Pulpit Curriculum: The Call to Holistic Worship

March 2^nd – March 8^th, 2025

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Sermon Summary

In “A Call to Holistic Worship”, the preacher highlights how Paul pivots from his initial doctrinal teaching to the Roman church to practical applications, beginning with his key verse Romans 12: 1. After detailing God’s mercies in Romans 1-11 - explaining our universal sinfulness, justification by faith, freedom from condemnation, and God’s sovereign mercy - Paul next urges believers to respond with complete surrender. His call to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices,” represents a radical redefinition of Old Testament understanding of sacrifice. Animals were sacrificed once; we are to offer our entire selves - body, mind, desires - continuously and daily. This offering must be holy, acceptable to God, and represents our reasonable, logical worship. In closing, the preacher challenges his audience to fashion a response to God’s incredible mercy, by surrendering everything, our all, to God’s purpose, making our everyday lives acts of worship.

Verse of the Week

Romans 12:1 (ESV)
¹ “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”

Going Deeper

_{This section of the Pulpit Curriculum is meant to support Bible reflection, and encourage readers to come away with a high view of Scripture.}

Review: Romans 12:1

1a) To what extent does 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 parallel and, or, build on the concept of holistic worship suggested by Romans 12: 1?

b) Taken together, in what ways do these passages enhance believers’ understanding of God’s requirements?

2) Discuss the symbolic and practical implications of Jesus’s mandate in Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

3) Explore the notion of being a holy living sacrifice considering the focus in James 1:27 on religion as having a heart for orphans and widows.

Assess Your Life

_{The following questions are meant to encourage personal reflection and identify areas for spiritual growth in your relationship with God. Ask yourself the questions, respond honestly, write down your responses, and then prayerfully seek God’s conviction and guidance to move forward to repentance and restoration. In discussions with your friends and family, or in your Small Group, be open to sharing your responses with others in a spirit of accountability and transparency.}

1. What are the situations I prioritize out there in the world that may be preventing me from being “holy and acceptable” in my daily life?

2. In what ways am I compartmentalizing my life, treating some areas as “spiritual” and others as “secular”?

3. If I am honest, how completely have I surrendered every area of my life – be it work, hobbies, relationships, money, time, talents - to God?

4. When was the last time I intentionally sacrificed any of the things that bring me personal pleasure or satisfaction for the sake of serving God or others?

5. How regularly do I reflect on God’s mercies toward me as motivation for my obedience and service?

Application

_{A key objective of this Pulpit Curriculum is taking God’s truth as exposed in the sermon and helping people apply that truth in practical and intentional ways to plot a course toward obedience and transformation. This section is intended to achieve that objective.}

• How can you intentionally review what you spend time on – including your habits, entertainment and social media choices, and whatever else comes to mind, to identify areas you may need to tweak for better alignment with God’s holiness?

• What can you do to consciously ask yourself the standard question “How can this glorify God?” in respect of any of your non-church activities before making the leap?

• How can you regularly communicate with God about the areas of your life you should be entrusting to His control? Document your plan to keep you honest!

• To what extent will it benefit you to pursue a relationship with a mature believer who can regularly ask you tough questions about areas you are withholding from God?

Ask a trusted friend to help keep you accountable in these commitments.

Sermon Main Points

Will you heed the call?
A reminder of God’s kindness through His grace, salvation, justification, and the work of Christ

Be a living sacrifice
A challenge to recognize Christ’s sacrifice and surrender our lives in gratitude

Quotes

📖 “Will you heed the call? Will you be a living sacrifice—not just giving God a piece of your life, but your whole self?”

📖 The problem? Living sacrifices can crawl off the altar! That’s why this isn’t just a one-time decision; it’s a daily surrender.” .

📖 “Being a living sacrifice is not easy, but it is our reasonable worship in response to God’s mercy.”

📖 “Old Testament sacrifices were external and temporary, but our living sacrifice is internal and ongoing.” .

📖 God is not asking for a portion of your life—He is asking for all of you.” .

Sermon Reflection

What stood out for me in this sermon?

What can I do to remember this?

5 Day Study Plan

Use the Inductive Bible Study method to study these scriptures this week and remember to share with someone else.

Follow these steps

1. Observe the text.
_{(What do you see in the text? Look for answers to questions like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)}

2. Interpret the text.
_{(What did God and the human author of the text want the original people reading this text to understand/do? Why?)}

3. Apply the text.
_{(How do I need to change in my thinking, my affections, my attitudes, and/or my actions?)}

Day 1 - Colossians 3: 23-24

Work becomes worship when done for Christ rather than for human approval