I have a great admiration for the commitment of those people who spend hours and hours, months, years even, trying to develop things, trying to invent new things. Some are more successful than others of course.
One man called Arthur Pedrick patented 162 inventions between 1962 and 1977. None of his inventions were taken up commercially. Among his inventions were a bike that could be ridden underwater; an arrangement whereby a care could be driven from the back seat; a scheme to irrigate the deserts of the world by sending a constant supply od snowballs from the polar regions through a network of giant peashooters; and a golf ball that could be steered in flight.
Great commitment, great dedication to the cause despite constant failure to succeed. I think we need these eccentrics to liven up our society. Life would much the worse without them.
Today we are renewing our covenant with God, rededicating ourselves to his work, recommitting ourselves to do whatever he calls us to do. Whether it brings reward our not, whether we really want to do it or not. Some would say that we are eccentrics, by committing ourselves to such a difficult and potentially awkward task.
Romans 12:1 ‘Therefore I urge you, 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.’
Paul’s Letter to the Romans
In his letter to the Romans Paul was introducing himself to the Christians there, and to give them a sample of his message. It seems that he had finished his work in the east and he planned to visit Rome on his way to Spain after first taking a collection to Jerusalem for the poor Christians there.
As with most of his letters Paul follows a pattern. It’s clear from reading his letters, Romans in particular, that he has a deep thinking mind and that he can grapple with deep truths. And he sets them out in his letters.
Despite wrestling with deep theological truths and ideas in his writings he usually ends his letters in a very practical way. The major content of his letters may be difficult to understand, but he usually ends up with some sound practical advice.
Romans 12:1 ‘Therefore I urge you, 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.’
What Paul is saying is that, in view of all that God has done for us, in view of the theology that he sets out in his letter, what should our response be? And the answer Paul gives to that question is that we should offer the whole of ourselves to him in worship and service.
In view of all that God has done
‘In view of God’s mercy’. Travelling through Germany on his way to Paris, Count Zinzendorf stopped for a while in Dusseldorf where there was a good collection of paintings. He went into an art gallery for a while. He came to a picture of Christ on the cross. He stood there, transfixed by the scene and he read the words that the artist, Steinberg, had added ‘All this I did for thee. What has thou done for me?
That was a turning point for Zinzendorf’s life. Abandoning his journey to Paris he returned home and gave his life, and all that he had, to Christ. He became the leader of the Moravian Church which is still strong in some parts of the UK. The Moravians had a great influence on John Wesley on the boat to America where he was so full of admiration for their courage and faith in the midst of a storm.
He understood what God had done for him in Christ and just had to respond. So what has God done for us?
Creation – he has created this wonderful world in which we live, the beach, sea, hills and mountains, the valleys and streams. Stand on the top of a mountain, sit on a lonely beach and look out to sea and find God’s creation all around us.
Skills and talents – all the gifts and talents and skills we have come from God. Our gifts of poetry and music, reading and writing, singing, playing, listening, painting, manual skills. When we realise that it was God who gave us these skills and talents we begin to realise what he has done for us
Christ – but above all God has given us Jesus, a special gift which we have just celebrated at Christmas. But Christmas is just part of the story. A nice, cosy part, a lovely part. But the gift of Jesus goes much further than the nice manger scene that we have gazed on.
Jesus grew, he taught, he preached, he healed, he was obedient to his Father and went to the cross and offers us forgiveness and a future. When we realise what God has done for us in Christ we begin to realise what he has done for us.
Offer yourself as a living sacrifice
Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.
The composer Mendelssohn went one day into a little village church and sat for a time listening to the organist as he played. After a while he went up to the organist and asked if he could play it. The organist, in typical fashion replied ‘I never allow anyone to do that.’ The stranger persisted and after some time the organist allowed this strange man to have a go. He took his place on the organ stool and began to play. He played that organ as it had never been played before and the sound that came out had never been heard from it before.
The organist was spellbound and when, on asking the stranger who he was, and learnt that it was Mendelssohn he said ‘How could I have kept this beautiful instrument from the great master-player?’
In the Old Testament sacrifice took a central part in the life and worship of the people of Israel. They had many forms of sacrifice, each of which had a particular purpose. Some were a gift to God, a way of approaching God with a gift to win his favour so that he would look favourable on the people.
Some were offered in worship, burnt offerings symbolising the continuous worship of the people in order to keep them in a right relationship with God.
Some sacrifices were for purification – after recovering from leprosy, or after touching a corpse for instance. It was a way of rejoining the life of the community.
We don’t need these sacrifices. Because of what God has done for us in Christ all sacrifices are finished. We have access to God through Christ.
So Paul says, in effect, because of what God has done for you in Christ take your body, take all the tasks you have to do, take the ordinary work round the house, take your life ins society, in the community, with your family and friends, in the garden, walking, visiting people, take everything you do day after day and offer them in worship to God.
Yes we worship here at church, we worship in Friday prayers, in Fellowship Circle, in Study group. But we worship God by offering him all that we have and all that we are.
Real worship is not about liturgy, it’s not just about the words we use for communion wonderful though they may be, it’s not just about where we worship, not just about what we do here on a Sunday. We should be able to say ‘I go to church to worship God’. But we should alsop be able to say ‘I am going home, to the supermarket, to the beach, to visit someone, to cook, to write a letter … and in so doing I am worshipping God.’ It’s about giving our whole selves over to God’s service in response to all he has done for us.
On an overseas missions Sunday at a Congregational Church in Scotland a missionary on leave from Africa was invited to take the service. During the service the missionary explained how God was working in and through the lives of many people and how the gospel message was spreading.
At the end of his message an offering was taken for the work overseas. The large wooden collection plate was being passed around and people were being very generous in their giving. The plate came to a young lad who had loittle money to give but he had been touched by the message that he wanted to offer something.
He asked the steward to put the plate on the floor. He then stepped into it and stood there for a moment or two. His action meant that he gave himself wholly and unreservedly to God. Later he followed that commitment up by becoming as missionary in Africa.
Be transformed
‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’
Because of all that God has done for us we are called to offer the whole of ourselves, all that we have and all that we are, to God. But how can we do this? How can we make that commitment that we will shortly do as we renew our covenant? How can we say those words ‘I am no longer my own but yours. Out me to what you will, rank me with whome you will, put me to doing, put me to suffering, let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have noting. I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.’
Paul tells us – through being transformed. If we are to be able to say those words and mean them, and have any chance of keeping them, Paul says we need to be transformed.
Paul uses two Greek words here. He uses a word which means outward appearance – we change our outward appearance to fit in with what we are doing. I don’t think any of us would dream of diving into a swimming pool to swim 30 lengths dressed in a dinner suit. We wouldn’t go out in the middle of winter to do the gardening wearing swimwear. We wouldn’t go to a dinner dance in a posh hotel wearing jeans. We change our outward appearance to fit in with what’s happening around us.
Paul says that in our Christian lives we shouldn’t do that. We should not change our faith or our beliefs to suit the world around.
Instead he says, be transformed. The Greek word he uses means the unchanging nature deep down inside us. What he’s saying is that our nature should be transformed by allowing the life of Christ to shape us deep down inside. Allowing Christ to change the very depths of our being so that we become more and more like him. As we become more and more like Christ so we are better placed to keep mour side of the covenant promises.
Summary
So we come again to renew our covenant with God. We come again to make the same promises. And we ask and pray that Christ will strengthen us so that we can offer all we have and all we are to him.
When General Booth of the salvation Army was asked what the secret of his success was he replied ‘I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me to have.’
Romans 12:1 ‘Therefore I urge you, 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.’
