In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

On the sermon notes insert, there is a question that looks very easy to answer. It says, "The proper length for a worship service is:" and then there is a blank. What would you write in that blank? Most people would probably write "1 hour." Somewhere that tradition was established, but there is no Bible passage saying, "The worship service shall last about an hour." Things were different in Luther's day. Back then, preachers would go on for hours. Luther commented that this was too long and that an hour was long enough for the sermon. He wanted to cut it back to an hour for the sermon, but that's not counting the readings, the prayers, Holy Communion, and the rest of the liturgy. Those services were much longer than ours, maybe about the length of a ball game or car race. What is the proper length? The Bible doesn't say.

When we examine what the Bible does say right here in Romans chapter 12 we learn a valuable lesson. Worship does not stop when we sing the last "Amen." Worship does not stop when we shake the pastor's hand and walk toward the back. Worship is to continue all through life, and all through eternity! What we do here is the formal public worship service. There does seem to be a beginning and an end. But really, worship is never to end for a believer. It is to continue all through life, and all through eternity in heaven.

Let's consider what that means as we examine these words from Romans chapter 12 again. It says: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,..." The very first word alerts us that we are dealing with a conclusion here. Nobody begins a book with the word "therefore." But Paul uses this word a lot in his epistles. It's like that line you draw when you are adding. You write 2 + 2 and then you make that line underneath them before you write "4." That line is "therefore." The inspired apostle has just finished 11 magnificent chapters on God's amazing grace and mercy. In the first three chapters, Paul wrote about how we are all sinners who cannot save ourselves or excuse ourselves before God. But, in that third chapter there is a glorious transition as he tells about how Jesus Christ saved us from sin, and that faith in Jesus is the way to heaven. He continues to emphasize faith in Jesus in chapter four. In chapters five and six he tells us that believers live in a state of grace with God covered by Christ's robe of righteousness. In chapter seven he reminds us of how our sinful nature often leads us to fall back into sin. But in chapter 8, he assures us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. In that precious chapter 8, he tells us that everything will work out for the good of those who love God and that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. In chapters 9-11, the apostle Paul teaches that all believers in Jesus (whether Jew or Gentile) have been chosen by God and owe their salvation to him. And then he closes chapter 11 with a song of praise to God for saving us poor sinners. So we say, to God alone be the glory!

We could go on and on about God's mercy, or just point to a symbol. The great symbol of God's mercy is the cross of Jesus Christ, because of what happened on it. There our perfect Savior offered his life as our Substitute. There, on that cross, Jesus died to pay for your sins, and my sins, and the sins of the whole world. He paid that price in full and won forgiveness for all, so he rose from death with our victory. We declare that gospel again: "You are forgiven of all of your sins because of what Jesus did on the cross." Believe in him and you will go to heaven. That's God's mercy. And now, the apostle builds on that...

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." After remembering all of God's mercy to us, we are called upon here to thank and praise God by offering our own bodies as living sacrifices to God in worship. Most people today do not understand what a sacrifice is. The Old Testament believers knew what a sacrifice was. They offered many sacrifices to God. They knew what a burnt offering was. They knew what it was like to slaughter a bull and offer it on the altar so that the aroma of the offering went toward heaven. That's the picture of a sacrifice: a male animal, perhaps a young bull, slaughtered and burning on God's altar with the aroma and smoke going up toward God. Of course, we were not saved by the sacrifice of a bull, but with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. That's the real picture of a sacrifice.

It doesn't say, "offer a bull" as a sacrifice here. It says, "offer your bodies." This does not mean that we are to be slaughtered and laid on a burning fire. It says, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices." What does that mean for you and for me? How can we offer our bodies to God that way? Picture a burnt offering on the altar with the God-pleasing aroma going up toward God. That is a picture of our whole lives as believers. Everything we do and say is to go up toward God as a God-pleasing sacrifice, as God-pleasing worship. That's what we just sang in the hymn: "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee." May all of our lives be consecrated to God.

Yet, whenever we speak this way, about dedicating our lives to God, our old Adam rears up and says, "Why should I?" We've already answered that question. We should do it "in view of God's mercy." Without Jesus, we would be going to hell forever. Because Jesus gave his life for us on the cross, we believers are going to heaven! Faith in Jesus makes us want to thank our Savior for saving us. Faith in Jesus makes us want to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" so that everything we do and say is an offering of praise and thanks and worship to our merciful God and Savior.

Now, if we are to live lives that are pleasing to God, we are going to have to live according to God's will. But, do you know what God's will is? Our guide in this is the Holy Bible. The Bible reveals God's will. Too many people today are guided by the world and society. If something becomes a fad or is popular, they do it. But look what Scripture says here: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." It says "don't conform" to the world, but be "transformed" by God's Word. The original Greek term behind "transformed" looks like our word "metamorphosis" which describes when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It describes a complete change. It's saying: "be different from the unbelievers. Don't be just like them!"

Instead, know what GOD'S will is and be transformed by that. We'll talk about God's will in the Bible Basics course. But briefly recall God's commands to love him above all and love your neighbor as yourself. Think of the Ten Commandments. Look again at verses 3-8 where it tells us to be humble and to carefully consider what gifts God has given us and how he wants us to use them. God wants us to be good stewards or managers of the gifts he has given us. Worship God by the way that you serve him and others every single day! Worship God with your time, talents and treasures! Live a life of thanksgiving to God! We sometimes call this, "Thanks-living."

The formal worship service is very important. Here we receive God's Word and Sacrament. Here we worship God with prayer, praise and thanksgiving. But when we proceed from this place of worship, our worship does not stop, it only continues somewhere else. We can worship God by the way that we study his Word. We can worship God as we pray. We can worship God by the way that we treat our family members. We can worship God by the way that we work and give glory to God. We can worship God by the way that we live each and every day. But the only reason we can do this, and the only reason God accepts our worship is that Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins on the cross. And that sacrifice removes our sins and opens the door to eternal life. So, then, in view of God's mercy, I urge you to: Worship God every day! Amen.