Sacrifice

Intro

Good Morning

Welcome

We are continuing our series “relate” where we are looking at a few “tools’ we can add to our belts in how to make our current relationships better, how to see others who we may not have relationships with yet, and what it looks like to see discipleship through the lens of relationship.

Discipleship, the thing we are all called to participate in, is not merely teaching someone about Christianity, or getting them to church, or putting them through a process. Christian Discipleship is a deeply relational endeavor that we are all called to engage in.

A few things we must realize about discipleship:

1) Anyone who claims to be a Christian is to also consider themselves a disciple of Jesus. There is no end to discipleship.

2) Disciples are called to also make more disciples. Not of themselves, but of Jesus. A mature disciple makes more disciples.

3) A disciple is not merely a consumer. There is a habit in the U.S. for christians to treat the faith much like they treat everything else in the world, as something to be consumed. That we sit and consume the results or the benefits of a risen savior rather than seeing our faith as radical obedience and full allegiance to that Savior.

We’ve talked about how in the 1st Century, disciples of Rabbi’s would mimic every little thing their rabbi’s did. From how they ate, to their walk, their speech, their teaching style, how they interpreted the scriptures, to when and where they chose to go to the bathroom. A disciple is one who doesn’t merely consume the teachings but they learn to live them out constantly and consistently.

And as followers, real and radical followers of Jesus, we must ask ourselves, how much of my life actually is a reflection of my Savior? When people see me, do they see Jesus?

And when we think about relationships, our disciple-making lens if you will, we must look at some of the most compelling aspects of Jesus relational “style.”

We’ve talked about patience, empathy, forgiveness, and today…what may be the hardest thing for us to do as human beings…not just western humans is this:

What does it mean to sacrifice?

Before we get there…let’s pray

Story:

What do you sacrifice in your ordinary, every day lives?

We live in a culture of indulgence. Where we are taught that what pleases us is good and that we should seek to have more and more of it.

1) Entertainment

2) Food

3) Clothes

4) Music

When I used to work at a Summer Camp, there were a lot of international staff members who would come and work for the summer. And they almost all had the same reaction to American culture….simply….that there is just so much stuff.

So many restaurants, such large portions, cars are bigger and everyone has one, houses are bigger and have air conditioning, closets were filled with a lot of clothing options.

And sacrifice requires us to give up something that costs us.

Costs us comfort

Ability to buy something

An hour of TV at night

And I know it sounds so trivial in the grand portrait of the world, but the more we have, the harder it is to sacrifice and the smaller and more insignificant things become or even feel like sacrificing.

When you don’t have a lot, you don’t have a lot to give up.

Mark 8

34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Or in Mark 10, the story of the Rich young Ruler where Jesus exclaims that it is harder for a Rich man to enter the Kingdom than a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

The more we have, the more we have to lose. In Matthew 6 Jesus also states that we cannot serve both God and stuff.

The same is true for our relationships. If we are not willing to sacrifice, give what hurts, for the sake of others, then how can we expect them to see Jesus through us?

1. So the first thing about Sacrifice is this: It must cost us something.

-When we engage in relationships then we must recognize that we sacrifice something for that relationship:

Marriage relationships

Marriage is not 2 individuals living together as roommates with some intimacy

Marriage is the union, the combining of 2 into one. It is no longer “Evan and Heather” it’s us. Every decision, every purchase, everything is discerned through that context

What do we sacrifice to have that?

-Individual lives

-Freedom

-In many cases we sacrifice what makes us feel good for the benefit of the other

Marriage is a bit different because Marriage is not a climax to love, but instead a covenantal relationship between two people to always put the other first.

Friendships/Platonic

We sacrifice time

Energy

Discipleship Relationships

Time

Energy

Brain power

In many cases…we sacrifice our very beings

The point is….Sacrifice is not the leftovers….Sacrifice is despite our lack of leftovers

In other words…it should hurt a little bit. Sacrifice requires faith. Faith that the sacrifice of our time, money, energy will not be used poorly or prove to be for not.

Our financial giving to our community should be sacrificial. It should hurt a little. Not so the church can be big and cool and fun, but that we practice what we truly believe. That we give, not our money (which some have the habit of looking at money) but we give what we are blessed with freely out of sacrificial practice, not trying to control what goes on.

