What Will You Sacrifice for the Cause?
Michael Wiley
November 9, 2008
Matthew 16:24-25
Romans 12:1
Introduction:
Begin with the video clip from Ajai Lall – approx 5.5 minutes
We were blessed last week by a message from Ajai Lall, Lead Evangelist of Central India Mission.
His message and the video we just watched inform us of the real persecution and daily threat that many of our brothers and sisters across the world are under daily – just for being a Christian.
Many Christians sacrifice, money, stature, safety, and even their lives for the call of Christ.
Transition:
We are unlikely to experience the type and scope of persecution our friends endure. We will not be called upon to give such a great sacrifice, but I want to ask you today:
What will you sacrifice for the cause?
Sacrifice in Dictionary has many varying definitions. The key element is to give up something. In our context, Christ asks us to sacrifice for something greater.
Jesus said, Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)
24 …“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
John MacArthur writes:
This passage…strikes a death blow to the self-centered false gospels that are so popular in contemporary Christianity. It leaves no room for the gospel of getting, in which God is considered a type of utilitarian genie who jumps to provide a believer’s every whim. It closes the door to the gospel of health and wealth, which asserts if a believer is not healthy and prosperous he has simply not exercised his divine rights or else does not have enough faith to claim his blessings. It undermines the gospel of self-esteem, self-love and high self-image, which appeals to man’s natural narcissism and prostitutes the spirit of humble brokenness and repentance that marks the gospel of the cross.
To come to Jesus Christ is to receive and to keep receiving forever. But Jesus…repeatedly makes clear that there must be a cross before the crown, suffering before glory [and] sacrifice before reward.[end quote]
Sacrifice isn’t a friendly word in our culture today. Who wants to sacrifice anything - time, money, possessions? No, it’s all mine, so why should I give it up.
But God has called the Christian to something so much more. Maybe it will be giving up our time for another, giving up our money for another, giving up our possessions for another, giving up our comforts for another. What about giving up ourselves, our lives, for Christ? What about Christians becoming living sacrifices for God?
In Romans 11 Paul is explaining the mercy of God to the Gentile Christians. He is explaining God’s love for Israel and for them too, then in chapter 12 He says,
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spirituala act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Paul urges us to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to God and he calls this our spiritual act of worship. Imagining worship as a lifestyle, worship through sacrifice, is quite different than what most Christians define worship to be.
We come together on Sunday mornings to worship God. We worship through song, word, prayers, and The Lord’s Supper.
But that should not be the sum total of the Christians worship! Our lives should be lived in sacrificial worship to God on a daily bases.
In order to live in daily worship/in sacrifice we first must turn from the ideas of this world, Paul says.
This world is selfish, me, me, me…
The world’s selfishness leads to idolatry… That is, the world replaces the one true God with the worship of self and the knowledge of God with man’s ideas.
I was reading in proverbs this week and came across the pithy truth of our world—a clear description of where we are today in America.
Proverbs 1:29-33 (NIV)
29 Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but foolsa despise wisdom and discipline.
The Bible tells us in Romans 12 to turn away from the garbage thoughts of this world and live our lives in daily sacrifice.
How does that look?
Jesus said, Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)
Jesus gave us the blue-print in Matthew 16
First Deny yourself.
Not your personal identity, but your natural sinful selfish self! The word there “deny” in the Greek means to utterly disown, to completely separate your self from another—in this case “to completely separate your self, from self.
To deny yourself would be manifest in, turning from sin, giving money to the Lord’s work instead of your own prosperity, losing sleep to help a friend,
Absolute sacrificial living that says, “I am going to put God’s kingdom and other’s needs before my own.
That is totally contrary to the way of the world.
Colossians 3:5-10 (NIV)
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Second, Jesus says, “take up your cross”
This is not for the spiritual elite and it is not the every day naggings of life.
It is simply “Willing to pay any price for Christ’s sake.”
If you live in “self denial” you will endure shame, embarrassment, reproach, rejection, persecution, and some will even endure martyrdom for His sake.
Third, Loyal obedience. --- Follow-me
Walk as He walks, love as He loves, Serve as He serves.
Again, totally contrary to how the world thinks. But this is how we are called to live.
In 2009 we are going to take a year long look at the teachings of Jesus.
The series has changed and morphed over the last few weeks. I have settled on a simple title, “Jesus Said!” I pray it will challenge all to become like our Lord…
Conclusion:
I could give you a list of sacrifices, but it is different for each of us.
What is God calling you to sacrifice?
Is your time spent on your own kingdom with very little given to God’s?
Is your money used all for your own welfare rather than for the Christ’s work through the church? Do you give regularly but have yet to enter into the realm of sacrifice?
Is God calling you to a deeper level of intimacy, but the screams of the world drown Him out?
What is God calling you to do today? Are you listening and responding? Are you willing - willing to go, willing to stay, willing to help, willing to serve, willing to die to self, willing to offer yourself as a living sacrifice for whatever God calls you to? Jesus gives both a warning and a promise in Matthew 16
24 …“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Use this sermon any way you want. God gave it to me. I give it to you.
Email me with any comments or questions
God bless
