Sermon Part 1: “You Can’t Split the Sacrifice: Put Your All on the Altar of Sacrifice, and Leave it There!”
“I will therefore that men pray every-where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (I Tim. 2:8)
My fervent prayer for every born-again Christian, especially the men of this age, is that they would come into the full knowledge and understanding, that they belong to God and not to the world. I pray that Christians, would have the Lord’s strength and resolve to stand against the “PRESSURE” of this carnal and depraved world and decree and declare the Bible right no matter the personal cost. And, that every Christian would daily submit their “whole lives” to be preserved on God’s Altar of Sacrifice to experience full and complete transformation into the image of Jesus Christ so that God may be glorified through them. This is my sole quest in life to help men, women, and children become True Worshippers of God.
Good morning Saints of God, and welcome to December of 2022. Christmas Day is right around the corner, and 2023 is just a few blocks away. Also, I want to welcome you to this new three-part Sermon Series entitled, “Thank God, You are Not Your Own: You Are God’s Property!” Somebody say with me, “I am God’s Property.”
In these last days and times, many born-again Christians need to be reminded that they belong to God. Not one part of themselves belongs to the world. In fact, Jesus Christ said that we are not of this world, but have been chosen out of the world, and therefore, the world hates us. Truly, if you have decided to live for Jesus Christ, you will be hated and persecuted by the people of this world, because the world first hated Jesus. (John 15:18-19) Now that you are saved, “All” of you—spirit, soul, physical body, and resources belongs to God.
By the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross, we were made dead to sin (our old sin-nature was crucified with Christ, and the entire body/work of sin destroyed with it—past, present, and future sin work), and now we have been made alive unto God through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 6:6-11) Thus, we can offer no excuse for yielding to the practice of sin, having been set completely free from it. Any sinning that we do now is by choice, and not by force of the devil. For the Bible declares that God in us is greater than the god of this world the devil. (I John 4:4)
Until Jesus Christ, the Lord returns, our lives are to be a “Living Sacrifice” unto God and placed on the Altar of God. There is never a time when a born-again Christian should fall and roll down off of God’s Altar of Sacrifice. But, if anyone of us does so, as we are teaching today, put your life back up on the Altar of Sacrifice, and leave it there!
I say again emphatically, as the elect of God, you cannot offer to present and place a part, parts, half, or even the majority of yourself on God’s Altar; but the “whole” of you must be offered as a Living Sacrifice to God—holy and acceptable to God. Growing up in the Church, we use to sing a song called, “Ninety-Nine and Half Just Won’t Do.”
This is so true, with God you either all in, or all out. (Luke 9:23-26) Since we must first deny ourselves completely, take up our crosses, and follow after Jesus Christ, then intuitively and practically speaking, it should register to us that the love of things in this world must be left behind.
The things we use to love to say, do and/or even desire to experiment with in this world that are contrary to God and His Word must be sacrificed. The love and lust for things in this world has already been declared dead, and of no profit to us in the new life we have in Christ Jesus. (John 6:63 & II Cor. 5:17) So now, that we are in Christ, our focus should be on doing the Will of God, and finishing His work.
At Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome the following admonishment:
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. 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.
Thank God, that God is goal-oriented—seeing and declaring the beginning from end, and the end from the beginning. (Is. 46:10) God sees us as His finished product, “living in the image of Jesus Christ” from the beginning! (Rom. 8: 29) From the very foundations of the world God called us holy, blameless, and predestinated us to be His adopted children through Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:4-5)
Furthermore, through the finished works of Jesus Christ on his cross, our lives (born-again hearts—spirit and the mind of the soul) are hidden in Christ. (Col. 3:3) At this present moment, and for all eternity, God only sees us as holy, pure, and righteous as Jesus Christ—because we are in Him. Glory be to God for the things He has done!
Therefore, as you yield your “whole life” and place it on God’s Altar of Sacrifice, God in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost continually transforms (molds and fashions) your thoughts, behavior, and performance into the image of Christ. This is “that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God” that Paul describes in Romans 12:2. God’s goal is for Jesus Christ to be magnified in your mortal body—so that you think, talk, and walk like Jesus Christ in this world!
The born-again Christian that has placed their “All” on the Altar of Sacrifice can be assured that right up until the day of the Lord’s return to rapture the Church, Jesus Christ is going to continue the perfect work of transforming them into His image. (Php.1:6) Praise God, you know what I love about God? If we have not placed our “All” on the Altar of Sacrifice, the Holy Ghost, who reproves and instructs us in righteousness—will let you know about it! (John 15: 7-11)
In your daily walk with the Lord, the Holy Ghost will reveal to you everything you are thinking and doing that is not of God, and consistent with the Word of God. The Holy Ghost will tell you exactly what you need to do to disengage and disentangle yourself from sin and wrong relationships, to enable you to focus on God and to do the work of God. (I John 2:20) If you will, the Holy Ghost is the “consummate skilled chef in your life,” who knows how to chop and cut away dead and detrimental things from your life. So that your life may be a sweet smelling savor unto God.
