The Death of Sacrifice

THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IN CHURCH

SERMON 4

THE RISE OF CONSUMERISM AND THE DEATH OF SACRIFICE

– 23 AND HE SAID TO ALL, “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME. 24 FOR WHOEVER WOULD SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE WILL SAVE IT. 25 FOR WHAT DOES IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSES OR FORFEITS HIMSELF?

INTRODUCTION:

THOS WAS MY FACEBOOK POST FROM LAST THURSDAY…

THE CHURCH DOES NOT EXIST TO MEET YOUR NEEDS, THE CHURCH EXISTS BECAUSE JESUS DIED TO MEET YOUR NEED.

MANY PEOPLE EXPECT THE CHURCH TO BE AVAILABLE TO THEM ON THEIR TERMS.

THEY PREFER DRIVE-THRU CHRISTIANITY OVER BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY. GOD DID NOT SAVE YOU SO THAT YOU COULD BE PAMPERED.

GOD SAVED YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF REDEMPTION (EVERYONE’S DEEPEST NEED) WITH A CULTURE TRAPPED BY THE CONSUMERISTIC LIES OF SATAN.

YOU ARE NOT “OWED” ANYTHING!

THANKS BE TO GOD THAT HE DOESN’T GIVE US WHAT WE “DESERVE!”

WE HAVE GOT TO RELINQUISH THE GRIP OF CONSUMERISM ON THE CHURCH.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING IS THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, SACRIFICE IS NOT THE RECOMMENDATION, IT IS THE EXPECTATION.

AND WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO JUST PROJECT THIS NEED FOR SACRIFICE ONTO PASTORS, OR ONTO DEACONS, OR ONTO THOSE WHO HOLD POSITIONS IN THE CHURCH.

SO LET ME GIVE YOU TWO REASONS SACRIFICE IS OFTEN REJECTED, AND THEN I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHALLENGE.

1. SACRIFICE IS A FOREIGN CONCEPT.

a. AND HE SAID TO ALL, “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF…

b. AND TO CLARIFY, SELF-DENIAL IS NOT SELF-HATRED.

c. SELF-DENIAL IS THE OPPOSITE OF CONSUMERISM.

i. AND WE HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED, AND HAVE CONDITIONED THOSE OVER WHOM WE HAVE INFLUENCE, THAT SELF-DENIAL IS AN INDICATOR THAT WE ARE LIVING LIFE INCORRECTLY.

ii. WHEN SELF-DENIAL IS ACTUALLY – IN MOST CASES – AN INDICATOR THAT WE ARE LIVING LIFE IN A WAY THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH SCRIPTURE.

2. SACRIFICE IS COSTLY.

a. AND HE SAID TO ALL, “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME…LET HIM TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY…

b. TO TAKE UP ONE’S CROSS IS TO REJECT THE TEMPORAL AND EMBRACE THE ETERNAL.

c. THE CROSS IS A SYMBOL OF DEATH, AND CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO DIE TO SELF ON A DAILY BASIS.

d. BUT DYING TO SELF IS COSTLY.

i. LIVING FOR JESUS WILL COST YOU SOMETHING.

ii. THE QUESTION IS “ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR FOLLOWING JESUS?”

iii. SADLY, FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE ANSWER IS NO.

1. IN A PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH CAREY NIEUWHOF, FRANCES CHAN, SPOKE ABOUT THE JOURNEY GOD TOOK HIM ON AFTER HE RESIGNED THE CHURCH HE HAD PLANTED…

2. IN THE INTERVIEW, HE TALKS ABOUT GOING TO INDIA, AND MEETING WITH CHRISTIAN LEADERS THERE.

3. AND AS HE MET WITH EACH OF THESE LEADERS, HE WAS AMAZED AT WHAT THEY HAD SUFFERED AND SACRIFICED TO FOLLOW CHRIST.

4. AND HE ASKED ONE OF THEM, AND I’M PARAPHRASING, HE SAID, “AREN’T THERE ANY NOMINAL CHRISTIANS AROUND HERE, LIKE POCKETS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE PROFESSED FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, BUT THEY’RE JUST ON THE FRINGES, NOT REALLY GIVING MUCH OF THEMSELVES FOR THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM?

5. AND THE LEADERS WOULD LOOK AT HIM AND SAY, “NO, WHY WOULD THERE BE? EVERYONE HERE KNOWS THAT IF THEY CHOOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS AND ARE BAPTIZED, THEY WILL LOSE EVERYTHING, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR JOBS, EVERYTHING. SO SACRIFICE IS ASSUMED.”

6. SACRIFICE, OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, IS NOT THE EXCEPTION, BUT THE RULE.

3. THE ONLY WAY TO DO BIG THINGS FOR GOD IS THROUGH SACRIFICE.

a. 23 AND HE SAID TO ALL, “IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM…FOLLOW ME.

i. I DON’T KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS TRULY DOING BIG THINGS FOR GOD, WHO HASN’T SACRIFICED A GREAT DEAL.

ii. J HUDSON TAYLOR SPENT 51 YEARS BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO CHINA.

iii. WERE HIS SACRIFICES WORTH IT?

1. I’D SAY YES.

iv. WAS HE EFFECTIVE?

1. IF YOU CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE ESTIMATED TO BE OVER 200 MILLION CHRISTIANS IN THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN CHINA, ALL OF WHOM ARE UNDER CONSTANT THREAT OF ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THEIR FAITH, I’D SAY HE WAS VERY EFFECTIVE.

v. J. HUDSON TAYLOR ONCE SAID THIS, “ALL GOD’S GIANTS HAVE BEEN WEAK MEN, WHO DID GREAT THINGS FOR GOD BECAUSE THEY RECKONED ON HIS BEING WITH THEM.”