True Sacrifice

The last thing that I want to mention is this. There was a second sacrifice in this story. The first sacrifice grabbed God's attention, and God answered David's prayer. The second sacrifice was given as a response to what God just did.

1 Chr. 21:28 (NKJV)
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.

David offered up one final sacrifice to seal the deal. When we truly worship in a spirit of sacrifice, God is going to move. But if we only worship to get God to do something, I believe He will eventually stop meeting with us. Because there has to be a response of worship for what He has done.

David worshiped before the answer came, and he worshiped again after the answer came. Do you remember the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17. All ten of them began to cry out to Jesus saying, "Jesus, have mercy on us." You see, they were coming to Jesus in their need. They knew that He was the only one that could heal them. However, when Jesus did heal them they all left, but one turned back to thank Him. And because of that, Jesus pronounced a special blessing on him. He said, "Your faith has made you whole".

The Greek word that is translated ‘whole' is ‘sozo'. It means not only ‘to heal' but also ‘to save'. As worshipers we must understand that God wants genuine sacrifice. Romans 12:1 says that this kind of sacrifice is holy and pleasing to Him. True worship is done in good times and in bad. True sacrifice is offered before the answer comes and once again after the answer.

Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord (praise and thanks) at all times (every season). His praise (song) shall continually (regularly, perpetually) be in my mouth." David wrote these words at one of the lowest points in his life. He was being chased by King Saul who wanted to kill him. The town that he fled to recognized him, so he began to act demon possessed to distract them. But still in the midst of pain, suffering, and fear, he said, "In every season of life, I will keep a song
of praise on my lips."

That is the secret to true worship and true sacrifice. Don't ever give God something that costs you nothing. Don't rip God off and don't be a cheap skate when it comes to worship.