DIGGING DEEP NO. 871 – FEBRUARY 23, 2021 Living a Life of Sacrifice John 12:24-26, Romans 12:1.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

What is Sacrifice? (Proverbs 11:24-26)– SACRIFICE is an act of surrendering something, without thinking of getting it back. It is giving out things that are precious and valuable to you; it talks about the cost and not the volume, the quality and not just the quantity of what you are giving. Sacrifice is not easy to engage in, yet it is the key that unlocks many gates to people’s deliverances and blessings. It is one of the secrets of supernatural breakthroughs. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his best unto the Lord and the Lord made him a father of nations! We cannot Out-Sacrifice God, He has given us the best gift already. The Bible in the New Testament tells us that God came in the person of His son Jesus Christ to take that penalty by offering Himself as the sacrifice for sin. Through that sacrifice, God’s love and holiness were both fully expressed and satisfied, and you need make no further sacrifice for sin. When it comes to sacrifice, You must be willing to pay the price, to attain the prize! Are you willing to pay the price? In what areas can we live a life of Sacrifice?

Sacrifice for our Spiritual Growth (Romans 12:1-2)– Spiritual Growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. We must want to grow, decide to grow, make efforts to grow, and persist on growing. John 15 verse 5 says “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. We can’t watch television for three hours and read our bibles for three minutes not have a prayerful life and expect to grow spiritually or be connected to vine. A lot of us grow older, but never grow up. We are able to make sacrifices to grow in physical things but not spiritual matters. Developing our relationship/friendship with God will not happen by accident, it takes desire, time, a conscious effort, and energy.

Sacrifice in Service (Exodus 23:25, Numbers 16:9)- Service is a seed, that speaks for us in the future. Numbers 25 verse 12 says “And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the children of Israel. Use your talent, and time for the Lord. When you offer these services, the pastor might not be able to pay you, but God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. In the Bible days, 12 disciples sacrificed all they had to follow Jesus and they were able to spread the gospel to the world. Imagine how far the gospel would go if we did our part in service to help move the work of God forward. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not asking that we leave everything, quit our jobs and start spreading the gospel. All I am saying is in the ways we can let’s sacrifice in service. If you are a worker, do all you can to make workers meeting. There is a reward for committed service to God, not just service. John 12 verse 26 says “if any man serve me, him will my father honor”!

Sacrifice for the Saints (James 2:14-19)- We have to sacrifice our time and resources for people also. How many times have you gone through your fully packed and overflowing closet to help those without clothes, how many times have you called a fellow church member to just check up on them to know how they are faring? It is easy to fill our lives up with non-essentials to the point that we can no longer tell the difference between essential and non-essential. It is easy for us to say we’ll go on that mission trip or go spend some time working on the local project the church is doing at the soup kitchen. But what if there is no organized group activity? Are our hearts in such a condition that we seek out opportunities to do things that are inconvenient for the sake of the Gospel–even when we don’t have the accountability to participate? Do you go out of your way to serve the people who cannot do anything for you? Do you serve to feel better about myself, or is it done out of love for Christ?

Sacrifice Our Seed (Luke 21:1-4)- Perhaps this is what comes to mind when most people think about sacrificial giving–resources, or more simply put–money. One of the most popular examples of sacrificial giving in the Bible is the story of the widow’s mite. Luke 21:1-4 sets the stage for us. Make no mistake–God is honored when we do those things with the right heart. But are there sacrifices involved when we do them? Rest assured, there is nothing sinful about having possessions. What matters to God is our heart toward our money and our possessions. Do we see them as ours, or as His? Regardless of how much we give to Kingdom work–whether it is $10 or $10,000–Jesus makes it obvious to us in Luke 21:1-4 that He is most pleased with those who had to sacrifice to give that $10. What is your “mite?” Are you sowing sacrificially from your resources?

Sacrifice for a Pure Heart- We can give out of our wallets until it hurts. We can spend all of our vacation time going on mission trips. However, if our hearts are not pure before the Lord, constantly seeking Him and nourishing our relationship with Him, we are not equipped to be His hands and feet. Proverbs 4:23 explains this principle very simply: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life. The most valuable thing we can sow into the world’s soil is the love of Jesus. How present is it in your life? We cannot pass on to others what we do not already possess. Invest in your heart through cultivating purity. This could mean making a stronger effort to be in God’s Word on a daily basis. It may mean inviting others to hold you accountable for your spiritual growth. Perhaps you feel a tug to spend more time in concentrated prayer over a particular matter. God calls some to go on the mission field. He provides a material abundance to others so that they can give more resources to the Kingdom. But He calls us all to have holy lives–the most effective way to sow seeds of the Gospel.

Sacrifice for Success (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Joshua 1:8)– You have to sacrifice your time to read to pass that exam. You have to sacrifice time to succeed in that relationship/marriage. You have to sacrifice resources to learn that new skill. You have to sacrifice certain enjoyments of today for a better tomorrow.

Conclusion

The process of sacrificing can be painful but gainful in the end. It is God’s ordained gateway to a new dawn, glorious beginnings, and series of breakthroughs. Our sacrifice is important; however, our hearts are more important (1 Samuel 15:22).