It's September already and in September we turn the corner in our life rhythm. We enter a new season of mission and begin preparing ourselves afresh before God so that we might be a living sacrifice working toward the Kingdom purpose. Church, it's Labor Day. So "in view of God's mercy, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice." Who said that? Those are the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:1. You've got to love Paul. Paul in Jesus' time was passionate and zealous about turning people toward God and having them live the life that Jesus had prepared for them. This is the man who Jews called Saul; and Gentiles called Paul. Paul was amazing, and he went through this tremendous transformation and conversion experience. Paul went from destroying the lives of Christians to becoming one of the greatest examples of life transformation that the world has ever seen. For Paul, it all started at a young age. Paul as a child began in the best schools, and he became a scholar in Jewish law and tradition. He went on to become a Pharisee, and as a Pharisee he was the police. In other words, if anything came to threaten Judaism, Paul would have you taken out. And I don't mean out to lunch or outside. Paul was a bad man. When Christianity started rising right there in Jerusalem and became a threat to Judaism, then the Pharisees began persecuting the Christians. So the Christians fled from Jerusalem and many went to Damascus. Paul was given written orders to go to Damascus, bring them back and have them imprisoned. But something happened on the road to Damascus. Something hit Paul with greater force than Hurricane Earl hit the Caribbean and the east coast this week. This was a different type of hurricane. It made an eternal dent and changed Paul's direction and life pattern forever. This storm that hit Paul didn't hit him with wind and rain. It was this light that hit him and this light was so strong it knocked him off his horse. Then he heard this voice that said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Remember, Paul thought he was doing the will of God. He responded knowing that this was the voice of God, because it penetrated through his body and his spirit. He responded, "Who are you, Lord?" Then the voice said, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." Then Jesus told him in so many words to get up and go on to Damascus. He was basically telling Paul you got the service part right, you got the labor part right, but I have come to redeem and redefine your labor day. This is a Labor Day awakening and for Paul it came much earlier than September 5, 1882. Paul, transformed by God through Christ, left in writing how we are to live the life, and it's really about serving.

 Today we are calling that Labor Day. In his longest letter, the letter known as Romans, Paul tells us we learned about labor and what we should do in light of that fact. The letter to the Romans really refers back to what happened on the Damascus Road. That's when everything was redefined for Paul and that's why Paul said "in view of God's mercy." What is that mercy? It's the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It changes everything. In view of God's mercy revealed in Christ, in view of his power available to us, in view of his grace that has already gone before us, in view of the fact that death has been conquered, now we can live a life always into eternity. In view of that Paul said, we ought to have some kind of response. He said that response is to offer a sacrifice. Here is the beauty of that word sacrifice, he was writing this letter and being sent to Rome and they would have understood in their time the word sacrifice. Because in Rome at that time there were hundreds of different cults and religions and there were hundreds of different gods. There was the sun god, the moon god, the star god, the earth god, the wind god, the fire god, the fertility god, the wealth god, the health god … we could keep going. There were all of these gods to which they would pay a sacrifice and the sacrifice was a substitution when they would mess up or fall short. They would kill an animal to supply the blood along with their sweat and tears and it would come in as a substitute to reconnect them to God and all would be well. So they knew about sacrifice. But Paul offered something different because of what happened on the Damascus road. In light of what was revealed to him, that Christ had paid the ultimate sacrifice, there is no more need for substitution. We can live because of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. He says we ought to offer something new. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Paul urged the Christian followers who were listening and those new to be converts, not to offer any more substitutes. Christ had done that. He recommended to them and urged them to not take a life. Why are we doing this again? It's because of God's mercy, compassion, empathy and humility, to come in the form of Jesus Christ, in order that the connection might be permanent, we no longer have to go through the fear of death, but know that even after now there is tomorrow and there is the eternal walk into eternity. In view of God's mercy, Paul said offer your body as a living sacrifice. Isn't it amazing that Paul didn't start with talking about the spirit or about the mind. It was no accident that he started with the body. Paul said this is first and foremost: it's not about the spirit, nor the thought that counts. First give God your action, your service, a physical response in light of God's mercy. He went on to say offer your labor, your service, holy and pleasing to God. This is a little part of that text, a big part of what Paul is saying. Holy means offer your labor, set aside to God, in view of what God has already done. That is why it's pleasing because it's a response to something that has already taken place. Paul is saying we offer ourselves saying, "I am pleased, God, to give you my body in response, in service. Here is my living sacrifice. Here is how I am going to serve you; this is set aside for you." Even though it seems at times that others may not appreciate your service, I still offer in a pleasing way, because it's not about anybody's appreciation, it's about what God has already done for us in Christ. So we can be pleasing at all times, not sometimes. It's going to be an inconvenience, but it's not about it being convenient. It's about what God has already done. Sometimes it's going to be messy, we will want it to look blue and it's going to look orange. We have a preconceived concept of how it's going to look, but it's not about it being perfect, it's about the perfect sacrifice that has already been given. It's not about the cost to me because it's about the cost that has already been paid. Knowing that God is going to make a way somehow, and I'm connected into tomorrow and on into eternity. To live the life is first to recognize that our labor is to God. It's not to our spouse, our children, our employer, to any one person, or any thing. Now, don't hear me wrong, they all reap the benefits, but the labor is to God and for what God has already done.

