Giving God Our All: True Worship and Discipleship

Devotional

Day 1: Sacrificial Worship: Beyond the Minimum

True worship is not about fulfilling religious duties but offering God what truly costs us, as exemplified by Abel and David. Abel's offering was accepted because it was given with a sincere heart, while Cain's was rejected due to its lack of genuine sacrifice. Similarly, David refused to offer to God that which cost him nothing, understanding that true devotion involves sacrifice and wholehearted commitment. This principle challenges us to evaluate our own offerings to God, ensuring they come from a place of genuine love and sacrifice rather than mere obligation. [15:07]

2 Samuel 24:24 (ESV): "But the king said to Araunah, 'No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you have been offering God the minimum? How can you begin to offer Him something that truly costs you today?

Day 2: Daily Devotion: Living Faith Beyond Sundays

Christianity is not confined to Sunday services; it is a daily walk with God. Our faith should be evident in how we live our lives throughout the week, emphasizing a life of integrity and devotion beyond church walls. This involves a deep commitment to God, where we offer our bodies and minds as living sacrifices, as described in Romans 12:1-2. By doing so, we demonstrate a faith that permeates every aspect of our lives, not just our attendance at religious gatherings. [17:17]

Colossians 3:17 (ESV): "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: How can you incorporate your faith into your daily routine this week, ensuring that your devotion to God is evident in every aspect of your life?

Day 3: The Cost of True Discipleship

The path of true discipleship involves persecution and misunderstanding. Those who choose to give God their all may face challenges, but this is the path that aligns us with Christ and His followers. Just as Jesus and His disciples faced opposition, we too may encounter difficulties when we fully commit to following Him. However, this path leads to true discipleship and aligns us with the stream of believers moving towards the heavenly Jerusalem. [22:30]

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV): "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Reflection: What challenges or misunderstandings have you faced in your journey of faith? How can you find encouragement in knowing that these are part of the path of true discipleship?

Day 4: Choosing Holiness Over Worldly Recognition

Babylon and Jerusalem represent two spiritual streams: one of religious formality and the other of true holiness. Our goal should be to align with the stream of holiness, seeking to please God rather than the world. Babylon symbolizes a system that seeks greatness and recognition, while Jerusalem represents the true church characterized by holiness and genuine love for God. By choosing holiness, we align ourselves with God's kingdom and reject the pursuit of worldly wealth, pleasure, and honor. [31:03]

James 4:4 (ESV): "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

Reflection: In what ways have you been seeking recognition or greatness in the eyes of the world? How can you shift your focus to seek holiness and please God instead?

Day 5: Undivided Love: The Essence of True Faith

Loving God with all our heart is the essence of true faith. Anything less is akin to spiritual adultery, as God desires our complete devotion, just as a spouse desires undivided love. This involves forsaking the love of the world and fully committing our heart, soul, mind, and strength to God. By doing so, we align ourselves with His will and experience the fullness of a relationship with Him. [38:18]

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV): "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

Reflection: Is there anything in your life that is competing with your love for God? How can you begin to give Him your undivided love and devotion today?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, choosing between offering God the minimum or giving Him our very best. This choice is exemplified in the biblical stories of Cain and Abel, and Saul and David. Abel and David represent those who give sacrificially, offering what costs them dearly, while Cain and Saul symbolize those who do the bare minimum to fulfill religious obligations. The essence of true worship is not in the rituals or the outward appearances but in the heart's willingness to give God everything, even when it costs us.

The challenge for us today is to examine our lives and see whether we are living for God only on Sundays or if our devotion extends throughout the week. True Christianity is not about attending church services or adhering to religious norms; it's about living a life that reflects Christ every day. This involves a deep commitment to God, where we offer our bodies and minds as living sacrifices, as described in Romans 12:1-2. This is the kind of offering that pleases God, one that involves our whole being and not just our material possessions.

Moreover, the path of giving God our all is not without its challenges. Those who choose this path may face persecution, misunderstanding, and even ridicule, just as Jesus and His disciples did. Yet, this is the path that leads to true discipleship and aligns us with the stream of believers who are moving towards the heavenly Jerusalem, as opposed to the worldly Babylon.

In Revelation, Babylon represents a system of religious formality without true devotion, a system that seeks greatness and recognition rather than holiness. In contrast, Jerusalem symbolizes the true church, characterized by holiness and a genuine love for God. Our calling is to be part of this holy stream, loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and forsaking the love of the world, which includes the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, and honor.

Key Takeaways

1. True worship requires offering God what costs us, not just fulfilling religious duties. Like David, we should never offer to God that which costs us nothing, as true devotion involves sacrifice and wholehearted commitment. [15:07]
2. Christianity is not confined to Sunday services; it is a daily walk with God. Our faith should be evident in how we live our lives throughout the week, emphasizing a life of integrity and devotion beyond church walls. [17:17]
3. The path of true discipleship involves persecution and misunderstanding. Those who choose to give God their all may face challenges, but this is the path that aligns us with Christ and His followers. [22:30]
4. Babylon and Jerusalem represent two spiritual streams: one of religious formality and the other of true holiness. Our goal should be to align with the stream of holiness, seeking to please God rather than the world. [31:03]
5. Loving God with all our heart is the essence of true faith. Anything less is akin to spiritual adultery, as God desires our complete devotion, just as a spouse desires undivided love. [38:18]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[13:53] - The Value of Godly Opinions
[14:30] - Offering Our Best to God
[16:26] - The Importance of Daily Living
[18:07] - A Life Beyond Minimum Christianity
[20:00] - True Sacrifice in the New Testament
[22:04] - The Cost of True Discipleship
[24:21] - Streams of Faith: Babylon vs. Jerusalem
[26:47] - Examining Our Offerings to God
[29:08] - The System of Babylon
[31:03] - Greatness vs. Holiness
[33:50] - The Heart of Spiritual Adultery
[36:51] - The Love of God vs. Worldly Loves
[39:12] - God's Demand for Total Devotion
[41:08] - The Beast and Babylon's System

