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AUTHOR: Aniel Barbe
Full Worship
Romans 12: 1
“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.”
We worship God with our tithe and offerings because they express our desire to offer our all to Him. In his letters to the believers in Rome, Paul explains extensively that salvation in Jesus is freely accessible to all by faith. Then, he mentions our adequate response to God’s mercy: “to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). Christ died for us. In return, we live totally for Him. We worship the Savior by attending church services and returning our tithe and offerings, but true worship does not end at the doorstep of the church. It only begins there. These words of Jesus deserve our attention: “you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone” (Luke 11:42). Tithing and giving offering, though essential, are only one component of the life of the worshiper. They are part of a lifestyle of offering oneself to God and others.
Terry from Hong Kong gives us an example of life being an offering to God. In the 1980s, he was on track for a brilliant career as an engineer. He graduated from Hatfield Polytechnic, UK, as an Electronic Engineer, and later was selected by the Hong Kong government to specialize in an advanced technology known by very few. In spite of his success, Terry realized that something was missing in his life. He found this missing piece when he met Jesus and was baptized in December 1988. Seven months later he dedicated his life to God’s service. He left his promising future behind to enroll in seminary to study theology. In his own words: “Nothing under the sun is more important than knowing Jesus and inheriting eternal life.” He is known as Evangelist Terry; Dr. Terry Tsui is currently serving as the president of Taiwan Adventist College.
This week, as we worship with our tithe and regular offerings, may our giving be an expression of our total dedication to God.
Prayer: Lord, who we are and what we possess belong to You. We pray that You lead us to experience a higher level of dedication as we step into a new year.