Our self-sacrifice—willingness to leave sin and our own self-interest and ego behind—is our reasonable service to God for the things He has done for us. For God gave to us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the whole world on His cross, and rose again on the third-day. (John 3:16)
Please consider that Jesus did not partially sacrifice His life for us. He didn’t just endure the mocking, spitting in His face, and the plucking out His beard by the Jews and Romans. He didn’t stop and tell His Father God that this was all He was willing to sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus didn’t just endure hundreds of strips with the whip that tore the flesh from His bones, and then say to God, Father I have endured enough.
No, no, no! For the joy that was set before Him; He endured the shame of the cross, died there, descended into the lower parts of hell for us, defeated death, hell, and grave, and is now seated at the right hand of God. (Heb. 12:2-3, Rev. 1:18 & Mark 16:19) So, why should we as born-again Christians think we can place less than our “All” on the altar of sacrifice daily for Jesus Christ? Why can’t we endure people hating and doing wicked things to us, and loving them anyway?
I ask you to examine your life and ask, is your “All” on the Altar of Sacrifice to God? Do you have any sin (secret sin that you think is kept hidden) and un-forgiveness in your life that you continue to practice? Do you have any self-interest that stands in your way of rendering service to God? Are there commandments of God that you knowingly transgress, and the Holy Ghost is continually reminding you to stop, and obey God? If so, your “All” is not yet on the Altar of God for sacrifice—stop it, leave your disobedience, surrender, and put your “All” on the Altar of God.
Please read with me and heed the instructions of the Apostle Paul recorded at II Timothy 2:19-20.
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
You see, our lives are to be presented daily to the Lord “Holy” and “acceptable” unto Him—and not riddled and ripe with iniquity (the practice of sin). (Rom. 12:1) Paul declares that if we name Jesus Christ as Lord, then we must depart from sin, so that we will be prepared as holy vessels unto God ready to do every good work (the miracles, signs, and wonders of God) in the world! Look at the grace and power God has given to us over sin. We have the power to cast sin out of our lives at any time. Sin has no hold on us—so let go of sin!
Let me go deeper now. Every day we live on earth, as born-again Christians, we face a real and present danger called, "PRESSURE." This enemy, PRESSURE, comes from tribulation in the world—we will talk more extensively about tribulation in the 2023 New Year’s Day Sermon. In some way or shape or form, right now, PRESSURE is being applied to your life. The PRESSURE comes from living in this fallen world's system whose morals, values, practices, and superficial customs are controlled and corrupted by the enemy, Satan.
At II Corinthians 4:3-4, the Apostle Paul wrote:
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
This is why, as born-again Christians, we have been commissioned by Jesus Christ, to go and preach the gospel to every person, in hopes that the lost in this world may hear and believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, Savior of the world, and be saved.
The goal of God being, so that all people who would believe in Jesus Christ, may be transformed into the image of God through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:28-30) Was this not God’s plan from the beginning of the foundations of the earth that mankind be made in the image and likeness of God? (Gen. 1:26)
However, Satan, the god of this world, having blinded the minds of many people in the world, seeks to “normalize” wicked thinking and behaviors throughout the world's societies. And, then he attempts to use institutions and the people of this world who know not God; to persuade, influence, and even intimidate born-again Christians—to conform to the norms established in society. If you will, Satan wants the “Living Sacrifice”—born-again Christians—to roll down and off the Alter of Sacrifice!
Satan and the people of this world, desire to have Christians accept and embrace whatever the world calls "normal," even when God says it's abnormal and unacceptable! And, at this very moment, the world is trying to get you to buy into some deception and falsehood.
Moreover, the aim of Satan, is to have Christians turn away from the love of God, and living by the Word of God, to worship false gods. To get the Christian to stop living sacrificially—to take their “All” off of the Altar of God. So like the people of this world, born-again Christians can become "worshippers and servants of things.” Rather than, worshippers of the "Creator" God Almighty, who made all things through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Satan doesn’t mind if Christians worship God, just as long as he can deceive them into worshipping other gods too. He knows full well that the worship of any other god, is done in the presence of God, and automatically negates true worship of the only true and living God Almighty! (Ex. 20:3-4 & John 4:23-24) Thus, the life of the born-again Christian—“The Living Sacrifice,” can never be split!
