This sermon explores the concept of sacrifice in Christianity, comparing the temporary forgiveness granted through animal sacrifices in the Old Testament to the eternal redemption offered by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and encourages believers to live sacrificially in gratitude for this redemption.
Today, we’re going to be talking about the sacrifice of Jesus and the impact his humble actions have had on all humankind.
To illustrate the idea of sacrifice I want to share a story with you from the trenches of World War II.
“John Robert Fox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in May 1915. By all accounts, he was a smart, diligent young man and he earned a place at Wilberforce University. Here, he signed up for the Reserve Officer Training Corp, meaning he not only finished college with a graduate degree, but with a rank of Second Lieutenant. When war broke out he took his commission and joined the 92nd Infantry Division, a segregated division for African-American soldiers that fought with distinction throughout the conflict.
With his unit, Fox was sent to the European theater of war. In 1944, he found himself fighting the Nazis in Italy. It was here where, in December of that year, he was tasked to stay behind in the small village of Sommocolonia, in Tuscany. The village had been overrun by Nazis, and Americans were in retreat. Fox found a house to hide in and, from the second floor, he used his radio to contact his colleagues. He called for artillery fire to be directed at the village in order to give the US forces time to retreat, regroup and then launch a counter-attack. Fox specifically ordered a barrage of fire on his exact position. The gunner who received the message pointed this out to him, assuming it must be some mistake. Fox, however, simply said: ‘Fire it. There’s more of them than there are us.’
Fox’s act of sacrifice was not in vain. As he planned, the artillery barrage did indeed give his comrades the chance to regroup and launch a successful counterattack. When the US army entered Sommocolonia, they found Fox’s body surrounded by the bodies of nearly 100 Germans.”
The sacrifice of John Robert Fox gave life, opportunity, and victory to his fellow soldiers in a decisive battle with the Germans.
The sacrifice of Christ also gives life, opportunity, and victory to all who would believe. The sacrifice of Christ is so completely sufficient that there’s no need for any other work to be done.
There is much to learn from Christ in this area, so let’s get started;
The sacrifice of Christ also gives life, opportunity, and victory to all who would believe. The sacrifice of Christ is so completely sufficient that there’s no need for any other work to be done.
Humility & Sacrifice
Philippians 2:6-8
We already covered humility in week 2, so I’m not going to belabor the point again. But I do have to take a moment to recognize where there is sacrifice… there is humility.
Christ willingly gave up Heaven to come to earth as a sacrifice for our sin. He did not hold onto His position and power, but instead laid it all down to be a humble servant and give up His life on a cross.
He knew, in order to rescue the world from the curse of sin, it would cost Him His life.
There Is A Cost
If you are going to follow in the footsteps of Christ, which is what it means to be a disciple, then you are going to experience sacrifice ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
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