Spiritual Sacrifices
Sunday Night Messages
December 26, 2021
1 Peter 2:1-10
The message I want to bring tonight is one of encouragement. I realize that in some of my past messages I have been seemingly a little hard on the church. But we need to remember that this is the night that the real church meets. These are the people that love the Lord enough to take the time to show up and hear a scripture message. That is what a true church does.
My brother Roy made the statement that the people that come on Sunday morning loves fellowship, those that come on Sunday night loves the church, and those that come on Wednesday night shows they love the fellowship, shows they love the church and shows they love the Lord.
Pastor left us a challenge on Wednesday night to pray about, and make a commitment as to what we as believers can give back to God and Jesus this coming year. I would like to make a few biblical suggestions this evening.
Turn in your bibles to 1 Peter 2:1-10. Read.
Our scripture text tells us that as Christians we are first of all “lively stones,” we make up what the church is to be. Each one of us, if saved, is a lively or living stone placed lovingly by the Master Stonemason in the proper place in the church. Then we are considered a spiritual house; this would mean of course that we are the habitation of the Holy Spirit. He lives within us. Next, we see that the Christian is a royal priesthood.
I want to emphasize that last statement; we are a royal priesthood. It goes on to say that we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. The Jewish people had an ordained priesthood. The Catholic church has a priesthood, even though it is not biblical. The saved, the born-again saints of the New Testament are here called a royal priesthood. It is referred to as “royal” because we serve our King, Jesus, and His Father, the Lord God. Also, we have been born again into the royal family and now are the sons and daughters of God, and are inheritors of His kingdom.
It is referred to as a priesthood because we represent God to man, and because we offer up sacrifices to the Lord, Spiritual sacrifices. My purpose tonight is to show that whatever our age, whatever our economic status, regardless of physical condition that limits us in some way, we all can offer up some spiritual sacrifices.
So, what is a sacrifice? It is basically an offering up of something of worth that would be acceptable to our God. In the Old Testament it consisted of offering up the animal or grain or other produce as a sacrifice to the Lord. However, the Lord God had strict guidelines for these offerings and sacrifices. They had to follow certain guidelines as to when, what, how, where and who could offer these sacrifices. God was very precise and strict about this. If you didn’t follow these guide lines, you could wake up dead. There were several times a year that special offerings were to be brought to the altar:
1. The most important of these was no doubt “Yom Kippur,” the Day of Atonement. This is the day that God ordained that every person was to bring an animal to be a blood sacrifice. This is found in Lev. Chapter 16. It is also what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Hebrews 9:1-10. It was designed to just cover the sins of the people, not do away with, or forgive them permanently. It covered the sins for one year and had to be repeated from year to year.
2. Rosh Hashanah; this was the feast of the new year. On this day, special offerings were brought. It is also called the “feast of trumpets,” and it was ordained by God and is found in Numbers 29:1-6.
3. Then they have “Sukkot,” this is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.” In the book of Numbers 29:12-39 it is outlined that a certain number of animals were to be offered as sacrifices during the seven days of Sukkot.
4. Shavuot (shev-u-oat) is also known in scripture as the “The Feast of Weeks” and the Feast of Harvest. It is also called the “Day of the First Fruits” Numbers 28:26. This was when they were to bring a designated portion of the harvest “the first fruits” into the Temple as an act of dedication to God in recognition of His provision.
These are just four of many offerings that were ordained by God for His chosen nation, Israel. Among some of the other feasts and sacrifices were the feasts of weeks and the feast of tabernacles. Today the animal sacrifices are no longer offered because there is no Temple available to bring them to.
The Apostle Peter tells us Christians that we are a Royal Priesthood. If we are as Peter says then we also must have something to offer.
We know that we are not Jews, and we are not required to bring sacrifices as they once did, because Jesus fulfilled the law in its entirety. He offered one sacrifice for sin forever and then sat down on the right hand of God. It was finished and completed forever. There is no more offering for sin. We are complete in Him. He is all we need, all we want, and all we have.
What are these “spiritual sacrifices” that we as a part of the Royal Priesthood” are to offer up? In order to properly answer this question, we must have some guidelines to follow:
First, they must not be exclusionary. Everyone that has been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ is included, bar none, rich or poor; Pastor or layman, saved for many years or only a few days. Physical condition is not a consideration.
