Giving myself

2nd Chronicles chapter 17 verse 12 a Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly. He built in Judah castles and cities of store. He had much business in the cities of Judah and the men of war mighty men of valor were in Jerusalem and these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers of Judah the captains of thousands Adner the chief and with him mighty men of valor 300,000 and next to him was Jehoahan the captain and with him two hundred and four score thousand and next him was a Messiah the son of Zichri who willingly offered himself unto the Lord and with him 200,000 mighty men of valor and the Benjamin Eliezer a mighty man of valor and with him armed men with bow and shield 200,000 and next him was Jehoshaphat and with him and hundred and four score thousand ready prepared for the war these waited on the king beside those whom the king put in the fence cities throughout all Judah.

We look to the Lord to bless his people with his word this afternoon. Here we have Jehoshaphat making sensible preparations indeed and putting in place military defenses in the country and in the very middle here we have this unique statement about a man we read of nowhere else. He's not the man at the top of the list he's man at the bottom of one of the lists and he's a man there in verse 16 called a Messiah not Amaziah.

Amaziah was a king whose name was placarded there and well-known a name whose man name went down in the annals of history but here's one man here one man indeed and what he did was unique and what he did stands out to us as such a wonderful example. The general context is Jehoshaphat seeking to restore things in Judah and indeed we read that he took all the necessary preparations physically speaking but spiritually he made good progress as well. We read his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord that was himself personally but he did all that he could to make sure that the people were touched by the Word of God.

We read there from verses 7 onwards indeed that he made preparation he got five princes and nine Levites and two priests to go around preaching the Word of God. Verse 9 and they taught in Judah and had the book of the law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. Now this man here Amaziah I don't think what he did was an act of emotion but it was an intelligent response to the Word of God.

Well here indeed amongst along with that was Jehoshaphat doing the normal military preparation of any sensible king and he draws up lists those indeed who are qualified to do this particular work and it says there there are two lists first of all of course because there's Judah and there's Benjamin and there are three in the list of Judah and they they drop down by way of title and their way of numbers whom they commanded and you find for instance there in verse 14 of Judah captains of Judah Adner the chief so he was a man with a good name and with a good number 300,000 people. Next unto him Jehoahan the captain now in the original language these words I believe that chief and captain are the same but once again he has a title and yet smaller in number those under his command with him two hundred and four score thousand and then comes the man at the bottom of the list the man indeed whose title didn't bring him to the top the man who the number whom he commanded didn't bring him higher up in the list but the man who's at the bottom next him Amasiah the son of Zechariah and this man only mentioned once in scripture has following indeed those unique words who willingly offered himself unto the Lord. Now here's a man indeed who's not acting as we said from emotion he's not a man acting from patriotism he's a man I believe who responded to the Word of God as it was taught to the people of God and those good men gifted men who went around the country and preach the word here is one of those outstanding responses to their activities.