We’ll talk more about giving in the months to come. But I can promise you, nothing hurts like giving a little bit more than what you think you can afford.

So sacrifice MUST cost us something.

2. Sacrifice is not natural 1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

The way of Jesus is not a natural path. It’s not natural to exercise self-control, to be peaceful, to not give in to the pressures of our culture. It is so much easier to just go with the flow.

But what does Paul write here…the Natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit.

Look what Paul says here in Galatians 5…we all know this:

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious:[e] sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy,[f] drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.[g] 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Sacrifice is a spiritual practice and it is not a natural thing to do. But God is not calling us to live comfortably in what feels natural to us, but to stretch, grow, and strive to live super-naturally as best we can. Not like Superman…but live fully in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So, sacrifice is not natural.

3. Sacrifice must come from a heart of thankfulness (Hebrews 13:15)

15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

When was the last time you truly felt thankful for what God has given you? It could be a lot, or it could be little. But what you have, the air in your lungs. When was the last time you felt thankful.

I remember growing up, on Sunday evenings we had a recovery church gathering for those recovering from Drug and Alcohol addiction. And we almost always had testimony time and people would always stand up and begin by saying “First of all, I want to thank God for waking me up this morning.” There was such a spirit of thankfulness found in those who had little to give. Not so much in those who have an abundance.

Sacrifice must come from a place of thankfulness.

Be thankful for what God has given you, and be humble. Matthew 20 is the parable of the vineyard owner. He hires workers through out the day and agrees on a days wages for all his workers, whether they came early or at the very end. The owner pays them all the same amount. Those who worked all day are mad because those who worked for an hour got the same amount. This is what Jesus said “13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous[g] because I’m generous?’[h]

16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”[i]

Jealousy is the enemy of thankfulness. Our sacrifice must come from a posture of thankfulness.

4. Sacrifice is ultimately pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:16)

16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Share our time, share our resources, share our lives and do good. It pleases God when we sacrifice for our neighbor and our community. Like I stated earlier, let’s stop consuming the benefits of Christs sacrifice and let’s strive to sacrifice as Christ did. Maybe not nailed to a cross, but, as Romans 12 states…as LIVING sacrifices.

And Paul goes on to say, that being living sacrifices is our proper worship.

It’s not the consumption or participation in a Sunday event. It’s not about the Sunday aesthetic. That’s not true and proper worship of God…but how we sacrifice for those who sit next to us in that sunday gathering, or that small group, or on the street, at work, at school, or at home.

That is true and proper worship and is what pleases God.

Again…being Christians is not just reaping the benefits of His sacrifice, it’s picking up our own cross and offering our lives down for His Glory.

What does Jesus say? “True Love is laying ones life down for a friend.”

This is why sacrifice was so important to the Pre-Christian religions. It was central. But where Jesus took it was that sacrifice is just a picture of what God is calling us to do.

5. Sacrifice is ultimately required…But it is a learned requirement…a gained requirement

Mark 8 (Pick up your Cross), Matthew 19:16-30 (rich young ruler)

Again, in mark 8 and Matthew 19, we are called to pick up our cross and follow him. To give everything up, or at least be willing to give it all up. I think back to the story of Abraham and Isaac. God called Abraham to give up that which was most important to him. Obviously we know the story that God did not require Abraham to go through with it. But he desires us to have a heart that is willing to give up everything for the Sake of the Kingdom of God.

Going back to the rich young ruler. Jesus may very well have not required the young man to go through with selling everything. But it was the posture of his heart that he wanted to bring out. Are you willing?

Conclusion

And that’s the question I want to leave us with today. I can talk about sacrifice for a long time. And I touched on a lot in a very short amount of time.

But the question today is a question of our heart. Are we willing to sacrifice? Not just give what is left over or what we can afford. But are we willing to truly sacrifice for the Kingdom of God? For our church community? For our neighbors, our Spouses, our friends? Or are we just willing to give whatever little-bit we have left over? And maybe sometimes we don’t give anything because it would require a sacrifice?

I’m not talking purely about financial stuff. That is for sure part of sacrifice. But relationally. Are we willing to give what we think we can’t afford to give?

Do we have a posture in our hearts of sacrifice?

So…are you willing? Let’s pray.