When people worship created things, or another human being, they practice covetousness, which is idolatry, and take on a false identity that leads to destruction. That’s right, worshiping false gods causes human beings to take on a false image, and live their lives in deception. I will say it again, if you worship any other god, you will take on the attributes of that god, and become a slave to that god. Paul wrote the following at Romans 6:16:
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
No one can inherit the kingdom of God practicing idolatry. (I Cor. 6:9-11) Thus, the Bible warns us to flee (run away from) idolatry. (I Cor.10:14)
In fact, Satan is so crazy and devilish, that he even tried to tempt Jesus Christ with idolatry. At the onset of Jesus’ ministry, among many temptations inflicted on Jesus during the 40-days He was in the wilderness, Satan took Jesus up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and said, "All this I will give you, if you bow down and worship me."
Jesus immediately rebuked Satan and said, “it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and him only shalt thy serve.” (Matt. 4:8-10) What a wicked and lunatic thought—that Jesus Christ, God manifested in flesh—would bow down and worship Satan, and serve Satan as God!
Moreover all the kingdoms Satan showed Jesus were made by Jesus and for Jesus! (Col.1:16) He was trying to offer Jesus things He already owned. For that matter, Satan is not the rightful owner of anything in the earth. Everything in his possession is stolen property that should be reclaimed by the rightful owners of the earth—the sons of God, called Christians! (John 10:10 & Rom. 8:17) Therefore, always remember, if Satan tempted Jesus to become an idol worshipper, why would he not also tempt you to become one?
If you think about idolatry from Satan's point of view, what better way is there to try and mock and insult Almighty God, than to blind the minds of God's most cherished creation (mankind) by deceiving them into worshipping and serving false gods?
Just imagine, from the foundations of the world, God who made mankind in His own image, after His likeness, and gave to him dominion and authority over everything in the earth He created, being deceived by Satan and bowing down and worshiping things in creation that were intended to be under man’s control. (Gen. 1:26-28) How stupid and foolish is that?
Yet, from the days of Adam to many people in the world today, including many Christians, have been lured away from the true Worship of God to the false worship of dumb idols. Mankind was not created to be owned, and to bear the image of another god, but to bear the image of the Almighty God. But, as I noted, whatever thing a person yields themselves to, that thing will become their Master.
Now, I want to give you a modern-day case study illustration of the PRESSURE born-again Christians face to conform to the norms of the world. Although the names of the characters and specific details are illustrative, the case study highlights a very serious problem we are currently facing in Christianity throughout our country.
Case Study
Meet Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Joan Smith, they are born-again, spirit-filled Christians, and are members of the Zion Temple of the Third Heaven Church of God, in Memphis, Tennessee. The family loves their Church and attend services weekly.
The couple has two daughters, Bettie Jo and Kate, respectively, ages 15 and 12. Both children are excellent students in school, and exceptional soccer players. The girls have played organized soccer for several years, and are currently membered to a thriving recreational Soccer League in Memphis. Recently, the Soccer League notified all of the teams and parents that during the summer and fall months of the year, they plan to reschedule all of its games and tournaments, from Saturday mornings, to Sunday mornings. The time of the soccer matches will directly conflict with services held at the Smith’s Church, as Sunday school begins at 9:30 am, immediately followed by Worship Service, which typically ends around 1:30 pm. The soccer games are planned to be held from 10:00 am through 2:00 pm.
Also important, the girls’ best friends are their neighbors, classmates, and play on their soccer teams. However, none of their friends are membered to a Church, but some of them say they are Christians. Each week, literally hundreds of people in the community come out to the games, including many members of the Smith’s extended family. None of the Smith’s family, however, are regular Church-goers.
According to the Soccer League Policy Manual, which has been reiterated by the coaching staff to their teams, each player must be on-time for practices and games in order to play in games—and full participation is essential for remaining on the team. No exceptions are made, according to the coaches.
Both girls really enjoy soccer, their teammates, and coaches. In fact, the head coach has expressed to Chris and Joan that both girls have bright futures ahead in playing soccer, and have a good chance at earning scholarships to play at top private high schools, which could ultimately lead to them earning scholarships to play in college.
The Soccer season starts in two weeks. Chris and Joan have a decision to make: (A) Continue to attend Church services on Sundays, or (B) Discontinue playing soccer on Sundays throughout the summer and fall.
Tell me, can you feel the “PRESSURE” on Chris and Joan? If they decide to take their children out of soccer and continue to go to Church, can you feel the heat?
