...Continuing with the 7 Spiritual Sacrifices which every Believer must be aware of. These are our "work" of worship - every day, and especially when we gather in the house of the Lord. So many Christians act as if the worship team are responsible for worshiping God and producing His presence for the congregation - we act as if we are an "audience" in Church - and that the leaders and worship team do everything on our behalf.
It is more correct to say that the congregation are a holy, royal priesthood who come to Church to do the most important "work" of our week - we offer up spiritual sacrifices that bring us closer to the Lord and prepare us to proclaim His excellent glory throughout all the earth:
1 Peter 2:5, 9
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood,
a holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Here are the 4th and 5th sacrifices:
The Sacrifice Of
Thanksgiving—Ps. 116:17. We enter His gates with this
sacrifice of thanksgiving (Ps. 100:4.) God’s priests must draw near to Him with
shouts and songs of thanksgiving. The Hebrew word for this sacrifice is towdah, means to praise and thank God so
profusely that we sound like a choir all by ourselves! It also involves the
lifting of hands with the shouts of thanksgiving. It is interesting to note as
we study these words, that the Lord wrote this book – the Bible. He had certain
things in mind when He called us to such expressions. These are not Charismatic
or Pentecostal expressions of worship. The Lord desires that all His priests
from all denominations would offer lavish sacrifices of thanksgiving!
The Sacrifice Of
Praise–Ps. 54:6; Jer. 17:26; 33:11; Heb. 13:15. This sacrifice is similar to the sacrifice of thanksgiving. The
Hebrew word for “praise” in this passage, is yadah, meaning “to lift, or throw up the hands in praise.” Again,
this word denotes some considerable exuberance in the praise sacrifice. It is
also spoken of in the New Testament: Through
Him therefore let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of
praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and
glorify His name. (Heb. 13:15 Amp.) Once again, we see that this sacrifice is to be a continual sacrifice—not just offered on
Sundays. This verse in Hebrews 13:15 teaches us several things about
praise:
• Praise is born in Him.
• Praise needs to exude from us constantly and at all times.
• Praise is directed to God.
• Praise is a sacrifice.
• Praise
involves our lips—it is difficult to praise Him without some form of outward
expression.
•
Praise is like fruit—it has purpose, it grows, it nourishes, and is capable of
reproducing itself.
• Praise includes giving thanks and glory to God.
• Praise is preoccupied with His name.
The place to worship Jesus Christ is only as far away
as the inner chamber of the heart...
The worship of God is only a prayer away.
Sammy Tippit
