Sacrifice Myself?!

15th Sunday after Pentecost, 9/13/20 Romans 12:1-8 Sacrifice Myself?! I. Why? II. For whom? III. How? The other day I Googled “Me” generation and, to my complete surprise, I’m a member of it. According to Wikipedia, the original “Me” generation is comprised of baby boomers. And here’s why. The parents of baby boomers went through world catastrophes such as the Great Depression and World War II. They learned the hard way that life was about self-sacrifice. They were willing to go without so many things in life out of concern for the common good of not only the members of their families, but also of their community, their country, and their world. Their mindset was on others, not themselves. Not so with baby boomers. Starting in the 1960s and stretching into the 1970s, the mindset of baby boomers was on self-realization and self-fulfillment. Their individual aspirations in life were more important than social responsibility. But as I read this document further, I discovered that baby boomers aren’t alone in their self-centered mindset. It applies in some way to every generation since. Apparently, the label “Me” generation could fit anyone at any time. And that’s because there’s a little idol inside each of us with the name SELF etched on it. Self-centeredness is as old as sin itself. It lurks in me. It lurks you. With that being the case, what was your first reaction to these opening words of our reading from Romans 12? “Therefore, I urge you…to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” When we’re presented with an opportunity to do something, our first reaction is to wonder what’s in it for me. How will I benefit? But there’s no self-benefit to self-sacrificing. So, when Paul urged you to sacrifice yourself, it’s understandable if you silently objected with the response, “Sacrifice myself?!” And that’s my natural reaction as well. But that’s what our Lord Jesus plainly states in these words. So, let’s keep that reaction before us as we ponder all that our Lord tells us in this text from Romans 12. I. When Paul urged you to sacrifice yourself, don’t miss the modifier he used. He stated, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” Just what does he mean? He’s talking about serving others. And, to be honest, as self-centered as we can be at times, there is something attractive to serving others. Most people like to do what they can to help others. There’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction in knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life by serving them. Paul states a much higher, much more compelling reason, to sacrifice yourself for the good of others. Did you catch it? He wrote, “in view of God’s mercy.” What’s your definition of mercy? A common one is not getting what you deserve. In the previous 11 chapters of Romans, Paul has laid out very clearly what every sinner deserves—it’s God’s eternal wrath and punishment for our sins. No one can claim to be good enough for God to love them and bless them with life with him. His holy law condemns us all. Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). But in his mercy towards us he worked out our salvation. Paul also wrote, “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23). Gifts aren’t earned. Nor are they rewards. They’re freely given. God freely gave us salvation. It costs us nothing. But it cost him dearly. The price he paid was nothing less than the death of his Son. Imagine that! The holy God dies for a world full of sinners! It’s the most incredible gift ever given. The effects of it are literally eternal peace and joy. And it’s all yours by faith in Jesus. So, how should you respond? What can you do to offer your thanks to the God of your salvation? “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” Let your entire life be a living thank-you card to the God who loves you eternally. And that’s why you sacrifice yourself. II. Behavior modification infomercials have been running ever since the pandemic hit last March. You see and hear them every day. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing. And wear a mask. And most infomercials remind you that you are doing so for the good of others, not necessarily for yourself. We’re being asked to make some sacrifices for the good of others. Paul’s approach is much the same as he urges us to sacrifice ourselves. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” No Christian is alone, not spiritually. Jesus brought us into his kingdom and made us members of his Church, the invisible, spiritual gathering of all believers in Christ. It’s the only organization in the world that will literally last forever. And you are a member of it. As such, we belong to each other. Like the various members of a physical body, we all form one spiritual body. That means we exist to serve and support, help and heal, each other. The Christian’s focus isn’t on what will serve his needs, but the needs of his fellow Christians. We do that, keeping in mind our Lord’s mission for the Church—to share the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others join us in this saving, spiritual gathering. As we serve each other in the Church, we’re better able to serve the people of our world with the saving good news of Jesus. And that takes sacrifice. And that’s for whom you sacrifice yourself. III. To bring this discussion on sacrificing yourself to a close, Paul gives us this advice, “I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” There are actually two extremes to avoid as you sacrifice yourself for others. One is thinking that your gifts or abilities to serve others are so great that the Church couldn’t possibly do without you. It’s thinking that your gifts or abilities are so much more valuable than the gifts of others. It’s using your gifts to run others over instead of picking them up. But there’s another extreme. It’s thinking that you have nothing of value to offer. It’s disparaging the gifts or abilities God has given you. Paul makes a short list of gifts to be used in the Church. He didn’t mean for that list to be exhaustive. He wanted to prime your pump. When Paul wrote, “We have different gifts,” he wasn’t excluding a single Christian. Every Christian has at least one gift to use in the Church. Most Christians have many gifts. That’s how generous our God is. He simply wants you to recognize the gifts he has given you and look for opportunities to use those gifts. That takes some sacrifice. But that’s how you sacrifice yourself. We began by discussing the self-interest and self-fulfillment that characterizes the “Me” generation. But that inward focus is a spiritual cancer that affects every one of us. And the sad fact of the matter is, all our personal self-fulfillment won’t matter when all is said and done. In the last minute of your life on earth, the only thing that will matter is your relationship with Jesus Christ. But it’s so difficult for us to maintain that focus. It’s so difficult for us to sacrifice ourselves when there’s so much we want out of life. The Savior who loved you so much that he sacrificed himself for you calls you to repent of your egotism, your self-centeredness, your worldly outlook on life. He calls you to look to the One who was always thinking about you and always served your best interests to win your forgiveness. In your Savior’s certain forgiveness there is the power to live a new life, one which sacrifices itself for the good of others. That sacrifice is your living offering of thanks to him. It serves those in the Church and those outside it. That same Savior has richly gifted you to do just that. Sacrifice myself?! Absolutely! As you do so, enjoy the rich blessings that your Lord bestows on you and on others through you. Amen.