 He goes on and takes us just a little bit higher. He said "offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is true worship." This is how we enter into a worshipful relationship with God. So what is in it for us? True worship. What is so good about true worship?  Transformation and renewal. This kind of service Paul was talking about is not where we read a job description and then we provide the labor. No. Paul gets it straight there too. He said "do not conform to the pattern of this world." But when we set aside our labor each and every day saying God this is to you, and it's to you in a pleasing way because I'm accepting by faith, that I am connected to you forever and ever. Paul said don't conform to the old pattern, but this new way of labor will lead to the renewing and transformation of your mind. The word that he uses - I love the word - he uses the word in the Greek for renewal, it means more than refreshed, it means new for the first time. In other words, as we offer God ourselves pleasing and knowing that our labor is to God and we are grateful because we are connected to God for eternity, God will show you something that you have never seen before. It's a new day. When we step out accepting Christ as having paid the price and we go and live the life, God is going to show us the answers to things that are on our minds - even healing places that have been wounded for a very, very long time. Paul masterfully urges us into a new understanding of Labor Day. Paul said that every service, every labor, every sacrifice is a time for transformation. The service comes first, then what is in it for us? Transformation. A new day, a new mind, new energy, a new perception, a new vision, a glimpse of the eternal, salvation. Don't take my word for it, I brought an eyewitness. Kate Geiger, come on up and share your story.

Hello, Ginghamsburg Church. My name is Kate Geiger. I am a host pastor on Saturday night at the recovery service and I currently serve in the recovery community and on the media team. I have a story for you. I have a long history of serving, starting with Alcoholics Anonymous, because, you see, I am a recovering alcoholic, and continuing with Ginghamsburg Church and beyond. I've emptied ashtrays, cleaned tables, chaired AA meetings, made coffee, started meetings, started ministries, worked at conferences, been a part of worship design team, micro team and the media team. I've smiled, greeted, given hugs - you name it, I've probably done it. When I first came into contact with the concept of service in AA, I was told it would help keep me sober. Later on, I was told it would help to get me out of me. Then it was because it gave my life meaning and purpose. And it really has done all those things. Serving has helped me stay sober when things in my life got bad. When a relationship would fail, invariably some woman in AA would come up to me and ask me to be her sponsor. And it would really help me more than it would help her. When my husband died, I stayed as busy as I could to keep from losing my mind. I chaired meetings, and it helped me to learn responsibility. Starting meetings taught me about commitment. Greeting forced me to open up to others.

 But through Ginghamsburg and my walk with Jesus, I have come to understand so much more about service work. About a year and half ago in a very short period of time, about a six-month span, I had watched my stepmother die from a brain tumor; my then second husband informed that he wanted a divorce; and my GM plant where I had worked for 24 years shut down permanently. Suddenly, at 44 I was homeless, jobless, and not only grieving for current losses, but for the death of my previous husband that I hadn't fully dealt with. I was as broken as I had ever been and the last thing I wanted to do was move in with my dad at age 44 and restart my whole life. I was given to fits of crying that escalated into rage and most of the time I was taking it out on him. I felt so guilty afterward, but I felt powerless to stop myself.

 One Saturday evening in the lobby, Laura Bajus approached me. She was a recovery service leader and said she had been thinking a lot about me, because they needed someone to run the computer on Sunday nights at Fort McKinley Church for that worship there. And I was thinking to myself: Me? Run a computer church service? That's not me, I do recovery. But because I understand the nature of service, I had to say yes to God. Even though my head was screaming: how dare you ask me such a thing, Laura, you know what is going on in my life. At first though, I felt very safe, cocooned in the loft away from questions and polite conversations and eventually God started cracking through the shell around my heart. Dave's messages, the band's music and the conversations that came during worship. Not long after, I was approached about running the media on Sunday morning worship too - big surprise there. Now keep in mind this would involve getting up every Sunday morning at six and serving until 11:30 a.m. I remember thinking my life is in the crapper I might as well, it's not like I have big plans on Saturday night. So all through the bitter cold winter I would drag myself out of bed, scrape the car windows and head over to Fort McKinley. What I found there was akin to a warm protective womb. It seemed like the sun was always shining there and everybody had a warm smile to give. I felt like Vampira trying to skulk in and creep up the back steps unnoticed. No matter how early I got there though, someone else had gotten there first to turn on the lights. The beautiful voices of the choir rehearsing put a healing salve on a bloody broken heart. Week after week, I would sit in the balcony clicking the words and graphics onto the screen with tears running down my cheeks, barely able to contain the tidal wave of grief, sadness and despair.

