The Book of Romans:Worship That God Wants”

The Book of Romans

Good morning brothers and sisters. Welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church. What a delight it is to be here with you this morning. My name is Stuart Davidson. I am the pastor here at Eastern Shore Baptist. I want to welcome you if you are visiting with us this morning and I want to thank you for tuning in with us if you are watching online. 

I want to take a second and make you aware of two important resources. First, I wanted to remind you of our prayer line. 251-222-8977. If you have a prayer request, you can text that request in and you will be prayed for immediately. Chances are, a member of our prayer team will even contact you to let you know that you are being prayed for. 

Next, I wanted to remind you about this sermon outline being present on the free YouVersion Bible app. So thankful for Larry Cribbet as he takes my sermon outline and places it on the YouVersion app. It’s a great place to follow along, all the blanks are filled in and all the Scriptures are there in full. Just download the Bible app, search for Eastern Shore Baptist Church, and you can follow along from there. 

Friends, does the name Eric Liddell ring a bell? Probably not for most of you. However, Liddell’s story is one of my favorites. My first introduction to Liddell came in movie form. In 1981, Warner Brothers released “Chariots of Fire” which chronicles the story of Eric Liddell. The story goes that Liddell was a world class athlete competing for his home country of Great Britain. He was expected to win multiple gold medals. He was a track and field star and his best event was the 100 meter race. He was competing in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. As great of an athlete Liddell was, he was an even more committed believer in Christ. As the 100 meter race approached, it became apparent that the date of the event was going to land on Sunday. Liddell firmly believed and even practiced taking the Sabbath. 

Liddell was practically guaranteed a gold medal for the 100 meter race. He was a world champion in the event. There was tremendous pressure from all sides for him to set aside his religious commitment and convictions, for just this one time, and run the race. The government of Great Britain leaned on Liddell hard. Even his family pressured him to compete. 

When it was all said and done, Liddell refused. He would not set aside his worship so that he could win a medal. His countrymen were infuriated. The newspapers called him a traitor and a coward. Liddell remained steadfast. 

There was another event that Liddell could compete in, the 400 meter race. Liddell had not trained for this race and was given no chance to win. The 100 meter was an all out sprint. Would he have the endurance, the stamina, and the energy to run the 400 meter. When the gun fired…signaling the start of the 400, Liddell ran inspired. Doing the unthinkable, Liddell gave up gold in a race that he was supposed to win only to win gold in a race that he didn’t train for and was not supposed to win. His obedience looked like foolishness to the world. Yet, his choice was logical to him because he treasured God and worship to Christ above all. 

Interestingly enough, Eric Liddell became a missionary to China. He is quoted as saying that all he wanted from his life is to be a “reasonable service to God”. Liddell gave all he had for Christ. He was captured by the Japanese and placed in an interment camp where he eventually died. 

Friends, this week we are going to be reading from Romans 12:1. Just one verse. Paul encourages the believers Rome to “give their bodies to God because of all he has done for you”. Paul reminds them that sacrificing their bodies, their lives, is the sort of sacrifice that God will find acceptable. 

This is the type of worship that God wants. 

We think that the worship that God wants is showing up Sundays. 

We think that the worship that God wants is to hum along to a few hymns and praise songs for 30 minutes a week. Chris tells me to sing so I will sing a bit louder. 

We think that the worship that God wants is to give a few dollars and change into the offering place. 

Worship for many of us is a checklist. 

Do this. 

Don’t do that. 

Say this. 

Don’t say that. 

Give this, but not to much. 

Maybe go on a mission trip…but only if the pictures can grab some likes on Instagram. 

“I’ll serve on a committee…as long as it doesn’t cost much of my time…God will be happy with that.”

Worship that God wants is really just letting other people see me here at church. 

Is that true? Does God want more? Does he demand more?

That’s what we will be examining this morning? Today’s message is entitled “Worship That God Wants”.

Today’s Message:

“Worship That God Wants”

One of the many reasons that I am inspired by Eric Liddell’s story is because of his commitment and dedication to God. Liddell prioritized worship and obligation to God over everything. In doing so, his story was published far and wide. Other countries were exposed to Christ and the Gospel because of Liddell’s decision to give up a sure win, a guaranteed gold medal, so that he could persevere his devotion to the Almighty Living God. Liddell’s story is a great reminder that our worship is a witness to the world that Christ has won! 

Do me a favor this morning and fill in these blanks under “Today’s Thought”. Our worship is a witness to the world that Christ has won!

Today:s Thought:

Our Worship Is A Witness To The World That Christ Has Won!

