sacrifice

Generous Sermon Series “Our Money is Directly Tied to our Heart” Malachi 3:1-12

https://youtu.be/gQc4g2kXYdY

Generous Sermon Series

“Our Money is Directly Tied to our Heart”

Malachi 3:1-12

Opening

One Sunday morning because the mother was sick she sent her son on to the country church without her. The said now “You go straight to church.” Before the small boy left his mother gave him two quarters. She said “One quarter is for you to get some ice cream on the way home and one quarter is for God.”

So putting the quarters in his pocket, he left for church. On the way he stopped momentarily at a bridge on leaned over the side to see the water. When he did this one of the quarters fell out of his pocket and fell into the river below. He jumped down and checked for the other quarter. Having found it he said “wheh I sure am glad I didn’t lose my quarter for ice cream!”

Often times we have the same attitude toward giving as the little boy. When we have gotten what we wanted we have nothing left to give. God is warning the Israelites through the prophet Malachi that they should prepare because a king was coming who would judge them on how they worshiped God, specifically on how they worshiped Him with their giving. This morning I want you to understand that this is not a message on tithing, but a message on how we are to worship and show loyalty to our Lord.

In terms of the number of verses on a topic, the subject of money and wealth is the second most dominant theme in the Bible, second only to idolatry. The Bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2000 verses on money and possessions. Jesus talked more on money than heaven and hell combined.

Why? Because we hold money very close to our hearts. God knows that money is the chief rival for our heart’s affection. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

This is an Old Testament passage, aren’t we under grace now? First tithing was done before Moses and the Law. In Genesis 4:1-8 Cain and Abel tithe off of their first fruits. In Genesis 14:20 Abraham tithes to Melchizedek, the priest of God. This was before the Law was given.

And in the New Testament Christ had the perfect opportunity to do away with the tithe when talking with the Pharisees. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Our Hearts as it Relates to Worship (vv. 1-5)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.”

(v. 1) “my messenger” is a reference to John the Baptist. Jesus 400 years later referring to John the Baptist says in Matthew 11:10 “For this reason is he of whom it is written:‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

“prepare the way” It was custom of the Near Eastern kings to send messengers before them to remove obstacles to their visit. He would go through the towns and the people would fill in any holes In the road, clean up, etc…

God is giving the people a warning, to get their lives right, to repent and turn from their evil ways before the king comes in judgment. He had sent messengers like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. God had sent many messengers, but now the king was coming Himself.

“suddenly” does not mean immediately, but instantaneously and unannounced. When all things have been prepared Jesus will return to rule (Matt. 24:40-42).

We are now in between the messenger of the covenant, and His second coming in judgment. We are in a state of grace. It is a day for repentance (or turning from our sin) and salvation.

“whom you desire” is likely sarcastic. They are saying that they are seeking him but in reality this is shown to be false because of their actions. According to the prophet, the people were guilty of many serious sins. The priests were offering blemished animals in a formal but insincere religious ritualism. They were going through the motions.

Many were divorcing their wives to marry unbelieving women. Most had been disobeying God’s laws by withholding tithes of their harvest. And they were accusing God of loving them only halfheartedly and of being unjust in his dealings with them – because he had had not prospered them adequately.

In essence they were saying “God look at all this we are doing for you, what have you done for us lately? We believe that we should have much more material possessions for as much as we serve you.” (Do you see the irony? They were doing nothing that pleased Him.)

(v. 3) “a refiners fire” and “a launderer’s soup” — fire is a reference to burning off dross of silver or impurities and launderer’s soup is a reference to alkali that whitens fabrics. When a silver smith would work silver he would heat up the metal to a boiling point where the impurities would rise to the surface. He would then skim off the impurities. He would do this until all the impurities were gone and he could see a perfect reflection of himself in the silver.

If God is not pleased with our worship of Him he will heat up our lives to remove the impurities until he can see His Son in us. A launderer would use the harsh and abrasive alkali to whiten cloth. When we go to heaven we will wear white because we have been cleansed by Jesus’ death on the cross.

It is only when those who present the offering have been cleansed that the offering would be acceptable. This is also a reference to the motive behind the offerings. Simply presenting the offering to God is not enough. It must be done with a clean heart, a pure motive, and obedience to God.

Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

The Pharisees would bring their tithe of everything down to the spices in their cabinets, but their motives were so that people would see them and say “wow aren’t they religious!” They did it for the glory it gave them from others.

“swiftly” Jesus second coming will happen suddenly in “the twinkling of an eye.” His judgment will be quick as well. He will testify against “I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, . . . and do not fear me” In other words those that do not respect or fear the Lord.

Malachi is saying that Jesus will return and He will sit in judgment of those who do not fear the Lord. The Israelites did not fear God because they gave with wrong motives, they gave their second best, and they were unconcerned about their sin. While the Lord is a God of wrath he is also a God of mercy, long-suffering and grace. The Lord’s response to the people’s rebellion and sin was to say that he does not change.

Our Hearts as it Relates to Money (vv. 6-12)

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts”.

“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed Genesis 15:9 ff. God made a promise to Abraham and to his descendants that they would be His people. It is because of this promise that no matter what Abraham’s family did God would still keep his promise. It was because of this promise they had not been destroyed because of their sin long ago.

In theology this doctrine is called immutability. It means that, being perfect, God cannot and does not change. God cannot get any better nor can he get any worse, either would mean that he was not God to begin with. It is therefore we who change. It was because of this character of God that the people were not destroyed.

They thought that God was not being faithful to them, even tough it was them who had changed, showing disrespect and sin toward God. There is a pattern all throughout the Old Testament. God will bless the nation, and they love God. Over time they grow complacent and forget God and that it is He who had given them all that they had.

They then become involved in any number of sins and after warnings from various prophets they are judged by God. The people would then repent and turn back to God who would then forgive them and bless them, and they would follow His ways again.

“Return to me, and I will return to you,” The people have always had the option of returning to Him through repentance and renewed obedience. God’s people asked what have they done that they needed to return from. Did they not know what they were doing wrong? They ask “How are we to return, we haven’t done anything wrong?” “You are the one who has been unfaithful.”

God says that they were robbing Him “In tithes and offerings.”

A pig and a chicken were walking down the street one morning and they passed by a local club who were having a bacon and egg breakfast cook-off to raise money for their organization. The chicken said let’s go in and see if we can help. The pig said no way, you would be able to give, but I would really have to sacrifice.

Well, let’s see if we can tell the difference between giving and sacrifice.

What is a tithe? An offering? The meaning of the word ‘tithe’ is 10%. God says that we are to bring the whole 10% of their income into the storehouse. The storehouse was a section of the temple where the agrarian Israel would give their grain, animals, etc… It therefore is a reference to the Church. Tithes are to go to the local church. Offerings are what we give above and beyond the tithe.

The reason for the tithe is so that “there may be food in my house.” Ministries within the Church are dependent upon the faithful giving of each member. God has not designed any other way for fund raising other than the tithe and offerings. The financial stability of the church is dependent upon the member’s hearts being right with the Lord.

God promises that if we will tithe, we will be blessed. How are we blessed? (v. 11) “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.”

protection from destruction – plagues have throughout the Bible been a way that God would judge Israel. Lev. 26:24, 25; Deut. 28:21; Egypt 12:29, 30. When we choose to be disobedient we step out of God’s protective circle. But if we are obedient we remain within God’s protective graces.

A curse therefore may be that our possessions or what we depend on for our income may be destroyed. He would do this to strip us of what we idolize so that all that would be left is God – because He is faithful to discipline us as his children. Discipline hurts.

productivity in labor — “fields will not cast their fruit.” Our work will yield a harvest. When we are obedient to God our efforts will be multiplied because God is directing it instead of us.

A curse therefore would be that no matter how hard we toil we can never seem to get ahead. We sink deeper and deeper in debt. We become anxious and worried because we are depending on ourselves instead of trusting in God to provide.

popularity – when we are obedient to God will bless us because it is His desire that His name be lifted up. We can say when I added up all that I owe (to God and the world) and the money that I am taking in I would not have enough. God provided the money that I needed to do both. The blessing is that we will be able to be a witness of what God as done with our lives. There will also be joy in your household because of your relationship with the Lord.

A curse therefore would be that we have robbed ourselves of the blessing that comes from giving. We have no testimony of how God has done the impossible with our finances and lives. People will not call us blessed but instead will know that we have done it our way and in our own strength.

Still not convinced about this whole tithing thing? This is the only place in the Bible where man can test God. “Test me in this.”