Here was unexpected we read down the list and we're getting used to the kind of description of these men and suddenly we have this man and indeed he's acting in a most unexpected way to us having indeed read down the rest of the list but in doing so this man earns an epitaph that will live forever as someone indeed who did this willingly offered himself unto the Lord. Now that little expression willingly offered you'll find many times in the Old Testament maybe 15 times over but each one of them would act out of patriotism they saw a national need and responded to it they offered themselves you can look in your own time in your own concordance and find that so and yet this man it doesn't say that he willingly offered himself alone this man saw not indeed an act of patriotism but it was a spiritual exercise on his part and what he did was with reference to service. Now equally take that word willingly in your mind you can go back to Numbers chapter 8 and you can find there a whole tribe who are offered to the Lord and it says here again with regard to service it speaks about the Levites and those Levites number one Numbers 8 verse 6 take the Levites is the command of the Lord to Moses and then in verse 10 the command of Moses indeed down to Aaron there is thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord and then with regard to Aaron verse number 14 thou shalt separate the Levites and then verse 18 I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel there was service to be done and the service of the tabernacle was indeed very necessary and it was the Levites God chose and the Levites were taken and indeed we read that they were offered says the Lord to to Moses who passes on the instruction to Aaron thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons and offer them for an offering unto the Lord so he was someone offered but they had no choice in the matter at all it wasn't on their part anything willingly we hope indeed that they did see that he was something spiritual and something necessary and something appropriate and indeed in that the fact that they were taken and cleansed and separated and brought and offered they would respond to this spiritually that was good but this man our Messiah he offered himself willingly and to the Lord I like that I like that because you see I'm sure as well it was with respect to service these other men were higher up in the list they deserve the higher place and yet this man doing the same kind of job but not indeed so publicly as it were to earn the higher place this man did it but he did it as a spiritual exercise it was a necessary thing to be done as we read for the defense of the realm and so this was done but he responded himself he offered himself willingly and to the Lord I want us just to follow this in in New Testament principle in a moment but to see this man doing that is indeed most commendable we don't read of his name again the only thing we have indeed is the name of his father his father indeed was one who was named and we we know nothing else he leaves as it were the pages of history that's it but he leaves for us such a great example now in this respect as well we must go please thinking of those principles involved to 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 here were people once again challenged with a need the need now was the poor saints of Jerusalem here they were said the Lord Jesus the poor you always have with you and so here were the poor at Jerusalem their need had been met by indeed those things that were held at the early chapters of Acts all things in common and the need was met locally when the need could no longer be met locally the Lord himself made it known elsewhere via the prophet the Apostle Paul quite enthusiastically takes this up and when eventually he gets up to Jerusalem and James and the others they said to him now don't forget the poor which he said no we won't and they didn't and the Apostle Paul in fulfillment of his promise brings the need before many many Gentile assemblies in different places in Galatia in Achaia and up here now in Macedonia so here we are in Macedonia northern Greece as we say today 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 moreover brethren we do you to wit good old language which means want you to know the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded and to the riches of their liberality for to their power I bear record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take unto us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints and this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God now the Apostle Paul himself is chronicling what happened up there in Macedonia he wanted them to be involved in the collection for the poor saints but he didn't have great expectations of them because on the one hand of their deep poverty sadly at this very moment people in Greece indeed encountering the same problem there's a great problem economically in Greece well here it was in northern Greece here were the Saints and they were in deep poverty but there was more than that also it says there was a great trial of affliction so if there were people who indeed you could excuse and say well you can't really expect much from these people they've got their own problems and they certainly did beyond any argument there was deep poverty not just poverty deep poverty and there was trial and it was great trial so here that you could have said well look there's plenty of excuse for these people and along those lines the Apostle he with those with him engaged in the collection they had their expectations and that's the word you find there and he says himself not as we hope the word hope there is an expectation as always in our Bibles and this expectation was limited no doubt the Apostle would say yes we want them to be involved and I'm thinking that much just a little that's fine that would do and yet these dear ones the Apostle Paul now quite unexpectedly encouragement for collection according to Romans and other epistles had gone right around the Gentile assemblies and yet it's this group here this assemblies here that they're outstanding and unexpected in what happened and just like the story of Amasaya you know you coming down the list and you come down to people at the bottom of the list and it's their activity not the not the rich people down there in Corinth who a year ago had been encouraged to get involved and was slow