Life of Sacrifice
Pastor Josh Slatten
Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”
Many of you have heard the story of the chicken and the pig. One day both are walking down the street and they see a sign in the grocery store window that says, “Bacon and Eggs Greatly Needed.” The chicken says to the pig, “I’ll give the store the eggs if you’ll give them the bacon.” The pig looks at the chicken and says, “Not a chance.” The chicken says, Why not?” The pig replies, “For you it’s a contribution, but for me it’s my life.”
Many Christians today are not willing to surrender to God everything. They want to be like the chicken and give and egg here or there. God wants us to be like the pig and give to Him our life.
Jeremiah 10:23 “I know, LORD, that a person’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps.”
Leonard Ravehill said, “Are the things we are living for worth Christ dying for.”
Jesus has asked his followers to go to the altar and sacrifice to him our all. The words “living sacrifice” literally mean to die. The way we live our lives as living sacrifices unto God is by putting His priorities for our lives first and make them our priorities.
Dwight L. Moody said, “There are thousands and tens of thousands of men and women in Christian work, brilliant men and women…men and women who are making great sacrifices, men and women who have put all conscious sin out of their lives, yet who, nevertheless, have stopped short of absolute surrender to God, and therefore have stopped short of fullness of power.”
How can we live for God and die to ourselves this week?
I pray that God will give us the desire and increase our desire to live a life of sacrifice and surrender to Him. May we place God’s will above our own will and by doing that I believe we will see more of His power and presence in our life and in our church.