Second, they must be something that each of us has that we can offer. They cannot be something that some have and some do not have. This eliminates spiritual gifts, talents and abilities. We all have these attributes and we must use these in our ministry to the church and to a lost and dying world to bring them to Christ, but those are different than these spiritual sacrifices that are spoken of here. It is not on wealth or possessions.
Third, they must be something that God ordained and will accept. We also know that they are not material things because the Apostle Peter refers to them as “spiritual sacrifices.”
In preparing for this message, I found seven different “Spiritual sacrifices that meet the requirements just spoken of:
1. Psalm 51:6,7 gives us our first spiritual sacrifice. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” This is the account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet that convinced David of his sins.
What is a broken and contrite spirit? Is it one that is brow-beaten, beaten down and devoid of any idea of being of use to our Lord Jesus? No! In this context it is the one who recognized his or her sin and is broken hearted not because he or she got caught but that they have grieved a holy and Righteous God, who has shown nothing but love, acceptance and favor toward them. It is The Holy Spirit within us that convicts us of displeasing our God by our obstinate sins.
David had committed more than one sin other than adultery. He had coveted another man’s wife, he had ordered and conspired to have Bathsheba’s husband killed, murdered, and he had taken something from another person that did not belong to him; stealing. Plus, he caused Bathsheba to sin against her husband as well. He had placed a stumbling block for Bathsheba. We know that the opposite of a broken spirit is a haughty spirit, a prideful spirit. God does not like boasting, pride or arrogance. He loves humbleness, honesty, meekness and sweetness of spirit. Everyone can offer up this spiritual sacrifice. What does the Lord require of us? Micah 6:8 says this “He has shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doeth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
David had not done justly by his adulterous act; he had not shown mercy to Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, and as a result, he had not been walking humbly with his God. He had acted arrogantly, prideful and foolishly. No wonder Nathan the prophet had to come and set him straight.
2. The living sacrifice; Romans 12:1,2 tells us this: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
A living sacrifice is one of a holy life offered up to Christ. This means that we should seek holiness in our thoughts. Hebrews 4:12 tells us this: For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This means that we must seek holiness in our actions and thoughts. John 3:19 says this: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” A living sacrifice means holiness in our words or speech. Colossians 4:6 says “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Colossians 3:8 tells us this: “but now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” This is an acceptable sacrifice and it is your reasonable service. A living sacrifice is one that is of a transformed life. This kind of transformation is brought about by a renewing of the mind. The whole thought pattern is taken into consideration. Any Christian can and every Christian should offer up this spiritual sacrifice.
3. Psalm 4:5 “offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.” This sounds like the living sacrifice, but something is added, “and put your trust in the Lord.” In other words, live a life of faith.
We are saved by grace through faith Ephesians 2:8, 9 which is saving faith. This puts us in a right relationship with the Lord God.
Romans 1:17 tells us that the just shall live by faith: living faith.
Romans 3:17 says that whatsoever is not of faith is sin: Justifying faith.
Ephesians 3:17 says that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith: Abiding faith.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God: An acceptable faith. This living faith, this justifying faith, this abiding faith and our acceptable faith keeps us in a right fellowship with our Savior.
And if we have all of these, we have dying faith that so many Christian martyrs had.
4. Psalm 107:21,22 “O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” I personally believe that un-thankfulness is a sin. And I believe that this sin is one that grieves God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit the most. As a father I could overlook many of my two sons’ shortcomings and shenanigans, but when I felt they were ungrateful, unthankful for the many sacrifices that their mother and I made for them it would hurt me the most.
What hurt the returning service men from Viet Nam the most? Was it their wounds or missing limbs? Was it their separation from families, the loss of income while away? No! it was the rude hostile ungrateful, unthankful reception many received. How must our God feel when we eat our meals that His goodness provided without even taking a few moments to thank the One from whom all blessings flow? We pray for something and then when it is answered, we do not even stop to thank the Lord for it. Does anyone remember the story of the ten lepers? Only one returned to thank Jesus for his healing. I want to be that one who did.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us that un-thankfulness is one of the indicators of the days of perilous times. We are truly living in times of thanklessness. The sacrifice of thanksgiving comes from a grateful heart, and any Christian can and ought to be thankful. Any Christian can look back at a former lifestyle or a life that was saved from entering a godless life-style and say “Thank you Lord.” All Christians can offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
5. The sacrifice of praise Hebrews 13:15 “by Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. Here in this verse, it says that praise is the fruit of our lips. It should come just as natural as breathing. How shall we praise God? With the voice and joy.