Another reason God requires a whole tithe is that tithing ultimately is a test to determine if we trust God. It reveals the reality of whom we love more God or money.

To be of Use for God Requires Sacrifice; Ezekiel 24:15-27

As Christians we say that we want to help people, to serve God, and to tell others about Jesus. We would say that this is our ministry, and that we understand that it will cost us something. If we tithe, then we canâ€™t own certain luxuries. If we serve then we may miss a ball game, or have to forgo being apart of a local civic club.

We also know that Jesus said in Luke 12:23-24, â€œIf anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24Â For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.â€ We may even be willing to lay down our lives for the sake of the gospel or for reaching someone else.

It has been said, â€œI went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, “If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me.â€

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In chapters 1-23 Ezekiel has been called to ministry as a prophet in exile in Babylon. He has been given many messages from the Lord to deliver to the people. He has dressed up in costumes, and has given harsh messages against the people and its’ leadership. God has given him visions of the end times, false prophets, building small cities out of sand, of wheels inside wheels, and beings with four faces.

He has been given visions of the eventual fate of the foreign nations that have attacked and enticed Godâ€™s people into slavery and idol worship. He has been called the â€œwatchmanâ€ of Godâ€™s people.

If we are seeking to faithfully follow Christ then you will have a group of people that you are seeking to minister to. But what are you willing to sacrifice in order to be obedient to your calling to them?

Doing Difficult Things (vv. 15-18)

15Â The word of the Lord came to me: 16Â â€œSon of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17Â Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.â€ 18Â So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

All of Ezekielâ€™s messages, since his calling to be a prophet, have been about Godâ€™s judgment against the people. This would have made him at the very least disliked and avoided, and at itâ€™s worst hated and plotted against.

The place for a man of God who gives hard messages and does righteous things that others hate, the place of refuge is his home. Ezekielâ€™s wife was â€œthe delight of your eyes.â€

There would have been many conversations over the dinner table, or lying next to each other in the bed â€“ she was a source of great delight, healing, and support for him. He loved her very much. They were in ministry together. As a pastor, my wife is my rock, the person who encourages me, and I donâ€™t know how I would do what I do without her.

Knowing that his wife was about to die, he got up and went about his normal routine â€“ which was to teach Godâ€™s people in the morning. By the end of the day, in a sudden stroke, his wife was dead. Instead of coming home and discussing the events of the day, he found her dead and began arranging a funeral.

Typically at a death, professional mourners would be hired, family and friends would shave their head and beards, put dust on their heads, cover their faces, tear their clothes, take off their shoes, and roll in the dirt and dust as a sign of loss and mourning. They would only eat a certain type of â€œmourning breadâ€ brought to them from friends and neighbors.

Ezekiel did none of these things. We donâ€™t know exactly what happened between that dreadful evening and the next morning, but at the normal time for him to teach the people he was there. He had his turban on, his still had his beard, he was bathed, properly dressed, prepared to teach, and he went about his day as normal.

What Does This Mean For Me? (vv. 19-27)

19Â And the people said to me, â€œWill you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?â€ 20Â Then I said to them, â€œThe word of the Lord came to me: 21Â â€˜Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22Â And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. 23Â Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24Â Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.â€™ 25Â â€œAs for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul’s desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26Â on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27Â On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.â€

Godâ€™s intention was for the people to see that Ezekiel had lost his wife, then observe his behavior, which would draw them to ask the question — as a prophet â€œWill you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?â€

Now before we look at what it meant (for them), I stumbled across their question. Ezekiel has been faithful to teach them in the morning â€“ for who knows how long. He has been the voice of God as a prophet to them, for years now.

He has now lost his wife (and is acting weird â€“ heâ€™s not mourning) and their first question is â€œwhat do these things mean for us?â€ Ezekiel couldnâ€™t tell them, because the moment he finished this act before them â€“ he became mute.

Can you imagine for a moment how Ezekiel is feeling. The people had rebelled and been carried off into exile. They had not responded to his messages from the Lord, He has crawled through walls, boiled pots, and done all kinds of things in order to get the peopleâ€™s attention and to get their hearts to change â€“ but they wonâ€™t change.

