A Living Sacrifice: Surrendering to God's Will

Summary

This was a renewed English-language gathering for the younger generation of the church. The speaker opened by noting that whatever language we dream or think in, we are one family God deliberately placed together in America to share His word. From there the message turned to Romans 12:1-2 and the call to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.

Drawing on the Old Testament altar and Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23, the preacher explained that it is the altar that sanctifies the gift, not the gift the altar. A living sacrifice is hard precisely because it keeps trying to climb back off the altar. Real surrender means handing God not only our will but our thoughts and feelings, praying 'Your will be done,' and letting the Spirit renew our minds so we can discover His good and perfect will.

A second speaker drove the point home: we cannot live the Christian life or be a blessing to others in our own strength. We must empty ourselves of sin, die to self so that Christ lives in us, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The service closed with a call to repentance and prayer, urging everyone to stop hiding their sin, come honestly before God, and ask Him to fill their empty vessels with His power.

Key Points

• We are one family in Christ no matter what language we speak, dream, or think in.
• Offer your body as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1-2).
• It is the altar that sanctifies the gift, so surrender, not the offering itself, is what makes us holy.
• A living sacrifice keeps jumping off the altar; full surrender gives God our will, thoughts, and feelings every day, not just on Sunday.
• Renew your mind and you will discover God's good and perfect will for your life.
• The Spirit gives each believer a unique gift; finding God's will matters more than any title or position.
• We cannot do it on our own; we must empty ourselves of sin and be filled with the Holy Spirit.