Sacrifice For A Deeper Walk Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Sacrifice”

Review

Every Christian serious about a deeper walk with God and greater impact in our world must incorporate spiritual exercises as a way of life.

Silence and Solitude

There can be no quality relationship without quality time so I will spend time with God without distractions and take time to devote to developing the other habits of a higher walk with God.

Submission

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble so I will take time each day to remind my self to keep God first in EVERYTHING and continually embrace His agenda over mine.

Confession

Rebellion (sin) breaks intimacy and dull s the heart so I will continually allow God to expose and transform every area of my life and admit my desperate need for daily grace and forgiveness.

Scripture

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and the truth sets free so I will devote time to the study and interaction with the Word of God.

Faith

Without faith it is impossible to please God and whatever is not of faith is sin so I will take the time to learn to act upon (apply) the truths I encounter in God’s word with complete trust and obedience.

Thanksgiving

Ungratefulness is a sure sign of a self-centered focus so I will continually cultivate a thankful response of worship and give thanks in everything for this is the will of God for me in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

God instructs us not to worry about anything but pray about everything. Since there can be no deepening of relationship without communication I will seek to continually increase the quality and quantity of my prayer life.

Sacrifice

God has called us to a life of sacrificial service as Jesus gave His life for us, so I will learn to offer my time and resources for the good of others and the sake of the Kingdom.

The current exercise in our study is sacrifice. The attitude and action of sacrifice is the core of a healthy relationship with God. In reality, sacrifice is the core of any healthy relationship.

I. What is sacrifice?

Sacrifice is a willingness and sometimes even eagerness to give up something valuable for something or someone we deem more valuable. There is a joy in the struggle because of the strength of the relationship. It is required of any marriage. You sacrifice watching a great football game for a chick flick. You sacrifice browsing the tool section of sears for helping you wife pick out a new dress. You sacrifice quiet time for chaos time with the kids.

Sacrifice is the glue that cements meaningful relationship. Such is our relationship with God.

Out of great love, He sacrificed for us – we sacrifice for Him because of our love for Him. By definition a decision must cost to rise to the level of sacrifice. Giving up rotten tomatoes for apple pie is not sacrifice. Giving meaningless surplus is not sacrifice. Offering leftovers is not sacrifice.

King David went looking for a place to offer sacrifice to God.

Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD. Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people." Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all." But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing." So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath. 1 Chronicles 21:18-27