Why Your Sacrifice Still Matters: Giving That Changes Lives

It’s Self-Denial Again!

Why do we have it?

Started in 1886 (the same year that TSA opened fire in Maidenhead) when General William Booth called Salvationists to give sacrificially and to deny themselves so that they could offer God’s love to a hurting world.

Knowing that not every Salvationist was rich enough to donate from their disposable income, he called on every Salvationist to “deny himself of some pleasant or necessary things, and devote the money saved to the extension of the Kingdom of God and the benefit of the suffering”.

Why is it important that Salvationists continue to do this 140 years later?

2 Corinthians 9:1-15

2 Corinthians 9:1–15 NLT

I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

MESSAGE NOTES

A Life of Sacrifice

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 NLT

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

When Paul wrote those words, he wasn't just talking about putting a few coins in the offering plate.

He was talking about a whole way of life.

A life of generosity.

A life of sacrifice.

A life where what we give away actually matters - not just to us, but to God and to the people around us.

Your Sacrifice Still Matters

That’s the truth I want us to wrestle with today: your sacrifice still matters.

The world might tell you that what you give doesn't make much difference.

That you're just one person.

That your small act of kindness or your modest gift won't change anything.

But God says something completely different.

He says that when you plant generously - when you give with a cheerful heart - you're setting something in motion that will produce a harvest.

Not just for you, but for others. Not just in this life, but in eternity.

So this morning, I want to walk with you through four simple steps.

Four invitations.

Four ways we can respond to what God is saying to us through these verses as we launch our Self-Denial Appeal.

Pray for God's Fire to Fall Again

The first thing I want us to do is pray.

We need to pray for God's fire to fall again.

When The Salvation Army began all those years ago, it began with prayer.

William Booth and Catherine Booth didn't have fancy buildings or big budgets.

When the pioneers came to Maidenhead they had nothing.

But what they did have was fire.

They had hearts that burned for Jesus and for people who were lost and broken.

And that fire spread.

It lit up the slums of London.

It made a difference in this town.

It crossed oceans.

It brought hope to the hopeless and dignity to the despised.

But fire needs fuel.

And I wonder sometimes if we've let the fire die down.

If we've become a bit too comfortable.

A bit too safe.

A bit too much like everyone else.

So here's my first invitation: pray for God's fire to fall again.

Pray for people to be saved.

Right here in this corps.

In our town.

Across the United Kingdom.

Around the world.

Pray for men and women, boys and girls to come to know Jesus - to experience his forgiveness, his love, his transforming power.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our corps.

On every Salvation Army centre.

On every officer, every soldier, every volunteer.

Pray that we would be filled again with boldness and compassion and holy passion.

And here's the uncomfortable bit: pray that God would set your heart on fire again.

Because maybe you've drifted.

Maybe your faith has become a bit routine.

Maybe you can't remember the last time you felt that deep, burning love for Jesus that once defined your life.

It's OK to admit that.

God already knows.

And he's ready to rekindle the flame.

So let's pray. Not just today, but every day throughout our Self-Denial Appeal.

Let's ask God to do what only he can do - to breathe life into dry bones, to ignite cold hearts, to pour out his Spirit without measure.

Your prayers matter.

They really do.

Because when God's people pray, things change.

Remember the Story We Stand In

Now, the second thing I want us to do is remember.

We live in a world that's obsessed with the new.

The latest.

The next big thing.

But God's people have always been a people of memory.

We remember what God has done, because it gives us confidence in what he's going to do.

Think about the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. The patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - who stepped out in faith even when they couldn't see the road ahead.

The prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos - who spoke truth to power and trusted God even when it cost them everything.

The apostles - Peter, Paul, John - who turned the world upside down with the good news of Jesus.

And the martyrs. The ordinary men and women who loved Jesus more than their own lives. Who sang hymns as they faced the lions. Who refused to deny their Lord even when it meant torture and death.

And closer to home, in our 140th year, think about the story of this corps.

The faithful soldiers who prayed and denied themselves and gave and served long before we arrived.

The Sunday school teachers, the bandsmen, the home league members, the young people's leaders.

The anonymous saints who opened their homes, who visited the sick, who fed the hungry, who welcomed the stranger.

Every single one of them planted seeds.

And we're standing in the harvest.

And what about your own story?

Can you remember when God first became real to you?

When you first understood that Jesus died for you?

When you first felt the joy of sins forgiven and a new life begun?

Thank God for that.

Because it wasn't random.

It wasn't luck.

It was grace.

Amazing, undeserved, life-changing grace.

And thank God for The Salvation Army.

For all that God has done through this movement across 130 countries.

For the millions of meals served, the addictions broken, the families restored, the lives transformed.

We stand in a mighty story.

A story of faithfulness.

A story of sacrifice.

A story of grace upon grace upon grace.

And that story isn't finished.

God's not done yet.

The best chapters might still be ahead.

So remember.

Give thanks.

Celebrate what God has already done.

Because when we remember his faithfulness in the past, it gives us courage to trust him for the future.

Get Honest About Our Hearts

OK. Now comes the hard part.

Because before we can move forward, we need to get honest about where we actually are.

And here's what I've noticed: it's easy to remember the glory days.

It's easy to celebrate the past.

It's harder to admit the truth about the present.

So let's do that.

Let's get honest about our hearts.

Maybe you've drifted.

You still come to worship, but your heart isn't really in it.