and that's indeed you read chapter 9 and here and it's Paul's concern he's very worried about them they would have been at the top they were rich remember you read Corinthians they were rich people at Corinth they were poor but they were rich and indeed they could have responded and given so much so here was Macedonia monetarily speaking they're at the bottom of the list and yet what they did was quite unexpected so here they are and Paul now he's able to take them as an example of the grace of God working out in assemblies unexpectedly doing things indeed in the most wonderful way so here they are every excuse deep poverty great affliction and yet when touched with this they take it as a exercise they take it far beyond the immediate need for Amasaya there was a need for someone to take command he was able to do that he wasn't the chief he was by no means the captain but he was there he was able to do it he was on the list at the bottom and now these dear ones here they are and well the apostles overwhelmed himself quite taken and he says for to their power I bear record beyond their power far beyond any expectations you can have of them they were willing of themselves there's a willingness here and there's a willingness to offer themselves unto the Lord so a willingness that the Apostle Paul indeed yes he didn't there's no coercion on his part he didn't put any pressure on them he wanted them to be involved but he didn't put the pressure on because he knew there was a limited expectation so he left it there and then what happened well he's amazed and embarrassed because it says verse 4 they were praying it they literally were begging us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift the collection was made it was all totaled up and the Apostle was so embarrassed that was so much collected and he's well he would almost say we can't take that you've given too much and yet they had to beg him to take it that we would receive the gift that literally the margin says the grace and take unto us the fellowship of the ministering the Saints just like anyone else to be involved and then the Apostle is able to detect the secret of these people that need the grace of God what did the grace of God do this they did not as we expected but first first gave their own selves to the Lord and then unto us by the will of God so here they knew the need and they responded to it by first of all giving themselves to the Lord they did it willingly they did completely and the Apostle says this then and then they fell in with the will of God locally and in the particular need in giving they took it as a spiritual exercise so here were the Saints spiritually physically impoverished but when it came to spiritually indeed they were far beyond the expectation and you and I brethren sisters surely are stirred up by the same thing now the Apostle is able to take that example and then use it because he's right into the Corinthians now and he says look I want you to know I don't want you to be ignorant of this I want you to know the grace of God God was operating here and these people allowed God to operate in their lives they were willing of themselves and those who've given themselves can give anything and they did they give to the extent indeed that they no doubt impoverished themselves and then says the Apostle verse 6 in so much that we desired Titus that as he had began so he would finish in you the same grace also a year before the work had began down there in Corinth but it was slow and questionable if they'd gone anywhere so Paul says now well here's Titus Titus can take word down of what's happened up here it can become a good example and so not only is there is an immediate effect but there's a secondary effect the Saints down there in Corinth was stirred by what had happened up there in Macedonia so indeed this is a wonderful thing and it's in this context of giving sacrificially that we read in verse 9 for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was richer for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich and later on at the end of the chapter thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift it's in this very context that these dear ones they've operated no doubt thinking of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself willingly and sacrifice becomes an example of us giving ourselves in service sacrificially and willingly and then please we don't need to multiply words but going just to Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 and verse number 1 once again the context is the same it's about offering ourselves and then it's in the context of service service follows the Apostle Paul now is able to say in chapter 12 verse 1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that he present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for I say through the grace given unto me to everyone that is among you and we move on to consider gift gift and hence service but before there can be service there has to be sacrifice there has to be a willing offering of themselves to the Lord we know this principle from way back from Numbers chapter 8 that here indeed is that commendation that there must be sacrifice there's work to be done but it is only best done by those who are sanctified by those who are sacrificed by those indeed who are appropriate for the service and so it's done but here the Apostle indeed he makes a plea and what's the plena what's the basis of this well indeed it says the mercies of God here at God's mercies is slightly different word than we had before that but you can consider it but nevertheless here's a reaction to reading the first 11 chapters you will see indeed is an appreciation of the mercies of God in salvation salvation indeed you can think of it nationally you can think of it individually and so first 11 chapters and then we come to that wonderful climax indeed and culmination and summary in chapter 12 and verse 33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out who have known the mind of the Lord who have been his counselor and so it is indeed first given to him that he should be recompensed unto him again so here is indeed an appreciation of the work of God in salvation remember for the Corinthians it was an appreciation of the Word of God they gave themselves to the Lord then unto us by the will of God the will of God had been stated God wanted Gentiles to be involved in collecting for Jews and