Extreme Worship
Extreme Worship
Leviticus 1:1-17
Kieran McGann, of Tucson, Arizona, is an extreme athlete who is taking his sport by storm. He has taken a once-fledging sport and revived it with his passion and devotion. His passion began one Sunday morning when he was captivated by a brief television segment about the sport. He was hooked. When he was asked how he initially got into the sport, he said,
I realized I needed a project—a way to combine creativity, outdoor exploration, and just a bit of absurdity.
Most people do not know Kieran McGann by his given name but, rather, by his alter ego, Tony Starch. His passion? Extreme Ironing. McGann takes his iron and ironing board and a shirt in desperate need of a good press and heads to extreme locations to finish his chore. McGann and others take their ironing gear rock climbing in the mountains, surfing in the ocean, or into the middle of the forest for a calm, serene setting in which to press their shirts to perfection.
Extreme Ironing enthusiasts view the sport as a way to celebrate creativity and recover the mundane. As one writer notes,
Its creativity isn’t limited to traditional mediums. It’s about reimagining the familiar, taking risks, and turning even the simplest actions into something extraordinary.
Another writer has described Extreme Ironing as a dangerous, daring, daft pursuit.
McGann, aka Tony Starch, has taken his passion for ironing to new heights, he says,
Sometimes, you just need to take something absurd and run with it. That’s where the magic happens.
Kieran McGann is Tony Starch, Extreme Ironing athlete pressing one shirt at a time in extreme locations all over the world.
We can look at McGann’s life and his devotion to ironing and laugh at its absurdity, even saying that his devotion is a waste of time. He is devoted to ironing as an extreme sport, but are we known for the same level of devotion to worshiping the Lord? The book of Leviticus could be subtitled: Extreme Worship. The Lord set Israel apart from the world to show how distinct and peculiar their devotion and trust was in His Word. If someone can be devoted to something as ridiculous as Extreme Ironing, can we not be that devoted to worshipping the Lord of Glory?
The Lord cares about how He is worshiped. He wants our extreme and total devotion. He wants His people to give themselves fully to Him and His purposes. As we learn about the extreme worship of ancient Israel, I pray that we would examine our own lives and see what we may need to modify to be known as extreme worshipers, leading lives that may look ridiculous to the watching world.
The Expected Offering (v.1-2)
Leviticus begins with the Lord speaking to Moses from the Tent of Meeting As you will remember, at the end of Exodus when the Lord descended upon the tent, Moses was not able to enter. Leviticus is about how God's sinful people are able to enter His holy presence.
The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. Leviticus 1:1–2
Sacrifices did not begin in Leviticus. In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord. In Genesis, 22, Abraham sacrificed the ram found in the thicket in place of his only son, Isaac. In Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, expressed his devotion to God with a burnt offering.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods…”And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God.
Exodus 18:11a; 12a
The expectation of sacrifices was already a part of Israelite worship. The book of Leviticus lays out the details of the Tabernacle sacrifices. Moses was told to say, “when any one brings an offering to the Lord,” not, “if any one.” Israel was expected to worship, and we are expected to worship, too.
While we are on the topic of expectations and since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I want to encourage you men to give the gift that is expected. Last year, I did not give my wife flowers on Valentine’s Day. But, when she went to the dentist that day, they did give her flowers. When the kids came home and saw the flowers on the counter, they said, “Ah, dad got you flowers.” Ellen replied, “Actually, they’re from the dentist.” Give the expected gift, men; even the dentist knows how to do that.
The Expensive Offering (v.3)
Worshipping the Lord is a costly pursuit. We do not worship the Lord with anything but our best.
If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. Leviticus 1:3
The worshiper was to bring a male without blemish, and giving up a perfect male from the herd was costly for an Israelite. The male was a sign of the head of the herd and the most virile. In asking for a male without any blemishes or defects, God was asking for the worshiper's best, and He asks no less of us today.
God did make modifications for the Israelites depending on what they had. They could have either taken a perfect male from the herd (1:3), from the flock (1:10), or from the birds (1:14). God wanted the gift to be costly to show their devotion. He was not as concerned with the amount given, but the amount that was sacrificed in order to give.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1–4
It is easy to give if we do not feel the cost of it. Does our giving reflect our devotion? Does our giving cost us?