Can you sense the kinds of persuasion, influence, and possible intimidation that Chris and Joan may encounter from coaches, teammates, and their extended family? Not to mention, the internal family conflict that may arise between Chris and Joan, as well as the children, as they may not all agree on the decision to attend Church, or drop soccer.
Tell me, is the “PRESSURE” of this conflict causing you to think of compromises that could be made? Are you thinking of ways to make everybody happy—ways in which the family can continue to go to Church and play soccer on Sundays? Or, reasoning about possible excuses the family can use to feel better about choosing soccer over attending Church? After all, whether the Smith’s attend Church on Sundays or not, they are all still Christians, saved, and on their way to heaven—right?
Through this illustration, can you see the goals of the world's system? That is, to establish competing interests within the family as to what should be the priority, Church or soccer? The world wants the family to prioritize and choose soccer over Church.
In Satan’s world, he dangles before the Smith’s, what the people of this world seek after: the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life. (I John 2:16) None of these things are of God, but are sensual and devilish. More on this in a moment.
You see, in this example, as motivation for choosing to play soccer on Sundays, Satan uses things like the thrill and competition of playing and winning soccer games, becoming crowned champion of the league, and hoisting up trophies as bait for the children and parents. He also lures the family with thoughts of opportunities for the girls to be recruited and awarded scholarships, as the most important thing needed in the kids’ development, and ultimately help defray the cost of college tuition.
Moreover, Satan and the world’s system wants the family to rationalize that their absence from Church services would only be temporary. That, being away from Church for a few months out of the year will not hurt anything—and, that they still love God, believe in Jesus Christ, and will carry Him in their hearts while they play.
The enemy may even tempt Chris and Joan to accept a compromise like this: The couple might say, “Well, we can choose to attend the soccer games on Sundays, and still have prayer and devotion together as a family before the games.” Also, “during the games, we can remind the children that when they score a goal, to express thanks to God by lifting up their finger up toward heaven.”
However, before making their decision, Chris and Joan must be wise enough to stop, and ask themselves the following questions:
- If soccer can be deemed more important than going to Church, what’s next?
- What example does this set for our daughters, if we choose soccer? And most importantly,
- How will God be glorified through our decision to choose soccer over Church?
Further, Chris and Joan must study the Bible and pray and ask the Holy Ghost for direction. I mean really, what do you think the Holy Ghost will tell the Smith’s to do? At I John 2:15-17, the Apostle John wrote these words about the world’s system:
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Note that the Apostle John said, “All that is in the world” is “lust” and “the pride of life.” All that the people of this world live for are: (1) The “things” they can see; (2) the “things” they desire to acquire; (3) Then, they go and chase after those “things” until they get them and brag about the things they have acquired, and (4) lust after more things again! This is what life is all about to the people of the world.
Lust is an “unquenchable fire,” a burning desire for the things in the world. No matter how many times the flesh is gratified with what it thinks it wants and needs to be satisfied—the lust for more things will burn greater than before, and insist on getting it.
The Smith’s must realize that playing soccer on Sunday during Church service is just a “thing,” waiting to become an “idol,” and to be worshipped. Satan wants the Smith’s to lust after soccer. Soccer, a “thing” in this world that has been normalized by society, and made a god of millions of people around the world. And, playing soccer in lieu of going to Church on Sunday, is not of God.
If the Smith’s prioritize and choose for the kids to play soccer on Sunday, they will turn on “a lust for playing soccer.” They will cease to live as “Living Sacrifices” unto God. No longer will their “All” be on the Altar of Sacrifice to God. Their sacrifice will be split, as they are expressing a love for both God and soccer. Both cannot serve as their Master.
Furthermore, the devil would be given a place in the family, and will only tempt the family with more desires to make soccer the priority in the children’s lives. And, he will surely bring about more “things” of the world to conflict with God and Church to turn the families’ attention and hearts away from God.
The Smith’s should come to the obvious conclusion that selecting soccer over Church attendance is, “ludicrous” and the wrong decision. They are Living Sacrifices unto God and must leave their sacrifice on the Altar—holy and acceptable unto God! Even though the Soccer League has made a decision to schedule games that interfere with their Sunday Worship Services, the Smith’s should be thinking about how they can bring glory to God in this situation?
How can the Smith’s bring glory to God: by continuing to live as a “Living Sacrifice” unto God holy and acceptable in His sight, which is their reasonable service. The Smith’s must stand on the Word of God, and inform the coach and team that they will not be playing in the soccer league on Sundays, and explaining why they will not.
They must stand up and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the coach, team, and all that will listen to them, and then, invite everyone to Church services on Sundays! Wow, what a novel idea, Uh?