You sing the songs, but you don't mean the words.

You pray, but it feels like you're just going through the motions.

Or maybe you've grown cold.

There was a time when Jesus was everything to you.

But somewhere along the way, other things became more important.

Your job.

Your hobbies.

Your comfort.

Your plans.

Or maybe you're just tired.

You've been serving for so long, and you're running on empty.

You feel like you've got nothing left to give.

Whatever it is, bring it to God.

Because he can handle the truth.

In fact, he already knows.

And he's not angry.

He's not disappointed.

He's waiting with open arms for you to come home.

And it's not just about us as individuals.

Let's be honest about the church today.

There's a lot of lukewarm, half-hearted faith around.

Comfortable Christianity.

Faith that makes no demands.

Belief that costs nothing and changes nothing.

And let's be honest about the world we live in.

The brokenness.

The injustice.

The selfishness.

The loneliness.

The despair.

The violence.

The greed.

The apathy.

It's overwhelming, isn't it?

And sometimes we just want to close our eyes and pretend it's not there.

But God invites us to do something different.

He invites us to bring it all before him.

The mess.

The pain.

The sin.

The disappointment.

The grief.

Because when we do that - when we get honest - something shifts.

We stop pretending.

We stop performing.

We stop trying to be strong enough or good enough on our own.

And we remember that we need a Saviour.

Not just a good teacher or a helpful example.

A Saviour.

Someone who can forgive us, heal us, change us, and send us back out with a new heart and a new purpose.

So let's not be afraid of the truth.

Let's bring it all into the light.

Because that's where grace does its work.

Choose Self-Denial That Makes a Difference

And that brings us to the final invitation. And it's the one that's going to push us the most.

Here it is: choose self-denial that makes a difference.

Now, I know "self-denial" isn't a popular phrase today.

We live in a culture that says, "Do what makes you happy. Live your best life. You deserve it."

But Jesus said something very different. He said:”

Luke 9:23 NLT

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

And Paul understood this.

That's why he wrote about generous planting.

He knew that if we only give what's easy - our loose change, our spare time, the leftovers of our lives - we're not really giving at all.

Real sacrifice costs us something.

It changes our plans.

It reshapes our budget.

It challenges our priorities.

So here's what I want you to ask yourself this over the next month: What could I give up that would actually cost me?

Maybe it's a subscription you don't really need.

Maybe it's eating out as often.

Maybe it's that holiday you'd planned.

Maybe it's an hour of your week that you usually spend on yourself.

Maybe it’s one week’s salary.

I'm not saying give up everything.

I'm not saying live in misery.

But I am saying that if our giving never costs us anything, we might need to ask whether we're really following Jesus or just keeping him as a comfortable addition to our lives.

And here's the question that should guide every sacrifice: How can this help more people meet Jesus and experience his love?

Because that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Not just making ourselves feel good.

Not just ticking a box.

But actually partnering with God in his mission to seek and save the lost.

To heal the broken.

To bring good news to the poor.

Maybe your sacrifice means giving financially so that someone else can hear the gospel.

Maybe it means volunteering your time in our community work.

Maybe it means opening your home to someone who's lonely.

Maybe it means having that awkward conversation with a friend who needs to hear about Jesus.

Whatever it is, plan it prayerfully.

Think it through.

Don't just react emotionally.

Ask God what he's calling you to do.

And then do it.

Be ready to do "anything and everything" Jesus prompts you to do.

Not for your glory, but for his.

Not to be seen by others, but to serve them.

Not because you have to, but because you get to.

And do it cheerfully.

That's what Paul says, isn't it?

God loves a cheerful giver.

Not a reluctant one.

Not a guilt-ridden one.

Not someone who gives and then spends the next six months complaining about it.

Give joyfully.

Sacrifice with a smile.

Because you know that the one who planted generously will reap generously.

The Harvest Is Coming

Your sacrifice still matters. It really does.

When you pray for God's fire to fall, you're setting something in motion that can change lives - starting with your own.

When you remember the story you stand in, you're rooting yourself in something bigger than yourself - a mighty river of grace that's been flowing for thousands of years.

When you get honest about your heart, you're opening the door for God to do surgery - to cut away what's dead and breathe new life into what remains.

And when you choose self-denial that makes a difference, you're planting seeds. Seeds that will produce a harvest. Seeds that will feed the hungry, comfort the broken, and point people to Jesus.

The farmer plants. God gives the growth. And one day, the harvest will come.

So here's what I want you to do this week:

First, set aside time every day to pray. Pray for revival. Pray for lost people. Pray for our corps. Pray for your own heart.

Second, thank God for his faithfulness. Write down three things he's done in your life. Three ways he's shown up. Three reasons to trust him now.

Third, get honest. What's one area where you've drifted? Bring it to God. Confess it. Receive his forgiveness. And ask him to restore you.

Fourth, make a plan. What's one practical, costly sacrifice you can make this month that will help advance God's kingdom? Write it down. Put it in your diary. And then do it.

Remember: a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

So plant generously. Give cheerfully. Trust deeply.

And watch what God does.

Prayer

Let's pray.

Father, thank you that our sacrifice still matters. Thank you that you take what we give - our prayers, our time, our money, our very lives - and you use it for your glory and for the good of others. Pour out your Spirit on us again. Set our hearts on fire. Make us generous, joyful, faithful people who live not for ourselves but for you and for the world you love. In Jesus' name, Amen.