A church that knows how to sacrifice

1 Peter 2:5 KJV (WS)

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:16 KJV (WS)

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Romans 12:1 KJV (WS)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Introduction

All of humanity knows how to sacrifice.

We are both inspired and repulsed by stories of sacrifice.

We applaud the athlete that sacrifices so that they can win the prize.

We honor the soldier who sacrifices so that he can have victory in battle.

We thank the farmer who sacrifices so that he can gain the harvest.

Simultaneously, we look down or are saddened by the sacrifices of other individuals.

The man that sacrifices his family for a moment of pleasure.

The person who knowingly sacrifices their health through poor decisions.

The young person that sacrifices their future through foolish decisions.

Sacrifice is not a uniquely Christian experience.

We will all sacrifice one thing for another.

For every yes there must be a no.

As believers, we should be more impressed than others about the seriousness of our life’s decisions.

In the movie Gladiator, Maximus recites an actual quote from Marcus Aurelius, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

If a pagan roman emperor could recognize this, how much more should the children of the God of the Universe?

How do we as Christians, insure that we are making the right sacrifice in this life?

How can we as a church, make sure we are investing our limited resources in making the right sacrifices?

We do not have infinite time, man power, or money.

For every yes that we say, we must say no to something else.

Tonight I want to look at some different Biblical principles that will help us make the right sacrifices personally and corporately.

Christian Sacrifice, first of all, must have Jesus as it’s foundation.

Christ is the ultimate example of sacrifice.

Hebrews 12:2 “2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice through His death on the cross.

There was something that He desired, but He could not attain without a personal sacrifice.

What’s incredible, here, is that the thing Jesus was willing to sacrifice for, was you and me.

We were His motivation.

He paid the cost for us.

By doing so, we learn something about what God considers to be sacrifice-worthy.

When Jesus sacrificed, we see that He prioritized or valued these principles.

He sacrificed for the good of someone else.

He sacrificed for something eternal.

When we think about the things we are going to sacrifice for in our lives, Jesus needs to be the example that we follow.

Because of His sacrifice for us, it is reasonable for us to sacrifice for the Lord.

Romans 12:1 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

This is the first step in distinguishing Christian sacrifice from common sacrifice.

We aren’t talking about sacrificing for ourselves or for others.

They will benefit.

Christian sacrifice is unique in that we look at sacrifice as being for the Lord.

This is where Christian sacrifice diverges from normal sacrifice.

Whereas normal sacrifice centers around the works of the flesh, Christian sacrifice must be made in faith.

1 Peter 2:5 “5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Psalm 51:16-17 “16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Biblical principles that enable sacrifice.

Sacrifice and discipline go hand in hand.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 “26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Sacrifice requires extended motivation.

Hebrews 12:1 “1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

Plenty of people can be motivated for a short time, it’s the running with patience that is difficult.

Long-term motivation is the difference between a dead sacrifice and a living sacrifice.

Sacrifice is costly.

2 Samuel 24:24 “24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

This is the story of David purchasing the land that would eventually become the Temple Mount.

God was judging David for the census he conducted.

To stop the spread of the disease God told David to make an altar and offer sacrifices in this spot specifically.

The current owner wanted to give the land to David, but David wouldn’t have it.

That’s why we get these words in verse 24.

When we think about our spiritual offerings, we have to determine whether we are sacrificing or we are just doing what is easy.

Sacrifice is contagious.

When a culture of sacrifice is cultivated, other people will be affected.

I recently read of a husband and wife team that were ministering to orphans in China.

Their children were so effected by the things they saw that they took it upon themselves to make sacrifices to help the orphans in China.

Sacrificial behavior spreads to other people.

Acts 4:36-37 “36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”

Exodus 35:21 “21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.”

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 “1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”

Sacrifice is nullified by disobedience.

1 Samuel 15:22 “22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

You cannot make up for bad behavior with extravagant sacrifices.

Saul tried this and God was displeased with him.

Sacrifice is based on our priorities.

Whatever is important to us, we will deem worthy of sacrifice.

If money is important to you; you will make sacrifices to get it.

If we, as individuals, are offering spiritual sacrifices, then our church will also take on that same personality.

What are we as a church willing to lay aside or give up for God?

For the sake of our mission would we be willing to sacrifice one thing so that we could gain another.