 God really knew what he was doing because the shell around my heart was hard, and I really needed to hear Dave's message three times every Sunday. Slowly the words penetrated the walls of my heart. Dave's messages were God's answers to my angry accusations and rageful tantrums. I would challenge God in my mind and I would take out my anger on him and still he healed me. He whispered back, draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. And he did. It was the last thing I wanted to do, it was too hard being a Christian, I thought. The next thing I felt was a nudge from God, saying go out into the breakfast room and eat with them, mingle with them, get to know them, minister to them. I was sickened at the thought. I was so afraid that if people knew me, they would know how broken I was, but I did it. Every week, I was greeted by Penny with her contagious smile and her warm hugs. And by Jeffrey who was a youth servant flipping omelets. It amazed me that a young man of 15 would willingly get up on Sunday morning at six to come in and cook breakfast for people - and he enjoyed it. There were people of all walks of life there and I made myself sit among them and initiate conversations. I heard so many stories of overcoming hardship that it gave me hope. I soon befriended a woman named Darlene, who had overcome addiction to heroine and I became a mentor for her. Imagine that. The day that she moved into her new house, I got to film it. And I was crying behind the camera the whole time, because I was so caught up in her joy. I was incredibly inspired by her strength and courage. I was so moved that when I got back to the main campus, I burst into the worship design meeting and interrupted Pastor Mike who was going over his message. I said, "You have to watch this footage. This is a miracle, it's incredible what's going on at Fort McKinley."

 Before I knew it, I was looking forward to Sunday morning. I was smiling too. I began to get so caught up in the worship frenzy that was going on there that sometimes that I would forget to change the words on the graphics on the screen. I had fallen in love with Fort McKinley because of the people. God had healed me. I had experienced him by spending one-on-one time with Darlene, and with people at the breakfast. I trusted him by following his nudges and whispers obediently, even when I didn't want to. And through his grace, I was shown I am not alone and through his mercy, I was loved and accepted just as I was by the people at Fort McKinley. In this, I learned that when we bring our bloody and broken selves to the foot of the cross, God will raise us up and heal us. I am now a stronger follower of Christ than I ever was before which enables me to worship God anywhere, any time. There is no higher call to worship God than to serve. Thank you.

 Brian: I told you. When we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, we are transformed and then able to test and approve of what God's will is - his good, his pleasing, his perfect will. In seeking God's will, it's not about a questionnaire where you supply the answers, it's about God giving a test of a service opportunity and then you supplying the sacrifice and the labor. And in doing so, God comes in and transforms our lives, through healing, through new insight, through our understanding of the connection to the eternal.

 Inside your bulletins you will find a white and yellow insert. I want you to take that out and in a minute we are going to fill it out. Paul is reminding us that the greatest intention is not as powerful as the smallest act. In other words, we can have great intentions of solving world hunger, or eliminating poverty, or stopping child trafficking - all of those are great intentions, but Paul said the power is in, and begins with, the small act. As we act, the power to alleviate those things comes to life. It's all about Labor Day. What kind of labor? Labor in view of what God has already done in Jesus Christ. Labor set aside unto God, pleasing to him because of his grace and mercy. That's the game plan and that's our response. When we give that response, God is saying for God's sake - just do it. We have many, many opportunities and ways to give our sacrificial living sacrifice and if you have the gift of hospitality, then be hospitable. Check that off. If you have the gift of communicating with children, then be a mentor. Check that off. If you are musically inclined, then we have a new minister of music. Simply put, if you have a trumpet, then blow it; a piano, then play it; drums, then beat it, if you can sing, then hit that note. And it gets even better: if you have a pen, then write an administrative; if you have a canvas, then paint it; if you have a computer, then program it; if you have a hammer, then nail it; if you have a broom, then sweep it; if you know how to cook, then fry it, grill it, bake it, sauté it, and filet it. If you can clean, then wash it, rinse it and shout it out. If you have a word, then offer that word, say it, preach it and bring it to life in discipleship. Why? In view of what Christ has already done.

 It was there in the upper room that he met with his disciples, it would be his last meal in this gathering. He took the bread and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, "This is my body," the last substitute that will ever need to be given. Then he took the cup, gave thanks to God and said, "I am giving you my blood, my sweat and my tears, so that the connection between you and God will be eternally established."

 And now, you are to go and live the life.