7.15.12 "The Cost of the Offering"

"The Cost of the Offering"

I Chronicles 19:1-21:30
Romans 2:24-3:8
Psalm 11:1-7
Proverbs 19:10-12

What have you given God? What has it cost you? When we consider that, our mind can run a bunch of different directions. Some might be thinking about a check that's thrown in the offering, some might think of some time committed, or something donated or something like that. 

In I Chronicles 21, David has made a mistake. He has sinned against the Lord. The results of his actions bring a plague on his people that causes 70,000 to die. In his mercy, God relents from destroying Jerusalem. David sees an angel with a sword drawn that points toward Jerusalem. 

"Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to build an altar to the Lord at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite." (I Chron. 21:18)

"David said to Ornan, 'Let me buy this threshing-floor from you at its full price; then I will build an altar to the Lord and the plague will stop.' 'Take it, my lord, and use it as you wish,' Ornan said.... 'I give it all to you.' 'No,' the king replied, 'I will buy it for the full price; I cannot take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing!'" 

David offered the sacrifice and the angel put the sword away.

We've heard that phrase before "I will not offer that which cost me nothing." It is more profound than we realize. Following Christ demands our all. We live in an age of convenience Christianity. "I will serve Christ if it conveniences me," seems to be the mantra for many in our culture. "Heaven forbid there is a cost to following Christ."

Truly serving Christ costs us everything. If we want our life to be pleasing unto God, we need to offer him our all. Isaac Watts in the hymn, "When I survey the Wondrous Cross" wrote the phrase, "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." 

What is the payment we must make? The specifics of each individual moment will vary for each of us. At some point it may be merely a sacrifice of convenience. It may be a sacrifice of comfort zone. At other times it may be offering that which is most precious. 

But why?? Why does God want this? Does he really need my money? my time? Does he really need me to give him what is so important to me? 

In our minds we look at what we're giving up. He's not looking at that at all. He's looking deeper. He's looking at our heart. 

In Romans 2:29 Paul is talking to the Roman Jews about what it means to truly follow Christ. He says, "For God is not looking for those who cut their bodies in actual circumcision, but he is looking for those with changed hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get his praise from God, even if not from you." 

The cost of the offering is the changed heart. 

God isn't asking you to lay down your life because he needs it. He's asking us to lay it down because it's ONLY in laying down our lives that we can find life. Your right, it makes no worldly sense. But when we plant our hopes, dreams, fears, affections, in the grave of sacrifice, incredible life breaks forth. That's the way God works. 

With that perspective, we realize that any "cost" is really no cost at all. We're only giving up that which is keeping us from fulfillment, joy and peace. 

We sing the song "Offering" in our services. Here are the lyrics:

"I bring an offering of worship to my King
No one on earth deserves the praises that I sing
Jesus may you receive the honor that you're due.
Oh Lord, I bring an offering to you." 

That last line is repeated a few times. It's easy to sing if you think the offering is only the song. The offering is not the song. It's the changed heart.

I will not offer Him that which cost me nothing. "Oh Lord, I bring an offering to you." 




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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