A Commitment or a Sacrifice?

Romans 12:1-2

There is an old story of a chicken and a pig, who lived with a really wonderful farmer. They decided to do something nice for him and were talking about what to do. The chicken finally said, “let’s make him a nice breakfast of ham and eggs.” The pig replied, “for you that’s an offering, for me that’s a sacrifice.”

I read the story line of the movie Saving Private Ryan. It is the story where eight men set out to save one. The ethics of the story are that at least six and probably seven men die to save one life. As the story unfolds there are various scenes where they argue amongst themselves as to the morality of risking so many for one man, at one stage one of the men says, "he better be a brain surgeon or something."

Finally, after the death of many of the men there is a scene where Tom Hanks (who plays Captain Colin Miller) lays dying on a bridge. His last action is to grab Private Ryan and pull him in close and with his dying breath he says "EARN IT"

The closing scene of the movie is of an old man with family in tow weeping at the graves of the men who died for him and with desperation he pleads, "tell me I’m a good man…." His concern was to have lived a life worthy of the sacrifice made for Him.

I have some questions for you today. These questions will relate to this question: will you live like a spiritual chicken or a pig?

1. Why We Should Live Like A Spiritual Pig?

In Romans 12:1-2 we find an authoritative passage on the will of God. The Apostle Paul has just outlined in Romans 1-11 what God has done for us in giving us the good news of the Gospel. And now in chapter 12 he begins the imperatives, that are the commands as a response to what God has done for us.

He says, Romans 12:1-2…(NIV)  When he says, "Therefore, I urge you Brothers and Sisters" you’ll notice Paul does not command us but urges us. Martin Luther argued that Paul didn’t need to command us since it was incomprehensible to him that anyone who understood the gospel would need to be commanded to respond to God’s mercy. "I urge you brothers, In view of God’s mercy" The point is that when we consider God’s mercy towards us in not giving us what we deserve we should want to give our lives back to God.

There was a man who stormed in to a photographic studio complaining of the quality of his pictures, "Sir" he fumed, "these pictures do not do my looks justice." To which the Photographer responded, "Sir with a face like yours, you don’t want justice, you want mercy."

If we will be honest in examining our lives in light of how Jesus lived His life, we won’t want justice either, we will want mercy.

There is a story that has been told of a mother who sought a pardon of her son from Napoleon. The Emperor said it was the man’s second offence, and justice demanded that he die. "I don’t ask for justice" said the mother. ’I plead for mercy." "But" said the Emperor, “he doesn’t deserve mercy."

"Sir" cried the mother, "it wouldn’t be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask." "Well then" said the emperor, "I will show you mercy." And her son was saved.

Likewise, men and women all over the world do not need justice, but mercy. For if God would judge us according to our lives then we would all end in Hell. What we all need is mercy not justice.

"Therefore in view of God’s mercy I urge you, offer your bodies as living sacrifices" You see, Paul argues that because of what God has done for us (Romans 1-11) we should respond by the offering up of our lives as a living sacrifice to God. What he is calling for is a total abandonment of our own rights and instead we should be focusing on your spiritual responsibilities.

God doesn’t want some of your time or some of your money. He’s not intersected in what you’ve got left after a tiring week. What God desires is you in totality. He wants you as a living sacrifice to Him. But, in my life I have found that the trouble with Living Sacrifices is they keep crawling of the Altar.

Friends, we need to realize that to be a follower of Jesus Christ, God is asking that you sacrifice your will, your dreams, your hopes on the alter of discipleship and start doing His will in this world He has placed you. Some of you may think he’s asking too much but what Paul argues is that in fact "This is your spiritual act of worship".

The Greek word translated by the NIV as “spiritual” is ‘logikos’ which means logical or reasonable. In other words it is only logical, and reasonable that you respond to God’s mercy by giving you life as a living sacrifice to the will of God. In fact, according to Paul its the only reasonable, the only logical thing for you to do. But yes, it demands commitment from you.

When you look at a plate of ham and eggs, you notice the chicken got involved, but the pig was really committed. Are you a chicken or a pig when it comes to the will of God? There is a second question I want to ask:

2. What Do We Have To Offer God?

Here is what many people think they have to offer: The remnants of their time, that is after work and play if they’re left with some spare time, they’ll offer that to God, maybe if their not too tired. They might offer the remnants of their love, after they have loved their family, their self and all the other things that ask for their attention. They might offer the remnants of their finances, after they have given to the government, the banks, the family, the grocery store, the bills, and their self, if any is left over. But if we do not put God first, is there anything left over?

So, how do we live as a spiritual pig when it comes to what we have to offer God? Or maybe a better way to ask that question is: how do we know and do the will of God? Here’s the answer, "Do not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…"

On a bright sunny day, when you walk into a dark movie theatre you really notice how dark it is. If there is no usher, you tend to congregate at the back until gradually the darkness seems to lighten off and you begin to see again.  After a while you can see without difficulty. It’s almost like you seem to be able to see normally. We’re comfortable with the darkness, until you walk back outside into the sunlight that almost blinds you.

As Christians we are in the same predicament. If you spend enough time in the world conforming to it, then you become so accustomed to its darkness, that you think it is normal and you conform to it’s ungodly patterns.

Ask yourself the question, who do I listen to? Do you I listen to the Word or the World? When it comes to issues of sexuality, gender, finance, or work, who do I listen to? On your attitude toward drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and homosexuality what is your authority? What forms your thinking?

The world speaks of indulgence and defilement. But the Bible speaks of denial and purity.  The world speaks of rights, but the Bible speaks of responsibilities. The Bible says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..." It’s saying, “dare to be different.” It’s saying, “do what’s right, not what is easy and popular.”  But the question is How do I do that?

The Bible gives the answer, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is." That brings me to my final question:

3. Is Your Life On The Level With God?

 One time I was partitioning off our basement in Missouri to make an extra bedroom and bathroom. I framed up the walls and put them in place.  Then I had my neighbor who was a sheet-rocker by profession come over to tell me what I needed to do next. Anyway, as I basked in the glory of a soon to be completed job, I noticed my neighbor check my wall with his level.

Only to here him point out, that one of the sections was not plumb. Now I had to two options, I could take the section down and get it level or I could conveniently misplace the level, which seemed the easiest and most practical solution. But, I took it down and leveled it up and put it back plumb, because that was what was right.

The Scriptures are the spiritual level in our lives. God’s Word enables us to measure our every practice, our every thought, and our every desire by his Word. And this leads to a transformation of our life and our actions, which begins through the renewing of our minds. You need to renew your mind to transform your living. And this requires of us a commitment to study God’s word, to learn it, to meditate upon, to think it. That’s the only way our lives can be on the level with God.

We say at this church that we have to be honest with three things. We have to be honest with ourselves, with each other, and honest with God. That is when your life is on the level. And that only comes when the Bible is the measuring tool by which we check our lives.

It means making Christian principles and growth a priority in your homes and in this Church. It requires a paradigm change in our approach to Christianity. Because, if we are to offer up our lives as living sacrifices, then such a transformation of our lives will have to be powered by the renewing of our minds to what His “good, pleasing, and perfect will is.”

And we have to remember that we are not earning God’s love but rather responding to His saving grace by living lives pleasing to Him. Do you remember when I talked about Tom Hanks pulling Private Ryan’s head down and saying with his dying words, “earn it!”

Well God pulls us to Himself and with His dying words, He says, you can’t earn it, you’re not good enough on your own, so I am not giving you justice, I am giving you mercy and grace.  I am dying that you can live. So what will you offer back in view of God’s mercy? Will you be a chicken or a pig?