Next Saturday we will be hosting a fantastic all day event that I am sure will be a blessing to our community. We are hosting a Free Market!! Who doesn’t like to hear the word fee? For most of us, the word free is almost a magical word that has power over us. It seems to draw us near and captivate our attention. We end up taking whatever item it is, it doesn’t matter what it is, it’s free and we want it! It just like when things are on sale. For some unknown reason, we will buy things on sale even if we don’t need them or will never use them. But it’s a bargain and we gotta have it because it is on sale.
Just think about how many items you have in your home that you never really have used but you have them simply because it was either free or on sale. I think we are drawn to freebies and sales because we feel as if it is a blessing to us and we crave those moments in life in which we can be blessed. We really could care less what it is but I suppose it’s the whole idea of receiving, it makes us feel special. It’s like getting a present.
I look forward to every Veterans Day because of all the free deals I get. Many restaurants give free meals to us veterans on Veterans Day and I love it! I will spend the whole day eating here there and everywhere and you know what, I get full after the first restaurant but I keep pilling it in because it’s free!
We just love free things don’t we, no matter what it is, we love it? I think it’s probably because of the giver really. For something to be given freely to someone else, we usually associate it as a sacrifice on their part and this in turns makes us feel special, loved, and cared for.
- Nothing beats a genuine sacrifice.
VIDEO: “A Sister’s Sacrifice”
How about us? I often wonder if any of us would truly be willing to lay our life down for anyone else.
When was the last time if ever, you sacrificed anything for anyone? We are called as Christians to exemplify Christ with our lives. Others should see some of Jesus in us and what better way to shine for Jesus than to have a sacrificial heart.
We as comfortable Americans greatly dislike sacrifice. Asking most Americans to sacrifice anything is like asking a cat to take a bath.
In spite of how we might feel about it sacrifice is a very important part of our Christian life. Most people who choose not to follow the Lord do so because of the sacrifice involved in the Christian life. Yes, Sacrifice is extremely important.
Romans 12:1-Therefore, I urge you, bothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship
Definition of Sacrifice-The offering of something that is precious, that has value, that is important
- A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice unless it costs you something
Illustration: I heard a story about a very wealthy church in Houston, Texas that was planning an all church wide garage sell for the less fortunate in the city. For weeks the pastor challenged the church members to gather things from their homes that they would like to donate for this special event. The pastor tried to encourage them to bring items that would bring in a good amount of money for the sell. He told the church to look at their possessions and bring to the sell what the treasured the most materially. “Simply pray about it and do what God tells your heart.”
The big day came and there were blenders, clothes, old rusty tools, books, old toys and stuffed animals. It looked much like any other garage sell except larger. It looked like people were just trying to clean out their garages and make some extra money.
It seemed as if the church really didn’t spend much time in prayer about what they truly prized. The event seemed to have not affected the hearts of one single church member, the pastor felt heartbroken as the day continued, church members kept bringing in their junk that no one wanted. Until one man arrived. He was a quiet man, not too many people knew much of him as he had just joined the church and had given his life to Jesus weeks before this garage sell event.
He drove up, not carrying anything in his hands to donate. He didn’t say a single word as he got off of his vintage one of a kind Harley Davidson Motorcycle. He placed his helmet onto his bike and began to walk away. The pastor stopped him and asked where he was going.
The man replied, “I value many things in my life and have been tremendously blessed with many material items. My most prized and treasured item is my Harley Davidson. Nothing I own comes close to the money value of that bike. I have no children and this bike is my baby, I love it with all my heart. I prayed to god about what I value most in this life and I realized it is this bike. If God loved each of us enough to have His Son die for us then I know I need to show my love for people as well and sacrifice my baby for people.”
- Could it be that we have lost sight of what God has done for each of us? We all need to be reminded of His powerful love for people daily so that we too may love others in His name.
Material things were not meant to be our all-consuming passion in life. If they are, then we have certainly missed the boat on what God desires of us and we will miss out on a great deal of happiness in life.
Phil. 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Our interests are important to us, but they should not be to the point that we pay little or no attention to people. People are eternal. Our pleasurable interests are not.
TRUE JOY IS FOUND IN PEOPLE! Therefore, our focus must be on people rather than possessions if we are to find greater joy in life!
Jesus’s focus was always on people, he cared for us so much that He sacrificed His very life. This is what we must realize and totally trust in.
Conclusion:
Next Saturday we will have a great opportunity set before us to practice this fundamental truth that is found in Christ.
For the most part I believe we keep our focus within the confines of the church and focus upon each other and our needs. Yes, this is a great thing, to care for one another but next Saturday we will branch out and focus on others outside of the church as we give freely to the community.
Bring items freely to give freely, bring food freely to give freely and most importantly, donate your time freely and join us as we seek to glorify Jesus and bless others.
As we lead up to next Saturday, I ask each of you to do an inventory of your material things at home and think about how some of those things may be a blessing to someone in need, to someone that may have less than you, to someone that simply needs to feel the love of God in their lives.
The verse that I want us all to place on our hearts this week is Acts 20: 35. Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.
I want to place a challenge before each one of us. To verbally speak Acts 20:35 out loud at least once a day between now and Saturday. It doesn’t have to be in front of a big group of people or in a loud voice. Just speak it out loud once a day for one week. Speak it out loud in your car, speak it in the shower, speak it where ever you feel comfortable but just speak it.
The key here is to soak in the verse and allow it to work in your life as we lead up to this wonderful event next Saturday. Allow the Word of God to lead you as you seek to please and honor Him through your sacrificial giving.
Let’s go ahead and start it of right now, here, together as a church family let us join together as we speak Acts 2:35 out loud together as a unified body for Jesus.