Now there are some of you who are probably thinking to yourself…

“Now preacher! You’re tell me that the songs that I sing on Sunday morning at Eastern Shore Baptist Church communicate TO THE WORLD what I believe about Jesus Christ. Are you serious?”

We have pigeon holed worship exclusively to mean singing. We have taken this rich, deep word that Paul used and reduced it down to a thirty minute music set on Sunday morning. Worship is so much bigger than that. Worship is not simply what happens when Chris picks up a guitar or when the choir lifts up a hymn. Worship is what happens when you give your whole life to God.

In Paul’s day, worship was costly. It could cost you your livelihood. It could cost you your home. It could even cost you your family and your very life. To follow Christ was to place yourself at odds with Rome, at odds with society, at odds with everything you once knew. Worship was not about comfort. Worship was about conviction.

Friends, worship is not a checklist to get through. It is not an event that happens for half an hour once or twice a week. Worship is what you eat, what you drink, what you breathe, what you give, and how you live. Worship is a lifestyle of surrender. Worship is when your daily choices, your relationships, your work, and your words all testify that Christ is Lord.

That is what Paul means when he says present your bodies as a living sacrifice. He is calling us to lay ourselves down on the altar of God every single day. Worship that God wants is not part time. It is full time. Worship that God wants is not about convenience. It is about consecration. Worship that God wants is not about what we like. It is about what He loves.

Oh friends, the last few months in the evangelical world have been costly. 

Dr. John MacArthur

Charle Kirk

A couple days ago we heard that another giant in the evangelical world went home to be with the Lord. Dr. Voddie Baucham passed most likely of a heart attack. A massive loss for sure. Today, I wanted to take a moment and quote Dr. MacArthur on worship. Listen to what he says about the importance of true worship! 

Today’s Quote:

“When you talk about worship, you are talking about the ultimate priority in life. Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are…mind, emotions, will, and body…to all that God is and says and does. Worship is something we give to God. But modern Christianity seems committed instead to the idea that God should be giving to us.”

—Dr. John MacArthur

Introduction of The Text:

This morning we turn our attention to Romans 12:1, one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture on the subject of worship. When we think about worship, again our minds often go to music, singing, and church services, but Paul is talking about something much greater here. He is not limiting worship to a moment in a sanctuary, he is expanding worship to the whole of our lives. 

In light of everything God has done for us through the cross and the resurrection, Paul calls us to respond by offering ourselves completely to Him. Worship is not just what comes from our lips but what flows out of our lives. It is the daily decision to place ourselves on God’s altar, to live for His glory, and to let the world see that Christ is worthy of everything we are and everything we have.

So, as you open your Bibles to Romans 12:1, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

“This morning, we open the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord!”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His holy name!”

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 12:1 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Worship That God Wants Is…

I. Sacrificial: “I plead with you to give your bodies to God”

So, let’s look at our three points this morning. Let’s look to Roman numeral one. Worship that God wants is…sacrificial. 

It was in the late afternoon Wednesday September 10th when we all heard the news that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. It was a dark day in our country and many evangelical believers grieved over not only the loss but also the state of our country. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was what the young people would call “TikTok famous”. Kirk would go to college campuses around the country and have discourse with students, professors, and bystanders. He was a believer in free speech and open and honest dialogue. Yes, he was political. No doubt there. Chances are that some of you in this room may have disagreed with his politics. That fine. As political as he was, he was also deeply religious. I would wager that at every event that Turning Point hosted, Charlie Kirk would talk equally about religion, faith, and politics. In fact, the day he died, Kirk was asked a question about Jesus, whether He existed or not. This is what he said…

"It's not just intrabiblical evidence, but extrabiblical evidence that Jesus Christ was a real person. He lived a perfect life, he was crucified, died and rose on the third day, and he is Lord and God over all.” 

Not long after he gave that statement, an assassins bullet would end his life. 

I had been following Charlie Kirk for about 5 years, listening to his podcasts, seeing clips of his speeches on Facebook. He was a voice for young people, calling them to take part in politics. More importantly, he wanted boys to become Godly men. He wanted women to cherish the role of motherhood. He desired for people to look to the Bible for wisdom and truth. 

Charlie Kirk gave an interview a year or so ago where he was asked how he wanted to be remembered. This is what he said…

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith … the most important thing is my faith in my life.”

In the same interview, he was quoted again saying…

“I believe in the Bible, and I believe that Christ rose from the dead on the third day. This is the foundation of my faith and guides my actions.”  