Beloved, what are you offering to the Lord? Are you giving the Lord your best? Parents, do your children see you giving the same devotion to your spiritual life as you give to your hobbies or your job? Students, are you giving the same devotion to the Lord as you give to your grades or sports? If people watched your life, what would they think is the most important thing in your life? Church, are we devoted to the Lord and His people? Maybe these are questions you need to ask of people in your life, “Do you see my devotion to the Lord? Do you see areas in which I could improve?”
Recently, I have been so encouraged by how our church is responding to the Word. I have challenged you to be prepared to fill the gaps left by those those we will be sending out in the coming months. A number of people have already responded by saying, “I am ready. Where can I serve?”, and I am so grateful for the response. I know that when you start to give and serve, it will be costly. Leviticus reminds us that serving the Lord is always costly but, in comparison to what we will receive, it will not seem like a sacrifice.
David Livingstone, a missionary to Africa in the 19th century, experienced much hardship while on the field. In one address to students at Cambridge, he said,
For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. . . . Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.
Livingstone gave his life to Africa, but he never viewed it as a sacrifice.
I am not calling you to go to Africa today, but I am calling you to give your life as an offering to the Lord. It will be costly. It will be inconvenient. It will be time consuming. But it will be worth it. We should not diminish, or lower, the expectations of following Jesus. The offering ancient Israel was required to make at the tent of meeting was costly. It was for them and it will be for us.
Also, the degree of the sacrifice is often connected to the degree of devotion. Greatness in all great endeavors takes devotion. A mother is constantly laboring for her children’s well being; her thoughts are always occupied with nurturing her children's health, minds, and faith. A police officer must be devoted to his craft at all times. If he is not, that lack of devotion could cost him his life. A farmer must be devoted to his work in the fields. An athlete must be devoted to his training, and a Christian must be devoted to his worship. Are you known for your devotion to God?
The Expiating (Atoning) Offering (v. 4)
It is important to remember that God established the sacrificial system. Our efforts, or our sacrifices, are not the things that save us. The Lord lays out the commands, and the Lord lays out how one can enter His presence. It is all an act of grace.
He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Leviticus 1:4
The worshiper took his hands and placed them on the head of the perfect male animal. This was a sign of transfer. In that moment, atonement, a recognition of transfer, occurred. The sins of the worshiper were symbolically transferred to the animal, and the life of the animal was sacrificed. The worshiper recognized that his sin had taken the life of another living thing. It was a reminder that he deserved the punishment for his sin.
The word “lay” in this passage may be more adequately translated as “press”. As the worshiper pressed his hands on the animal’s head, he leaned in with his weight and further identified himself with the animal. The worshiper was fully offering himself through the animal to God. The text does not spell it out here, but later in Leviticus 16 on the Day of Atonement, we see the common practice was to pray and confess one’s sins.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. Leviticus 16:21
On the Day of Atonement, Aaron represented all Israel, but the burnt offering spoken about in Leviticus 2 was for one’s individual sin. When the worshiper placed his hands on the head of the animal, he would confess his sins to the Lord.
This is important for us because it illustrates that we must move beyond mere external activity and worship God from our hearts. As one writer notes,
Sacrifice without prayer is useless. All a man’s powers must be active in divine worship, heart and mouth as well as hands and feet. Mere ceremonial or church attendance is inadequate by itself. They must be accompanied by heartfelt prayer and praise.
Showing up for service is not enough. We can’t just go through the notions. We must show up with heartfelt devotion and prayer. Our hearts and minds must be involved in worship.
When the worshiper pressed his hands on the head of the lamb, he confessed his sins, and the lamb took his place and was accepted as a ransom for the worshiper’s sins. We cannot enter God’s presence without an acknowledgement of our sin. We must confess to the Lord. If you are not a worshiper of God, do you realize you need to confess? Do you sense the burning guilt in your chest when you lie or cheat or steal? Do you know that none of your acts of righteousness can actually make you righteous? You can never do enough to erase the bad you have done. You need a ransom. You need a substitute. You need to press your hands on the head of another to take your place.
