OMG! – God is Sacrificial
I.
Introduction
a. Over the next few weeks we are going to be
talking about different character traits of God. Beyond this, God desires us to be like
him. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators
of God…” So we will show how we can live
out that characteristic in our own lives.
b. Tonight we are going to look at the character
trait of being sacrificial
i.
Ephesians
5:2 – “And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for
us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
ii.
We have
a God who is sacrificial
II.
Body
a. What is a sacrifice?
i.
Illus:
You don’t know this man, his name was Eduard Burceag. One day in June 2008, he, his wife, and his
friend were hiking on Mt. Rainer when a freak blizzard descended on the
mountain. When it became obvious they
were lost and wouldn’t be able to make it back to base camp they dug a trench. Eduard laid down on the bottom with his body
on the snow, the other two on top trying to keep warm. He refused to switch places though he was
pressed against the snow. The next day
they recovered his body from the mountain after he had sacrificed his life to
save that of his wife and his friend.
ii.
Sacrifice
is the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
1. It can be an act of offering something
precious to God out of worship
2. Or it can be the giving up something of value
for someone else’s sake.
b. Read Ephesians 5:2 again, “And live a life of
love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.”
i.
Out of
love Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself in order to bring us back into a
relationship with God and find forgiveness for our sins. His act was one of offering himself to God in
our place.
III.
Conclusion
a. God wants us to be sacrificial people. What is the opposite of living a life of
sacrifice? Being selfish or greedy. We live in a culture that is teaching us that
it is all about us and what we can gain and nobody better take it from me! I earned it, it is my right, go help
yourself!
b. The sad truth is that many of you would never
even be willing to give up your favorite paid for treat (drink or food) in
order to give that money away to those in need.
Man of you would never even be willing to sacrifice 10 minutes of your
day to pray or show love to someone in need.
We are clutching our hands around what we have in fear that if we lose
it we won’t have anything left…
c. But God wants us to be sacrificial rather
than greedy or selfish. That life of
sacrifice will bring about more for us than one of greed, including a better
final resting place.
d. So what does that bible tell us when it comes
to sacrifice?
i.
1st
Chronicles 21:24 – “But King David replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying
the full price. I will not take for the
Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.’”
1. Sacrifice must be of something valuable
ii.
Romans
12:1 – “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 spiritual
act of worship.”
1. Sacrifice is an act of worship
2. God wants our lives as a sacrifice
iii.
Hebrews
13:15-16 – “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a
sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and share with
others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
1. Praising God can be a sacrifice (worship is
acting in obedience)
2. Doing good is a sacrifice
3. Sharing with others is a sacrifice
e. My challenge for you is this, each week
sacrifice, sacrifice something to God, sacrifice something for others. It can be difficult at first because you have
to readjust how you view life and live it and stop being so self-centered and
greedy.
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