Worship as a Living Sacrifice: Loving God Most

This morning, we reflected on what it truly means to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices” to God, as Paul urges in Romans 12:1. The call is not to a one-time act, but to a life oriented around God’s mercy and love—a life where every part of us, our bodies, our time, our gifts, and our dreams, are surrendered to Him. We explored how worship is not just what happens on Sunday mornings or in moments of singing, but is our response to what we love most. Whatever we sacrifice for the most, that is what we truly worship. This can be God, but it can also be anything else—relationships, comfort, family, or even good things like sports or our children’s success.

We considered how easy it is to let even good things become ultimate things, and how misplaced worship can actually harm us and those we love. Our families, our comfort, our ambitions—they cannot bear the weight of being the center of our lives. Only God can. He alone is worthy of our deepest love and our greatest sacrifices, because He is the one who created us, sustains us, gives us purpose, and gifts us with our unique personalities and abilities. Every breath, every opportunity, every relationship is a gift from Him.

But God’s mercy goes even further. Not only did He create and sustain us, but when we turned away, He pursued us in love. Through Jesus, He offers us mercy, forgiveness, and a new life. In view of this mercy, it is only logical—indeed, it is the only fitting response—to offer ourselves back to Him in gratitude and trust.

We saw this lived out in real stories: in the lives of faithful servants at Urban Impact, in my own mother’s journey of surrendering her dreams to God and finding them returned to her in better ways, and in the invitation for each of us to pray, give, and go—to serve and love others as an act of worship. When we give God our best, He gives back in ways we could never imagine. The challenge is not just to talk about loving Jesus, but to show it with our lives, so that those who come after us—our children, our community—see what it means to truly worship.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship is revealed by what we sacrifice for most. The true object of our worship is not what we say we love, but what we are willing to give up everything for. This is a sobering invitation to examine our lives and ask: what do my sacrifices reveal about what I love most? [06:49]
• 2. Even good things can become idols when they take God’s place at the center. Family, comfort, and success are gifts, but they cannot bear the weight of our ultimate devotion. When we make them central, we harm ourselves and those we love, because only God is worthy and able to sustain that place in our hearts. [10:43]
• 3. God’s gifts are continual and sustaining, not just one-time acts of creation. Every moment, God holds us together—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The very forces that keep our bodies and the universe intact are a daily, undeserved gift from Him, calling us to gratitude and awe. [15:10]
• 4. God’s mercy is not just in creation, but in redemption. Though we have all chosen our own way and disconnected from God, He pursued us in Jesus, offering forgiveness and new life. In view of this double mercy—creation and redemption—offering ourselves as living sacrifices is not just right, it is the only logical response. [20:40]
• 5. Surrendering our dreams to God often leads to their fulfillment in better ways. When we trust God with our deepest desires and let go of our own plans, He is able to give back to us in ways that are richer and more meaningful than we could have orchestrated ourselves. True worship is not loss, but gain—because God’s shovel is always bigger. [25:19]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:38] - Stories of Ungratefulness
• [01:48] - The “Messed Up Meter” and Real-Life Examples
• [04:07] - The Logic of Worship and Living Sacrifice
• [05:38] - What Is Worship?
• [06:49] - Sacrifice Reveals What We Love Most
• [07:26] - Modern Idols: Drugs, Relationships, Sports
• [09:58] - The Subtle Idols: Comfort and Family
• [11:54] - Why God Alone Is Worthy
• [12:26] - Creation: God’s Power and Wisdom
• [14:40] - God’s Sustaining Power in Creation
• [16:36] - Purpose, Personality, and God’s Gifts
• [18:30] - The Call to Thankfulness
• [19:09] - God’s Mercy: Creation and Redemption
• [21:57] - A Story of Surrender: My Mom’s Journey
• [25:19] - God Gives Back Better Than We Give
• [25:58] - Pray, Give, Go: Responding in Action
• [27:52] - The Power of Example: Serving as a Family
• [29:38] - Invitation to Respond and Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Romans 12:1 (NIV) — Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV) — Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Colossians 1:17 (NIV) — He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Observation Questions

1. According to Romans 12:1, what does Paul urge believers to do in response to God’s mercy?
2. In Genesis 1:26-27, what is unique about the way God created humans compared to the rest of creation?
3. The sermon described worship as “our response to what we love most.” What are some examples the pastor gave of things people might sacrifice for and therefore worship? ([07:26])
4. What does Colossians 1:17 say about Jesus’ ongoing role in creation?

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says, “Whatever we sacrifice for the most, that is what we truly worship.” Why is sacrifice such a revealing indicator of what we love most? ([06:49])
2. The pastor mentioned that even good things like family or comfort can become idols if they take God’s place at the center. Why can’t these good things bear the weight of being the center of our lives? ([10:43])
3. How does understanding God’s continual sustaining power (not just His act of creation) change the way someone might view their daily life? ([15:10])
4. The sermon shared a story about the pastor’s mom surrendering her dreams to God and receiving them back in a better way. What does this suggest about the relationship between surrender and fulfillment in the Christian life? ([25:19])

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenges us to examine what we sacrifice for most. If someone looked at your calendar, your spending, and your energy, what would they say you love most? Is there anything you feel convicted to change? ([06:49])
2. Are there any “good things” in your life—like family, comfort, or success—that you might be tempted to put at the center instead of God? How can you tell when a good thing is becoming an idol? ([10:43])
3. The pastor described God’s gifts as continual and sustaining, not just one-time acts. What is one daily routine or moment where you could intentionally pause to thank God for His ongoing gifts? ([15:10])
4. The sermon talked about God’s double mercy—creation and redemption. How does remembering both of these aspects of God’s mercy affect your willingness to trust Him with your life? ([20:40])
5. Think about a dream or desire you have. What would it look like to surrender that to God? Is there a specific step you could take this week to offer it to Him, trusting that He can give back in better ways? ([25:19])
6. The pastor gave practical ways to respond: pray, give, and go. Which of these is most challenging for you, and why? Is there a next step you feel led to take in serving or giving? ([25:58])
7. The sermon ended with a call to show, not just talk about, loving Jesus—especially for the sake of the next generation. What is one way you can model true worship and sacrificial love for those around you this week? ([27:52])