Living Sacrifices

In the last few decades a movement was started to divest the Church of following a stricter worship protocol, they wanted to open the church to practicing a diversity of worship styles, including instruments and Catholic holidays. The movement likely came from Catholic plants who infiltrated various denominations such as Christian Churches and Disciples, it slowly permeated the Church of Christ. The Jesuits had planted folks into denominations to lead them to change. Some called them change agents, the first generation was plants, then the movement grew into sets of men who had been infected.

The verse used was Romans 12:1-2. It was used to muddy the distinction between general living as worship and what was seen as authorized worship. The church had long held a distinction saying our worship must be authorized.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

This verse shows that daily activities are worship, and teachers used the verse to say that there is no separated or authorized form of worship we are to follow. Anything done in any worship experience can be worship. All life is worship so there could be no separated formal worship.

Where did they miss the point? Are there actually authorized and restrictive ways we are to worship?

The answer is fairly simple.

Romans 12:1 does say that our lives are a living sacrifice, but it doesn't list all the distinct elements of pleasing God. It is general in scope. Other verses can be more direct and exact and specific. Romans 12:1-2 do say a living sacrifice would be to act in a way that pleases God. This means there are commands and directions to follow, these teach us what is pleasing to him. 

Romans 12:1 uses a singular word for "service" and "sacrifice", in other verses these words may be translated worship, but in other verses where "sacrifice" is used it is plural. Within the general life of living worship are specific acts of worship. 

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

One cannot fulfill the general living worship without fulfilling the specific worship commands and examples. Those who dismissed the need for authorized worship were probably very wrong, because a living sacrifice would strengthen the need to complete all the specific sacrifices. It would strengthen and not dismiss all the commanded worship.

We do have formal separated worship revealed to us, and we have to abide by them to make our lives pleasing to him.

Many would say we wouldn't be condemned for breaking protocol, but we can.

1Co 11:34  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.