Renewal of Worship (Romans 12:1-2)

Renewal of Worship (Romans 12:1-2)

Polycarp, bishop of the church in Smyrna in the second century was caught and brought to the proconsul to be martyred. But, seeing Polycarp's old age, the proconsul told him: "Respect your age. Swear by the genius of Caesar, repent, say: 'Away with the Atheists.'" Polycarp was silent for a while. The proconsul pressed him, saying: "Take the oath and I will let you go. Revile Christ!" Then, Polycarp answered: "For eighty-six years have I been his servant, and he has done me nothing wrong, and how can I blaspheme my King who saved me."
The proconsul persisted again, saying: "Swear by the genius of Caesar!" Polycarp answered: "If you vainly suppose that I will swear by the genius of Caesar, as you say, and pretend that you are ignorant who I am, listen plainly: I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn the doctrine of Christianity, fix a day and listen."
The proconsul said: "I have wild beasts, I will deliver you to them, unless you repent." Polycarp answered: "Call for them, for repentance from better to worse is not allowed to us; but it is good to change from evil to righteousness."
The proconsul said: "I will cause you to be consumed by fire, if you despise the beasts, unless you repent." Polycarp responded: "You threaten with fire that burns for a time, and is quickly quenched, for you do not know the fire which awaits the wicked in the judgment to come and in everlasting punishment.
             
But why are you waiting? Come, do what you will." Polycarp was so brave before death, as he was so sure about what would wait for him.
However, we, Christians, are not all so brave and peaceful in mind in all circumstances. Sometimes, whether we are rich or poor, whether we are young or old, we are naturally afraid of what will happen in the future, after retirement, and after death. Sometimes we feel that we are abandoned by our family members, or church members, or other friends. Or, we find ourselves who are complaining to God about his ill-treatment or unfairness (or partiality).
In the early church period, those Christians who were in Rome lived together in a catacomb, which was a underground public cemetery. They lived a communal life there escaping from the lookout of the Roman government. The Christians in Rome praised God and worshipped Him there. Although there were neither gracious hymns nor the holy Bible yet, they praised the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of human beings. They enjoyed those hours of singing and praying. Some of them were from rich families, but they gave up all things and joined other Christians in the communal life in a catacomb as they regarded the life of following and witnessing Jesus as the most valuable matter.
Some wall paintings were found in the catacombs. The paintings were about Jesus' last supper with his disciples and the resurrected Jesus. They longed to see Jesus very much. As Christians who attend church, what are you longing for?
A church should not be a members-only-club like Costco or Price Club where its members are privileged to enjoy their rights. It should be a place for Christian disciples who decided to follow Jesus and serve others as Jesus served us by sacrificing ourselves. A "Christian" may be different from a "church member."
Even though you are a church member, you may not be a Christian in the true sense, as Paul claims in Romans 8:9, "Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.
What is a living sacrifice?
The word soma(σώμα), body in Greek, means not only our physical bodies but also our whole beings, ourselves--personality or the whole person.
             
Thus, our bodies as a living sacrifice are our God-loving and God-pleasing life.
A Christian's worship is not limited within a sanctuary but is extended through his or her life in a Christian community and in a society to which he or she belongs. Our worship with our bodies, that is, with our lives, is our spiritual worship.
When you visit Israel, particularly the Old City of Jerusalem, you may feel that this is a compact area of three different religions-Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Inside the wall that surrounds the Old City, there are the Wailing Wall, the remnant of Herod's Temple, the two beautiful Islamic mosques -- El Axa Mosque and Omar Mosque, and the Holy Sepulchre.
Among the two Islamic mosques, Omar Mosque is also called the Dome of Rock as it has a huge rock inside. This rock is claimed to be the rock on which Abraham laid his son as a burnt offering. The Muslims claim that the son whom Abraham laid on it was not Isaac but Ishmael.
In Genesis 22:1 God calls Abraham to test him: "Abraham! Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you."
Abraham may be confused: "What kind of God is He who is commanding me to offer my son Isaac as a burnt offering whom He gave me at my age of 100?"
Abraham cannot understand or fathom God. But the Scripture describes that 'Abraham obeys God in silence without any complaints.'
This is not because Abraham does not love his son Isaac, the son of promise. It is much easier for him to give his own life to God. It is very painful for Abraham to see his son Isaac dying as a burnt offering. But he does not complain to God, because he loves God more than anything else in the world, and he has absolute trust in Him.
Early in the next morning, Abraham rises and saddles his donkey, and takes Isaac and two of his young men. He cuts the wood for the burnt offering, and sets out to go to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day, they arrive at the bottom of the mountain where Abraham should offer Isaac.
Abraham tells his two young men in verse 5: "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."
Abraham considers offering his beloved son Isaac to God as an act of worship.
             
Arriving at the place where God has shown him, Abraham builds an altar there and lays the wood in order. He ties his son Isaac and lays him on the altar, on the top of the wood. God is still silent.
'Ah, I should kill Isaac as a burnt offering!' He reaches out his hand and takes the knife to kill his son.
But at this very moment, the angel of the LORD calls him urgently from heaven and says: "Abraham, Abraham!" "Here I am."
"Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, for me."
The tension like an eve of a stormy day has passed away. Abraham passed the final test by God by offering his son Isaac to Him without killing him.
Although God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, He did not take Isaac's life. Instead He provided a ram for Abraham.
However, 2,000 years later God Himself offered His beloved son Jesus as a burnt offering on the cross of Calvary to prove His love toward us once and for all.
This morning, I want to meditate on Moriah.
Where is Moriah?
What is the significance of Moriah?
Moriah is the place where Abraham, according to God's instruction, would give his only son Isaac as a burnt offering, that is, would give his only son's life.
Moriah is the place where Solomon's Temple was built according to 2 Chronicle 3:1, "Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah."
Moriah is the place where God wanted the Israelites his people to worship him in his temple with their whole strengths, with their whole hearts, with their whole minds, and with their whole lives.
Furthermore, Moriah is the place where God showed his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Jesus Christ his son died for us.
God proved his love by giving his only beloved son Jesus as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah, that is, Mount Calvary.
             
Where is your Moriah?
Moriah is your church, the sanctuary, where every Sunday you decide to give your mind, your life to God.
Moriah is your living place where you decide to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, the place of your spiritual worship.
As a pastor or as an elder or as a Christian, what do you want to sacrifice in your life for God who gave you His only Son Jesus Christ for your salvation?
Let us give our hands, feet, and whole selves to worship Him with our bodies and to please Him with our lives.