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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for March 1, 2010
“Take My Life, a Living Sacrifice”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
(Open with actual line from the song…)
“Take my life, a living sacrifice.”
That’s a song from the 80’s by Chris Christian.
It’s taken from a Bible verse I memorized during a discipleship class, Romans 12:1, which tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God.
That verse has motivated many people to give it all up for God, to sacrifice their own desires, plans and pleasures. It has spurred many people into full-time ministry, to become pastors and missionaries.
A verse like that is a game-changer. It leads you to no longer live for yourself, but to live for the Lord.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” That is a great picture of a living sacrifice.
What have you done to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus? What have you done to offer your body to God as a living sacrifice?
Many people have become martyrs in Jesus’ name because of that verse. People have sacrificed lucrative incomes in order to fully follow Jesus.
Paul said, “I die daily.” He didn’t really die, of course, but he put himself in harm’s way for the sake of the Lord and His people. He sacrificed himself daily for the Lord.
What are you doing to answer the call to be a living sacrifice?
You can start by singing along with Chris Christian, “Take my life, a living sacrifice.”
(play actual line from the song)
The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar!
That’s one reason I like that song. It’s a way of continuously putting yourself back on the altar as a living sacrifice.
I heard some people talking the other day about moving to the country and getting out of the city. They discussed all their preferences, their likes and dislikes – and then came my wild-eyed opinion.
And this is what I say about all of life’s big decisions, such as where you live. You need to find out where God wants you to go.
Now I realize that God gives us free will. And I realize He isn’t exactly dropping sticky notes with our next address. Nevertheless, we should sacrifice that decision to Him.
It’s a total surrender. It’s saying, “Lord, not my will but Your will be done.” It’s saying, “Take my life, a living sacrifice.”
That’s a prayer you can pray everyday. “Lord, here I am, a living sacrifice for You. I want to go where You want me to go, do what You want me to do, and say what You want me to say.”
We should offer our profession up as a living sacrifice. First Corinthians 10:31 says “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Colossians 3:17 says whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Doing everything in Jesus’ name and for the glory of God – that is being a living sacrifice.
First Peter 2:5 talks about offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God.
Of course, the Old Testament is full of sacrifices – real animal sacrifices – but those have been done away with. There is no longer a need for such sacrifices because as it says in Hebrews 9, Jesus was the final sacrifice for sin.
And now, as God’s people, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.
What does that look like?
Hebrews 13:16 tells us to do good and to share with others, “for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Verse 15 says, “…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name.”
First Peter 2:11 tells us to “abstain from sinful desires” which war against our soul.
When we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we steer our bodies away from sinful desires and toward doing good and praising God.
And if we do sin, David describes our sacrifice in Psalm 51. He said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
So maybe you have stumbled, maybe you have fallen. Maybe you have taken control of your life, living for yourself and your own desires.
Well today is a good day to re-offer yourself to God. This is a good time to put your body back up on that altar.
And you can do that while saying along with Chris Christian, “Take my life, a living sacrifice.”
(close with actual line from the song)
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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