go ahead and JUMP. Romans 12.1-2

School is out . . . time for some fun.  Usually, the local teenagers head to Rivi, (short for “Riviera” Beach), at the south end of our Southern California beach town.  However, Dylan and his friends have discovered another recreational water spot—you drive inland, down a country road, and then walk in still further to discover a great place to jump off the rocks to water some 25 to 30 feet below.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GIfLZXfWbI

Because of who God is, because of his great love and mercy, because he knows all, because he is the origin of life, and the source of all growth . . . as Paul said,“from Him and through Him and to Him are all things,” what then?  How will you respond? 

Imagine yourself standing before God one day, your faith made sight . . . you have fought the good fight, and you are now looking at your Savior, face to face … all questions have been answered in the fraction of a millisecond, once standing there.  What will you do?  There’s the familiar song:

I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me . . . Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still?  Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?  I can only imagine . . .

Hmmm . . . what about right now?

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12.1-2

go ahead and jump … right now.  Because of who he is, because we will be so awed once we are in his presence, therefore we can make our move right now, and offer ourselves to God.   Just offer who you are to God.  Don’t wait until you think you’ve got your act together, or you have gone on one last bender, go ahead and offer yourself to God, for that is how we best worship him.

Now, let’s suppose you did that, maybe even a long time ago . . . maybe even in an awkward, unconventional manner or place . . . maybe in a desperate moment, maybe in a foxhole with shrapnel whistling by you … what then?  How about considering your life—what you would now be offering to God, for surely it is different since you asked him to lead your life …. riiiight?  I mean, is your character something sweet you can offer up? 

Back to our text--offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—would you say your body, your life or lifestyle is ‘holy and pleasing to God’?  Think about it.  No one is looking for your shoulder right now.  No one is privy to your thoughts right now, except One.  Your invitation to jump today is an invitation to offer yourself to God, to ask him to make you holy, because he is holy, and that is what he asks of us.  Not holy compared to your neighbor, not holy as in freak status . . . but pure, more like Christ. 

One day you and I will stand before God, and we will give an account of our lives.  What would you like to say that day?  ‘Oh, sorry God—I guess I was an ‘on again, off again’ Christian—sometimes I got it right…but God, come on—it was so hard down there—so much temptation, so many pressures . . . well, I guess I really don’t have too much good to offer to you . . .’  Or, ‘Lord, I offer you a changed life—because from the day I got to really know you, I wanted to please you.  Once I understood your great love for me, I knew the only thing you asked of me was to become more like you . . . to strive for holiness, because that is pleasing to you.’

JUMP.  Offer yourself to God.  If you have done that, ask him to show you how to live a holy and pleasing life, and then pursue it with all you’ve got . . . pursue it with passion. 

Christine

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