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\u201cDo not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him\u201d (Deuteronomy 17:1).

Let us stay with the theme of giving offerings to God which was already explored last week. In our church services, we take up offerings which are also called collections. This name change is rooted in the New Testament collections taken up for the poor. When Paul writes about these collections, his language echoes the themes of Jewish worship and sacrifice. But we before we go further to explore what \u2018sacrifices\u2019 we might give to the Lord today, let us ponder the other part of our text.

God stresses that any sacrifices made to him need to be perfect animals, as he defines perfect. That Israel did not take him seriously becomes evident in the end of the Old Testament. Several of the minor prophets deal with this including Malachi, who records these words of accusation from God against his people, \u201c\u2019You ask, \u2018How have we shown contempt for your name?\u2019 By offering defiled food on my altar. You ask, \u2018How have we defiled you?\u2019 By saying that the Lord\u2019s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?\u2019\u201d (Malachi 1:6-8).

These sacrifices signify the covenant relationship between God and his people. God is holy and pure. God has done great things for his people. When they sacrificed their \u2018leftover\u2019 animals to God, they were denying both God\u2019s holiness and purity and the value he had as their God. in other words, they were telling him that he was \u2018not much of a God.\u201d

This invites us to think about our response to God. What does it say about the value we ascribe to Him? Is he worth much to us? So let me ask you again. Based on your contributions to the things of God: his church, other Christian organizations, the poor, how much do you value God? When you work out your budget (if you do), do you prioritize financial gifts to God? or does he get your leftovers?

1. Enough about money. I think we need to go beyond money in this conversation. Let me return to Romans 12, where we read, \u201cin view of God\u2019s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God\u2026\u201d (1). We can hear the echoes of the Jewish sacrificial system here and the reminder that sacrifices need to be holy and pleasing to God. This calls for an essential change of question. The important question is not, \u201cWhat shall I give to God?\u201d but, \u201cWhat does God want me to give?\u201d

It also changes what we bring: no longer animals but ourselves. We are invited to consider how our schedules can become an offering to God. When we decide what we are going to do each day, these things ought to be considered dedicated to God. For some of us, this may mean that we need to start planning our days, and not allow them to be planned for us. As we plan out our week, do we include time for rest and time for family, do we include time to simply be with God?

A further thought, this text also asks us to consider HOW we do what we do? When we are at work, are we working well or only half heartedly? Are we treating people around us with respect? Do we view them as image bearers of God or as tools we can use for our own purposes? When we are with family or with church members are we truly present with them or just doing time?

Paul ends his discourse on the collection for the poor with the well-known phrase, \u201cThanks be to God for his indescribable gift!\u201d (2 Corinthians 9:15). The grace of God in Christ is the melody that weaves the Christian life and the church together. Jesus is God\u2019s indescribable gift. How can we not give him what is holy and pleasing?