Tyler Richardson killed Charlie Kirk for a few reasons. One, he killed him over his politics. I don’t believe anyone cannot deny that and live in the truth. Two, he was killed for his religious convictions. Charlie Kirk believed that gender affirming care was evil, he believed that abortion was wicked, he believed that homosexuality was a sin against God, and he believed that the transgender ideology was open rebellion against the Creator. 

Days after his death, his wife Erika said that if her husband knew that this is how he would come to an end, he would still do it. His calling and his message was worth the sacrifice. 

Understand this brothers and sisters…

“Worship is sacrificial because it requires the daily surrender of our whole lives to God’s service.”

Worship of God is more costly, more demanding, more consuming than most of us are willing to admit. Worship demands our schedules, our priorities, our ambitions, our comforts. Worship means Christ gets the first word in our decisions and the final word in our obedience. 

Worship is not just about the music we sing but about the lives we live. It is a daily surrender, a continual offering, a living sacrifice placed on the altar of God. When Paul wrote Romans 12:1, he was not inviting believers to a weekly ritual, he was calling them to a whole-life sacrifice. That is why worship without sacrifice is no worship at all. Worship that God wants will always cost us something, but it will always be worth everything, because it declares to the world that Christ has won.

If you rewind time some 2000 years, you will arrive to a world filled with persecution…specifically of the Christian faithful. The news of Jesus’ resurrection spread like wildfire in both Jewish communities and Gentile circles. Rome did not look favorably on this new Christian faith because there wasn’t enough room for the God of the Bible and Caesar. So, to solve the problem, the Roman government began to persecute the Christian church. Making matters worse, die hard Jews also hated the new church and they too persecuted the followers of Christ. These new Christians could either relent and recant their commitment to Christ or they could remain steadfast and resolute. 

Non Christian historians maintain that vast multitudes of believers were killed. You would think that killing Christians would poor cold water on this new fangled Jesus movement. However, it did the opposite. The government and the zealous Jews poured gasoline on the fire. The sacrifice of these martyrs spread the Good News, the Gospel, far and wide, spanning around the globe. 

It would not be long before that even Jews like Paul would become Christians themselves. Even Paul would live out his words in Romans 12:1, presenting his body to the martyrs. He became a worshipping sacrifice unto Christ. 

How far are you willing to go? Some of us are not willing to miss a ballgame for worship. Some of us are not willing to be inconvenienced for worship. If a “better” offer comes along, the first thing that gets kicked to the curb is worship. 

Know this friends, the worship of the Almighty is serious business and demands serious commitment. It may even demand significant sacrifice. 

Im reminded of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20…

Galatians 2:20 (CSB):

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Worship That God Wants Is…

I. Sacrificial: “I plead with you to give your bodies to God”

II. Logical: “give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.”

So, worship that God wants is sacrificial. Our second point is that worship that God wants is logical. Again, go back to verse one this morning. 

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.”

Think of it like this… 

“Worship is logical because in light of God’s mercies, the only reasonable response is to offer ourselves fully back to Him.”

Friends, Paul says that we give our bodies to God because of all He has done for us. That is the logical part of worship. When we stop to think about what God has given, what God has done, what God has sacrificed, the only reasonable response is to give Him our lives in return.

Do me a favor this morning. Take your outline and write one thing down that you are thankful to God for. It should not be hard. Maybe you are thankful for your marriage, your children, your home, or your job. Maybe you are thankful for another person, a parent, a sibling, a teacher, or a mentor. Maybe you are thankful for your church. Maybe you are thankful for your salvation. Maybe you are simply thankful for the love of God. Take just a moment and write that down.

Now let me give you a few things that should logically drive every one of us to worship.

First, creation should call us to worship. Pslam 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Look around at the beauty of God’s handiwork. Consider the mystery of jubilees in the Mobile Bay. The water suddenly, with very little rhyme or reason, suddenly produces conditions that draw shrimp, crab, and fish to the surface. They become so lethargic that you can just pick them up with your bare hands. Dinner is served. Consider the wonder of nature in the delta. Think about the white sugar sands of Gulf Shores and the beauty of the Gulf of America. Right where we live we have clean water, fresh air, blue skies, and weather that draws thousands of people here each year. We have the blessing of abundant food, more than enough to fill our homes and restaurants. Creation testifies every day to the glory of God. Paul again, in Romans 1:20 reminds us that God’s…”invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” People are without excuse to recognize that there is a God and without an excuse to worship Him as the Creator!

