m going to change him.”
In the past when I thought about worship, I thought about an hour of time on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. But to think that I could worship God at school, and on the ball court, and at home, and in the car…no one ever told me. Or at least I didn’t get it.
But to worship God means that my entire life must change. Not just how I act for a period of time on Sunday. My life must change Monday thru Sunday. Because I never leave the worship service. What we do in this room is just a continuation of my worship. To be a living sacrifice requires total commitment to changing.
What does this look like? Start with your relationships…parents, think about your relationship with your children. Children, what about your relationship with you parents? How you treat them, how you speak to them – is that God honoring?
If you’re single…what kind of people are you pursuing? Are they committed followers of Jesus Christ and are they helping you become a better worshiper?
What about your friends. Do they help to focus your thoughts on things above or on things of this world? Do they make you a better worshiper?
What about your money? Do your spending habits express to God how much He means to you? From the amount you give the church, to the amount you tip a waitress. It’s all worship.
What about your choice of words? Godly or worldly in nature? Is it the same in church as it is outside of church? Is it encouraging or discouraging?
What about your favorite television shows? What about the movies that you chose to watch? Are your choices in this area reflective of how much God means to you?
And what about your music? Think about your favorite group or artist or band? Are they worshipers of God? Do they help foster an attitude of worship or do they focus your thoughts on the things of this world?
What about your clothing? Does that entire process express to God how much he means to you? It can.
What about your daily schedule? We know He has your Sundays. But what about the rest of the week? Does he know by the way you structure your day that He means the world to you?
I’ve just scratched the surface.
This morning I want all of us to be still and silent before God. The prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:40, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.”
So take a moment to be still and silent before God. Examine how the worship service of your life is going. And let’s commit to putting every area of our life on the altar in worship.
Prayer Time.
Notice what happens when we change, when we transform our minds. Paul tells the Romans, “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.”
Everyone wants to know what God’s will is for their life. Friends, it can only be found by becoming a worshipper.
Why worship? Because God has shown mercy to us. It is God’s desire, God’s will that you become a part of His family. God gave His only Son so you could be reunited with Him. Won’t you offer your life as a living sacrifice today?
