SACRIFICE

"Then Peter began to say to Him, 'See, we have left all and followed You.'" - Matt 10:28


If your Christian walk does not include sacrifice, then you haven't started the Christian faith. While ours will not be in the sacrificing of rams and bulls, the Christian race demands a sacrifice from us and this is the truth.


If it has cost you nothing to remain in the faith, then you may have never been in the faith. If it doesn't cost you pleasure, if it doesn't cost you position or your right, then your faith would be questioned.


It is in the measure of our sacrifice that our allegiance and love to God will be proved. It is in the height of our sacrifice that we can make a mark for God. Some of these sacrifices will be a test of a better thing to come.


It is also possible as it is with Abraham that God will test us based on the things He gave us.. It is clear that God gave you such awesome intellectual ability- yet, if He request for a sacrifice of it, would you make such a sacrifice?


Nobody, should be deceived to think it is a rosy walk in the faith, until we are tested, we are not trusted. The outcome of the sacrifice is an attainment of a new height with God.


SACRIFICE TO FOLLOW & SERVE
"Then another of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'" - Matt 8:21-22


It is hard to untie a bond between families yet we will come to a point when the decision will be made, I do not in anyway imply that family is not important, but this may be the demand of our followership.


Elisha knew the demand of God upon his life will cost him his family, yet he was willing to go all the way...the person who refuse to follow will remain with no one to follow. If our loved ones will not realise the demand of God's mission in our lives, we will forever be tied in their bond and lose our inner peace.


To think that you will only follow at your own terms is a deception of the highest order. Yes, I agree that your family is important, but if the family is an hindrance to your followership then it becomes an issue.


The need of the family should adapt to the demands of God's call on your life and not the other way round. If you are called to be a missionary, then your family must be a mission's family. Most of us don't resign our jobs just because of family, we make the family adapt to the demands of the job.


"Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him." - Matt 4:18-19


This would have been termed a clear case of hypnotism or something like that in our days, these men did not confer with flesh and blood, they sacrificed a business and followed after the Lord.


They didn't have insurance, they didn't see any future, yet they only knew and was convinced of the sacrifice required of them. Wake up my brother, your family or whatever is not an excuse to serve God!


SACRIFICE FOR KNOWLEDGE
"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" - Phil 3:8


We must begin to count our Phds and other degrees as a loss if we are to gain the knowledge of Christ. The increase in versions of the Bible, knowing of Greek words and Latin word have not increased the conviction of men's heart. Though being aware knowledge of these have their purpose, but comprehension of the knowledge of the Holy One has nothing to do with degrees.


When we use our heads to comprehend the deep things of God, it will cause rebellion, if you don't become a lay man at the feet of Jesus, you will not experience a true knowledge of Him. Having not known letters the disciples amazed the scholars, the truth that bring men to their knees has nothing to the with degrees.


Your experience has not to do with the degree of God's depth. Let us begin to show simplicity in approaching the depth of God. It is the meek He shows His secret to. Let's know that we can't know anything before the all knowing God.


"desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm." - 1Tim 1:7


It is most unfortunate that many have resulted to quotes of men of God without a depth or context where such have risen. Please don't be among the confused Christians. Be humble enough to bend at the master's feet.


The excellence of the knowledge of God keeps its recipient humbled but full of depth. Even if your pastor is an illiterate, he may possess depths you don't know about...until you open your heart to the Lord.


SACRIFICE FOR INCREASE
"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5-6


It is never easy to give even when you have much, not to even consider when you do not have, but the walk of faith will require a sacrifice of substance also and you must be aware it will be a sacrifice.


I imagine the disciples going to tell Jesus that, 'there's a little boy with food here', the boy would have have just surrendered because it was Jesus, if not, who would have taken his meal away from him after hearing sermon. His age also tells us that sacrifice can be demanded at any age.


Anything we are not able to surrender for an increase means more to us than God. The Lord demanded the last meal of that widow and it was until she obeyed she knew the blessing of that sacrifice. We can trust God for a blessing but we may not know the package. He delights more in obedience than in the sacrifice itself.


"So she said, 'As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.'" - 1Kings 17:12


She had the blessing of a last meal, and that was what the Lord demanded. It would have been an unreasonable thing to do, but you must lay it down. It will be painful, yes, that is why it is a sacrifice.


Come to terms with the fact that the Lord will not demand a sacrifice that you cannot meet up with, He knows your limit.


BECOME THE SACRIFICE
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." - Rom 12:1


All sacrifices of old were laid on the altar dead, and this is instructive for us at this time, that we must become dead to worldly pleasures, its affection, and everything that will taint our holiness with the Lord. The one who is dead to sin, will become alive in righteousness. It is attained through a surrendered life via praying and the Holy Spirit's help.


The Lord requires an ultimate sacrifice of our ego, pride, reputation and self, to be able to become acceptable to Him. To become a living sacrifice, one will indeed be foolish to the world.


"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise." - Psalm 51:17


The sacrifices of old were meant to condition the heart of men to be broken after committing sin, yet they performed the sacrifices as a mere obligation rather than for a broken heart.


The sacrifice of Cain was from a hardened heart and the Lord knew sin was at the door of Cain's heart, yet he was sacrificing. The Lord will not accept such a sacrifice.

Your possession will count as nothing if you are not a living sacrifice.


Don't do religious obligations and still not be broken, don't attend church if you don't want to be changed by the Word. The Lord demands you first as a sacrifice before whatever you own.


This is the sacrificial demand of the new testament. Jesus laid His life and we must lay our SELF too. 


CONCLUSION: It is easier to sacrifice when you are a living sacrifice.


God bless you and I love you
Akinsuroju Femi