SACRIFICE PART 2

INTRODUCTION

Philippians 2: 1-9

…….2 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
3 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. ………..
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
6 who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant ………..
………9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name

Often times when you are requested to do something that is painful, that would touch you it would appear the world is collapsing. It is though not easy because we are flesh.

But if we key into the thought that Christ Jesus “who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God” we will be able to stand.

We are nothing in ourselves. The best you can see is a man riding around in the prestigious Hummer jeep or lives in the high brow Lekki peninsula, but that cannot be anywhere near God. It is not possible.

You ask him to give up everything you have and he begins to tell stories. Like the rich young, Jesus told he had done very well but to go and sell all he had and take the cross and follow Him (Mark 10: 21). The young man went away sorrowful.

Sacrifice will touch you, will do something that is why God made himself an example. When I imaging Jesus on the cross crying and asking the Father; why have you forsaken me? A point of cut-off of communication between the God-head, the greatest gamble anybody could have made in the entire existence. But God (Christ) did it and it is written “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him …”

I declare to you this day as you make you mind up to a sacrifice of yourself, God also will highly exalt you in the name of Jesus.

DEFINITION OF SACRIFICE FROM THE FREE ONLINE DICTIONARY

1.
· The act of offering something to a deity as a propitiation or homage especially the ritual slaughter of an animal or a person
· A victim offered in this way

2.
· Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim*
· Something so forfeited

*(Hebrews 12: 2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame …..” )

If you have the attitude of sacrifice, though something you have may be precious to you, but because you know there is something greater whether seen or not you would give it up for that.

I say to you and declare today that when God shows you that that thing you value in you hand is nothing to be compared with what He has in stock for you that God will give you the willingness and readiness to give it up in the name of Jesus.

3.
· Relinquishment of something at less than the presumed value
· Something so relinquished
· A loss so sustained

(See SACRIFICE PART 1 for Abraham’s example)

APPLICATION OF SACRIFICE TO OURSEVES

Romans 12: 1-2

1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service*

The chapter opens with an instruction to every child of God and you may wonder how one can go about carrying out the rather strange instruction. But God will not leave you without a guide and followed with the second verse.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

“Do not be conformed to this world” God saying this implies that you have an idea of how things are done in your environment, the way they do it but He is drawing your attention to the fact that there is a different way to live.

For better enlightenment we will read three (3) other versions renditions are as follows:

1 For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies a living offering, holy and pleasing to God which is the worship it is right for you to give him
2 And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.

1 I plead with you therefore brethren by the compassions of God, to present all you faculties* to Him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. This with you will be an act of reasonable worship
(*thinking, the way you look at things, your entire comportment daily)
2 And do not follow the custom of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is – that will which is good and beautiful and perfect

1 I call upon you therefore brethren through the compassions of God, to present you bodies a sacrifice – living, sanctified, acceptable to God – your intelligent service

Note: Presenting your bodies to God is an intelligent service

2 And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what ‘is’ the will of God – that good, and acceptable, and perfect.

We are called to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God. How do we do this?

We will look at certain things that happen to us that if we are able to overcome them and have the right attitude towards them then you have started to yield yourself a living sacrifice unto God. Why is it called living? It is a living sacrifice because life is completely not your own. Put in another form, it is to live a selfless life.

When you are selfless it means you are dead to yourself. You do not consider things of your own but things of others. When you make your list of priorities, it should be God first, the next others then yourself and only then can you be a living sacrifice.

To truly present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, we must be dead to our prior self.
Assess yourself for now, ask yourself how “you have been doing it” and determine; “I am going to die to my present self”

In life you see or it seems that you are forgotten (no longer remembered), worse still you are neglected, when you make attempt to get attention you are shunned, or purposely set at naught (where you manage to be seen someone comes along to deliberately mess you up). Imagine poor you sitting dejected and forgotten and yet someone shows up and spits on you. Rather than reacting violently, you don’t sting or hurt with the oversight, but your heart is happy

You are a living Sacrifice.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed (you hopes are dashed) your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence – That is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did —

That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, and offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God;

That is dying to self
.
When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown;

That is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances;

That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit, inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart;

That is dying to self.

ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE

Your sacrifice is acceptable under the following conditions:

Obedience

1. Moses

Lev 8: 1-3 “And the Lord said unto Moses saying, Take Aaron and his sons with him ………. “

Lev 8: 4-5 “So Moses did as the Lord commanded him …………..”

2. Aaron and his children

Lev 8: 33-35 “And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days ………..”

Lev 8: 36 “So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord has commanded by the hand of Moses”

Preparation

Lev 8: 6-13 “Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water (Eph 5: 26) and he put tunic on him and girded him (Eph 6: 10-19)……….”

Lev 9: 23-24 “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord ……….”

Come with regard

It is not a fun fare and not for show

Lev 10: 1-3 “Then Nadab and Abihu ……….”

Psalm 51: 6, 16-17 “6You desire truth in the inward parts ………. 16For you do not desire sacrifice …………..”

OBJECTS OF SACRIFICE AVAILABLE TO YOU

Money or material things are often seen as the objects of sacrifice but for these to be meaningful you must be ready to sacrifice your;

· Your Time
· Your Ability, Gift or Talent
· Your Comfort or convenience
· Your Prospect
· Your Emotion
· Your Pride
· Your Right

John C. Maxwell offered his entire salary before he could gain the attention of the one who eventually made an arm of his organization fly. The success was nothing to be compared with what he sacrificed.

EMMANUEL A. OSHINYEMI
HEAD OF FELLOWSHIP MIMISTRIES