The sacrifices in Leviticus are not the end of the story. They point to a greater sacrifice of not just a male lamb, but the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5–6
Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all who would repent of their sins and believe in Him. He became the only Mediator who could allow sinful men into the presence of a holy God. Jesus came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom.
[The Lord Jesus Christ] who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Galatians 1:4
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
In Ephesians 5, Paul uses the language of Leviticus,
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:9
And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:13b
And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:17b
Jesus Christ is the sacrificial burnt offering who gave Himself so we could be forgiven. His offering was a pleasing aroma to God, and we know God accepted the sacrifice because three days after Jesus died as a sacrifice, He was raised and declared to be the Son of God. It is hard to miss the correlation between the burnt sacrificial offering in Leviticus and the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ.
During Passion Week in 1779, Charles Simeon, who pastored in England for more than fifty years, was asked to take midweek communion. Simeon was beside himself, acutely aware of his sin. As one writer notes, “he found himself feeling like Satan was better equipped to take part in communion than he.” Simeon recounted the story,
In Passion Week, as I was reading Bishop Wilson on the Lord’s Supper, I met with an expression to this effect — ‘That the Jews knew what they did, when they transferred their sin to the head of their offering.’ Leviticus 1:4 discusses the transfer of sin to make an acceptable substitute. The thought came into my mind, what, may I transfer all my guilt to another? Has God provided an Offering for me, that I may lay my sins on His head? Then, God willing, I will not bear them on my own soul one moment longer.”
Accordingly, I sought to lay my sins upon the sacred head of Jesus; and on the Wednesday began to have a hope of mercy; on the Thursday that hope increased; on the Friday and Saturday it became stronger; and on the Sunday morning, Easter-day, April 4, I awoke early with those words upon my heart and lips, ‘Jesus Christ is risen to-day! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! From that hour peace flowed in rich abundance into my soul; and at the Lord’s Table in our Chapel, I had the sweetest access to God through my blessed Savior.
Friend, God has provided an offering for you. You may lay your sins on His head. You do not have to bear your sins in your soul for one moment longer. Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for you. Press your hands on His head, confess your sins today, let the peace of God flow in rich abundance to your soul.
The Entire Offering (v. 9, 13)
Finally, I want us to consider the entirety of the offering in Leviticus 1. Notice that the entire burnt offering was taken up.
but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:9
but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:13
The burnt offering left nothing for the priests. It was all burned before the Lord as a sign that one’s whole life was devoted to God.
The worshiper placed his sins symbolically on the animal, and the animal was offered fully to the Lord. Just as Paul reminds us in Romans 12,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1
This should be our natural response when we meditate on the mercies of God. Jesus Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God; therefore we should walk in love and complete devotion to Him.
The offering brought a pleasing aroma to the Lord. We see that in Ephesians 5:2 when speaking of Christ, and we also see it said of the Philippian church in regard to their sacrificial giving through Epaphroditus.
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:14–19
Remember, the Philippian church was not wealthy. The people gave out of their poverty to support the work of the Gospel, and their offering was acceptable and pleasing to God.
Are our offerings acceptable and pleasing to God? Just as the burnt offering was wholly sacrificed, completely consumed, are we offering our bodies and lives as living sacrifices to the Lord? Are we willingly and sacrificially giving of our resources so the name of Christ can be made known? Are we sacrificing our time and sleep to serve others? Do we believe in extreme worship? Are we offering our entire lives to the Lord and His purposes?
Tony Starch believes in Extreme Ironing while most of us only iron when we have to or ignore ironing altogether. Make the analogy to our spiritual lives. Are we extreme worshipers or casual consumers? Do we only worship when we have to out, of necessity, or do we worship with every aspect of our lives?
The sacrifices of Leviticus 1 were voluntary. The worshiper chose to give his best to the Lord as a sign of devotion to Him. Beloved, worshiping God is voluntary. We can choose just how much we give to Him, but if we consider how much He has given to us, how Jesus Christ gave His very life to save us, what are we unwilling to give up for Him? It is no sacrifice to give up what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose.
We all will be known for something. Will it be your devotion to the Lord or something far less important? The Lord deserves our extreme worship in response to His extreme love for us.