Sacrifice of Praise

“Most Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship”. Warren Wirsbe.

What is sacrifice? To sacrifice means to “surrender”, “give-up”, “to offer” something of value that we would rather hold on to. The reason it is called a "sacrifice of praise" is because we often have to give up our convenience and feeling. Abraham was the first individual in the Bible to mention the word “worship” in Genesis 22:5. Abraham learned about worship when God not only stopped giving TO him, but instead required something OF him. He spoke about worship when he was on the way to offer Isaac. From the very beginning, we learn that worship is often sacrificial. It is not something we do only when it is convenient.

Michael J Fox has had Parkinson’s disease for about 10 years, and its getting progressively worse. He said in his book that "if you made a deal with God that he would take away my Parkinson’s disease and cancel out the last ten years of my life, I would tell you to take a hike. My life is so good now. I’m helping a lot of people cope with the stigma of this disease. And it makes me appreciate life as a precious gift."

Job is another example of sacrificial praise. He was wealthy and healthy. Within a short time, he lost all his 10 children, his possessions and his health. Rather than curse God and die as suggested by his wife, he said:

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised" Job 1:20-21.

How do you lose everything and still worship? That is the sacrifice of praise.

Frank Foglio’s daughter was injured in a car accident. Her brain was severely damaged, and her condition grew steadily worse. Finally she had to be placed in institution for the mentally ill. 7 years after the accident, things had not improved. In fact his daughter had once clawed her way out of a straitjacket and tried to hang herself with a bed sheet.
The absolute hopelessness of the situation had started to take its toll on Frank, and his faith started to waver. On one very difficult journey to the institution, Frank was arguing with God."How could You be a God of love? I wouldn’t permit such a thing to happen to my daughter if I had the power to prevent it. You could heal her. But You won’t”. Frank felt his anger rising against God. "Praise Me," a Voice said to him. "What for?" Frank replied. Praise Me that your daughter is where she is. “Never!" he spit out. "I would rather die than do that" The Voice said again, "Thank Me that your daughter is exactly where she is," Frank said, "God, I couldn’t praise You if I tried. And I’m not going to try, because I don’t believe I should" As Frank continued toward the mental home, the Holy Spirit worked in his heart, and he felt his attitude begin to soften. A little further along, he confessed, "I would praise You, but You would have to help me."

After arriving at the institution. Frank went through the procedures to get clearance to get into the most restricted part of one of the buildings. Sometimes, he wondered why he continued to come. His daughter didn’t recognize him. Finally, Frank was in the last waiting room, the one that separated him from the ward. One steel door remained to be opened. Standing before it, Frank Foglio heard the calm and firm voice of God one more time: “Thank Me that your daughter is exactly where she is." Frank finally whispered his surrender: "Okay, God. I thank you that my daughter is where she is. I know that you love her more than I do." At that moment a vaguely familiar voice cried out, "I want my daddy; I want my daddy” The attendant opened the door, and Frank raced to his daughter’s compartment. Clothed in her right mind, she threw out her arms and embraced her father. Nurses, attendants, and guards gathered around in disbelief and joy. Daughter was able to come home that day, after 7 years.

We learn from the 3 Hebrew men that worship is great when you serve a God who can deliver you from any circumstance no matter how difficult. But what will you do if He doesn’t? Their attitude to worship was unchanged despite Nebuchadnezzar’s threat of capital punishment:

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 NIV.

Sacrifice of praise involves all of you. It involves your spirit, soul and body (Rom 12:1, Ps. 51:17).

The sacrifice of praise = sacrifice of our spirit + soul + body (Heb 13:15.)

There is no such thing as partial sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the animal for sacrifice paid for it with its life. It was a total sacrifice. However, the animal could only be offered once because it was dead. The Lord Jesus modeled for us an example of a living sacrifice. He died once like the Old Testament lamb but He rose from the dead to become a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice can be offered repeatedly as long as there is life. A living sacrifice should be useful to God throughout his/her life. You life and mine can be continually offered unto God as a living sacrifice until we see Him face to face. When we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, our usefulness is just beginning.

How does anyone go through the ups and downs of life and still give thanks to the Lord always? 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16-17. It is impossible to do so except you learn to praise him during the “valley” days when the fig tree does not blossom. You praise Him when every fiber of your being is against worship. The thirty years of war in Germany was possibly the worst war in the history of mankind in terms of the sheer number of deaths. Historians estimate that the population of central Europe dropped from 21 to 13.5 million during the war. Toward the end of the war in 1636 there was a pastor whose name was Martin Rinkert. In a single year, this pastor buried 5,000 people because he was the only pastor left in his city. He averaged 15 funerals a day, but sometimes did as many as 50.
During that time he wrote one of the best loved hymns.

Now thank we all our God,

With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,

In Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms

Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

Bob Reccord wrote, “I suffered a severe cervical spinal injury. The only way I could relieve the pain was to use a strong, prescribed narcotic and to lie on bags of ice. Sleep, came only by sitting in a reclining chair. Approximately 48 hours from the onset of the injury, doctors estimated that I lost about 80 percent of the strength in my left arm. Three fingers on my left hand totally lost feeling. Even the slightest movements would send pain waves down my left side and shoulder. I was required to wear a neck brace 24 hours a day for five weeks.

About halfway through that experience, I found myself sitting on the screened-in porch behind our home. The day was cold and blustery, but I was committed to being outside, just for a change of scenery. Suddenly a bird landed on the railing and began to sing. On that cold, rainy day, I couldn’t believe any creature had a reason to sing. I wanted to shoot that bird! But he continued to warble, and I had no choice but to listen. The next day found me on the porch again, but this time the atmosphere was bright, sunny, and warm. As I sat, being tempted to feel sorry for myself, suddenly the same bird returned. And he was singing again! Where was that shotgun?

Then an amazing truth hit me head on: the bird sang in the cold rain as well as the sunny warmth. His song was not altered by outward circumstances, but it was held constant by an internal condition”

The story of Paul & Silas is often told with the emphasis on miraculous deliverance. It becomes more impressive when you read that they were severely beaten before being thrown into jail in shackles. What led to the beating? They delivered a girl from demons.

“When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities……..The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. Acts 16:19-24.

Is it not remarkable that after an ordeal such as this, Paul and Silas will keep awake at midnight offering a sacrifice of praise? This is one of the best examples of a living sacrifice. May you be unto God a living sacrifice for the rest of your life in Jesus name.