His whole life has been in ministry to a people whose hearts wonâ€™t change â€“ and now he has lost his own wife â€œthe delight of his eye,â€ and the people want to know whatâ€™s in it for them. There are no outcries from them, no signs of changing at all, no tears fall from their eyes, they only want â€œwhatâ€™s in this for me?â€

As a person of God who is seeking to be obedient to God, donâ€™t expect those you seek to faithfully serve to see what you are going through â€“ they only see themselves and their own lives. They are so caught up in their own sin and self, they canâ€™t see other people.

So what is the meaning of the message? The people of God took great pride in the Temple in Jerusalem. They incorrectly interpreted Scripture that it would never be destroyed and that it would always stand. The temple was the â€œdelight of their eyes.â€ It was a sense of pride for them.

So while they loved the temple and the religious ceremonies, they (at least their hearts) were full of rot and iniquity. They worshipped idols, celebrated fertility rites, had sex with temple prostitutes, and went through the religious rituals that they brought with them from Jerusalem.

So they are in exile and are slaves in Babylon. So when they receive word that the â€œdelight of their eyesâ€ has been destroyed and that the children they left behind have been killed, they will want to mourn, and grieve â€“ but they wonâ€™t be able to because to do so would mean certain punishment and even death. So they will have to go through their days as normal, and when they grieve it will have to be in private and quietly.

â€œThus shall Ezekiel be to you a signâ€ Ezekiel lost his wife, was unable to mourn her death, became mute for a period of time all in order to be a sign to the people. God was using him to teach/reach thousands of people (an entire nation), and even today as millions study the book of Ezekiel.

To do great things for the Lord, requires great sacrifice. In order to faithfully serve God, it cost Ezekiel his wife. In order to redeem mankind from itâ€™s sin, God sacrificed His own Son on the cross.

We have had friends that while they were serving in an inner city neighborhood their car was stolen. You hear on the news of missionaries who lose their lives, and stories of martyrs who lose everything for the gospel. Â Ephesians 5:1-2 â€œTherefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2Â And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.â€ So what are you willing to sacrifice? Is there anything that you would not be willing to give up if God were to require it of you in order to minister in His name to someone else?

Instead of asking, â€œwhatâ€™s in this for me?â€ we should ask, â€œLord what do you require of me in order to reach others?â€ Psalm 57:2 â€œI cry out to God Most High,â€¨to God who fulfills his purpose for me.â€

Sometimes marriage to a great leader comes with a special price for his wife. Such was the case for Mary Moffatt Livingstone, wife of Dr. David Livingstone, perhaps the most celebrated missionary in the Western world. Mary was born in Africa as the daughter of Robert Moffatt, the missionary who inspired Livingstone to go to Africa.

The Livingstones were married in Africa in 1845, but the years that followed were difficult for Mary. Finally, she and their six children returned to England so she could recuperate as Livingstone plunged deeper into the African interior. Unfortunately, even in England Mary lived in near poverty. The hardships and long separations took their toll on Mrs. Livingstone, who died when she was just forty-two.

In todayâ€™s text, this would be the last sermon that he would have to give about judgment. From this point forward in the book of Ezekiel it would be a message of restoration and hope. Eventually, he would get the message from the fugitive, his mouth would be opened and he would preach again.

Ezekiel would endure all these things so that â€œthey will know that I am the Lord.â€ How important is it that others know that He is the Lord? It was more important than the presence of a wife in the life of her husband. It was more important than a man being able to teach and preach.

It was more important than Ezekielâ€™s preferences, comfort, or choice. For other people to hear the message from God, â€œI am the Lordâ€ it was more important than Ezekiel, Ezekielâ€™s wife, Ezekielâ€™s ministry â€“ it was more important than everything.

How important is it to you for others to know that â€œJesus is Lord?â€ Is it more important than your job, your house, the kind of car you drive? Is it more important than your family? Your wife or husband?

Isnâ€™t Jesus Lord if we tell so them or not? Yes, but Christ has given us a command to go and tell them that He is Lord. Matthew 28:19-20 â€œGo therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20Â teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.â€ The reason we must tell them is because there is a literal and real hell that they are destined to enter if no one tells them the truth of the gospel.

God is love, and He loves His creation, so much so that he sent His one and only Son to die in order to redeem it back from sin. This God of love, wants all to repent of their sin, and come to a saving knowledge of His Son Jesus. And He has chosen to use us as part of the redemption story.

