THE LIVING SACRIFICE 

9th of April, 2023. 

THEME:	CHRISTIAN SERVICE AND COMMITMENT IN GOD’S VINEYARD
LESSON:	FOUR
TEXT:	Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 9:35-38, Act 6:1-7, Romans 12: 1-10, 1Cor. 12-27

MEMORY TRACK:  

In our last lesson we learnt, by the grace of God, that labourers are sent with their co-labourers to serve God in His vineyard. There are heart states that are not acceptable before the Lord and these heart states are directly opposite to the nature of the heart of Jesus by which He served His Father in the days of His flesh.  

The Living Sacrifice: Giving Yourself first to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2; 2Cor 8:1-7) 

The service of God begins with first with our being born-again and being filled with Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongue. We should belong to a local assembly and be actively involved in the church-life by belonging to a house fellowship (more specifically as it concerns NLWC). This is the first point of call, after that, we can begin to look into working for God in His vineyard (like becoming a member of the workforce). 

The life of sacrifice/selflessness: One of the signs of spiritual growth and advancing in church-life is how much we can yield our self as a sacrifice unto the work of the Lord and to the brethren. The work of the Lord cannot yield full dividends for any worker without a sacrificial heart. The gospel thrives and prospers by sacrifice. This sacrifice is nothing but living, holy and acceptable sacrifice unto the Lord. To be living is to acquire life (Christ) and to be holy is to acquire charity which covers a multitude of sins.  

Below are some of the major highlights that make up for a reasonable service: 

A. Purging yourself of sin (Isaiah 52:11, 1Thessalonians 4:4, 2Timothy2:20) 

The great house comprises of many vessels; some to honour and some to dishonour. What makes the difference is purging oneself from the filthiness. These are the things that reduces the activities of the Holy Ghost and grace in a believer. Filthiness in this case can be classified into two broad categories according to 2Cor 7:1-2 as follows:

• Filthiness of the flesh (e.g., fornication, all inordinate affection – Gal. 5:19-22, Eph 5:1-10). 
• Filthiness of the spirit (e.g., offense, worldliness – Matt.11:6, Romans 12:1-2, Heb 12:15, 1John 2:15)  

B. Service flows from the heart (Eph 6:6) 

Service sits and flows from the heart, therefore, the best way to serve the Lord in an acceptable manner is to serve from the heart. This will command commitment and excellent service in God’s Vineyard. The servant-heart nature exudes commitment, faithfulness, and loyalty both to God, the set man and to the brethren. It will also make us free from eye service. If the heart is willing, the body will follow. 

C. The importance of your body in serving the Lord (Romans 12:1) 

The end of our service and commitment to the Lord is seen in how we serve the Lord in obedience and how much we have given ourselves to the work of the Lord. Our body demonstrates and reflects the true state of our heart. What we do physically through our body (to the brethren and to the Church of the Lord) forms a major part of what can be called service. This is the reason your body is a gift from the Lord to “us”, for a holy use in the service of the Lord.  This is the best way to use our body. This is the reason we cannot afford to share that same body with sinful activities. 

D. Serving by the gift of Grace (Romans 12:2) 

The gift of grace is a supernatural manifestation of life in a believer as a result of growth and it is given for the purpose of serving the body (local assembly/the body). This grace is specially given to those who stand in the help ministry. This grace does not come upon a young believer or upon us immediately when we join the workforce. It flows from the Lord to those who have faithfully served the Lord with their hearts. It is the grace that is given to those who occupy deaconship in the body. This is the required gift and skill that anyone who would serve well should run after. 

E. Grace vs skill: their unique place in the work (1Samu 16: 18, Exodus 35:30-32) 

The body of Christ is a supernatural entity that is different from the human organisation. You need so much skill to work well in your servile workplace or to excel in business. But it is not so in the Church. What God endows people with, first for His service, is Grace of life or spirit within and upon. This is the best way the Lord can impart His people. He imparts us with life through our service. Skill is necessary and we must seek to improve our productivity/output in whatever department we serve in God’s house. However, skill can do more harm than good if not handled by the mind of Christ or subject under the administration of the Holy Spirit. Skill can cover the glory of Jesus and project men instead of glorifying God. Our service becomes more powerful and acceptable if skills flow from divine life.  

F. Owning the work without been trapped in the work (1Cor.15:16) 

One of the attributes the Lord expects from every worker is to hold the work like his/her own. We ought to fight to make sure the work of the Lord does not suffer in our care. Our lives must be a sacrifice for the service of our God. It is also good to know that the work is the Lord’s work and we are only called to co-labour with Him. We must constantly separate ourselves from the work; selflessly owning the work and giving room for the Lord to work as He wills. The Lord can replace anyone, not just because one has fallen from grace but most times because of a call for a higher role/responsibility in the Spirit. We must never be trapped in the work of the Lord, knowing fully well that whatever we do for the Lord is not the inheritance, rather we connect the inheritance through what we do in the name of the Lord (Col 3:23-24). 

• You shall not commit adultery: It covers any form of unfaithfulness (Matt 5: 27-28). One of the sins that can fast weaken a society is sexual immorality. It breaks down the other moral fabrics that hold the soul and society. While this law is aimed at maintaining sexual sanctity and holiness of marriage, it also deals with the concept of proper relationship with God and others. Purity also includes our thoughts. 
• You shall not steal: This is to ensure that all we possess came through a proper means. We should not defraud one another. Rather, all should work with their hand that which is good, that we may have to give others. The motive for us to work is not to earn a living but that we may have something to give Eph 4:28. 
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbors: This calls for truthfulness, trustworthiness and sincerity in dealing with one another. When we begin to play smart or try to outsmart or outdo each other, we create an atmosphere not conducive for church life. 
• You shall not covet: To covet means to desire, lust or want something at the expense of others or for the motive of jealousy or envy. Covetousness is idolatry (Eph 5:5); from covetousness will spring up other things that will hinder the church life. We are not to want, desire or lust after anything that belongs to our brethren or any man. 

CONCLUSION 

All over the epistles are instructions like these that will promote a proper church life. These instructions are to help the soul know the boundaries to enable him walk worthy of the calling we have been called.