The Cost of Worship

However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, 
for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.”
2 Samuel 24:24

God has instructed David through the prophet Gad to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah. To do this, he would need to purchase Araunah's property. When David approached Araunah and told him he needed his property so he could build an altar and offer sacrifices to God, Araunah offered to give David the property, the two oxen he was using, and the threshing sledges drawn by the oxen. Araunah offered David everything he needed to offer a sacrifice to God free of charge. But David refused to accept Araunah's offer. Instead he bought everything from Araunah. David displayed an important principle: worship comes with sacrifice. Whether it's money, time or devotion, true worship should cost us something. "Let us learn from David that there is no worship without sacrifice. Ultimately, of course, our worship is based upon the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. But there is also a sense in which our worship should take place through our own sacrifice." (Bob Deffinbaugh) 

He Wrapped Himself in Our Guilt

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

2 Corinthians 5:21

Scripture is full of verses that attest to the sinless nature of Christ (i.e. Heb 4:15, Heb 7:2,
1 Pet 2:21-22, 1 Pet 3:18, 1 John 3:5).  And this is what made Him the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. "When it says, 'He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,' the reference is to the fact that the Lord Jesus was made sin by divine imputation of our guilt.  He was officially guilty with our guilt, is the point.  He voluntarily, from His standpoint wrapped himself in our guilt, and the father meted out upon Him the judgment that was due sinners.' (Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.).  If you wonder if God loves you, this is the greatest evidence you will ever receive. John 3:16: "For God so loved (put your name here) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." When we believe that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was enough to pay for our sins, and place our trust in Him as our Savior, then we immediately become Christ's righteousness.  And when God looks upon us He no longer sees our sin, which requires judgment. He sees His Son's righteousness and grants us His grace.

The Beauty of Praise

"Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright." 

Psalm 33:1

To those who have a relationship with the Lord, the praise they offer to Him makes them beautiful. It's like wearing attire that really makes you look great. Like the special dress which always brings compliments to the woman who wears it. Or the suit and tie that makes people admire the man who puts it on. When we're praising God, our countenance shines. Whether we're praising Him silently or in a crowded auditorium with a worship band, praise becomes us. It always does. But I suggest that there is a particular beauty that comes in praising God from a weeping heart. The person who is suffering, or impoverished, or brokenhearted, and can still find it within themselves to praise God, has found the secret to lasting beauty. Praise is easy when things are going well, but to praise God in the midst of hard circumstances is a sacrifice. And sacrificial praise is the most becoming of all.

It is Finished

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

John 19:30

"It is finished!" Three common words spoken by Christ, yet with those three simple words everything changed. . .for eternity. The work Jesus had come to earth to do was finished. He had paid the price for the sins of mankind; a perfect, sinless sacrifice given on the cross for our redemption. He who knew no sin had become sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). One sacrifice for all sins for all time (Hebrews 10:12). Hallelujah! Christ has saved us. It is finished!

Little is Much in God's Hands

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." 

John 6:8-10a

Jesus' feeding of the 5,000, recorded in all four gospels, is one of the most well-known miracles in the Bible. A large crowd has followed Jesus for days, listening to His teaching and witnessing His healing of the sick. The Lord knows they are hungry and He intends to feed them. With the blink of His eye He could have produced 5,000 meals. But instead, He takes a young boy's lunch, blesses it and hands it to the disciples to distribute. It is more than they need. All the people eat their fill, with leftovers to be gathered. We know nothing about the boy, but I would imagine witnessing the miraculous multiplication of his lunch in the hands of the Savior changed his life forever. His sacrifice ministered to thousands of people and brought glory to God. What a wonderful example this is for us. If we are willing to give God what we have -- no matter what it is, no matter how small or limited it may seem to be -- He will take it, increase it, and use it for His kingdom and glory. 

This is Love

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

1 John 4:10

God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Son to earth to die for our sins. Not because the world's inhabitants loved God; for it can hardly be said of those who do not know Him that they love Him. No, God sent Jesus to a world that He loves, in spite of the fact that the world does not love Him. It is remarkable that God loves to that degree, that He would sacrifice His Son to ransom people who may never love Him. 

God is For Us

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" 

Romans 8:31-32

Living next to Rocky Mountain National Park, I have the pleasure of viewing and photographing extraordinary wildlife. This opportunity is afforded to me and all who come here because the animals are protected by the National Parks Service. At all times the NPS has the best interests of the creatures in mind. This reminds me of the believer's position in Christ. God the Father loves us so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Having received this wonderful gift from God, we are now under His protection. He has our best interests in mind at all times. Even the trials that God may allow us to go through are for our good. They are not meant to harm us, but to conform us to the image of His Son. This is the very best we can be.

Authentic Sacrifice

"For every beast of the forest is Mine,

The cattle on a thousand hills."

Psalm 50:10

God is in need of nothing. Everything in the earth belongs to Him. Everything we lay claim to originated from Him. If we are blessed with much, it is because the Lord graciously has given to us from His storehouse. So if we offer up to God are valuables, what is that? For after all, they already belong to Him. But if we offer up to God our hearts, fully surrendered and devoted to Him, how much more of a true sacrifice that is. What we do with our hearts is our decision. That is the free will that God has allowed us to have. This is not to say we should not tithe, or be charitable with our money. But authentic sacrifice to God begins with a heart that is in love with Him. If we do not love Him, then our sacrifice is meaningless.