EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Leviticus is a living guide
for a living worship life
___
Leviticus 1:1-7:38
___By Mark Bumpus
___First Baptist Church, Mineral Wells
___In a 1953 sermon, W.E. Sangster, Methodist pastor of Westminster Central Hall, London, asked the question, "What would a religious revival do for Britain?" His answer: 1) pay old debts; 2) reduce sexual immorality; 3) disinfect the theatre; 4) cut the divorce rate; 5) reduce juvenile crime; 6) lessen the prison population; 7) improve the quality and increase the output of work; 8) restore a high sense of destiny for the nation; 9) make Britain invincible in the war of ideas; and 10) give happiness and peace to all the people.
___Leviticus answers the question, "How can a sinful people worship and serve a holy 
God?" Chapters 1-7 speak of five types of sacrifices offered in the tabernacle that would please a holy God. Translated into today's terminology, Bruce Wilkinson says these would be indicative of:
___ Worship with full commitment (Leviticus 1:1-17). Through the burnt offering the worshiper declared his full commitment to God. For the Christian, the Old Testament sacrificial system ended with Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but today you can still offer your body as a "living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1).
___ Worship with acknowledgment (Leviticus 2:1-16). Through the grain offering, the worshiper acknowledged his material possessions belonged wholly to the Lord (James 1:17). Today, you can commit your tithes and offerings to the Lord through your church, spread the gospel worldwide and meet the material needs of someone less fortunate nearby.
___ Worship with thanksgiving (Leviticus 3:1-17). Through the peace offering, the worshiper publicly expressed his thanksgiving to God. A verbal statement of thanksgiving in prayer or public testimony would express your gratitude to God.
___ Worship with restored confidence (Leviticus 4:1-35). Through the sin offering, unintentional sins were forgiven. It recognized the seriousness of sin and its consequences and offered a way of forgiveness and escape. Why not confess your sins to God, receive his forgiveness and be cleansed from guilt (1 John 1:9)? It will restore your spiritual confidence.
___ Worship with relationships intact (Leviticus 5:1-6:7). Through the trespass offering, the vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationship with fellow man were restored. Compensation to any injured party was made. Zaccheus is our model (Luke 19:1-10). Do you owe your fellow man anything?
___My father was a hospital administrator in Lampasas (1958-1972). Never did he discuss hospital business with me. After his death, however, my mother related the following story.
___A man of little means lived in Briggs, 22 miles southeast of Lampasas. His wife became ill and was hospitalized. They had no insurance. Neither drove a car. He insisted on being financially responsible. So, once a month, he caught the bus in Briggs, rode it to Lampasas, got off at the bus station, walked over a mile to the hospital, handed my father a $5 bill, walked back to the bus station and caught the bus back to Briggs. Did that every month for several months in the 1960s, until the doctors, learning from my father of the man's absolute integrity, canceled his debt. The man wanted to be absolutely responsible. I'll bet he was a Christian. Authentic worship will make you do those kinds of things!
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