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

2 Samuel 24:24
Romans 12:1-2
Revelation 17:1-5, 21:2

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Observation Questions:

In 2 Samuel 24:24, what does David's statement about offering sacrifices reveal about his understanding of worship? How does this contrast with Cain's offering? [14:47]
According to Romans 12:1-2, what does it mean to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice? How is this different from the Old Testament sacrifices? [20:26]
In Revelation 17:1-5, how is Babylon described, and what does this symbolize in terms of religious formality versus true devotion? [29:38]
How does the sermon describe the difference between living for God only on Sundays versus throughout the week? [17:06]

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Interpretation Questions:

What does David's refusal to offer something that costs him nothing teach us about the nature of true worship and sacrifice? How might this apply to modern-day believers? [15:07]
Romans 12:1-2 speaks of transformation and renewal of the mind. How does this process relate to living a life that reflects Christ every day, not just on Sundays? [21:21]
The sermon contrasts Babylon and Jerusalem as two spiritual streams. What are the characteristics of each, and how can believers discern which stream they are aligned with? [31:03]
How does the concept of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength challenge the idea of spiritual adultery as described in the sermon? [38:18]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your current spiritual practices. Are there areas where you might be offering God the minimum rather than your best? What steps can you take to change this? [14:30]
Consider your daily life outside of church services. How can you ensure that your faith is evident in your actions and decisions throughout the week? [17:17]
Have you ever faced persecution or misunderstanding for your faith? How did you respond, and what can you learn from those experiences to strengthen your discipleship? [22:30]
In what ways might you be tempted to seek greatness or recognition in your spiritual life? How can you shift your focus towards holiness and genuine love for God? [31:03]
Identify one area of your life where you might be holding back from fully loving God. What practical steps can you take this week to redirect your affections towards Him? [38:18]
How can you cultivate a mindset of offering your body and mind as a living sacrifice to God? What specific changes can you make in your daily routine to support this commitment? [21:21]
Reflect on the concept of spiritual adultery. Are there worldly loves or pursuits that are competing with your devotion to God? How can you address these distractions? [39:12]

Sermon Clips

Do you bring an offering like Cain or do you bring the very best like Abel? You do the minimum necessary in order to be accepted by God like Saul, or do you say like David said in II Samuel 24:24, "I will never offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing." [00:14:34]

For us, most other churches, Sunday is the important day, the day when they go to church, as they say it, and the day they hear the word of God and they sing and meet together with other believers. That's the most important day for them. I said, but for us in our church, the most important day is Monday. [00:16:47]

I say, Lord, I have only one life to live, and I don't want at the end of my life to be able to look back over my life and say, well, I kept all the rules, I went to church meetings regularly, I never committed any serious sins, I never molested any woman, I never killed anybody, and I faithfully gave my offerings. [00:18:07]

I will not ever insult you by offering you a cheap sacrifice which has cost me zero or cost me very little. And you know, there are many Christians today who sacrificed such a lot to advance in their profession, who sacrificed such a lot to save money to build a nice house. [00:19:30]

I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, Romans 12:1, present yourselves a living sacrifice to God. That Romans 12:1 is the equivalent, I always say, that's the equivalent of the Old Testament type. It's not 10%. It is your body and your mind. [00:20:23]

Those who choose to give God the maximum won't have a very enjoyable life. They'll be persecuted sometimes physically by death and sometimes by being called false prophets and devil and all types of names. And you know, I think of when people used to call me all types of names like false prophet. [00:22:04]

So those who choose to give God the maximum won't have a very enjoyable life. They'll be persecuted sometimes physically by death and sometimes by being called false prophets and devil and all types of names. And you know, I think of when people used to call me all types of names like false prophet. [00:22:30]

Babylon is called great 11 times in Revelation. One of its marks is greatness, greatness in the world or greatness in the church. You want to be great in the church, you're going the direction of Babylon. Greatness anywhere in this earth, in any system, whether you call it church, whether you call it NCCF. [00:31:03]

The opposite of all that is one who loves God supremely. That's why Jesus said, you know, the first commandment is to love God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind. That is the salvation is from the opposite of that sin is to not love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. [00:38:18]

God doesn't want you to love him seventy percent and ten percent of money and love pleasure and love honor. No, no. Then you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength and all your mind. It's pretty total, God's demand of us, but that's not unreasonable. [00:39:12]

When a Christian wants not only to please God but also to please the spirit of the world, this is prostitution. So we see here also this woman is sitting on a beast, and I want you to see here that this beast is a political system. In those days, it was Rome. [00:41:08]

The bride is clothed in fine linen, bright and clean. That's it. It's not with all these grand gold and precious stones and pearls and purple and scarlet. That's the mark of the harlot, and here's the contrast to the bride. When a woman wants to decorate herself, what is it for? [00:40:00]

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