But we have seen that the privilege of being apart of this salvation process usually comes at some sacrifice on the part of Godâ€™s followers. We cannot have our way, and still follow His way. Our sinful and corrupt hearts are not the same as His holy and purely loving heart.

We want security, safety, a house with so many square feet, a car with a certain status attached, or an amount in the savings or retirement account and when we feel fully safe in all that, then we say to God â€“ â€œok, now I am ready to do something for you (but donâ€™t touch any of my security).â€

And He responds back to us, â€œPrecious child, I am God. And I will do with you as I please.â€ â€œI also want to use you to do bigger things than your little mind and myopic vision can see.â€ â€œCome follow me.â€

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Mark Twain shortly before his death wrote, “A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle;…they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; …those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last–the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them–and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence,…a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.”

Abraham and Isaac go to a Worship Service; Genesis 22

Abraham’s Example of Genuine Worship: Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13

â€œAfter these things God tested Abraham and said to him, â€œAbraham!â€ And he said, â€œHere I am.â€ 2Â He said, â€œTake your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. . . . .

9Â When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Â Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11Â But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, â€œAbraham, Abraham!â€ And he said, â€œHere I am.â€ 12Â He said, â€œDo not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.â€ 13Â And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.â€

In the story of Abraham being tested by sacrificing his only son Isaac we get see a heart- wrenching story. Abraham who has not had a child his entire adult life, and it is only when he is old that God blesses he and his wife Sara with a boy. They had endured the cultural shame of having no children. Now God had promised to give them a child, and he had finally arrived.

We see from the text that Isaac is old enough to carry a load of wood for the sacrifice, and was very much aware of how such a time of worship would go, and what was required to offer it. He asks along the way, â€œBehold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?â€ He would have undoubtedly experienced many such times of sacrifice.

The story takes place in the context of a worship service and it was to take place at a given location. But, what transpires there is not â€œLord I lift you name on high,â€ or any other lighthearted song sung half-heartedly.

During this time, Isaac was asked to kill his son. If Isaac had become an idol to Abraham â€“ or had Abraham put Isaac before the Lord, we really donâ€™t know. But, what if this is how our times of worship are really supposed to be? What if they are supposed to be deeply personal, and extremely moving?

What if God says, â€œI donâ€™t want your puny left over offering, I want your children.â€ What if God says, â€œI donâ€™t want what you had planned on bringing to the worship service, instead I want that which is most precious to you.â€ What if he tells us ahead of the worship service what the offering should be, and the act of worship is bringing it to the alter â€“ where you leave it?

Instead of thinking of worship as a place to go to get â€œfed, fueled, encouraged, excited, etcâ€ or any other completely self-focused objectives, what if we are to learn how worship should be from this passage? What is worship is supposed to be heart-wrenching and truly sacrificial? This is not exciting. A time of worship where our faith is truly tested is not enjoyable. It is quite miserable. What if worship is where we stand before our God and he painfully extracts the sin in our lives. This is not done with a cup of coffee in the hand.

True worship, based on this story, leaves the follower of God truly and deeply joyful that there was a substitute given. This kind of worship leaves the worshipper caring less where they go for lunch after the service. They may even sit and weep because God has given His one and only Son for them (and their family).

At Abrahamâ€™s worship service there was deep, deep, deep sense of thankfulness. How long did Abraham hug his son after it was all over; a moment, an hour? Did they weep together?

Notice that God does not rip Isaac from Abraham’s arms. Abraham as to bring Isaac to the alter and lay him on it. We learn to lay down that which is most precious to use, to put God first, and he in His grace provides what we need to worship Him. Praise God for the ram caught in the thicket.

It would be a very risky prayer to ask God to give you this type of worship service. But what we see is Godâ€™s love for Abraham. God had a very big plan for this this man, he was to be a blessing to the entire world, and he would not allow anything (or anyone) to get in between Him and his precious child. If you are His child, he loves you with this same jealous love. He will not allow anything to get in-between you and Him. He simply loves you too much to see you caught up in sin.

We are to sacrifice that which means the most to us, so that others may be blessed. Jesus laid down his one and only Son so that all of creation would be restored.

God asks the same of Jesusâ€™ followers. 1 John 3;16 â€œBy this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.â€ We give and sacrifice to maintain a right relationship with the Father, and he uses that faithfulness and righteousness to bless the world around us.

Pray for your worship service to be truly worshipful (but know this is a costly and dangerous prayer).