Sunday the 3rd of January saw us venture out again to visit a new church. This was definitely one to cross of the All-Star Churches to Visit Before you Die list. Holy Trinity Brompton, also known as The Alpha Church. Now it’s not called the Alpha Church because it was the first church, it is called this because this is where Nicky Gumbel (Incumbent Priest) developed the Alpha Course. Alpha is a course that introduces people to what Christianity is all about in a non-threatening or weird way. If you want to know more about it click here. ArgeyMum and I have talked many times about wanting to visit this church if we ever got the chance and low and behold, we got the chance.
Photo: Nicky Gumbel leading prayer
Not knowing what to expect we arrived and were greeted by a few people on our way in. The previous service had just finished and people were filing out of the auditorium so it was a bit squashy getting in. There was a lovely feel to the space, a great combination of old and modern.
The worship fantastic! Even though we only knew one of the songs, the experience was inclusive and immersive. Completely seamless musicianship added to the experience greatly. It was immensely refreshing to have a worship leader who didn’t feel the need to introduce each song, in fact with the exception of a small prayer, the worship leader didn’t speak at all, she just lead worship.
I was hoping to hear a message from Nicky Gumbel but unfortunately he was speaking this day. Instead the message was given by Simon Guillebaud. Simon has been a missionary in Burundi since 1999. Simon runs an organisation called Great Lakes Outreach. Check his page out here as they do some amazing work. Simon’s message was called Be A Living Sacrifice based on Romans 11:32-12:2. Simon was a very engaging speaker. He had many stories to tell; I think he would be fantastic to be sitting around a camp fire with listening to stories.
So the verse from Romans talked about offering our bodies up as a Living Sacrifice to God. I must admit this is a section of scripture that I have often thought was one of those ones that was a little obscure. Talking about being a living sacrifice is just strange and I have often wondered what verses like this must sound like to people who don’t got to church. Simon broke it down and made it sound a lot less freaky.
Firstly, to be a living sacrifice means to live urgently. Paul starts Romans 12 by saying “And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.” (New Living Translation). By saying that “I plead with you”, Paul is conveying a sense of urgency to fulfil what God has set out for us. There is a saying that says: Plan as though Jesus isn’t coming back for 1000 years, live as though he is coming back tomorrow. This means to live with a sense of urgency that makes the most of every moment of each day. To understand that God has a plan and a task for each of us and that we must carry this plan out.
Next, to be a living sacrifice is to give unreservedly. in verse 1, Paul goes on to say “give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Giving willingly is what God wants. God doesn’t want us to give ourselves to him because we have to or out of a sense of duty, he wants us to do it because we want to willingly. The gift of mercy and grace He has given to us is so immense that we could never repay it. God has given us this gift willingly, and so our response to him of gratitude also needs to be willingly given. To give unreservedly means to not hold anything back, to give completely and to give for no other reason than you want to.
Finally, to be a living sacrifice is to be transformed radically. Verse 2 says, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” To be transformed radically is to walk away from the way we used to lead our lived and to move towards the example that we have in Jesus and the way he lived his life. To live in the culture but being completely counter-culture at the same time. This means that we shouldn’t lock ourselves away from the world around us. We should actually be completely involved int he world around us, but live in a way that moves against the culture that goes against how God would have us live. In other words, be the example, be the light in a dark place and instead of just talking about God’s love, show it in the way we live.
Final comments that Simon left us with was that we don’t need labels, stuff and money in our lives to increase our value in God’s eyes. We are precious to God because he took the time to come to us and save us. It is by grace that we are saved, we are not and never will be deserving of it and that’s why it is grace. Grace is given willingly and without expectation of repayment.