Salvation should call us to worship. God did not have to save us. He would have been just to let us live and die in our sins. Nevertheless, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. Think about the horror of His death. The flogging, the scourging, the mocking, the spitting, the nails in His hands and His feet. He bore the punishment that we deserved. He gave His life to purchase ours. Jesus became our offering, our sin sacrifice. 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us that God…”made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 

He did not force Himself on anyone but gave us the gift of free will so that our love for Him could be true. If all God ever gave us was salvation, that one gift alone should be enough to cause us to worship Him every day of our lives.

Sanctification should call us to worship. When Jesus Christ ascended to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. The Spirit comforts us when we are weak. The Spirit convicts us when we sin. The Spirit counsels us when we do not know where to turn. Day by day the Spirit makes us look, act, speak, and think more like Jesus. He sanctifies us, purifies us, and prepares us for heaven.

With all that God has done, with all His benefits toward us, how could we not worship Him? The psalmist said it like this:

Psalm 116:12 (NASB)

“What shall I return to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?”

Worship That God Wants Is…

I. Sacrificial: “I plead with you to give your bodies to God”

II. Logical: “give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.”

III. Beneficial: “A living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable”

So, let’s talk about our last point this morning…Beneficial! Worship that God wants is beneficial. Go back to verse 1 this morning. 

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

“Worship is beneficial because a life set apart for God delights His heart, transforms our character, and testifies to the world that Christ has won.”

So we have talked a lot about sacrifice, but let me tell you friends, what you gain as a believer is so far greater than what you give. God is no debtor to anyone. When you place your life on His altar, He pours out blessings that begin now and stretch into forever. He gives you Himself. He gives you His presence in every valley and on every mountaintop. He gives you His peace that calms anxiety and steadies the heart. He gives you His purpose that makes sense of your story. He gives you His power to stand, to serve, to forgive, and to endure. He gives you His people, a spiritual family that loves, prays, and walks with you. He even gives you His pruning, shaping you into the image of His Son so that your life bears fruit that lasts.

Listen to the Word. First Peter 2 verse 5 in the New King James Version says, You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. That is the language of benefit. God builds you. God sets you apart. God receives your worship through Jesus. Your life becomes a living temple where His glory dwells and His grace flows. Your worship delights His heart and it changes your heart. Your worship becomes a witness that points neighbors and nations to the Savior.

And then there is eternity. We receive eternal life in the presence of God. We will know perfect peace, unbroken joy, and the happiness of being reunited with family and friends who have trusted Christ. We will see no tears, no death, no mourning, no pain. Better than all of that, we get Jesus. We see Him face to face. We enjoy Him forever. He is the treasure. He is the reward. He is the joy of heaven and the song of the redeemed.

So what does worship look like when we walk out of this building? It looks like loving your neighbor as yourself. It looks like forgiving someone who has wronged you. It looks like serving your family with humility, working at your job with honesty, and treating every person as made in the image of God. Worship is when you open your Bible and let His Word shape your heart. Worship is when you pray in faith and trust Him with your burdens. Worship is when you offer kindness to a stranger, generosity to someone in need, or encouragement to a brother or sister in Christ. Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:17 (NASB), “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Every ordinary act of obedience becomes an extraordinary act of worship when it is done for the glory of God.

So here is my challenge for you this week. Every single day, find one intentional way to worship God through your living. Maybe it is pausing to pray with your spouse. Maybe it is sharing a word of encouragement with someone at work. Maybe it is helping a neighbor in need. Maybe it is simply thanking God before you drift off to sleep. Whatever it is, do it on purpose, do it in Jesus’ name, and do it as an offering of worship to the Living God. If you will commit to that, you will discover that worship is not something you go to once or twice a week, worship is something you live every single day.

So offer Him your life. Present your body as a living sacrifice. Let your worship be sacrificial, logical, and beneficial. Let your life declare to a watching world that Christ has won.

Remember friends, when it comes to our worship…

May God Receive All The Glory!

Closing Prayer:

Father in heaven, we bow before You today in awe of Your mercy and grace. We thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, for the beauty of creation that surrounds us, and for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit who makes us more like Your Son. Lord, we confess that too often we have made worship small, reduced it to moments and rituals, when You are calling us to offer our very lives.

Teach us what it means to be a living sacrifice. Help us to worship You sacrificially, giving You not just our words but our wills, not just our money but our hearts. Help us to worship You logically, remembering all that You have done for us so that gratitude becomes the rhythm of our days. And help us to worship You beneficially, living in such a way that You are pleased, that we are transformed, and that the world sees Christ alive in us.

Lord, may our worship be a witness to the world that Jesus has won the victory over sin, death, and the grave. May our lives reflect His glory and may everything we do point others to Him. And when that day comes when we stand before You in eternity, may our worship be complete as we see You face to face and join the chorus of heaven forever.

We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.