God wants to get the honor and glory out of the lives of the Smith family—regardless of whether it causes the Smith family to suffer criticism, rejection, and persecution. This is the moment of truth of whether the people within this community in Memphis, Tennessee will have the opportunity to see the image of Jesus Christ shine through the Smith family, or the image of idolatry fostered through a false god, called soccer.
Heaven and a great cloud of witnesses are waiting to see whether the Smith family will stand-up and-out for Jesus Christ, or fall down and worship a soccer ball? (Heb. 12:1) God wants to bring miracles about and salvation to many through this “PRESSURE” pact situation—but will the Smith family willingly offer themselves as Living Sacrifices?
Sadly, this illustrative case study of the dilemma faced by the Smith family, has become an all too common occurrence in families across America, in which the wrong decision is made. As I am preaching this Sermon, literally millions of children and youth are playing soccer, other sports, or doing something else on Sundays; other than attending Sunday school and Church services.
Families, including many Christian families, have chosen to replace Church attendance with “the love of things” in this world, and are blindly worshipping false gods. While, Christianity remains the predominant religion claimed by most Americans in this country, the majority of people in America do not regularly attend Church services on Sunday, nor any other day of the week.
Many Christians think that showing up at Church a few times a year, such as on Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day is sufficient to worship and honor God. But, how can this possibly be acceptable to God as reasonable service rendered when He requires us to submit our bodies daily as a “Living Sacrifice” to Him?
The Apostle John pinned at I John 2:4, the following:
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Please, let no one hear or read this Sermon and think that I am suggesting that as born-again Christians we attend Church every Sunday because of a legal requirement to do so. No, way! We go to Church and will let nothing stop us from attending regularly because we Love God and desire to honor and keep our part of the New Covenant, which reminds us not to forsake the assembling together of our selves. (Heb. 10:25)
We love God with the whole of ourselves. Therefore, we place nothing above serving Him, not only when it comes to attending Church, but in every facet of life. God is not first in our lives—God is “All.”
We love God because He first loved us. (I John 4:19) This is our motivation for living, and for placing our “All” on God’s Altar of Sacrifice, period! Whatever thing we are doing or contemplating doing that does not promote God and His way of doing things—we strip it off of our lives and depart from it!
In closing, I encourage every born-again believer, in consultation with the Holy Ghost, to take stock and examine their thinking, sayings, and doings and determine whether your “All” is on the Altar of Sacrifice. Presenting less than your “All” daily to God through Jesus Christ as a Living Sacrifice, delays the process of God molding you into the image of Jesus Christ and causes the light of Christ to shine dimly through you to the people of this world.
Therefore, let those who have been declared righteous by God, yield themselves completely to live righteously before God. (Rom. 6:13, 18) The world will never see the Light of Christ and the supernatural power and love of God toward them, unless born-gain Christians commit to living “wholly” unto God sacrificially.
We are the servants of righteousness and not sin. Praise God, righteousness is our Boss! We cannot bow and cow-tow to societal “PRESSURES” to accept wickedness as righteousness: abortion, fornication, adultery, idolatry, homosexuality, same sex marriage, thievery, drunkenness, hatred, and every other sinful work of the enemy in this world; we take a stand against it with the blood of Jesus Christ in our own lives, and the lives of others.
Right now, if there is any practice of sin in your life, thank the Holy Ghost for shining a light on it, repent of it, and through the power of the Holy Ghost immediately turn and walk away from the sin, and let the Holy Ghost lead and guide you into the way you should go.
Yes, I am fully aware of how hard and pressure-some it can be to go against the norms and traditions of family, friends, and the social appetites of the world. Standing-up and-out for God and His Word will at times cost you relationships, material things, and even the threat of losing your life through persecutions. But, like Peter and the other Apostles told the high priest and Sanhedrin council, after being persecuted and threatened with more violence, “we ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)
We accept that persecutions come along with preaching the gospel and living for Jesus Christ. We count hardships, mistreatment, and persecutions as a part of our “reasonable service” unto God! However, we also know that in every affliction of the righteous, God will deliver them out of their troubles. (Ps.34:19)
Dear Saint of God, when you put your “All” on the Altar of Sacrifice for God and keep it there—you will be so glad you are not your own—but are God’s property! God will show himself mighty on your behalf, whether it be in life or the threat of death. God will give His holy angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways—lifting you up in their hands so that no stone dashes your foot. (Ps.91:11-12)
Next week, we will examine the story of “The Three Wise Men.” They serve as a portrait of Worship of God. This is what every born-again Christian needs to do, is study the Living Sacrifice of these “The Three Wise Men.” Thank God, these men fully understood their lives belonged to God!
See you next week should the Lord Tarry!
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