May 7, 2017
THEME: LIVING THANKSGIVING
TEXT: ROMANS 12:1-2
MINISTERING: PASTOR AJIBOLA OPEOLUWA-CALEBS
RCCG Anthem: We are Redeemites…
PP1: Psalm 103: 1 1 Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and ALL that is within me, bless his holy Name…
Praise Him. The greatest thing in all my life, is to worship you… I want to know you and I want to worship you….
Song… We bring a sacrifice of praise Into the house of the Lord, As we offer unto you, a sacrifice of thanksgiving As we offer unto you, a sacrifice of Praise
Heb 13: 15 Worship, exalt. Adore. Thank. Show him your gratitude greatly….
Main Message
Rom 12: 1 - 2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Gen 8: 20 - 22
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;
for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Introduction:
We all always, always look forward to thanksgiving service!
It’s one day no one needs to remind us to come to church.
One way or the other, we always have an improved turn out on Thanksgivng Day.
What have you brought to the Lord on a day like this?
Are we prepared to offer thanksgiving? Acceptable thanksgiving?
It’s amazing we feel good with ourselves after every glorious thanksgiving?
The question is “is God satisfied with our thanksgiving?
Do you know that God has an expectation of an acceptable thanksgiving?
In this short sermon, we are trusting God to open us up to His will concerning thanksgiving.
Three Takeaways from the passage:
1. God desires, loves and inhabits living / acceptable thanksgiving.
This means, there are two types
1. Acceptable & Not acceptance
2. Living & Dead thanksgiving
Gen 8: 20 – Noah builded an altar & offered clean animals as sacrifice
Gen 4: 3 – 4 Cain brought an offering (anyhow) but Abel brought of the firstings and the fats thereof
Gen 22: 9-10 Abraham offered and was prepared to give his precious son Isaac as a living sacrifice to meet God’s expectation.
Vs 2 – God demand Abraham’s son – the only son and not the other son.
Judges 13: 20 – the angel ascended the heaven via the smoke of Moanah’s acceptable offering
20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar.
And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
Rom 12: 1-2 God is asking us to present our bodies as living sacrifices – holy, acceptable and reasonable service unto God.
The question is what type of sacrifices or thanksgivings are we offering unto God? Holy, acceptable, living, pure or polluted,
unacceptable, dead, impure
That which you have brought – your heart, your offering, what is God seeing? Or have you come before him empty handed & hearted?
2. Living & Acceptance thanksgivings provoke quick response from the Lord.
Beloved, every thanksgiving we offer to God provides us an opportunity to receive God’s divine visitation and intervention
God always, always respond appropriately to living thanksgiving…
Gen 8: 21 God smelled a good savour, provoked the covenant of the rainbow & special blessings on Noah – Gen 9: 1
Gen 22: 15 – 17 Abraham’s obedience provoked an everlasting covenant.
Gen 16: 24 – the womb of a barren woman was open, she gave birth to a special child – Samson following a visitation and acceptable sacrifice
The question is “what will God smell as we appear before his presence today? A sweet smelling savour?
Acceptable or will GOD turn His face from you and I”?
3. This is the conclusion of the whole matter – God will always & wants to give you a second chance now!!!
Beloved, as long as you are alive, God has not given up on you!
As long as there is life in you; God is still hopeful of something glorious out of you and I.
Job 14: 7 – there is hope for a tree cut down…cos it will sprout again
Luke 13:8 – parable of a Barren Fig tree, leave it alone 1 more year, let me dig and dung it.
Please note vs 7b…
7 Then said he (God) unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree,
and find none: cut it down;
why cumbereth it the ground?
Why are you using up the ground?
Why cumbereth the earth?
Why are we occupying space?
Why are we holding back what God wants from you & I?
Why are we holding back our acceptable and living sacrifice?
God wants us, our hearts, our sacrifices, our services.
God wants our very best! Our Isaacs!!!
Every time God looks at us, He sees useful ready to fly vessels
God saw Gideon as a ready-made army though he was just a young man
God saw David as the deliverer though he was just a teenager I Sam 16-17
Anything you offered to God willing, He will accept and use.
Noah & family offered their obedience – God used them to jump start the new team to replenish the earth Gen 9: 1 – 2
Gideon offered himself – He became Israel’s deliverer from the Midianites wasting life and destinies.
Do you know God is seeing you as a deliverer and restorer of destinies? Judges 6
Abraham did, he became a man after God’s heart.
Beloved, how are you responding to God today?
What will you offer to Him this morning?
Will God leave once again happy, satisfied or disappointed about you?
Shall we pray?
PP1..Father Lord, I present myself as a Living sacrifice unto you for your use.
PP2..Oh Lord set my life on fire for you, for your use, for your Kingdom.
SHALOM........
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