that's the will of God and they fell in with the will of God knowing what it was but first gave themselves to the Lord it's exactly the same here and so here it's the mercies of God and here is a reasonable reaction to the mercies of God here is the basis of the plea and as one in the simple translation is said when the Apostle said I beseech you therefore it's please please I beseech you therefore on the basis of the mercies of God that he present present your bodies a living sacrifice certainly the Levites were a living sacrifice they've been offered unto the Lord by Aaron and here are those same ones indeed same picture of offering but now it's individuals one by one that you present your bodies a living sacrifice and here indeed is description of it it says it's holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service one of the things about the Levites remember they were set apart they were cleansed what do we read here in the list once indeed we presented ourselves to God then it's holy set apart for God next it's acceptable unto God it brings God pleasure what pleasure does God get from knowing not only indeed that he's worked out salvation in history and in these people's own immediate history but they've responded to it they've responded to it by offering themselves presenting themselves the word present here's the same word as described you'll read in Hebrews about the priest offering the sacrifice it's presenting their bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service says the margin here logical rational intelligence spiritual is not emotional and it's not sentimental and he was just like our dear friend our Messiah he was responding indeed he could see here was a spiritual exercise a work to be done but for him it became a spiritual exercise and he's responding to the Word of God as taught to the people of God in Judah and so he offers himself to the Lord he's a living sacrifice and so these dear ones now having read Romans they're responding to it now the scholars tell us of course what it says present here it means do it once for all I don't think that's always the case in terms of individuals but I do think that having read and and indeed appreciated all the mercies of God that we do that every time we do it we respond in that way and we respond in such a way that maybe it's a crisis you think maybe we've never responded in that way never appreciated the work of God for us that we've responded in that way and there's been a crisis in our lives and we presented our bodies but I believe it's a crisis at the beginning of a process indeed not once for we don't we're not holiness people we don't believe that that indeed will change us forever perhaps but we do believe that here is a response a repeated response maybe to an appreciation of the mercies of God what are we going to this is what God has done and it's wonderful and indeed it's the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God his ways are unsearchable his judgments what are we going to do present our bodies and indeed we will do it intelligently we will do it rationally we'll do it spiritually now what's this with a regard to and the answer is it's with regard indeed to service well of the Levites we read their service to be done but they were to be set apart separate the Levites you and I need to be they need to be cleansed something had to be done to them to make them suitable for sacrifice suitable for service and that's surely there not only there in verse number one but in verse number two as well be not conformed to this age we've been there before be transformed by the renewing of your mind here's an ongoing process indeed the renewing of your mind it's going on from day to day and there's a nonconformity to this age and its fashion and there's an ongoing transformation in our minds is the work of the Lord for each one of us why that we may prove that we may experimentally proven our lives what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God we want to be involved in Christian service I hope and hence we want to know the will of God and the only proper way to know the will of God is here sacrifice of self nonconformity to the world and ongoing reforming renewing of our minds so indeed once we are there we can prove what is that perfect that good acceptable and perfect will of God and there's nothing better for the believer there's nothing better it is good it's a good thing and whatever God wants us to do whatever his will for us it's good nothing bad about it then it's acceptable same ideas before it's pleasing to God and if you and I are doing the will of God we'll be pleasing God and lastly it says it's perfect he has nothing better than that than to be perfect and it's the will of God and then you go on in service you can find a differentiation of service in particular gifts in Romans chapter 12 it's gifts relative to the individual one Corinthians its gift relative to the assembly in Ephesians 4 its gifts relative to the body but here it's to the individual but the individual who first of all has responded by offering their bodies a living sacrifice by the way the truth is already found in Romans in chapter 6 might be in disguise because it says there yield your members the word healed in the original Greek language is exactly the same as the word present in chapter 12 verse 1 and in chapter 6 is present the members the parts of your body in Romans 12 it's present your body with respect in Romans 6 what's the context here the context in Romans 12 the mercies of God Romans 6 your baptism your baptism and I take it brethren sisters should always go back to this fact that you and I will baptize publicly associated with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death in his resurrection and we indeed want to do that with respect to service so we don't yield our members instruments of unrighteousness and to sin but yield yourself present yourselves unto God yield your members servants of righteousness and to holiness sanctification which you've got here in Romans 12 so our Messiah has got a lot to teach us here quite unexpectedly the man at the bottom of men's list is the man who acted spiritually the man who saw what had to be done as a spiritual exercise and responded willingly responded spiritually and offered himself to the Lord as a willing sacrifice may we do that as well as we respond to the love of Christ and to the will of God in our own lives today