A Life of Sacrifice
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Introduction:
Last week we began a journey with Lord called “Brick x Brick.”
Brick x Brick is a two year campaign of life change and community outreach that will set the stage for generational restoration of the families of our community.
Last week we talked about the journey that God has taken Reliant through and how he has now placed us in the community in which he wants us to minister.
We have been firmly planted in this community to bring the hope of the gospel to this community, the surrounding area, and around the world.
We are supporting our brothers and sister in Arminia as they minister to their part of the world.
We are headed out next month to Mombasa in Kenya, Africa to run a Youth camp for 100 students.
If we are going to see this vision and dream come to pass, it will only be through great sacrifice.
Sacrifice is not something that we understand that well as Americans. This is one reason I encourage you to go on mission trips with me to see what it means to truly sacrifice.
Many of you saw the video last week of me dancing in a church service in Uganda. Krystal was there with me as the people of the church gave us a sacrificial offering that was so overwhelming that we all just cried together.
We view sacrifice this way. When we have a coat drive we bring the extra coats that we have so that others may have a coat as well. We share but we don’t sacrifice.
Sacrifice would be only having one coat and giving it to someone else and you going without a coat. This type of sacrifice only comes from a deep place of love, where you care more about the well being of others more than you do your own comfort.
Here is the definition that I want us to use and remember for sacrifice:
Sacrifice: Giving up something you love for something you love more.”
Sacrifice: Giving up something you love for something you love more.”
What we find is our journey with God is not about money but about the love of our heart.
We are going to do a heart check up this morning.
How can I get my heart in the right place so that I will be able to sacrifice as needed to accomplish the mission to which God has called us?
There are 3 tests we are going to run on your heart this morning to make sure you are fit for this journey.
Love God!
Love God!
Great things done for God are born out of a pure love for God.
Great things done for God are born out of a pure love for God.
Last week we read how David desired to build a house for the Lord. The first thing God did is check his heart and his motives to reveal his true intentions.
David’s desire to build a house for the Lord was a direct result of his love for God.
David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.
1 Chron 22:
1 David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.
1 Chron 28:1
David’s affections and motives were all in the right place.
A pure heart produces pure motives.
A pure heart produces pure motives.
Any journey with the Lord requires a heart of love for God.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Mark
People only sacrifice for what they truly love.
People always sacrifice for what they truly love.
Some people struggle to tithe to the Lord.
Why, it’s not a money problem. It’s a love problem.
When your affection is set on God then your reflection will be of God.
When your affection is set on God then your reflection will be of God.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
The heart of a Christ follower is set on eternal things and not temporal things.
We are not to love the things of this world.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Loving God always demands a sacrifice in this world.
The
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The second heart test we will take today is, “do you love what God loves”?
Love What God Loves!
Love What God Loves!
God’s love is clearly defined by what makes it from this life to the next.
God doesn’t love buildings because they will all be burned up.
God doesn’t love wealth because it passes away with the world.
What God loves is what he saves from the destruction of this world which is people.
God loves the souls of men and women.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Here’s the heart check , “do you love what God loves”?
If you love God and live in a relationship with God, you will naturally take on the characteristics of God.
This is why the great commandment has two parts.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30
The reality is, if you truly love God you will love what God loves.
If you love what God loves, you will sacrifice for what you love.
So, how is this love fleshed out? That brings us to our 3rd and final heart test today:
Join God in Love through Sacrifice!
Join God in Love through Sacrifice!
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Remember our definition of Sacrifice:
Sacrifice: “Giving up something you love for something you love more.”
Jesus was willing to sacrifice everything so that he could have a love relationship with you.
There is nothing that God values more on this planet than you. He has proved that to us through the sacrificial giving of his son.
There is no way to join God in the journey and not sacrifice.
There is no way to join God in the journey and not sacrifice.
Sacrifice has always been required for the journey with God.
Abraham and Issac
David
John the Baptist
Jesus
The Apostles
The Church
The reason why American Christianity has become so ineffective is because most are unwilling to sacrifice for what God loves.
We can sometimes be talked into giving our access but never to the point of sacrifice.
Are you willing to give up something you love for something you love more?
Brick x Brick requires some sacrifice
Brick x Brick requires some sacrifice
If you have not received a Brick x Brick packet please hold up your hand.
If every one of us would give to the point of sacrifice we would have no problems reaching our goal of $200,000 in the next two years.
Our sacrifice would result in the restoration of the family in our community as people are reconciled to God through our relationships.
Our sacrifice would produce a facility for training and expansion that would bring hope back to the people of our community.
Our sacrifice would bring us into a closer relationship with the Lord than what we have every known before.
Conclusion
So here are the 3 heart tests for today.
How much do you love God?
Do you love what God loves?
Are you ready to join God in love through sacrifice?