Judges 5:2 “I will sing praise to the Lord God:”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart. God does not enjoy half-hearted praise!
Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 35:28 “And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long.”
Who shall praise God? Psalm 148:2 says the angels and hosts: Verse 3 The sun, moon and stars: Verse 4 Heavens of heavens: Verse 14 the saints.
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.” The God of heaven is the only worthy One to be praised; it is His due. We should count it an honor to praise Him and our praise is our recognition of Him as Lord. To not praise Him is being neglectful of one of our strongest forms of witnessing we have. Every Christian can praise the Lord; we are the only ones that can honestly do it.
6. The sacrifice of joy Psalm 27:6 “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Therefore, will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” There is nothing that our Lord loves more than a Christian with joy. And there is nothing that the devil hates worse. Christian joy is a threat to Satan. A Christian with real joy will be content in whatever state he or she is in. It might be a condition of pain, distress, financial woes, temptation, or anything else that seems to shake the people of the world. Joy comes from having peace with God or in other words having a saving relationship with Jesus. Joy is the result of having the peace of God in our hearts. In other words, it is the realization that a person is walking with the Lord and in harmony with His will.
Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness can come and go with different circumstances. Joy is not transitional or conditional. It is living a life based on the promises of God. Joy is knowing that whatever may happen, God is in control. Joy is knowing that “all things work to good for those that love God; to them who are called according to His purpose.” Joy is a radiant heart that accepts life as it is, and rejoices in the fact that they have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe through His Son Jesus. Joy gives a person a reason to live for Him and it gives a person peace to die with.
The sacrifice of joy is not to be underestimated, it can be one of the most satisfying and personal sacrifice a person can give, and no two is alike. Sometimes it is difficult to offer the sacrifice of joy, but if we are really in fellowship with Jesus it is much easier.
7. And now for the seventh and final one: the sacrifice of fellowship. Hebrews 13:16 “but to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” The Greek word used here for the word fellowship is koinonia, and it means first of all fellowship with or participating in a thing, a community or communion.
The Lord’s house is a place of “koinonean or fellowship. Our gathering here this evening is a spiritual sacrifice of fellowship. Our offering up to God our fellowship with Him and His people is a very important spiritual sacrifice. We should never feel like it is an imposition to come to His house and worship Him with other fellow believers. When our youth gets together for a time of fellowship it is a spiritual sacrifice. When the ladies get together for their “ladies meeting” or bible study, it is a time of spiritual sacrifice. They come together in His name and enjoy one another’s company. The Lord is pleased with it. He accepts it as a spiritual sacrifice.
By the way, if you neglect the Lord’s table, the Lords Supper, you are neglecting the most important fellowship, fellowship with Him. When we neglect the house of God for worldly pleasures, we are in effect withholding this precious sacrifice, we miss out on a time of being blessed and being a blessing to others. It is not a situation of “I have to go to church, it is my duty,” but rather “I get to go to church to fellowship with the Lord and other believers, to learn about their concerns, their burdens and have opportunity to pray for and with them.”
So, we need to ask ourselves, how are we doing with our privilege of being a “Spiritual house,” “a royal priesthood that offers up spiritual sacrifices?” Are we living a life of confessed sin, that comes from a broken and contrite heart?
How are we doing as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God?
Are we fully trusting the Lord with all that we have, all that faces us, and all that the world throws against us?
How are we doing with being thankful in all of our circumstances, whether good or bad?
Do our days go about with praise on our lips, especially whenever we meet someone that we should witness to?
Are our lives filled with joy unspeakable? Is there joy in our hearts when things are good and not so good? Can others see the joy that we hold so dear? Does it reflect our lives and our Savior?
And last of all, do we come together to worship on a regular basis? Or do we just come when it is convenient? Would we rather stay at home where we are comfortable than come and fellowship with others? Pray with others? Praise with others?
The answers of your hearts will show you the condition of your heart and how well you can offer up the spiritual sacrifices to the Lord.