How much are you willing to pay?

Wortham this Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent. On Wednesday the Christian community observed Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday A major fast (WC) on the first day of *Lent. Preceded in some cultures by a period of revelry (e.g., carnival), it is a day of repentance that begins the Lenten season of somber reflection on Christ’s approaching *Passion. Ashes are placed on the forehead as an act of repentance. The Lenten or Season of Lent comes from the word “Spring” illuminating the season and time when Christ was crucified. The Lenten season is a period of fasting and repentance that last from Ash Wednesday into Holy Week. For 40 days this fasting and repentance lasts leading up to Resurrection Sunday. The 40 days lines up with Christ being led into the wilderness for 40 days and nights, and also emulates the 40 years that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness and around the mountains. Many people during this season fast or sacrifice something for 40 days in order to be cleansed and ready for Resurrection Sunday. Others have made a mockery of this season by using God’s grace in vein. God’s grace does not give us a license to do any and everything, but a license to live holy and acceptable before the Lord. Church I would like to say that fasting and repentance is good, but the question remains how much are you willing to give up!? Touch your neighbor and say neighbor give something up!

Sacrifice

The idea and theological thought of sacrifice is generally tied to the idea of sin. Generally throughout the Hebrew Bible God called the children of Israel to offer sacrifices in order to atone for sin. Also sacrifices were a form of worship and or praise. From Cain and Able to Noah to Abraham all throughout the context of the Hebrew Bible the people of God offered sacrifices. In the text today we see in the beginning of the 21st chapter of 1 Chronicles David has sinned before God allowing the Devil to influence him into calling for a census of the Israel and Judah. Many scholars argue that the reason it was a sin first is that God did not order it, and the second was that David had become so full of himself that he wanted to do what all of the other nations did and brag about how many people were under his rule. God saw this and began to move swiftly against David and the Children of Israel. The Bible says that the Lord spoke to Gad David’s prophet or seer and told him he could choose one of three punishments. Either three years of famine, three months of your enemies overtaking you, or three days of plague by the angel of the Lord. David cried out to God and said please allow the Lord to punish us as his mercy is great, but don’t give me over to mine enemies. Then the Lord struck the people with a plague in that the angel of the Lord stood between heaven and earth and struck the people with the sword and over seventy thousand died throughout the land. Then David with the elders cried out to the Lord and said Lord have mercy on them it was me that committed this sin and called for a census. Don’t hurt these innocent sheep Lord. So the first sacrifice that David gave was he sacrificed his pride and owned up to his wrong doing. Which brings me to a point sometimes you have to sacrifice your selfish pride in order to save those around you. Church we have to give up our selfish ways if we want to save this generation. The Bible says that God paused the angel after hearing David’s cry. Sometimes church if we just get real with God we can stop some of the calamities going on in our families, churches, and communities. Touch your neighbor and say neighbor o neighbor we can stop this if we just get real!

Obedience

When the angel paused the Lord spoke to Gad and told him to tell David to build an altar where he saw the angel of the Lord. Now we arrive at the text today in which David goes to Ornan’s place. Oranan who also saw the angel of the Lord destroying the people and the land, sees David coming and falls to his face to honor the king. David asks Ornan for his place in order to offer a sacrifice as the Lord told him to. Ornan in fear of God and reverence to the king said take the land o king and do what you want with it. David says in verse 24, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.” Which brings me to another point don’t take advantage of people. Just because someone offers you something for free doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay for it. In other words do what is right. So many times I know the church is sometimes the worst with this. We always want something for free. There is nothing wrong with someone donating or giving to the church don’t get me wrong, but it’s always right for the church to want to bless others Y’all don’t hear me! Don’t be the type of person always trying to get something for free that’s a welfare mindset, but move up in your mindset and pay your fair share for that which you need and stop mooching off of others both naturally and spiritually in order to get by!

Worship and Close

So David did as the Lord told him built and alter and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord at the place where God stopped the angel. Then the book says that David began to call on the Lord. Sometimes Church we have to give God a sacrifice of praise in order to get God’s attention. The Bible says that after David repented, and after David obeyed God and built an Altar without freeloading, and after David worshipped God offering burnt offerings and peace offerings then David worshipped God and called out to him with a sacrifice of praise the book says the Lord answered some of y’all just missed your shout. Even though we mess up and even though we miss the mark if we get real with God, God will answer. The bible says he answered with fire on the alter. We need some fire on our altars in order to burn some stuff off of us. Can I get a witness??? But I have one question during this Lenten season what are you willing to pay? What are you willing to sacrifice so that God will bless and keep you and your family. What are you willing to give up? Can you give up your selfish ways? Can you give up your selfish indulgences, can you give up your bad habits, can you give up your cheap ways, What are you willing to pay?? The reason I ask is read verse 27, “27 So the Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.” Which means it was over. How many of us would like for God to stop some things in our lives stop some things in our families stop some things on our jobs stop some things in our communities and stop some things in our churches?!?!?! How much are you willing to pay? Well David paid Full Price! Church you can’t get the blessings of God on sale!

in closing This place according to historians also became the place geographically where the temple was erected in other words the place where David repented, obeyed, and sacrificed to God became the place where the holies of holies held the ark of the covenant which became the place where God resided. In other words the place where we give God our all is the place where God will live.

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